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June 25, 2009
08:13 PM EDTViewing this video requires Adobe Flash Player 8 or higher. Download the free player.download .mp4 (80.2 MB) | read the transcript
As part of United We Serve, The President and First Lady went to Fort McNair today to pack backpacks for children of our servicemen and women. The First Family was joined by several members of Congress and their families, with the goal of packing 15,000 backpacks for the children to bring with them to camp. The backpacks were filled with letters, healthy snacks, Frisbees, and completed with a Bo baseball card!The President thanked the troops, and noted that when one person serves in the Armed Forces, the whole family is serving. That is why the First Lady has taken extraordinary interest in helping military families. The President and First Lady brought their own children to the service event, and the President touched on the importance of getting kids involved in service:On Monday, we launched "United We Serve," our summer service initiative. It's going to run all the way through our National Day of Service on September 11th. We want to ask every American to take some time out this summer to do something for others. Parents, take your kids – they're going to have fun, they're going to be in sports camps, they're going to be watching TV and playing video games. Once a week, take them down – whether it's to a soup kitchen or to volunteer on a community project – teach them what it means to be a real citizen. You'll find that actually the kids love it, and it's going to make a lasting impression on them. And if all of us are doing that this summer, then we're going to make this country stronger. We're working hard, and members of Congress are working really hard right now, to make our government work for people, but government can only do so much. Ultimately the strength of America doesn't come from Capitol Hill, it doesn't come from the White House. It comes from the grassroots, and that's what all of you are about. -
June 25, 2009
07:45 PM EDTViewing this video requires Adobe Flash Player 8 or higher. Download the free player.download .mp4 (70.8 MB) | read the transcript
The President and Vice President met with a bipartisan group of Congressional leaders today to discuss one of today's most contentious issues – immigration – and how to go about reforming the broken immigration system. The President stated that the Administration is fully behind comprehensive immigration reform, and that they will be working with House and Senate leaders to have an honest conversation about the issues and come up with practical solutions:We have members of Congress from both chambers, from parties, who have participated in the meeting and shared a range of ideas. I think the consensus is that despite our inability to get this passed over the last several years, the American people still want to see a solution in which we are tightening up our borders, or cracking down on employers who are using illegal workers in order to drive down wages – and oftentimes mistreat those workers. And we need a effective way to recognize and legalize the status of undocumented workers who are here.While Congressional leaders are working to tackle the complexities of immigration reform, the Administration has already taken steps to improve the system. The FBI has cleared much of the backlog of immigration background checks, the Department of Homeland Security is speeding up citizenship petitions and in conjunction with the Department of Labor, they are working to crack down on employers who are exploiting illegal workers. The President also announced a new collaborative effort that will utilize technology to improve legal immigration:Today I'm pleased to announce a new collaboration between my Chief Information Officer, my Chief Performance Officer, my Chief Technologies Officer and the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Office to make the agency much more efficient, much more transparent, much more user-friendly than it has been in the past.In the next 90 days, USCIS will launch a vastly improved Web site that will, for the first time ever, allow applicants to get updates on their status of their applications via e-mail and text message and online. And anybody who's dealt with families who are trying to deal with – navigate the immigration system, this is going to save them huge amounts of time standing in line, waiting around, making phone calls, being put on hold. It's an example of some things that we can do administratively even as we're working through difficult issues surrounding comprehensive immigration.And the idea is very simple here: We're going to leverage cutting-edge technology to reduce the unnecessary paperwork, backlogs, and the lack of transparency that's caused so many people so much heartache.
