American White House|(unofficial white house blog)| White House News

President Obama Signs Critical Legislation to Prevent Child Abuse and Domestic Violence

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This afternoon, I stood in the Oval Office and watched as President Obama signed the reauthorization of the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA) which includes the Family Violence Prevention and Services Act (FVPSA.) As he signed this crucial bill into law, the President was surrounded by Senators and Representatives, both Democrats and Republicans, and national advocates who work every day to end domestic violence and child abuse.

In 2008, 772,000 children were victims of abuse and neglect. Nearly 2,000 of those children died. By providing states and local communities with new tools to identify and treat abuse and neglect, CAPTA-funded services will continue to protect children across the country. Prevention efforts will help parents by addressing high risk-factors like substance abuse, mental illness and domestic violence.

Domestic violence still affects 1 in 4 women in states and territories across the country. FVPSA funds nearly 1,700 shelters and service programs for victims of domestic violence and their children. It also supports the National Domestic Violence Hotline, whose staff and volunteers answer more than 22,000 calls for help each month and link victims with the resources they need to rebuild their lives.

I’d like to thank the members of Congress whose leadership was essential to CAPTA and FVPSA’s passage: Senator Tom Harkin, Senator Mike Enzi, Senator Lamar Alexander, Representative George Miller, Representative John Kline, Representative Carolyn McCarthy, and Representative Todd Platts. I particularly want to thank Senator Chris Dodd and Representative Gwen Moore, who were the lead sponsors of FVPSA and who worked so hard to ensure the bill passed this year.

Thanks to the bi-partisan work of members of Congress who were with us today, CAPTA and FVPSA will help end abuse, give hope to victims, and provide families with the help they need. As we gathered in the Oval Office, I was thinking of the many abuse survivors I have met over the years. Thanks to CAPTA and FVPSA, their future looks brighter.

White House Staff: It Gets Better

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Ed. Note: President Obama, Vice President Biden and Administration officials recorded their own video messages to give support to young people who are being bullied because of their sexual orientation. Visit WhiteHouse.gov/itgetsbetter for more videos and resources.

Inspired by President Obama’s It Gets Better video, several LGBT White House staffers decided to add their voices to the project. President Obama has more LGBT appointees than any previous administration and he is committed to making his administration reflect the diversity of our nation.

Resources

If you’re a young person who’s been bullied or harassed by your peers, or you’re a parent or teacher who knows a young person being bullied or harassed, here are a few resources that can help you:

The Trevor Project

The Trevor Project is determined to end suicide among LBGTQ youth by providing resources and a nationwide, 24 hour hotline. If you are considering suicide or need help, call: 866-4-U-TREVOR (866-488-7386).

BullyingInfo.org

BullyingInfo.org is a project of the Interagency Working Group on Youth Programs (IWGYP) focused on providing tools and resources for youth, parents, teachers and mental health providers to prevent and address bullying.

It Gets Better Project

President Obama's video and Vice President Biden’s video are just a couple of the thousands of videos submitted by people across the country to inspire and encourage LGBT youth who are struggling. You can watch more videos at ItGetsBetterProject.com.

For even more information and resources visit or call:

Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN)
Matthew Shepard Foundation
Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG)
National Suicide Lifeline 800-273-TALK (8255)

Behind-the-Scenes: A Day of Service with President Obama and the Los Angeles Lakers

Posted by White House

Rather than the traditional, honorary trip to the White House this year, the 2010 World Champion Los Angeles Lakers teamed up with NBA Cares and President Obama last week to join members of The Boys and Girls Club of Greater Washingon for an afternoon of education and service projects.

Take a behind-the-scenes look as the President and the Lakers assemble care packages and write letters for wounded military servicement and women, put together supplies for DC homeless, and compete in the "Big Brain Academy Challenge" game which builds skills in thinking, memorization, computation, analysis, and identification.

Following the activities with the kids, President Obama congratulated the Los Angeles Lakers on their 2010 NBA Championship in a brief ceremony. If you missed it, watch it here or read the transcript.

The DREAM Act and American Commerce

Posted by White House

Ed. Note: This is the third in a series of posts from top Administration Officials on the importance of the DREAM Act. Read Education Secretary Arne Duncan's post here and Labor Secretary Hilda Solis's contribution here.

Every day, hundreds of thousands of Americans get up and go to work at blue chip companies like Pfizer, DuPont, Google, Procter and Gamble and Intel.

These are very different companies operating in different industries – but they’ve got at least one thing in common.

All of them were started by immigrants.

It’s no coincidence. The constant influx of new cultures, new ideas and new ways of looking at old problems is a big part of the reason why America has been the most dynamic economy in the world for well over a century.

But immigrants, for all their contributions, don’t do it on their own. The U.S. tries to provide immigrants who grow up here with a world-class education and imbue them with the can-do attitude that has long defined American innovation.

Unfortunately, America has failed to reap the full rewards on her investment. Every year, some 65,000 high school students -- many of them star students and leaders in their communities -- are unable to go to college or get a good job because they have no legal status.

