White House

Help for Military Homeowners

2012-03-07T03:10:00.000-08:00

When I was at Fort Drum, NY last week I heard from a military spouse who said her family has been separated for four years – partly because of deployments but also because they can’t sell their house. At the same meeting an officer told me that he is underwater on a home he bought at a previous assignment. He wondered if there were any options for him that wouldn’t ruin his credit or require a large sum of money he didn’t have.

I’ve had conversations like these repeatedly in my travels to military communities across the country during the past year. The housing crisis has had a devastating impact on military homeowners, and their unique challenges have made it difficult for them to get help. So I’m glad to see that important protections for military homeowners were included in the recent settlement between the Federal government, 49 state Attorneys General, and five of the largest mortgage loan servicers: Bank of America, JP Morgan Chase, Citigroup, Wells Fargo, and Ally Financial.

The mortgage servicers who signed the settlement have agreed to review their files for violations of the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA). They will give monetary relief to those families who saw their homes taken from them in violation of the SCRA, or who did not receive the SCRA interest-rate reduction to which they were entitled. In one way the settlement goes farther than the SCRA: it protects from non-judicial foreclosure all military homeowners who are deployed to a combat zone, even if the mortgage was not obtained before the servicemember entered active duty.

The settlement also has provisions for military homeowners who get Permanent Change of Station (PCS) orders. The banks will provide short-sale agreements and deficiency waivers to those servicemembers who were forced to sell their home at a loss due to a PCS and were not eligible for the military’s Homeowners Assistance Program (HAP). This will help servicemembers who were underwater on homes they bought between July 1, 2006 and December 31, 2008, or who received a PCS after October 1, 2010.

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President Obama Hangs Out With America

2012-01-31T01:08:00.000-08:00

Just after 5:30 PM ET today, President Obama sat down for a discussion with a group of Americans from across the country in a Google+ Hangout. It was the first online conversation to happen at the White House in real time -- ever.

Even before the event, more than 227,000 people had taken time to participate -- submitting questions for the President to answer or voting for their favorite.

If you missed any of the action, check over the full video here:

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Will House Republicans Allow Taxes To Go Up On 160 Million Americans?

2011-12-19T02:29:00.000-08:00

The President believes this is a build or break moment for the middle class, and that's why he is resolute to protect the payroll tax cut for millions of American families.

Yesterday, after some tough negotiations and months of Republican opposition, the Senate came to a bipartisan compromise that extends the payroll tax cut and job loss insurance benefits. This bill received 89 votes, including 39 Republican votes. We’re satisfied that Republicans were finally showing a willingness to not raise taxes on middle class families.

The near 90 percent support by the Senate demonstrates the view by the overwhelming number of Senate Republicans – as well as Democrats – that the best way to achieve the President’s goal of ensuring that taxes were not augmented on 160 million working Americans and protecting unemployment insurance benefits for 2.5 million people was to support this bipartisan compromise.

Speaker Boehner himself yesterday called it a “good deal” and a “victory.” After it passed, Senator Hatch said, “This is almost certainly a done deal in the House; it should be.” Well, we couldn’t agree more.

Yesterday Senator McConnell said, “in order to attain something around here, you've got to compromise… What we've done here is crafted a bill not intended to fail but designed to pass.”

On CNN Sen. Blunt said, “I think the House has to deal with it and look at the fact that it was paid for, it extends not just the payroll tax but also the joblessness insurance.”

It’s time for House Republicans to take note to the American people, and their colleagues in the Senate. It’s time for them to stop playing politics and get the job done. If they decline to pass this bipartisan bill to extend the payroll tax cut, there will be a significant tax increase on 160 million hardworking Americans in 13 days that would injure the economy and job growth. That’s unacceptable. They need to get to work and stop the job.

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First Lady Michelle Obama Visits Patients at Children's National Medical Center

2011-12-12T21:33:00.000-08:00

Today, First Lady Michelle Obama visited patients at Children’s National Medical Center in Washington, D.C., a tradition that dates back more than 60 years to First Lady Bess Truman. After touring the neonatal intensive care nursery and another unit at the hospital, Mrs. Obama settled in with Santa Claus and First Dog Bo to read T’was the Night Before Christmas to a group of children gathered in the hospital’s atrium.

After story time, the First Lady answered some questions about the Obama family’s Christmas Eve traditions (enjoying a big meal with extended family in Hawaii and waiting for Santa to arrive), her favorite Christmas movie (“It’s a Wonderful Life”), and what she’s getting the President for Christmas (it’s a surprise, of course!).

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By the Numbers: $4.2 Billion

2011-12-08T02:27:00.000-08:00

Payday loans, sometimes called cash-advance loans or check-advance loans offer borrowers short‐term funds at very high interest rates that are not always evidently disclosed. On average, payday lenders charge fees of around $16 for a $100 two‐week loan. If borrowers miss payments, fees can begin to accumulate, resulting in enormously high total payments. Payday loan borrowers are paying nearly $4.2 billion in fees yearly, according to some studies.

Even when rates and penalties are disclosed, borrowers in anxious need of cash may agree to disadvantageous loan terms. Many times, these borrowers’ financial resources have previously been depleted by an emergency, sustained unemployment, or illness. Relying on payday loans to make ends meet can create a debt‐and‐fee‐spiral that some people may find enormously difficult to exit.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau was recognized to offer federal supervision and oversight over a full range of financial service providers that consumers rely on--from banks and credit unions, to payday lenders and self-governing mortgage brokers. President Obama has nominated Richard Cordray to head the CFPB, and the Senate will vote on his confirmation this week. Having a director in place will allow the Bureau to protect consumers from unfair, misleading, or abusive practices from providers like those that issue payday loans.

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Meeting with Lady Gaga on enclosure and Equality for Our Young People

2011-12-07T03:45:00.000-08:00

Lady Gaga is a source of strength for many young people who feel inaccessible and scared at their schools. Today, I had the opportunity to welcome her to the White House, where we discussed ways we might work together to make sure that no child comes under attack, regardless of his or her race, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other factor.

One of Lady Gaga’s newest projects is joining together with the MacArthur Foundation and Harvard University to launch the Born This Way Foundation, which will discover ways to help change the culture, the policies, and the curriculum surrounding the safety of our children in school.

Lady Gaga has described this cause as a personal one – she has said that as a child, she was frequently picked on for being different. I am deeply moved by the way she has used her story, and her success, to motivate young people, and shine the spotlight on important issues.

I am proud to be part of an Administration that has taken steps to address bullying. In 2010, the Department of Education made it clear to schools that allowing bullying against LGBT students can violate anti-discrimination statutes. In 2011, the Department reaffirmed students’ rights to form gay-straight alliances and other similar groups. Earlier this year, President Obama and the First Lady held a White House Conference on Bullying Prevention. And today the Administration released a new analysis of state bullying laws and policies, summarizing the efforts currently in place to prevent bullying in and out of schools. The report shows that while states have made current progress in enacting policies and legislation to address bullying, more must be done.

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Vice President Biden Checks Out Istanbul's Samatya Square

2011-12-05T01:57:00.000-08:00

Vice President Joe Biden had one last stop to make in Istanbul earlier today earlier than departing for Athens - the last leg of his trip through the region.

Samatya Square -- a traditional neighborhood in the Fatih district of Istanbul -- is home to all sorts of vendors and food stands carrying local specialties.

The neighborhood is said to symbolize a "mosaic of life" in Istanbul, having been home to Turks and various minority groups for centuries.

Vice President Biden walked through the cobblestone streets stopping in stores and alternative up a few things. On the Vice President's shopping list: oranges, tangerines and other fruit as well as olives and cheeses.

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West Wing Week: 12/2/11 or "Bo Meets Bo."

2011-12-01T22:04:00.000-08:00

This week, as the President urged Republicans to join a Democratic attempt to prevent a thousand dollar tax increase on the typical American family, the White House got spruced up for the holidays. The President also hosted the EU Summit, the Dutch Prime Minister, and announced a new commitment to fighting AIDS in America and around the world. He also lit the National Christmas Tree. That's November 25th to December 1st, or "Bo Meets Bo."

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NATO attack was obvious aggression-Pakistan army

2011-11-30T03:47:00.000-08:00

A senior Pakistani army official has alleged a NATO cross-border air attack that killed 24 soldiers was a deliberate, blatant act of aggression, hardening Pakistan's stance on an incident that might hurt efforts to stabilize Afghanistan.

Islamabad decided on Tuesday not to attend a major conference on the post-2014 future of Afghanistan in Germany next week, an angry reply to the attack that threatens to set back peace efforts in Pakistan's anxious neighbor.

Continuing Pakistan's angry tone, Major General Ishfaq Nadeem, director general of military operations, said NATO forces were alerted they were attacking Pakistani posts, but helicopters kept firing. His comments, from a briefing to editors, were approved in local newspapers on Wednesday that characterized the attack as blatant aggression.

"Detailed information of the posts was already with ISAF (International Security Assistance Force), including map references, and it was unfeasible that they did not know these to be our posts," The News quoted Nadeem as saying at the briefing held at army headquarters on Tuesday.

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Weekly Address: On Thanksgiving, Grateful for the Men and Women Who protect Our Country

2011-11-24T04:01:00.000-08:00

President Obama wishes the American people a happy Thanksgiving -- and gives a special thanks to the brave men and women serving overseas and those giving back to their communities all through the holidays.

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On the Road with the President

2011-11-18T00:42:00.000-08:00

This week, President Obama is in the Pacific. He traveled to Hawaii for the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation conference, visited Australia for meetings with Prime Minister Julia Gillard and an address to Parliament, and he's at present in Indonesia for the East Asia Summit. We'll be back next week with a special edition of West Wing Week, but for now, checking out a few clips from the road.

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Renewing Ties in the Pacific

2011-11-16T00:20:00.000-08:00

When President Obama touches down in Australia tomorrow, he'll turn up with two major goals: strengthening our relationships and promoting security in the Pacific.

That starts in Canberra, the Australian capital.

On Wednesday, the President will get together with Prime Minister Julia Gillard, and the two will hold a joint press conference. Later that day, President Obama will be hosted at a dinner at the Australian Parliament House. On Thursday, the President will give an address to the Australian Parliament, meet with parliamentary leaders, tour a primary school with Prime Minister Gillard, and visit a military base in Darwin -- where he'll speak to a joint audience of U.S. marines and Australian troops.

For 60 years, the U.S. and Australia have been connected by a defense treaty, but our military partnership extends back much further. American and Australian troops have fought side by side from First World War to the current engagement in Afghanistan.

From Australia, the President will fly to Indonesia for the East Asia Summit , where he will grasp bilateral meetings with a number of allies -- including the leaders of India, Thailand, and the Philippines. Much of the discussion at the summit will center on improving economic integration and addressing security challenges in the region.

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Vice President Biden Swears In Secretary Bryson

2011-11-14T21:38:00.000-08:00

Late last night, the Senate voted to confirm John Bryson to head the U.S. Department of Commerce.

Mr. Bryson is a man with a wealth of experience in both the public and private sectors. For nearly two decades, he was the CEO of Edison International, a California-based energy company. He has served on the boards of some of America's leading companies, including Disney and Boeing. And as a young man, straight out of law school, he helped to originate the Natural Resources Defense Council.

President Obama released the following statement:

As Secretary of Commerce, John Bryson will be a key member of my financial team, working with the business community to endorse job creation, foster growth, and help open up new markets around the world for American-made goods. At such a dangerous time for our economy, I chosen John because I believe his decades of experience both in the public and private sector have given him a clear understanding of what it takes to put America on a stronger economic footing and create jobs. I’m sure he will help us do that, and I look forward to working closely with him in the months and years ahead.

Mr. Bryson takes over for Gary Locke -- the current ambassador to China.

