{"id":16671,"date":"2019-06-13T23:32:07","date_gmt":"2019-06-14T04:32:07","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/thetruthplainansimple.info\/thebiblerevealed\/?p=16671"},"modified":"2019-11-20T11:18:25","modified_gmt":"2019-11-20T17:18:25","slug":"president-trump-delivers-speech-about-his-second-chance-hiring-plan","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/thetruthplainansimple.info\/thebiblerevealed\/president-trump-delivers-speech-about-his-second-chance-hiring-plan\/","title":{"rendered":"President Trump Delivers Speech About His Second Chance Hiring Plan For Former Inmates."},"content":{"rendered":"<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/M2K5ZSZ6Ztg\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><strong>THE PRESIDENT:\u00a0\u00a0 Thank you very much.\u00a0 Please, please.\u00a0 Great occasion.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>I want to welcome everyone to the White House.\u00a0 We\u2019re here today to announce a vital new action that we\u2019re taking to help former inmates find a job, live a crime-free life, and succeed beyond their wildest dreams.\u00a0 (Applause.)<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>And this afternoon, we\u2019re very grateful to have many distinguished guests, including Secretary Alex Acosta.\u00a0 Alex, thank you very much.\u00a0 (Applause.)\u00a0 Governor Phil Bryant.\u00a0 Thank you, Phil, very much, very much.\u00a0 (Applause.)\u00a0 Governor Bill Lee.\u00a0 We just spent some time together. \u00a0Tennessee.\u00a0 (Applause.)<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>And, I have to say, my administration is focused on lifting up all Americans.\u00a0 And that\u2019s exactly what we\u2019re doing with this.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>As part of our working families agenda, we\u2019ve expanded apprenticeships and job training, we\u2019ve delivered historic tax cuts \u2014 the biggest ever in the history of our country \u2014 and regulatory reform, and we\u2019ve increased access to affordable healthcare and childcare.\u00a0 So it\u2019s been really important.\u00a0 (Applause.)\u00a0 Thank you.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>And as a result of the booming economy, we\u2019re bringing Americans who have been on the sidelines back into the workforce, including former inmates and those recovering from opioid addiction.\u00a0 Very important.\u00a0 And it\u2019s been incredible, the success we\u2019ve had.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Since the election, we\u2019ve created 6 million new jobs.\u00a0 We\u2019ve added more than a million new jobs in manufacturing, construction, and steel alone.\u00a0 And everyone said that was going to be an impossibility to do \u2014 manufacturing jobs.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>African American, Hispanic American, and Asian American unemployment have reached the lowest levels and the lowest rates in history of our country.\u00a0 It\u2019s been an incredible situation.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Our policies are rebuilding lives, rebuilding families, and rebuilding communities.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>To realize America\u2019s full potential, we must unlock the talents of every single citizen.\u00a0 We want to lift every American family out of poverty and into a future of hope and opportunity.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>In December of last year, I signed into law groundbreaking and historic reform to our criminal justice system: the FIRST STEP Act.\u00a0 (Applause.)\u00a0 That\u2019s terrific.\u00a0 Great.\u00a0 Great.\u00a0 That\u2019s terrific.\u00a0 Thank you.\u00a0 Thank you very much.\u00a0 I think you like it.\u00a0 (Laughter.)<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>It is true though, since we\u2019ve got it passed, nobody realized how tough it was.\u00a0 They\u2019ve been trying to do it for many years.\u00a0 And \u2014 many, many years.\u00a0 And nobody thought they could do it.\u00a0 And we got it done.\u00a0 But we had tremendous conservative support and tremendous liberal support.\u00a0 It was very bipartisan.\u00a0 Some of the most conservative people \u2014 I know Mike Lee was in favor of it and Chuck Grassley was in favor of it.\u00a0 And then, on the other side, you had people that, frankly, I didn\u2019t think would be signing too many of the things that I wanted to do.\u00a0 Phil Bryant, you know?\u00a0 (Laughter.)<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>But they all wanted it.\u00a0 And it\u2019s something that I\u2019m very proud of.\u00a0 And Jared and Ivanka were incredible.\u00a0 And they really pushed it.\u00a0 (Applause.)\u00a0 It\u2019s true.\u00a0 And I think they were being pushed a little bit also by Kim Kardashian.\u00a0 She\u2019s right here.\u00a0 (Applause.)\u00a0 So, thank you, Kim.\u00a0 And Kanye.\u00a0 Thank you.