These young people, who were brought to America by their parents when they were children, can be our future scientists, doctors, military leaders, and entrepreneurs. America’s economic future depends on giving these children an opportunity to advance and succeed. Last week, eight Republicans voted together with Democrats in the House of Representatives and approved the DREAM Act. Today, I am calling on the Senate to act in a similar bipartisan manner and pass the DREAM Act.

Consider the fact that over the past 15 years, twenty-five percent of venture capital backed companies that eventually went public were started by immigrants. Imagine if we were to unleash the full force of the over 700,000 young people who are stuck in this citizenship limbo. What else could we invent, create, or start-up?

Even for those immigrants who don't become the next Sergey Brin or Andy Grove, the contributions they can make to our economy are immeasurable.

Giving these kids a shot to go to college or join the military would allow them to earn higher wages and move into higher-paying occupations – generating more tax revenue to pay for schools, parks and roads in the communities where they live. In fact, the Congressional Budget Office estimates that the DREAM Act would generate $1.7 billion in government revenues and reduce the deficit by $2.2 billion over the next decade.

Many of these immigrants have spent years going to publicly funded American elementary and secondary schools, and if Congress doesn’t pass the Dream Act, we will lose that investment as some of our most talented students are forced to leave the country or take jobs that don’t allow them to fulfill their full potential.

For generations, people have come to U.S. shores to seek opportunity. It’s what my grandfather did a century ago, when he came to Seattle, and worked as a houseboy just one mile from the Washington State governor’s mansion that I was privileged to inhabit for eight years.

Passage of the Dream Act would give these deserving kids the opportunity to pursue their dreams and to make a real difference in their communities. I urge the Senate to pass the bill immediately.

Also visit: Florida Villas

The President & First Lady on Child Nutrition Bill: "The Basic Nutrition They Need to Learn and Grow and to Pursue Their Dreams"

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As one of her chief responsibilities and greatest passions, the First lady has dedicated herself to helping our children grow up healthy and reversing the alarming childhood obesity trend -- so the President's signing of the the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act this morning at a local DC school was particularly meaningful for her:

We can all agree that in the wealthiest nation on Earth, all children should have the basic nutrition they need to learn and grow and to pursue their dreams, because in the end, nothing is more important than the health and well-being of our children. Nothing. And our hopes for their future should drive every single decision that we make.

The President applauded the bipartisan support for this significant legislation, and explained the broader implications for how nutrition affects our kids as they grow up: "we need to make sure our kids have the energy and the capacity to go toe to toe with any of their peers, anywhere in the world. And we need to make sure that they’re all reaching their potential." A fact sheet (pdf) issued this morning along with statements of support from across the political spectrum described exactly how the bill acheives these goals, and a sample menu (pdf) shows what it will mean in real life:

Improves Nutrition and Focuses on Reducing Childhood Obesity

Gives USDA the authority to set nutritional standards for all foods regularly sold in schools during the school day, including vending machines, the “a la carte” lunch lines, and school stores.
Provides additional funding to schools that meet updated nutritional standards for federally-subsidized lunches. This is an historic investment, the first real reimbursement rate increase in over 30 years.
Helps communities establish local farm to school networks, create school gardens, and ensures that more local foods are used in the school setting.
Builds on USDA work to improve nutritional quality of commodity foods that schools receive from USDA and use in their breakfast and lunch programs.
Expands access to drinking water in schools, particularly during meal times.
Sets basic standards for school wellness policies including goals for nutrition promotion and education and physical activity, while still permitting local flexibility to tailor the policies to their particular needs.
Promotes nutrition and wellness in child care settings through the federally-subsidized Child and Adult Care Food Program.
Expands support for breastfeeding through the WIC program.

Increases Access

Increases the number of eligible children enrolled in school meal programs by approximately 115,000 students by using Medicaid data to directly certify children who meet income requirements.
Helps certify an average additional 4,500 students per year to receive school meals by setting benchmarks for states to improve the certification process.
Allows more universal meal access for eligible students in high poverty communities by eliminating paper applications and using census data to determine school-wide income eligibility.
Expands USDA authority to support meals served to at-risk children in afterschool programs.

Increases Program Monitoring and Integrity

Requires school districts to be audited every three years to improve compliance with nutritional standards.
Requires schools to make information more readily available to parents about the nutritional quality of meals.
Includes provisions to ensure the safety of school foods like improving recall procedures and extending hazard analysis and food safety requirements for school meals throughout the campus.
Provides training and technical assistance for school food service providers.

The First Lady spoke on the massive coalition that came behind this bill to make it possible:

These are the basic values that we all share, regardless of race, party, religion. This is what we share. These are the values that this bill embodies. And that’s why we’ve seen such a groundswell of support for these efforts –- not just from members of Congress here in Washington, but from folks in every corner of the country. It’s been beautiful to see.

From educators working to provide healthier school meals, because they know the connection between proper nutrition and academic performance.

From doctors and nurses who know that unhealthy kids grow into unhealthy adults –- at risk for obesity-related diseases like diabetes, heart disease, cancer.