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President Obama at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC)

2011-11-13T21:01:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, President Obama kicked off the yearly Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Ministers and Economic Leaders’ Meeting in Honolulu, Hawaii. In the morning, the President met with Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) leaders, Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Chile, Malaysia, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore and Vietnam.

President Obama announced in November 2009 the United States’ meaning to participate in the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) negotiations to finish an ambitious, next-generation, Asia-Pacific trade agreement that reflects U.S. priorities and standards. This agreement will boost U.S. economic growth and support the formation and retention of high-quality jobs at home by increasing American exports to a region that includes some of the world’s most robust economies and that represents more than 40 percent of global trade.

As the President noted yesterday:

We just had an excellent meeting, and I’m very satisfied to announce that our nine nations have reached the broad outlines of an agreement. There are still abundance of details to work out, but we are confident that we can do so. So we've bound for our teams to finalize this agreement in the coming year. It is an determined goal, but we are optimistic that we can get it done.

The TPP will boost our economies, lowering barriers to trade and investment, increasing exports, and creating more jobs for our people, which is my number-one priority. Along with our trade agreements with South Korea, Panama and Colombia, the TPP will also help attain my goal of doubling U.S. exports, which support millions of American jobs.

Later in the day, President Obama participated in an APEC CEO Business summit, including a question and answer session with Boeing CEO, Jim McNerney.

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West Wing Week: 11/11/11 or "Super Duper Space Wrench"

2011-11-11T00:53:00.000-08:00

This week, the President attended the G-20 Summit in France, announced new hard work to help put veterans back to work, ordered reforms of Head Start Programs, signed an managerial order to cut waste in government, and welcomed the President of Portugal.

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Weekly Address: We Have to enlarge the Pace

2011-11-06T21:20:00.000-08:00

Speaking from the University of Pittsburgh, Vice President Biden argues that this month’s jobs numbers reveal that Congress should pass the American Jobs Act to strengthen our economy and generate jobs right away.

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2011-11-02T01:21:00.000-07:00

In 2009, President Obama challenged the Federal Government to lead by example by becoming leaner, greener and more proficient. He asked agencies and departments to become more energy efficient, reduce waste and water use, and use its purchasing power as the main energy consumer in the U.S. economy to support more environmentally responsible products and technologies in their operations.

The GreenGov Presidential Awards rejoice extraordinary achievement in the pursuit of President Obama's challenge. Given in six dissimilar categories, the awards honor Federal civilian and military personnel, agency teams, agency projects and facilities, and agency programs that demonstrate President Obama's charge to lead by example on the way to a clean energy economy.

Meet this year’s winners and learn regarding the award they are receiving below.

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Why Cancer Patients Can't Wait: "It Can signify the Difference Between Curing Your Cancer and Not"

2011-11-01T02:14:00.000-07:00

President Obama today signed an managerial order that directs the FDA to step up work to decrease the drug shortages and protect consumers. Jay Cuetara knows 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 signify the difference between curing your cancer and not," the San Francisco man explained.

The President's action means that drug companies will be necessary to let the FDA know earlier about the potential for drug shortages so that they can react 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 guide 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 offer additional tools to the FDA and others that can create a difference. But until they act, we will go in front and move."

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West Wing Week: 10/28/11 or "We Can't Wait"

2011-10-27T23:19:00.000-07:00

This week, the President announced he'd keep his promise to transport our troops home from Iraq, honored the nation's top scientists and inventors, embarked on a three day Western swing to urge Congress to pass the American Jobs Act, and announced major new administrative actions that will help middle class families in this hard economy.

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Diwali at the White House

2011-10-26T23:57:00.000-07:00

Today is Diwali, and millions across the globe are celebrating the Festival of Lights. Last year, the President and First Lady had the occasion to contribute in Diwali festivities during their trip to India, and today, he marked the instance again:

Diwali is a time for get-together with family and friends and—as we experienced in India—celebrating with good food and dancing. It is also a time for contemplation and prayer that serves as a reminder of our obligations to our fellow human beings, particularly the less fortunate. To all who are observing this sacred holiday here and around the world, Happy Diwali and Saal Mubarak.

In 2009, President Obama held the first Diwali festivity at the White House.

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American Jobs Act with the Numbers: $7.25 Trillion

2011-10-25T00:28:00.000-07:00

Nearly 11 million Americans are underwater on their mortgage, meaning they owe additional to the bank than their homes are worth. In fact, homeowners have lost $7.25 trillion in home equity--the difference stuck between the actual value of a home and the balance of what's owed on the mortgage--since the peak of the housing bubble in 2006. This loss in home impartiality is devastating for a family’s financial security, and makes it more difficult to take out other loans, save for a bigger house, or build a nest egg for retirement. It also means families are making payments that are higher than they would be if their mortgage was based on the real current value of their home, giving them fewer dollars to spend on other economy-bolstering goods and services.

We can’t wait any longer to help Americans struggling to create their mortgage payments.

Today, President Obama traveled to Las Vegas to announce that the Federal Housing Finance Agency is expanding eligibility for the Home Affordable Refinancing Program. The changes will help responsible borrowers with little to no equity in their homes take benefit of today’s historically low interest rates to refinance their mortgages.

These new steps will save underwater homeowners thousands of dollars each year, and they didn’t take an act of Congress. This administrative action will not only save homeowners hundreds of dollars each month, it will put pressure on Congressional Republicans to put country before party and pass the American Jobs Act. The President believes we can’t wait, so he will act wherever they won’t.

Today’s announcement isn’t a alternate for the bold actions we need to grow the economy, and President Obama knows this. The situation is too serious to not move forward. That’s why he’s pursuing executive actions like this one while continuing to work toward passing the American Jobs Act. The legislation will help keep teachers in the classroom and first responders on the job, invest $50 billion in our nation’s infrastructure, and create tax breaks for small businesses. It also includes Project Rebuild, which helps the private sector put construction workers to work rehabilitating vacant or abandoned homes and business across the country, helping steady home prices everywhere. Most importantly, the American Jobs Act will create the jobs we need to get better our economy and help middle class families.

