As part of her ongoing commitment to community service, First Lady Michelle Obama spearheaded an effort among White House staff this holiday season to support Toy for Tots, a program that donates toys to children for Christmas.

Just last week, she visited the Quantico Toys for Tots warehouse in Stafford, VA to drop off some of the toys donated by White House employees.  Take a look:

Toys for Tots is a program run by the U.S. Marine Corps reserve that has distributed more than 400 million toys to more than 188 million needy children over the past 62 years.  In 2008 alone, the program was active in 657 communities in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.

Learn how you can be part of the Toys for Tots program in your local community by visiting ToysforTots.org.

The President made clear early on that part of the way he intended to change the way Washington does business is by looking in every nook and cranny of government both for waste and abuse, and for ideas on how to root it out. Speaking in the Diplomatic room today, he had a chance to highlight both.   He was joined by Nancy Fichtner, the Veterans Affairs employee who won the SAVE Award contest for the most popular cost-saving idea from a federal employee. In addition to commending her after meeting with her in the Oval Office, he also announced progress on his order earlier this year for departments and agencies to identify billions in saving through contracting waste and abuse:

I am pleased to be joined this morning by my Secretary of Veterans Affairs, Ric Shinseki; my budget director, Peter Orszag; and our special guest, last but not least, the winner of the first annual SAVE Award -- and that's Nancy Fichtner of Loma, Colorado. 

Having met with Nancy a few minutes ago, I can tell you Nancy means business.  She is a single working mom; she's a clerk with the VA; she's an artist; she's an outdoorswoman; and she is an avid hunter.  In fact, somewhere in the western United States, there is an elk that is breathing a sigh of relief because Nancy is here instead of where she would have been:  hunting with her kids.  (Laughter.)  And I believe her children are here -- where's Nancy's kids?  There they are right there.  It's great to see you guys.  Nancy's daughter -- she skins and guts her elk, so don't mess with her either.  (Laughter.)

We're all here for a simple reason.  At a time when we face not only a fiscal crisis, but also a host of difficult challenges as a nation, business as usual in Washington just won't cut it.  We need a government that's more efficient, that's more effective, and far more fiscally responsible.

When my administration walked through the door, the country faced a growing economic downturn as well as a deepening fiscal hole.  Washington had passed massive tax cuts for the wealthy and an expensive new entitlement program without paying for any of it.  Health care costs continued to rise, year after year.  And little effort was made to cut wasteful spending.  As a result, over the previous eight years, the national debt doubled -- doubled.  In January, the deficit stood at $1.3 trillion.  And we had to make the difficult decision to add to the deficit in the short term to prevent the potential collapse of our economy. 

But as I've said, in the long run, we can't continue to spend as if deficits don't have consequences; as if waste doesn't matter; as if the hard-earned tax dollars of the American people can be treated like Monopoly money.  That's what we've seen time and time again.  Washington has been more concerned about the next election than the next generation.  It's put off hard choices in spending bill after spending bill, budget after bloated budget.

Government contracting is a perfect example.  Between 2002 and 2008, the amount spent on government contracts more than doubled.  The amount spent on no-bid, non-competitive contracts jumped by 129 percent.  This is an inexcusable waste of money.  And that's why, back in March, I ordered federal departments and agencies to come up with plans to save up to $40 billion a year in contracting by 2011.  And over the past six months, agencies have been making cuts by looking for better deals, by ending contracts and doing work in house, and by opening up no-bid contracts to competitive bidding.  Because of these efforts, I'm proud to announce today that we are on track to meet our goals.  Twenty-four departments have identified more than $19 billion in savings for this year alone. 

Learn more from the White House fact sheet, the Save Award page, or the OMB contracting reform report (pdf).

President Barack Obama talks with Nancy Fichtner, winner of the SAVE (Securing Americans Value and Efficiency) Award, in the Oval Office. Fichtner is a Fiscal Program Support Clerk at the Department of Veterans Affairs December 21, 2009. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

The popular blogging community focused on women, BlogHer, has been collecting questions over the weekend from their readers for HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, and today the Secretary answers some of those questions live. Last week HHS released a new report documenting in detail the extensive benefits reform will hold for families.

