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  • President Obama Describes an All-of-the-Above Strategy for Energy

    Posted by Matt Compton on February 23, 2012 at 6:55 PM EST

    President Barack Obama tours the University of Miami Industrial Assessment Center (February 23, 2012)

    President Barack Obama tours the University of Miami Industrial Assessment Center in Miami, Florida, Feb. 23, 2012. The IAC is where students learn how to become industrial energy-efficiency experts as they help small to mid-sized manufacturers reduce their energy costs. (Official White House Photo by Chuck Kennedy)

    President Obama was in Miami today to talk about securing a future for America built on home-grown energy -- and his blueprint to help us get there.

    Part of the conversation focused on fuel prices -- and the fact that they're increasing. It's a real problem for people all over the country, which the President said required a real solution, not a slogan from a bumper sticker.

    You know there are no quick fixes to this problem. You know we can’t just drill our way to lower gas prices. If we’re going to take control of our energy future and can start avoiding these annual gas price spikes that happen every year -- when the economy starts getting better, world demand starts increasing, turmoil in the Middle East or some other parts of the world -- if we’re going to avoid being at the mercy of these world events, we’ve got to have a sustained, all-of-the-above strategy that develops every available source of American energy. Yes, oil and gas, but also wind and solar and nuclear and biofuels, and more.

    As President Obama pointed out, that's a vision toward which we are making progress:

    In 2010, our dependence on foreign oil was under 50 percent for the first time in over a decade. We were less reliant on foreign oil than we had been. In 2011, the United States relied less on foreign oil than in any of the last 16 years. That's the good news. And because of the investments we’ve made, the use of clean, renewable energy in this country has nearly doubled -– and thousands of American jobs have been created as a consequence.

    But there is still much more that needs to be done. The President is fighting to roll back the $4 billion in tax subsidies that the oil industry receives every year. And in the weeks and months ahead, the President will continue to finding ways to invest in clean energy technologies and innovation.

    Want more details about the President's blueprint? Here's everything you need to know.

    Read the Transcript  |  Download Video: mp4 (222MB) | mp3 (21MB)

  • We Can’t Wait: Obama Administration Calls for A Consumer Privacy Bill of Rights for the Digital Age

    Posted by Danny Weitzner on February 23, 2012 at 4:00 PM EST

    Today at the White House, the Obama Administration unveiled a blueprint for a Consumer Privacy Bill of Rights to protect consumers online. As the President wrote in his cover letter to the report: 

    “Never has privacy been more important than today, in the age of the Internet, the World Wide Web and smart phones.  In just the last decade, the Internet has enabled a renewal of direct political engagement by citizens around the globe and an explosion of commerce and innovation creating jobs of the future. Much of this innovation is enabled by novel uses of personal information. So, it is incumbent on us to do what we have done throughout history: apply our timeless privacy values to the new technologies and circumstances of our times.”

    In a related announcement, leading Internet companies and online advertising networks in the Digital Advertising Alliance came to the White House to commit to using Do Not Track technology now available in most major web browsers to make it easier for users to control online tracking.   

    The White House has proposed a Consumer Privacy Bill of Rights as part of a strategy to improve consumers’ privacy protections and to ensure that the Internet remains an engine for innovation and economic growth.  These rights give consumers clear guidance on what they should expect from those who handle their personal information, and set expectations for companies that use personal data. With the Internet as a leading engine for economic growth, the Administration is committed to building consumer trust in a rapidly changing digital environment.    

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  • New Computer Contract Expected to Save Taxpayers $20-25M

    Posted by Rebecca Blank on February 23, 2012 at 3:49 PM EST

    Ed. note: This was originally posted on The Commerce Blog

    As President Obama said when he launched the Campaign to Cut Waste in June 2011, “No amount of waste is acceptable, not when it’s your money. Just as families are living within their means, government should, too, so we can invest in the things that we know will create good jobs and grow the economy.” As part of those ongoing efforts to make government more accountable to the American people and cut wasteful spending, I am happy to report today that the Commerce Department has awarded a contract for computers that is expected to save taxpayers $20-25 million over the next five years.

