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Statement by the President on Syria
Sat, 02/04/2012 - 3:54pmRelease Time: For Immediate Release
Thirty years after his father massacred tens of thousands of innocent Syrian men, women, and children in Hama, Bashar al-Assad has demonstrated a similar disdain for human life and dignity. Yesterday the Syrian government murdered hundreds of Syrian citizens, including women and children, in Homs through shelling and other indiscriminate violence, and Syrian forces continue to prevent hundreds of injured civilians from seeking medical help. These brutal killings take place at a time when so many Syrians are also marking a deeply meaningful day for their faith. I strongly condemn the Syrian government’s unspeakable assault against the people of Homs and I offer my deepest sympathy to those who have lost loved ones. Assad must halt his campaign of killing and crimes against his own people now. He must step aside and allow a democratic transition to proceed immediately.
The Syrian people demonstrated in large numbers across Syria yesterday to participate in peaceful protests commemorating the 30th anniversary of the Hama massacre. They labeled the protests, “We are Sorry, Hama – Forgive Us.” We owe it to the victims of Hama and Homs to learn one lesson: that cruelty must be confronted for the sake of justice and human dignity. Every government has the responsibility to protect its citizens, and any government that brutalizes and massacres its people does not deserve to govern. The Syrian regime’s policy of maintaining power by terrorizing its people only indicates its inherent weakness and inevitable collapse. Assad has no right to lead Syria, and has lost all legitimacy with his people and the international community.
The international community must work to protect the Syrian people from this abhorrent brutality. Earlier this week, our Arab partners called on UN Security Council members to take action to support a political solution to the crisis in Syria and stop Assad’s “killing machine.” The Council now has an opportunity to stand against the Assad regime’s relentless brutality and to demonstrate that it is a credible advocate for the universal rights that are written into the UN Charter.
We must work with the Syrian people toward building a brighter future for Syria. A Syria without Assad could be a Syria in which all Syrians are subject to the rule of law and where minorities are able to exercise their legitimate rights and uphold their identities and traditions while acting as fully enfranchised citizens in a unified republic. The United States and our international partners support the Syrian people in achieving their aspirations and will continue to assist the Syrian people toward that goal. We will help because we stand for principles that include universal rights for all people and just political and economic reform. The suffering citizens of Syria must know: we are with you, and the Assad regime must come to an end.
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Categories: White House News
WEEKLY ADDRESS: It’s Time for Congress to Act to Help Responsible Homeowners
Sat, 02/04/2012 - 6:00amRelease Time: For Immediate Release
WASHINGTON, DC—In this week’s address, President Obama continued his call for a return to American values, including fairness and equality, as part of his blueprint for an economy built to last. This is why the President is sending Congress his plan to give responsible homeowners the chance to save thousands of dollars on their mortgages by refinancing at historically low rates without adding a cent to the deficit. The housing crisis has been the single largest drag on the recovery, and although the Administration’s actions have helped responsible homeowners refinance their mortgages and stay in their homes, Congress must act now to do more to continue assisting homeowners and the economy. President Obama asks all Americans to tell their elected officials to pass this plan to keep more families in their homes and more neighborhoods thriving and whole.
Remarks of President Barack Obama
Weekly Address
The White House
Saturday, February 4, 2012
Over the last couple of weeks, I’ve been traveling around the country and talking with folks about my blueprint for an economy built to last. It’s a blueprint that focuses on restoring the things we’ve always done best. Our strengths. American manufacturing. American energy. The skills and education of American workers.
And most importantly, American values like fairness and responsibility.
We know what happened when we strayed from those values over the past decade – especially when it comes to our housing market.
Lenders sold loans to families who couldn’t afford them. Banks packaged those mortgages up and traded them for phony profits. It drove up prices and created an unsustainable bubble that burst – and left millions of families who did everything right in a world of hurt.
It was wrong. The housing crisis has been the single biggest drag on our recovery from the recession. It has kept millions of families in debt and unable to spend, and it has left hundreds of thousands of construction workers out of a job.
But there’s something even more important at stake. I’ve been saying this is a make-or-break moment for the middle class. And the housing crisis struck right at the heart of what it means to be middle-class in this country: owning a home. Raising our kids. Building our dreams.
Right now, there are more than 10 million homeowners in this country who, because of a decline in home prices that is no fault of their own, owe more on their mortgages than their homes are worth. Now, it is wrong for anyone to suggest that the only option for struggling, responsible homeowners is to sit and wait for the housing market to hit bottom. I don’t accept that. None of us should.
That’s why we launched a plan a couple years ago that’s helped nearly one million responsible homeowners refinance their mortgages and save an average of $300 on their payments each month. Now, I’ll be the first to admit it didn’t help as many folks as we’d hoped. But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t keep trying.
That’s why I’m sending Congress a plan that will give every responsible homeowner the chance to save about $3,000 a year on their mortgages by refinancing at historically low rates. No more red tape. No more endless forms. And a small fee on the largest financial institutions will make sure it doesn’t add a dime to the deficit.
I want to be clear: this plan will not help folks who bought a house they couldn’t afford and then walked away from it. It won’t help folks who bought multiple houses just to turn around and sell them.
What this plan will do is help millions of responsible homeowners who make their payments every month, but who, until now, couldn’t refinance because their home values kept dropping or they got wrapped up in too much red tape.
But here’s the catch. In order to lower mortgage payments for millions of Americans, we need Congress to act. They’re the ones who have to pass this plan. And as anyone who has followed the news in the last six months can tell you, getting Congress to do anything these days is not an easy job.
That’s why I’m going to keep up the pressure on Congress to do the right thing. But I also need your help. I need your voice. I need everyone who agrees with this plan to get on the phone, send an email, tweet, pay a visit, and remind your representatives in Washington who they work for. Tell them to pass this plan. Tell them to help more families keep their homes, and more neighborhoods stay vibrant and whole.
The truth is, it will take time for our housing market to recover. It will take time for our economy to fully bounce back. But there are steps we can take, right now, to move this country forward. That’s what I promise to do as your President, and I hope Members of Congress will join me.
Thank you, and have a great weekend.
Categories: White House News
President Obama Announces More Key Administration Posts
Fri, 02/03/2012 - 6:28pmRelease Time: For Immediate Release
WASHINGTON – Today, President Barack Obama announced his intent to nominate the following individuals to key Administration posts:
- Bill Baer – Assistant Attorney General for the Antitrust Division, Department of Justice
- Marcilynn A. Burke – Assistant Secretary for Land and Minerals Management, Department of the Interior
- Joseph Jordan – Administrator for Federal Procurement Policy, Office of Management and Budget
- John Norris – Commissioner, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
- Heidi Shyu – Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics, and Technology, Department of Defense
The President also announced his intent to appoint the following individuals to key Administration posts:
- Milton Irvin – Member, President's Board of Advisors on Historically Black Colleges and Universities
- George B. Walker, Jr. – Member, President's Board of Advisors on Historically Black Colleges and Universities
President Obama said, “I am proud that such experienced and committed individuals have agreed to serve the American people in these important roles. I look forward to working with them in the months and years ahead.”
President Obama announced his intent to nominate the following individuals to key Administration posts:
Bill Baer, Nominee for Assistant Attorney General for the Antitrust Division, Department of Justice
Bill Baer is the chair of the Antitrust Practice Group at Arnold and Porter LLP. He joined Arnold and Porter in 1980, becoming a partner at the firm in 1983. In his practice, Mr. Baer represents a broad range of companies in U.S. and international cartel investigations, mergers and acquisition reviews, and in antitrust litigation. From 1995 to 1999, he served as the Director for the Bureau of Competition at the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). Mr. Baer began his legal career in 1975 as a trial attorney for the Bureau of Consumer Protection at the FTC. Mr. Baer holds a B.A. from Lawrence University and a J.D. from Stanford Law School.
Marcilynn A. Burke, Nominee for Assistant Secretary for Land and Minerals Management, Department of the Interior
Marcilynn A. Burke has served as Acting Assistant Secretary for Land and Minerals Management at the Department of the Interior (DOI) since July 2011 and as Deputy Director of the Bureau of Land Management since August 2009. Prior to serving in these positions at DOI, Ms. Burke was a tenured Associate Professor of Law at the University of Houston Law Center where she taught natural resources, land use management, environmental, and property law. Before she began her teaching career, Ms. Burke was an associate at the law firm of Cleary, Gottlieb, Steen, & Hamilton. She earned her A.B. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and her J.D. from Yale University.
Joseph Jordan, Nominee for Administrator for Federal Procurement Policy, Office of Management and Budget
Joseph Jordan is currently Senior Advisor to Office of Management and Budget Acting Director Jeffrey Zients, a position he has held since December 2011. Between 2009 and 2011, Mr. Jordan served as Associate Administrator for Government Contracting and Business Development at the Small Business Administration (SBA). Prior to joining SBA, Mr. Jordan was an Engagement Manager with McKinsey & Company, a global management consulting firm. At McKinsey, he specialized in developing purchasing and supply management strategies for clients across several industries. He also worked with the firm’s public sector practice, advising state governments on how to cut costs and capture efficiencies. In 2000, Mr. Jordan helped build and manage operations of Backwire, a web-based publisher-marketer. When the company was purchased by Leap Wireless, he transitioned to become Leap’s project manager for strategic planning and product development. From 1998 to 2000, Mr. Jordan worked as an Associate Producer on MSNBC’s Hardball with Chris Matthews. Mr. Jordan received his B.A. from The College of the Holy Cross and an M.B.A. from the University of Virginia's Darden School of Business Administration.
John Norris, Nominee for Commissioner, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
John Norris is a Commissioner at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), a position he has held since December 2009. Over the past 10 years, Mr. Norris has also been involved in numerous local, regional, and national energy related boards and organizations. Before his appointment to FERC, he was Chief of Staff at the U.S. Department of Agriculture. From 2005 to 2009, Mr. Norris served as Chairman of the Iowa Utilities Board (IUB). Prior to joining IUB, he served as Chief of Staff and Energy Advisor to Governor Tom Vilsack, Chief of Staff to U.S. Representative Leonard Boswell, and owned and managed a restaurant in Greenfield, Iowa. Mr. Norris received a B.A. in Political Science from Simpson College and a J.D. from the University of Iowa College of Law.
Heidi Shyu, Nominee for Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics, and Technology, Department of Defense
Heidi Shyu has served as Acting Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics, and Technology (ALT) since June 2011, and as Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for ALT since November 2010. Prior to joining the Administration, Ms. Shyu worked for the Raytheon Company from 1997 to 2010. During that time, she held several leadership positions including Vice President of Technology Strategy for Space and Airborne Systems (2009-2010), Corporate Vice President of Technology and Research (2007-2009), Vice President and Technical Director for Space and Airborne Systems (2004-2007), and Vice President of Unmanned and Reconnaissance Systems (2002-2003). Prior to working at Raytheon, Ms. Shyu worked for Hughes Aircraft Company (1992-1997), Litton (1990-1991), and Grumman Aerospace (1989-1990). She began her career in 1978 as an Engineer for Hughes Aircraft Company. Ms. Shyu holds a B.S. from University of New Brunswick in Canada, an M.S. from the University of Toronto, and an M.S.E.E. from University of California, Los Angeles.