(President Barack Obama talks with members of Congress to discuss immigration, Thursday, June 25, 2009, in the State Dinning Room of the White House. From left; Rep. Silvestre Reyes, D-Texas, Rep. Luis Guitierrez, D-Ill., Rep. Nydia Velazquez, D-N.Y., Rep. James Clyburn, D - S.C. the president, Vice President Joe Biden, Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., and Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt. Official White House Photo by Pete Souza) -
As a Veteran, a former State Director of Veterans Affairs and now as Assistant Secretary at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs I understand the urgent need to address homelessness. Last week’s meeting of the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness with Secretary Shinseki, and his counterparts at HUD, Labor and HHS, took an important step in coordinating our efforts to eliminate homelessness in our country. The VA estimates that one-third of homeless Americans served in the military, so this partnership is central to our efforts to help these brave soldiers.One important outcome of the meeting was the announcement of an additional $75 million in housing vouchers. This new money will provide shelter for an additional 10,000 homeless Veterans and their families. These resources offer vital support to a community in need.For state and local Veterans’ agencies, these funds come at a time when many local budgets are being squeezed by the current economic situation. While the VA works hard to offer support services and case management to eligible homeless veterans, local agencies play a crucial role in the care of these individuals.Our nation's Veterans placed the good of the nation before their own and we are all dishonored when even a single Veteran sleeps on the street. I am proud of this administration’s commitment to fulfilling our nation’s promise to these brave soldiers. I look forward to working with my colleagues throughout government and the private sector to continue to fight this problem and make sure that no Veteran or American has to face the harsh reality of being homeless.
(As part of the United We Serve initaitive, Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric Shinseki assists a veteran out of a car, while helping volunteer drivers transport veterans who are unable to drive to their medical appointments at VA Medical Centers. June 22, 2009)
(Secretary Shinseki, accompanied by Tammy Duckworth, addresses a group of youth volunteers about "Knowing and Respecting Disabled Veterans." June 22, 2009)Tammy Duckworth is the Assistant Secretary of Public and Intergovernmental Affairs for the Department of Veterans Affairs. -
June 25, 2009
03:36 PM EDTViewing this video requires Adobe Flash Player 8 or higher. Download the free player.download .mp4 (159.8 MB) |
Van Jones, Special Advisor for Green Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation at the White House Council on Environmental Quality, hosted a live chat yesterday to discuss green jobs. He took questions through Facebook, as well as WhiteHouse.gov. If you haven't checked out our new Facebook application, this video will show you how productive and intriguing these live discussions can be. Join us next time, and let your comments and questions be heard. -
The White House did not produce this third-party content and disclaims any affiliation with the content provider or its sponsors. This embedded media may set cookies in your browser. For more information, read our privacy policy.The President held a forum at the White House yesterday, where he discussed the pressing need for health care reform, and fielded questions and concerns from some of the 164 audience members. The audience represented a diverse array of health care stakeholders – including doctors, nurses, insurance company executives, small business owners, as well as patients from across the country. If you weren’t able to watch it last night, you can go to ABC’s website to watch "Prescription for America" in its entirety.The President tackled a variety of questions, talking at length about costs, choice, and effective treatment. Health care reform is a complex problem – people have been talking about it since Harry Truman – with no simple solution. The President called for a "uniquely American" solution that will allow us to control costs and provide quality care while preserving choice. The President emphasized that this reform is needed now because the status quo is unacceptable, and a show of hands from the audience showed unanimous agreement with him:Understand that the status quo is untenable, which is why you saw, even though we've got Republicans, Democrats, independents, people from all parts of the health care sector represented here, everybody understands we can't keep doing what we're doing. It is bankrupting families. I get letters every single day from people who've worked hard and don't have health insurance. It is bankrupting businesses who are frustrated that they can't provide the same kind of insurance that they used to provide to their employees. And it's bankrupting our government at the state and federal levelsNobody disputes that costs are unsustainable, and the President explained they will only continue to rise without reform:The average family has seen their premiums double in the last nine years. Costs for families are going up three times faster than wages. So if you're happy with your health care right now – and many people are happy with their health care right now – the problem is, 10 years from now, you're not going to be happy because it's going to cost twice as much or three times as much as it does right now. Out-of-pocket expenses have gone up 62 percent. Businesses increasingly are having to cut back on health care or – if you talk to ordinary workers, they're seeing this all the time – employers even if they don't want to are having to pass on costs to others.So unfortunately whatever it