Read all posts from January 2009
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(Special Envoy for Sudan, Scott Gration briefs President Obama on his recent visit to the region, providing an update on the urgent humanitarian situation as well as recent key political, economic, and security developments. White House Photo/ Pete Souza)
(Special Envoy for Sudan Scott Gration provides President Obama with a preview of his next trip to the region and receives important direction from the President. White House Photo/ Pete Souza) -
Even as the broader economy puts a strain on the profits of small businesses, health care costs continue to go up, with the inevitable result that more and more small business workers simply don't get coverage. Read a new, meticulously documented report from HHS, "Helping the Bottom Line: Health Reform and Small Business."
Also, at 11:00 this morning Nancy-Ann DeParle, Director of the White House Office of Health Reform, will meet with small business owners and representatives as part of the Administration’s continuing series of White House Health Care Stakeholder Discussions. Listen to their experiences first hand:Watch the live-stream of the discussion.UPDATE: A recap of the meeting from Rebecca Adelman of HHS, who was there:
Today, as the Department of Health and Human Services released a report detailing how small businesses are struggling to keep up with rising health care costs, White House office of Health Reform Director Nancy-Ann DeParle went straight to the source. She hosted a group of over 20 representatives from small businesses across the country, who affirmed the findings in the HHS report – small business are uniquely feeling the impact of skyrocketing health care costs. In fact, nearly one-third of the uninsured – 13 million people – are employees of firms with fewer than 100 workers. As a result, an increasing number of small business owners are unable to offer coverage to their employees.Jody Hall, owner of "Verité Coffee and Cupcake Royale" in Seattle, Washington, opened the meeting with a story familiar to all the small business owners gathered at the White House. Each year, she said, it is becoming more difficult to offer viable insurance plans to her employees. She said her health insurance premiums went up 40 percent last year, "and that’s just for a basic plan that, in all honesty, doesn’t provide real security." Before opening a small business, Hall spent years working at a large corporation that provided affordable insurance to even part-time employees. There, she learned that offering health insurance is the right thing to do, and it also helps a business attract and maintain a talented pool of employees. This year she had to raise the price of cupcakes in her store and offer her employees a less attractive health care plan to compensate for the escalating insurance costs.Many of the small business owners expressed concern that health care costs were making it more difficult for them to grow and take new risks. Jane Huelle, who owns a specialty pet-supply and dog training store called "The Dog Spot" in Washington DC, has five employees. She said, "I could really use another person, but I can’t hire anyone else because I’m already paying a salary in health insurance." Other attendees spoke of having to make painful cutbacks. Chris and Becky Link, owners of "Imagination Branding", had to reduce their staff by a third on account of increasing health care costs and the economic recession. "We are like a family, it was hard to do," they said.Director of the White House's National Economic Council Larry Summers also took part in the discussion. He stressed that small businesses are the backbone of the American economy: "There’s never been a big business which didn’t start as a small business." He noted that providing health care coverage for employees is especially costly for small businesses, and "as a country, we can do much, much better than we are." Health care reform, he said, is both a moral issue for our children and a deeply practical issue – and this year, we have a good chance to make this right
(HHS Photo/ Chris Smith) -
(First Lady Michelle Obama hosts Jordan's Queen Rania in the Yellow Oval Room in the White House Residence, April 23, 2009. White House Photo/ Samantha Appleton) -
Having long argued that credit card practices need to be cleaned up, this afternoon the President brought representatives from the credit card industry in to talk about the need for greater consumer protections, a need made all the more urgent by the economic crisis.
A few facts: Almost half of American families currently carry a balance, and for those families the average balance was $7,300 at last check in 2007 (the median was $3,000). Meanwhile, penalty fees on credit cards are around $15 billion annually, an estimated 10 percent of total credit card industry revenues -- one-fifth of those carrying credit card debt pay an interest rate above 20 percent.
Against that backdrop, with Congressional negotiations on legislation getting off the ground, and having acknowledged that neither credit cards not credit card companies are inherently bad, President Obama made clear that some new lines in the sand needed to be drawn.There are going to be some core principles, though, that I want to adhere to, and I mentioned these to all the credit card issuers involved.First of all, I think that there has to be strong and reliable protections for consumers -- protections that ban unfair rate increases and forbid abusive fees and penalties. The days of any time, any reason rate hikes and late fee traps have to end.Number two, all the forms and statements that credit card companies send out have to be written in plain language and be in plain sight. No more fine print, no more confusing terms and conditions. We want clarity and transparency from here on out.Number three, we have to make sure that people can comparison shop when it comes to credit cards without being afraid that they're going to be taken advantage of. So we believe that it's important to require firms to make all their contract terms easily accessible online in a fashion that allows people to shop for the best deal for their needs.Not every consumer is going to have the same needs. And some may want to take on a higher interest rate because it provides them more convenience or it provides them with a higher credit line. But we want to make sure that they can make those comparisons themselves easily. And we think that one of the things that needs to be explored is the possibility that every credit card issuer has to issue a plain vanilla, easy to understand, simplest terms possible credit card as a default credit card that the average user can feel comfortable with.Finally, we think we need more accountability in the system. And that means more effective oversight and more effective enforcement so that people who are issuing credit cards but violate law, they will feel the full weight of the law. -
The White House has issued the following readout on the President’s meeting with Ambassador Chris Hill:Earlier this week, Ambassador Hill was confirmed by the Senate to serve as our Ambassador to Iraq. Ambassador Hill will head to Iraq this week, and the President wanted to speak with him before he leaves for his important new post. They discussed the current situation in Iraq and the need to make political progress.