• Watch through WhiteHouse.gov/live.
• Watch and discuss it through Facebook.

UPDATE: This event has now concluded, watch the full video below.

Congress has been working hard for months to shape health insurance reform legislation that will bring down costs, expand coverage, increase accountability for insurers, and attack our mounting deficit. We got good news today on all those fronts, as fresh statements of support from the Small Business Majority, the American Cancer Society, and the American Diabetes Association amongst others make clear.

We learned today from the Congressional Budget Office that this bill will reduce the deficit by $132 billion over the first decade, and more than $1 trillion in the decade after that. That makes it the biggest deficit-reduction effort in over a decade. All while expanding coverage to 30 million more Americans.

But bringing down the deficit and expanding coverage are only part of what insurance reform will do. And today the Senate introduced a package of changes to their bill that will make critical progress in ensuring competition, providing affordable choices, and holding the insurance companies accountable. These improvements were bundled together in what’s called a manager’s amendment – and here are some of the highlights:

• Penalizing insurers for unfair rate hikes. If insurers who arbitrarily jack up rates before the exchanges come online, they won’t be allowed to participate in them – they’ll miss the opportunity to compete for millions of new customers. That creates a strong incentive to keep premiums low before the exchanges are up and running in 2014.
• Making sure your money goes toward care, not administrative costs. Insurers will be required to spend a greater portion of your premium on the care you receive, rather than administrative costs or salaries. And if they don’t, they’ll have to pay you a rebate.
• Ending discrimination based on pre-existing conditions. Once the exchanges are open in 2014, insurance companies will no longer be able to deny you coverage because you have a pre-existing condition. In the meantime, the legislation immediately creates a high-risk pool where adults with pre-existing conditions can purchase affordable coverage. And for families with kids, the news is even better: insurers will immediately be prohibited from denying coverage to kids with pre-existing conditions. Period.
• Protecting your access to care. Lifetime limits on benefits will be banned right away.
• Annual limits will also be banned once the exchanges are up and running. The manager’s amendment ensures that in the meantime, the use of annual limits will be tightly restricted until we can do away with this unfair practice entirely.
• More help for small business. The bill now includes additional help for small businesses. The health insurance tax credit for small businesses will now start in 2010, eligibility for the credit will be expanded, and small businesses will see improved purchasing power to make sure employees are getting good coverage at a good value.
• Choice and competition. Insurers will now offer multi-state plans under the supervision of the Office of Personnel Management. That means more choice and more competition in your state.
• Focusing on quality, not quantity. Health care providers will be reimbursed by Medicare for the quality of care, not just the quantity of tests and treatments. Shifting the way we reimburse for care is one of the most important things we can do to rein in spiraling health care costs – and it means a renewed focus on what’s best for the patient.

All told, it’s been a landmark day in the health insurance reform effort. There’s a lot more hard work to be done, and we’re confident that the Senate and House will continue to work hard to get this bill across the finish line and to the President’s desk. For the millions of Americans who don’t have coverage, for those who are struggling with costs or being mistreated by their insurance company, every day counts. It’s time for us to deliver.

UPDATE: The statements of support continue to roll in, here's a sample:

American Diabetes Association (ADA):  “The Bill Makes Health Care More Accessible And Affordable…We Urge You To Advance The Patient Protection And Affordable Care Act...”  In a letter to U.S. Senators, the American Diabetes Association (ADA) wrote, “On behalf of the nearly 24 million Americans with diabetes and the 57 million more with pre-diabetes, we thank you for your tireless commitment to reforming our nation’s health system.  We understand the tremendous amount work that has gone into H.R. 3590, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and are grateful for your efforts.  The progress that has been made thus far has brought us closer than ever to achieving the goals of health reform. Specifically, the bill makes health care more accessible and affordable  to the millions of Americans who are currently uninsured and underinsured, including those with diabetes who have been denied coverage or charged exorbitant amounts due to their preexisting condition. The bill also includes many important provisions in terms of prevention, insurance reform, and the delivery of quality and affordable health care. These are but a few of the long overdue improvements to our broken healthcare system…We urge you to advance the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and look forward to working with you and members of the House of Representatives in Conference to make certain that our country receives a final Health care package that will make a real and positive difference in the lives of people with diabetes.  [American Diabetes Association Letter to U.S. Senate, 12/19/09]