is that we're doing right now isn't working, Diane. What we see is great examples of outstanding care, businesses that are working with their employees on prevention, but it's not spreading through the system. And unfortunately government, whether you like it or not, is going to already be involved. We pay for Medicare, we pay for Medicaid. There are a whole host of rules, both at the state and federal level, governing how health care is administered.And so the key is for us to try to figure out how do we take that involvement not to completely replace what we have but to build on what works and stop doing what doesn't work. And I think that we can do that through a serious health care reform initiative.The President underscored the need to identify best practices – he used the Mayo Clinic as an example. The Mayo Clinic has top quality care and is one-third less expensive than average, while some of the most expensive places have worse health outcomes. By duplicating these best practices across the system, we can achieve the best possible care while controlling costs. The President explained that driving down costs is essential to being able to expand coverage:Now, what I've said is that if we are smart, we should be able to design a system in which people still have choices of doctors and choices of plans that make sure that the necessary treatment is provided, but we don't have a huge amount of waste in the system, that we are providing adequate coverage for all people, and that we are driving down costs over the long term.If we don't drive down costs then we're not going to be able to achieve all those other things. And I think that on the issue that's already been raised by the two doctors, the issue of evidence-based care, I have great confidence that doctors are going to always want to do the right thing for their patients if they've got good information and if their payment incentives are not such that it actually costs them money to provide the appropriate care.And right now what we have is a situation because doctors are paid fee-for-service and there are all sorts of rules governing how they operate; as a consequence oftentimes it is harder for them, more expensive for them to do what is appropriate. And we should change those incentive structures.The President pointed out that a reform plan must also work with insurance companies to modify policies and curb costs:So if you're happy with your plan, as I said, you keep it. Now, there are some restrictions we want to place on insurers. Pre-existing conditions is a tool that has prevented a lot of people from either not being able to get insurance or, if they lose their job, they can't find insurance. We think those policies should end. So there are going to be some areas where we want to regulate the insurers a little more.Now, in exchange, they're going to have a bigger customer pool. And so we think that they may not make as much profit on every single person that they provide coverage to. On the other hand, overall, I think they can still be profitable.In terms of cost, understand that the system is already out of whack in terms of costs as it is. So if we do nothing, costs are going to keep on going up 6, 7, 8 percent per year, and government, businesses, and families are all going to find themselves either losing their health care or paying a lot more out of pocket. That's going to happen if we do nothing.What I've said is, let's change the system so that our overall cost curve starts going down by investing in a range of things – prevention, health IT, et cetera. We will have some upfront costs and the estimates, as Charlie said, have been anywhere from a trillion to $2 trillion. But what we've said is, what my administration has said, what I've said, is that whatever it is that we do, we pay for. So it doesn't add to our deficit.He again emphasized how a public option can work while maintaining, and improving, a competitive private insurance market:But what we've said is that we can set up a public option in which they're collecting premiums just like any private insurer, that doctors are reimbursed at a fair rate, but because administrative costs are lower, we are able to keep private insurers honest in terms of the growth of costs of premiums and deductibles and so forth.Now, you'll always hear folks say that the free market can do it better; government can't run anything. And what I say is, well, if that's the case, nobody is going to choose the public option. So the private insurers, who I think are very confident that they're providing a good service and a good product to their customers, should feel confident that they can compete with just one other option.A lot of the objection to the public option idea is not practical, it's ideological. People don't like the idea of government being involved. But keep in mind that the two areas where government is involved – are involved in health care – Medicare and the VA – actually, there's pretty high satisfaction among the people who participate.For the President, there is no issue for which change is more urgent and necessary, and despite decades of frustrated attempts at reform, the President made clear he believes the time is now:But the one thing I'm absolutely confident about is that whenever this country has met a significant challenge to our long-term well-being, that we ultimately rise up and meet it. And this is one of those moments where the stars are aligned. We've got insurers who are interested, doctors who are interested, nurses, patients, AARP is here and they've seen some of the potential benefits, we're actually going to be filling the "doughnut hole," drug companies have said that they'd be willing to reduce the costs for seniors for prescription drugs as part of health care reform.But we have to have the courage and the willingness to cooperate and compromise in order to make this happen. And if we do, it's not going to be a completely smooth ride, there are going to be times over the next couple months where we think health care is dead, it's not going to happen. But if we keep our eye on the prize, and we recognize that America has always been up to these big challenges, and we can't afford not to act, then I'm absolutely convinced that we can get it done this time. -
