Remarks in an Exchange With Reporters Following a Visit at an Emergency Relief Distribution Center in Cookeville, Tennessee

Tornado Damage and Recovery Efforts

Q. Mr. President, what's your impression of how the people have reacted to this—[inaudible]?

The President. Incredible. The people are incredible. We spoke—what they've done with the first responding and all of the care—emergency, fire, every aspect of it. The law enforcement was really not law enforcement. They just went out, and they went out and did a great job of safety. Because you have such a great people here, you don't have to worry about the law enforcement; you have to worry about just helping them. And you did it.

You did a fantastic job. I want to thank you for that. What a job you did. We're all talking about it too. So I hope they talk about it because you deserve it.

Thank you all. We're going to make a couple of other stops. We're going to CDC later on, but this is inspiring to see the way it all came together. Even all of this—Churches of Christ—tremendous amounts of food and goods, and it all came within a matter of hours.

So it's a case study of what should be done and how it can be done. It's Tennessee.

Senator Marsha Wedgeworth Blackburn. The Volunteer State.

The President. It is indeed the Volunteer State. Thank you all very much. Great job.