From business and labor leaders who know that we spend nearly $150 billion a year to treat these diseases and who worry about the impact on our economy.

From advocates and faith leaders who know that school meals are vital for combating hunger, feeding more than 31 million children a day.

And from military leaders who tell us that when more than one in four young people are unqualified for military service because of their weight, they tell us that childhood obesity isn’t just a public health issue; they tell us that it is not just an economic threat -- it is a national security threat as well.

Now, these folks come at this issue from all different angles. But they’ve come together to support this bill because they know it’s the right thing to do for our kids. And they know that in the long run, it won’t just save money, but it’s going to save lives.

Also Visit:Florida Villas

Today’s Health Care Court Ruling

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Today’s narrow ruling in Virginia on the constitutionality of a provision of the Affordable Care Act is just one of many recent rulings on similar cases that have come down in recent months. Since the law passed, opponents of reform have filed more than 20 different legal challenges. Judges have already granted the Administration’s motion to dismiss 12 of these cases. And in two cases, federal judges looked at the merits of the opponents’ arguments, determined that the Affordable Care Act is constitutional and upheld the law.

We disagree with the ruling issued today in Virginia and the Department of Justice is considering its appeal options.

We are pleased that Judge Hudson agrees that implementation of the law will continue uninterrupted. In the nine months since the health reform law was passed, we’ve made tremendous progress to strengthen our health care system, including lowering costs and implementing a new patient’s bill of rights to end some of the worst insurance company abuses. That work continues. And we’re confident that when it’s all said and done, the courts will find the Affordable Care Act constitutional.

History and the facts are on our side. Similar legal challenges to major new laws -- including the Social Security Act, the Civil Rights Act, and the Voting Rights Act -- were all filed and all failed. Contrary to what opponents argue the new law falls well within Congress’s power to regulate economic activity under the Commerce Clause, the Necessary and Proper Clause, and the General Welfare Clause.

Opponents of reform claim that the individual responsibility requirement – the requirement that all Americans carry a minimum level insurance by 2014 –exceeds Congress’ power to regulate interstate commerce because it penalizes economic “inactivity.” Make no mistake -- individuals who choose to go without health insurance are actively engaged in economic decision making – the decision to pay for health care out-of-pocket or to seek uncompensated care. Every year millions of those who have chosen to go without health insurance actively seek medical care, which is evident in the billions of dollars spent on uncompensated care every year.

The Affordable Care Act came into being precisely because of the interconnectedness of our health care costs. People who make an economic decision to forego health insurance do not opt out of the health care market, but instead shift their costs to others when they become ill or are involved in an accident and cannot pay. Those costs – $43 billion in 2008 alone – are borne by doctors, hospitals, insured individuals, taxpayers and small businesses throughout the nation. This cost-shift added on average $1,000 to family premiums in 2009 and roughly $410 to an individual premium.

This concept is clearly seen in other areas of commerce. For example, in most states, drivers are required to carry a minimum level of auto insurance. Accidents happen and when they do, they need to be paid for quickly and responsibly. Requiring drivers to carry auto insurance accomplishes this goal. Similarly, the Affordable Care Act, through the individual responsibility requirement, will require everyone to carry some form of health insurance since everyone at some point in time participates in the health care system, and incur costs that must be paid for.

It’s no surprise then, that President Reagan’s Solicitor General Charles Fried recently wrote, “the health care law’s enemies have no ally in the Constitution.” Two federal judges that recently ruled on the challenge to the constitutionality of the reform law in Michigan and Virginia agreed. These lawsuits were dismissed, with the federal judge in Virginia concluding “how and when to pay for health care are activities…in the aggregate…substantially affect[s] the interstate health care market.”

Two federal judges have agreed with this argument. In an earlier ruling in the Western District of Virginia, a federal judge wrote:

“I hold that there is a rational basis for Congress to conclude that individuals’ decisions about how and when to pay for health care are activities that in the aggregate substantially affect the interstate health care market…Nearly everyone will require health care services at some point in their lifetimes, and it is not always possible to predict when one will be afflicted by illness or injury and require care…Far from ‘inactivity,’ by choosing to forgo insurance, Plaintiffs are making an economic decision to try to pay for health care services later, out of pocket, rather than now, through the purchase of insurance. As Congress found, the total incidence of these economic decisions has a substantial impact on the national market for health care by collectively shifting billions of dollars on to other market participants and driving up the prices of insurance policies.”

The Affordable Care Act also bans insurance companies from discriminating against people with preexisting conditions. However, unless every American is required to have insurance, it would be cost prohibitive to cover people with preexisting conditions. Here’s why: If insurance companies can no longer deny coverage to anyone who applies for insurance – especially those who have health problems and are potentially more expensive to cover – then there is nothing stopping someone from waiting until they’re sick or injured to apply for coverage since insurance companies can’t say no. That would lead to double digit premiums increases – up to 20% – for everyone with insurance, and would significantly increase the cost health care spending nationwide. We don’t let people wait until after they’ve been in a car accident to apply for auto insurance and get reimbursed, and we don’t want to do that with healthcare. If we’re going to outlaw discrimination based on pre-existing conditions, the only way to keep people from gaming the system and raising costs on everyone else is to ensure that everyone takes responsibility for their own health insurance.