June 24, 2009
07:43 PM EDTDon’t miss the President in a special television event on health care reform tonight, airing at 10:00 PM on the East coast on ABC – watch clips as they become available on ABC's website. In an hour dedicated to answering tough questions and concerns on the President’s proposals to reduce health care costs and provide quality health care for all Americans while ensuring choice, tune in for a unique opportunity to see how a public option will affect you and your family.Updated: watch the whole event here.The White House did not produce this third-party content and disclaims any affiliation with the content provider or its sponsors. This embedded media may set cookies in your browser. For more information, read our privacy policy.During yesterday's news conference, the President answered a number of questions about his health care plan. Watch the clip below from his press conference where the President responds to a question from ABC's Jake Tapper with a discussion of how a public plan will help keep private insurance companies honest.Viewing this video requires Adobe Flash Player 8 or higher. Download the free player.read the transcript -
June 24, 2009
07:35 PM EDTCheck out the Office of Public Engagement blog to read more about the years of work that went into the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act. Many of the people who put in that work joined the President as he signed the bill on Monday. -
June 24, 2009
06:55 PM EDTToday, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced a weekly summer workshop at "The People’s Garden" on the National Mall. The "Healthy Garden" workshop series will show people how to grow a successful garden in any set-up by providing interactive demonstrations in the garden and teaching practical skills, from how to water your garden to choosing fertilizer."In many ways, USDA's 'People's Garden' is the nation's demonstration plot, showing how small steps can mean important gains in mitigating global warming and producing a safe, sustainable and nutritious food supply," Secretary Vilsack explained. "The garden concepts we're teaching this summer can be your contribution to providing healthy food, air, and water for people and communities across the country."
(Melwood Workers prepare the People's Garden for Earth Day celebrations at the U. S. Department of Agriculture in Washington, DC on April 13 2009 - USDA)As we’ve told you before, the First Lady has planted her own organic garden here at the White House with the help of students from Bancroft Elementary and Secretary Vilsack. The garden is thriving, and students recently returned to help harvest the produce and enjoyed a delicious, healthy meal. Community gardens are popping up across the country, and are fun ways to bring our communities together while providing healthy and affordable food. Additionally, gardens are environmentally-friendly. As Secretary Vilsack explained, planting a garden is a small step that can lead to big improvements in our communities.For those who will be in the area, come out to the "Healthy Garden" workshop series to learn how you can start, or improve, your own garden. The workshops will be held every Friday from noon to 12:30 from June 26 to September 25. "The People’s Garden" is located at 12th Street and Jefferson Drive, at the USDA Building. -
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During the course of the spring, the White House Health Reform team went on the road to engage every part of the country, traveling to Michigan, Vermont, Iowa , North Carolina and California to hear out people’s concerns and get their input on how to lower costs, ensure choice, and provide access to quality coverage for everybody.Today the President met with Governors Jennifer Granholm (D-MI), Jim Douglas (R-VT), Jim Doyle (D-WI), Mike Rounds (R-SD), and Christine Gregoire (D-WA), all of whom helped co-host forums in their regions. Speaking to the press afterwards, he explained why he wanted to revisit that profoundly enlightening tour as Health Care Reform heads into yet another pivotal period in Congress:THE PRESIDENT: …And so they've reported back to me. There's no perfect unanimity across the table in terms of every single aspect of reform. I think everybody here wants to make sure that governors have flexibility, that they have input into how legislation is being shaped on the Hill. But they have done my administration and I think the American people a terrific service in bringing some of these individual stories to us. And we're committed to working with them in the weeks and months to come to make sure that when we get health reform done, it is in partnership with the states where the rubber so often hits the road.And one of the advantages they have, as Joe Biden put it, they've planted a mole inside our administration. (Laughter.) Kathleen Sebelius, very recently a governor, knows exactly what all of them are struggling with, and she and Nancy-Ann are going to be interacting with them on a regular basis as we move this agenda forward.So I want to thank them publicly. And I look forward to working with them to get this done for the American people and for the people of their respective states in the weeks to come.Thank you.Q Is there any give in your deadline, Mr. President?THE PRESIDENT: We need to get it done.Q This year?THE PRESIDENT: We need to get it done this year.Those forums were also led by working people in their respective regions who could give a snapshot of the problems people were facing there. Joyce Shilakes took that role in the Michigan forum. As the wife of a