President Obama also announced his intent to appoint the following individuals to key Administration posts:
Milton Irvin, Appointee for Member, President's Board of Advisors on Historically Black Colleges and Universities
Milton Irvin is currently Chair of the Advisory Board for Castle Oak Securities, L.P. In January 2012, Mr. Irvin retired from UBS AG where he had been a Managing Director and the Americas’ Head of Diversity and Inclusion since 2002. Before working at UBS, Mr. Irvin served as President and COO of Imbot.com, from 2000 to 2002, and Blaylock & Partners L.P., from 1998 to 1999. Mr. Irvin began his career as a corporate lending officer at Chase Manhattan Bank, and then spent 20 years at Salomon Brothers, holding numerous positions including Managing Director and Head of Generalist Sales. Mr. Irvin currently serves on the Wharton Graduate Advisory Board, the Board of the Harlem School of the Arts, and LEAD, a non-profit that unites colleges and universities with corporations to encourage minority high school students to explore careers in business, science, engineering, and technology. In 1994, President Clinton appointed Mr. Irvin to the Advisory Committee of the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation for which he served as chairman from 1995 to 1997. Mr. Irvin earned his B.S. from the United States Merchant Marine Academy and his M.B.A. from the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania.
The Reverend George B. Walker, Jr., Appointee for Member, President's Board of Advisors on Historically Black Colleges and Universities
The Reverend George B. Walker, Jr. is the Vice President of Strategic Partnerships at the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund and Victory Institute (“Victory”), a position he has held since October 2011. From 2008 to 2011, Reverend Walker was the Vice President of Leadership Initiatives at Victory. Before joining Victory, Reverend Walker worked at the American Constitution Society for Law and Policy as the Development Director from 2006 to 2008; the Human Rights Campaign as Major Gifts Officer from 2004 to 2006; and the Center for Community Change, where he was Deputy Operations Director from 2003 to 2004 and Director of Evaluation from 2001 to 2003. From 1994 to 1996, Reverend Walker worked as a volunteer for the U.S. Peace Corps. He later served as Associate Director of the Peace Development Fund from 1998 to 2001. Reverend Walker is the recipient of the U.S. Peace Corps’ Franklin H. Williams Award, the German Marshall Memorial Fellowship, and the Pipeline Project’s 21st Century Leadership Fellowship. Reverend Walker holds a B.A. from Morehouse College and an M.Div. from the Divinity School at Duke University.
Categories: White House News
President Obama Announces Another Key Administration Post
Fri, 02/03/2012 - 6:25pmRelease Time: For Immediate Release
WASHINGTON – Today, President Barack Obama announced his intent to nominate the following individual to a key Administration post:
- Jeremiah O. Norton – Member, Board of Directors of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation
President Obama announced his intent to nominate the following individual to a key Administration post:
Jeremiah O. Norton, Nominee for Member, Board of Directors of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation
Jeremiah O. Norton is currently an Executive Director of J.P. Morgan Securities, LLC. In this role, Mr. Norton advises financial institutions on mergers and acquisitions and other corporate finance transactions. Prior to joining J.P. Morgan, Mr. Norton served as the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Financial Institutions Policy at the Department of the Treasury from 2007 to 2009. In that role, he led the Department’s office that developed, analyzed, and coordinated policies on legislative and regulatory issues affecting financial institutions. Additionally, he oversaw the Terrorism Risk Insurance Program. Prior to his time at the U.S. Treasury, Mr. Norton served on the legislative staff of Representative Edward R. Royce as the primary advisor on banking and insurance issues. Prior to joining Representative Royce, Mr. Norton worked in the Financial Institutions and Governments investment banking group at J.P. Morgan. Mr. Norton received an A.B. in Economics from Duke University, and a J.D. from the Georgetown University Law Center.
Categories: White House News
U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk Announces U.S. Victory in Challenge to China’s Raw Materials Export Restraints
Fri, 02/03/2012 - 5:04pmRelease Time: For Immediate Release Washington, D.C. – U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk today announced that the World Trade Organization (WTO) Appellate Body found China’s export restraints on several industrial raw materials used as key components in the steel, aluminum, and chemicals industries to be inconsistent with China’s WTO obligations. The Appellate Body affirmed a WTO dispute settlement panel’s July 2011 finding, therefore agreeing with the United States and rejecting China’s attempts to portray its export restraints as conservation or environmental protection measures or measures taken to manage critical shortages of supply.
“Today’s report is a tremendous victory for the United States – particularly its manufacturers and workers,” Ambassador Kirk said. “The Obama Administration will continue to ensure that China and every other country play by the rules so that U.S. workers and companies can compete and succeed on a level playing field. During his State of the Union Address last week, the President laid out a blueprint for an economy that’s built to last – an economy built with the renewed strength of American manufacturing. Today’s decision ensures that core manufacturing industries in this country can get the materials they need to produce and compete on a level playing field.”
The export restraints challenged in this dispute include export quotas and export duties, as well as related minimum export price, export licensing, and export quota administration requirements. The raw materials at issue include various forms of bauxite, coke, fluorspar, magnesium, manganese, silicon carbide, silicon metal, yellow phosphorus, and zinc. Export restraints on these types of industrial products can skew the playing field against the United States and other countries in the production and export of numerous steel, aluminum and chemical, and a wide range of other products. They can artificially increase world prices for these raw materials while artificially lowering prices for Chinese producers. This enables China’s domestic producers to produce lower-priced products from the raw materials and thereby creates significant advantages for China’s producers when competing against U.S. and other producers, both in China’s market and other countries’ markets. Such export restraints can also create substantial pressure on foreign producers to move their operations and, as a result, their technologies to China.
The European Union and Mexico joined the United States as co-complainants in the dispute. Upon a U.S. request, the WTO Dispute Settlement Body (DSB) will adopt the panel and Appellate Body reports within 30 days and call for China to bring its measures into compliance with its WTO obligations.
BACKGROUND
On June 23, 2009, the United States requested WTO dispute settlement consultations with China regarding export restraints maintained by China on various forms of bauxite, coke, fluorspar, magnesium, manganese, silicon carbide, silicon metal, yellow phosphorus, and zinc. On the same day, the European Union also requested consultations with China. On August 21, 2009, a third WTO Member, Mexico, requested consultations with China. On December 21, 2009, a single WTO panel was established to examine the three complaints. Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, India, Japan, Korea, Norway, Saudi Arabia, Chinese Taipei, and Turkey joined as third parties in the dispute.
The panel found that the export duties and export quotas that China maintains on various forms of bauxite, coke, fluorspar, magnesium, manganese, silicon carbide, silicon metal, and zinc constitute a breach of WTO rules and that China failed to justify those measures as legitimate conservation measures, environmental protection measures, or short supply measures. The panel also found that China’s imposition of minimum export price, export licensing, and export quota administration requirements on these materials, as well as China’s failure to publish certain measures related to these requirements, is inconsistent with WTO rules.
On August 31, 2011, China appealed certain aspects of the panel’s report. On September 6, 2011, the United States and its co-complainants filed limited cross appeals on certain procedural and other findings made by the panel. A hearing took place before the WTO’s Appellate Body on November 7-9, 2011. In its report, the Appellate Body rejected China’s appeal and confirmed that: China may not seek to justify its imposition of export duties pursuant to the exceptions provided in Article XX of the GATT 1994; China failed to demonstrate that certain of its export quotas were justified as measures for preventing or relieving a critical shortage under Article XI:2(a) of the GATT 1994; and the Panel correctly made recommendations for China to bring its measures into conformity with its WTO obligations. The Appellate Body also found that the Panel erred: in making findings related to licensing and administration claims identified in Section III of the U.S. panel request, declaring those findings moot; and in the Panel’s legal interpretation of one element of the exception set forth in Article XX(g) of the GATT 1994 (China did not appeal the Panel’s conclusion that China had failed to establish a defense under Article XX(g)).
Categories: White House News
Presidential Memorandum -- Delegation of Authority Pursuant to Sections 110(d)(4) and 110(f) of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000, as Amended
Fri, 02/03/2012 - 2:42pmRelease Time: For Immediate Release
MEMORANDUM FOR THE SECRETARY OF STATE
SUBJECT: Delegation of Authority Pursuant to Sections 110(d)(4) and 110(f) of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000, as Amended
By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including section 301 of title 3, United States Code, I hereby delegate to you the authority conferred upon the President by the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 (Division A of Public Law 106-386), as amended (the "Act"), to determine, consistent with sections 110(d)(4) and 110(f) of the Act, with respect to Burma for fiscal year 2012, that assistance described in section 110(d)(1)(B) of the Act would promote the purposes of the Act or is otherwise in the national interest of the United States.
You are authorized and directed to publish this memorandum in the Federal Register.
BARACK OBAMA
Categories: White House News
NEW DETAILS: President Obama to Host White House Science Fair
Fri, 02/03/2012 - 1:52pmRelease Time: For Immediate Release
Event Will Highlight Winners of National Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) Competitions
WASHINGTON, DC -- On Tuesday, February 7th, President Obama will host the second White House Science Fair celebrating the student winners of a broad range of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) competitions from across the country. The President will also announce key steps that the Administration and its partners are taking to help more students excel in math and science, and earn degrees in these subjects.
At the fair, the President will view exhibits of student work, ranging from breakthrough research to new inventions, followed by remarks to an audience of students, science educators and business leaders on the importance of STEM education to the country’s economic future.
The President hosted the first-ever White House Science Fair in late 2010, fulfilling a commitment he made at the launch of his Educate to Innovate campaign to inspire students to excel in math and science. As the President noted then, “If you win the NCAA championship, you come to the White House. Well, if you're a young person and you produce the best experiment or design, the best hardware or software, you ought to be recognized for that achievement, too.” In addition, over the past year, the President met with the three young women who won the Google Science Fair, met a student robotics team on his bus tour through North Carolina and Virginia, and made a surprise appearance at the New York City Science Fair.
Categories: White House News
Remarks by the President on the Veterans Job Corps
Fri, 02/03/2012 - 12:30pmRelease Time: For Immediate Release
Fire Station #5
Arlington, Virginia
11:30 A.M. EST
THE PRESIDENT: Thank you! Thank you, guys. (Applause.) Thank you so much. Everybody, please have a seat. Well, good morning, everybody.
AUDIENCE: Good morning!
THE PRESIDENT: Jacob, thank you for that introduction. More importantly, thank you for your extraordinary service to our country.
I want to acknowledge two outstanding members of my Cabinet who are here today -- Secretary of Veterans Affairs Ric Shinseki is in the house, also one of our finest -- (applause) -- himself, one of our finest veterans and obviously an extraordinary leader when he was in our Army. And I also want to acknowledge Interior Secretary Ken Salazar, who's in the house. (Applause.)
And we’re joined by another president -- the International Association of Firefighters president, Harold Schaitberger, is here. (Applause.)
Now, this is a fire station that holds some special significance for our country. On September 11th, the firefighters of this house were among the first to respond to the attack on the Pentagon. You guys answered this nation’s call during its hour of need. And in the years that followed, as Americans went to war, some of you answered that call as well.
