Viddler

MRS. OBAMA: Hey! (Applause.) Thank you. Thank you, all. Thank you so much. What a wonderfully warm welcome. I am just happy to be here. This is my first agency visit since we took a little break this summer, so this is the way to get back -- started in the fall -- coming to HHS.

I want to just thank Secretary Sebelius for that wonderful introduction. I think everyone can see that she hasn't been giving -- given a very easy portfolio. (Laughter.) You know, when you think about just sort of all that she's had to deal with, and the grace and poise and intelligence that she's brought to her position, we are all just grateful to have her on our team leading us, guiding us. And she is indeed a dear, dear friend, and I want to thank her for all of the work that she's done -- between health insurance reform, preparing for H1N1, and all the other critical issues that she's laid out that HHS is working on that all of you are working on. I want to thank her and honor her for her work today. Let's give her a round of applause. (Applause.)

But I am also here to thank and to honor all of you. It is something that I have enjoyed doing for the last nine and a half months that we've been in office, and that is to come around to the agencies, all the departments throughout Washington, and just to meet all of you and to make sure that you know, on behalf of the White House and our family, that we are so grateful for the work that you do.

We're still new here. Nine and a half months -- it feels longer -- (laughter) -- but we're new. And when I come here, I come to listen, to ask questions, to use the information, the insight that I get from these visits, and take it back to the White House, to the West Wing, but also to help it inform the kinds of things that I do in my role as First Lady, because I know that many of you have spent a lifetime here devoting entire careers -- some of you a few years, but many of you for decades -- have spent your time devoted