General Motors employee who knows his future is uncertain, and whose own health care coverage is uncertain as a result, one of her central motivations for supporting comprehensive reform is as fundamental as it is ubiquitous in America: the desire for peace of mind.It is worth reading the remarks she gave in Michigan back in the spring as a reminder of what the fight here is really about:Hello. As you have heard, my name is Joyce Shilakes and I am very honored to be here with you today and to be asked to share my personal experiences that lead me to form a health care discussion group with my family and colleagues last December.As a clinical social worker, every day I work with individuals who are struggling with mental and physical illness. One of the most frustrating and disheartening aspects of my job is watching my clients struggle to pay for treatments and medications that would stabilize their illness and help them to maintain productive lives. All too often, they are forced to choose between buying the expensive medications they need or paying for the basic needs of survival such as food, shelter and gas for themselves and their families.This is a choice that no person should have to make. I have watched as they place their healthcare on hold only to have their symptoms worsen, their lives placed at risk, their jobs and families suffer – all because they have no insurance or were unable to afford the co-pays.But my desire for a changed health care policy does not arise from my professional experiences alone. On a personal basis, my husband and I live with the very real threat of falling into the ranks of the uninsured if my husband’s job with General Motors were to be eliminated. This is especially anxiety provoking considering the fact that we are both Cancer survivors and under the current system we would be unlikely to find affordable medical coverage.While I'm sure you can imagine, Cancer is a difficult disease to face under the best of circumstances. Facing it without insurance would be a horrendous burden. My breast cancer treatment alone ran over $100,000 eight years ago. Someone without insurance and faced with this disease today would likely be forced to choose between a chance at life bought by bankrupting themselves and their family, or choosing to die.But speaking to a much larger issue, as someone who lives in the Detroit area and whose community, life and livelihood and benefited by the success of the Big 3, I have watched as our struggling automakers lose ground to foreign manufacturers who are not faced with the same health care responsibilities. The health care issue is now beginning to undermine the very fabric of our nation as our automaker and large businesses employing thousands are forced to close their doors and lay off employees, in part due to the lack of sustainable health system.These are some of the reasons that I, and my colleagues, jumped at the chance to become involved in last December’s health care discussion. For the first time, we felt that we had a president who was receptive and encouraging of input from all Americans. We wanted to lend our voices to the chorus of others who have been clamoring for change. Today, I must admit to having more than a glimmer of hope that we can work together to bring about a comprehensive American system of health care that will provide high quality health services for all citizens of our nation. I look forward to participating with you in that endeavor. -
Join the live chat through Facebook or at WhiteHouse.gov/live/discuss with Van Jones of CEQ, featured in our video this morning.[UPDATE: This event has now concluded.]
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We have heard from Van Jones, Special Advisor for Green Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation at the White House Council on Environmental Quality, on some of the seedlings of a clean energy economy before. And back in May he introduced us to the enormous potential of weatherizing buildings and homes. Today, as part of a week where the Cabinet is out in force pushing through key energy-related projects and initiatives, Van comes back again to show us how weatherizing homes will be a major source of jobs in neighborhoods like yours as the President’s vision for a clean energy economy becomes reality. See if you can watch the video and not be excited about what the future holds here.Van Jones will also be back with us for a live-streamed chat through Facebook and WhiteHouse.gov at 3:00 this afternoon to talk about the future of green jobs in America. Join us.Viewing this video requires Adobe Flash Player 8 or higher. Download the free player.
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UPDATE: Good, related new from the Labor Department. An excerpt from their release:During a visit to Memphis today, Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis announced five grant competitions, totaling $500 million, to fund projects that prepare workers for green jobs in the energy efficiency and renewable energy industries."Emerging green jobs are creating opportunities for workers to enter careers that offer good wages and pathways to long term job growth and prosperity," said Secretary Solis. "Workers receiving training through projects funded by these competitions will be at the forefront as our nation transforms the way we generate electricity, manufacture products and do business across a wide range of industries." -
June 23, 2009
06:57 PM EDTThe First Lady marked the kick off of United We Serve yesterday, where she joined California’s First Lady Maria Shriver to build a playground at Bret Harte Elementary, a public school in San Francisco. The First Lady worked with KaBOOM!, an organization that aims to create safe and fun places for kids to play within walking distance of their homes. They have been building playgrounds in underserved communities for 14 years, relying on volunteers across the country.