Today’s 9/11 generation of veterans has already earned a special place in our history. Our veterans -- and all the brave men and women who serve our country -- are the reason why America’s military is the greatest in the history of the world. In the face of great odds and grave danger, they get the job done. They work as a team. They personify the very best that America has to offer.
That’s true on the battlefront. But we’re here today because it's also true on the home front. After a decade of war, our nation needs to do some building right here in the United States of America.
Now, this morning, we received more good news about our economy. In January, American businesses added another 257,000 jobs. The unemployment rate came down because more people found work. And altogether, we’ve added 3.7 million new jobs over the last 23 months.
Now, these numbers will go up and down in the coming months, and there's still far too many Americans who need a job, or need a job that pays better than the one they have now. But the economy is growing stronger. The recovery is speeding up. And we've got to do everything in our power to keep it going.
We can't go back to the policies that led to the recession. And we can't let Washington stand in the way of our recovery. We want Washington to be helping with the recovery, not making it tougher.
The most important thing Congress needs to do right now is to stop taxes from going up on 160 million Americans at the end of this month. They've got to renew the payroll tax cut that they extended only for a couple of months. They need to pass an extension of the payroll tax cut and unemployment insurance -- and do it without drama, without delay, without linking it to some ideological side issues. They just need to get it done. It shouldn't be that complicated. Now is not the time for self-inflicted wounds to our economy. Now is the time for action.
So I want to send a clear message to Congress: Do not slow down the recovery that we're on. Don't muck it up. Keep it moving in the right direction. (Applause.)
Beyond preventing a tax hike, we need to do a lot more to create an economy that’s built to last. To restore American manufacturing, we need to stop giving tax breaks to companies that ship jobs overseas; give those tax breaks to companies that are investing in plants and equipment and hiring workers right here in the United States of America. That makes a lot of sense.
To reduce our dependency on foreign oil, we need to stop subsidizing oil companies that are already making record profits, and double down on clean energy, that creates jobs and creates opportunities in new industries but also improves our security, because we're not as dependent on foreign oil.
To make sure our businesses don’t have to move overseas to find skilled workers, we've got to invest in education, and make sure college is affordable for every hardworking American.
And -- this is the reason we're here today -- we need to make sure that as our troops return from battle, they can find a job when they get home. That’s what I want to talk about today. (Applause.)
The war in Iraq is over. The war in Afghanistan is moving to a new phase -- we're transitioning to Afghan lead. Over the past decade, nearly 3 million service members have transitioned back to civilian life, and more are joining them every day.
When these men and women come home, they bring unparalleled skills and experience. Folks like Jacob -- they’ve saved lives in some of the toughest conditions imaginable. They’ve managed convoys and moved tons of equipment over dangerous terrain. They’ve tracked millions of dollars of military assets. They've handled pieces of equipment that are worth tens of millions of dollars. They do incredible work. Nobody is more skilled, more precise, more diligent, more disciplined.
Our veterans are some of the most highly trained, highly educated, highly skilled workers that we’ve got. These are Americans that every business should be competing to attract. These are the Americans we want to keep serving here at home as we rebuild this country. So we’re going to do everything we can to make sure that when our troops come home, they come home to new jobs and new opportunities and new ways to serve their country.
Now, this has been a top priority of mine since I came into office. Already, we’ve helped 600,000 veterans and their family members go back to school on the Post-9/11 G.I. Bill. We’ve hired over 120,000 veterans to serve in the federal government. We’ve made it easier for veterans to access all sorts of employment services. We’ve set up online tools to connect veterans with job openings that match their skills.
Michelle and Jill Biden have worked with the private sector, with businesses, to secure a pledge of 135,000 jobs for veterans and their families. And with the support of Democrats and Republicans, we’ve put in place two new tax credits for companies that hire veterans.
So these are all important steps. We’ve made progress. But we’ve got to do more. There’s more we can do.
In my State of the Union address, I proposed a new initiative, called the Veterans Jobs Corps, to put veterans back to work protecting and rebuilding America. And today, we’re laying out the details of this proposal.
First, we want to help communities hire more veterans as cops and firefighters. You guys have seen what a great job Jacob is doing. Well, there are a whole bunch of folks like that who could be doing that same outstanding work all across the country. But it’s not that easy these days to get a job at a firehouse.
Over the past few years, tight budgets have forced a lot of states, a lot of local communities to lay off a lot of first responders. Now, my administration -- when I first came into office, one of the first things we did was, through the Recovery Act, make sure that states and local governments helped -- or got the help that they needed to prevent some of these layoffs. And thousands of jobs were saved all across the country.
Harold and I were talking as we came over here -- thousands of firefighter jobs were saved because of the actions we took. But budgets are still tight, and that’s a problem we need to fix. Jobs that protect our families and our communities shouldn’t be the first on the chopping block. They should be one of our highest priorities as a nation.
Over the past three years, my administration has made it possible for states to keep thousands of first responders on the job. But today, we’re announcing that communities who make it a priority to recruit veterans will be among the first in line when it comes to getting help from the federal government.
And I know that’s one of the things, Chief, that you’ve been doing here in Arlington.
So we want to prioritize veterans and we want to help states and local communities hire veterans to firehouses and police stations all across the country.
The second thing we want to do is to connect up to 20,000 veterans with jobs that involve rebuilding local communities or national parks. That’s why Ken Salazar is here as the Interior Secretary. He needs some help. And our veterans are highly qualified to help him. They’ve already risked their lives defending America. They should have the opportunity to rebuild America. We’ve got roads and bridges in and around our national parks in need of repair. Let’s fix them.
Of course, Congress needs to fund these projects. Congress should take the money that we’re no longer spending on war, use half of it to pay down our debt, and use the rest to do some nation-building here at home, to improve the quality of life right here in the United States of America -- (applause) -- and put our veterans to work. (Applause.)
So let’s get more cops on the beat. Let’s gets more rangers in the parks. Let’s get more firefighters on call. And, in the process, we’re going to put more veterans back to work. It’s good for our communities, it’s good for our economy, and it’s good for our country.
And for veterans who want to do something else -- maybe put their leadership skills to use starting a small business -- we’re going to start offering entrepreneurial training to our veterans. We want service members prepared for battle -- and for professional success when they come home. So we should do all that we can to support our troops and our veterans -- in helping them start a business, in helping them get a foothold in a fire station like this one, and start moving up the ranks, doing outstanding work the way Jacob has been doing.
But we also need to follow their lead. We want to help them, but we should also learn from them. We should remember from our veterans that no matter what the circumstances, those men and women in uniform -- a lot like the firefighters in this fire station -- work together. Act as a team. Finish the job. That’s what we've got to do when it comes to our nation's recovery.
These are challenging times for America, but we’ve faced challenging times before. On the grounds here you've got a stone from the Pentagon and a beam from the World Trade Center. And that reminds us of our resolve as a people. They remind us that when we come together as one people and as one community, one nation, then we prevail. That’s who we are.
This is a nation that exists because generations of Americans worked together to build it. This is a nation where, out of many, we come together as one. Those are the values that every veteran understands. Those are values that this fire station understands. We've got to make sure that we return to those values. And if we do, then I guarantee you we'll remind everybody around the world just why it is the United States is the greatest country on Earth.
Thank you very much, everybody. God bless you. God bless America. (Applause.)
END
11:44 P.M. EST
Categories: White House News
Notice -- Continuation of the National Emergency with Respect to the Situation in or in Relation to Côte d'Ivoire
Fri, 02/03/2012 - 12:24pmRelease Time: For Immediate Release
NOTICE
- - - - - - -
CONTINUATION OF THE NATIONAL EMERGENCY WITH RESPECT TO
THE SITUATION IN OR IN RELATION TO CÔTE D'IVOIRE
On February 7, 2006, by Executive Order 13396, the President declared a national emergency, pursuant to the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701-1706), to deal with the unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States constituted by the situation in or in relation to Côte d'Ivoire and ordered related measures blocking the property of certain persons contributing to the conflict in Côte d'Ivoire. The situation in or in relation to Côte d'Ivoire, which has been addressed by the United Nations Security Council in Resolution 1572 of November 15, 2004, and subsequent resolutions, has resulted in the massacre of large numbers of civilians, widespread human rights abuses, significant political violence and unrest, and fatal attacks against international peacekeeping forces.
While the Government of Côte d'Ivoire and its people continue to make significant progress, the situation in or in relation to Côte d'Ivoire continues to pose an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States, the national emergency declared on February 7, 2006, and the measures adopted on that date to deal with that emergency, must continue in effect beyond February 7, 2012. Therefore, in accordance with section 202(d) of the National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 1622(d)), I am continuing for 1 year the national emergency declared in Executive Order 13396.
This notice shall be published in the Federal Register and transmitted to the Congress.
BARACK OBAMA
Categories: White House News
Message -- Continuation of the National Emergency with Respect to the Situation in or in Relation to Côte d'Ivoire
Fri, 02/03/2012 - 12:24pmTO THE CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES:
Section 202(d) of the National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 1622(d)) provides for the automatic termination of a national emergency, unless, within 90 days prior to the anniversary date of its declaration, the President publishes in the Federal Register and transmits to the Congress a notice stating that the emergency is to continue in effect beyond the anniversary date. In accordance with this provision, I have sent to the Federal Register for publication the enclosed notice stating that the national emergency declared in Executive Order 13396 of February 7, 2006, with respect to the situation in or in relation to Côte d'Ivoire is to continue in effect beyond February 7, 2012.
The situation in or in relation to Côte d'Ivoire, which has been addressed by the United Nations Security Council in Resolution 1572 of November 15, 2004, and subsequent resolutions, has resulted in the massacre of large numbers of civilians, widespread human rights abuses, significant political violence and unrest, and fatal attacks against international peacekeeping forces. Since the inauguration of President Alassane Ouattara in May 2011, the Government of Côte d'Ivoire and its people have made significant advances in the promotion of democratic, social, and economic development. Although considerable progress has been made, the situation in or in relation to Côte d'Ivoire continues to pose an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States. For these reasons, I have determined that it is necessary to continue the national emergency and related measures under Executive Order 13396 of February 7, 2006, Blocking Property of Certain Persons Contributing to the Conflict in Côte d'Ivoire.
BARACK OBAMA
Categories: White House News
First Lady Michelle Obama to embark on three day national tour celebrating the second anniversary of Let's Move!
Fri, 02/03/2012 - 12:07pmRelease Time: For Immediate Release
February 9th – 11th, First Lady to make stops in Des Moines, Iowa; Little Rock, Arkansas; Fort Worth, Texas; Dallas, Texas; Homestead, Florida; Longwood, Florida & Orlando, Florida
WASHINGTON – On February 9, 2012, First Lady Michelle Obama will kick off a three day, nation-wide tour celebrating the second anniversary of Let’s Move!, her initiative to solve the problem of childhood obesity within a generation. Since launching Let’s Move! on February 9, 2010, significant progress has been made to solve the problem of childhood obesity. Parents, businesses, educators, elected officials, members of the military, chefs, physicians, athletes, childcare providers, community and faith leaders and kids themselves have made substantial commitments to improve the health of our nation’s children. Through working together with Let’s Move!, these groups have provided children with healthier food and greater opportunities for physical activity in schools and communities, helped get families the information they need to make healthier decisions, supported a healthy start in early childhood, and have worked to ensure more people have access to healthy, affordable food. The Let’s Move! tour will highlight examples of people making changes across the country, from a single family to an entire state.
