The White House Blog

First Lady Michelle Obama shares a group hug with children at Royal Castle Child Development Center during her visit as part of her Let's Move! initiative in New Orleans, La., Nov. 1, 2011. Mrs. Obama read to the children and led them in exercises to highlight the importance of building healthy habits at a very young age. (Official White House Photo by Lawrence Jackson)

First Lady Michelle Obama visited the Royal Castle Child Development Center in New Orleans yesterday, where she led the toddlers in some exercises and read them a book that is an Obama family favorite.

Mrs. Obama was in New Orleans to highlight the importance of building healthy habits at a very young age, a key component of the Let's Move Child Care initiative, which is designed to get child care centers to promote healthy eating and exercise habits. After she finished a round of stretching, jumping and marching in place, the First Lady read two books to the children and their parents. First up was "Lunch" by Denise Fleming, about a mouse that eats vegetables and fruit, followed by "Where the Wild Things Are," the children's classic (beloved by the Obamas) by Maurice Sendak. 

President Barack Obama delivers remarks at Georgetown Waterfront Park by the Key Bridge, which spans the Potomac River between Arlington, Va., and Washington, D.C., regarding the infrastructure piece of the American Jobs Act, Nov. 2, 2011. (Official White House Photo by Lawrence Jackson)

Ed. Note: Cross-posted with the Department of Transportation blog, Fastlane.

It was an honor to stand with President Obama earlier today by the Francis Scott Key Bridge between Washington, DC, and Virginia.  There, the President urged Congress to pass the infrastructure provisions in the American Jobs Act.

 I've been pretty vocal about how important it is to put these transportation investments into action and get hundreds of thousands of construction workers back on the job rebuilding our roads, bridges, airports, and transit systems. So it was my pleasure, today, to hear the President make the case for what has been historically the kind of bill that gets bipartisan support.

I hope the United States Senate heard his call and will pass the transportation provisions of the American Jobs Act this week.

It was entirely fitting that the President made his case at the Key Bridge because this important crossing, which carries 62,000 vehicles each day, is one of America's more than 70,000 bridges in need of repair.  Like many of the other bridges on the Federal Highway Administration's list of structures that need to be monitored, inspected, and repaired, thousands of people rely on this bridge to get to work and school and to deliver goods every day.  And, like many of the other bridges, the Key Bridge is years away from getting the rehabilitation it requires.

However, if Congress passes the transportation pieces of the American Jobs Act, state departments of transportation across the country can finally begin long-deferred repairs on many of these aging bridges and put construction workers back on the job.

America's economy relies on transportation infrastructure; without a well-functioning system of roads and highways, public transit, railways, seaports, and aviation, much of our economic activity would simply grind to a halt.  But, to meet the needs of a growing economy, we must maintain, upgrade, and expand that infrastructure.

That's not a Democratic idea or a Republican idea--it's a common-sense idea: Investments that create, maintain, or expand transportation networks create construction jobs even as they promote economic activity.

To demonstrate this, the White House released a report (pdf) today that highlights the economic value of improving the nation's transportation system.  The report documents the terrific benefits of projects in 20 different states and the District of Columbia.

The Administration has also asked DOT to step up our awarding of TIGER grants by several months, so we can get workers back to their jobsites more quickly.  And, we're shortening the 2012 TIFIA application process to accelerate private financing for bridges, tunnels, transit, and other projects. 

President Obama and the Department of Transportation are doing what we can to connect the men and women who need work with the work America needs to get done.   But we can't do it alone.  We need Congress to pass this bill.

As we continue to climb out of the worst recession since the Great Depression and Americans continue to struggle, it is clear that the need for continued action is urgent. There are things that Washington can do right now to create jobs and grow the economy, and the President has put together the American Jobs Act to do exactly that. 

Unfortunately, even as the President is doing all he can through his executive powers in the "We Can't Wait" campaign, the American Jobs Act is being blocked by Republicans in the Senate who have voted in unison against these common sense, broadly supported proposals, and Republicans in the House refuse to even give the bill a vote.  Senate Republicans have offered their own alternative as an excuse to oppose the President's plan, but a look at them side by side leads to only one conclusion: one is truly a jobs plan, and one is not.