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A new era of promise”: President Obama on the statement of Liberation in Libya

2011-10-24T05:29:00.000-07:00

Following today’s historic announcement of liberation in Libya, President Obama released this statement:

On behalf of the American people, I congratulate the people of Libya on today’s historic announcement of liberation. After four decades of brutal dictatorship and eight months of deadly conflict, the Libyan people can now celebrate their freedom and the commencement of a new era of promise.

Now that the fighting in Libya has reached an end, the Transitional National Council (TNC) must turn its attention to the political changeover ahead. We look frontward to working with the TNC and an empowered transitional government as they position for the country’s first free and fair elections. The Libyan authorities should also carry on living up to their commitments to respect human rights, begin a national reconciliation process, secure weapons and dangerous materials, and bring together armed groups under a mutual civilian leadership. As they take these steps, the United States will continue our close cooperation with our international partners and the UN Support Mission in Libya to help advance a stable, democratic transition.

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The American Jobs Act by the Numbers: 1,500

2011-10-21T23:17:00.000-07:00

Following the Senate vote on jobs for teachers and first responders, President Obama made clear that blocking act on getting Americans back to work is intolerable:

For the second time in two weeks, every single Republican in the United States Senate has selected to obstruct a bill that would create jobs and get our economy going again...We must do what’s right for the country and pass the common-sense proposals in the American Jobs Act.

Every Senate Republican voted to block a bill that would help middle class families and keep hundreds of thousands of firefighters on the job, police officers on the streets, and teachers in the classroom when our kids need them most.

Those Americans justify an explanation as to why they don’t deserve those jobs – and every American deserves an explanation as to why Republicans refuse to step up to the plate and do what’s necessary to create jobs and grow the financial system right now.

Inaction won't work for American families that are just scraping by. President Obama intends to keep working with Congress to bring up the American Jobs Act piece by piece. That's why this week we're pulling out different aspects of the bill to show how it will force you, like the expansion of the payroll tax cut passed last year that will give a $1,500 tax cut to the typical American family in 2012.

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West Wing Week: "Right Now"

2011-10-20T22:11:00.000-07:00

This week, the President traveled to Detroit with the President of South Korea, dedicated the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial and embarked on a three day American Jobs act bus tour, bestowed the Presidential Citizens Medal, and hosted the Norwegian Prime Minister.

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Joining Forces at the World Series to hold up Our Military Families

2011-10-19T22:55:00.000-07:00

This afternoon, First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden headed to St. Louis, Missouri for Game One of the World Series to assemble with military families and distinguish Major League Baseball’s (MLB) support of those who dole out and their families.

During the game, a new Joining Forces and MLB Public Service Announcement will premiere featuring New York Yankees first baseman Mark Teixeira and Tampa Bay Rays outfielder Johnny Damon, encouraging Americans to hold up Joining Forces and MLB’s Welcome Back Veterans program to stand with veterans, the troops and their families. Here is a sneak peek:

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First Lady Michelle Obama Recognizes the Healthier US School Challenge Participants

2011-10-18T01:09:00.000-07:00

Given that many children eat as a lot of as two meals a day at school, it’s pretty clear that schools have a very important role to play if we’re going to combat the disturbing rise in childhood corpulence we’ve seen in recent years. Just as clear is that schools participating in USDA’s Healthier US School Challenge honored at the White House this week reveal the kind of deep commitment needed to create and maintain a healthy school environment. These schools are leaders that set an instance for schools across the country.

The Healthier US School Challenge is a key element of First Lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move! Initiative to end childhood obesity within a generation. In February 2010, USDA and the First Lady called on stakeholders to twice the number of Challenge schools in a year  a goal reached in June  and add 1,000 schools per year for two years after that.

The 1,273 challenge schools honored at the White House on Monday voluntarily decided to provide healthy meals based on the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, including a diversity of fresh fruits and vegetables, whole-grain foods, and fat-free or low fat milk. Challenge schools also have to do what schools do best: They have to teach their students what it means to eat smart. They have to ensure that kids take part in usual physical activity. To attain that goal some schools offer creative options, such as supporting walking clubs and community-sponsored sports tournaments, or by just keeping a basket of simple items obtainable for students to use during recess, such as jump ropes or hula hoops.

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President Obama at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Dedication: "We Will Overcome"

2011-10-16T21:34:00.000-07:00

Today, almost half a century after Martin Luther King, Jr. led the historic March on Washington for equality, tens of thousands came to the National Mall in Washington, D.C. for the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Dedication. The memorial to Dr. King has been open since August, but the dedication was postponed due to Hurricane Irene. As President Obama said, though delayed, "this is a day that would not be denied."

President Obama, connected by the First Family, toured the memorial and then spoke at the dedication ceremony in honor of Dr. King's work to make his dream a reality for all. During his speech, President Obama reminded us that the progress towards Dr. King's vision has not come easily and there is still more to do to expand chance and make our nation more just:

Our work is not done. And so on this day, in which we celebrate a man and a association that did so much for this country, let us draw force from those earlier struggles. First and foremost, let us remember that change has never been quick. Change has never been simple, or without controversy. Change depends on persistence. Change requires determination. It took a full decade before the moral direction of Brown v. Board of Education was translated into the enforcement measures of the Civil Rights Act and the Voting Rights Act, but those 10 long years did not lead Dr. King to give up. He kept on pushing, he kept on speaking, he kept on marching until change finally came.

And then when, even after the Civil Rights Act and the Voting Rights Act passed, African Americans still originate themselves trapped in pockets of poverty across the country, Dr. King didn’t say those laws were a failure; he didn’t say this is too hard; he didn’t say, let’s settle for what we got and go home. Instead he said, let’s take those victories and broaden our mission to attain not just civil and political equality but also economic justice; let’s fight for a living wage and better schools and jobs for all who are eager to work. In other words, when met with hardship, when confronting disappointment, Dr. King refused to recognize what he called the “isness” of today. He kept pushing towards the “oughtness” of tomorrow.

