Office of Intergovernmental Affairs Blog

Urban County Officials Discuss Priorities With Obama Administration

Posted by Kellyn Blossom on April 20, 2012 at 6:33 PM EDT

County officials discuss transportation issues during a briefing at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, April 19, 2012. (Photo by Office of Intergovernmental Affairs)

On Thursday, the White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs hosted a delegation of urban county officials for a discussion on important issues facing county governments. Leaders with National Association of Counties’ Large Urban County Caucus met with senior officials from the Department of Homeland Security, Department of Transportation and Department of Housing and Urban Development to talk about TIGER Grants, Sustainable Communities and more.

White House Senior Advisor Valerie Jarrett also stopped by the discussion to stress the importance of continuing to work together to move America's economy forward.

Read more about the Administration’s work with county officials and check out the video of President Obama stopping by a meeting of county officials last year.

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Shreveport Mayor Joins First Lady in Celebrating Joining Forces

Posted by Irene Hsu on April 12, 2012 at 11:00 AM EDT

Today, First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden will visit Shreveport, Louisiana to highlight the one-year anniversary of Joining Forces, their initiative to recognize, honor and serve military families.

Shreveport Mayor Cedric Glover writes in the Shreveport Times about how the Joining Forces initiative will help his community:

Our desire to assist the outstanding men and women who populate Barksdale Air Force Base provides us with a natural motivation to support "Joining Forces." But I know we also have military personnel from other branches of service and ensuring their respective livelihoods is equally important to our success…

…Our veterans have served and sacrificed for our nation. So it's only fitting to embrace this effort to ensure that local businesses have the resources they need to help provide these patriots and their families the opportunity to create happy, productive lives when they come home.

Read the full article and find out more about Joining Forces.

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How the JOBS Act Will Help Cities

Posted by Kellyn Blossom on April 6, 2012 at 11:54 AM EDT

President Barack Obama signs the Jumpstart Our Business Startups (JOBS) Act, which includes key initiatives the President proposed last fall to help small businesses and startups grow and create jobs, in the Rose Garden of the White House, April 5, 2012. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

On Thursday, President Obama signed the Jumpstart Our Business Startups (JOBS) Act, a bipartisan bill that enacts many of the President’s proposals to encourage startups and support our nation’s small businesses. The JOBS Act will allow Main Street small businesses and high-growth enterprises to raise capital from investors more efficiently, allowing small and young firms across the country to grow and hire faster.

Charlotte City Council Member and Past President of the National League of Cities James Mitchell Jr. joined the White House for the signing and shared his thoughts:

I was thankful to be invited to attend President Obama’s signing of the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act. The President has shown great leadership with his clear and consistent effort to make this Act a reality, beginning with the inclusion of the JOBS Act in the State of the Union.

Small businesses are the lifeblood of America’s hometowns. The JOBS Act will help these businesses gain much needed capital to make new investments and will encourage them to expand their operations. This Act will assist our nation’s hometowns by helping entrepreneurs and start-ups outside the traditional geographic venture capital areas to find investors to create the next generation of innovative products and services.

Read more about the JOBS Act and President Obama’s plans to support American businesses.

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State Treasurers Discuss the Recovery with President Obama's Economic Team

Posted by James Schuelke on March 30, 2012 at 3:20 PM EDT

Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers, Alan Krueger, leads a discussion about the progress of the economic recovery with state treasurers, March 19, 2012. (Photo by White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs)

Last week, state treasurers from across the nation gathered at the White House for a discussion with Administration officials on the economic recovery.

Alan Krueger, Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers, began the meeting by providing an overview of the economy. Krueger pointed to positive signs of economic growth in many areas. He highlighted that the private sector has added 3.9 million jobs over the past 24 months and that consumer confidence continues to rise.

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What the Affordable Care Act Means Across the Country

Posted by David Agnew on March 27, 2012 at 6:31 PM EDT

Last week marked two years since the Affordable Care Act was signed into law by President Obama. Millions of Americans have already been helped by the health reform law, including 2.5 million young adults who now have coverage, and 20.4 million women who now have access to preventive care. State and local officials across the country wrote to explain how heath care reform is already impacting their community.

California Attorney General Kamala Harris issued a statement to describe what the Affordable Care Act means to California:

This historic reform to our healthcare system protects everyone, particularly the most vulnerable among us, including our children and seniors. Californians can no longer lose their health coverage for being ill, and soon they will not be denied coverage on the basis of a pre-existing condition.

In Oregon, Governor John Kitzhaber explained in the Oregonian how the Affordable Care Act is reducing costs:

People have access to better coverage, and states like Oregon have the flexibility we need to drive down costs while improving the delivery of health care for those who need it most. In just the past year, nearly 45,000 Oregon seniors covered by Medicare saved $23.5 million on the cost of their prescription drugs, while nationwide 3.6 million seniors saved an average of $600 each on prescriptions.

read the rest

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Veterans, Jobs and Small Business: An Afternoon with the National League of Cities

Posted by Kellyn Blossom on March 15, 2012 at 10:29 AM EDT

On Tuesday, the White House hosted over one hundred officials with the National League of Cities for an afternoon of briefings in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building. The city leaders talked local business with Small Business Administrator Karen Mills, heard from Brad Cooper, the Executive Director of the First Lady’s Joining Forces initiative, discussed public-private partnerships with Greg Nelson, Deputy Director of the Office of Public Engagement and Don Graves, Executive Director of the President's Council on Jobs and Competitiveness, and got an economic briefing from Jason Furman, the Principal Deputy Director of the National Economic Council.

Check out pictures from the afternoon in the National League of Cities Photo Gallery below.
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- NLC members welcome participants to a White House briefing, March 13, 2012. (Photo courtesy National League of Cities)
  
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- Small Business Administrator Karen Mills speaks to NLC members, March 13, 2012. (Photo courtesy National League of Cities)
  
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- Director of Intergovernmental Affairs David Agnew speaks to NLC members, March 13, 2012. (Photo courtesy National League of Cities)
  
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- Brad Cooper, Executive Director of Joining Forces talks about support for veterans, March 13, 2012. (Photo courtesy National League of Cities)
  
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- Brad Cooper, Executive Director of Joining Forces takes questions from NLC members, March 13, 2012. (Photo courtesy National League of Cities)
  
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- Greg Nelson of the Public Engagement Office & Don Graves of the President's Council on Jobs, March 13, 2012.(Photo courtesy National League of Cities)
  
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- NLC Members ask questions in a White House briefing, March 13, 2012. (Photo courtesy National League of Cities)
  
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- NLC President Mayor Ellis and Vice-President Mayor Lopez Rogers speak to David Agnew, March 13, 2012. (Photo courtesy National League of Cities)
  
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