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Since its passage, more than a dozen states have advanced similar reforms at the state level.\u00a0 Now we must make sure that Americans returning from prison get a true second chance.\u00a0 Right?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>America wins when citizens with a criminal record can contribute to their communities as law-abiding members of our society.\u00a0 When former inmates come home, the single-most important action we can take is to help them find a really, really good job, where they love the job, they want to go there, and they\u2019re making a lot money.\u00a0 Right?\u00a0 And that\u2019s what\u2019s happening.\u00a0 And that\u2019s because of a lot of reasons, including the people in this room. \u00a0But it\u2019s also because we have a great economy.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>And some people that wouldn\u2019t have normally made that choice, they\u2019ve made that choice and they are so happy.\u00a0 I\u2019m talking about employers.\u00a0 They are so happy they can\u2019t even believe it.\u00a0 They\u2019ve got \u2014 one man told me some of the best people that work for him now came out of prison.\u00a0 And these are people that a few years ago, they \u2014 he would not have given a chance.\u00a0 And now he considers them among his best people.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Too often, former inmates are not considered for jobs even if they\u2019re qualified, rehabilitated, and ready to work.\u00a0 And that\u2019s why we\u2019re taking crucial steps to encourage business to expand second chance hiring practices.\u00a0 (Applause.)<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>So when we say \u201chire American,\u201d we mean all Americans.\u00a0 And that\u2019s what\u2019s happening.\u00a0 (Applause.)\u00a0 First time, probably, ever.\u00a0 (Applause.)<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>And I think I can say, truly \u2014 and a lot of the folks in the room are experts and you\u2019ve been doing this for a long time \u2014 but I think it\u2019s probably the first time we can truly say that in the history of our country that that\u2019s happening.\u00a0 So it\u2019s really been fantastic.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>The unemployment rate for former inmates is up to five times higher than the national average.\u00a0 My administration has set an ambitious goal: We want to cut the unemployment rate for these individuals to single digits within five years.\u00a0\u00a0And we think there\u2019s a really good chance of doing it.\u00a0 (Applause.)\u00a0 Thank you.\u00a0 Thank you.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Second chance hiring is about safer communities, a stronger workforce, and a thriving economy.\u00a0 We believe in the dignity of work and the pride of a paycheck.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Here with us today is Johnny Koufos.\u00a0 And I worked on that name because it\u2019s spelled a little bit differently.\u00a0 (Laughter.)\u00a0 It\u2019s spelled a little bit differently than was supposed to, but I got it right, I think, Johnny.\u00a0 I don\u2019t know.\u00a0 Close enough.\u00a0 (Laughter.)\u00a0 A lawyer who served time in prison for an alcohol-related accident and now runs a re-entry program.\u00a0 He\u2019s done incredibly well.\u00a0 He\u2019s highly respected in the community.\u00a0 He\u2019s a tremendous guy.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>And, John, maybe you could come up and say a few words, please.\u00a0 Okay?\u00a0 (Applause.)<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>MR. KOUFOS:\u00a0 Thank you, Mr. President.\u00a0 And thank you all for being here.\u00a0 And don\u2019t worry about the name; it\u2019s Greek.\u00a0 That\u2019s the best pronunciation anyone has done in many years.\u00a0 (Laughter.)<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Again, my name is John Koufos.\u00a0 And, Mr. President, you know, your courage in criminal justice reform has made America safer and it\u2019s made America better, and it\u2019s made America more prosperous.\u00a0 So, first and foremost, I want to thank you for that.\u00a0 (Applause.)<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>You know, we\u2019re in June 12th, I think, 2019 \u2014 today \u2014 and in June 12th, 2013, I was in prison.\u00a0 I had hurt someone \u2014 my alcoholism; I caused a car accident in my alcoholism, driving drunk.\u00a0 And thank the Lord I didn\u2019t kill that person, Mr. President.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>And when I was in prison \u2014 and here I was, this trial lawyer from New Jersey \u2014 nobody asked me for money, which was really a surprise in prison.\u00a0 But nearly everybody asked me for a job.\u00a0 Everyone wanted a job to avoid crime, to reunify with their families, to pay child support.\u00a0 And I never forgot that.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>And as my journey towards sobriety took shape, I was blessed with people like the folks in this room who gave me that second chance to contribute.