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American Jobs Act in the Heart of Rural America

2011-10-12T23:55:00.000-07:00

This past weekend, I traveled to Iowa to gather with local leaders about the critical need to pass President Obama’s American Jobs Act. Just as in the other states I visited across the country this past month, the folks in Iowa said loud and clear that they are prepared to see the economy flourish again and believe this Act will get us back to work.

On Saturday, I held a White House Business Council meeting by way of local business, community and agricultural leaders to discuss the Act and what it will do to strengthen the economy in Riverdale and Cedar Rapids, IA. I talked regarding how—without adding a dime to the deficit—it will offer a tax cut for over 60,000 Iowa businesses, support the jobs of 4,100 teachers and first responders and straight away provide over 5,000 construction workers a job improving highways and other critical infrastructure. In addition, a typical household in Iowa will obtain a tax cut of around $1,580.

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Putting Americans Back to Work with the American Jobs Act

2011-10-11T22:50:00.000-07:00

Every day, President Obama reads ten letters from the public in order to wait in tune with America's issues and concerns. One fresh one came from Alice Johnson of Oregon who, along with her husband, has been looking for a job for about two years. Last week, President Obama described Johnson's letter in his Weekly Address:

She writes, “I have loyally applied for work every week…Of the hundreds of applications I have put in, I received interview requests for about 10…I too, am sick of all the fighting in Washington DC. Please tell the Republicans that people are hurting and are hungry and require help, pass the jobs bill.” Alice Johnson needs our help.

After working solid her whole life and playing by the rules, Johnson is one of the millions of Americans who have been exaggerated by the recession through no fault of their own. "I'm an honest, loyal, dependable person who has forever worked," Johnson said. She knows there are many others going through the similar experience.

The American Jobs Act will help generate job opportunities for people like Johnson by providing a $4,000 tax credit to employers for hiring long-term unemployed workers. The Jobs Act will also forbid employers from discriminating beside unemployed workers when hiring.

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Weekly Address: Building Your Voice Heard on the American Jobs Act

2011-10-09T23:28:00.000-07:00

President Obama urges Congress to pass the American Jobs Act to put additional people to work, put more money in the pockets of working Americans and give the economy the jolt it needs right now.

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President Obama on the Passing of Steve Jobs: "He distorted the way each of us sees the world."

2011-10-06T02:05:00.000-07:00

Following the loss of visionary Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, President Obama unconfined this statement:

Michelle and I are distressed to learn of the passing of Steve Jobs. Steve was among the maximum of American innovators - brave enough to think differently, bold enough to believe he might change the world, and talented enough to do it.

By building one of the planet’s most winning companies from his garage, he exemplified the spirit of American ingenuity. By making computers personal and putting the internet in our pockets, he made the information rebellion not only accessible, but intuitive and fun. And by turning his talents to storytelling, he has brought joy to millions of children and grownups alike. Steve was fond of saying that he lived every day like it was his last. Because he did, he transformed our lives, redefined whole industries, and achieved one of the rarest feats in human history: he changed the way each of us sees the world.

The world has lost a visionary. And there may be no better tribute to Steve’s success than the fact that much of the world learned of his passing on a device he invented. Michelle and I send our thoughts and prayers to Steve’s wife Laurene, his family, and all individuals who loved him.

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Over 2,000 Agree – 1is2Many

2011-10-03T23:44:00.000-07:00

In the weeks since Vice President Biden launched the 1is2Many plan – a call for young women and men to share their ideas on how to put off dating violence and sexual assault at their schools and college campuses – he has established more than 2,000 responses via the www.whitehouse.gov.

Earlier today, the Vice President thanked everyone who submitted their thoughts via Twitter:

Many responses highlighted the significance of educating boys and girls early on about healthy and respectful relationships. A number optional upgrading campus infrastructure by improving lighting or ensuring that campus police are always accessible.

read the rest ~>

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President Obama at the Human Rights Campaign's 15th Annual National Dinner

2011-10-03T04:22:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, President Obama addressed the 15th Annual Human Rights Campaign National Dinner at the Washington Convention Center in Washington, DC. In his speech, the President harassed his commitment to the cause of equality over the past two and a half years, and his continuing support moving forward.

Now, I don’t have to tell you that we have a ways to go in that struggle. I don’t have to tell you how many are still starved of their basic rights -- Americans who are still made to feel like second-class citizens, who have to live a lie to keep their jobs, or who are afraid to walk the street, or down the hall at school. Many of you have dedicated your lives to the cause of equality. So you know what we have to do; we’ve got extra work ahead of us.

But we can also be arrogant of the progress we’ve made these past two and a half years. Think about it. Two years ago, I stood at this podium, in this room, before many of you, and I made a pledge. I said I would never advice patience; that it wasn’t right to tell you to be patient any more than it was right for others to tell African Americans to be patient in the fight for equivalent rights a half century ago. But what I also said, that while it might take time –- more time than anybody would like -– we are going to make progress; we are going to succeed; we are going away to build a more perfect union.

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President Obama on Back-to-School: "Set Your Sights High"

2011-09-29T02:03:00.000-07:00

This afternoon, students from across the country tuned in as President Obama addressed them straight in his third annual Back-to-School speech. The President confident America's students to use their time in school to try new things, discover new passions and hone their skills to get ready themselves for the kind of profession they want in the future:

It starts, clearly, with being the best student that you can be. Now, that doesn’t always mean that you have to have a ideal score on every assignment. It doesn’t mean that you’ve got to get straight as all the time -- although that’s not a bad goal to have. It means that you have to stay at it. You have to be strong-minded and you have to persevere. It means you’ve got to work as hard as you know how to work. And it means that you’ve got to take some risks once in a while. You can’t stay away from the class that you think might be hard because you’re worried about receiving the best grade if that’s a subject that you think you need to arrange you for your future...

And that’s why when you’re still a student you can discover a wide range of possibilities. One hour you can be an artist; the next, an author; the next, a scientist, or a historian, or a carpenter. This is the time where you can try out new interests and test new ideas. And the more you do, the sooner you’ll figure out what makes you come alive, what stirs you, what makes you keyed up the career that you want to follow.