    Through the contract with Intelligent Decisions Inc., we will reduce our cost for desktops and laptops by 40 percent. The contract leverages the large volume of computers that Commerce purchases each year and standardizes specifications to achieve significant cost reductions. Making wise spending decisions like this will enable Commerce to focus resources on its primary mission, which is supporting innovation, helping American businesses create jobs, and driving U.S. competitiveness around the world.

    Intelligent Decisions Inc., is a small business reseller offering products manufactured by Dell Inc. By awarding this contract to a small business, the Commerce Department will increase its small business participation for computer purchases by over thirty percent. Intelligent Decisions Inc.  will be providing valuable services to Commerce, including helping to better monitor its inventory of computers, improving delivery time, and loading custom images onto computers. Through the new contract, Commerce will be able to do the following:

    • Reduce the thousands of employee hours required to award hundreds of separate contracts for computers;
    • Reduce IT complexity and longer term support and maintenance costs by standardizing PC specifications across the Department; and
    • Streamline the computer ordering process.

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  • We the People Petition Response: Chief of the National Guard Bureau Joins the Joint Chiefs of Staff

    Posted by Erin Lindsay on February 23, 2012 at 2:00 PM EST

    Yesterday, the White House responded to a petition asking us to give the National Guard a seat on the Joint Chiefs of Staff.  In the response, Christine Wormuth, Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Defense Policy explained that through the Fiscal Year 2012 National Defense Authorization Act, the Chief of the National Guard Bureau became a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff with the specific responsibility of addressing matters involving non-Federalized National Guard forces in support of homeland defense and civil support missions.

     The response also included a video from Ben Rhodes, Deputy National Security Advisor for Strategic Communications and Speechwriting, that explains the important role Chief of the National Guard Bureau Gen. Craig R. McKinley plays as a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff:

     You can read the full response below.  To check out more of the nearly 50 official petition responses from the White House, or to create or sign a petition visit the We the People platform at Whitehouse.gov/petitions. 

    Chief of the National Guard Bureau Joins the Joint Chiefs of Staff

     By Christine E. Wormuth
     
    Thank you for signing the petition “Give the National Guard a seat on the Joint Chiefs of Staff.”  On December 31, 2011, the President signed the Fiscal Year 2012 National Defense Authorization Act, which made the Chief of the National Guard Bureau a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff with the specific responsibility of addressing matters involving non-Federalized National Guard forces in support of homeland defense and civil support missions.
     
    The President looks forward to continuing to work with the Chief of the National Guard Bureau in his new role as a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and appreciates the contributions of our National Guard across the 50 states and four U.S. territories. He also deeply values the dedication and sacrifices that all members of the Armed Forces, their families, and veterans make for our Nation's security.
     
    In this video, Ben Rhodes, Deputy National Security Advisor for Strategic Communications and Speechwriting, explains the important role Chief of the National Guard Bureau Gen. Craig R. McKinley plays as a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff:
     

     Christine E. Wormuth is Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Defense Policy

  • Helping Americans with Pre-Existing Conditions Get Needed Care

    Posted by Secretary Kathleen Sebelius on February 23, 2012 at 11:49 AM EST

    Before the Affordable Care Act, Americans like Deborah Sferlazza of Shelby Township, Michigan, were locked out of health insurance due to a pre-existing condition. This often a meant going without the care they need  for those conditions.

    Now, 50,000 Americans have health coverage through the Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan in their state – and are getting the care they need to manage their medical conditions. The Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan, or PCIP, is a temporary high-risk health insurance program that makes health coverage available and more affordable for individuals who are uninsured and have been denied health insurance because of a pre-existing condition. 

    In 2005, Deborah suffered a back injury that left her unemployed and struggling to afford health insurance premiums.  She runs her own small business out of her home, but like many self-employed Americans, particularly those with a pre-existing condition, health insurance was out of reach.