A fact sheet on a few of the many accomplishments of Let’s Move! is attached and can be found HERE.
The First Lady’s Let’s Move! tour schedule is below:
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2012
Des Moines, Iowa * 11:00 AM CT/ 12:00 PM ET * Let’s Move! Day in Iowa
First Lady Michelle Obama will kick off her three day national tour in Des Moines, Iowa, to highlight Iowa’s Healthiest State Initiative, a private-public partnership launched in August by Governor Terry Branstad and other government and business leaders to make Iowa the healthiest state in the nation by 2016. More than 10,000 children grades 6 - 9 from Iowa schools will fill Wells Fargo Arena in downtown Des Moines to participate in a high-energy, interactive celebration of the Let’s Move! anniversary, hosted by Iowa’s Healthiest State Initiative.
Mrs. Obama will be joined by former Iowa Governor and current Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack and Iowa Governor Branstad, as well as NASCAR racing champion and member of the President’s Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition Carl Edwards, Olympic figure skating champion and member of the President’s Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition Michelle Kwan (who was recently inducted into the U.S. Figure Skating Hall of Fame), Olympic champion gymnast Shawn Johnson, 2011 WNBA MVP Tamika Catchings, Health and Fitness Expert Bob Harper, Iowa State University Basketball coach and former NBA player Fred Hoiberg – who are all committed to helping kids embrace good health, nutrition and physical fitness. Governor Branstad will sign a proclamation establishing February 9 as “Let’s Move! Day in Iowa” to celebrate the second anniversary.
Little Rock, Arkansas * 2:15 PM CT / 3:15 PM ET * Military Improving Nutrition for Servicemembers
First Lady Michelle Obama will visit the Little Rock Air Force Base to make an announcement about the military’s efforts to improve the nutrition of food served throughout military bases. Little Rock Air Force Base is part of a special pilot program that has enhanced food service quality, variety and availability through new acquisition processes and redesign efforts. Mrs. Obama will receive a briefing on the Air Force’s healthy eating efforts from leadership and then visit the dining facility with cooks and airmen to discuss the changes. Childhood obesity has become a national security issue - more than one-quarter of our nation’s 17-24 year- olds are too overweight to serve in the U.S. military. Additionally, the Department of Defense spends an estimated $1.1 billion per year on medical care associated with excess weight and obesity.
Fort Worth, Texas * 5:30 PM CT / 6:30 PM ET * Parents and Businesses Making a Difference
First Lady Michelle Obama will hold a roundtable dinner discussion at a local Olive Garden with parents who are changing habits in their homes and communities. Mrs. Obama will have a conversation with the parents about their efforts and get their ideas on how Let’s Move! can continue to support families across the country. In September 2011, Darden, the world’s largest full service restaurant company which owns Olive Garden, Red Lobster, Longhorn Steakhouse and others, made a commitment to improve their kids menus by offering a fruit or vegetable and low-fat milk with every meal, as well as reduce total calories and sodium across their menus.
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 2012
Dallas, Texas * 9:00 AM CT / 10:00 AM ET * Schools and Chefs Working Together
First Lady Michelle Obama will join chef'testants from past seasons of Bravo’s hit series “Top Chef” and members of the Dallas Cowboys to highlight the work being done in schools across America to provide healthier food to students. The chefs will compete in a healthy cooking competition with students from Nancy Moseley Elementary School, a Gold school in the HealthierUS School Challenge program. The Dallas Independent School District is a leader in making healthy changes for its students – it has the most Gold schools of any district in the country. Chefs have played an important role in the Let’s Move! initiative, teaming up with schools all across the country to work with school chefs on healthy school meals and teach kids about the importance of a nutritious diet. Approximately 3,400 chefs and 3,350 schools have signed up for Chefs Move to Schools, and the First Lady will announce a coalition that is working together to expand the program.
Homestead, Florida * 3:30 PM * WebMD Town Hall: Simple Tips For Healthy Families
First Lady Michelle Obama will join experts from WebMD, a leading source of health information for consumers and professionals and a free source of trusted information on children’s health and wellness, to answer questions from a live local audience and a national online audience about how families can implement healthy changes in their daily lives. The WebMD town hall style discussion will be held at a Miami-area YMCA. In November 2011, the YMCA, a leading nonprofit dedicated to youth development and healthy living and one of the nation’s largest child-care providers, announced that it is adopting a set of standards to ensure its programs offer children fruits, vegetables and water as snacks and adequate physical activity while children are in their care. The panel will include a WebMD pediatrician and nutritionist and a health and well-being expert from the YMCA. Parents can submit questions for the First Lady and the panel at www.webmd.com/townhall.
Orlando, Florida * 7:00 PM ET * Change Begins at Home
First Lady Michelle Obama will visit the home of an Orlando-area family who has made changes to become healthier. Mrs. Obama will have dinner with the family in their home and discuss the everyday changes families can make. This event will have a pool spray at the top.
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2012
Longwood, Florida * 10:00 AM ET * Faith and Community Groups Leading the Way
First Lady Michelle Obama will speak to a gathering of 3,000 people from diverse faiths at Northland, A Church Distributed, about the work of faith and community organizations across America to support healthy lifestyles. Mrs. Obama launched Let’s Move! Faith and Communities in November 2010 and since then, these organizations have initiated a broad range of activities including logging over 1,500,000 miles walked and working to provide healthy food to their congregations. Saturday’s program will include choirs, performers and speakers from local and national congregations. Tickets are being distributed by local faith and community organizations.
Orlando, Florida * Afternoon * Getting Active Is Fun!
Following the event at Northland, First Lady Michelle Obama will travel to ESPN Wide World of Sports at the Walt Disney World Resort to participate in a physical activity event for hundreds of local kids and their families, including participants in the morning’s faith event. Disney Channel and Disney XD stars and professional athletes will be on hand as families participate in fun, physical activity stations. Tickets are being distributed by local faith and community organizations.
Categories: White House News
President Obama’s Plan to Put Veterans Back to Work
Fri, 02/03/2012 - 12:01amRelease Time: For Immediate Release
In his State of the Union address, President Obama called for a new Veterans Job Corps initiative to help our returning veterans find pathways to civilian employment. The Administration’s new veteran employment initiatives, coupled with the work that President Obama has already accomplished in creating employment opportunities for veterans, will help put tens of thousands of veterans back to work.
The President’s Commitment to Veteran Employment
Today the President will announce new details of his Veterans Jobs Corps initiative which will help put veterans back to work on a range of projects that leverage skills developed in the military:
• New incentives to hire veterans as first responders: The President will announce $166 million in 2012 Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) Hiring Grant funding and $320 million in 2012 Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grants. The President will also announce that preference for these grants will now be given to communities that recruit and hire post-9/11 veterans to serve as police officers and firefighters. The COPS funding preserves law enforcement jobs and spurs new ones by making grant awards to communities across the country. SAFER grants provide funding directly to fire departments and volunteer firefighter interest organizations in order to help them increase and retain the number of trained firefighters available in their communities, enhancing the local fire departments' abilities to comply with staffing, response, and operational standards.
• Hiring veterans to protect Americans as first responders and law enforcement officers: Today, the President announced he will include in his FY13 Budget the $4 billion in COPS funding first proposed in the American Jobs Act to spur police officer hiring in 2012. The Budget will also include $1 billion for SAFER grants, as proposed in the American Jobs Act, to encourage firefighter hiring. Preference for these grants will also be given to communities that hire post-9/11 veterans.
• Putting veterans to work preserving and restoring America’s land and resources: The President will propose $1 billion to develop a Veterans Job Corps conservation program that will put up to 20,000 veterans back to work over the next five years protecting and rebuilding America. Veterans will restore our great outdoors by providing visitor programs, restoring habitat, protecting cultural resources, eradicating invasive species, and operating facilities. Additionally, our veterans will help make a significant dent in the deferred maintenance of our Federal, State, local, and tribal lands including jobs that will repair and rehabilitate trails, roads, levees, recreation facilities and other assets. The program will serve all veterans, but will have a particular focus on post-9/11 veterans.
• Supporting veteran entrepreneurship by building our next generation of small business leaders: The President will propose an expansion of entrepreneurship training opportunities for separating service members and veterans. As part of the VA-DOD Task Force for a Career Ready Military that the President established in August of last year, the Departments of Defense and Veteran Affairs, working with the Small Business Administration, are developing a two-day entrepreneurship program as part of the Transition Assistance Program that will be available to all service members. In addition, once service members separate, SBA will offer veterans more in-depth entrepreneurial training through an 8-week online training program that will teach the fundamentals of small business ownership to over 10,000 veterans annually, as well as an expansion of the existing suite of programs and public-private partnerships supporting entrepreneurship and small business development opportunities for veterans and veterans’ families, including an intensive entrepreneurship boot camp.
Building on Progress
Since taking office, President Obama has taken key steps to support veterans in developing skills and finding work, including by:
• Creating two new veterans’ tax credits: In November 2011, the President signed into law two new tax credits for hiring veterans, both of which were included as part of the American Jobs Act. The Returning Heroes Tax Credit provides an incentive of up to $5,600 for firms to hire unemployed veterans and the Wounded Warrior Tax Credit doubled the existing tax credit for long-term unemployed veterans with service-connected disabilities to $9,600.
• Challenging the private sector to hire or train 100,000 veterans and their spouses by 2013: Since the President issued his challenge to the private sector in August 2011, already more than 40,000 veterans and the spouses have been hired and 1,500 companies have committed to hire or train 135,000 veterans and their spouses by the end of 2013 through the leadership of the First Lady Michelle Obama, Dr. Jill Biden and their Joining Forces initiative.
• Increasing access to intensive reemployment services: Post-9/11 veterans are now able to download the Veteran Gold Card, which entitles them to enhanced reemployment services including six months of personalized case management, assessments and counseling at the roughly 3,000 One-Stop Career Centers located across the country. This will help serve the 250,000 unemployed Post-9/11 veterans.
• Developing online tools to boost veteran employment: The Administration launched the Veterans Jobs Bank, an easy to use tool to help veterans find job postings from companies looking to hire them. It already searches over one million job postings and is growing. Additionally, the Department of Labor launched My Next Move for Veterans, a new online resource that allows veterans to enter their military occupation code and discover civilian occupations for which they are well qualified.
• Increasing hiring of veterans in healthcare-related fields: The President challenged Community Health Centers to hire 8,000 veterans – approximately one veteran per health center site – over the next three years and the Health Resources and Services Administration pledged to open up career-paths beyond nursing and expand opportunities for veterans to become physician assistants.
Categories: White House News
Statement by the Press Secretary on Aerial Bombardments in Southern Kordofan and Blue Nile States
Thu, 02/02/2012 - 6:49pmRelease Time: For Immediate Release
The United States strongly condemns the bombing by the Sudanese Armed Forces of civilian populations in Southern Kordofan and Blue Nile States in Sudan. Aerial attacks on civilian targets are unjustified and unacceptable. Such attacks are a violation of international law and compound the ongoing crisis in these areas.