American Cancer Society (ACS):  Health Reform Bill’s Provisions Banning Coverage Limits Would “Afford Patients With Serious Health Conditions The Strong Financial Protections They Deserve…We Thank The White House And Senate Leaders For Hearings [Our] Concerns.”  In a statement, the American Cancer Society (ACS) said, "We are enormously pleased that the manager's amendment bans annual coverage limits after 2014 and ensures that any annual limits in plans issued before then are set high enough to cover essential health benefits for patients. That language, coupled with the amendment's immediate ban on lifetime coverage limits, would afford patients with serious health conditions the strong financial protections they deserve in the face of major medical expenses. We thank the White House and Senate leaders for hearing the concerns of cancer patients and strongly strengthening these important provisions."  [American Cancer Society Statement, 12/19/09]

Small Business Majority:  “It’s Clear That [Senators] Have Heard The Voices Of Small Business Owners…Many Of The Recently Proposed Amendments Contribute To An Overall Bill That Will Be Even More Helpful To Small Business Owners And The Self-Employed.”  In a letter to Senate Majority Leader Reid, Small Business Majority CEO John Arensmeyer wrote, “We appreciate the tremendous amount of work that you and your colleagues in the Senate have put into crafting the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act so that it will both meet its original goals and gain enough support for passage. Although the necessary compromises have been disappointing and frustrating for some, it’s clear that you and your fellow senators have heard the voices of small business owners, who so desperately need relief from an unfair, overly expensive health insurance system. Many of the recently proposed amendments contribute to an overall bill that will be even more helpful to small business owners and the self-employed. Small Business Majority will continue to support the effort to bring this measure to the Senate floor for a final vote and passage…Again, thank you for your continuing hard work on this vital issue. You can count on Small Business Majority to work to get this bill to conference committee and ensure that final legislation is passed that meets the needs of America’s small businesses and the economy.”  [Small Business Majority Letter to Senate Majority Leader Reid, 12/19/09]

Doctors For America: “We Wish To Express Our Support For Senate Passage Of The Patient Protection And Affordable Care Act…[It] Represents A Historic Step Toward Improving The Health Care System For Us And Our Patients.”  In a letter to Senate Majority Leader Reid, Doctors For America President Vivek Murphy wrote, “On behalf of Doctors for America and its 16,000 physician and medical student members across all 50 states who are committed to building a better health care system for our patients, we wish to express our support for Senate passage of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. This landmark piece of legislation provides increased access to affordable health coverage, implements market reforms to protect our patients, invests in the primary care physician workforce and public health system, and begins to reform the payment and delivery systems so doctors can focus on providing high quality care for our patients…As doctors and medical students, we see the urgent need to fix our broken health care system first hand every day – which is why a majority of physicians support health reform this year. We are fighting to ensure that all Americans receive access to high quality care - the kind of care that we, as physicians, want for our patients. While we know that this legislation will not fix all the problems of our broken health care system, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act represents a historic step toward improving the health care system for us and our patients.”  [Doctors For America Letter to U.S. Senate, 12/19/09]

Community Catalyst: “We Strongly Encourage Passage Of The Bill Because We Believe It Will Positively Impact The Lives Of Millions Of Americans.”  In a statement, Community Catalyst said, “Today, the U.S. Senate has brought us even closer to the finish line of passing landmark health reform legislation that will improve access to quality affordable health care for millions of Americans.  As a national advocacy organization actively working in more than 40 states to ensure consumers have a strong voice in improving America’s health care system, we are very pleased 60 Senators from states where we have focused our efforts have pledged their support for the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. We thank these Senators for hearing the concerns of consumers across the country and allowing this important process to move forward. The Manager’s amendment released today builds on the strengths of the bill through critical consumer protections such as programs to contain health costs and make insurance policies more affordable, greater accountability from health insurance companies, improved choice and competition, and better access to quality affordable health care for vulnerable populations.  We strongly encourage passage of the bill because we believe it will positively impact the lives of millions of Americans.  As the only national consumer organization that has on-the-ground experience implementing comprehensive health reform at the state level, Community Catalyst understands the benefits of this bill and the important ongoing role consumer advocates will need to play to ensure its success. We encourage the Senate to pass this critical legislation, and to continue to work with the House to ensure that all Americans have access to quality health-care they can afford.”  [Community Catalyst Press Releaee, 12/19/09]