(President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden meet in the Oval Office with Christopher Hill, the new U.S. Ambassador to Iraq, Thursday, April 23, 2009,
at the White House. White House Photo/Pete Souza)
(Vice President Joe Biden speaks with Christopher Hill, the new U.S. Ambassador to Iraq, Thursday, April 23, 2009, at the White House. White House Photo/Pete Souza) -
(President Barack Obama greets professional golfer Tiger Woods in the Oval Office Monday, April 20, 2009. The 14-time major winner visited the White House Monday following a press conference for the AT&T National, the PGA Tour event Woods hosts at Congressional Country Club June 29-July 5. Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)
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UPDATE: The President has concluded his remarks. Learn more from the museum's website,or read the full transcript of his remarks.
An excerpt:
While the uniqueness of the Holocaust in scope and in method is truly astounding, the Holocaust was driven by many of the same forces that have fueled atrocities throughout history: the scapegoating that leads to hatred and blinds us to our common humanity; the justifications that replace conscience and allow cruelty to spread; the willingness of those who are neither perpetrators nor victims to accept the assigned role of bystander, believing the lie that good people are ever powerless or alone, the fiction that we do not have a choice.But while we are here today to bear witness to the human capacity to destroy, we are also here to pay tribute to the human impulse to save. In the moral accounting of the Holocaust, as we reckon with numbers like 6 million, as we recall the horror of numbers etched into arms, we also factor in numbers like these: 7,200 -- the number of Danish Jews ferried to safety, many of whom later returned home to find the neighbors who rescued them had also faithfully tended their homes and businesses and belongings while they were gone.We remember the number five -- the five righteous men and women who join us today from Poland. We are awed by your acts of courage and conscience. And your presence today compels each of us to ask ourselves whether we would have done what you did. We can only hope that the answer is yes.We also remember the number 5,000 -- the number of Jews rescued by the villagers of Le Chambon, France -- one life saved for each of its 5,000 residents. Not a single Jew who came there was turned away, or turned in. But it was not until decades later that the villagers spoke of what they had done -- and even then, only reluctantly. The author of a book on the rescue found that those he interviewed were baffled by his interest. "How could you call us 'good'?" they said. "We were doing what had to be done."That is the question of the righteous -- those who would do extraordinary good at extraordinary risk not for affirmation or acclaim or to advance their own interests, but because it is what must be done. They remind us that no one is born a savior or a murderer -- these are choices we each have the power to make. They teach us that no one can make us into bystanders without our consent, and that we are never truly alone -- that if we have the courage to heed that "still, small voice" within us, we can form a minyan for righteousness that can span a village, even a nation.
Their legacy is our inheritance. And the question is, how do we honor and preserve it? How do we ensure that "never again" isn't an empty slogan, or merely an aspiration, but also a call to action?I believe we start by doing what we are doing today -- by bearing witness, by fighting the silence that is evil's greatest co-conspirator. -
Speaking at a wind tower production facility in Iowa today, the President laid out his vision for a new clean energy economy, independence from foreign oil, keeping pollution out of our air and water, and finally addressing the climate change problem that has been neglected for decades in Washington. The President was introduced by Richard Mulbrook, the current Maintenance Manager there -- and a former Maytag employee before the company closed its operations at the same plant. As the President explained, the transformation that happened at this plant in Iowa was a sign of the transformation that America can undergo with the right vision and the right investments:I just had a terrific tour of the facility led by several of the workers and managers who operate this plant. It wasn't too long ago, as Rich said, that Maytag closed its operations in Newton. And hundreds of jobs were lost. These floors were dark and silent. The only signs of a once thriving enterprise were the cement markings where the equipment had been before they were boxed up and carted away.Look at what we see here today. This facility is alive again with new industry. This community is still going through some tough times. If you talk to your neighbors and friends, I know they -- the community still hasn't fully recovered from the loss of Maytag. Not everybody has been rehired. But more than 100 people will now be employed at this plant -- maybe more, if we keep on moving. Many of the same folks who had lost their jobs when Maytag shut its doors now are finding once again their ability to make great products.Now, obviously things aren't exactly the same as they were with Maytag, because now you're using the materials behind me to build towers to support some of the most advanced wind turbines in the world. When completed, these structures will hold up blades that can generate as much as 2.5 megawatts of electricity -- enough energy to power hundreds of homes. At Trinity, you are helping to lead the next energy revolution.The President placed what was happening in Iowa in the context of two centuries of energy innovation in America, but noted America’s leadership in innovation had always been coupled with an alarming rise consumption. The President ran down the all-too-familiar list of problems our energy consumption and oil dependence brings, from those people face every day like prices at the gas pump, to those that have a broader but equally serious impact like the trade deficit, constraints on foreign policy, and the prospect of irrevocable climate change left as a burden for out children.