We continue to be deeply concerned by the ongoing fighting and lack of humanitarian access in Southern Kordofan and Blue Nile States in Sudan, which is causing tremendous human suffering, death, and displacement. In particular, we urge the Sudanese government to grant immediate and unconditional humanitarian access to civilian populations in need in these areas. More than 500,000 people are affected by this conflict, and without humanitarian access by March, the situation in Southern Kordofan and Blue Nile will reach Stage 4 of a humanitarian emergency, one step short of full-scale famine. We believe that this conflict can only be resolved by dialogue, not through violence, and we encourage all parties to negotiate a peaceful settlement.
Categories: White House News
Presidential Nominations Sent to the Senate
Thu, 02/02/2012 - 6:49pmRelease Time: For Immediate Release
NOMINATIONS SENT TO THE SENATE:
Jamie A. Hainsworth, of Rhode Island, to be United States Marshal for the District of Rhode Island for the term of four years, vice Steven Gerard O'Donnell, resigned.
Louise W. Kelton, of Tennessee, to be United States Marshal for the Middle District of Tennessee for the term of four years, vice Denny Wade King, term expired.
Stephanie Marie Rose, of Iowa, to be United States District Judge for the Southern District of Iowa, vice Robert W. Pratt, retiring.
Michael P. Shea, of Connecticut, to be United States District Judge for the District of Connecticut, vice Christopher Droney, elevated.
Categories: White House News
President Obama Nominates Two to Serve on the US District Court
Thu, 02/02/2012 - 6:31pmRelease Time: For Immediate Release
WASHINGTON, DC – Today, President Obama nominated Stephanie Marie Rose and Michael P. Shea to serve on the United States District Court.
"These individuals have demonstrated the talent, expertise, and fair-mindedness Americans expect and deserve from their judicial system," said President Obama. "I am grateful for their willingness to serve and confident that they will apply the law with the utmost impartiality and integrity."
Stephanie Marie Rose: Nominee for the United States District Court for the Southern District of Iowa
Stephanie Marie Rose currently serves as the United States Attorney for the Northern District of Iowa, a position she has held since 2009. Prior to her confirmation by the Senate, Rose spent over twelve years working in the same office as an Assistant United States Attorney, serving as Deputy Criminal Chief from 2008 to 2009. During her tenure in the United States Attorney’s Office, she has investigated and prosecuted more than 800 federal criminal cases. She has also done pro bono work as a Court Appointed Special Advocate for abused and neglected children and as a volunteer lawyer representing domestic violence victims. Rose received her B.A. in 1994 and her J.D. in 1996, both from the University of Iowa.
Michael P. Shea: Nominee for the United States District Court for the District of Connecticut
Michael P. Shea has been a partner at the law firm of Day Pitney LLP in Hartford, Connecticut since 2003, where he has represented individuals, non-profits, and corporations in a broad range of civil and criminal cases. He currently serves as Chair of the firm’s Appellate Practice Group and has argued twenty civil and criminal appeals in both state and federal courts. Prior to joining Day Pitney as an associate in 1998, Shea worked as an associate at Cleary, Gottlieb, Steen & Hamilton LLP in both its Washington, D.C. and Brussels offices. Shea began his legal career as a law clerk to the Honorable James Buckley of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit from 1993 to 1994. He received his J.D. in 1993 from Yale Law School and his B.A. summa cum laude in 1989 from Amherst College.
Categories: White House News
President Obama Nominates Two to Serve as US Marshals
Thu, 02/02/2012 - 6:31pmRelease Time: For Immediate Release
WASHINGTON, DC – Today, President Obama nominated Jamie A. Hainsworth and Louise W. Kelton to serve as United States Marshals.
"These dedicated law enforcement officials have devoted their careers to serving and protecting the American people, distinguishing themselves as the best and brightest at every turn," President Obama said. "I am grateful for their service and honored to nominate them as United States Marshals."
Jamie A. Hainsworth: Nominee for United States Marshal for the District of Rhode Island
Jamie A. Hainsworth serves as the law enforcement liaison and victim advocate for Mothers Against Drunk Driving Rhode Island. Prior to his service with MADD, he spent his law enforcement career with the Gloucester Police Department. He joined the force in 1979 and rose through the ranks to the Chief of Police position in 1999, a position he held until 2010. He received his undergraduate degree from Roger Williams University in Rhode Island.
Louise W. Kelton: Nominee for United States Marshal for the Middle District of Tennessee
Louise W. Kelton has spent her entire law enforcement career with the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department in Nashville, Tennessee. She joined the force in 1980, and has risen through the ranks to her current position as a Deputy Chief. She received her undergraduate degree from Tennessee State University and earned a Master of Science degree in Public Service Management from Cumberland University in Lebanon, Tennessee.
Categories: White House News
Statement by the President on Passage of the STOCK Act
Thu, 02/02/2012 - 6:17pmRelease Time: For Immediate Release
In my State of the Union Address, I laid out a blueprint for an economy built to last, where everyone gets a fair shot, everyone does their fair share, and everyone plays by the same set of rules – especially those of us who have been sent here to serve the American people.
Last week, I called on Congress to pass a bill that makes clear that Members of Congress may not engage in insider trading. No one should be able to trade stocks based on nonpublic information gleaned on Capitol Hill. So I’m pleased the Senate took bipartisan action to pass the STOCK Act. I urge the House of Representatives to pass this bill, and I will sign it right away.
And while this is an important step to rebuild the trust between Washington and the American people, there is much more work to be done, like prohibiting elected officials from owning stocks in industries they impact, and prohibiting people who bundle campaign contributions for Congress from lobbying Congress, an idea that has bipartisan support outside of Washington. These are straightforward proposals that will help eliminate the corrosive influence of money in politics.
Categories: White House News
Press Briefing by Press Secretary Jay Carney, 2/2/12
Thu, 02/02/2012 - 6:16pmRelease Time: For Immediate Release
James S. Brady Press Briefing Room
See below for an answer to a question (marked with an asterisk) posed in the briefing that required follow up.
* The President asked the Department of Justice to establish a unit within the Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force, made up of Department of Housing and Urban Development, Securities and Exchange Commission and state Attorneys General, to investigate origination and securitization. Separately, federal enforcement agencies, state Attorneys General and some of the nation’s largest financial institutions continue negotiations to reach a settlement to resolve misconduct in the servicing of home loans.
1:45 P.M. EST
MR. CARNEY: I have no announcements to make at the top, so I will go straight to questions.
Ben Feller.
Q Thanks, Jay. First off, I wanted to ask about Afghanistan. The President has put in motion a plan to withdraw troops and get us down to about 70,000 U.S. troops in Afghanistan by September. Now Secretary Panetta says he envisions an end of combat role towards the middle -- latter part of 2013. How does that affect the pace of withdrawal for the rest of the U.S. troops?
MR. CARNEY: Well, let me step back and clarify your question. Secretary Panetta, on his way to a meeting of fellow defense ministers of NATO in Brussels, spoke with reporters about the consultations he would be having, and in line with the NATO policy set forward in Lisbon with regards to Afghanistan that called for the transfer of security lead to the Afghan security forces by 2014. That is the policy, and it has not changed.
What the meetings the Secretary is involved in now are about is how that transition will unfold and take place, and that will certainly be a subject of serious discussion among heads of state of NATO who are here in Chicago hosted by President Obama in May.
It certainly -- what Secretary Panetta said is that it could happen that the transition to Afghan security lead could be moved up to 2013, but he was not making an announcement about a decision that had been made, simply about the consultations that would be taking place in Brussels and from Brussels forward to Chicago.
Q Well, he said -- he did say “hopefully,” but the mid to latter part of 2013, we’ll be able to make the transition from combat role to training. Before that, we had heard from the President that the combat role would end by 2014. So that’s clearly a change.
MR. CARNEY: Well, again, he said “hopefully,” and it could happen early. Look, our objective -- let’s be clear about the President’s Afghanistan strategy, which included the ramping up of forces substantially in order to implement. Its number-one goal is to disrupt, dismantle and ultimately defeat al Qaeda. U.S. forces are in Afghanistan, as well as the forces of our international partners in ISAF, are in Afghanistan because al Qaeda attacked the United States, and al Qaeda has attacked other countries. Our number-one objective, therefore, is to defeat al Qaeda.
The President’s strategy, working with our NATO allies, has resulted in some significant progress in achieving that goal. I don’t think anybody could dispute that.
Another secondary goal of the policy is to stabilize Afghanistan to allow time for the Afghan security forces to be built up, trained, and develop the capacities to take over security lead. That process has begun. Some sections of Afghanistan have been transferred to Afghan security forces, and it will continue. The pace of it, the point at which full lead is turned over to Afghan forces is going to be a subject of discussion among defense ministers as well as heads of state in Chicago in May.
The operating strategy is still what was articulated in Lisbon, which is the combat lead will shift -- or rather, the lead, combat lead -- I guess you could say combat lead would shift to the Afghan security forces by 2014.
Q At the end of 2014?
MR. CARNEY: By the end of 2014. But that was -- I mean, that is where we are. And what that transition looks like and when -- the discussions about that transition will take place over time. And as Secretary Panetta said, it could happen, and hopefully it will happen that we could do it sooner.
Q Okay. Let me just wrap up on this point with my original question, which is, the President has been on record as withdrawing troops, but the latest we knew was that there would be about 68,000, 70,000 troops by September. Is there any clarity about how fast the rest of the troops will come home?
MR. CARNEY: After September?
Q Yes.
MR. CARNEY: I’m sure that will be a subject of discussion among NATO ministers and heads of state and combat commanders. But I have nothing to announce from here about any changes about the pace, and I think that will be determined in part by how successful the transition is taking place over to Afghan security forces.
Q Okay. One quick question on the economy. As I’m sure you know, it’s three years to the day the President said in an interview, in talking about the economy, that if I don’t have this done in three years then there’s going to be a one-term proposition. I’m assuming you don’t think it’s done; maybe you do. But does he regret having said that?
MR. CARNEY: Well, no. I think you aptly point out that it was three years ago, and he made that statement at a time -- in a month when I think the economy shed close to 700,000 or 800,000 jobs in the process of shedding 8 million overall; a time during which the economy had recently shrunk in one quarter by 9 percent -- the worst contraction in our economy since the Great Depression.
He has successfully, through the policies he has pursued, changed the direction that we were in when he took office. And while we are not done and won’t be done until every American who wants a job can find a job, and until we have built a foundation for our economy to compete and win in the 21st century, there is no question that -- and I talked about this the other day, the graph, basically the U-shaped graph of unemployment and what it looked like as the President was taking office, inheriting the economy that he had at the time, and what it had begun to look like and the slope upwards once his policies began to take effect.
Q But can’t you see how somebody who took him at his word would think that this deserves to be a one-term proposition?