There have been many rulings on court cases regarding health reform and we know there will be many more. In the end, the Affordable Care Act will prevail and the American people will enjoy the benefits of reform.

Also Visit: Florida Villas

White House White Board: Tax Cuts, Unemployment Insurance & Jobs

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In this edition of White House White Board, Austan Goolsbee, Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers, discusses the President’s compromise framework on tax cuts, unemployment insurance & job creation.

See previous White Board videos.

Designing for Democracy

Posted by White House

On his first full day in office, the President signed the Memorandum on Transparency and Open Government, which directed Executive departments and agencies to “offer Americans increased opportunities to participate in policymaking and to provide their Government with the benefits of their collective expertise and information.” President Obama is committed to tapping ideas from the American people to make government work smarter, better, and more efficiently. At its heart, open government is about changing the relationship between government and the American people.

One vexing challenge to engaging Americans in governance has been finding new models and tools for the next generation of citizen consultation. We want to take advantage of the latest technology to: 1) enable government officials to circulate notice of opportunities to participate in public consultations to members of the public with expertise on a topic; and 2) provide those citizen experts with a mechanism to provide useful, relevant, and manageable feedback to government officials.

That is why the White House Open Government Initiative and the General Services Administration, working closely with the Office of Management and Budget’s Office of Performance and Personnel Management, are today launching a public consultation (through January 7, 2011) to obtain input on a design concept for a government-wide software tool and process to elicit expert public participation. In addition to making government more open and accountable to the public, this also advances the Administration’s objective of strengthening problem-solving networks to improve outcomes and reduce costs, one of three key performance management strategies laid out in the President’s FY2011 budget. To be clear, there is currently no specific funding identified for building this platform. Rather, we anticipate adapting already available tools and know-how to achieve the goal of getting better expertise faster and more openly.

The proposed concept is intended to be complementary to two of the ways the Federal government currently obtains expertise to inform decision-making, namely by convening Federal Advisory Committees and announcing public comment opportunities in the Federal Register.

Because we anticipate that a citizen consultation tool could be broadly used to pose questions to the public to elicit relevant and manageable feedback, we offer a specific example in the design concept on how the ExpertNet process could work to help the hypothetical Department of Innovation’s Adult Learners Division better achieve its stated goal of improving adult reading, writing, and mathematical performance.

How You Can Participate

To provide feedback by January 7, 2011, please go to http://expertnet.wikispaces.com where you will find a draft description of ExpertNet. (ExpertNet is a working title. You’ll find a page to suggest a better name.) Also, you can discuss the concept on a discussion forum or edit the document on the editable Wiki.

We want to hear from you about:

Any refinements or suggestions to improve the process as described;
Any issues (legal, policy, technical) raised by the features described;
Information about any tools that perform the process described;
Pointers to organizations (public or private) that have a similar platform or process in place.

Why a Wiki for this Consultation?

On May 21st, 2009, the newly minted White House Open Government Initiative launched a three-phased online public consultation period. The public brainstormed more than 900 ideas for open government policy on a free, brainstorming website that let one person make a suggestion and allowed others to give each comment a thumbs up or thumbs down, resulting in a rank-ordered list of proposals. Since then GSA’s Office of Citizen Services has helped every Cabinet Department and major agency set up a site to brainstorm with the public. Agencies can now use more than 35 social media tools like Twitter and Facebook, enabling government to interact with citizens more than every before.

Our work developing greater citizen engagement is just beginning. In 2009, the President launched the SAVE Award competition to gather ideas from federal employees to make government more efficient. OMB asked the public to vote for their favorites among four finalists. Twenty of the ideas submitted were included in the President’s FY2011 budget, and the rest went to agencies for potential action. This fall in the second year of the competition, nearly 60,000 people voted online for their favorite 2010 SAVE Award idea to save taxpayer dollars and make government work more efficiently.

Recently, GSA created Challenge.gov, a platform for Federal agencies to post challenges and a place for the public to find and participate. Last month, GSA launched a new suite of citizen participation tools to enable agencies to increase the public’s role in government decision making.

It is in this spirit of innovation that GSA, the Open Government Initiative, and OMB’s Office of Performance and Personnel Management once again pioneer a new model for citizen consultation! We are eager to see if this kind of technology helps us receive meaningful, manageable feedback in response to a written policy proposal like the draft concept for ExpertNet. But while we continue to experiment with innovative ways to engage the public, we also recognize that it is essential to ensure that our opportunities to comment are accessible to all Americans. So, if you prefer not to access the wiki, you can post your comments on the discussion forum or email them to us at expertnet@ostp.gov.

However you decide to make your voice heard, we look forward to hearing from you!