(President Barack Obama is given a tour of the Trinity Structural Towers Manufacturing Plant by Senior Vice President, Mark Stiles, Wednesday, April 22, 2009, in Newton, Iowa. White House Photo/Pete Souza)As the President has stated again and again, these problems also represent a fundamental weakness in our economy which will prevent long term stability as long as we refuse to address them. And while those interests who have profited off of this weakness have aligned to defend the status quo and paint change as a danger, the President forcefully framed what this choice is all about:We can't afford that approach anymore -- not when the cost for our economy, for our country, and for our planet is so high. So on this Earth Day, it is time for us to lay a new foundation for economic growth by beginning a new era of energy exploration in America. That's why I'm here. (Applause.)Now, the choice we face is not between saving our environment and saving our economy. The choice we face is between prosperity and decline. We can remain the world's leading importer of oil, or we can become the world's leading exporter of clean energy. We can allow climate change to wreak unnatural havoc across the landscape, or we can create jobs working to prevent its worst effects. We can hand over the jobs of the 21st century to our competitors, or we can confront what countries in Europe and Asia have already recognized as both a challenge and an opportunity: The nation that leads the world in creating new energy sources will be the nation that leads the 21st-century global economy.America can be that nation. America must be that nation.The President readily acknowledged that this is no easy task at hand, but for those who contend that this is idle idealism, the President offered a dose of reality:Think about this. I want everybody to think about this. Over the last several decades, the rest of the country, we used 50 percent more energy; California remained flat, used the same amount, even though that they were growing just as fast as the rest of the country -- because they were more energy efficient. They put in some good policy early on that assured that they weren't wasting energy. Now, if California can do it, then the whole country can do it. Iowa can do it.He also pointed to benefits already being reaped from the Recovery Act, and the $15 billion dedicated each year in his budget for the development of clean energy sources that would amplify those gains. He discussed the jobs and other long-term economic gains of his investments in high-speed rail and other mass transit. And he also made news with one more specific announcement: "Through the Department of Interior, we are establishing a program to authorize -- for the very first time -- the leasing of federal waters for projects to generate electricity from wind as well as from ocean currents and other renewable sources."The President then went on to address an issue generating heated debate in Congress right now, namely climate change. While agreeing that the economy and jobs are the most urgent priority right now, he also left no doubt that climate change is extremely serious and not to be ignored any longer – he offered his solution:I believe the best way to do it is through legislation that places a market-based cap on these kinds of emissions. And today, key members of my administration are testifying in Congress on a bill that seeks to enact exactly this kind of market-based approach. My hope is that this will be the vehicle through which we put this policy in effect.And here's how a market-based cap would work: We'd set a cap, a ceiling, on all the carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases that our economy is allowed to produce in total, combining the emissions from cars and trucks, coal-fired power plants, energy-intensive industries, all sources.And by setting an overall cap, carbon pollution becomes like a commodity. It places a value on a limited resource, and that is the ability to pollute. And to determine that value, just like any other traded commodity, we'd create a market where companies could buy and sell the right to produce a certain amount of carbon pollution. And in this way, every company can determine for itself whether it makes sense to spend the money to become cleaner or more efficient, or to spend the money on a certain amount of allowable pollution.Over time, as the cap on greenhouse gases is lowered, the commodity becomes scarcer -- and the price goes up. And year by year, companies and consumers would have greater incentive to invest in clean energy and energy efficiency as the price of the status quo became more expensive.What this does is it makes wind power more economical, makes solar power more economical. Clean energy all becomes more economical. And by closing the carbon loophole through this kind of market-based cap, we can address in a systematic way all the facets of the energy crisis: We lower our dependence on foreign oil, we reduce our use of fossil fuels, we promote new industries right here in America. We set up the right incentives so that everybody is moving in the same direction towards energy independence.As he often does he closed on a hopeful note, reminding the audience that no problem can be solved by government alone, and expressing his faith that in the spirit of Earth Day Americans will also take responsibility on themselves. He discarded the argument that Washington is simply too intractable to address problems of this magnitude, as well as "the even more dangerous idea" that there simply is no solution:I reject that argument. I reject it because of what you're doing right here at Trinity; what's happening right here in Newton after folks have gone through hard times. I reject it because of what I've seen across this country, in all the eyes of the people that I've met, in the stories that I've heard, in the factories I've visited, in the places where I've seen the future being pieced together -- test by test, trial by trial. -
Today is the first Earth Day of the Obama presidency, and that carries a special significance for the White House in light of the President’s goal to create a clean energy economy that can serve as a pillar of our recovery. Green jobs were a central focus of the Recovery Act, and the President’s proposed budget will also help ensure that new industries around energy efficiency and renewables will become part of the backbone of the American economy for decades to come. Needless to say, making a big move towards energy independence is much more than a fringe benefit.The President will be speaking broadly about those goals with workers at Trinity Structural Towers in Iowa, the former Maytag plant which now houses a green manufacturing facility producing wind towers. But we also asked Van Jones, Special Advisor for Green Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation at the Council on Environmental Quality, to walk us through a local player in the emerging clean energy economy, as just one example out of thousands of what the future holds:Viewing this video requires Adobe Flash Player 8 or higher. Download the free player.download .mp4 (55.2 MB) | also available hereBut that’s just the beginning for the White House and federal agencies, and we will keep a running log all day as things come in. For just a few examples: Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis, who testified in the Senate yesterday on green jobs training for workers, will join CEQ Chair Nancy Sutley to shine a light on the important role that women will play in our green economy at a roundtable with 35 representatives from every imaginable sector of the economy. Several members on the cabinet will also be testifying on the Hill today in special hearings. Interior Secretary Salazar, meanwhile, will turn his focus to the National Parks and nearly $750 million in investments they got to create jobs through the Recovery Act. And of course the EPA has been running their photo and video projects all month, with much more to come today.Check back throughout the day.
7:41: Finishing off the day, we have the Interior Department, which was already busy celebrating National Parks Week, holding a rooftop press conference with Secretary Salazar announced an investment of $750 million in the national park system under the Recovery Act. The Secretary also gives us this message on the connection between America's natural beauty and America's economic future:
5:43: The USDA expands on "the People's Garden": "The People's Garden is designed to provide a sampling of USDA's efforts throughout the world as well as teach others how to nurture, maintain and protect a healthy landscape. If practiced, these garden concepts can be the general public's, government's, or business' contribution to providing healthy food, air, and water for people and communities... Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan officially kicked off the Earth Day event at the Whitten Building with Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Chairman Brings Plenty who performed a traditional song and planted seeds at a ceremonial Three Sisters Garden to celebrate American Indians' contribution to American agriculture. Merrigan led volunteers and USDA staffers in planting vegetables, herbs and flowers to complete the first phase of The People's Garden." Get more background here.
2:50: The State Department's DipNote blog is churning out Earth Day posts faster than you can read them. For just a taste, Special Envoy for Climate Change Todd Stern talks on video about the "Focus the Nation" Clean Energy Town Halls. The Question of the Week is posed: "How Should Western Hemisphere Nations Leverage Combined Resources To Address Shared Challenges?" And Belinda Yong, an intern at the U.S. Mission to the United Nations in Geneva, claims her post is "arguably, the greenest diplomatic facility overseas of any country in the world." Sounds like a challenge.
12:10: The President's Proclamation.
11:57: Can we still celebrate Earth Day even if we are not actually on Earth? Yes, we can. Also download the free NASA Earth Day, 2009 poster (6.7 MB pdf).