    All that changed when Deborah found out about Michigan’s PCIP program and was able to enroll this past summer. She received back surgery in August 2011 and is now on the road to recovery.

    read the rest

  • A New Generation of Nurses

    Posted by Secretary Hilda Solis on February 23, 2012 at 10:34 AM EST

     

    CC2C Bus Tour - Nurses

    Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis and Dr. Jill Biden start the Community College to Career Tour (CC2C) stopping at locations in Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, Virginia, and North Carolina to highlight the importance of community colleges in fostering careers. The stop to the Cincinnati State Technical and Community College was to take part in the "Cincinnati State Health Professions Consortium Pathway to Employment" panel discussion February 23, 2012. (by Department of Labor)

    Dr. Jill Biden and Labor Secretary Hilda Solis kicked off a three-day “Community College to Career” bus tour yesterday to highlight the unique role community colleges play in developing a flexible, highly-skilled 21st-century workforce to meet emerging regional business needs. Secretary Solis is writing updates on the trip from the road.

    We just saw the great things happening in Cincinnati to train up our next generation of nurses. The average age of the registered nurse is climbing. There are more nurses in their 50s right now than any other age range. They account for almost one-quarter of our nursing workforce. So it’s critical that we prepare for these retirements and train up our next generation of nurses.

    Many schools across the country have struggled to meet the rising need for more nursing professionals. With the passage of the Affordable Care Act, more than 32 million Americans will soon gain access to healthcare services, including access to care provided by registered nurses.

    The American Association of Colleges of Nursing found that nursing schools turned away more than 67,000 qualified applicants in 2010 due to insufficient number of faculty, clinical sites, classroom space, and budget constraints.  Nine years ago, in response to the urgent nursing shortage, Cincinnati State Technical and Community College began a health careers collaborative with local hospitals. The goal was to train up local workers for entry-level health care jobs like office assistants and medical coders—and help incumbent workers who wanted to continue their education and perhaps become nurses.

    Hospitals like Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, TriHealth, Mercy Health Partners and University Hospital all signed on. So did the Southwest Ohio Region Workforce Investment Board and a number of local nonprofits.

    These partners agreed to give trainees the flexibility, support and coaching they needed to continue their education.

    Now, the Cincinnati State collaboration is a national model that recently shared in a $19.7 million Department of Labor grant to replicate its winning model nationally. Those who care about fiscal responsibility, take note: This project was named by the U.S. Government Accountability Office as one of 14 best national collaborations between workforce boards and employers.

    Share your story about how community colleges and industry partners are working together in your community and learn more about the "Community College to Career" bus tour at http://www.whitehouse.gov/communitycollege/tour, and follow and engage with the tour on Twitter using the hashtag #CCtour.

    You can see more of Secretary Solis' posts at Work in Progress, the Department of Labor's official blog.

  • President Obama Signs the Payroll Tax Cut

    Posted by Matt Compton on February 22, 2012 at 6:59 PM EST

    Just now, President Obama signed the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012 -- extending the payroll tax cut and emergency jobless benefits through the end of the year.

    Last week, the President called on Americans from across the country to add their voices to the debate and let us know what they would do without an extra $40 in their paychecks. Thousands of individuals did exactly that, and it made all the difference.

    At the time, President Obama said, "Until you see me sign this thing, you've got to keep on speaking up...If it's not on the White House website, it hasn't happened."

    It happened. Here's that picture the President promised:

    President Obama signs the payroll tax cut (February 22, 2012)

    President Barack Obama signs H.R. 3630 - Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012 in the Oval Office, Feb. 22, 2012. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

     

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  • Report from the Road: An Ambitious Plan to Train Ohio Workers for New Jobs

    Posted by Secretary Hilda Solis on February 22, 2012 at 6:48 PM EST

     

    Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis and Dr. Jill Biden visit DG Medical

    Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis and Dr. Jill Biden visit DG Medical on the Community College to Career Tour (CC2C). They will be stopping at locations in Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, Virginia, and North Carolina to highlight the importance of community colleges in fostering careers.22 February 2012

    Dr. Jill Biden and Labor Secretary Hilda Solis today kicked off a three-day “Community College to Career” bus tour to highlight the unique role community colleges play in developing a flexible, highly-skilled 21st-century workforce to meet emerging regional business needs.  Secretary Solis is writing updates on the trip from the road.