National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO): “We Applaud [The Senate’s] Recognition Of The Importance Of Preserving Quality, Compassionate And Cost-Efficient End-Of-Life Care.”   In a letter, the National Hospice And Palliative Care Organization (NHPC) wrote, “On behalf of hospice and palliative care providers and the more than 1.5 million patients, and their families, served by hospice each year, the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO) would like to express our strong support for the national effort to enact health care reform. We acknowledge the enormity and complexity of the task facing Congress, and we applaud your recognition of the importance of preserving quality, compassionate and cost efficient end-of-life care as a critical component to the nation’s health infrastructure.” [National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization letter, 12/19/09]

Nancy-Ann DeParle is the Director of the White House Office of Health Reform.

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In a much-anticipated United Nations climate change conference in Copenhagen, Denmark, the President arrived after nearly two weeks of work with the firm intention of seizing the opportunity to get something solid done.  And as he explained in remarks at the end of the day, defying many expectations, the world will not leave empty-handed:

Today we've made meaningful and unprecedented -- made a meaningful and unprecedented breakthrough here in Copenhagen.  For the first time in history all major economies have come together to accept their responsibility to take action to confront the threat of climate change.

Let me first recount what our approach was throughout the year and coming into this conference.  To begin with, we've reaffirmed America's commitment to transform our energy economy at home.  We've made historic investments in renewable energy that have already put people back to work.  We've raised our fuel efficiency standards.  And we have renewed American leadership in international climate negotiations.

Most importantly, we remain committed to comprehensive legislation that will create millions of new American jobs, power new industry, and enhance our national security by reducing our dependence on foreign oil.

That effort at home serves as a foundation for our leadership around the world.  Because of the actions we're taking we came here to Copenhagen with an ambitious target to reduce our emissions.  We agreed to join an international effort to provide financing to help developing countries, particularly the poorest and most vulnerable, adapt to climate change.  And we reaffirmed the necessity of listing our national actions and commitments in a transparent way.

These three components -- transparency, mitigation and finance -- form the basis of the common approach that the United States and our partners embraced here in Copenhagen.  Throughout the day we worked with many countries to establish a new consensus around these three points, a consensus that will serve as a foundation for global action to confront the threat of climate change for years to come.

This success would have not been possible without the hard work of many countries and many leaders -- and I have to add that because of weather constraints in Washington I am leaving before the final vote, but we feel confident that we are moving in the direction of a significant accord.

In addition to our close allies who did so much to advance this effort, I worked throughout the day with Prime Minister Meles of Ethiopia, who was representing Africa, as well as Premier Wen of China, Prime Minister Singh of India, President Lula of Brazil, and President Zuma of South Africa, to achieve what I believe will be an important milestone.

Earlier this evening I had a meeting with the last four leaders I mentioned -- from China, India, Brazil, and South Africa.  And that's where we agreed to list our national actions and commitments, to provide information on the implementation of these actions through national communications, with international consultations and analysis under clearly defined guidelines.  We agreed to set a mitigation target to limit warming to no more than 2 degrees Celsius, and importantly, to take action to meet this objective consistent with science.

Taken together these actions will help us begin to meet our responsibilities to leave our children and our grandchildren a cleaner and safer planet.
Now, this progress did not come easily, and we know that this progress alone is not enough.  Going forward, we're going to have to build on the momentum that we've established here in Copenhagen to ensure that international action to significantly reduce emissions is sustained and sufficient over time.  We've come a long way, but we have much further to go.

To continue moving forward we must draw on the effort that allowed us to succeed here today -- engagement among nations that represent a baseline of mutual interest and mutual respect.  Climate change threatens us all; therefore, we must bridge old divides and build new partnerships to meet this great challenge of our time.  That's what we've begun to do here today.

For energy holds out not just the perils of a warming climate, but also the promise of a more peaceful and prosperous tomorrow.  If America leads in developing clean energy, we will lead in growing our economy, in putting our people back to work, and in leaving a stronger and more secure country to our children.