\u00a0 And I would go on to build a very large reentry program in New Jersey.\u00a0 From there, I would go on to be recruited to work down here in Washington, D.C. to help do this nationally.\u00a0 I\u2019ve worked with Governor Bryant.\u00a0 So many good people in the room.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>And without a second chance, I don\u2019t know where I would\u2019ve been.\u00a0 I\u2019m not sure if I could\u2019ve stayed sober.\u00a0 I certainly know I wouldn\u2019t have contributed the level I did.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Next month, I have my first child \u2014 a baby daughter \u2014 on the way.\u00a0 I have \u2014 (applause.)\u00a0 Thank you.\u00a0 I\u2019m married, and I have the ability to be standing here with you, Mr. President.\u00a0 Thank you for taking on criminal justice reform.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Folks, this is the public safety issue of our time.\u00a0 This is a justice issue of our time.\u00a0 This is a civil rights issue of our time.\u00a0 And this is a prosperity issue of our time.\u00a0 And, Mr. President, thanks to you, it\u2019s all of our time.\u00a0 God bless you.\u00a0 (Applause.)<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>THE PRESIDENT:\u00a0 Thank you, John.\u00a0 That\u2019s incredible.\u00a0 That\u2019s an incredible story.\u00a0 I can\u2019t tell you the job he\u2019s done.\u00a0 So respected.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Across the federal government, we\u2019re giving former inmates the resources they need to make the most of their new lease on life.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Today, the Federal Bureau of Prisons announced that it will work with employers to help those leaving prison to have a job lined up when they are released.\u00a0 Something that pretty much has never happened before.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Also, earlier today, the Department of Labor \u2014 Alex, that\u2019s good; he\u2019s done a great job.\u00a0 (Laughter.)\u00a0 He\u2019s done a good job.\u00a0 Awarded $2 million to states to support \u201cfidelity bonds,\u201d which underwrite companies that hire former prisoners.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>We are expanding our Second Chance Pell Grant Pilot Program to allow individuals to use their time in prison to take college-level classes.\u00a0 (Applause.)\u00a0 That\u2019s great.\u00a0 That\u2019s great.\u00a0 That\u2019s great.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>The Department of Energy has begun a new initiative to inform American workers, including former inmates, about great jobs in the booming energy industry.\u00a0 And that is a great industry.\u00a0 (Applause.)<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>And just in case you didn\u2019t hear me say this before: We\u2019ve now become the number-one energy producer, by far, in the world.\u00a0 (Applause.)\u00a0 We\u2019re topping Saudi Arabia and we\u2019re topping Russia.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Our administration is also working to allow rehabilitated citizens with a criminal record to apply for both federal government jobs and affordable housing \u2014 something that we were unable to do before.\u00a0 (Applause.)<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Here with us today is Marcus Bullock, who went to prison as a minor in 1996 and now runs a technology company.\u00a0 And he\u2019s doing a very good job.\u00a0 Marcus, please come up and say hello.\u00a0 You\u2019re here.\u00a0 Thank you.\u00a0 (Applause.)<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>MR. BULLOCK:\u00a0 Thank you so much, Mr. President.\u00a0 When I was in cell C-12, I\u2019d never thought that I would be standing here on this podium, so I\u2019m going to suck all of this moment up while I\u2019m standing here.\u00a0 (Applause.)\u00a0 Thank you.\u00a0 Thank you.\u00a0 Thank you.\u00a0 Thank you so much.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>When I was 15 years old, I made one of the worst mistakes of my life, and it landed me in front of a judge, listening to him sentence me to eight years in adult maximum security prisons.\u00a0 I grew up in a prison cell, and I\u2019ll tell you, that was one of \u2014 some of the darkest times of my life.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>The depression that I fought, the battles on the prison rec yards that I saw every day, they became a big part of me, and they were \u2014 they built this dark spirit that my mom began to see.\u00a0 And my mom made a commitment because she wanted to understand \u2014 she wanted me to understand that there was life after prison.\u00a0 There would be potential days that looked like this.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>And so my mom wrote me letters and she sent me pictures every day for the remaining six years of my prison sentence, until I came home, so that she could show me the window to the world.