11:25: The Energy Department goes all-in. Firstly, just go to Energy.gov and see what you see. Secondly, Vice President Biden announces $300 Million in Recovery Act Funds for the Clean Cities Program, an Energy Department-led pilot program to expand the nation’s fleet of clean, sustainable vehicles and the fueling infrastructure necessary to support them. Thirdly, Secretary Chu joins Labor Secretary Solis in an op-ed run in several papers today on building the American Clean Energy Economy: "We have an enormous, urgent environmental and economic task ahead of us, and it is one that we have ignored for far too long. If we are going to create clean energy industry jobs in this country, break the stranglehold that foreign oil has on our economy and punish the polluters who are devastating our natural resources, then we’ve got to be honest about the difficult tasks and tough choices ahead. It’s going to mean telling the special interests that their days of dictating energy policy in this country are over. It’s going to mean refusing to settle for the status quo and the same ineffective policies that have held us back for over 30 years, created price shocks and fostered energy dependence. This president is committed to tackling these challenges head on to create a clean energy policy that works for all Americans, so that we can pass on to our children and grandchildren not just a stronger economy, but a cleaner planet."
10:05: Pick 5! The EPA rolls out their feature Earth Day program with a productive idea worth clicking through for. There are a lot of tips floating around on little things you can do in your own life to reduce your impact on the environment, but not every lifestyle tweak will fit every lifestyle. So the EPA provides us a little focus -- take a look at their list of 10 and pick 5 that work for you.
9:20: First installment. The US Coast Guard has an Earth Day Twitter campaign today talking about the various ways they're trying to preserve the environment while safeguarding the open seas, including plenty of green building and energy. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack marked the day by announcing 56 communities in 34 states will get $144.3 million in loans and grants for infrastructure improvements around water availability and quality -- see the list. -
Viewing this video requires Adobe Flash Player 8 or higher. Download the free player.The President has just signed the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act, joined by Senator Kennedy, President Bill Clinton, the Congressional leaders who supported the legislation, and countless others dedicated to passage of the bill at the SEED School, where service is a core part of the curriculum. Appropriately, the President announced a major call to service:A week from tomorrow marks the 100th day of my administration. In those next eight days, I ask every American to make an enduring commitment to serving your community and your country in whatever way you can. Visit WhiteHouse.gov to share your stories of service and success. And together, we will measure our progress not just in number of hours served or volunteers mobilized – but in the impact our efforts have on the life of this nation.Find the right opportunity for you, or tell us your story of service – then come back in the coming days and weeks and we will highlight some of the best of what we hear.He spoke to Senator Kennedy, and his entire family, commending them as an icon of service and self-sacrifice in America. He spoke to Republican Senator Orrin Hatch for his role in conceiving of the bill. And he spoke to those in Chicago who taught him the virtues of service as a community organizer.He spoke to the youth, and all those who are already engaged:I’ve met countless people of all ages and walks of life who want nothing more than to do their part. I’ve seen a rising generation of young people work and volunteer and turn out in record numbers. They’re a generation that came of age amidst the horrors of 9/11 and Katrina; the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan; an economic crisis without precedent. And yet despite all this, or more likely because of it, they have become a generation of activists possessed with that most American of ideas – that people who love their country can change it.He spoke to those who are not yet engaged:It’s as simple as that. All that’s required on your part is a willingness to make a difference. That is, after all, the beauty of service. Anyone can do it. You don’t need to be a community organizer, or a Senator -- or a Kennedy – or even a President to bring change to people’s lives.And he spoke to the larger moment our country faces:We need your service, right now, at this moment in history. I’m not going to tell you what your role should be; that’s for you to discover. But I’m asking you to stand up and play your part. I’m asking you to help change history’s course. Put your shoulder up against the wheel. And if you do, I promise you – your life will be richer, our country will be stronger, and someday, years from now, you may remember it as the moment when your own story and the American story converged, when they came together, and we met the challenges of our new century.As the President explained, the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act is about "connecting deeds to needs" – it will open tremendous new avenues of opportunity for Americans to help their country get back on the right track in those many areas where government cannot do it all.
(President Barack Obama meets with Senator Kennedy and former President Clinton to discuss national service. April 21, 2009. White House Photo/ Chuck Kennedy.) -
Today the President held a one-on-one meeting with King Abdullah of Jordan in the Personal Dining Room at the White House, followed by an expanded meeting in the Oval Office.
