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With the President having just declared a major disaster in the State of Georgia as a result of severe storms and flooding, Vice President Joe Biden visited the state today to comfort local residents and survey affected areas."Communities like yours may have lost a lot of the physical structure, but it looks to me you've kept a lot of the grit and determination," the Vice President said at a news conference in Marietta, Ga., an Atlanta suburb. The Vice President also promised relief to the area: "We're going to have people come see you," he said. "This is not going to happen overnight. This is not going to happen tomorrow, but it's going to happen."
(Vice President Joe Biden adjusts his microphone on board an US Coast Guard Helicopter before taking off to survey flood damage in Marietta, Georgia. Official White House Photo by David Lienemann)
(Vice President Joe Biden tours a shelter at the Cobb County Civic Center and talks to families who are living in the shelter due to flooding, in Marietta, Georgia. Official White House Photo by David Lienemann)
(Vice President Joe Biden gives a statement on flood recovery outside a temporary shelter at the Cobb County Civic Center, in Marietta, Georgia. Official White House Photo by David Lienemann) -
September 25, 2009
04:00 PM EDTNothing wraps up a long day of important meetings like a livestream and live-chat. So, we're wrapping up the Pittsburgh G20 with a bang. Watch and discuss President Obama's concluding press conference in Pittsburgh on WhiteHouse.gov and Facebook. It'll be a wordly affair!UPDATE: This event has now concluded. -
This morning President Obama was joined by French President Sarkozy and British Prime Minister Brown in taking a harsh tone towards the Iranian Government's behavior:PRESIDENT OBAMA: Good morning. We are here to announce that yesterday in Vienna, the United States, the United Kingdom, and France presented detailed evidence to the IAEA demonstrating that the Islamic Republic of Iran has been building a covert uranium enrichment facility near Qom for several years.Earlier this week, the Iranian government presented a letter to the IAEA that made reference to a new enrichment facility, years after they had started its construction. The existence of this facility underscores Iran's continuing unwillingness to meet its obligations under U.N. Security Council resolutions and IAEA requirements. We expect the IAEA to immediately investigate this disturbing information, and to report to the IAEA Board of Governors.Now, Iran's decision to build yet another nuclear facility without notifying the IAEA represents a direct challenge to the basic compact at the center of the non-proliferation regime. These rules are clear: All nations have the right to peaceful nuclear energy; those nations with nuclear weapons must move towards disarmament; those nations without nuclear weapons must forsake them. That compact has largely held for decades, keeping the world far safer and more secure. And that compact depends on all nations living up to their responsibilities.This site deepens a growing concern that Iran is refusing to live up to those international responsibilities, including specifically revealing all nuclear-related activities. As the international community knows, this is not the first time that Iran has concealed information about its nuclear program. Iran has a right to peaceful nuclear power that meets the energy needs of its people. But the size and configuration of this facility is inconsistent with a peaceful program. Iran is breaking rules that all nations must follow – endangering the global non-proliferation regime, denying its own people access to the opportunity they deserve, and threatening the stability and security of the region and the world.It is time for Iran to act immediately to restore the confidence of the international community by fulfilling its international obligations. We remain committed to serious, meaningful engagement with Iran to address the nuclear issue through the P5-plus-1 negotiations. Through this dialogue, we are committed to demonstrating that international law is not an empty promise; that obligations must be kept; and that treaties will be enforced.And that's why there's a sense of urgency about the upcoming meeting on October 1st between Iran, the permanent members of the U.N. Security Council, and Germany. At that meeting, Iran must be prepared to cooperate fully and comprehensively with the IAEA to take concrete steps to create confidence and transparency in its nuclear program and to demonstrate that it is committed to establishing its peaceful intentions through meaningful dialogue and concrete actions.To put it simply: Iran must comply with U.N. Security Council resolutions and make clear it is willing to meet its responsibilities as a member of the community of nations. We have offered Iran a clear path toward greater international integration if it lives up to its obligations, and that offer stands. But the Iranian government must now demonstrate through deeds its peaceful intentions or be held accountable to international standards and international law.I should point out that although the United Kingdom, France, and the United States made the presentation to Vienna, that Germany, a member of the P5-plus-1, and Chancellor Merkel in particular, who could not be here this morning, wished to associate herself with these remarks.