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Bang for the Buck in the American Jobs Act

2011-09-28T04:13:00.000-07:00

Recently, a somewhat deceptive estimate of the cost of the nearly 2 million jobs that independent economists estimate will be shaped by American Jobs Act has been making headlines, so we’d like to set the record straight. These calculations claim to show the “cost per job” created by the bill, by simply dividing the cost of the bill by the estimated jobs created next year. While this calculation might seem intuitive, it provides a misleading picture of the American Jobs Act and its financial impact.

First, as Secretary Geithner highlighted in a visit to a UPS facility in Louisville, Kentucky on Monday, in addition to supporting good middle-class jobs, the investments in the American Jobs Act also create real economic value. It helps pay for the cost of materials for rebuilding roads and bridges or modernizing schools. It provides tax cuts that go towards new asset by small businesses or new purchases by families. We can all agree that improving the quality of our schools and our infrastructure or only if small businesses with the incentives and resources to expand strengthens our economy and its competitiveness. Simply dividing the cost of the bill by an approximation of the number of jobs created ignores these economic benefits. In addition, these calculations focus on the jobs collision in one year alone, and evaluate it against the cost of the entire bill. While the package is intended so that there is the strongest boost in 2012, there is a job creation bang beyond then, which these calculations don't take into account.

What’s more, these calculations fail to take into account the collision of getting people back to work now. Helping Americans get back to work not only reduces the costs of publicly funded programs like Medicaid and food stamps, it also reduces the potentially important long-term costs to the economy of having people out of work for comprehensive periods.

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First Lady Michelle Obama: When You create Life Easier for Working Parents, It’s a Win for Everyone Involved

2011-09-27T05:00:00.000-07:00

First Lady Michelle Obama today spoke about the significance of supporting and retaining women and girls who choose careers in the fields of science, technology, engineering and science, the so-called STEM disciplines.

“If we’re going to out-innovate and out-educate the rest of the world, then we have to open doors to everyone,” said Mrs. Obama during an event at the White House held to proclaim the NSF Career-Life Balance Initiative. “We need all hands on deck. And that means clearing hurdles for women and girls as they find the way careers in science, technology, engineering and math.”

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President Obama at the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation Annual Dinner: "March with me and press on"

2011-09-26T02:22:00.000-07:00

Yesterday evening, the President delivered remarks at the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation Annual Phoenix Awards at the Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C. In his speech, the President worried the importance of passing the American Jobs Act, to put more people back to work, and more money back in the pockets of people who are working:

Right now we’ve got millions of construction workers out of a job. So this bill says, let’s put those men and women back to work in their own communities rebuilding our roads and our bridges. Let’s give these persons a job rebuilding our schools. Let’s put these folks to work rehabilitating foreclosed homes in the hardest-hit neighborhoods of Detroit and Atlanta and Washington. This is a no-brainer.

Why must we let China build the newest airports, the fastest railroads? Tell me why our children should be allowable to study in a school that’s falling apart? I don’t want that for my kids or your kids. I don’t want that for any kid. You tell me how it makes sense when we know that education is the most important thing for victory in the 21st century. Let’s put our people back to work doing the work America wants done. Let’s pass this jobs bill.

We’ve got millions of jobless Americans and young people looking for work but running out of options. So this jobs bill says, let’s give them a pathway, a new pathway back to work. Let’s expand unemployment insurance so that more than six million Americans don’t lose that lifeline. But let’s also encourage reforms that help the long-term unemployed keep their skills sharp and get a foot in the door. Let’s give summer jobs for low-income youth that don’t just give them their first paycheck but arm them with the skills they require for life.

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We have to Stand Up for the Rights of Gays and Lesbians Everywhere

2011-09-23T04:29:00.000-07:00

On Wednesday, addressing the UN General Assembly, President Obama said, "No country be supposed to deny people their rights to freedom of speech and freedom of religion, but also no country should deny people their rights because of who they love, which is why we must stand up for the rights of gays and lesbians everywhere."

We consider that this is the first time that the President of the United States has used his annual General Assembly address to call on the world's heads of state to repeat that every person has the right to love whom they choose. The location and timing of the speech held special meaning allowing for that seventy-six countries in attendance have laws that make same-sex acts illegal -- and five consider same-sex acts punishable by death.

The Obama Administration is devoted to protecting the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender persons (LGBT) in both the domestic and international spheres. This week, the discriminatory law known as 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' was finally and formally repealed, and we're continuing work in many other areas. Over the last year, the U.S. was proud to help spearhead two important efforts: the UN General Assembly incorporated LGBT persons in a ban on extrajudicial killings and the UN Human Rights Council voted in favor of the UN's first-ever declaration supporting equal rights for all, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity.

Around the world, US officials with the State Department, USAID, and other agencies are supporting efforts to defend LGBT people from violence and abuse. Under the leadership of President Obama and Secretary Clinton, our diplomats are appealing with their counterparts in embassies, meeting with LGBT advocates and civil society leaders, and ensuring that our foreign assistance is inclusive of and receptive to the needs of LGBT persons.

We look onward to continued partnership in the weeks and months to come on these serious efforts.

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President Obama Meets with World Leaders on Day Two at the U.N General Assembly

2011-09-21T23:55:00.000-07:00

President Obama distinct the 19th anniversary of the International Day of Peace with a series of meetings and events as he participated in the 66th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York City. The President began his day with an address to the General Assembly, where he spoke about the significant changes that have occurred throughout the world since the last gathering of this group:

This year has been a time of unexpected transformation. More nations have stepped forward to uphold international peace and security. And more individuals are claiming their universal right to live in freedom and dignity.

Following the address, President Obama met with Prime Minister Netanyahu of Israel and pledged America’s commitment to the pursuit of peace in the Middle East. The Prime Minister decided with President Obama's assertion that direct negotiations between Israel and Palestine are the only way to achieve that goal:

I think the Palestinians want to attain a state through the international community, but they’re not equipped yet to give peace to Israel in return. And my hope is that there will be other leaders in the world, responsible leaders, who will heed your call, Mr. President, and oppose this effort to shortcut peace discussions in fact, to avoid them. Because I think that avoiding these negotiations is bad for Israel, bad for the Palestinians, and bad for peace.