What You Missed: Tuesday Talk on the Anniversary of the Open Government Directive

Posted by White House

On December 8th, 2009, the White House issued an unprecedented Open Government Directive requiring federal agencies to take steps to achieve key milestones in transparency, participation, and collaboration. On the one-year anniversary of the Directive, Chief Technology Officer Aneesh Chopra, Chief Information Officer Vivek Kundra and Administrator of the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs Cass Sunstein answered your questions from Facebook and WhiteHouse.gov on the Administration’s progress and where we're going.

You can check out the full video of the chat or use the links below to jump directly to the questions you're interested in. Visit whitehouse.gov/open to learn more about the Open Government Initaitive.

Questions are paraphrased.

Health Reform Wins Another Round in Court

Posted by White House

After the Affordable Care Act became law, opponents of reform lined up at courthouses nationwide to file lawsuits challenging the constitutionality of health reform. These kinds of challenges often happen after major legislation is enacted. In fact, legal challenges to the Social Security Act, the Civil Rights Act, and the Voting Rights Act were all filed – and all failed.

Now, lawsuits challenging the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act are losing in federal court. Today, a federal judge in New Jersey who was appointed to the bench by President George W. Bush granted the Justice Department’s motion to dismiss a case challenging the constitutionality of the health reform law. You can read media coverage of the decision here.

The case dismissed in New Jersey can now be added to a longer list of cases challenging the Affordable Care Act that have been dismissed by the courts. That list includes:

Sollars v. Reid -dismissed 4/2/10
Taitz v. Obama - dismissed 4/14/10
Archer v. U.S. Senate - dismissed 4/12/10
Heghmann v. Sebelius - dismissed 5/14/10
Mackenzie v. Shaheen - dismissed 5/26/10
Fountain Hills Tea Party Patriots v. Sebelius - dismissed 6/2/10
Coalition for Parity Inc. v. Sebelius - dismissed on 6/21/10
U.S. Citizens Association v. OMB - dismissed 8/2/10
Baldwin v. Sebelius – dismissed 8/27/10
Burlsworth v. Holder - dismissed 9/8/10
Schreeve v. Obama - dismissed 11/4/10

And the decision in New Jersey comes after two previous victories for health reform in the Western District of Virginia and Eastern District of Michigan where judges ruled on the merits of the arguments brought by the opponents of reform. In Virginia, the judge wrote:

And in Michigan, a federal judge issued a similar ruling and upheld the law.

The Affordable Care Act falls well within Congress’s power to regulate under the Commerce Clause, the Necessary and Proper Clause, and the General Welfare Clause. In order to make health care affordable and available for all, the law regulates how to pay for medical services – services that account for more than 17.5% of the national economy. This law came into being precisely because of the interconnectedness of our health care costs, and we need every American to act responsibly to strengthen our health care system. When people seek medical care without health insurance and don’t pay for it, it adds more than $1,000 per year to the premiums of American families who act responsibly by having coverage. To lower the cost of health care for everyone, we have to stop making those who act responsibly pick up the health care tab for those who don’t – and that means we need everyone to be a part of the health insurance marketplace. Just as you can’t wait to get car insurance until you get into a car accident or rely on others to pay for the damages, you can’t wait until you get sick to get health insurance, or rely on the fact that emergency rooms won’t turn you away even if you can’t pay.

To fix the problem of uncompensated care and the shifting of costs to those who have insurance, the Affordable Care Act requires people who can afford it to carry minimum health coverage beginning in 2014. For the 83% of Americans who have coverage today, this means they are already taking responsibility for their health care, and will need to do very little. Many of the 17% of Americans living without health insurance either can’t afford it or have been denied coverage because of a preexisting condition. The Affordable Care Act provides tax credits to people who need help paying for insurance and hardship waivers to individuals or families who can’t afford it at all. And the Act expands Medicaid coverage for many lower income Americans. Those who can afford it, but refuse to buy it, will face a penalty.

In the weeks ahead, there will be additional court cases examining this matter and the health reform law. No one knows how each case will be decided, but in the end, we are confident that health reform will prevail.

Stephanie Cutter is Assistant to the President for Special Projects

President Obama Signs the Claims Resolution Act of 2010

Posted by White House

It was a long time coming, but today the President signed the Claims Resolution Act of 2010. Secretary Vilsack recently addressed the Pigford II Settlement and Secretary Salazar address the Cobell Settlement, the two main parts of the legislation. The President released the following statement afterwards:

Statement by the President on H.R. 4783

Today I have signed into law H.R. 4783, the "Claims Resolution Act of 2010." This Act, among other things, provides funding and statutory authorities for the settlement agreements reached in the Cobell lawsuit, brought by Native Americans; the Pigford II lawsuit, brought by African American farmers; and four separate water rights suits, brought by Native American tribes. While I am pleased that this Act reflects important progress, much work remains to be done to address other claims of past discrimination made by women and Hispanic farmers against the Department of Agriculture as well as to address needs of tribal communities.