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Bonnie Frawley is a pharmacy manager for Brigham & Women's Hospital in Boston, and drug shortages have become a too frequent fact of her work life.

She says the situation has reached a "critical level" and that it affects patient care, "sometimes on a daily basis."

Watch as she describes why we can't wait to help our nation's hospitals -- and how the President Obama's executive order will bring attention to the issue and mean fewer drug shortages.

Also, don't miss Jay Cuetara discuss how a drug shortage affected his cancer treatment and what the President's actions mean for patients.

Fort Monroe (National Parks Service)

Today is truly an historic day for America as President Obama is announcing the establishment of Fort Monroe National Monument -- a historic fort in Virginia’s Tidewater region that was integral role to the history of slavery, the Civil War, and the U.S. military -- as the 396th unit of the National Park System.

With the strong support of the people of Virginia, from the congressional delegation to Governor McDonnell to Mayor Ward and the citizens of Hampton, President Obama has ensured that this historic fort, a symbol of the long struggle for freedom for African Americans, will be preserved as a national park for generations to come.

Fort Monroe is one of 101 projects that I have highlighted as part of the America’s Great Outdoors initiative, representing what states believe are among the best investments in the nation to support a healthy, active population, conserve wildlife and working lands, and create travel, tourism and outdoor-recreation jobs across the country.

This Thursday at 1:00 pm EDT, we will release the final 50-state report outlining some of the country’s most promising ways to reconnect Americans to the great outdoors. As part of that launch, I’ll be participating in a live web chat, where I will answer your questions about the America’s Great Outdoors initiative, Ft. Monroe National Monument,  and how conservation and outdoor recreation initiatives are strong economic engines for our nation’s economy.

Click here (newmedia@ios.doi.gov) to send me your questions in advance or tweet them to me at #askken.

I look forward to answering many of your questions on Thursday at 1:00 pm ET.

Today President Obama proclaimed that this November is National Entrepreneurship Month, a time when “we celebrate the remarkable and everyday successes of our entrepreneurs and innovators, and we reaffirm our commitment to ensuring our economy remains the engine and the envy of the world.”

We understand that entrepreneurs are responsible for virtually all new job growth across the country.  Starting this year, the White House Startup America initiative has accelerated the success of high-growth entrepreneurs by unlocking access to capital, cutting red tape, and expanding mentorship opportunities, complemented by major private sector commitments. 

The President’s American Jobs Act will go even further, allowing entrepreneurs to raise capital in innovative ways and using unemployment insurance to turn job-seekers into job-creators.  And because we can’t wait for Congress to act, just this past week the President announced new executive actions that will reduce student loan burdens for young entrepreneurs, accelerate cutting-edge research from lab to market, and create a one-stop shop for businesses to access federal resources and boost exports.

One of the most exciting things about working for the White House is getting to engage with so many different entrepreneurs doing so many amazing things.  America is teeming with innovative startups – not just in technology, and not just in Silicon Valley.  Here is just a small sample of the path-breaking entrepreneurs we’ve gotten to know over the past few months:

• The Army doctor who returned from Afghanistan and created a new way to improve the health of our military veterans.
• The biotech entrepreneur in Cleveland who is turning university research into a new therapy to heal wounds faster.
• The former French teacher in Detroit who started with one crepe shop and has new locations sprouting up all over town.
• The founder and “head janitor” in Phoenix who is turning industrial cleaning green.
• The media entrepreneurs who started an international ad agency in rural Virginia.
• The mobile-tech entrepreneur who is helping you hail a cab with your cell phone.
• The epidemics expert in Wisconsin who is using open government data to improve asthma management.
• The college football player who is manufacturing sustainable apparel right here in the U.S.
• The immigrant who came to America with just $13 and grew a national sushi distributor in North Carolina.

Throughout National Entrepreneurship Month, we’ll be posting more stories of American entrepreneurs embracing the unknown, growing innovative companies, and creating jobs all across the country.

Watch Jay Cuetara, a cancer patient and advocate for drug shortage reform, speak about President Obama's executive action to reduce prescription drug shortages in America here. 

President Obama today signed an executive order that directs the FDA to step up work to reduce the drug shortages and protect consumers. Jay Cuetara know just how important this is: in August, the center where he was receiving chemotherapy ran out of the drug being used to treat his cancer, which "can mean the difference between curing your cancer and not," the San Francisco man explained.