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>And this is why I\u2019m so grateful for what happens around the country, and we\u2019re having conversations around the FIRST STEP Act and what we\u2019re doing now with these second chances.\u00a0 Because even once I came home, it was still very challenging for me to get a job.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>After finally finding a job at a paint store, minimum wage job \u2014 and I was very, very grateful just to be able to get a job \u2014 and it was really only because of the way that they worded one of the questions on the application, it allowed me to be able to even eventually start my first business after prison, which was a painting businesses.\u00a0 We ended up hiring over 18 employees.\u00a0 And after the 19th one, we realized that the first 16 were all returning citizens, just like me.\u00a0 (Applause.)\u00a0 Thank you.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>And while we were building opportunities for other men and women to come home and have a great place to be able to work with the sustainable employment, we wanted to venture out a little bit further.\u00a0 And, in 2012, we started our first tech company.\u00a0 That tech company, Flikshop, is now a venture-backed company that connects families back to their incarcerated loved ones the same way that my mom wrote me letters and pictures when I was in prison.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>We\u2019ve connected over 140,000 families around the country.\u00a0 And I\u2019m so grateful because the resources that are flowing back into these prison cells, using our tech, is building the next generation of entrepreneurs, leaders, business executives like me, and great employees at some of you all\u2019s incredible companies.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>I\u2019m so grateful to be a small part of the solution because we do understand that this crisis is huge.\u00a0 But with you guys\u2019 leadership, I feel very, very optimistic about the future of employment.\u00a0 Thank you.\u00a0 (Applause.)<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>THE PRESIDENT:\u00a0 And, tomorrow, Marcus will be announcing a run for a major public office.\u00a0 (Applause.)\u00a0 You did a good job.\u00a0 Huh?\u00a0 You guys, great job.\u00a0 Thank you both very much.\u00a0 Really fantastic.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Today, we\u2019re also joined by many employers who are hiring former inmates and helping us build the strongest economy on Earth.\u00a0 We have some very successful people in this room, and we appreciate it all very much.\u00a0 Thank you very much.\u00a0 Great job.\u00a0 (Applause.)<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Among the leaders who join us today is Steve Preston, the CEO of Goodwill.\u00a0 Goodwill employs and provides training and other services for more than 100,000 former inmates each and every year.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Steve, I want to thank you for the devotion and all that you do for a second chance.\u00a0 (Applause.)\u00a0 Steve.\u00a0 Steve.\u00a0 Please, Steve.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>MR. PRESTON:\u00a0 All right.\u00a0 Well, thank you very much, Mr. President, for your leadership and the FIRST STEP Act, and for working with Congress to pass this in a bipartisan fashion.\u00a0 That just sounds great, doesn\u2019t it?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>THE PRESIDENT:\u00a0 It sounds great.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>MR. PRESTON:\u00a0 Yeah, it really does.\u00a0 Because we know that it\u2019s not an issue of one side of the aisle or the other.\u00a0 It\u2019s an issue for the entire country.\u00a0 And now we all get to work together to ensure that we truly give people, who are coming back home, a real second chance.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>You know, we all know about high recidivism rates, but it does not have to be that way.\u00a0 I know, because as the President said, last year alone, Goodwill worked with over 100,000 second chance individuals.\u00a0 And with the right kind of support, those recidivism rates plummet, and, in their place, come high-success rates.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>So we need to provide support for people to get back on their feet, to stabilize their lives, and, so importantly, define meaningful employment \u2014 because it\u2019s the promise of that job that often cements the path forward to a sustainable life.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>And the small investment we make to do that has a return many times over, not only financially, which I think any of us could prove out, but certainly in the form of lives that are transformed both for the individuals and for their families.\u00a0 And it\u2019s so important that we remember those families in this process.