    Dr. Biden and I just visited DG Medical in Centerville, Ohio, to hear about the incredible BioOhio Workforce development partnership that is helping community colleges like Sinclair Community College prepare Ohioans for jobs in the growing biomedical manufacturing industry.

    Sinclair is working with former GM/Delphi employees and other dislocated workers to get retraining to perform jobs making medical devices and life-saving drugs. They are part of a BioOhio partnership that has brought together industry leaders and six Ohio community colleges to match workforce needs with course offerings.

    The ambitious goal is to graduate 700 Ohioans and place them in biosciences jobs as clean technicians, shipping clerks, packaging experts, manufacturing technicians and test engineers.  More than half of existing program graduates already have found good-paying jobs in this field. Also, incumbent workers are being trained to move up the career ladder to become team leaders and front-line supervisors.

    Watching this unique partnership at work illustrates why health care industry job growth continues to help drive our recovery forward.

    Want to join the conversation by sharing how community colleges and industry partners are working together in your community?  Share your story at http://www.whitehouse.gov/communitycollege/tour and follow and engage with the tour on Twitter with the hashtag #CCtour.

    You can see more of Secretary Solis' posts at Work in Progress, the Department of Labor's official blog

     

  • Watch: First Look at the Museum of African American History and Culture

    Posted by Colleen Curtis on February 22, 2012 at 4:36 PM EST

    When the Museum of African American History and Culture opens on the National Mall in 2015, it will be "not just a record of tragedy, but a celebration of life," as President Obama said during the ground breaking ceremony on the site today.

    The museum, the 19th in the Smithsonian Institution, will feature objects collected from across the country that tell the stories that make up the African American experience, including personal items that belonged to Harriet Tubman and one of the planes flown by the Tuskegee Airmen. Lonny Bunch, the museum's Founding Director, gives us a first look at some of the treasures that will be on display. Watch it now:

     

    Learn more:

     

  • First Lady Michelle Obama Welcomes Students to a Blues Workshop at the White House

    Posted by Colleen Curtis on February 22, 2012 at 3:53 PM EST

    First Lady Michelle Obama yesterday welcomed a group of young musicians to the White House yesterday for a conversation with some of the country's greatest blues musicians. The workshop, called “At the Crossroads: A History of the Blues in America,” gave the 120 middle and high school students from across the country a chance to learn about the genre’s evolution from African American spirituals and work songs to its influence on the chart-topping hits of today.

    Includes Video
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  • From the Archives: Celebrating Black History Month Series

    Posted by Megan Slack on February 22, 2012 at 2:00 PM EST

    The theme of this year’s National African American History Month, Black American Women in American Culture and History, recognizes the role African American women have played in shaping the character of our nation and the many unique contributions they’ve made -- and are making -- to our culture and society.  

    Last year, we featured a series of blog posts from African Americans across the Obama Administration that offered a glimpse into the work they do, including posts from several women serving in the Administration.  Below, read the story of Dr. Regina Benjamin, the Surgeon General of the United States, and follow the links at the bottom to read more posts from African American women in the Administration.

    As Surgeon General, I am privileged to serve as “America’s Doctor,” providing the public with the best scientific information available on how to improve their health and the health of the nation. I also oversee the operational command of 6,500 uniformed health officers in the Commissioned Corps of the U.S. Public Health Service. These officers serve in locations around the world to promote, protect, and advance the health of the American People.

    I grew up in Daphne, Alabama, and graduated from high school in the nearby town of Fairhope. I received a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Xavier University in New Orleans and attended Morehouse School of Medicine before receiving my medical degree from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. I later obtained a masters’ degree in business administration from Tulane University in New Orleans. After completing my family medicine residency in Macon, Georgia, I established a clinic in a small fishing village in Alabama to help its many uninsured residents. That clinic in Bayou La Batre is still operating today, despite being destroyed by Hurricane Georges in 1998, Hurricane Katrina in 2005, and a devastating fire in 2006.  President Obama nominated me for the Surgeon General’s post in July 2009, and I was confirmed by the Senate for that position in November of the same year.