The President had his first face to face meeting with Japan's new Prime Minister, Yoshihiko Noda. The two leaders discussed the ongoing recovery from the earthquake and tsunami that overwhelmed that country earlier this year, and the importance of the strong Japan-U.S. relationship. The Prime Minister echoed the President’s desire to uphold this vital partnership:

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17 Years After Violence Against Women Act, Vice President Calls on New creation to Take Action

2011-09-14T23:53:00.000-07:00

Last night, Vice President Biden and Dr. Jill Biden held a reception at the Naval Observatory to rejoice the 17th anniversary of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) being signed into law, as well as call on a new generation to take action to decrease the high rates of violence and assault that continues to threaten young men and women across the country.

Speaking before a crowd that incorporated many of the men and women who supported the Vice President’s efforts to see the Act become law on September 13, 1994, the Vice President remarked on how it was VAWA that exposed a “flaw that lay as part of the fabric of American society”– the fact that the mere discussion of violence and abuse being committed against women was measured by many to be taboo.

Beyond shattering this notion, the law redefined the way domestic violence is handled from side to side changes in law enforcement, improvements in the criminal justice system and the establishment of shelters and services for victims.

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Working Jointly to Create World-Class Schools

2011-09-06T04:24:00.000-07:00

Now that our nation’s children are back in school, I will be travelling through six states with this important message: our nation’s long-term economic security is inextricably linked to education. We have to educate our way to a enhanced economy.

The jobs of today and tomorrow will need knowledge workers with some post secondary training, whether it is an associate or bachelor’s degree, or technical training obtainable from a vocational school or community college.

Unfortunately, America has a long way to go before we can truly say we’re educating today’s children to be competitive in the knowledge economy. By many indicators, we’re falling far short.

The Obama administration has a cradle-to-career agenda to support states and districts as they reform their schools and make college more affordable for students. This agenda is intended around key principles, including:

* Creating premature learning systems that align all of their resources to get our youngest children ready for kindergarten.

* Raising standards so they really prepare students for success in college and careers.

* Improving the quality of teaching in the classroom by improving the preparation, professional development, and estimate of teachers and principals.

* And turning around determinedly low-performing schools that have been failing students for decades or even generations.

It’s an aggressive agenda, and we’re backing it up with unprecedented investments in reform. We’ve already made the largest investment in higher education since the GI Bill. We’re creating new incentives for states to align their early learning programs to make certain all children are ready for kindergarten. Through Race to the Top, states have made more progress in reform over the past two years than in the previous decade. And the President has a plan to fix No Child Left Behind by offering states suppleness from its one-size-fits all mandates.

Nevertheless, reform will occur in states and communities. Our job in Washington is to give resources and support for the excellent work happening in states and communities.

That’s why I’m so keyed up about this week’s bus tour. All across the Midwest, members of my team will be visiting communities where elected officials, union leaders, business owners, and teachers are working jointly to transform the lives of children.

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President Obama on the Anniversary of Hurricane Katrina

2011-08-29T23:45:00.000-07:00

Today, as cities and towns all along the East Coast begin to recover from the destructive power of Hurricane Irene, we as well reflect on the six year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. Both storms tell again us of the need to take precautions and be prepared before disasters strike. Ready.gov and Listo.gov are resources with easy-to-follow steps on how to plan in front for disasters that might affect your area.

In a statement observing the anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, the President highlighted the importance of attractive our preparedness efforts and the Administration's commitment to supporting communities as they rebuild:

Six years ago today, Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf Coast, upending families and ravaging communities – and no one will not recall the tragic events of those days. But what’s obligatory of us is more than remembrance – what’s required of us is our continued efforts to make sure that New Orleans and the Gulf Coast fully recover, and to make sure that our reply to such disasters is the best it can possibly be.

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White House Rural Council Roundtables on Job Growth

2011-08-26T01:12:00.000-07:00

Last week, as part of his three day bus tour, President Obama stopped in Peosta, Iowa to take part in the White House Rural Economic Forum, where he announced a series of initiatives that leverage existing programs and funding to help small businesses and meet the critical needs in rural communities. In the coming weeks, the President will put forth additional proposals that will help put people back to work and give the middle class greater economic security. Promoting financial and job growth in rural communities is central to these goals.

Earlier this week, I traveled to Louisiana, Tennessee and Arkansas through Federal Co-Chairman of the Delta Regional Authority (DRA) Chris Masingill and Doug O'Brien, Deputy Under Secretary for Rural Development at the U.S. Department of Agriculture to conduct project site visits and contribute in White House Rural Council Roundtables in Houma and Bastrop, LA as well as Pine Bluff, AR. We heard from stakeholders in the region about how the federal government has and can be a better partner as we invest in rustic economies.

On August 26, 2011, U.S. Commerce Department’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) will host a webinar to talk about best practices to promote rural small business development. White House Rural Council members Chris Masingill of DRA and Federal Co-Chairman of the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) Earl Gohl will share best practices and successes with secure to 400 participants.

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Entrepreneur All-Stars Join the Startup America Partnership

2011-08-24T02:35:00.000-07:00

This past January, President Obama called on both the Federal government and the confidential sector to radically increase the success of high-growth entrepreneurs, who are creating jobs and fueling modernism across the country. To help increase their success, the White House-led Startup America proposal has rolled out new policies to benefit fledgling companies (including new efforts to attract and retain immigrant entrepreneurs) in tandem with the independent Startup America Partnership, which has been hard at work mobilizing the private sector to “raise the entrepreneurial game of the United States.”

