Press Releases: Israel’s National Day


Press Statement

Rex W. Tillerson

Secretary of State

Washington, DC

May 2, 2017


On behalf of President Trump and the American people, I am delighted to offer my congratulations to all Israelis as you celebrate your 69th Independence Day.

As the President remarked before meeting Prime Minister Netanyahu in February, “the partnership between our two countries built on our shared values has advanced the cause of human freedom, dignity and peace.” As Israel has endured and flourished over nearly seven decades despite unfathomable challenges, so too has the unbreakable bond between our two nations.

In these uncertain times, the steadfast commitment of the United States to the State of Israel will remain a constant. We look forward to even further strengthening a partnership that has long contributed to our mutual security and prosperity. I wish the people of Israel a Yom Ha’atzmaut sameach.






Press Releases: United States Partners With Fiji Under Hague Abduction Convention


Media Note

Office of the Spokesperson

Washington, DC

May 2, 2017


On May 1, 2017, the 1980 Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction (the Convention) entered into force between the United States and Fiji. The United States now has 76 partners under the Convention.

The Convention is a valuable civil law mechanism for parents seeking the return of children who have been wrongfully removed from or retained outside their country of habitual residence by another parent or family member. Parents seeking access to children residing in treaty partner countries may also invoke the Convention. The Convention is critically important because it establishes a legal framework between partner countries to resolve parental abduction cases. The Department of State’s Office of Children’s Issues serves as the Central Authority for the United States under the Convention. We welcome this partnership with Fiji and look forward to working together on this critical issue.

For more information about international parental child abduction, please visit: https://travel.state.gov/content/childabduction/en.html.

For press inquiries, please contact CAPRESSREQUESTS@state.gov or (202) 485-6150.






Press Releases: On the Occasion of Poland’s Constitution Day


Press Statement

Rex W. Tillerson

Secretary of State

Washington, DC

May 2, 2017


On behalf of the United States of America, congratulations to the people of Poland on the 226th anniversary of your historic constitution.

The United States and Poland are close friends, and our partnership continues to strengthen. We share democratic values, strong cultural and historical ties, and a security relationship based on mutual commitments. The United States is particularly proud to have U.S. troops deployed in Poland, working alongside their Polish counterparts to protect Poland, the United States, and all of our NATO Allies. As we work together to ensure our security and combat terrorism and other threats, we reaffirm our shared commitment to uphold democratic values and the rule of law, setting a standard in defense of freedom for others to emulate.

The U.S.-Poland friendship is also grounded in an economic relationship that makes both countries stronger. More than half of the top 100 U.S. companies are invested in Poland, and Poland is the leading trade partner of the United States in Central Europe. In the coming years, we hope to expand opportunities for economic growth between our two countries.

The United States looks forward to a future of continued cooperation and friendship with Poland.






Press Releases: Republic of the Marshall Islands Constitution Day


Press Statement

Rex W. Tillerson

Secretary of State

Washington, DC

May 1, 2017


I am pleased to extend warm greetings to the people of the Republic of the Marshall Islands on behalf of the United States as you commemorate your Constitution Day.

The United States and the Marshall Islands have a close historical relationship that predates your independence and endures through our close cooperation and the Compact of Free Association. The relationship our two countries share is based on a unique history, common democratic values, and commitments to global peace and security.

We value the sacrifices many Marshallese have made serving in the U.S. Armed Forces. We appreciate your support at the United Nations and look forward to continued cooperation.

The United States remains committed to our partnership with the Marshall Islands and to the strong friendship between our people.






Celebrating National Small Business Week

Today I had the privilege to celebrate National Small Business Week with the Small Business Administration and small business owners from all across America.

Since 1963, the White House has honored America’s small businesses by marking this National Small Business Week and recognizing the tremendous contributions that small businesses make to our country every single day.

Just this weekend, President Trump declared that “small business owners embody the American pioneering spirit and remind us that determination can turn aspiration into achievement.”

I know firsthand how true that statement is. I grew up in a small business family in a small town in Columbus, Indiana. I went to work at my father’s gas station when I was only 14 years of age. And as the world knows, President Trump grew up in a family business, too.

We both know the sacrifices that are required to make a business work. And we know that when small business is strong, America is strong.

A stunning 99.7 percent of all American businesses are small businesses. And no fewer than 57 million Americans work for small businesses – nearly half of all private-sector jobs in the United States.

Our economy, from coast to coast, depends every day on small businesses.

President Donald Trump wants to help them become stronger and more successful than ever – because this President is the best friend that America’s small businesses will ever have.

On Day One, President Trump went right to work picking a world-class cabinet full of business leaders who know what small businesses need to succeed.

He has signed more bills cutting job-killing regulation than any President in American history. And he’s instructed every agency in Washington, D.C. to find two regulations to get rid of before issuing any new ones.

President Trump authorized the Keystone and Dakota pipelines to protect America’s energy future. We’re cutting back the mandates and rules that are raising energy costs and making it harder for small businesses to grow and get ahead.

No matter where you look, President Trump has taken decisive action to get government out of your way – so that America’s small businesses can do what they do best – innovate, create jobs, and grow.

Just last week, President Trump laid out his plan for one of the biggest tax cuts in American history. We’re going to cut taxes across the board for working families, small businesses, and family farms.

We’re going to repeal and replace Obamacare – to end its burden on America’s job creators and to give the American people the low-cost, world-class health care they deserve.

We’re going to keep slashing through red tape and rein in unelected bureaucrats so they can’t cripple the economy from the comfort of their taxpayer-funded desks.

We’re going to roll back Dodd-Frank so that small businesses have full access to the best financial system in the world.

And we’re going to pass an infrastructure package so that America has the best roads, the best bridges, the best highways, the best airports, and the best future we’ve ever had.

Under President Trump’s leadership, we’re going to do all this and more – so that every small business, and anyone who dreams of someday starting a small business, has the best shot at success.

This week we celebrate all that small businesses have achieved, and all that they do for America every single day. I have faith that under President Donald Trump, America’s small businesses will continue to lead the way – to drive our economy and foster a brighter future for their communities and our country – just as they always have.