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  • Calling All App Developers: $10,000 App Challenge Looking for Ways to Connect Businesses with Government

    Posted by Mike Kruger on February 22, 2012 at 1:34 PM EST

    Ed note: This post originally appeared on The Commerce Blog, the U.S. Department of Commerce's official blog.

    Today, in conjunction with the newly-launched BusinessUSA initiative, the Department of Commerce announced the launch of their business app challenge.  The $10,000 contest challenges app developers to find innovative ways to utilize Commerce and other publicly available data and information to support American businesses. The business app challenge calls on developers to utilize at least one Department of Commerce data set in creating an application that assists businesses and/or improves the service delivery of Business.USA.gov to the business community.  Developers may choose the platform that best suits them. Applicants may design for the web, personal computer, mobile handheld device, or any platform broadly accessible to the open Internet. A list of developer-friendly data sets can be found on the Business Data and Tools page of Data.gov.

    read the rest

  • President Obama Sings "Sweet Home Chicago"

    Posted by Matt Compton on February 22, 2012 at 10:53 AM EST

    President Barack Obama hosts, “In Performance at the White House: Red, White and Blues” (February 21, 2012)

    President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama host, “In Performance at the White House: Red, White and Blues” in celebration of blues music in the East Room of the White House, Feb. 21, 2012. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

    Last night, President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama hosted an incredible group of performers for a night of blues music as part of the PBS "In Performance at the White House" series. After a little encouragement from the legendary B.B. King, the President took the mic from Mick Jagger, and sang a few lines from, "Sweet Home Chicago." Watch:

    Includes Video
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  • President Obama at the Ground Breaking Ceremony for the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture

    Posted by Matt Compton on February 22, 2012 at 9:08 AM EST

    President Obama delivers remarks during the groundbreaking ceremony for the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture (February 22, 2012)

    President Barack Obama delivers remarks during the groundbreaking ceremony for the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture site in Washington, D. C., Feb. 22, 2012. First Lady Michelle Obama attended the event with the President and other participants included: former First Lady Laura Bush; Washington, D.C. Mayor Vincent Gray; Rep. John Lewis, D-Ga.; Gov. Sam Brownback of Kansas; Rev. Dr. Calvin O. Butts, pastor, Abyssian Baptist Church, New York; Lonnie Bunch, founding director of the museum; Richard Kurin, undersecretary for History, Art and Culture at the Smithsonian; Linda Johnson Rice and Richard Parsons, co-chairs of the museum’s advisory council; Dr. G. Wayne Clough, Secretary, The Smithsonian Institution; Lonnie Bunch, Founding Director, Smithsonian's National Museum of African-American History and Culture; and Dr. France Córdova, Chair, Smithsonian Board of Regents.. (Official White House Photo by Lawrence Jackson)

    This morning, President Obama was on hand for the ground breaking at the site of the future Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture.

    He told those assembled on the National Mall:

    Just like the Air and Space Museum challenges us to set our sights higher, or the Natural History Museum encourages us to look closer, or the Holocaust Museum calls us to fight persecution wherever we find it, this museum should inspire us as well.  It should stand as proof that the most important things in life rarely come quickly or easily.  It should remind us that although we have yet to reach the mountaintop, we cannot stop climbing.

    As he considered what the museum will mean and the history that it will cover, the President talked about what he wants his daughters to experience: 

    I want my daughters to see the shackles that bound slaves on their voyage across the ocean and the shards of glass that flew from the 16th Street Baptist church, and understand that injustice and evil exist in the world. But I also want them to hear Louis Armstrong’s horn and learn about the Negro League and read the poems of Phyllis Wheatley. And I want them to appreciate this museum not just as a record of tragedy, but as a celebration of life.

    The National Museum of African American History and Culture was approved by the Smithsonian Board of Regents in 2006, and the new building is scheduled to open to the public in 2015. The museum will sit on a five acre site, between 14th and 15th Streets N.W. -- near the Washington Monument.