MR. CARNEY: Well, no, because I think that he made clear that, in that whole interview and I’m sure every interview he gave at the time, that what his primary obligation was, as President, was to stop this cataclysmic decline in the economy that was taking place when he took office. He successfully did that. He, working with Congress, set out -- put into place policies that have led to 22 straight months of private sector job growth, to 10 straight quarters of economic growth instead of contraction. I don’t think anybody who looks at that objectively could suggest that that turnaround hasn’t happened, or that we are finished with the job.
And I think the President has made clear, and will continue to make clear throughout this year, why we need to continue to do the things we can, and the right things, to grow the economy and create jobs; and certainly not go back to the policies that indisputably helped precipitate the situation that we found ourselves in in January of 2009, where the economy was in freefall.
Q Thank you.
MR. CARNEY: Yes, Alister.
Q Jay, just going back to Afghanistan. The statement by the Defense Secretary clearly surprised a number of people. It surprised U.S. lawmakers, it surprised U.S. allies, and it surprised officials in Kabul. I mean, why make the disclosure now?
MR. CARNEY: Well, it’s not -- he was simply discussing -- Secretary Panetta was discussing the consultations he would be having shortly with NATO defense ministers. So I guess the disclosure, if you’re referring to it in that way, which I would take issue with, was going to happen within hours anyway, or a day, because those discussions would take place. All it was was a framing of the kind of conversations that the defense ministers would begin having in Brussels, and that would continue to take place up until May, when the President hosts NATO in Chicago.
Q Okay. And to just clarify, does it mean that U.S. troops will be coming home faster, or be less exposed to harm, than had previously been expected?
MR. CARNEY: Let me just be clear -- as I said in answer to Ben’s question -- this was an assessment of what could happen within the context of the stated policy of NATO, which is to transfer security lead to the Afghan security forces by 2014, and within that frame, within that timeline, the transition will take place. It has already started in some areas of Afghanistan, and troops -- U.S. troops are already -- already coming home, as you know.
So obviously, as time passes and defense ministers, heads of state, combat commanders make decisions about and assessment of how the progress is -- how much progress is being made, what the conditions are like on the ground, adjustments will be made in terms of schedules and timelines. But that’s what Secretary Panetta was referring to, and that discussion will continue, as I said, throughout the spring.
Q Okay, and one little thing. A group of Republican senators are proposing legislation to halt the sequester in 2013 and pay for it with a federal pay freeze. What would the White House say to that?
MR. CARNEY: That should be the legislation that says, “America, we didn’t mean what we said.” Is that the bill that should -- because the whole idea of the sequester was to design it in a way so that nobody, Democrats or Republicans, wanted it to become fact. Therefore they would be compelled to make the tough choices that would lead to the $1.2 minimum -- $1.2 trillion in deficit reduction that had been agreed to.
That remains the case. The sequester is bad policy for a reason -- so that it doesn’t get enacted. But those cuts have to take -- the cuts have to take place. Congress is compelled to make them happen. And this President will obviously sign into a law a balanced approach to making that deficit reduction happen.
But it can’t be that some members of Congress promised to their constituents, promised to America, with the Budget Control Act, look what we’ve done; we’re holding our own feet to the fire, my fellow Americans. And then a few months later decide, we didn’t really mean it, let’s change that. That’s not how it works, and that’s not how it should work. The sequester is onerous for a reason, and the President certainly hopes that Congress will take up the issue again and present him with deficit reduction measures that are balanced in the way that he has outlined and that bipartisan deficit reduction commissions have outlined.
Jake, and then Christi.
Q Two health care issues in the news today. The Susan G. Komen Foundation has decided to stop funding breast cancer screenings at Planned Parenthood; 22 Democratic senators just wrote a letter to the Komen Foundation asking them to change that decision. I’m wondering if the White House or President Obama had an opinion.
MR. CARNEY: Yes, I don’t -- I’ve seen the reports, but I don’t have any comment on it from the White House. These are obviously two private organizations. So I don’t have anything for you on that.
Q And then Speaker Boehner today said that he thought that the rule that HHS recently announced requiring all health insurance to provide contraceptive services, he thought that that rule, which, as you know, aroused the ire of the Catholic Church, among other organizations, is unconstitutional. And I’m wondering why -- without getting into the whole constitutionality, because neither you nor I are attorneys -- why does the Obama administration think it has the right to tell any organization that they have to provide a service, even if that service goes against their religious beliefs?
MR. CARNEY: Well, let’s be clear about what the decision does. First of all, on the constitutionality issue, no, we do not believe -- we obviously believe this is constitutional. But the point of the decision, which was made after careful consideration, and we believe reaches the appropriate balance between religious beliefs and the need to provide -- make services available to women across the country, we want to make sure that women have access to good health care, no matter where they work, and that all women who want access to contraceptives are able to get them without paying a copay every time they go to the pharmacy.
And let’s be clear about -- because there’s been a lot of -- in some of the commentary about it there’s been some misstatements about what it actually does. No individual will be required to use or prescribe contraception. This rule does not force anyone with a religious objection, such as a Catholic doctor, to prescribe or provide contraception. It merely requires that insurance companies provide coverage for contraceptives to patients who want them, which is the recommendation of the non-partisan Institute of Medicine.
And it’s important to note that doctors prescribe contraception for medical and health reasons, including helping to reduce the risk of some cancers.
It’s also important to know -- because I think this has not been clear in some of the commentary -- that the policy maintains the religious-employer exemption: churches are not required -- they’re exempt; other houses of worship are not required -- they’re exempt -- to cover contraception.
So it’s also important to note that as we developed this policy and found what we believe is the appropriate balance, that 28 states -- more than half -- 28 states in the country have laws with contraception coverage mandates. Over half of Americans already live in those 28 states. Several of those states, like North Carolina, New York and California, have identical religious-employer exemptions. Some states, like Colorado, Georgia and Wisconsin have no exemption at all -- no exemption for churches or other houses of worship.
Q As President Obama acknowledged in his comments at the prayer breakfast this morning, there are Catholic charities and other Catholic organizations that are not houses or worship, in which obviously their beliefs are very strongly held; it’s what they do for a living. They believe that life begins at the moment that an egg is fertilized.
MR. CARNEY: Sure. And the policy doesn’t -- does not require any individual to take or provide or prescribe contraception. It is simply -- requires employers to offer insurance coverage that provides that.
Q That provides services that they find morally objectionable.
MR. CARNEY: But the individuals have -- should have the, in our estimation, should have the same rights to have that kind of coverage. It’s an important health issue and it’s also an important financial issue for women across the country.
Again, I just -- as I just made clear to you, 28 states have similar -- similarly require insurance companies to cover contraception. And several states, large ones -- North Carolina, New York and California -- have identical religious-employer exemptions. And some -- Colorado, Georgia and Wisconsin -- have no exemption at all.
So I think the idea that this is something wholly new has not been well explained in some of the coverage. Again, it makes sure that employees -- we’re talking about employers here and employees -- and employees of all different faiths who might work at organizations that are affiliated with a single faith -- we need to make sure that those employees of all different faiths get -- have access to contraception. And that’s why we sought the -- what we believe is an appropriate balance.
Q Can you see why individuals are offended by it and feel like you’re forcing --
MR. CARNEY: Well, we certainly see that there’s disagreement about this. We consulted with a wide range of people in establishing this policy, and finding the balance that was found. And we’re certainly aware of some of the reporting out there. But I think it’s important to note that there hasn’t been a lot of clarity to what the policy actually is, the exemption that exists within it, and what it’s requiring here. It is, again, not requiring any individual to in any way violate his or her conscience; it is not requiring anything but employers -- organizations -- big hospitals and universities, for example -- to offer insurance coverage that includes this service, just like elsewhere.
Christi.
Q My questions actually are on the very same topic. The President this morning talked about making policy decisions within a moral framework, and I just wonder if this one followed that. Did the President -- did he pray about it? Did he talk it over with religious leaders before this decision was rendered?
MR. CARNEY: Well, I don’t -- I haven’t had the discussion about what his own -- whether he himself prayed about it. I just haven’t had that conversation with him. He did consult with some religious leaders about it. And I think that when you talk about making decisions within a moral framework, providing necessary medical services to women across the country is also a decision that falls into that context. And when you seek to find the appropriate balance, which is what we sought here to do, you have to weigh all of these factors, including the need to provide services to women, and obviously the issue of religious belief.
And that’s the balance we found -- a balance that has been found by other -- by states across the country, and that other institutions have successfully dealt with in those states. As you know, we want to continue to work with organizations for the next year as they develop how they’re going to handle this policy. And so we -- this was done with careful consideration. It was not done arbitrarily, it was done absolutely focused on the issues under consideration now.
Q And could you also talk about the response that you’ve gotten since this picked up steam and people became aware of it? Have you heard from interest groups? Have people been calling? What kind of response? And also, this morning, were there any religious leaders who wanted to talk to the President about it?
MR. CARNEY: I didn’t travel with the President to the prayer breakfast, and I didn’t discuss that with him this morning, so I don’t know. But we’re certainly -- we’ve seen media reports, people expressing opinions on a variety of sides of this issue, and I’m sure that some folks have heard from people who believe it’s the right policy and people who disagree with it. But I don’t have anything specific on that for you.
Norah.
Q On Afghanistan, is there any daylight between President Obama and Secretary Panetta?
MR. CARNEY: Not at all.
Q So the President also -- he’s hopeful that by mid-2013 American forces and others can transition from a combat role to a train-and-assist role?
MR. CARNEY: Look, the President made clear that U.S. forces are in Afghanistan to accomplish a mission. And they will not stay in Afghanistan forever, and they will not stay in Afghanistan any longer than is necessary to accomplish that mission. And one of the things he made very clear that he would do if he were elected President and that he has absolutely done since he’s been -- came to office, is clarify exactly what our mission in Afghanistan is. As you know, Norah, because you were --
Q Is this an instance where he and his Secretary are clarifying again with an accelerated timetable?
MR. CARNEY: No, I think that what was made clear back in June when the President talked about the drawdown is that there would be discussions about the transition, the pace and the slope of the drawdown, and the transfer and the time -- how the transfer would unfold to Afghan security lead.
Obviously, within the context of making the full transfer by the end of 2014, you can’t make assessments two years out about how things will look every month along the way. So those assessments are being made.
But it is absolutely the case that this President is committed to achieving our mission in Afghanistan and then drawing down U.S. forces. There is no question about that.
And let’s be clear that the policy he inherited was one of neglect in Afghanistan, because of the focus on the war in Iraq, and he made clear as a candidate that he would change that. He would make clear -- he made clear that he would heighten the focus on the real enemy, which was al Qaeda; he has done that. And he has made clear that he would commit resources and make tough decisions to ensure that we were successfully pursuing the right objectives in Afghanistan, and he’s done that. This is all part of that Afghanistan policy.
Q Can you respond then to the criticism, specifically from Mitt Romney, who has said, “Why in the world would you go and give people that you’re fighting and tell them the date you’re pulling out troops? It makes absolutely no sense.”
MR. CARNEY: Well, I’m not going to address specific criticisms from one person. But obviously there are some out there. The President has a very clear, focused, achievable policy with a lot of muscle behind it.
What he does not support is war without end. And I mean that in the temporal sense and in the objective sense. War without a temporal end, like when will this -- how long will we be there and why? And I think that there is -- some of the critics of the President’s very focused strategy in Afghanistan, who have said this when we talked about 2014 and are now saying it again today, supported a policy in Afghanistan under the previous administration that no two people involved in it could explain.
