THE PRESIDENT: Thank you. Please, everybody have a seat. Good afternoon. Before we begin, I'd actually like to say a few words about something that is of interest to the broader public. Obviously how we treat our veterans（退伍军人） is hugely important, but I just want to make a quick comment about the decision made public today by Ken Feinberg on executive compensation（管理层薪资水平）.

I've always believed that our system of free enterprise works best when it rewards hard work. This is America. We don't disparage（蔑视，贬损） wealth; we don't begrudge（嫉妒，羡慕） anybody for doing well. We believe in success. But it does offend our values when executives of big financial firms -- firms that are struggling -- pay themselves huge bonuses, even as they continue to rely on taxpayer assistance to stay afloat（漂浮的）.

And that's why last summer, we gave Ken Feinberg and his team the task of making an independent judgment on the executive pay packages for firms that received extraordinary assistance from the federal government. He was faced with the difficult task of striking the proper balance between standing up for taxpayers and returning a measure of stability to our financial system. Under these competing interests, I believe he's taken an important step forward today in curbing the influence of executive compensation on Wall Street while still allowing these companies to succeed and prosper（兴隆，成功）.

But more work needs to be done, which is why I urge the Senate to pass legislation that will give company shareholders a voice on the pay packages awarded to their executives. And I also urge Congress to continue moving forward on financial reform that will help prevent the crisis we saw last fall from happening again.

Now, in just a few days -- a few weeks -- we will be observing Veterans Day. We'll pause again to pay tribute to（称赞，歌颂） all those who have worn America's uniform. We reflect on their sacrifices and those of their families -- citizens who've done their duty and who have fulfilled their responsibilities to their nation. As a nation, we'll pledge（保证，誓言） to fulfill our responsibilities to our veterans, because our commitment to our veterans is a sacred trust, and upholding that trust is a moral obligation.

On that day, on Veterans Day, after all the parades and all the solemn ceremonies, a lot of veterans may ask: Does America really mean it? Will America keep its promise, not simply with words, but with deeds?

Since taking office, my administration has worked hard with many of you to make sure that America fulfills our obligations to our veterans and their families. With Secretary Ric Shinseki in the lead, we're building a 21st century VA: We're harnessing technologies to cut the red tape and backlogs（积累）. We're investing in mobile clinics to reach rural areas. We're moving towards a single lifetime electronic health record for everyone in uniform. We're making it a top priority to end homelessness among our veterans.

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