The President's action means that drug companies will be required to let the FDA know earlier about the potential for drug shortages so that they can respond successfully. If we find out that prices are being driven up because shortages are being made worse by manipulations of companies or distributors, agencies will be empowered to stop those practices. And the FDA and the Department of Justice will be investigating any kinds of abuses that would lead to drug shortages.

As the President said today, we can't wait for action. "We'll still be calling on Congress to pass a bipartisan bill that will provide additional tools to the FDA and others that can make a difference. But until they act, we will go ahead and move."

Update: Check out a video from Bonnie Frawley, a pharmacy manager from Boston, who talks about what the President’s order will mean for hospitals.  

President Barack Obama talks with the media before signing an Executive Order directing the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to take action to help further prevent and reduce prescription drug shortages, protect consumers and prevent price gouging, in the Oval Office, Oct. 31, 2011. From left: pharmacy manager Bonnie Frawley from Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, Mass.; Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius; cancer patient Jay Cuetara from San Francisco, Calif.; and FDA Commissioner Peggy Hamburg. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

Sometimes the most important component of a patient’s treatment is the type of medication they receive and the consistency at which they receive it. For some Americans, a change in their treatment regimen or a substitution of a medication can seriously threaten their ability to get better.

Between 2005 and 2010, the number of prescription drug shortages nearly tripled. While the FDA successfully prevented 137 drug shortages between January 1, 2010 and September 26, 2011, prescription drug shortages continue to threaten the health and safety of the American people. Today, too many people are waiting for their prescription to become available. Some are forced to switch from the medication they prefer, while others go without their medicine altogether. In some cases, drug shortages can even force people to stop a course of treatment before it finishes.

We cannot control the factors that cause these drug shortages. But we are committed to doing our part to counteract them. Which is why President Obama signed an Executive Order today that will lead to earlier FDA notification of any impending shortages for certain prescription drugs. Early notification can help prevent a shortage from becoming a crisis by allowing hospitals, doctors and manufacturers to take action to ensure medications remain available.

In addition, the President’s Executive Order will call on FDA to work with the Justice Department to examine whether “gray market” profiteers are responding to potential drug shortages either by hoarding medications or charging exorbitant prices. In recent months, we’ve heard reports of enormous markups such as a blood pressure medicine usually priced at $26 being sold for $1,200.  And under this Executive Order, the Justice Department will watch the market closely to make sure companies are not exploiting drug shortages to raise their profits at the expense of patients.

Watch the White House get a Halloween makeover here.

President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama welcomed area students and the children of military families to the White House for the annual Halloween celebration and trick-or-treating on Saturday night.

The President and First Lady handed out cookies, White House M&M's and dried fruit mix to trick-or-treaters at the North Portico of the White House. Check out these videos for the behind the scenes preparations and watch the main event with the President, Mrs Obama and all the costumed kids.

Watch President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama hand out treats to area students and the children of military families here. 

The White House and the surrounding grounds were decorated in celebration of Halloween. As the trick-or-treaters made their way across the North Lawn to the North Portico they were entertained by the Marine Band playing Halloween music and spooked by in-costume actors from Washington-area theatres, brought together by theatreWashington.

Check out the White House Halloween recipes below.

The White House Sweet Dough Butter Cookie Recipe

1 lb Sugar                                                      1 tsp Vanilla
2 lbs Butter                                                    1 tsp Salt
3 Eggs                                                            3 lbs All Purpose Flour
                                                                       
Mix the butter and sugar till soft and well beaten. Then add eggs, vanilla, salt and half the flour. Beat on slow speed till mixed, then add the rest of the flour and mix until incorporated.

Push flat onto a cookie sheet and refrigerate overnight. Roll out to one quarter inch thick and cut out cookie shapes with cookie cutter.

Bake at 350F for 14 minutes and then allow to cool. 

Make Your Own Dried Fruit Mix

Dried Apples                                                             Dried Pineapple
Dried Apricots                                                           Dried Papayas
Dried Pears                                                              Dried Cherries
Dried Blueberries                                                    Banana Chips

Combine ingredients and serve.

Download the recipes and make these treats yourself. (pdf)