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>So thank you again, Mr. President, for all that you are doing to be part of \u2014 to advance this important effort. \u00a0Thank you guys for your stories.\u00a0 These are \u2014 like, there is no better testimony than to see what\u2019s happening here.\u00a0 And there are other people around the country that have the same experience if they\u2019re given the right chance.\u00a0 Thank you.\u00a0 (Applause.)<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>THE PRESIDENT:\u00a0 Thank you.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>And I thought maybe I\u2019d just a take moment.\u00a0 So, at the White House \u2014 and been with me now three and a half years, before I won, before the election \u2014 is a person, a friend, a woman \u2014 a great, great magnificent person, actually \u2014 named Sarah Huckabee Sanders.\u00a0 And she\u2019s very popular.\u00a0 She\u2019s very popular.\u00a0 (Applause.)<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>And \u2014 and she\u2019s done an incredible job.\u00a0 We\u2019ve been through a lot together, and she\u2019s tough but she\u2019s good.\u00a0 You know, you also have tough and bad, right?\u00a0 (Laughter.)\u00a0 She\u2019s tough and she\u2019s good.\u00a0 She\u2019s great.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>And she\u2019s going to be leaving the service of her country, and she is going to be going \u2014 I guess you could say private sector, but I hope she\u2019s going to \u2014 she comes from a great state, Arkansas.\u00a0 That was a state I won by a lot, so I like it, right?\u00a0 (Laughter.)\u00a0 But we love Arkansas, and she\u2019s going to be going back to Arkansas with her great family \u2014 her husband, who\u2019s a fantastic guy, and her family.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>And I don\u2019t know, Phil, and folks, if we can get her to run for the governor of Arkansas, I think she\u2019ll do very well.\u00a0 And I\u2019m trying to get her to do that.\u00a0 (Applause.)<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>But I just saw her in the room and I really wanted to call her up.\u00a0 She\u2019s a special person, a very, very fine woman.\u00a0 She has been so great.\u00a0 She has such heart.\u00a0 She\u2019s strong but with great, great heart.\u00a0 And I want to thank you for an outstanding job.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>MS. SANDERS:\u00a0 Thank you, sir.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>THE PRESIDENT:\u00a0 And \u2014 thank you.\u00a0 Come.\u00a0 Thank you, honey.\u00a0 Say a couple words.\u00a0 (Applause.)<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>MS. SANDERS:\u00a0 Thank you.\u00a0 Thank you so much.\u00a0 I\u2019ll try not to get emotional because I know that crying can make us look weak sometimes, right?\u00a0 (Laughter.)<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>This has been the honor of a lifetime, the opportunity of a lifetime.\u00a0 I couldn\u2019t be prouder to have had the opportunity to serve my country and particularly to work for this President.\u00a0 He has accomplished so much in these two and a half years, and it\u2019s truly been something I will treasure forever.\u00a0 It\u2019s one of the greatest jobs I could ever have.\u00a0 I\u2019ve loved every minute.\u00a0 Even the hard minutes, I have loved it.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>I love the President.\u00a0 I love the team that I\u2019ve had the opportunity to work for.\u00a0 The President is surrounded by some of the most incredible and most talented people you could ever imagine.\u00a0 And it\u2019s truly the most special experience.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>The only one I can think of that might top it just a little bit is the fact that I\u2019m a mom.\u00a0 I have three amazing kids, and I\u2019m going to spend a little more time with them.\u00a0 (Applause.)<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>And, in the meantime, I\u2019m going to continue to be one of the most outspoken and loyal supporters of the President and his agenda.\u00a0 And I know he\u2019s going to have an incredible six more years and get a whole lot more done, like what we\u2019re here to celebrate today.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>And I don\u2019t want to take away from that.\u00a0 So I certainly want to get back to the tremendous thing that the people behind me have done.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>And thank you so much, Mr. President.\u00a0 It\u2019s truly an honor.\u00a0 (Applause.)<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>THE PRESIDENT:\u00a0 Thank you, Sarah.\u00a0 Thank you very much.\u00a0 Great.\u00a0 Great person.\u00a0 Great person.\u00a0 Thank you, Sarah.\u00a0 Great.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>She\u2019s a warrior.\u00a0 You guys know what warriors are, right?\u00a0 Yeah?