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Valentine’s Day is a day to spend with your loved ones. Earlier this week, along with a bipartisan group of Senate spouses, I had the opportunity to serve 14 wounded warriors and their families an early Valentine’s Day dinner at Walter Reed National Medical Center.
Dr. Jill Biden joins Master Sergeant Juliana Joseph-Tanner and husband Gary Tanner for an early Valentine’s Day dinner at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, February 10, 2015 (photo by HM3 Devin Stewart, Assistant Lead Petty Officer for Allergy and Immunization Clinic, Walter Reed National Military Medical Center).
As a military mom, I believe it’s our sacred duty to honor the service of those who have sacrificed for our country. We owe thanks today and every day to those who wear the uniform. That is one of the reasons why First Lady Michelle Obama and I started Joining Forces in the first place.
On Valentine’s Day, we hope all Americans can find ways to show appreciation for our service members, veterans, and their families who do so much for our country.
Happy Valentine’s Day, and God bless our troops.
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February 13, 2015
11:05 AM ESTAre you planning a trip abroad? If so, your return trip to the U.S. will soon be a much more efficient, welcoming experience.
Today, the Obama Administration announced that 17 of the nation’s largest airports will be partnering with industry, to simplify and streamline the entry process at the nation’s top airports while also increasing security.
For example, 13 U.S. airports are installing 340 additional automated passport control kiosks. These kiosks will expedite air passenger inspection for U.S. and Canadian citizens, U.S. Lawful Permanent Residents, and certain other travelers. Modern touch screen technology allows passengers to scan their passports and enter their customs declaration information, rather than waiting in line to provide that information to customs officials, reducing officer interaction time by 45 percent doing so, they reduce the overall waiting time of all arriving travelers. At the same time, they increase security by allowing Custom and Border Patrol officers to focus on the passenger instead of administrative tasks.
This will reduce office interaction time by 45%, while increasing security.
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Right now, Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives are advancing legislation (H.R. 5) that would cement recent education cuts — taking funding from the schools that need it most and giving it to some of the nation’s wealthiest districts.
This approach is backwards, and our teachers and kids deserve better.
Today, the President's Domestic Policy Council released a report breaking down the harmful effects of that legislation, and underlining the fundamental importance of dedicated funding for low-income students. You can read that report here.
Here are the top 100 school districts that would see their funding cut:
And keep in mind what that funding could have gone toward: Hiring teachers, school nurses, counselors, or reading specialists. It could help pay for books and supplies — perhaps for a new curriculum. See what passage of the harmful cuts in H.R. 5 could mean to a district near you.
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This week, the President spent time with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Hoosiers, BuzzFeeders, veterans, and public health warriors -- while the Vice President traveled to Belgium and Germany.
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There are things that everybody does but doesn’t talk about: sounding out words, taking selfies, doodling. In a video on BuzzFeed today, President Obama proved he's just like us to spread the word about the health care deadline on February 15.
Watch the video, then head over to HealthCare.gov to learn more about your options.
Post by BuzzFeed Video.
Need to get covered? Find a health plan that best fits your needs at HealthCare.gov.
Already covered? Commit to help someone you know get covered here.
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February 12, 2015
04:20 PM ESTToday, President Obama signed the Clay Hunt Act into law in the East Room of the White House.
The new suicide prevention law is named in honor of Clay Hunt, an extraordinary young Texan and decorated Marine who served with distinction in Iraq and Afghanistan. Like too many of our veterans, Clay struggled with depression and post-traumatic stress after he came home. Sadly, Clay’s life ended much too soon when he tragically committed suicide in 2011 at the age of only 28.
The Clay Hunt Suicide Prevention for American Veterans (SAV) Act is a testament to the type of man that Clay Hunt was — even after his death, his legacy of helping veterans lives on.
In America, our veterans and troops are still struggling. As a country, we must do more to help our veterans deal with injuries like post-traumatic stress and depression.
"Everyone can do more, with and for our veterans. This has to be a national mission."