(President Barack Obama, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, and French President Nicolas Sarkozy make remarks about Iran prior to the morning plenary of the G-20 Pittsburgh Summit at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center in Pittsburgh, Penn., Sept. 25, 2009. Official White House Photo by Samantha Appleton.) -
September 25, 2009
11:06 AM EDTAt an event earlier this week at George Mason University, Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and Department of Education Secretary Arne Duncan announced the winner of a video contest focused on flu prevention. The H1N1 Rap by Dr. Clarke beat out more than 200 other video entries to win $2500 in cash and a spot on national television.Check out the winning video:Viewing this video requires Adobe Flash Player 8 or higher. Download the free player.On July 9th of this year, Secretary Sebelius asked American citizens to help ongoing flu efforts by creating their own public service announcements. Tapping into the creativity of the American public, the video contest was aimed at finding innovative ways to inform people about the flu, promote good hygiene habits, and encourage Americans to take steps to stay healthy this flu season. "All Americans share the responsibility to be prepared and inform friends, family, and communities about flu prevention and good health," said Sebelius.Videos were submitted from all over the country and by Americans of all ages and backgrounds. All of the video submissions were reviewed by video communication and public health experts, who narrowed the competition to 10 finalists. To select the winning video, the American public was again asked to participate and use the HHS YouTube channel to vote for their favorites. In early September, more than 50,000 votes were cast during the 18-day voting period. The winning video, The H1N1 Rap by Dr. Clarke, was submitted by Dr. John Clarke, who is the Medical Director for the Long Island Railroad, and videotaped at the Columbia University campus in Manhattan. -
[Download Full Size] (First Lady Michelle Obama hosts spouses of world leaders attending the G-20 Pittsburgh Summit during a dinner at Rosemont Farm in Pittsburgh, Penn., Sept. 24, 2009. Official White House Photo by Lawrence Jackson)
[Download Full Size] (First Lady Michelle Obama hosts spouses of world leaders attending the G-20 Pittsburgh Summit during a dinner at Rosemont Farm in Pittsburgh, Penn., Sept. 24, 2009. Official White House Photo by Lawrence Jackson) -
¿Tiene dudas sobre cómo la reforma del seguro médico le pudiera beneficiar a usted y su familia? WhiteHouse.gov ha puesto a su disposición en su página web "La realidad" (Reality Check), un cuestionario que le ayudará a clarificar sus dudas. Solo tiene que responder una o más preguntas, hacer clic en el botón de enviar y automáticamente verá las respuestas.Por ejemplo, si usted contesta que tiene hijos, el cuestionario le ofrecerá información sobre los beneficios en cobertura y calidad de atención médica que la reforma le ofrece para ellos.Visite hoy la página web "La realidad", conteste el cuestionario e infórmese más sobre la reforma del seguro médico del Presidente Obama para todos los estadounidenses.What’s in Reform for You? Take the quiz in SpanishDo you have questions on how health insurance reform can benefit you and your family? Whitehouse.gov has launched a quizin Spanish available on the Reality Check (la realidad) website that will help you clarify your doubts. Just answer a few questions, click on the "submit" button and you will get the answers automatically.For example, if you answer yes on the "do you have children" question, the quiz will give you information about coverage and quality health care that reform will have for your kids.Visit today the Reality Check website, take the quiz and get more information about President Obama’s health insurance reform for all Americans.[The quiz is available in English at /realitycheck/quiz.]
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September 24, 2009
06:19 PM EDTPresident Obama has asked the President's Economic Recovery Advisory Board (PERAB) to develop options for tax reform. The members of the tax subcommittee are preparing ideas to be considered by the board and would like to give anyone a chance to have input into the process on this important issue. Anyone wanting to share ideas and opinions for consideration by the subcommittee can do so here. The deadline for submissions is October 15th, 2009.Note: The mandate to the PERAB is NOT to recommend a new tax system. They are to consider ideas on tax simplification, better enforcement of tax law, and reforming corporate taxes and to present the pros and cons of potential tax options. They were instructed not to consider options that involve raising taxes on families making less than $250,000 per year. So be mindful of their constraints when submitting ideas.In general, the tax subcommittee will post all comments online for others to examine and those suggestions may spur other people's ideas. All statements, including attachments and other supporting materials, received are part of the public record and subject to public disclosure. You should submit only information that you wish to make available publicly. Please do not submit materials exceeding five single-spaced pages of text. If submitting via e-mail, please send to perab@do.treas.gov. Please also include a cover sheet including the submitter's name and organization, type of organization (individual, business, government, non-profit organization, or association), submission date, and contact information.Thank you for your help.UPDATE: View comments submitted by the public below:
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September 24, 2009
05:32 PM EDTOn Monday September 21, the US Department of Transportation (DOT) Secretary LaHood kicked off a partnership with Spelman College in Atlanta that will develop women leaders in transportation and offer a head start to future women small business owners. This Pilot Entrepreneurial Training and Technical Assistance Women and Girls Program will provide internships and mentoring for young women, as well as entrepreneurial training for female small business owners in the region.