I am also pleased that the Act includes authorities proposed by my Administration concerning Unemployment Compensation program integrity, to expand the ability of the Federal Government to recover from individual income tax overpayments certain Unemployment Compensation debts that are due to an individual's failure to report earnings. My Administration has been working to protect taxpayer funds through improved recovery of improper Federal payments, and the additional authorities in this Act will assist in that effort. In order to ensure that the intent and effect of these program integrity provisions are realized, my Administration is working with the Congress to correct an inadvertent technical drafting error in section 801(a)(3)(C), so that the provision can be implemented as intended.

BARACK OBAMA

THE WHITE HOUSE,

December 8, 2010.

President Obama Holds a Cabinet Meeting - In Photos

Posted by White House

The President held a Cabinet meeting today at the White House. Scroll down for a few snapshots:

If you missed it, check out this behind-the-scenes video on the President's Cabinet.

West Wing Week: Sharp Elbows

Posted by White House

Welcome to the West Wing Week, your guide to everything that's happening at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. Walk step by step with the President as he holds a meeting with bipartisan members of the Congressional Leadership at the White House, greets the American 2010 Nobel Laureates in the Oval Office, meets with General Colin Powell, makes a joint statement about the importance of ratifying the START treaty with Russia, and more…

Also, the First Lady, accompanied by Sasha and Malia, are presented with the official Christmas Tree.

Learn more about the events discussed in this West Wing Week:

November 29^th, 2010

President Obama on the Federal Pay Freeze: "Getting This Deficit Under Control is Going to Require Broad Sacrifice"

November 30^th, 2010

December 1^s^t, 2010

What They’re Saying: Repeal ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’

Posted by White House

After this week’s Pentagon report showing that a strong majority of America’s military men and women and their families are prepared to serve alongside Americans who are openly gay and lesbian, newspapers across the country have urged the Senate to step up and repeal Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell. Many have echoed the President’s remarks earlier this week, when he said, “With our nation at war and so many Americans serving on the front lines, our troops and their families deserve the certainty that can only come when an act of Congress ends this discriminatory policy once and for all. The House of Representatives has already passed the necessary legislation. Today I call on the Senate to act as soon as possible so I can sign this repeal into law this year and ensure that Americans who are willing to risk their lives for their country are treated fairly and equally.”

Here’s a roundup of some of the editorials.

Baltimore Sun: No more excuses for don’t ask, don’t tell

“If the remaining congressional supporters of don’t ask, don’t tell are being honest when they say their primary concern is avoiding harm to the military, they should take Mr. Gates’ advice and vote for a repeal.”

Kansas City Star: Congress should act on critical to-do list

“This policy doesn’t serve our national interests. It’s time for gay Americans to be allowed to serve openly.”

Chicago Sun-Times: Positive Steps on Gay Rights

“[A]n exhaustive Pentagon report found that U.S. soldiers can handle serving alongside gays, concluding that a repeal of the military’s ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ policy presents a low risk to the military’s effectiveness . . . It’s now up to Congress to follow that lead. In the waning days of the lame-duck session, the Senate must act to repeal ‘don’t ask, don’t tell.’”

Austin American Statesman: Congress should be open-minded

“Congress should listen to the brass and the troops and repeal this antiquated, discriminatory policy.”

Miami Herald: Remove the ban: let them speak, serve

“At a time when the United States is waging two wars and keeps troops permanently in hot spots like South Korea, the military can ill afford to reject or boot out any able American who wants to serve the country. This should be the Senate’s guiding principle in repealing ‘don’t ask, don’t tell.’”

The Oregonian: The Last Days of ‘Don’t Ask’

“History will surely look back at the military’s ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ policy as an awkward next-to-last stage before it rejected discrimination against openly gay service members. And one of the last markers in that stage was the Pentagon report released Tuesday that showed little practical harm would result if the military treated homosexual people the same way it treats heterosexual ones. The only thing left is to formalize repeal, which means the Senate should act this month to end the outdated policy.”

The Sacramento Bee: Pentagon study should clear way to end ‘don’t ask’

“What can opponents of ending the discriminatory, destructive "don’t ask, don’t tell" law possibly say now? Their last, best defense for preventing gay Americans from openly serving in the military was blown apart Tuesday when the Pentagon said the ban could be lifted with minimal risk even during wartime, and that doing so would not cause any widespread or lasting disruption to readiness or unit cohesion."

Seattle Times: End the military ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ ban

“Gays have defended their country with honor and self-sacrifice for generations. Respect those who have served and those who serve now. End ‘don’t ask, don’t tell,’ and rely on the maturity of those who stepped forward to protect our nation to welcome and serve beside their openly gay colleagues.”

The Reporter: No more excuses, Senate Repeal ‘don’t ask, tell’

“It’s time for the Senate to put the welfare of those service members ahead of party politics and repeal the ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ law.”

St. Louis Post-Dispatch: McCain v. Pentagon/Public/Troops on gays in military

“The nation must be guided by its best instincts, not the fears and prejudices of a minority.”