— President Obama
Ensuring that veterans have access to timely and effective mental health care is a top priority for the President and his Administration. The Clay Hunt Suicide Prevention for American Veterans Act will help the Administration take additional steps to address mental health and prevent suicide among veterans.
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February 12, 2015
11:55 AM ESTEd. note: This is cross-posted in The Military Times. See the original post here.
The Clay Hunt Suicide Prevention for American Veterans (SAV) Act complements VA’s ongoing, multi-faceted efforts to improve mental health care for our nation’s veterans, and I’m pleased that both houses of Congress came together to pass the SAV Act. I’m proud to stand with President Obama today as he signs this important legislation.
The health and well-being of the courageous men and women who have served in uniform is VA’s highest priority. And we’re working hard to provide timely access to the highest-quality recovery-oriented mental health care that anticipates and responds to veterans’ needs and supports their reintegration back into their communities.
We know that a growing number of veterans are seeking mental health care, and VA has deployed significant resources and increases in staff toward mental health services. VA provides a continuum of forward-looking outpatient, residential, and inpatient mental health services across the country.
We have many entry points for care: through our medical centers, more than 800 community-based outpatient clinics, 300 Vet Centers that provide readjustment counseling, the Veterans Crisis Line, VA staff on college and university campuses, and other outreach efforts. VA offers expanded access to mental health services with longer clinic hours, telemental health capability to deliver services, and standards that mandate rapid access to mental health services.
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In June 2013, I joined the President in Mooresville, NC, to launch ConnectED – an initiative to close the technology gap in our schools and bring high-speed Internet to 99 percent of America’s students within five years. This vision – that all students should have access to world-class digital learning – is well on its way to becoming a reality.
Thanks to the leadership of the President and the FCC, the resources are in place to meet the President’s connectivity goal. In addition, various private-sector partners are making over $2 billion worth of resources available to students, teachers, and schools. These include tablets, mobile broadband, software, and online teacher professional development courses from top universities. Fewer than 40 percent of public schools currently have the high-speed Internet needed to support modern digital learning.
But now we have the resources to solve this problem. We just need help from our nation’s superintendents and school technology chiefs.
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February 12, 2015
11:00 AM EST
Today, we are very excited to announce that we are on the lookout for more innovators and technologists to serve the nation as Presidential Innovation Fellows.
The Fellowship brings talented, diverse individuals from outside government to team up with top federal innovators to tackle some of our country’s most pressing challenges. Acting as a small team alongside federal agency “co-founders,” Fellows will work quickly and iteratively to turn promising ideas into game-changing solutions.
As always, the Fellows will focus on national priorities, leveraging the best principles and practices of the innovation economy to help create positive impact in the span of months, not years. This is an opportunity to truly transform how government works for the people it serves.
Projects will focus on topics such as:
- Education: Fellows will work with myriad agencies to help make education more accessible to more Americans.
- Jobs and the economy: Fellows will work on fueling the economy and stimulating job growth through innovation and improved opportunities for entrepreneurs and businesses of all sizes.
- Climate change: Fellows will help our country and its communities prepare for the impacts of climate change.
- Health and patient care: Fellows will leverage innovation to save lives, provide better access to benefits and programs promoting quality of life.
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February 11, 2015
09:19 PM ESTLast February at the White House, the Administration was just preparing to launch My Brother’s Keeper, an effort to unlock the full potential of boys and young men of color and all youth — something that would not only benefit them, but all of America. Now, almost a full year from that day, we are hosting the My Brother’s Keeper Community Challenge National Convening here at the White House tomorrow.
The six universal goals identified in the My Brother’s Keeper Task Force report are forming the backbone of a larger effort in which cities, towns, and Tribal Nations across America are taking up the President’s call to improve life outcomes for all young people in their communities to create a society in which no one gets left behind and where all children have opportunities to succeed.