\u00a0 You\u2019re warriors.\u00a0 Huh?\u00a0 We\u2019re all warriors.\u00a0 We have no choice.\u00a0 (Laughter.)\u00a0 We have to be warriors in this world.\u00a0 But she is a warrior.\u00a0 Thank you, Sarah, very much.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>We\u2019re also glad to have with us the President of the Society for Human Resource Management, Johnny Taylor.\u00a0 And where\u2019s Johnny?\u00a0 Where\u2019s Johnny?\u00a0 Come here, Johnny.\u00a0 (Laughter.)\u00a0 Johnny.\u00a0 This guy is some guy and some athlete, that I can tell you.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>So maybe you could just talk a little bit about what we\u2019re doing and how well you\u2019re doing with it, right?\u00a0 Thank you, Johnny.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>MR. TAYLOR:\u00a0 Thank you, Mr. President.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>THE PRESIDENT:\u00a0 Thank you.\u00a0 (Applause.)<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>MR. TAYLOR:\u00a0 So I vividly remember December 2018, waking up one morning and reading in the newspaper that Congress had signed \u2014 had passed, and the President had signed, the FIRST STEP Act.\u00a0 I literally did not believe that would ever happen.\u00a0 (Laughter.)\u00a0 And, I mean, so much so that I got up and said, \u201cI can\u2019t believe it.\u00a0 Like, he said he\u2019d do it.\u00a0 But I didn\u2019t think it would happen.\u201d\u00a0 And here we were.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>And I realized there were so many people who had worked behind the scenes, people like Mark Holden, who\u2019s here in the room from Koch Industries.\u00a0 So many of you had worked to make this a reality.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>And the first thing I thought was: What can I do as an American to do my part in this?\u00a0 I represent an organization called the Society for Human Resource Management, and we represent 300,000 HR people across the globe.\u00a0 Our companies employ 115 million people every day.\u00a0 And so we said, \u201cThere\u2019s some role that we must be able to play.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>And, instantly, it hit me: What\u2019s the next step?\u00a0 What we know is that once people get out, too often \u2014 get out of incarceration \u2014 too often they return because they can\u2019t find a job.\u00a0 These aren\u2019t bad people; they\u2019re people who are trying to survive.\u00a0 And we can play a role in that if we can help remove some of the barriers \u2014 those barriers that lead to high levels of recidivism.\u00a0 Again, no one wants to go back.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>And so what we needed to do is figure out how we could play a role \u2014 the country\u2019s human resource professionals \u2014 to remove the barrier of employment.\u00a0 And so we\u2019re bringing back people back into the workplace.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>So, I went back to my team; it was, of course, a week before Christmas, and they said, \u201cWait a minute.\u00a0 What?\u00a0 You want me to work over the weekend?\u201d\u00a0 I said, \u201cYes.\u201d\u00a0 Mark Holden and his team, Jenny.\u00a0 Jenny is in the room.\u00a0 Thank you, Jenny.\u00a0 We all said we\u2019d work together on the weekend with my Chief of Staff and our team, and we came up with an idea.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Over literally a one-week period, we launched a website called \u201cGetting Talent Back to Work.\u201d\u00a0 And we got 1,500 employers across this country to immediately sign to join the movement because we needed employers to commit.\u00a0 It wasn\u2019t enough to get people out of incarceration; we needed to get them employed.\u00a0 In a very short period of time, after announcing it with Charles Koch, Richard Branson, myself, we had people just signing up.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>And so now, all of a sudden, Mr. President, your goal \u2014 your goal of getting that five times the number down to single digits \u2014 we\u2019re going to do it.\u00a0 And the Society for Human Resource Management.\u00a0 (Applause.)\u00a0 SHRM and our 300,000 members are committed.\u00a0 We\u2019re going to play our role.\u00a0 We\u2019re going to be warriors to get these warriors back to work.\u00a0 Thank you.\u00a0 God bless you.\u00a0 (Applause.)<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>THE PRESIDENT:\u00a0 Thank you, Johnny.\u00a0 He\u2019ll do it too.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>This afternoon, we also have an exciting announcement to ensure former inmates can overcome some of the greatest barriers to employment, including limited access to transportation, which is needed for interviews and for jobs.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>To make this announcement, I\u2019d like to invite up a very special guest and a powerful advocate for not only justice reform, but just a good person.