(In attendance at the signing of the agreement was Myra Burnett, Vice Provost of Spelman College, joined by Mr. Brandon Neal, Director of the Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization, and Secretary Ray LaHood, Secretary of the US Department of Transportation.)Joining Secretary LaHood and Spelman Vice Provost Dr. Myra Burnett were Congressman John Lewis (D-GA) and Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin. Congressman Lewis reminded us of Spelman’s historic legacy and how this program continues the college’s long tradition of leadership. By illustrating Spelman’s unique place in the fabric of the region and the country as a whole, Congressman Lewis showed us how far we’ve come, but also what lies ahead.While it is true women have not always been as well represented in transportation as we would like, the White House Council and this program are steps to change that. Transportation is one of the most challenging and exciting industries in the country right now, and we would love to see more and more women pursue careers at DOT, such as air traffic controllers, highway engineers and safety inspectors – all good paying jobs – or other opportunities in the transportation field. With Spelman, which has produced exemplary women leaders since 1881, we could not have asked for a better partner. For more info on this and other DOT resources for women and girls, see http://www.dot.gov/wg/.Marlise Streitmatter is Deputy Chief of Staff at the U.S. Department of Transportation -
September 24, 2009
03:33 PM EDTAs we discussed yesterday, the Vice President spent the morning at a town hall with seniors in Maryland, dismantling the myths that have been put out there about health insurance reform. A new report from HHS showing that not only will reform leave seniors' Medicare benefits intact, it also includes a number of elements that can help bring seniors some additional peace of mind.We had the chance to get his thoughts on the event and why he's dumbfounded about the "malarkey" that's being spread about President Obama's health reform plan as it relates to seniors. Check out highlights of the event:Viewing this video requires Adobe Flash Player 8 or higher. Download the free player.download .mp4 (84 MB)
His discussion was bolstered by a new HHS report showing that not only will reform leave seniors' Medicare benefits intact, it also includes a number of elements that can help bring seniors some additional peace of mind. Reform would strengthen Medicare, cut high prescription drug costs, make preventive services free, end overpayments to private insurance companies that cost all Medicare beneficiaries, improve quality and patient safety, and make long term care services more affordable – just for starters.All very serious stuff, but the Vice President was in true form yesterday, even quietly coming off stage and slipping into the crowd during the conversation:
(Vice President Joe Biden sits with the audience at a health care town hall at Leisure World in Silver Springs, MD on Wednesday, September 23, 2009) -
During this morning's remarks to members of the UN Security Council, President Obama returned to an issue that was a major theme of his trip to the last G20 Summit in Europe: the spread and use of nuclear weapons:
(President Barack Obama chairs a meeting of the United Nations Security Council at the United Nations headquarters, Thursday, Sept. 24, 2009. Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)As I said yesterday, this very institution was founded at the dawn of the atomic age, in part because man's capacity to kill had to be contained. And although we averted a nuclear nightmare during the Cold War, we now face proliferation of a scope and complexity that demands new strategies and new approaches. Just one nuclear weapon exploded in a city – be it New York or Moscow; Tokyo or Beijing; London or Paris – could kill hundreds of thousands of people. And it would badly destabilize our security, our economies, and our very way of life.Once more, the United Nations has a pivotal role to play in preventing this crisis. The historic resolution we just adopted enshrines our shared commitment to the goal of a world without nuclear weapons. And it brings Security Council agreement on a broad framework for action to reduce nuclear dangers as we work toward that goal. It reflects the agenda I outlined in Prague, and builds on a consensus that all nations have the right to peaceful nuclear energy; that nations with nuclear weapons have the responsibility to move toward disarmament; and those without them have the responsibility to forsake them.In closing, the President acknowledged the challenges ahead, citing the compelling words of President Ronald Reagan:
(President Barack Obama chairs a meeting of the United Nations Security Council at the United Nations headquarters, Thursday, Sept. 24, 2009. Sitting behind him are Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Natios Susan E. Rice. Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)Now, we harbor no illusions about the difficulty of bringing about a world without nuclear weapons. We know there are plenty of cynics, and that there will be setbacks to prove their point. But there will also be days like today that push us forward – days that tell a different story. It is the story of a world that understands that no difference or division is worth destroying all that we have built and all that we love. It is a recognition that can bring people of different nationalities and ethnicities and ideologies together. In my own country, it has brought Democrats and Republican leaders together – leaders like George Shultz, Bill Perry, Henry Kissinger, and Sam Nunn, who are with us here today. And it was a Republican President, Ronald Reagan, who once articulated the goal we now seek in the starkest of terms. I quote:"A nuclear war cannot be won and must never be fought. And no matter how great the obstacles may seem, we must never stop our efforts to reduce the weapons of war. We must never stop until all – we must never stop at all until we see the day when nuclear arms have been banished from the face of the Earth." -
September 24, 2009
