During the American Chamber of Commerce Dominican Republic Thanksgiving Luncheon "Democracy: Words into Action"
Wednesday, November 23, 2016
Gustavo, thank you so much for the warm introduction. Over these three years, we've made wonderful friendships, and you and Claudia are among those we will continue to cherish. To the AMCHAMDR board members, thank you for your incredible leadership and friendship.
It's an honor to serve as honorary president of such an amazing and prestigious organization for the past three years; it's been tremendous… and it's something I will continue to cherish. And to the Board, I want to specifically thank you for your incredible leadership and friendship. It's truly been a privilege. And to the press, we've always had a good relationship, very dynamic at times… but I always love seeing you, and I appreciate you being here today.
To the government officials, the diplomatic corps, the staff of our Embassy, and each and every one of you, I want to thank you for being here today, and I appreciate the American Chamber of Commerce inviting me again to be the Thanksgiving speaker. Tomorrow is a very important day in the United States, on which we give thanks.
One of the things Bob and I want to thank you for is being able to serve on behalf of President Obama and spend time with each and every one of you. We're also part of the relationship between these two nations.
Before I begin my speech, I want to thank Gustavo again for recognizing my husband, Bob. His work here is sometimes underestimated and unrecognized. So I want to thank him for his dedication and the incredible work he's done for our country here with few opportunities to be recognized. When I was sworn in, Vice President Biden said something that resonated with me. He said, "The Dominican Republic is getting two for one with Bob and Wally." And three years later, I'm here to tell you that our Vice President, whom I hold in high regard, was absolutely right. You will see Bob continue the fight for human rights, here in the country or wherever you are, and you, too, have seen his work for our precious environment. But most of all, I want to publicly wish you a happy anniversary, as yesterday we celebrated three years of our marriage and our swearing-in by Vice President Biden in Washington, DC, even though we are celebrating 27 years together. I love you very much.