(President Barack Obama is seen having tea with King Abdullah of Jordan in a one-on-one meeting Tuesday, April 21, 2009, at the White House. White House Photo/Pete Souza)Having discussed a wide range of issues concerning the Middle East during the meeting, from terrorism in the region, to Afghanistan, Iran, and the global economic crisis, the two leaders then gave remarks to the press. The President said King Abdullah "represents a modern approach to foreign policy-making in the Middle East," and King Abdullah in turn offered "warm thanks on behalf of many Arabs and Muslims who really had an outstanding response to the President's outreach to the Muslim Arab world." The bulk of the time, however, was spent on questions regarding Israel and Palestine:Q I just want to follow on the previous question. You sent Senator Mitchell to the region to listen. Is he done with the listening now and -- because all the signals we have from the Israeli government basically that they are not in favor of the two-state solution. The opposition is strongly advocating that.So I wanted to ask also His Majesty, President Obama said that there is positive elements within the Arab Peace Initiative, but he didn't say what he disagree about. Can you tell us if you have noticed any tangible results, what the disagreement with that, and can the Arab Peace Initiative be the base now for a peace process in the Middle East?PRESIDENT OBAMA: Well, first of all, I think it is very important to recognize that the Israelis now have had a government for a few weeks and it was a very complicated process for them to put a coalition together. So I think more listening needs to be done. They are going to have to formulate and I think solidify their position. So George Mitchell will continue to listen both to Arab partners, to the Palestinians, as well as the Israelis.But I agree that we can't talk forever; that at some point, steps have to be taken so that people can see progress on the ground. And that will be something that we will expect to take place in the coming months and we will help hopefully to drive a process where each side is willing to build confidence.I am a strong supporter of a two-state solution. I have articulated that publically and I will articulate that privately. And I think that there are a lot of Israelis who also believe in a two-state solution. Unfortunately, right now what we've seen not just in Israel but within the Palestinian Territories, among the Arab states, worldwide, is a profound cynicism about the possibility of any progress being made whatsoever.What we want to do is to step back from the abyss; to say, as hard as it is, as difficult as it may be, the prospect of peace still exists -- but it's going to require some hard choices, it's going to require resolution on the part of all the actors involved, and it's going to require that we -- we create some concrete steps that all parties can take that are evidence of that resolution. And the United States is going to deeply engage in this process to see if we can make progress.Now, ultimately, neither Jordan nor the United States can do this for the Israelis and the Palestinians. What we can do is create the conditions and the atmosphere and provide the help and assistance that facilitates an agreement. Ultimately they've got to make the decision that it is not in the interests of either the Palestinian people or the Israelis to perpetuate the kind of conflict that we've seen for decades now, in which generations of Palestinian and Israeli children are growing up insecure, in an atmosphere of hate.And my hope is, is that -- that the opportunity will be seized, but it's going to take some more work and we are committed to doing that work.KING ABDULLAH: I couldn't have said it better myself, Mr. President. I think we're looking now at the -- at the positives and not the negatives and seeing how we can sequence events over the next couple of months that allows Israelis and Palestinians and Israelis and Arabs to sit around the table and move this process forward. -
Last week the White House hosted a meeting of presidents and CEOs of disability organizations. We asked Kareem Dale, Special Assistant to the President for Disability Policy, to tell us about it.
(Kareem Dale, Special Assistant to the President for Disability Policy, meets with presidents and CEOs of major disability organizations in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building on April 15, 2009. Photo credit: Yosi Sergant)Unprecedented. That seemed to be the theme of Wednesday’s White House meeting with over 60 presidents/CEOs of almost every major national disability organization in the United States.Valerie Jarrett, President Obama’s Senior Advisor, kicked off the day by discussing the importance that the disability rights movement had to both her and the President personally. And even though she had a scheduled flight that she should have left for a good half-hour before the start of the event, Valerie decided to attend anyway. It was an honor to see Valarie make that time commitment as a reflection of this administration’s commitment to the disability community.
(Valerie Jarrett, Senior Advisor and Assistant to the President for Intergovernmental Affairs and Public Liaison, meets with presidents and CEOs of major disability organizations in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building on April 15, 2009. Photo credit: Yosi SergantThe First Lady’s Office was next in the line-up. The Deputy Policy Director, Trooper Sanders, was terrific in his presentation because he set the tone for the rest of the day. After speaking for a few minutes outlining the First Lady’s intimate relationship with people with disabilities and her dedication to furthering the cause, Trooper turned the presentation over to the crowd and began asking for their input and suggestions. It became very clear early on that this was not going to be your typical White House lecture. This was a White House discussion, where those present weren’t just attendees, they were participants. The Obama administration recognizes that it doesn’t have all the answers. This event set out to lay the foundation toward developing those critical solutions.Don Gips, Director of Presidential Personnel, spoke next. He addressed the progress this administration has already made in hiring senior officials in the White House and federal agencies, as well as touching on plans to appoint more people with disabilities than ever before. He also announced new appointments, including Christine Griffin as Deputy Director at OPM and Henry Claypool as Director of the Office of Disability at HHS, to name a few. These appointments are extremely critical to improving the lives of people with disabilities related to employment and healthcare. Jeff Crowley, Senior Advisor on Disability Policy on the Domestic Policy Council, followed Don by highlighting legislative achievements made by this administration, such as the Christopher and Dana Reeves Paralysis Act and signing of CHIP legislation which provides funding to children with disabilities.Beth Noveck from the Office of Science and Technology provided insight into just how groundbreaking this administration has been and will be in making the government more accessible and transparent. Robert Gordon from the Office of Management and Budget perfectly segued into the significance of this administration’s transparency, saying at one point, "Whenever I want to know what’s going on, I don’t ask my colleagues, I go to www.recovery.gov." Jason Furman, Deputy Director of the National Economic Council, discussed the important role the disability community has in getting our country back on the right track, pointing out specific inclusions in the recovery plan. He also announced that his Policy Director is a person with a disability that will be starting with Jason in a few weeks. Tina Tchen, Director of the Office of Public Liaison, closed out the meeting by stressing the importance of working together and her plans to include the disability community in every major White House public event. They all gave great presentations. But more importantly, every one of our speakers engaged the audience, asking for advice and taking notes. Change was in the air.
(Jason Furman, Deputy Directors of the National Economic Council, meets with presidents and CEOs of major disability organizations in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building on April 15, 2009. Photo credit: Yosi Sergant) -
Viewing this video requires Adobe Flash Player 8 or higher. Download the free player.Last week the President released memos issued by the Office of Legal Counsel between 2002 and 2005 as part of an ongoing court case. The memos discussed techniques that were used in the interrogation of terrorism suspects during that period, techniques that President Obama has disavowed. Today the President visited CIA Headquarters in Langley, Virginia to speak to CIA employees directly. Telling them of his great faith in them, and the faith that the American people have in them, he went on to discuss precisely why he has decided to change interrogation policy for the United States:Now, I have put an end to the interrogation techniques described in those OLC memos, and I want to be very clear and very blunt. I've done so for a simple reason: because I believe that our nation is stronger and more secure when we deploy the full measure of both our power and the power of our values –- including the rule of law. I know I can count on you to do exactly that.There have been some conversations that I've had with senior folks here at Langley in which I think people have expressed understandable anxiety and concern. So I want to make a point that I just made in the smaller group. I understand that it's hard when you are asked to protect the American people against people who have no scruples and would willingly and gladly kill innocents. Al Qaeda is not constrained by a constitution. Many of our adversaries are not constrained by a belief in freedom of speech, or representation in court, or rule of law. I'm sure that sometimes it seems as if that means we're operating with one hand tied behind our back, or that those who would argue for a higher standard are naïve. I understand that. You know, I watch the cable shows once in a while. (Laughter.)What makes the United States special, and what makes you special, is precisely the fact that we are willing to uphold our values and our ideals even when it's hard, not just when it's easy; even when we are afraid and under threat, not just when it's expedient to do so. That's what makes us different.So, yes, you've got a harder job. And so do I. And that's okay, because that's why we can take such extraordinary pride in being Americans. And over the long term, that is why I believe we will defeat our enemies, because we're on the better side of history.So don't be discouraged by what's happened in the last few weeks. Don't be discouraged that we have to acknowledge potentially we've made some mistakes. That's how we learn. But the fact that we are willing to acknowledge them and then move forward, that is precisely why I am proud to be President of the United States, and that's why you should be proud to be members of the CIA. (Applause.)
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Viewing this video requires Adobe Flash Player 8 or higher. Download the free player.Today the President held his first cabinet meeting, and made clear that relentlessly cutting out waste was part and parcel of their mission to make the investments necessary for recovery and long-term stability. Speaking to the press afterwards, he began his remarks expressing his pride in his Cabinet and the work they have been doing to start creating jobs again, then turned to the central message of the day for them:Many of the agencies have already taken some extraordinary steps to consolidate, streamline, and improve their practices. Just a couple of examples: Veterans Affairs has cancelled or delayed 26 conferences, saving nearly $17.8 million, and they're using less expensive alternatives like videoconferencing. The USDA, under Secretary Vilsack, is working to combine 1,500 employees from seven office locations into a single facility in 2011, which we estimate will save $62 million over a 15-year lease term. Janet Napolitano at the Department of Homeland Security estimates that they can save up to $52 million over five years just by purchasing office supplies in bulk.So there are a host of efficiencies that can be gained without increasing our personnel or our budget, but rather decreasing the amount of money that's spent on unnecessary things in order to fund some of the critical initiatives that we've all talked about. Obviously, Bob Gates just came out with a historic budget proposal with respect to the Pentagon, and we expect to follow up with significant procurement reform that's going to make an enormous difference.He laid out a specific undertaking as a first step:So one of the things that -- messages that I delivered today to all members of the Cabinet was: As well as you've already done, you're going to have to do more. I'm asking for all of them to identify at least $100 million in additional cuts to their administrative budgets, separate and apart from the work that Peter Orszag and the rest of our team are doing to go line by line with the budget and identify programmatic cuts that need to be made.And in the next few weeks we expect to cut at least 100 current programs in the federal budget so that we can free up those dollars in order to put them to use for critical areas like health care, education, energy, our foreign policy apparatus, which is so important.Read our fact sheet to go deeper into savings being found across government, ranging from rooting out fraud perpetrated on the USDA, to eliminating an international attaché at the Department of Education, to energy efficiency at DHS to going paperless at DOJ and the State Department.The President took a key question at the end of his remarks:Q A hundred million dollars, isn't that a drop in the bucket, sir?THE PRESIDENT: It is, and that's what I just said. None of these things alone are going to make a difference. But cumulatively they would make an extraordinary difference because they start setting a tone. And so what we're going to do is line by line, page by page, $100 million there, $100 million here, pretty soon, even in Washington, it adds up to real money. All right, thank you, guys.
(President Barack Obama holds his first cabinet meeting, April 20, 2009. White House Photo/ Pete Souza.) -
Viewing this video requires Adobe Flash Player 8 or higher. Download the free player.[UPDATE: See a comprehensive summary of the policy issues discussed during the trip, and a behind-the-scenes slideshow from the White House Photo Office.]
At the Port of Spain in Trinidad and Tobago where leaders from virtually every nation in the hemisphere gathered, President Obama addressed the opening ceremony of the Summit of the Americas on Friday night:
All of us must now renew the common stake that we have in one another. I know that promises of partnership have gone unfulfilled in the past, and that trust has to be earned over time. While the United States has done much to promote peace and prosperity in the hemisphere, we have at times been disengaged, and at times we sought to dictate our terms. But I pledge to you that we seek an equal partnership. (Applause.) There is no senior partner and junior partner in our relations; there is simply engagement based on mutual respect and common interests and shared values. So I'm here to launch a new chapter of engagement that will be sustained throughout my administration. (Applause.)To move forward, we cannot let ourselves be prisoners of past disagreements. I am very grateful that President Ortega -- (applause) -- I'm grateful that President Ortega did not blame me for things that happened when I was three months old. (Laughter.) Too often, an opportunity to build a fresh partnership of the Americas has been undermined by stale debates. And we've heard all these arguments before, these debates that would have us make a false choice between rigid, state-run economies or unbridled and unregulated capitalism; between blame for right-wing paramilitaries or left-wing insurgents; between sticking to inflexible policies with regard to Cuba or denying the full human rights that are owed to the Cuban people.I didn't come here to debate the past -- I came here to deal with the future. (Applause.) I believe, as some of our previous speakers have stated, that we must learn from history, but we can't be trapped by it.The President reiterated areas of opportunity for new partnerships, from stimulating the economy throughout the hemisphere, to alleviating poverty, to using the hemisphere’s vast resources to revolutionize energy use as we know it. Once again he addressed the need to stop the flow of drugs and guns across borders, saying that he is "making it a priority to ratify the Illicit Trafficking in Firearms Convention as another tool that we can use to prevent this from happening."