    Learn more

  • New Report Highlights Wireless Broadband Benefits for Public Safety and Job Creation

    Posted by Kendra Barkoff on February 21, 2012 at 7:32 PM EST

    Vice President Biden Meets with Law Enforcement Officials, Firefighters and Public Safety Groups

    Vice President Joe Biden holds a conference call in the West Wing to thank first responders and to discuss the economic value of increasing spectrum, Feb. 21, 2012. (Official White House Photo by David Lienemann)

    Today, Vice President Biden met with law enforcement officials, firefighters and public safety groups in the Roosevelt Room and spoke to a couple hundred more first responders by telephone to thank them for their service and to discuss the new nationwide public-safety broadband network included in the Payroll Tax Extension legislation. 

    Members of the audience included police chiefs and sergeants from the New York City Police Department, the International Association of Fire Chiefs, and the National Association of Police Organization, among others. The Vice President discussed the need to ensure the safety of first responders and the public,and announced a new report from the Council of Economic Advisers (CEA) that discusses the positive benefits of wireless broadband for public safety as well as jobs, growth, and investment.

    The report illustrates the economic impact of President Obama’s goal of doubling the amount of spectrum available for wireless broadcast over ten years, while adopting a nationwide inter operable wireless network. 

    Vice President Biden said the expanded access “will enable new spectrum to be used for innovation, to speed wireless communication, and to fulfill a promise made to first responders after 9/11 that they would have the technology they need to stay safe and do their jobs.”

    “I’ve been working on changing the way we allocate spectrum for a long time,” Vice President Biden said, “because a smarter system is good for our economy, good for innovation, and vital to keeping our communities as well as our cops, firefighters and EMTs safe.”

  • By the Numbers: 20

    Posted by Megan Slack on February 21, 2012 at 7:32 PM EST

    A new report from the Council of Economic Advisors found that by 2015, U.S. mobile data traffic will be 20 times higher than it was in 2010.

    To provide for this projected traffic growth, much of it due to the increase in usage of smartphones, tablets, and other internet-enabled mobile devices, the Obama Administration has proposed making an additional 500 MHz of public airwaves, known as spectrum, available for wireless broadband access.

    Making wireless broadband more widely available has the potential to transform many parts of the American economy, opening the door to everything from products that make businesses more productive and tools that help doctors and nurses provide better health care at lower costs to making it easier for people to interact with media-rich mobile apps and high-definition streaming video.

    In addition, wireless broadband plays a vital role in enabling emergency personnel to communicate efficiently and to obtain necessary information quickly, including real-time videos, images, and other data, even when first responders are working across jurisdictional lines.

    Today, Vice President Biden announced a new nationwide public safety broadband network that President Obama will soon sign into law as part of the payroll tax extension. The new legislation will create a nationwide inter-operable public safety broadband network that will, for the first time, allow law enforcement, firefighters and EMTs to have a dedicated communications network so they can talk with one another.

    Read more about the benefits of a robust wireless broadband system in the CEA report.

  • We Can’t Wait: Bringing New Investments to Rural Communities by Leveraging Existing Programs

    Posted by Secretary Tom Vilsack on February 21, 2012 at 5:36 PM EST

    Since the formation of the White House Rural Council in June 2011, we have had a unique opportunity to provide recommendations on how to grow the economy and create jobs in rural America.    

    The feedback we’re providing to the White House, based on our travels throughout the countryside, has helped us find creative ways to move the country forward without relying on Congress to act because rural Americans can’t wait.

    Today's announcements are the result of the Rural Council’s ability to cut across large federal agencies to deliver results for rural families and businesses.  Along with colleagues at the Departments of Commerce, Health and Human Services, and Labor, we announced three new ways to leverage existing programs and funding to drive economic growth in rural communities.

    These announcements include:

    • Promoting A Bioeconomy:  President Obama issued a Presidential Memorandum today directing the federal government to dramatically increase the purchase of biobased products over the next two years, which will create jobs and drive innovation where biobased products are grown and manufactured.  The biobased products sector marries the two most important economic engines for rural America: agriculture and manufacturing.  
    • Rural Jobs Accelerator: We are launching a national competition, providing about $15 million for projects that promote innovation-fueled regional job creation.  The competition will combine funding from USDA, the Economic Development Administration, Delta Regional Authority and the Appalachian Regional Commission. USDA will utilize our Rural Community Development Initiative program to support this effort and provide technical assistance and training funds to qualified intermediary organizations to develop their capacity to undertake housing, community facilities, and community and economic development projects in rural areas.  
    • Rural Health IT Workforce:  The Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Labor signed a memorandum of understanding to connect community colleges and technical colleges that support rural communities with the materials and resources they need to support the training of Health Information Technology (HIT) professionals that work in rural hospitals and clinics.  