The Convening will bring together representatives from local communities across the country that accepted the Community Challenge and hosted local action summits so they can inspire and learn from each other. Experts from the private and public sectors will offer their insights and evidence-based suggestions on how to bring about real change. We are grateful to see that there are so many who have embraced the President’s call to action and are making real progress to expand opportunity for all our youth.
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Right now, America’s armed forces are working with some 60 nations to degrade and destroy ISIL, a terrorist group that has committed countless barbaric atrocities and poses a grave threat to the people and territorial integrity of Iraq and Syria, regional stability, and the national security interests of the United States and its allies and partners. Coalition air strikes have been instrumental in disrupting ISIL’s command and control and supply lines and taking out their commanders and fighters.
The mission is a difficult one, but make no mistake, our coalition is on the offensive, ISIL is on the defensive, and ISIL is going to lose.
Although the President already has the legal authority he needs to take action against ISIL, he has noted that we are strongest as a nation when the President and Congress work together. A bipartisan authorization of the use of military force (AUMF) against ISIL would provide a clear and powerful signal to the American people, to our allies, and to our enemies that the U.S. is united behind the effort to degrade and ultimately defeat ISIL.
That is why the President submitted a draft proposal today to Congress that would authorize the continued use of military force against ISIL. What exactly is he asking for? For how long? What will our armed forces be asked to do? Here are some answers to a few questions you may have about the President’s AUMF request:
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"If you need me, just say the word."
Brett Sedgwick spent much of his recent time traveling to furthest corners of Liberia. He'd go from community to community, supporting teams that helped grieving families bury their loved ones who had perished from the Ebola disease. The safe-burial teams buried them carefully, safely, and respectfully so that they could rest in peace without transmiting the disease to anyone else.
As a health care worker with Global Communities, Brett reflected the spirit of the 10,000 civilian workers like himself when he said: "If you need me, just say the word."
"That's a simple but profound statement," the President said today as he reflected on the volunteers who've been essential to the significant progress we've made toward bringing an end to the world's deadliest Ebola outbreak.
"That's who we are -- big-hearted and optimistic, reflecting the can-do spirit of the American people. That's our willingness to help those in need."
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This morning, Dr. Jill Biden delivered remarks at the 2015 Community College National Legislative Summit to highlight the Administration's commitment to community colleges and their importance to America’s future. This event was hosted by the Association of Community College Trustees with the American Association of Community Colleges.
Roberto Zárate, Chair-Elect ACCT Board of Directors, Alamo Colleges, Texas introduces Dr. Jill Biden at the 2015 Community College National Legislative Summit, February 11, 2015. (Photo by Keith Weller)
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The world is witnessing the worst outbreak of Ebola in history. Since the first cases in March of 2014, there have been more than 22,500 reported cases in West Africa and more than 8,900 people have died from this devastating disease.
As the President has made clear, to effectively protect the American people, we must confront this outbreak at its source. That's why the U.S. has not only launched a government-wide approach to strengthen our preparedness here at home, but is also leading the fight on the frontlines of the epidemic in West Africa.
Thanks to these efforts, and the work of countless others from around the world, the number of people who are contracting Ebola has declined sharply in the last few months. Take a look:
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A new video out today features prominent eSports personalities encouraging Americans to sign up for an affordable health plan at HealthCare.gov before the enrollment deadline on February 15.
Don’t know what eSports is? You should. Electronic sports — or eSports — refers to the genre of video game titles that have gained popularity as a spectator sport around the world.
Over the last decade, eSports players, commentators, tournaments, and online streaming services have gained a following that rivals many traditional sports, including more than 31 million eSports fans in the United States alone.
Today, a group of eSports industry leaders (ESL, Twitch.tv, and GEER) have collaborated to launch an effort encouraging gaming audiences to visit HealthCare.gov and sign up for an affordable health plan before the February 15 deadline.
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"Thank you. You are making a difference. It matters."
Susanne C., a psychiatrist from Morgantown, West Virginia, wrote the President last April about how she's seen the benefits of the Affordable Care Act firsthand.