12:22 PM EDTI drove into Pittsburgh late last night. It’s a familiar drive. I grew up in nearby Altoona and frequently made the trip into the Steel City for volleyball tournaments and math contests.But as I drove in this time, everything seemed – well, a bit different. A little shinier and new. The Three Sisters, the nearly identical suspension bridges spanning the Allegheny River in downtown, glowed with a greater distinction. I felt an electric energy in the air and, despite the late hour, locals crowded the streets working into the night in preparation for the world stage. Even Heinz Field seemed more statuesque – and not just because I am devout Pittsburgh Steelers fan. (We’ll get back on track this week guys. Cinci, we’re coming for ya!)And as I thought a little more about what was different – it clicked. Here’s a city that has risen to the occasion. And not just for the G20 Summit. Here’s a city that has got its groove back – adapting and transforming from the industry of old into a hotbed of innovation and the green economy of now. As the President describes, "Pittsburgh stands as a bold example of how to create new jobs and industries while transitioning to a 21st century economy" … it "will provide a beautiful backdrop and a powerful example of our work" as a showcase to the world.This is why the Steel City is on the world stage this week for the G20 Summit. And this hometown gal can’t help but be giddy with pride.Leaders from countries around the world that represent 85 percent of the world’s economy are here for the Summit. On the agenda? President Obama says it’s a time and place where "we can come together to advance our common interest in a global recovery, while turning the page to a truly 21st century economy."To stay up to date on the latest happenings in the Steel City, tune in to PittsburghSummit.gov where my colleagues at the State Department will be tweeting and blogging up a storm around the event. You may even find a note or two from me there as well. -
September 24, 2009
11:26 AM EDTWe wanted to share with you the specific guidelines for public outreach meetings that we are providing to staff at the White House and agencies around the federal government. A recent administration conference call about the arts has generated some questions about how we go about achieving our commitment to public engagement. We wanted to make these guidelines public to answer questions about our policies and to make clear the steps we are taking to ensure that there is no further cause for questions or concerns about that commitment.Along with this memo, we have also conducted a meeting with the chiefs of staff of the executive branch agencies and have held the first of a series of training sessions at the White House to discuss rules and best practices in this area. Though we have made clear that the call was made with the best of intentions and we believe public engagement is an appropriate and vital part of effective governmental functioning, certain comments on the call raised appearance issues that troubled some participants. Accordingly, we are now issuing this memo as part of our ongoing effort to make our guidelines as clear as possible and we will be conducting further training sessions and personal visits with staff here to make sure the message gets across.Bill Burton is Deputy Press Secretary -
President Obama convened an unprecedented meeting with the leaders of countries who contribute troops and police to peacekeeping operations around the world. On the rare occasions when UN blue helmets have made the news in the past, it has unfortunately too often been in the context of situations where peacekeepers have failed to shield civilians, or even when the peacekeepers themselves have been involved in abuse. But every day more than 113,000 peacekeepers around the world go unrecognized as they put their lives on the line to patrol tense front lines, assist the delivery of humanitarian aid, and protect civilians in harm’s way. In light of his administration's commitment to global burden sharing and to peace and security, President Obama felt that it was important to gather those who have put troops in the line of fire to express his appreciation for their sacrifice, and to solicit their views on how best to strengthen peacekeeping, a vital instrument for U.S. security and global stability.
(President Barack Obama and U.N. official Ahmad Fawzi lay a wreath at the memorial honoring United Nations staff members killed in the line of duty, Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2009, at the United Nations. Looking on at left are U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations Susan E. Rice and Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton. Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)Shortly after noon today President Obama sat down with Heads of State from Bangladesh, Rwanda, Italy, Pakistan, Ghana, Senegal, Nepal, Uruguay on the challenges faced by peacekeepers in the field. Observers to the gathering of Heads of State included Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, U.S. Ambassador to the UN Susan Rice, and Foreign ministers and/or UN permanent representative from other leading contributors, China, Egypt, Ethiopia, Jordan, Nigeria. [Prime Minister Singh of India, the second largest troop contributor to UN peacekeeping, sent his sincere regrets, as he was unable to attend the 64th UN General Assembly.]The meeting included lively interventions from each of the assembled heads of state. A few highlights: President Obama thanked President Kagame of Rwanda for the fine service of his forces in Darfur, and the Rwandan President expressed the hope that the United States and other UN member states would help reenergize political processes so that peacekeepers would in fact have "a peace to keep." President Zadari of Pakistan, the UN's leading troop contributor (with more than 10,000 soldiers active around the world) expressed tremendous pride in his country's forces and emphasized the salutary effect of UN missions of so many nationalities mingling in service of a common cause. Prime Minister Nepal of Nepal – a country active in peacekeeping for more than five decades – stressed the peacekeepers' need for greater logistic support, and greater clarity in Security Council mandates. [He also said he had brought President Obama the gift of a large Gurkha knife, to symbolize Nepal’s commitment to peace – a knife that the U.S. secret service could not allow him to deliver!] And President Vasquez of Uruguay declared peacekeeping a bargain investments, as its benefits to all countries dramatically outweigh its financial costs. He also said that President Obama’s attention to the issue "had not gone unnoticed" around the world.President Obama, who listened and took notes during much of the meeting, concluded by summarizing what he took to be the key message from the troop contributing countries represented: UN member states needed to work together to: ensure that the resources provided to peacekeepers are sufficient to enable them to carry out the mandates given to them; improve and expand the training, equipping, and transporting of peacekeepers; invest in prevention and conflict resolution so that peacekeeping is not simply what he called a "band-aid for where there is insufficient diplomatic attention;" support, listen to, and, above all, protect local populations. The President pledged to those gathered that his administration "would follow up on a bilateral as well as a multilateral basis so that you receive the support, respect, and thanks that you deserve."Samantha Power is the Senior Director for Mulilateral Affairs. -