(First Lady Michelle Obama promotes the White House's United We Serve volunteering initiative at the Bret Harte Elementary School in San Francisco, California with Maria Shriver, First Lady of California, June 22, 2009 Official White House Photo by Samantha Appleton)As we mentioned previously, United We Serve is a call to action for all Americans to volunteer in their communities this summer. It will be led by the Corporation for National and Community Service, and will focus on the four core elements of our recovery agenda: health care, energy independence, education and community and economic renewal. This particular project focused on health and community renewal.The First Lady discussed how building a playground goes beyond simply giving children a place to play – it’s about keeping our children healthy. Our children are not getting enough exercise, which has both serious immediate and long-term consequences. It is essential that we get our kids active and moving, but unfortunately, many kids do not have access to safe outside play. The First Lady explained this is why organizations like KaBOOM! and the volunteers that help build playgrounds are crucial not just to our kids, but to our nation:So I want people, as they think about how they're going to spend this summer, in addition to making your kids play, think about engaging in United We Serve. And think about ways that you can take more time to devote to activities and projects that are going to get our kids healthy and moving, whether it's serving a healthy meal at a soup kitchen, building a play lot, finding a project in your area that's going to focus on the health of our kids, taking time to tutor, mentor, taking a kid to the beach. I know in Chicago there are kids all over my city at home who have never seen the lake. I know that this is true for many communities across the city. Kids don't even know where they can play or what they can play. That's where we all come in. That's where we need your help. And today is just the beginning.Community service projects can make a huge impact on our communities, which is why the First Lady stressed that everyone should make service a part of their daily life:And as we think about what we're trying to do through United We Serve, I just think – imagine the changes that happen with the creation of this park. Kids who were never able to play on a swing set get the opportunity to play. And that just doesn't happen here on this site. Think about the libraries that will be changed because each of us donates a book or two. Or think about the smiles that are on some homeless person's face because you took the time to spend a couple of hours to feed somebody a healthy meal. That's what United We Serve is all about. It's a nationwide effort to call Americans to make service a daily part of their lives – like all of you here; it's not something that you do in your spare time.After building the playground, the First Lady gave the keynote address at the 2009 National Conference on Volunteering and Service, which brought together thousands of volunteers and service leaders from across the country. In her remarks, the First Lady explained that for too long we have viewed service as separate from the government’s policies – that service is a nice bonus, but not an essential component to getting work done. But change comes from the bottom up, and the time is now to make service a central pillar in the foundation of our country.Serve.gov makes it easy for everyone to get involved by providing everything you need to get projects started: connecting you to service opportunities and to others who are interested in the same service area, and providing tools to track the impact you are having on your community. Visit Serve.gov to find a volunteer opportunity today, and get involved in building America’s new foundation. -
Get an inside look at what's been happening around the White House. There are nearly 100 new photos on the official White House photostream.Check them out.
(Charlie Brandts, a White House carpenter as well as beekeeper, collects the first batch of honey from the beehives on the South Lawn of the White House, June 10, 2009. Official White House Photographer Lawrence Jackson)
(President Barack Obama boards Marine One on the South Lawn on the White House en route to Dulles International Airport, outside Washington, D.C., where he will board Air Force One for the flight to the Middle East and Europe, June 2, 2009. Air Force One departed from Dulles instead of Andrews Air Force Base as it needed a longer runway because of the fuel load required to make the trip non-stop to King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Official White House Photo by Samantha Appleton)
(President Barack Obama pushes daughters Malia and Sasha at the unveiling of swing-set on South Lawn outside Oval Office, March 4, 2009. Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)
(President Barack Obama escorts former First Lady Nancy Reagan in the Diplomatic Room of the White House June 2, 2009, for the announcement and signing of the Ronald Reagan Centennial Commission Act – commemorating the late President's 100th Birthday in 2011. Official White House Photo by Lawrence Jackson) -
The President discusses Iran during his opening remarks at the Press Conference today at the White House:Viewing this video requires Adobe Flash Player 8 or higher. Download the free player.