\u00a0 And I hear she\u2019s starting to study law.\u00a0 She\u2019s also one of the most successful people in the entertainment business.\u00a0 Soon she\u2019ll be one of the most successful lawyers \u2014 I hate to tell all my lawyers back there.\u00a0 (Laughter.)\u00a0 But I knew her father, and I\u2019ll tell you, she\u2019s got good genes \u2014 that I can tell you.\u00a0 Good genes for everything.\u00a0 And she\u2019s been a real friend, and her husband has been a real friend of mine.\u00a0 Kim Kardashian West.\u00a0 (Applause.)<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>MS. KARDASHIAN WEST:\u00a0 Hi.\u00a0 It really is such an honor to be here today, so thank you.\u00a0 My whole journey with criminal justice reform started about a year ago when I came to see the President, after speaking to Ivanka and Jared \u2014 who really fought for me to get here \u2014 and I pled the case of Alice Johnson, who the President granted clemency to.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>And after that, I really spent so much time going to different prisons because I really had no connection to anybody on the inside and really just felt like, for me, I am at the place in my life that I wanted to make a difference and just wanted to do the right thing, but I didn\u2019t know how or what to do, or even really what was going on.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>And so after going to visit so many different prisons and really sitting down with lifers, with every situation you can possibly imagine, my heart just completely opened up and I wanted to do more.\u00a0 So I started to study the law, which is law school, basically, in California.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>And my attorneys are here today, Erin and Jessica, from Cut50.\u00a0 (Applause.)\u00a0 Thank you.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>So the best part of it is I learned so much that I don\u2019t even know if \u2014 I don\u2019t want to speak for anybody in law school, but I learned so much just, basically, working on memos and being the assistant to them while the FIRST STEP Act was happening, and like learning how you get bills passed, and working on it from the ground up.\u00a0 So to get the President\u2019s support and to see it come to fruition was magic.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>And the one thing that I just realized that needed so much support, that I\u2019m happy to help and be supportive where I can, was the reentry of people coming home and seeing the lack of support that really existed.\u00a0 Whether it\u2019s housing or the amount of letters that I get with people just needing transportation to job interviews, to jobs \u2014 these people want to work.\u00a0 They want the best outcome.\u00a0 And I\u2019m so happy to be here today amongst people that want the same thing and that really believe in supporting their reentry.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>So I\u2019m so happy to announce today that we have a rideshare partnership where formerly incarcerated people will be gifted gift cards so that they can get rides to and from job interviews, to and from jobs, family members, and that is so important \u2014 so needed.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>And I just want to thank the President for really standing behind this issue.\u00a0 And seeing the compassion that he\u2019s had for criminal justice has been really remarkable.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>So I just want to thank all of the organizations that are partnering with everything that\u2019s going on and really being supportive, because it really does mean a lot to so many people that I\u2019ve had the pleasure to speak to.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>And I think the ultimate goal is everyone wants the community to be safe.\u00a0 And the more opportunity that we have and that they have, and the support that we help give them, the safer everyone will be.\u00a0 And the recidivism rate will be \u2014 continue to just get lower.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>And so, I\u2019m just thankful to everyone here that\u2019s in support, and so proud of this partnership with the rideshare organization.\u00a0 So, thank you. \u00a0(Applause.)<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>THE PRESIDENT:\u00a0 Thank you, Kim.\u00a0 Thank you.\u00a0 Great.\u00a0 I think she\u2019s pretty popular, huh?\u00a0 What do you think?\u00a0 (Laughter.)\u00a0 I can tell you this:\u00a0 If she is your assistant \u2014 she\u2019s your assistant.\u00a0 Two lawyers?\u00a0 (Laughter).\u00a0 She\u2019s your assistant?\u00a0 She\u2019s the highest paid assistant in history.\u00a0 (Laughter.)\u00a0 There\u2019s never been anything like it.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Anyway, thank you, Kim.\u00a0 That was beautiful.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>I want to also just, while I\u2019m here \u2014 a couple of friends and they\u2019ve been rally incredible to me: Pastor Darrell Scott.