The New York Times: The Pentagon, Pursuing Justice

“It is shameful that Republican lawmakers are not as respectful of the values enunciated on Tuesday by Mr. Gates and Adm. Michael Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, who firmly supported eliminating what Mr. Gates called a ‘legally and morally fraught process.’”

Tacoma News Tribune: Pentagon study provides ammo: End ‘don’t ask’

“The Senate should take its cue from the military and vote to allow gays to serve their nation openly. They have fought and died to preserve Americans’ rights, and they should be able to freely exercise them.”

The Metrowest Daily: Don’t ask, don’t tell, just repeal

“Senate Republicans must stop stonewalling on DADT repeal. That applies especially to our own Sen. Scott Brown, who has played coy on the issue. A member of the Armed Services Committee, Brown has refused to support repeal until the Pentagon study was complete. Now that the troops have spoken, it’s time Brown showed the independence he promised, by bucking his party’s leaders and letting this bill come up for a vote.”

The Charleston Gazette: Gays Getting Closer to Equality

“It takes courage to enlist in the military and face possible death in a war zone. Those who enter this service to their country deserve gratitude -- not persecution as undesirables.”

Palm Beach Post: Finally, end “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell?”

“The military’s ban on gays and lesbians serving openly has been one of Washington’s white hot-button issues for nearly two decades. On Tuesday, we found out that among members of the armed forces it really isn’t a big deal.”

USA Today: Survey Provides New Fodder for ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ Repeal

Ending "don’t ask, don’t tell" is long overdue. Change this momentous is best accomplished by orderly implementation after an open vote in Congress; senators have one last chance to make it so.

Honolulu Advertiser: Repeal ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’

“The armed services of this country have adopted a code of conduct that’s supposed to guide the behavior of enlisted and commissioned members. On the top of a list of ‘ethical values’ is ‘honesty,’ defined in part as ‘being truthful, straightforward and candid.’ The code continues: ‘Truthfulness is required. Deceptions are usually easily uncovered. Lies erode credibility and undermine public confidence.’ How ironic it is that Congress is struggling with a proposal that would enable many members of the military to fulfill these high ideals.”

Los Angeles Times: ‘Don’t ask’ death knell?

“Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) must make repeal a priority. When he makes the case, the Pentagon report will provide him with chapter and verse.”

Louisville Courier-Journal: The Pentagon speaks

“The Senate, which has scheduled hearings on the report and the repeal for today and Friday, needs to avoid dawdling or slow-rolling a vote. Whatever they pass still will have to be considered by the House, which passed a version of the repeal earlier this year . . . If it isn’t, bigotry will continue to hold sway in the military, and the country will continue to lose the considerable gifts of Lt. Choi and others like him. That is more than a tragedy. That is a disgrace.”

Washington Post: Pentagon report should quell fears on ending ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’

“President Obama, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates and Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, support repeal, but some on Capitol Hill continue to be uncomfortable with a possible change. They should heed Mr. Gates’s warnings about the significant disruption that is likely to occur if the courts - rather than lawmakers and military officials - take the lead in dismantling the policy. More important, they should listen to the service members themselves.”

Concord Monitor: Scrap ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ policy

“The nation’s 17-year-old ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ policy was always demeaning and wrong, though perhaps marginally justifiable as a transitional step toward greater equality. But it is unconstitutional, and Congress should repeal it.”

Alaska Daily News: Don’t ask: Gays who serve with honor deserve honorable treatment

“Anyone who does his or her job with honor, respect and courage shouldn’t have to worry about getting the boot.”

The Macon Telegraph: It’s time to jettison don’t ask, don’t tell from military policy

“It’s time for Congress to rid the nation of this farce.”

The Daily Republic: It’s time to end ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ policy

“It’s ridiculous that a person could hide his or her sexuality, serve with honor in a war overseas and win a pile of medals, and then say ‘I’m gay’ and be shown the door. Good soldiers don’t become bad soldiers by merely stating their sexual orientation.”

The Livingston Daily: Survey supplies new fodder for ‘don’t ask’ repeal

“So a survey was taken, and the results are clear. Most in the armed forces aren’t bothered by gays in the military. It’s time that Washington lawmakers joined the 21st century.”

The Berkshire Eagle: Anti-gay policy crumbles

“The Pentagon study on gays in the military released Tuesday shatters what little was left of the flimsy arguments in favor of maintaining the abhorrent ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ policy.”

Palm Beach Desert Sun: It’s time to repeal ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’

“The vast majority of Americans believe this. The Pentagon study shows that most troops feel the same way. As the war on terror continues, the country needs all who are willing to serve. Only a handful of countries ban gays from serving - Cuba, North Korea, Malaysia, Turkey and Saudi Arabia. We should not follow those models of intolerance.”

San Francisco Chronicle: End discrimination against gays in military

“The survey results should erase one of the major worries about gays in the military. Instead of grave doubts or intolerance, there is general acceptance when it comes to gays and lesbians in uniform. That’s a finding that should strengthen, not harm, this nation’s armed services. It also should move the Senate to approve a law that lets everyone serve.”