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Transcript in English:THE PRESIDENT: Hello, everybody. Good afternoon, everybody. Today, I want to start by addressing three issues, and then I'll take your questions.First, I'd like to say a few words about the situation in Iran. The United States and the international community have been appalled and outraged by the threats, the beatings, and imprisonments of the last few days. I strongly condemn these unjust actions, and I join with the American people in mourning each and every innocent life that is lost.I've made it clear that the United States respects the sovereignty of the Islamic Republic of Iran, and is not interfering with Iran's affairs. But we must also bear witness to the courage and the dignity of the Iranian people, and to a remarkable opening within Iranian society. And we deplore the violence against innocent civilians anywhere that it takes place.The Iranian people are trying to have a debate about their future. Some in Iran – some in the Iranian government, in particular, are trying to avoid that debate by accusing the United States and others in the West of instigating protests over the election. These accusations are patently false. They're an obvious attempt to distract people from what is truly taking place within Iran's borders. This tired strategy of using old tensions to scapegoat other countries won't work anymore in Iran. This is not about the United States or the West; this is about the people of Iran, and the future that they – and only they – will choose.The Iranian people can speak for themselves. That's precisely what's happened in the last few days. In 2009, no iron fist is strong enough to shut off the world from bearing witness to peaceful protests [sic] of justice. Despite the Iranian government's efforts to expel journalists and isolate itself, powerful images and poignant words have made their way to us through cell phones and computers, and so we've watched what the Iranian people are doing.This is what we've witnessed. We've seen the timeless dignity of tens of thousands of Iranians marching in silence. We've seen people of all ages risk everything to insist that their votes are counted and that their voices are heard. Above all, we've seen courageous women stand up to the brutality and threats, and we've experienced the searing image of a woman bleeding to death on the streets. While this loss is raw and extraordinarily painful, we also know this: Those who stand up for justice are always on the right side of history.As I said in Cairo, suppressing ideas never succeeds in making them go away. The Iranian people have a universal right to assembly and free speech. If the Iranian government seeks the respect of the international community, it must respect those rights and heed the will of its own people. It must govern through consent and not coercion. That's what Iran's own people are calling for, and the Iranian people will ultimately judge the actions of their own government.Transcript in Persian:
And finally, read an Arabic translation as well (pdf). -
Today the White House will be holding a roundtable on the 37th Anniversary of Title IX featuring Senior Advisor Valerie Jarrett, Education Secretary Arne Duncan and an all-star line-up of women athletes and scientists. In addition to the roundtable participants, which include Billie Jean King and Dominique Dawes, 30 local high school aged girls will be in the audience along with several professional athletes and well-known Title IX advocates.We are once again using our "White House Live" Facebook application, which will allow you to discuss the Roundtable and watch the live-stream at the same time. The participants at the Roundtable will also be kept up to date with your questions and comments.[UPDATE: This event has now concluded.]If you are not a Facebook user, you can also watch it live at WhiteHouse.gov/live/discuss, and we will have a special comment form you can use to communicate with us there as well.Over the past few days women athletes (current and former) have been submitting photos of themselves in action, which we are featuring now in this new kind of photo gallery below. You can still submit your own photo to be a part of it.
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June 23, 2009
11:40 AM EDTThe President will be holding a news conference today at 12:30 at the White House. He will be discussing topics ranging from the energy legislation moving through Congress, to Iran, to health care and the economy. As always, watch it streamed at WhiteHouse.gov/live, or go to our "White House Live" Facebook application where you can watch and discuss it with others. -
Ed. Note: The Middle Class Task Force is meeting today on the future of American manufacturing in Perrysburg, Ohio.When we think about manufacturing in America, most of us probably picture a big factory churning out cars or refrigerators. But there’s another side to manufacturing in America: the supply chains that provide these end-users with the inputs they need to make the final product.In fact, there are more workers at the suppliers for big companies that make cars, or appliances, or wind turbines than there are at the factory that actually puts the thing together. In the case of autos, suppliers employ 3-4 times the number of workers at the big factory at the end of the line.So supply chains are a big deal, and when the big factories hit hard times, the pain is amplified through this chain of suppliers. These are often good jobs too, so this is an important issue for the Middle Class Task Force.The good news here is that, while some segments of the manufacturing industry, like autos, are contracting, others, like wind and solar production, are expanding. And these folks need supply chains too.And while these manufacturing subsectors have been doing relatively well for a while, their growth is being accelerated by the Recovery Act, which helps to generate some pretty hefty demand for products like renewable energy, advanced battery technology, smart grid components, and advanced medical devices.So we’re in that space where crisis equals opportunity, but we need to make sure that suppliers have the information they need to make the necessary transition. They don’t always know what these new, growing industries are, what kinds of parts they need, and whether those parts are a good fit for the equipment and the skilled workforce the suppliers already have.Another problem is that, even with the right equipment, suppliers can’t turn on a dime. They’ll often need to retool existing equipment (e.g., they might still make transmissions/gearboxes, but for a turbine instead of a car) and perhaps even learn whole new technologies.That’s where the Commerce Department’s Manufacturing Extension Partnership and its National Innovation Marketplace (NIM) come in. The task force and our friends at Commerce see the NIM as a great solution to this problem, but it’s really just a pilot project now. As we’ll announce today in Perrysburg, Ohio, we plan to bring it up to scale.The NIM helps manufacturers figure out what new products they can make and whom they can sell them to. It helps connect suppliers, who have often depended on one customer for years or decades, to large manufacturers in new industries who can become their customers of the future.These suppliers have valuable, advanced equipment and some of the most skilled manufacturing workforces in the world. In some cases, all they need is information. In other cases, they might need to craft a new business plan, involving new capital, new tools, and new technologies. Oftentimes their workers will need new skills.This isn’t a huge, new, expensive program, but it doesn’t have to be, because once we help manufacturers get the information they need, they’ll be able to take advantage of new opportunities and thrive in new industries. By helping our manufacturers make that shift, from aging industries into vibrant, growing manufacturing subsectors, this program will help put them on a self-sustaining path, building strong supply chains to support the new economy and creating good jobs along the way.Jared Bernstein is Executive Director of the Middle Class Task Force and the Vice President's Chief Economist
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Beth Noveck, Deputy Chief Technology Officer for Open Government, asks you to help inform the drafting of the "Open Government Directive" to Executive Branch agencies over at the White House Open Government blog.
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June 22, 2009
05:05 PM EDTIt’s been a busy Monday for members of the President’s Cabinet, with members traveling across the country to kick off United We Serve. Here are some highlights of what the Departments did today – check back in a couple days for a full multimedia profile:- U.S. Trade Representative Kirk fed the homeless at The Stewpot Second Chance Cafe in Dallas.
- Secretary of the Interior Salazar traveled today to Shenandoah National Park where he joined volunteer groups to help remove exotic plants that are harmful to the natural environment.
- Housing and Urban Development Secretary Donovan was in New Orleans today to help volunteers rebuild a home that was destroyed by Hurricane Katrina.
- Commerce Secretary Locke went to the La Mesita Homeless Shelter for Families in Arizona to read to children and serve lunch.
- Secretary of Defense Gates visited our veterans at Walter Reed Medical Center.
- Ambassador Kirk fed the homeless at The Stewpot Second Chance Cafe in Dallas.
- The Treasury Department announced $268 million in Recovery Act funds to develop affordable housing units in Indiana, Missouri, Tennessee, and Washington, D.C. for families that have been affected by the housing crisis.
- HUD is joining the USDA to utilize their cutting edge geospatial project. HUD will upload Recovery Act data into the USDA’s web tool to allow Americans to see exactly where HUD is spending money allocated by the Recovery Act.
- The Department of Health and Human Services announced a funding opportunity which aims to create Aging and Disability Resource Centers in every state. These will serve as a "one-stop-shop" for information, counseling, and access to programs and services that can enable people with disabilities to remain in their own homes.
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If you're a woman who has participated in athletics, take Ambassador Susan Rice's advice and submit a photo of yourself to help us celebrate Title IX's 37th Anniversary tomorrow.
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