(President Obama during the group photo at the Summit of the Americas in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, on April 18, 2009. White House photo by Pete Souza)The President closed his remarks on issues that have long dominated relationships between the Americas, and which have already seen broad change in these first few months:There's been several remarks directed at the issue of the relationship between the United States and Cuba, so let me address this. The United States seeks a new beginning with Cuba. I know that there is a longer -- (applause) -- I know there's a longer journey that must be traveled to overcome decades of mistrust, but there are critical steps we can take toward a new day. I've already changed a Cuba policy that I believe has failed to advance liberty or opportunity for the Cuban people. We will now allow Cuban Americans to visit the islands whenever they choose and provide resources to their families -- the same way that so many people in my country send money back to their families in your countries to pay for everyday needs.Over the past two years, I've indicated, and I repeat today, that I'm prepared to have my administration engage with the Cuban government on a wide range of issues -- from drugs, migration, and economic issues, to human rights, free speech, and democratic reform. Now, let me be clear, I'm not interested in talking just for the sake of talking. But I do believe that we can move U.S.-Cuban relations in a new direction.As has already been noted, and I think my presence here indicates, the United States has changed over time. (Applause.) It has not always been easy, but it has changed. And so I think it's important to remind my fellow leaders that it's not just the United States that has to change. All of us have responsibilities to look towards the future. (Applause.)I think it's important to recognize, given historic suspicions, that the United States' policy should not be interference in other countries, but that also means that we can't blame the United States for every problem that arises in the hemisphere. That's part of the bargain. (Applause.) That's part of the change that has to take place. That's the old way, and we need a new way.
(Performers head to the opening ceremony of the Summit of the Americas where they performed for the leaders. White House photo by Pete Souza.) -
With the process of going through the budget line by line in full swing, the President uses his Weekly Address to give some examples, big and small, of how the Administration is working to cut costs and eliminate waste. The President also announces two new key appointments, Jeffrey Zients as Chief Performance Officer and Aneesh Chopra as Chief Technology Officer, who will be invaluable in streamlining the way government functions through efficiency and innovation.Viewing this video requires Adobe Flash Player 8 or higher. Download the free player.
Jeffrey D. Zients - Chief Performance OfficerZients has twenty years of business experience as a CEO, management consultant and entrepreneur with a deep understanding of business strategy, process reengineering and financial management. He served as CEO and Chairman of the Advisory Board Company and Chairman of the Corporate Executive Board. These firms are leading providers of performance benchmarks and best practices across a wide range of industries. Currently, he is the Founder and Managing Partner of Portfolio Logic, an investment firm focused primarily on business and healthcare service companies.Aneesh Paul Chopra - Chief Technology OfficerChopra serves as Virginia’s Secretary of Technology. He leads the Commonwealth’s strategy to effectively leverage technology in government reform, to promote Virginia’s innovation agenda, and to foster technology-related economic development. Previously, he worked as Managing Director with the Advisory Board Company, leading the firm’s Financial Leadership Council and the Working Council for Health Plan Executives. -
Your Friday reminder that the EPA is collecting videos and photos in honor of Earth Day -- here's our pick for the day. It's user tklancer at the top of Angel's Landing in Zion Canyon, learn more courtesy of your friendly U.S. National Park Service.
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[UPDATE: Read the full transcript of the meeting.]To see why the Middle Class Task Force is holding its third official meeting in St. Louis on "Making College More Affordable for our Families," you need only look at this chart from the staff report showing the rise of median family income over the past 30 years compared to the rise in tuition costs:
The Vice President and others from the Task Force, joined by 28-year educator Dr. Jill Biden, are delving deep into these issues at their meeting. And for those with kids in college, or even just experiencing a sense of dread as tuition costs skyrocket year after year while your children grow up, the full report is worth a read. It examines the causes of the rise in costs, and addresses them head on. It discusses the fundamental shift in the treatment of government assistance in the President’s budget proposal, from increasing loans and grants to protecting them from political back-and-forth in the budget process year to year, ensuring families will always be able to count on the help they expect. The report also examines innovative ways that colleges can cut down on their costs, which are a primary factor in tuition costs alongside state budget cuts. This is all related to the President’s goal that by 2020, America should once again lead the world in the proportion of adults with a college degree.
(Vice President Joe Biden listens as Secretary of Education Arne Duncan answers a question from the audience during a Middle Class Task Force event on College Affordability at the University of Missouri St. Louis, Friday, April 17, 2009. Official White House Photo by David Lienemann)For those who have been through the process, or are facing the daunting task of applying for aid, the section on simplifying that process may be of particular interest:Simplifying the Application Process for AidAnother obstacle to federal student aid is the unnecessarily complicated application process that is often intimidating to families and students seeking loans. In order to qualify for aid, students or their parents must first complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form, which contains well over 100 questions on income, assets, family characteristics, personal characteristics, and other items. Completing the FAFSA requires families to sift through paperwork and transfer numbers from tax forms that they may or may not have readily available.The fact that well over one million students who could qualify for aid went without it during the 2003-2004 school year is one indication that the application process is too complicated. Furthermore, students who do not apply for aid due to the complexity of the process may be discouraged from applying to college at all, reducing college attendance rates. As a result, the complicated process works at cross-purposes with our goal of increasing college attendance and completion. Experts widely agree that the system is in need of change. There are two broad strategies to simplify the financial aid application process that are currently under discussion.
