East Room

1:29 P.M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT:  Well, again, thank you all for coming together to form this historic Cabinet.  This is the first in American history that the Cabinet looks like America.  That’s what we promised we were going to do, and we’ve done it.

I’m grateful that the Senate acted in a bipartisan way, at a modern record speed, to get the Cabinet confirmed.  It’s hard to believe, but we are among the quickest formed of all the Cabinet members being — being put in place.

We have a lot to discuss, but while the press is here, I want to make one announcement:

Yesterday, in Pittsburgh, I laid out my vision for rebuilding America with the American Jobs program.  And while most of the Cabinet will have a role in helping shape and press the Jobs Plan, today I’m announcing that I’m asking five Cabinet members to take special responsibility to explain the plan to the American public.

Working with my team here in the White House, these Cabinet members will represent me in dealing with Congress, engage the public in selling the plan, and help work out the details as we refine it and move forward.

These five members will be Pete Buttigieg, Jennifer Granholm, Marcia Fudge, Marty Walsh, and Gina Raimondo.  And I think — I want to thank them in advance for the role they’re going to play with this added assignment I’m asking them to take on.  And we’ll be discussing that today and among other things.

And one of those other things — our administration — is a commitment to Buy American, the plan we’re putting forward to make sure that when the government is spending taxpayers’ money, that they’re spending it on American-made goods of American corporations and American employees.

Today I’m directing every member of the Cabinet — I mean this sincerely — every one — to take a hard look at their agency’s spending and make sure it follows my Buy American standard, which we set out in January.  I’m going to ask you all to report back to me at the next Cabinet meeting. 

And now we’ve got a lot of business to do, to get done.  And I thank the press for being here, but I’ll talk to you all later. 

Thank you.

1:32 P.M. EDT