Subject: FW: In-Town Travel Pool 3: Potus signs trade secrets bill
From: White House Press Office<[email-masked]>
To: <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 11 May 2016 15:07:54 -0500

*From:* Diaz, Kevin B [mailto:[email-masked]] 
*Sent:* Wednesday, May 11, 2016 4:03 PM
*To:* Allen, Jessica L. EOP/WHO <[email-masked]>; Gabriel, Brian A. EOP/WHO <[email-masked]>; Velz, Peter T. EOP/WHO <[email-masked]>
*Subject:* In-Town Travel Pool 3: Potus signs trade secrets bill

Pool called into Oval Office at around3:40 pm to witness President Obama sign the Defend Trade Secrets Act of 2016, legislation that creates a federal cause of civilaction for misappropriating trade secrets and intellectual property.

Obama, flanked by members of Congress (see listbelow), said"One of the biggest advantages that we've got in this global economy is that we innovate. We come up with new services, new goods, new products, new technologies. Unfortunately, all too often, some of our competitors, instead of competing with us fairly, are trying to steal these trade secrets from American companies, and that means a loss of American jobs, a loss of American markets, a loss of American leadership."

Obama also made a pitch for passingtheTrans Pacific Partnership trade deal, "because TPP contains additional enforcement tools..."

As he began signing the bill, Obama couldn't resist a mildlittle dig at Congress:

"I'm always happy when we pass bills... I want to thank the bipartisan effort that this represents."

As he finished up, he turned to the assembled lawmakers and said, "There you go, good job people."

They, in turn, clapped.

Full transcript of Obama's remarks to come from White House.

Here's a list of the attendees (per WH):

Ambassador Robert W. Holleyman, United States Trade Representative (Deputy)
Under Secretary Michelle Lee, Department of Commerce
Rep. Bob Goodlatte (R-VA)
Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-UT)
Sen. Chris Coons (D-DE)
Rep. Doug Collins (R-GA)
Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-NY)
Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY)
Attorney General Loretta Lynch, Department of Justice
Coordinator Danny Marti, U.S. Intellectual Property Enforcement Coordinator

Kevin Diaz

Houston Chronicle/Hearst Newspapers

[email-masked]

202-689-5157

@DiazChron