One strategy is to make it easier to complete the current form. For example, according to The Institute for College Access and Success (TICAS), about two-thirds of the questions on income and assets that are included in the FAFSA form can be automatically answered using IRS data. This means that the U.S. Department of Education could obtain this information directly from the IRS, and the student or family would only be required to answer the remaining questions. TICAS contends that a simplified process would have the added benefit of reducing errors among filers who erroneously transfer data by hand from their tax returns to the FAFSA form. It would also remove the burden of requiring colleges and universities to verify the income information on the FAFSA form using tax returns. The use of IRS data is also an attractive option because it can make the financial aid application process more efficient on its own or can be combined with other FAFSA simplification proposals. Importantly, compelling new research suggests that FAFSA simplification can substantially increase applications for student aid as well as subsequent college enrollment.While appealing, simplification of the application process may not substantially address the length and complexity of the FAFSA for some, such as those who do not file tax returns with the IRS. Furthermore, even after removing the 22 questions that could be completed with data directly from the IRS, the form still would include nearly 100 questions. As a result, a second strategy for simplifying the application process for student aid is to shorten the form by reducing the number of questions asked. The scope of such simplification could be small or large, depending on the number of questions eliminated. The advantages of a short form would include greater transparency and the ability to make earlier determinations of aid. As an extreme example, economists Susan Dynarski and Judith Scott-Clayton have advocated for a form based on adjusted gross income and family size alone.14 Combined with IRS data, such an application would provide immediate, verifiable feedback on the amount of aid for which a student would be eligible. They argue that this would likely facilitate more timely decisions for families concerning higher education financing, and it would do so with only modest changes to the distribution of aid. This proposal represents just one possibility, but even a much less radical simplification would substantially ease the burden of filing the FAFSA on students and their families.Strategies for simplifying the financial aid application process have potential merits, potential impacts on financial aid awards, and potential challenges in implementation. However, it is clear that simplification makes good policy sense, and that it would help families benefit from important resources available to help cover the cost of college.
(Dr. Jill Biden introduces Vice President Joe Biden during a Middle Class Task Force event on College Affordability at the University of Missouri St. Louis, Friday, April 17, 2009. Official White House Photo by David Lienemann) -
Watch Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's digital town hall in advance of the Summit of the Americas live from the Dominican Republic, embedded via the State Department's Social Media Hub:*****
UPDATE: This event has now concluded, but you can still learn all about the Summit through the State Department's Social Media Hub.
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Viewing this video requires Adobe Flash Player 8 or higher. Download the free player.This afternoon the President landed in Mexico, where he met with President Felipe Calderon in anticipation of the Summit of the Americas. Even before leaving, this morning he reached out to all of the nations who will be in attendance with an op-ed published in English, Spanish or Portuguese in the following papers: Trinidad Express (Trinidad & Tobago); St. Petersburg Times (USA); Miami Herald (USA); El Nuevo Herald (USA); La Nación (Argentina); O Globo (Brazil); El Mercurio (Chile); El Tiempo (Colombia); La Nación (Costa Rica); El Comercio (Ecuador); El Universal (México); El Comercio (Perú); El Nuevo Día (Puerto Rico); El País (Uruguay); and El Nacional (Venezuela).The President laid out his vision for the Summit in the op-ed:As we approach the Summit of the Americas, our hemisphere is faced with a clear choice. We can overcome our shared challenges with a sense of common purpose, or we can stay mired in the old debates of the past. For the sake of all our people, we must choose the future.Too often, the United States has not pursued and sustained engagement with our neighbors. We have been too easily distracted by other priorities, and have failed to see that our own progress is tied directly to progress throughout the Americas. My Administration is committed to the promise of a new day. We will renew and sustain a broader partnership between the United States and the hemisphere on behalf of our common prosperity and our common security.But the President made clear that this commitment would be more than rhetorical. He pointed to the dramatic and long overdue shift in policy towards Cuba, and forthrightly pointed out that there are many other issues that will be difficult to grapple with: "The United States will strongly support respect for the rule of law, better law enforcement, and stronger judicial institutions. Security must be advanced through our commitment to partner with those who are courageously battling drug cartels, gangs and other criminal networks throughout the Americas. And our efforts start at home. By reducing demand for drugs and curtailing the illegal flow of weapons and bulk cash south across our border, we can advance security in the United States and beyond."
(President Barack Obama bids farewell to the family of Mexican President Felipe Calderon following their meeting in Mexico City, Thursday, April 16, 2009. White House Photo/Peter Souza)Indeed, even at his welcoming ceremony was joined by President Calderon when he immediately pledged to work together in new ways to crack down on the drug cartels tied to so much tragedy on both sides of the border: "At a time when the Mexican government has so courageously taken on the drug cartels that have plagued both sides of the borders, it is absolutely critical that the United States joins as a full partner in dealing with this issue, both through initiatives like the Merida Initiative, but also on our side of the border, in dealing with the flow of guns and cash south."The two countries also announced the "US-Mexico Bilateral Framework on Clean Energy and Climate Change," which will focus on renewable energy, energy efficiency, adaptation, market mechanisms, forestry and land use, green jobs, low carbon energy technology development and capacity building. Specific areas of joint cooperation under the Bilateral Framework may include:· Collaborating on training/workshops and information exchanges for government officials to explore possible cooperation on greenhouse gas inventories, various greenhouse gas reduction strategies, and market mechanisms;· Through our collaboration in the Border 2012 program, working with our respective border states to provide opportunities for information exchange and joint work on renewable energy, such as wind and solar, that could include technical and economic project feasibility studies, project development, and capacity building in the border region. Other border work could include a bilateral border crossing planning group to develop strategies to reduce emissions from idling vehicles, among other initiatives that may be deemed appropriate;· Expanding our extensive bilateral collaboration on clean energy technologies to facilitate renewable power generation including by addressing transmission and distribution obstacles between our countries; fostering Energy Service Company market development; and highlighting existing and proposed areas for cooperation on clean energy and energy efficiency under the North American Energy Working Group;· Promoting academic and scientific exchanges on renewable energy;· Pursuing projects on adapting to climate change, including coastal or disaster risk reduction activities as well as adaptation in key sectors; and· Working jointly with other countries to take advantage of growing Mexican expertise on greenhouse gas inventories, adaptation and project planning. This work could also possibly include a shared US/Mexican initiative to help developing countries in the Americas create low carbon development strategies plans for adaptation to climate change, and monitoring and accounting for the results.The Summit of the Americas will get underway tomorrow (don’t forget to check out Secretary Clinton’s digital town hall right beforehand at 11:15 AM Eastern) – but today was a good start to the trip.
(President Barack Obama and Mexico's President Felipe Calderon participate in a joint press conference Thursday, April 16, 2009, following their meeting in Mexico City. White House Photo/Samantha Appleton)