Seattle Times: End the military ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ ban

“Gays have defended their country with honor and self-sacrifice for generations. Respect those who have served and those who serve now. End ‘don’t ask, don’t tell,’ and rely on the maturity of those who stepped forward to protect our nation to welcome and serve beside their openly gay colleagues.”

Health Care Tax Credits for Small Businesses Nationwide

Posted by White House

Today, the Obama Administration issued new information that will help small businesses take advantage of new tax credits to reduce the cost of providing health coverage to their workers. The new information includes a full set of tools and documents small businesses can use to claim the credit this year, and also clarifies that a broad range of small employers, including religious institutions, can qualify.

These tax credits are just one part of President Obama’s work to strengthen small businesses across the country. In fact, the President has cut taxes for small businesses 16 times -- accelerating more than $55 billion in tax relief over the next year to businesses across the country.

Small businesses pay 18 percent more for health insurance premiums than large businesses. The Affordable Care Act changes that by providing tax credits for small businesses that offer employees health insurance and by leveling the playing field with larger employers. Up to 4 million small businesses could be eligible for relief from high health insurance premiums this year, and, according to the independent Congressional Budget Office, the tax credit will save small businesses $40 billion by 2019. Many small businesses are already benefitting from the new tax credits today:

In Kansas City, Blue Cross and Blue Shield has enrolled more than 9,000 new members from over 400 employers. 38 percent of those employers did not previously offer health insurance.
We’ve heard stories from small business owners like Lisa Kaye Reynolds Sharp of Fayetteville, Arkansas, Jim Houser of Portland, Oregon and Betsy Button of Salt Lake City, Utah who have told us how the new credits will make it easier to give their workers the coverage they need. You can listen to Lisa, Jim and Betsy tell their story in their own words by clicking here.

The tax credits are just one of the ways the health reform law will help small businesses. The law will also helps level the playing field with large employers by allowing small businesses to band together to get a fairer deal from insurance companies through the creation of competitive private health insurance markets called Exchanges that go into effect in 2014. Exchanges help organize the health insurance marketplace to help consumers and small businesses shop for coverage in a way that permits easy comparison of available plan options based on price, benefits and services, and quality. Pooling people together can help bring costs down and Exchanges will make our health care system more transparent and competitive by making it easier for consumers to compare costs and benefits.

Small businesses are the engine of our economy and President Obama and his team will continue to do all we can to help small businesses grow and succeed.

What You Missed: Tuesday Talk with Secretary Steven Chu

Posted by White House

In Tuesday Talks this week, Department of Energy Secretary Steven Chu answered your questions from WhiteHouse.gov and Facebook in a live video chat. Secretary Chu recently delivered a speech calling on the United States to sharply accelerate innovations in clean energy -- citing China and other countries' recent advances in clean technology as a critical "Sputnik Moment" for the U.S.

Watch the chat to learn what you can do to save more energy at home and about the initiatives that the Department of Energy is undertaking to promote a sustainable energy economy. You can check out the full video of the chat or use the links below to jump directly to the questions you're interested in.

See more Official White House photographs on the Flickr photo stream and in the photo galleries on www.WhiteHouse.gov.

President Obama & a New Report on What Unemployment Insurance Means for All of Us

Posted by White House

Speaking today to newly-elected governors from around the country, the President and Vice President both touched on a lot of issues -- but one of particular urgency is related to our friends and neighbors who are still having the toughest time in an economy still very much on the mend. As the President explained:

Some of you may be aware that as of today, you’ve got 2 million people who stand to lose their unemployment insurance over the course of the year. If we don’t do something, 7 million people could lose their unemployment insurance. That’s not also -- that’s not just a potential tragedy for those individual families. It could have a huge impact on your local economies because every economist of every stripe will tell you that unemployment insurance dollars are probably the ones that are most likely to be spent, most likely to be recirculated, most likely to help to boost small business and services all across your states and they’re going to have an effect on your sales revenue.

Despite a virtual consensus amongst economists and recent headlines like "Jobless aid loss could choke economic growth‎" and "Loss of jobless benefits could be serious blow to U.S. economy," some opponents of the extension have continued to insist that unemployment insurance does not affect the economy. To try and put the question to rest, the Council of Economic Advisors released a startling report. An excerpt from the release is below, but the entire report (pdf) is worth looking over:

Failure by Congress to act on extending unemployment benefits will have stark consequences for Americans this holiday season, according to a new report from the White House Council of Economic Advisers. Two million Americans in December alone – and nearly seven million over the course of the next year – will lose the temporary support that helps them keep food on the table and make ends meet while they search for a job if Congress fails to act.

“Extending this support to those hardest hit by this crisis is not only the right thing to do, it's the right economic policy,” said CEA Chairman Austan Goolsbee. “Letting millions more Americans fall into hardship will hurt our economy at this critical point in our recovery and immediately undermine consumer spending.”

Without extended benefits, the country would have had 800,000 fewer jobs as of September 2010, and failure to act to extend benefits again could cost the nation 600,000 jobs by the end of next year.