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At a town hall meeting today with seniors in Silver Spring, MD, Vice President Joe Biden and Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius discussed the release of a new report, "Health Insurance Reform and Medicare: Making Medicare Stronger for America's Seniors." The Vice President was perfectly clear: "Nobody is going to mess with your benefits. All we do is make it better for people on Medicare."He joked about having to disabuse his own mother of myths being spread around about "death panels" and reduced Medicare benefits, getting laughs at the line: "I said, 'Mom, I'm trying to kill you," before explaining to her that it was a "bunch of malarkey." -
In this morning's speech to the United Nations General Assembly, President Obama covered a range of topics—all under the umbrella of his desire for leaders to recognize the "common future" of a world in which "the interests of peoples and nations are shared."
(President Barack Obama addresses the General Assembly of the UN in New York, Wednesday, September 23, 2009. Official White House photo by Samantha Appleton.)He took the opportunity to reflect upon his first nine months in office, highlighting his administration's priorities and looking forward to challenges ahead:On my first day in office, I prohibited – without exception or equivocation – the use of torture by the United States of America. (Applause.) I ordered the prison at Guantanamo Bay closed, and we are doing the hard work of forging a framework to combat extremism within the rule of law. Every nation must know: America will live its values, and we will lead by example.We have set a clear and focused goal: to work with all members of this body to disrupt, dismantle, and defeat al Qaeda and its extremist allies – a network that has killed thousands of people of many faiths and nations, and that plotted to blow up this very building. In Afghanistan and Pakistan, we and many nations here are helping these governments develop the capacity to take the lead in this effort, while working to advance opportunity and security for their people.In Iraq, we are responsibly ending a war. We have removed American combat brigades from Iraqi cities, and set a deadline of next August to remove all our combat brigades from Iraqi territory. And I have made clear that we will help Iraqis transition to full responsibility for their future, and keep our commitment to remove all American troops by the end of 2011.I have outlined a comprehensive agenda to seek the goal of a world without nuclear weapons. In Moscow, the United States and Russia announced that we would pursue substantial reductions in our strategic warheads and launchers. At the Conference on Disarmament, we agreed on a work plan to negotiate an end to the production of fissile materials for nuclear weapons. And this week, my Secretary of State will become the first senior American representative to the annual Members Conference of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty.Upon taking office, I appointed a Special Envoy for Middle East Peace, and America has worked steadily and aggressively to advance the cause of two states – Israel and Palestine – in which peace and security take root, and the rights of both Israelis and Palestinians are respected.To confront climate change, we have invested $80 billion in clean energy. We have substantially increased our fuel-efficiency standards. We have provided new incentives for conservation, launched an energy partnership across the Americas, and moved from a bystander to a leader in international climate negotiations.To overcome an economic crisis that touches every corner of the world, we worked with the G20 nations to forge a coordinated international response of over $2 trillion in stimulus to bring the global economy back from the brink. We mobilized resources that helped prevent the crisis from spreading further to developing countries. And we joined with others to launch a $20 billion global food security initiative that will lend a hand to those who need it most, and help them build their own capacity.We've also re-engaged the United Nations. We have paid our bills. We have joined the Human Rights Council. (Applause.) We have signed the Convention of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. We have fully embraced the Millennium Development Goals. And we address our priorities here, in this institution – for instance, through the Security Council meeting that I will chair tomorrow on nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament, and through the issues that I will discuss today.This is what we have already done. But this is just a beginning. Some of our actions have yielded progress. Some have laid the groundwork for progress in the future. But make no mistake: This cannot solely be America's endeavor. Those who used to chastise America for acting alone in the world cannot now stand by and wait for America to solve the world's problems alone. We have sought – in word and deed – a new era of engagement with the world. And now is the time for all of us to take our share of responsibility for a global response to global challenges.The President also outlined the "Four Pillars" he believes are "fundamental to the future that we want for our children": "non-proliferation and disarmament; the promotion of peace and security; the preservation of our planet; and a global economy that advances opportunity for all people."