    Click here to learn more about the efforts of the White House Rural Council.

  • President Obama: "This Got Done Because of You"

    Posted by Matt Compton on February 21, 2012 at 5:06 PM EST

    President Barack Obama discusses the importance of the payroll tax cut (February 21, 2012)

    President Barack Obama, with Vice President Joe Biden, discusses the importance of the agreement passed by Congress to extend the payroll tax cut and unemployment insurance while speaking in the South Court Auditorium in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, Feb. 21, 2012. The President urged Congress to build on the success of the agreement by taking additional steps to create jobs, grow the economy and help the middle class. The President and Vice President were joined by Americans who have shared their stories on WhiteHouse.gov and Twitter about what $40 a paycheck means to them. (Official White House Photo by Lawrence Jackson)

    This morning, President Obama hosted an event at the White House to talk about the payroll tax cut -- which Congress voted to extend last week.

    Flanked by a group of Americans who shared stories about what they would be forced to give up without the tax cut, he gave credit to all of those who added their voices to the debate:

    This got done because of you; because you called, you emailed, you tweeted your representatives and you demanded action. You made it clear that you wanted to see some common sense in Washington. And because you did, no working American is going to see their taxes go up this year. That's good news. Because of what you did, millions of Americans who are out there still looking for work are going to continue to get help with unemployment insurance. That’s because of you.

    Includes Video
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  • Kicking Off the Community College to Career Bus Tour

    Posted by Melanie Kaye on February 21, 2012 at 4:39 PM EST

    Tomorrow, Dr. Jill Biden and Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis will embark on a three-day “Community College to Career” bus tour to highlight innovative industry initiativesthat are helping train students with the skills they need to meet area workforce needs.

    President Obama recently announced an $8 billion Community College to Career Fund, co-administered by the Department of Labor and Department of Education,which will help forge new partnerships between community colleges and businesses to train two million workers with skills that will lead directly to jobs.

    During the tour, Dr. Biden and Secretary Solis will visit several community colleges to learn about model industry partnerships, but we know there are many more success stories around the country (check out the full schedule below). We want to hear from community college faculty, students, business and community leaders about how these partnerships have benefited you and your community.

    Check out this video from Secretary Solis asking for community college faculty, students and industry partners to share their stories.  Got a story to share? Head over to WhiteHouse.gov/CommunityCollege/Tour to tell us about it or share your story on Twitter using the hashtag #CCtour.

    Here’s the full schedule for the bus tour. 

    Includes Video
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  • Regulations.gov: Remaking Public Participation

    Posted by Cass Sunstein on February 21, 2012 at 11:38 AM EST

    On January 18, 2011, the President issued Executive Order 13563, in which he directed regulatory agencies to base regulations on an “open exchange of information and perspectives” and to promote public participation in Federal rulemaking.  The President identified Regulations.gov as the centralized portal for timely public access to regulatory content online. 

    In response to the President’s direction, Regulations.gov has launched a major redesign, including innovative new search tools, social media connections, and better access to regulatory data.  The result is a significantly improved website that will help members of the public to engage with agencies and ultimately to improve the content of rules.

    The redesign of Regulations.gov also fulfills the President’s commitment in The Open Government Partnership National Action Plan to “improve public services,” including to “expand public participation in the development of regulations.” This step is just one of many, consistent with the National Action Plan, designed to make our Federal Government more transparent, participatory, and collaborative.

    Application Programming Interfaces (APIs)
    Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) are technical interfaces/tools that allow people to pull regulatory content from Regulations.gov. For most of us, the addition of “APIs” on Regulations.gov doesn’t mean much, but for web managers and experts in the applications community, providing APIs will fundamentally change the way people will be able to interact with public federal regulatory data and content. 

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