[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 173 (Thursday, September 6, 2018)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 45317-45319]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-19513]


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  Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 173 / Thursday, September 6, 2018 / 
Presidential Documents  

[[Page 45317]]


                Proclamation 9780 of August 31, 2018

                
Labor Day, 2018

                By the President of the United States of America

                A Proclamation

                On Labor Day, we celebrate the American worker: the 
                bulwark of our national prosperity and the cornerstone 
                of our national greatness. Since taking office, my 
                Administration has sought to restore the obligation of 
                loyalty and allegiance that this Nation's Government 
                owes to its workers. In all economic decisions, we 
                believe in our sovereign obligation to defend and 
                protect our country's workforce, and to seek its 
                economic interests above that of any other country. 
                America's workers pay our taxes, support our values, 
                serve in our military, raise our children, protect our 
                Constitution, and build our communities. They deserve, 
                in return, the unwavering fidelity of their Government.

                Guided by this obligation, my Administration has taken 
                historic action to advance prosperity for the American 
                worker: cutting their taxes, eliminating regulations 
                that threaten their jobs, unleashing American energy 
                that powers their lives, restoring American 
                manufacturing, and ending the transfer of wealth out of 
                our country through disastrous trade deals that gutted 
                our industries and our national strength. The result of 
                our pro-America economic policies have been 
                extraordinary: currently, in America, there are a 
                record 162 million people working; initial claims for 
                jobless benefits are at their lowest in half a century; 
                and the unemployment rate of 3.9 percent is 
                historically low.

                We have also taken historic action to defend the 
                American worker by upholding and enforcing the 
                immigration laws enacted for their protection--and by 
                seeking to reform our immigration system so that it 
                protects the jobs, wages, and livelihoods of our 
                Nation's workers. Further, as we honor the work of all 
                those in our labor force, we are especially mindful of 
                the dignity gained from a hard day's work. Thousands of 
                Americans have found a renewed sense of purpose in our 
                resurgent economy. The dedication, resolve, and pride 
                of the American worker are the reason our Nation has 
                achieved prosperity that was once thought unattainable.

                My Administration is focused on investing in America's 
                workers and ensuring all Americans are on a path to 
                good paying jobs. In July, I signed an Executive Order 
                establishing the President's National Council for the 
                American Worker and the American Workforce Policy 
                Advisory Board, harnessing the expertise of leaders in 
                business and education to develop a holistic, national 
                workforce strategy to promote access to affordable, 
                relevant education and job training opportunities. I 
                have called on companies nationwide to sign our Pledge 
                to America's Workers and commit to investing in their 
                current and future workforce by expanding education and 
                reskilling programs. Already, many companies have 
                answered that call, pledging to train and retrain more 
                than 4.2 million American students and workers for new 
                career opportunities across the country. Earlier this 
                summer, I signed into law a reauthorization of the Carl 
                D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act to 
                provide students and workers with the skills necessary 
                to succeed in a 21st century economy. I have also 
                called for reforming the Federal Work-Study program, so 
                that more Federal dollars go toward helping students--
                especially lower-income students--have more meaningful 
                workplace

[[Page 45318]]

                experiences. And I have proposed to allow students to 
                use Pell Grant funding to pay for cutting-edge, short-
                term programs that lead to quick and efficient 
                transitions into the workforce.

                We also recognize and honor the proud and historic role 
                of our Nation's labor unions in advocating for the 
                interests of the American worker and wage-earner--and 
                we have kept our promise to always keep the White House 
                door open to members and leaders of our country's labor 
                organizations.

                Further, as promised, I am renegotiating trade 
                agreements to obtain fairer terms for American workers, 
                farmers, ranchers, and businesses. For the past year, I 
                have been negotiating with Canada and Mexico to fix the 
                North American Free Trade Agreement. Earlier this week, 
                I announced that my Administration has secured a 
                preliminary deal between the United States and Mexico 
                that modernizes and rebalances trade between our two 
                countries in a way that greatly benefits American 
                manufacturing, agriculture, services, and other 
                sectors. I have also notified the Congress of my intent 
                to sign a trade agreement with Mexico--and Canada, if 
                it is willing. The deal I intend to sign will help 
                create more reciprocal trade that grows our economy. It 
                will also support high-paying jobs for American workers 
                and protect the intellectual property of our Nation's 
                businesses and workers. In addition to these 
                improvements in our United States-Mexico trade 
                relationship, we have also agreed with the European 
                Commission to work toward achieving zero tariffs, 
                increasing United States exports, and addressing unfair 
                trade practices. And we secured key amendments to the 
                trade agreement with South Korea that will strengthen 
                the manufacturing sector of the economy, generating 
                increased job opportunities for American workers. We 
                are also protecting our economy from unfair trade 
                practices that threaten our innovation and technology.

                The dedication, resolve, and pride of the American 
                worker built the greatest country in the history of the 
                world--the envy of nations and the pride of countless 
                millions--and now, we are bringing to life the next 
                great chapter in the history of this magnificent 
                Republic.

                NOW, THEREFORE, I, DONALD J. TRUMP, President of the 
                United States of America, by virtue of the authority 
                vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the 
                United States, do hereby proclaim September 3, 2018, as 
                Labor Day. I call upon all public officials and people 
                of the United States to observe this day with 
                appropriate programs, ceremonies, and activities that 
                honor the contributions and resilience of working 
                Americans.

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                IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this 
                thirty-first day of August, in the year of our Lord two 
                thousand eighteen, and of the Independence of the 
                United States of America the two hundred and forty-
                third.
                
                
                    (Presidential Sig.)

[FR Doc. 2018-19513
Filed 9-5-18; 11:15 am]
Billing code 3295-F8-P