(President Barack Obama addresses the General Assembly of the UN in New York, Wednesday, September 23, 2009. Official White House photo by Samantha Appleton.)In closing, the President offered a fresh take on the crucial choice that faces the international body:In short, the United Nations can be an institution that is disconnected from what matters in the lives of our citizens, or it can be an indispensable factor in advancing the interests of the people we serve.We have reached a pivotal moment. The United States stands ready to begin a new chapter of international cooperation – one that recognizes the rights and responsibilities of all nations. And so, with confidence in our cause, and with a commitment to our values, we call on all nations to join us in building the future that our people so richly deserve. -
September 23, 2009
09:44 AM EDTEd. Note: Watch the speech live at 10:00 EDT through WhiteHouse.gov, or watch and discuss it with others through Facebook. [UPDATE: This event has now concluded.]This morning, President Obama will deliver his first speech to the United Nations General Assembly. He will address his view of international cooperation in the 21st century and the need to move beyond old divisions to focus on the future. The President will lay out a new direction that he has set for American foreign policy and talk about our mutual responsibilities to make progress on several key priorities that will advance our common security and prosperity.In his remarks, the President will talk about the fact that, in the year 2009, more than at any point in human history, the interests of all nations and peoples are shared. Specifically, he will put forward four pillars that are fundamental to the future that we want for our children in the 21st century: non-proliferation and disarmament; the promotion of peace and security; the preservation of our planet; and a global economy that advances opportunity for all people.The President will acknowledge that we have reached a pivotal moment, and that the countries of the United Nations must embrace a new era of engagement based on mutual interest and mutual respect, and our work must begin now.I hope you’ll take a moment to watch the President’s speech live on whitehouse.gov or read his remarks calling on all nations to join us in building a new chapter of international cooperation that recognizes the rights and responsibilities of all nations.Denis Mcdonough is Deputy National Security Advisor for Strategic Communications -
September 22, 2009
10:38 PM EDTHere's the video from President Obama's appearance on the Late Show with David Letterman. Talk of foreign policy, economic recovery, and health insurance reform is punctuated by a special gift of produce. Check it out:
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. -
Certainly one of the most important stops of the President's busy visit to New York was a series of meetings between President Obama, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu and President Abbas of the Palestinian Authority. Immediately following bilateral meetings with each of them, and just before a final trilateral meeting, President Obama commented on the progress being made and clearly stated his message to the leaders:And so my message to these two leaders is clear. Despite all the obstacles, despite all the history, despite all the mistrust, we have to find a way forward. We have to summon the will to break the deadlock that has trapped generations of Israelis and Palestinians in an endless cycle of conflict and suffering. We cannot continue the same pattern of taking tentative steps forward and then stepping back. Success depends on all sides acting with a sense of urgency. And that is why I have asked Secretary Clinton and Senator Mitchell to carry forward the work that we do here today.
(President Barack Obama, President Mahmoud Abbas and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu shake hands before a trilateral at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York, New York on Tuesday September 22, 2009. Official White House photo by Samantha Appleton)Afterwards, in a twenty-minute question and answer session in New York City, US special envoy George Mitchell spoke with the press regarding the trilateral meeting, emphasizing the importance of both parties' desire to re-launch a peace initiative.The President had direct and constructive meetings with both Prime Minister Netanyahu and President Abbas, and then he held his first trilateral meeting with the two leaders. As the President said, this was an important moment. Let me first give you some brief details.Each of the three meetings was about 40 minutes long. The tone was positive and determined. The President made clear his commitment to moving forward, and the leaders shared their commitment. In the meetings with Prime Minister Netanyahu and President Abbas, the President was joined by Secretary Clinton, General Jones, Tom Donilon and myself. For the trilateral meeting, the President was joined by Secretary Clinton, General Jones and myself.In their meetings, Prime Minister Netanyahu was joined by Foreign Minister Lieberman, Defense Minister Barak, and National Security Advisor Arad. President Abbas was joined by Secretary General Yasser Abed Rabo, Negotiations Affairs Department Director Saeb Erekat, and Foreign Minister Riyad Al-Maliki.This was the first meeting between Israelis and Palestinians at this level in nearly a year. Even nine months ago, such a meeting did not seem possible. Less than a week before President Obama took office, conflict was raging in Gaza and southern Israel, causing deep suffering on both sides. Today the atmosphere is different. Both parties share the goal of a two-state solution and of comprehensive peace. And both parties seek the re-launch of negotiations as soon as possible, although there are differences between them on how to proceed. The United States stands with them to help advance toward these objectives.We have made progress, on security and economic opportunity in particular, but we have much further to go. As the President said in his public comments, it's past time to talk about starting negotiations. All sides must summon the will to move forward. Permanent status negotiations must begin, and begin soon. This was a message that the President conveyed to each of the leaders in private, as well.We're now going to enter into an intensive, yet brief, period of discussion in an effort to re-launch negotiations. Our aim is clear: to finally succeed in achieving our shared goals and to end the cycle of conflict that has done so much harm.I will be meeting with my Israeli and Palestinian counterparts, and with the Arab states as well, and we'll build on the work that was done today to encourage all parties to take responsibility for peace and to act on their commitments. -