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Over the last several years, we have seen the potential for clean energy and economic growth to go hand in hand. Today, we produce more wind and solar energy than ever before, while our economy is creating jobs at the fastest pace since 1998. According to industry analyses, employment in the solar industry has grown more than 85 percent since 2010, while the price of a rooftop solar system has dropped more than 50 percent.
We have to keep at it — because promoting clean energy innovation will help grow the economy while taking decisive action on climate change.
That is why, today, I was proud to announce a new Clean Energy Investment Initiative at the Department of Energy ARPA-E Summit. Through the Initiative, the Administration seeks to catalyze $2 billion of expanded private-sector investment in solutions to climate change, including innovative technologies with breakthrough potential to reduce carbon pollution. By leveraging the tools and capabilities of the federal government, this new Initiative will increase investment in clean energy technologies.
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Ed. note: This is cross-posted on The Root. See the original post here.
Following Michael Brown’s tragic death, people across the country — and the world — have grieved together and engaged in critical conversations about race and community relationships. When President Barack Obama hosted a dialogue in December with young people on the issues in Ferguson, Missouri, I asked the youngest members of the Ferguson commission how I could be helpful. They asked me to visit Ferguson — to listen to the stories of the people who live there — because youth, in particular, were hurting.
I listened. Recently, I traveled to Ferguson. I visited the Clyde C. Miller Career Academy High School, Grandview High School, Ferguson library and the Greater St. Mark Family Church to meet with students, educators and community leaders to hear their thoughts on race, equity and trust since Brown’s death.
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"I had no health insurance. I visited our local doctor but could not afford x-rays, much less any type of surgery. The affordable solution was pain medication. … Then the ACA happened."
Naomi is a 62-year-old organic farmer living in rural Georgia. She has had Rheumatoid Arthritis -- diagnosed when she was in high school -- nearly her entire life, managing it on her own, without health insurance, with a proper diet and exercise.
Then, about three years ago, she found she could no longer climb onto her tractor, bend down to pull weeds, or harvest her crops.
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President Obama released a statement this morning on the tragic death of Kayla Jean Mueller, an aid worker who was taken hostage by ISIL in 2013:
"It is with profound sadness that we have learned of the death of Kayla Jean Mueller. On behalf of the American people, Michelle and I convey our deepest condolences to Kayla’s family – her parents, Marsha and Carl, and her brother Eric and his family – and all of those who loved Kayla dearly. At this time of unimaginable suffering, the country shares in their grief.
"Kayla dedicated her life to helping others in need at home and around the world. In Prescott, Arizona, she volunteered at a women’s shelter and worked at an HIV/AIDS clinic. She worked with humanitarian organizations in India, Israel, and the Palestinian territories, compelled by her desire to serve others. Eventually, her path took her to Turkey, where she helped provide comfort and support to Syrian refugees forced to flee their homes during the war. Kayla’s compassion and dedication to assisting those in need shows us that even amongst unconscionable evil, the essential decency of humanity can live on.
"Kayla represents what is best about America, and expressed her deep pride in the freedoms that we Americans enjoy, and that so many others strive for around the world. She said: “Here we are. Free to speak out without fear of being killed, blessed to be protected by the same law we are subjected to, free to see our families as we please, free to cross borders and free to disagree. We have many people to thank for these freedoms and I see it as an injustice not to use them to their fullest.”
"Kayla Mueller used these freedoms she so cherished to improve the lives of others. In how she lived her life, she epitomized all that is good in our world. She has been taken from us, but her legacy endures, inspiring all those who fight, each in their own way, for what is just and what is decent. No matter how long it takes, the United States will find and bring to justice the terrorists who are responsible for Kayla’s captivity and death.
"ISIL is a hateful and abhorrent terrorist group whose actions stand in stark contrast to the spirit of people like Kayla. On this day, we take comfort in the fact that the future belongs not to those who destroy, but rather to the irrepressible force of human goodness that Kayla Mueller shall forever represent."
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