Why were we there? Why were the number of forces that we had there -- why was that number chosen as opposed to fewer or more? What was the objective? It was entirely unclear. And I know you know that because you covered it, and a lot of you did.
This President has been relentlessly focused on what the mission is and achieving it.
Q And then also, just on that, General Petraeus, the head of the CIA, said this morning that he thinks that Secretary Panetta’s comments have been overanalyzed. Would you share that view?
MR. CARNEY: Well, it’s up to you and others to analyze it. I mean, look --
Q No, I mean -- he’s the director of the CIA.
MR. CARNEY: Sure. No, I mean, I don’t know whether -- over-, underanalyzed. This is an important issue, and I think it’s always worth paying attention to, frankly, and it’s far better than some of the issues that sometimes consume us in Washington.
The Secretary of Defense made some comments about a very important policy that the President is implementing, and I think it’s perfectly appropriate to discuss it.
Q And then any opinion about the --
MR. CARNEY: But I would say, as I have said in answer to Ben and Jake and Alister, that the context is important to understand here. This is within the context of the already-stated policy of transferring security lead to the Afghans by 2014. How that transition takes place is what Secretary Panetta will be discussing and is discussing with defense ministers in Brussels, and that conversation will continue right up through May when President Obama hosts his fellow NATO heads of state in Chicago in May.
Q And your opinion on the CBO report yesterday that unemployment would likely be above 9 percent by the election, and also that the deficit again will be over $1 trillion this year, making President Obama the only President to have three years of trillion-plus deficits. How does the President defend that?
MR. CARNEY: Well, made possible in part by the trillion-dollar deficit he inherited from his predecessor, but the --
Q But he’s been in office three years.
MR. CARNEY: Oh, no question, and he came into office with the worst recession since the Great Depression, a catastrophic decline in economic growth and employment, and took measures to reverse that catastrophic situation, and measures that have been successful.
I think -- I don’t have the graph now, but I saw an interesting graph lately about what policies contributed to the deficit that we have now, and I think it’s worth reading -- and maybe we’ll find it for you -- because there’s no question that two massive unpaid tax cuts; two very expensive, unpaid-for wars; expansions in entitlements that were unpaid for, and other programs that were unpaid for that happened prior to this President coming into office were big contributors to the deficit.
It is also true, because of the catastrophic economy that existed in early 2009, that he took measures --
Q He did say -- Ben talked about it -- if he didn’t do it in three years he would be looking at a one-term proposition.
MR. CARNEY: Well, no, he didn’t talk about -- he wasn’t referring to the deficit by itself; he was talking about turning this economy around. And there’s no question that the economy has turned around, after it went down quite dramatically, and it’s now been climbing out of the hole that was dug for 10 straight quarters -- 22 straight months of private sector job growth.
The work is not done. But I think it is important to remember that the deficits that we’re dealing with now, and which we have to address seriously and in a balanced way, were contributed to mightily by the policies of the previous decade. And it’s important to remember that in January of 2001, after President Clinton left office, there were budget surpluses for the first time in a generation, and CBO and others forecasted budget surpluses for as far as the eye could see.
Steve.
Q Thank you. On Iran, what is the White House position on these new financial sanctions that were passed by the Senate Banking Committee this morning?
MR. CARNEY: I’d have to take -- I haven’t seen those new sanctions. But I’m sure we will look at them and have a position for you on them.
Q In general terms, does the administration worry that some of the actions on the sanctions that Congress has taken has to some extent usurped President Obama’s prerogative on foreign policy?
MR. CARNEY: No. I think that we’ve made clear what our position is with regards, for example, to the sanctions that were part of the NDAA and the -- on the Central Bank of Iran, and making sure that we implement these sanctions, which were designed with a goal in mind that we absolutely share, which is further pressuring and isolating the Iranian regime in order to get it to comply with its international obligations. We want to make sure that the implementation of those sanctions is handled in a way that does not inadvertently do any harm to our allies or to the oil markets. But we believe there’s a way to implement them appropriately that achieves the goal that those sanctions have, which is to further isolate and pressure Iran.
Dan.
Q On the contraceptives controversy, Speaker Boehner also called on the administration to reconsider this rule. Is there an ongoing debate about potentially reviewing this again, even though there was extensive review going into the decision?
MR. CARNEY: I think it’s important, the point that you made at the end of your question is the point I was going to begin with, is there was extensive and careful consideration as this policy was developed and the decision was made.
And the issue here is we want to make sure that women, all women, have access to good health care. And the fact is, on average, an American woman uses contraception for 30 years of her life, with the average cost of contraception of $50 per month. So this is both an issue of health as well as economics for women across the country.
And so, in seeking to find the appropriate balance that we believe we found, it was very important to take into consideration the need to make sure that all women had access to good health care. And that’s what we’ve done here.
Q So no debate about whether or not this should be reconsidered?
MR. CARNEY: No, there’s not a debate. I think as was noted initially and I said again earlier, we want to work with organizations for the next year to help them deal with the implementation of the policy, but the decision has been made and it was made after careful consideration.
Q You’re quite aware that last Sunday in a number of Catholic churches across the country, priests got up and read letters of protest, if you will. Any concern at all that this kind of pushback could grow to sort of a wider extent among the Catholic Church and what the political implications of this could be?
MR. CARNEY: This policy was decided upon based on the merits, based on a balanced consideration of the need to find a balance between religious beliefs, on the one hand, and the need for broad access to important health care on the other for women across the country. This was not a decision about politics.
And we obviously know of and have seen the reports that you mention. I think it’s important also to note that there are a lot of folks out there who support this policy for the very reasons that we have put it forward, which is that this provides an important preventive service for women across the country. And it is not in any way in violation of the conscience clause. It’s not in any way -- does not in any way require any individual to provide or prescribe contraception. And it exempts -- unlike some significantly sized states in this country, it exempts houses of worship and churches from having to abide by the policy.
So that’s the balance we sought and we think we found it.
Q And one quick thing on the economy. Does the President have his own graph, if you will, where he wants to see unemployment by November?
MR. CARNEY: Well, he’s not an economist and he leaves predictions about what those numbers will look like to the economists. He is focused on doing what he can through legislative work with Congress and through executive initiative to move this economy forward, to keep it growing, to keep the recovery moving forward, making sure that it’s creating jobs.
We’ve made some progress and it is -- again, I think as we step back and look at this, as folks will be doing this year, at the context of what has happened since President Obama has been in office, and I think you will see, again, as that chart I keep describing shows, a pretty dramatic change from the situation that this economy was in when the President took office and the situation and the direction of the economy after his policies began to take effect.
He wants to keep that graph moving in the direction it’s been moving now for 10 months -- 10 quarters and 22 months.
Yes, Ed.
Q Jay, yesterday when the President announced his housing policy, he made reference to that it’s not the humane thing to do to just let the market hit bottom. And it was widely seen as a contrast to Mitt Romney, who said that just a couple of months ago, that you have to let it hit bottom. When the President was talking at the prayer breakfast today about the poor and shared responsibility, was there any attempt there to show a contrast to what Mitt Romney had to say yesterday about the poor?
MR. CARNEY: I think if there is any more appropriate place than a prayer breakfast with people of faith to talk about the need to care for the least among us, I can’t think of it. It is certainly a central tenet of the President’s faith and I believe a central tenet of the faiths of everyone in that prayer breakfast that we, individually and as a nation and as a world, need to take care of those who need it most -- need help the most. And I think that was the context in which the President was speaking this morning.
Q He went on to say that he’d be willing to give up tax breaks since he’s wealthy and it makes economic sense, but then he also said, “but for me as a Christian, it also coincides with Jesus’s teaching.” Why did he think it was appropriate in that case to talk about something that is sort of the central tenet now of his campaign, about shared responsibility?
MR. CARNEY: Again, I think if you can’t discuss in a prayer breakfast one of the central tenets of your faith, which is prevalent throughout the New Testament, I think you’re really circumscribing yourself too much. I mean, that is just -- he was explaining how his faith guides him, how his faith guides the decisions he makes as a leader. And I think that’s entirely appropriate in a situation like that. He was not trying to engage in campaigning; he was simply talking about faith and how it affects the decisions he makes.
Q And one last thing on that. Since it was, you said, appropriate for him to do that, why did -- or did he give consideration to talking about this issue we were talking about here, about Catholics being upset about the HHS decision? Since you had faith leaders there -- and it’s not just Catholics who have spoken out, but Mormons and others have said that they have a problem with this -- was there consideration to using that forum to kind of explain this decision and why he does believe it fits into his moral --
MR. CARNEY: Well, I confess I was not involved in working on the remarks. I mean, I think we’ve pretty openly discussed the decision-making progress, the considerations that were taken --
Q The President hasn’t.
MR. CARNEY: Well, he might if he’s asked about it. I think I would just point you to the remarks he made today at the prayer breakfast.
Q And last thing. One of the things the critics are jumping on about that policy is they claim that once you cover contraception it will also include “morning after” drug and it opens the door to abortion. You just had a conference call -- officials of this administration saying on background that that is not true. But I want to give you a chance on the record here -- this being used to say this opens the door to abortion -- can you just flatly close that door and say this does not?
MR. CARNEY: Well, I would cite the experts, both the policy and medical experts, and say yes. I would point you to the facts. I mean, I understand that things get used for -- and misrepresented. But that’s not the case here. And again, this is about providing American women, women across the country, with access to good health care and to the preventive services that the Institute of Medicine, a non-political organization, believes are necessary and required.
Yes.
Q Back on the prayer breakfast. The President said that -- he cited some of the legislation, the major pieces of legislation he’s pursued -- financial institutions playing by the rules, insurance companies insuring those who are already sick, going after unscrupulous lenders. And he said, in addition to doing that because it’s best for the economy, he believes in God’s command to love thy neighbor as they love themselves. But is the implication of that that those who opposed those very controversial policies somehow fall outside the Judeo tradition -- Christian tradition?
MR. CARNEY: He’s talking about what guides him in making the decisions, as I just explained to Ed, within the context of a faith gathering, a prayer breakfast. So it was appropriate -- I mean, I think some of his critics out there suggest that he doesn’t talk about his faith often enough or very often, and within this context he did because it was appropriate at the National Prayer Breakfast. And he is influenced and informed by his faith.
Q But would you allow that a spiritual feeling of compassion towards one’s fellow man can be interpreted in different ways, but --
MR. CARNEY: Of course.
Q And when he quoted Proverbs -- “We speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves,” for the rights who are all -- “for all who are destitute,” following up on Ed’s question, is that a direct reference, or somehow an allusion to what Mitt Romney said the other day?
MR. CARNEY: I would be -- that would suggest that every conversation that was held in any house of worship in the last week that contained within it one of the central tenets of the New Testament about helping the least among us would have a political context.
Q Yes, but we’re talking in a political context here.
MR. CARNEY: But again, I’m saying that this President was simply explaining how his faith guides him. It was not a political event.