In the heat of the debate about the need to fundamentally reform the way financial markets operate, both here in America and abroad, one crucially important point risks getting lost: the stakes for the middle class.Too often, debates like these end up with the regulators on one side and those whom they would regulate on the other. When the debate is focused on obscurities like over-the-counter derivatives and accounting standards, it becomes that much easier for the rest of us to tune out and let the vested interests fight it out among themselves.But when it comes to reforming our financial system, sitting this one out would be a big mistake. If we get this wrong, the damage will reverberate far beyond Wall Street.It's all too easy to see why failing to reform our financial system could be so devastating to the middle class. Just look around: the origins of this Great Recession were the unchecked excesses and reckless behavior in the financial industry, as easy money and flimsy underwriting gave rise to a massive housing bubble. When the bubble burst, the financial structure supporting this expansion turned out to be a house of cards, and as that house collapsed, the shock waves were felt not just on Wall Street, but around the world.So how exactly do these troubles in our financial system affect middle-class families? Lots of ways—and none of them good.Most immediately, there are tons of middle-class jobs associated with residential housing, from construction to furnishings to real estate, and many of these jobs have been lost. (Employment in residential construction and contracting, for example, is down one million jobs off of its peak). Next, most middle-class homeowners, for whom homes are their most valuable asset, have taken a big hit to their wealth, with home prices down over 30%. The huge spike in foreclosures—another symptom of the bust—is a major contributing factor here: studies show that when a home is foreclosed, the price of nearby homes can fall as much as 9%.Then there's the impact of the credit crunch on business activity, on loans, and once again, on jobs. As much as it sometimes seems as if Wall Street and Main Street exist on different planets, they’re intimately connected. Whether it's a loan for a home, a car, or a college education—or just credit for a small business to keep its shelves stocked—the credit freeze born of the collapse of the housing bubble is a chill that continues to be felt throughout this nation. What starts as a risky derivatives trade in the boardroom of a New York skyscraper can all too easily end up as a distressed conversation around the kitchen table in a middle-class home in Wisconsin.And there's another crucial piece of fallout from all of this bubble-driven speculation, one that has been particularly damaging to the middle class: financial bubbles are associated with income growth bypassing low- and middle-income families and accumulating at the very top of the income scale. Before the crash, in 2007, the wealthiest 1% of households received 23.5% of all income, the highest share on record going back to the early 1900s. But there was one ominous exception: 1928, the year before the crash that began the Great Depression, when 23.9% of the income went to the top 1%. That bubble didn’t end too well either, as you may have heard.And while the top was surfing the big wave, the middle class was treading water and the poor were drowning. Despite years of economic growth and solid productivity in the last economic expansion, the median income went nowhere and poverty rose. Incredibly, according to Census Bureau data, real median household income in 2008 was about $1,000 lower—that's right, I said lower—than it was a decade before.For all of these reasons, President Obama is proposing the most significant overhaul of the financial system since the 1930s. From the perspective of middle-class families, the reforms we've proposed have a clear mission: to create and enforce common-sense rules of the road that will ensure we're not back here again a few years from now.For example, the Consumer Financial Protection Agency we've proposed would, if created, enforce fair rules to eliminate the misleading terms, hidden fees, and exploding interest rates that some banks use to pad their profit margins at the expense of ordinary Americans.This kind of abuse is a big problem for middle-class families. During the housing bubble, banks and mortgage lenders routinely drew families into mortgages they didn’t understand and couldn’t afford. Some of these mortgages looked affordable at first, but their interest rates skyrocketed after a few years; others gave homeowners the option of interest-only payments for the first few years, without mentioning that this "option" had a good chance of leaving the homeowner with an underwater and unaffordable mortgage a few years down the road.The Consumer Financial Protection Agency would also regulate the practice of charging exorbitant hidden fees on credit and debit cards. For years, rather than seeing genuinely transparent competition on price and service, we’ve seen banks seeking to profit from credit card lines by burying fees in the fine print. For example, banks will make $27 billion this year just from the overdraft fees they charge on debit cards. We want to stop the practice of charging misleading or abusive hidden fees so that consumers know what they’ll be paying and can choose the product that offers the best price and terms.Another key aspect of reform is to prevent what's come to be known as "systemic risk." One reason we ended up in the mess we're in is that financial institutions around the world became tightly linked, owing huge sums to each other in contracts built on massive amounts of debt and supported largely by the assumption that home prices could defy gravity forever.Those links meant that the failure of one financial institution could threaten the entire system. President Obama's reform plan puts regulation in place to oversee these linkages and to ensure that the financial system borrows and lends responsibly instead of relying on excessive leverage to take on huge risks in search of huge profits.Still, even with these safeguards, it's important to be prepared in case we once again find a major financial institution on the brink of collapse. In the aftermath of the Great Depression, we faced a similar problem: when one bank failed, there were runs on other banks, creating a destructive domino effect. To deal with this problem, Congress created the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. And for years, the FDIC has successfully prevented bank runs by efficiently shutting down failed banks while guaranteeing that the customers' deposits (up to $250,000) will be safe even if the bank fails.But in the case of today’s big "non-bank" financial institutions, like Lehman Brothers or AIG, we don't have these same options. Our reform plan introduces a crucial new function that would let regulators safely shut down troubled financial institutions without endangering the financial system, a function called "resolution authority." This proposal would help deal with the problem of financial institutions that are "too big to fail" by making sure that regulators can allow any institution to fail, but in a way that incurs minimal costs to taxpayers and doesn’t cripple the system.The President summed this all up eloquently: "Though they were not the cause of the crisis, American taxpayers through their government took extraordinary action to stabilize the financial industry. They shouldered the burden of the bailout and they are still bearing the burden of the fallout – in lost jobs, lost homes and lost opportunities."In other words, the debate over financial regulatory reform must not be an isolated debate solely involving regulators and traders. The outcome of these reforms must not be ceded to the lobbyists fighting for the status quo. These are kitchen table, wallet, pocketbook, and lunch-pail issues, directly linked to the prosperity of the middle class.Every day that stock markets open for trading on Wall Street, they ring the opening bell. Remember this: when it comes to financial regulatory reform, ask not for whom that bell tolls. It tolls for thee.Jared Bernstein is Chief Economist to Vice President Biden, and Executive Director of the Middle Class Task Force
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Today, I joined the President on his trip to the United Nations Climate Change Summit, where President Obama called on leaders from around the world to come together in pursuing policies that allow economies to grow without endangering out planet. The President delivered a message of international unity because no nation – regardless of size or wealth – can escape the impacts of climate change. As President Obama said today, rising sea levels threaten every coastline; threats like more powerful storms and floods, more frequent droughts and hunger are challenges that know no borders.It was an honor to join President Obama today at this historic UN Summit. And it was inspiring to see the many faces of the United Nations joined together to tackle this challenge.
(President Barack Obama addresses the Climate Change Summit at the UN General Assembly in New York, New York on Tuesday September 22, 2009. Official White House photo by Samantha Appleton)The time we have to reverse this tide is running out. But I am confident that we can reverse it.And no administration in the history of the United States has done more to promote clean energy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions in eight months than this one. From making the largest-ever investment in renewable energy to investing billions to cut energy waste, and proposing for the first time ever a new national standard aimed at both increasing fuel economy and reducing greenhouse gas pollution for all new cars and trucks. And most importantly, the House of Representatives passed an energy and climate bill in June that would finally make clean energy the profitable kind of energy for American businesses and dramatically reduce greenhouse gas emissions. We are looking forward to engaging with the Senate as they craft their legislation.Still, despite bold action from many of the nations seated before the UN, we know that much work remains to be done. And the President highlighted this point in his speech when he said, "We came [to the UN] because there’s so much more progress to be made." And there is progress to be made on all sides. Both developed nations that have caused much of the damage to our climate over the last century and developing nations that will produce nearly all the growth in carbon emissions in the decades ahead must do their parts.As we continue down this path of progress, we know we must also energize our efforts to put other developing nations – especially the poorest and most vulnerable – on a path to sustainable growth. Today the United States sat among these countries and pledged our to live up to our responsibility to provide the financial and technical assistance needed to help these nations adapt to the impacts of climate change and pursue low-carbon development. Today we called on all nations to not simply seek an agreement to limit greenhouse gas emissions, but to seek an agreement that will allow all nations to grow and raise living standards without endangering our planet.This great challenge has come to the fore among all nations of the world today – and from the floor of the UN General Assembly, for the first time, it was the United Stands that stood up to take the lead.Carol Browner is Assistant to the President for Energy and Climate Change
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