And around the world, energy is an issue that demands our leadership.  The time has come for us to get off the sidelines and to shape the future that we seek.  That's why I came to Copenhagen today, and that's why I'm committed to working in common effort with countries from around the globe.  That's also why I believe what we have achieved in Copenhagen will not be the end but rather the beginning, the beginning of a new era of international action.

He then proceeded to take questions, read the rest of the transcript for more details.

Visitors who camp in National Forest Campgrounds are required to pay a fee to cover the costs of the services (toilets, trash removal, etc) they receive while camping.  If a Forest Ranger isn’t present to collect these fees in person, campers are directed to deposit their fee into a fee tube.

When a Forest Ranger visits the campground, s/he unlocks the fee tube and collects the envelopes with registration info and fees.  Then s/he visits with all of the campers to make sure that everyone has paid his/her fee.

While there is no question in my mind about the importance of proper handling and accounting of the money collected, I have complained for years about the process the Forest Service uses to deal with this money.  In a nut shell, we have to turn the cash into a money order, complete paperwork, and then mail everything (certified) to a bank in California every week no matter how much money is collected.  It boggles my mind to think about how much money the Forest Service must spend to collect money.  Salary time, money order fees, postage – it all adds up.

SAVE Award finalist Julie Fosbender suggested a more streamlined way for the Monongahela National Forest in West Virginia to collect fees rather than the old-fashioned fee tubes like the one pictured here to the right of the bulletin board at the Island Campground. December 18, 2009. (by Julie Fosbender)

So, when the email came around announcing the SAVE Award and encouraging us to submit ideas, I typed up my idea of depositing these collections into local banks and then allowing our national financial center to transfer the money via internet banking.  I submitted the idea and then, to be quite honest, forgot about the contest as I carried on with everything we do.

A few weeks later, I had a voice mail message from the “White House - Office of Management and Budget” asking me to call them.  Since these are the folks who typically audit the Forest Service, I immediately thought about what I’d done lately that could have caused OMB to want to talk with me.  Then I listened to the voice mail a few more times trying to recognize the voice so that I’d know who was pranking me.  When I called OMB back, I was surprised to learn that my SAVE Award idea was being seriously considered.  I mean it sounded like a good idea to me, but for it to out compete all of the rest of the great ideas out there?  About two weeks later, I was even more surprised to learn that my idea made it to the final four.  Amazing.

As word got out about the “Final Four,” I started to receive emails from Forest Service employees all around the nation thanking me for submitting this idea because they are just as frustrated with our collections process as I am.  Those emails (from folks I don’t even know) and good wishes from present and former Forest Service co-workers and friends (as far back as college) really made this time special for me.

While I'm bummed that my idea didn't win (so I'm not going to meet with President Obama), I am totally psyched that there are already serious discussions higher up in my agency about how this process can be streamlined.

Julie Fosbender is the North Zone Recreation Manager on the Monongahela National Forest in West Virginia

When President Obama first took on health insurance reform, he made it clear he hoped to reach out across the aisle to produce a bipartisan plan.  He even kicked off the health reform effort by bringing a wide array of folks from across the political spectrum to the White House to share ideas and find common ground. 

For months, though, we've watched as opponents of health reform executed their self-professed strategy to "delay, define, and derail" reform. 

And in the past few days their stunts and obstruction have reached a new low.  On Saturday at midnight, money for the Department of Defense – including the money that funds our troops overseas – is set to run out.  Thanks to Republican obstruction on health reform, the Senate delayed passing a bill to continue that funding. The bill includes, among other things:

• More than $100 billion operations and maintenance, and military personnel requirements for ongoing military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, and to support preparations to continue withdrawal from Iraq.
• More than $23 billion for equipment used by our service members in Iraq and Afghanistan – including critical funds to accelerate the deployment of new mine-resistant vehicles
• More than $150 billion to increase readiness and training of our troops.
• Nearly $30 billion for health care for service members and their families.
• A 3.4% pay increase for our brave service men and women.

This is not a controversial bill – nearly 400 house members supported it and the vast majority of Republicans are expected to vote for it.  It’s political gamesmanship at its worst.