Q And finally, just -- as a matter of -- where is -- administration policy on Afghanistan, you said “combat lead should shift to Afghan security forces by the end of 2014,” which leaves open the possibility that there will be NATO and U.S. forces in a combat role for how long?
MR. CARNEY: Well, potentially for -- until that time when -- full security lead is actually the phrase that we use here -- until that transfer takes place. Which could -- which, as designated by NATO at Lisbon, will be accomplished by the end of 2014.
What -- the context of this conversation was the -- were the remark -- was the remarks that Secretary Panetta made that certainly laid out the possibility that it could be earlier than that. But the policy is by the end of 2014.
Q But the word “lead” does not preclude combat participation by U.S. forces, right?
MR. CARNEY: Well, no. And I think it’s important -- Iraq is a helpful reference point in this -- the transfer of security lead does not mean full removal of forces, and we’ve been clear about that -- necessarily. And the disposition of U.S. and NATO forces beyond 2014 will be up to the -- if forces might stay, part of that would be up to the Afghan government and whether or not they invite forces to stay, as was the case in Iraq.
And obviously -- and I remember trying to clarify this within the context of Iraq when we ended our combat mission and Iraqi forces took security lead -- the U.S. forces that were still there, the many thousands of U.S. forces that were still there were highly trained, skilled forces, combat-trained forces, who could and did, when necessary, participate in combat missions.
But the lead is a designation that’s important here in terms of how much presence you have and how much engagement you have in combat.
Q Thank you.
MR. CARNEY: Yes.
Q Jay, what’s the view here of the status of the investigation into the Fast and Furious gun-walking case -- the administration’s investigation of it, Justice Department? And what is your response to the growing Republican calls for Eric Holder to resign or for the President to can him?
MR. CARNEY: Well, look, I think the politicization of this -- or the politization of this is pretty apparent. The Attorney General spent the last five hours testifying in front of Congress. I would refer you to the Department of Justice for any questions regarding his testimony. But broadly speaking, fighting criminal activity along the Southwest border, including the illegal trafficking of guns to Mexico, remains a priority of this administration.
The Attorney General has also made clear that he takes the allegations that have been raised very seriously, and that is why he asked the Inspector General of the Justice Department to investigate this matter. It is also why you saw the department cooperating with congressional investigators, including producing thousands of pages of documents and the Attorney General making his sixth appearance on the Hill to discuss this. So any suggestion that we haven’t been cooperative with Congress, after six appearances testifying, I think doesn’t comport with the facts.
Q And the calls for him to resign or for the President to fire him -- does the President stand by him fully?
MR. CARNEY: He absolutely stands by the Attorney General; thinks he’s doing an excellent job.
Q Is that a new investigation --
MR. CARNEY: I’m going to get to you. I’m going to work around here.
Kate, did you have a question?
Q -- we’ve got evidence of ongoing bribery in the Justice Department. It’s only a $20 million bribe. So perhaps I thought you might be interested in that.
MR. CARNEY: Go ahead, Kate.
Q On Afghanistan, yesterday Secretary Panetta said, “We all went in together and we’ll all go out together.” So I’m wondering, did the President direct Secretary Panetta to, when he goes to make the case to France not to leave Afghanistan early, is that part of the --
MR. CARNEY: Well, I’m not going to get into conversations between the President and the Secretary of Defense. I think he was making a broad statement about the fact that we work very closely with our NATO allies in Afghanistan.
Q Is it correct, though, to say that that -- reading between the lines what he’s talking about is bringing France back into the fold, that they shouldn’t --
MR. CARNEY: I leave the interpretation up to you.
Julia.
Q Thanks, Jay. I just wanted to follow up on two units that the President announced during his State of the Union address and see if you had any more details on the Trade Enforcement Unit, what agency that would fall under, whether it would be specifically focused toward China. And then also -- have to read this one -- a residential mortgage-backed securities working group, and how that may be working in alignment with or separately from the work done by the states’ attorneys general focusing on banks with a (inaudible) foreclosure practices?
MR. CARNEY: Okay, I’m going to attempt to get this right. (Laughter.) On the unit dealing with mortgage-backed securities, they are working with the state attorneys general. And part of the idea of creating this unit was to combine focus and resources in the investigation of these matters that has to do with the servicing of -- I hope I get this right -- the servicing of mortgages.*
The trade enforcement task force, obviously think it was, as we’ve described and the President mentioned, China is part of it. It was -- one of the issues that we have in our relations with China is fair trade practices. But it’s not limited to China, as I understand it.
Q Does it fall under a specific agency as it exists? I remember asking about this around the time of the State of the Union and that wasn’t clear at that point.
MR. CARNEY: I will probably have to get back to you on that because I don’t want to give you the wrong answer. Thanks.
Yes.
Q Jay, so what you’re saying is that there was nothing inartful or off-message said by the Secretary of Defense when he was in Europe?
MR. CARNEY: He’s an artful man. It wasn’t -- again, he was simply discussing the consultations he was about to have with his fellow defense ministers, and talking about what could be the case, depending on conditions on the ground in Afghanistan and the discussions with our partners and allies in ISAF and NATO.
So that’s really -- to the extent that General Petraeus -- I think that’s what General Petraeus was probably referring to when he talks about them being overblown. Again, this was --
Q Overanalyzed.
MR. CARNEY: -- overanalyzed. There’s I think not as much there as some people seem to think.
Q Can I follow on that?
MR. CARNEY: Let him finish, then I’ll get to you.
Q And then when it comes to the HHS birth control decision -- so hospitals, schools and universities, all of these -- their statuses change because of this decision. Does that somehow limit their freedom of expression -- employers who are designated as such, but have religious affiliation?
MR. CARNEY: Well, first of all, again, as I pointed out, there are -- there’s different treatment of this already in different states. In some states -- the three I named that have no exemption whatsoever -- so this will change for those states in terms of the churches and houses of worship. What we’re talking here is about employers and employees, not about institutions and employees, and not -- we’re not asking individuals -- it does not in any way require individuals to provide or prescribe contraceptives in contravention to their beliefs. It simply requires that insurance companies provide that coverage to women who work for those institutions, and again, women of all faiths.
So that is the balance that we sought. I hope that answers your question.
Q Did the President seek the endorsement of Donald Trump? (Laughter.)
MR. CARNEY: I’m not going to comb over that question. (Laughter.) The -- that’s good, right? (Laughter.) It just -- there’s a danger in speaking off the cuff. But, no -- (laughter) -- I think the --
Q Or off the top of your head. (Laughter.)
MR. CARNEY: I need you up here.
Q Don’t just brush this off. (Laughter.)
MR. CARNEY: You guys are pretty good. Look, the only comment I’ll have on that, beyond the one I just made, is the -- I think the President gave his views about Mr. Trump at the dinner that many of you attended last spring. (Laughter.)
Q Thank you.
MR. CARNEY: Keith.
Q You said that Secretary Panetta sort of suggested something that would be possible, but in fact what he said is that this is actually the goal of the United States, is by mid-2013 to late 2013, to end the combat role. And that’s what really was news about this. So the question is, is that U.S. policy, that it’s the goal to end combat participation by then?
MR. CARNEY: Keith, I appreciate the question. Our goal is to execute the mission -- disrupt, dismantle, ultimately defeat al Qaeda; give the Afghan government the breathing room to help build up Afghan security forces so that they can take security lead in the country. The policy, not just of this administration and the United States but of NATO, is for that transfer to full Afghan security lead to take place by the end of 2014. That is a policy decision made back at Lisbon, and what has been clear ever since Lisbon, and which -- and what the President made clear in his speech in June, is that we will obviously be evaluating the transition and how it takes place -- the slope and pace of the drawdown of forces and the transfer of territory to Afghan security forces along the way.
So it is certainly our goal -- I guess unlike some folks, the President does not believe that U.S. troops should stay in Afghanistan for the sake of staying; they should stay there to fulfill their mission, and then he will bring them home. And so I think that within the context of transfer by the end of 2014, it is certainly possible, and, if possible, therefore desirable to have that transition take place earlier. But it is not an announcement of a new policy.
Yes, Lesley.
Q Jay, you mentioned that --
MR. CARNEY: Last one. Yes.
Q You mentioned that some of the President’s critics have suggested that he doesn’t talk about his faith very much or very often, so why would -- he did go into it quite a bit today; he mentioned --
MR. CARNEY: Well, I think he has at the National Prayer Breakfast, and I think that’s what I was saying, is that this is an environment where he has in the past, and he certainly felt comfortable talking about it today. And I just -- I’ve seen some of that criticism from some folks about him discussing his faith.
But I think this is an appropriate environment, a National Prayer Breakfast, a gathering of men and women of faith. And so he felt very comfortable discussing how his faith influences his world view and the decisions that he makes.
Q Did he have any political considerations?
MR. CARNEY: No, he did not. Thanks very much.
END
2:35 P.M EST
Categories: White House News
President Obama Signs Alaska Disaster Declaration
Thu, 02/02/2012 - 6:06pmRelease Time: For Immediate Release
The President today declared a major disaster exists in the State of Alaska and ordered Federal aid to supplement state and local recovery efforts in the area affected by a severe storm during the period of November 15-17, 2011.
Federal funding is available to state and eligible local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations on a cost-sharing basis for emergency work and the repair or replacement of facilities damaged by the severe storm in the Kenai Peninsula Borough.
Federal funding is also available on a cost-sharing basis for hazard mitigation measures statewide.
W. Craig Fugate, Administrator, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Department of Homeland Security, named Willie G. Nunn as the Federal Coordinating Officer for federal recovery operations in the affected area.
FEMA said additional designations may be made at a later date if requested by the state and warranted by the results of further damage assessments.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION MEDIA SHOULD CONTACT: FEMA NEWS DESK AT (202) 646-3272 OR FEMA-NEWS-DESK@DHS.GOV
Categories: White House News
Statement by the Press Secretary on the Visit of British Prime Minister Cameron
Thu, 02/02/2012 - 4:02pmRelease Time: For Immediate Release
President Obama and the First Lady will welcome Prime Minister David Cameron of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and his wife, Samantha Cameron, to the White House for an Official Visit with a State Dinner on March 13-14, 2012. The visit will highlight the fundamental importance of the U.S.-UK special relationship and the depth of the friendship between the American people and the people of the United Kingdom, as well as the strong personal bond that has developed between the two leaders and their families. It will also be an opportunity to recall the valor and sacrifice of the U.S. and British armed forces and their long tradition of standing shoulder-to-shoulder beside each other in defense of our liberties and shared values. The visit will underscore the strength of our economic links, which contribute to millions of jobs on both sides of the Atlantic. The Prime Minister’s visit will reciprocate the gracious hospitality shown to the President and Mrs. Obama by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, Mr. and Mrs. Cameron, and the British people during the State Visit that was hosted by Queen Elizabeth II in May 2011.
During the visit, the President and the Prime Minister are expected to discuss the upcoming NATO and G-8 summits, as well as the broad array of global issues on which the United States and the United Kingdom cooperate closely in order to advance our common values and shared interests, including: Afghanistan, the Middle East, Iran, human rights, and global economic stability and growth. They will also review progress in the implementation of the various initiatives launched during the President’s State Visit to the UK last year.
Categories: White House News