West Wing Week: 04/12/13 or “We Choose Love”

This week, the President, Vice President and First Lady continued to call for action to reduce gun violence, while the President announced the Fiscal Year 2014 Budget, conferred the Medal of Honor, met with UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, and held an Easter Prayer breakfast.

Friday, April 5^th

• Rounding out that week's Easter celebrations, the President and Vice President hosted faith leaders from across the country at their fourth annual prayer breakfast in the East Room of the White House.

Monday, April 8^th

• The President traveled to the University of Hartford where he assured Newtown families of his commitment to reducing gun violence.
• A group of families of the 12/14 victims then boarded Air Force One with the President to travel back to DC where they would visit with congressional leaders about the common sense measures they should support to reduce gun violence in America.

Tuesday, April 9^th

• Students came to the White House for a workshop called, “Soulsville, USA: The History of Memphis Soul."
• The President held a meeting with a diverse group of leaders from the Faith Based Advisory Council on trafficking.
• The President then met with some of his staff and Cabinet to discuss ways to keep moving forward on creating middle-class jobs and strengthening the economy.
• The Vice President spoke alongside Attorney General Eric Holder in the South Court Auditorium, and continued to push Congress to pass common sense measures to reduce gun violence.

Wednesday, April 10^th

• The First Lady traveled to Chicago to speak at a forum hosted by Mayor Rahm Emanuel to discuss efforts to reduce violence and help keep our children safe.
• Later, she met with a small group of students and counselors at Harper High to hear firsthand about their experiences at their public school, one that has been profoundly affected by violence - 29 current or former students have been shot in the past year.
• The President officially released his Budget for Fiscal Year 2014.
• He then sat down with Peter Maurer of the International Committee of the Red Cross and his team.

Thursday, April 11^th

• The President met with CEOs from the Financial Services Forum, and then had a Conference Call with mayors and business leaders on summer jobs.
• He conferred the Medal of Honor posthumously to Father Emil Kapaun.
• The President met with UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon.