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Weekly Wrap Up: "Some Calm Before the Storm"

April 6, 2012 at 3:00 PM ET by Sarah Berlenbach
Summary: 
A brief glimpse at the week of April 2nd, 2012 on WhiteHouse.gov and beyond.

North American Leaders Summit: Leaders of Mexico and Canada joined President Obama at the White House on Monday for a summit aimed at promoting economic growth and creating jobs in all three countries. At a press conference in the Rose Garden, President Obama remarked, "I'm pleased to announce that our three nations are launching a new effort to get rid of outdated regulations that stifle job creation." The leaders also discussed security, energy, and efforts to combat drug cartels, as well as ways to continue boosting exports.

#AskVP about College Affordability: "College costs high. Debt burdensome. Help needed. That's why I'm here. Fire away. Use #AskVP –vp," the Vice President tweeted as a kickoff to his chat with the Twitterverse regarding college affordability and how the Obama Administration is tackling rising costs. Check out the question and answer session – covering topics from student loan debt to the emphasis on high education in the proposed budget – on Storify.

Easter Prayer Breakfast: On Wednesday, President Obama hosted his third annual Easter Prayer Breakfast at the White House, a week ahead of the Easter Egg Roll. "I wanted to get together with you for a little prayer and reflection, some calm before the storm."

Signed: the STOCK Act: During the State of the Union, President Obama stood before Congress and asked lawmakers to pass the Stop Trading on Congressional Knowledge Act. The bill was signed into law on Wednesday, making "it clear that if members of Congress use nonpublic information to gain an unfair advantage in the market, then they are breaking the law."

Federal Taxpayer Receipt: Want to find out how much of the federal taxes you paid went toward the different categories of spending in the 2011 Federal Budget? President Obama spoke about the newly updated Federal Taxpayer Receipt this week as a "terrific way for people to be able to get information about where their tax dollars are actually going." Enter a few pieces of information about the taxes you paid last year and find out how much of what you paid went to each slice of the pie here.