\u00a0 Just stand up.\u00a0 He is something.\u00a0 (Applause.)\u00a0 He\u2019s a religious man, but I watched him on CNN so often and, you know, I wouldn\u2019t say that\u2019s the friendliest.\u00a0 And I watched you take apart people like they were nothing.\u00a0 So thank you, Pastor.\u00a0 He\u2019s a pastor.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>PASTOR SCOTT:\u00a0 In 2020, we\u2019ll do it again.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>THE PRESIDENT:\u00a0 2020, we\u2019ll do it again.\u00a0 We\u2019re going to do it again.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>And Pastor Paula White.\u00a0 Thank you, Paula.\u00a0 That support has been incredible.\u00a0 Thank you, Paula.\u00a0 Thank you very much.\u00a0 (Applause.)\u00a0 Great job.\u00a0 Right from the beginning, both of them.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>In every action we take, we are revitalizing our cities, restoring hope to our communities, and uniting citizens all across our country.\u00a0 We\u2019re helping families grow their incomes and attend the schools of their choice, earn a great living, and have a truly rewarding career.\u00a0 We want to ensure that every American is prepared for the jobs of today and for the industries of tomorrow.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>And together, we are expanding the blessings of America for every citizen, from every background, from every community, and every walk of life.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>We are breaking down old barriers, tearing down yesterday\u2019s obstacles, and replacing the failures of the past with the bright and limitless future.\u00a0 That\u2019s what we have going.\u00a0 It\u2019s a limitless future.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>So many people in this room and so many people outside of this room \u2014 they\u2019re given a second and, in some cases, a third chance, in all fairness.\u00a0 And I will say, they are really, really producing.\u00a0 It\u2019s a great thing to watch.\u00a0 If you \u2014 you know.\u00a0 You know all about it.\u00a0 And you know about it very well.\u00a0 And thank you.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>MR. KOUFOS:\u00a0 Thank you, Mr. President.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>THE PRESIDENT:\u00a0 We really appreciate your being here.\u00a0 And we\u2019ll not stop until everyone in our national family can achieve their own beautiful American Dream.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>I want to thank everybody for being here.\u00a0 God bless you.\u00a0 God bless America.\u00a0 I very much appreciate it.\u00a0 Thank you all very much.\u00a0 Thank you.\u00a0 (Applause.)<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>THE PRESIDENT:\u00a0\u00a0 Thank you very much.\u00a0 Please, please.\u00a0 Great occasion. I want to welcome everyone to the White House.\u00a0 We\u2019re here today to announce a vital new action that we\u2019re taking to help former inmates find a job, live a crime-free life, and succeed beyond their wildest dreams.\u00a0 (Applause.) And this afternoon, we\u2019re very grateful&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1367,1032,1707,1043,93],"tags":[1713,1712],"class_list":["post-16671","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-black-history","category-president-trump","category-prison-reform","category-the-african-american-community","category-u-s-news","tag-president-trump-delivers-speech-about-his-second-chance-hiring-plan-for-former-inmates","tag-president-trump-delivers-speech-about-his-second-chance-hiring-plan"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/thetruthplainansimple.info\/thebiblerevealed\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16671","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/thetruthplainansimple.info\/thebiblerevealed\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/thetruthplainansimple.info\/thebiblerevealed\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/thetruthplainansimple.info\/thebiblerevealed\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/thetruthplainansimple.info\/thebiblerevealed\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=16671"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/thetruthplainansimple.info\/thebiblerevealed\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16671\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/thetruthplainansimple.info\/thebiblerevealed\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=16671"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/thetruthplainansimple.info\/thebiblerevealed\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=16671"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/thetruthplainansimple.info\/thebiblerevealed\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=16671"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}