The depth of the hypocrisy involved is stunning.  Back in 2007, when Congress was debating how to bring the war in Iraq to a responsible close, many of these same folks launched blistering accusations about Democrats' commitment to our troops.  Here are just a few of the things they said:

"Playing politics with the critical funding that our troops need now is political theater of the worst kind." – Sen. John Cornyn, [Press Release, 4/26/07]
"We have plenty of time and plenty of opportunity to have political debates... but it’s just unconscionable to me to tie the hands of the very troops that we all say we support." – Sen. John Cornyn, [Transcript, Senate Republican News Briefing, 4/10/07]
"Every day we don’t fund our troops is a day their ability to fight this war is weakened." – Sen. Mitch McConnell, [Press Release, 3/31/07]
"No way to treat the troops, and it is entirely inconsistent with [Senators’] expressions of support for the troops." – Sen. Mitch McConnell, [Congressional Record, 10/4/07]
"I don't understand this attitude of, ‘We can play with; we can risk the lives of these troops by waiting until the last possible minute to get the funding to them." – Sen. Jon Kyl, [FOX News Transcript, 4/10/07]
"Our obligation to those troops must transcend politics." – Sen. Jon Kyl, [Press Release, 11/8/07]

Now though, as we debate not foreign policy but health care, the Department of Defense funding can wait? Incredible.

We've been talking about fixing the broken health care system in this country for decades.  Each day reform was delayed this year, an average of 15,000 Americans lost insurance.  Since the last time heath reform failed, premiums have doubled and national health care expenditures have nearly tripled.  The time for political games is over. Now it’s time to act.

Dan Pfeiffer is White House Communicaitons Director

Back in September when I submitted an idea for the SAVE Award program, I never thought that I would be selected as one of four finalists. I honestly didn’t expect it to be forwarded for someone to actually read. Imagine my surprise when I received a phone call in early December telling me I was in the “final four” out of more than 38,000 entries!

It didn’t stop there. Over the course of the next few days there were newspaper and radio interviews as well as the on-line voting competition to pick a winner. It was a whirlwind of activity that, to say the least, I was very much unprepared to handle.

My colleagues at work were stunned once I had shared the news and at first thought that I was joking. Once they got past the fact my idea was in the final four, they went out and voted. I hope they voted for me, but I told them to vote for the idea they liked best.

My family and friends were pretty excited for me once I had explained the contest to them. My wife says that I am her “favorite celebrity”.

I received many congratulatory emails and phone calls from people across the nation that I had never met both within the Federal Government and the public. I had a voicemail message from a young lady in Atlanta who had read the article in USA Today and voted for me. She manages a large senior citizen complex and hoped my idea would win.

Watching a video online that the President made announcing the four final ideas was surreal. Several top members of the HUD staff contacted me to say congratulations even Secretary Donovan took time out to call and express his thanks for my idea.

All in all it was an overwhelming but exciting event to be involved in. I think that everyone that worked on the project submitting ideas or reviewing them and organizing everything should be very proud of themselves. As we begin to see some of the ideas implemented in the next few months or years, I can look back and smile as I know that I had a part in it.

It was fun to be “famous” for a little while, but to be honest I am glad the voting is over.

Thanks to everyone who voted for me!

Huston Prescott works for the Department of Housing and Urban Development in Anchorage, AK

Nearly every day this month, streams of visitors pass through the White House doors to get a firsthand glimpse of the holiday decorations dressing the Executive Residence. By the end of the holiday season, some 100,000 guests will have visited the White house to see the 27 trees, 61 wreaths, and about 2,700 yards of ribbon canvassing the house. For those of you who didn’t have the chance to see the spectacle, check out this year’s décor:

Other tidbits:

• 92 volunteers from 24 states assisted in the decorating for over 3,400 volunteer hours.
• There are 6 live trees with their roots balled and wrapped in burlap at the East Wing, West Wing and North Portico Entrances.  These trees will be adopted by the National Parks Service after Christmas is over and hopefully replanted in a new home.
• The official White House Christmas in the Blue Room is a Douglas Fir that stands 18 ½ feet high and is nearly 13 feet wide. The tree is lit with environmentally sound LED lights.
• 500 stems of dried hydrangea were used, many of which were used in fresh arrangements first and then dried later for use in the holiday decorations.