Today the Startup America Partnership announced two main new developments. First, they appointed their first slate of founding board members, who stand for some of America’s most successful entrepreneurs. The board includes Fred Smith, who came up with the thought for FedEx in a college economics class; Lynn Jurich, who grew SunRun into one of the nation’s leading home solar companies in just the last four years; and Earvin “Magic” Johnson, who has built up Magic Johnson Enterprises and the Magic Johnson Foundation because retiring from the NBA. The full current schedule of board members includes:

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President Obama on Libya: The future is in the Hands of its People

2011-08-23T01:55:00.000-07:00

This afternoon, following a call with the National Security Council, President Obama spoke about the evolving circumstances in Libya. Over the past six months, the United States has worked with associates to protect the people of Libya from Muammar Qaddafi's brutality and support them as they seek the opportunity for the citizens of Libya to decide their own destiny. Today, President Obama said, "The Qaddafi regime is coming to an end, and the future of Libya is in the hands of its people," making it clear that the bravery of the Libyan people has brought freedom within reach:

Earlier this year, we were enthused by the peaceful protests that broke out across Libya. This basic and joyful longing for human freedom echoed the voices that we had heard all across the region, from Tunis to Cairo. In the face of these protests, the Qaddafi regime responded with brutal crackdowns. Civilians were murdered in the streets. A campaign of aggression was launched against the Libyan people. Qaddafi threatened to hunt peaceful protestors down like rats. As his forces higher across the country, there existed the potential for wholesale massacres of blameless civilians.

In the face of this aggression, the international community took action. The United States helped shape a U.N. Security Council declaration that mandated the protection of Libyan civilians. An unprecedented coalition was formed that built-in the United States, our NATO partners and Arab nations. And in March, the international community launched a military operation to save lives and stop Qaddafi’s forces in their tracks.

In the early days of this involvement the United States provided the bulk of the firepower, and then our friends and allies stepped forward. The Transitional National Council established itself as a believable representative of the Libyan people. And the United States, together with our European allies and friends across the region, recognized the TNC as the lawful governing authority in Libya.

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VP in Asia Day Two: Getting Down to Business

2011-08-22T01:48:00.000-07:00

The second day in Beijing began in a well-known setting for Vice President Biden. The site of today's U.S.-China Business Dialogue, the Beijing Hotel, was also the site of meetings held during his first trip to China in 1979, when some of the earliest discussions about the option of American companies doing business in China took place. Over 30 years later, Vice President Biden and Vice President Xi brought together 19 CEOs and business leaders from the United States and China to bring the discussion into the 21st century. "President Obama and I, we welcome, encourage and see nothing but positive repayment flowing from direct investment in the United States from Chinese businesses and Chinese entities. It means jobs. It means American jobs," said Vice President Biden.

Participants at the roundtable ranged from the CEO of Coca Cola to the Group President of Caterpillar, from the Captain of Cosco to the Board Chairman of Lenovo.

In his opening remarks at the Dialogue, Vice President Xi uttered strong confidence in the U.S. economy, calling it "highly resilient" with "a strong capacity for self-repairment." "We consider that the U.S. economy will attain even better development as it rises to the challenge," he continued.

Next up for Vice President Biden was a meeting with Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao at Ziguangge, Zhongnanhai, or, the Leadership Compound, which serves as the main residence for leaders of the Politburo.

Seated side by side in the compound's Purple Light Pavillion, Wen praised the Vice President for attractive widely with the sectors in China, both public and private. "You have been sending a very strong message that the additional growth of U.S.-China ties is not only important for our two countries, but also for the whole world."

Vice President Biden later took Premier Wen up on an impromptu invitation to tour the lakeside grounds of the complex. Tight plan in mind, the Vice President joked that he would need a note to explain his tardiness to President Hu, the last meeting of his day back at the Great Hall of the People.

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President Obama: Our main Challenge Right Now Is Putting People to Work

2011-08-16T01:03:00.000-07:00

During the first stop on his rustic road trip, President Obama took questions on topics ranging from using renewable energy to generate jobs and helping young farmers buy land and market their products effectively to the future of Social Security and his Administration’s plans to bolster education.

Speaking with a mass of 500 people at Hannah’s Bend Park in Cannon Falls, MN, the President discussed the “extraordinary challenges” our nation has faced over the last two and a half years, but inscribed the “extraordinary hope that America represents” around the world, and reiterated his faith that there is “nothing wrong with America that can’t be fixed; what’s broken is our politics.”

A lot of of the questions focused on health care, Social Security, Medicaid and Medicare, and the President harassed his commitment to making sure we protect the integrity of these programs while ensuring they are still in place for future generations.

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West Wing Week 8/11/2011 or "Made in America"

2011-08-12T01:19:00.000-07:00

Welcome to West Wing Week, your direct to everything that's happening at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. This week, the President announced new initiatives that will put jobless veterans back to work and new fuel economy standards for trucks, buses and other heavy duty vehicles that will decrease oil consumption and pollution and save businesses money. He also traveled to Holland, Michigan to visit an higher battery facility that is using inventive technologies that will help America achieve these new fuel standards and used an address to the nation on the credit downgrade to talk about how we can create more jobs. That's August 5th to August 11th or "Made In America."

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The Humanitarian Crisis in Africa: How You Can Help

2011-08-11T04:33:00.000-07:00

Dr. Jill Biden and the US officials who connected her on a trip to a refugee center in Kenya want the American people to appreciate how severe the crisis caused by a combination of drought, famine and war has become, particularly on the most vulnerable population, the children of Somalia.

“It touched my heart,” said Dr. Biden about reading the news and seeing the footage of the spreading humanitarian crisis, “as a mother, I watched these children … saw them starving and thought, we have to do something.” Earlier this week, she traveled to the Dadaab refugee complex in Eastern Kenya, where about 420,000 people who have fled war-torn Somalia in search of food, water and shelter, are currently living in a tented city at first built to accommodate 90,000.

Former U.S. Senator Bill Frist, another member of the designation, says more must be done to help famine victims. "A lot of people don't understand, especially in this environment of what's happening in terms of the economy here and at home, that this is the most sharp food security emergency anywhere in the world now and in recent years," he said.

"The crisis is growing fast, and we saw that firsthand on the ground, talking to personage families as they were coming into refugee camps who factually had walked for 15 and 16 days - a mom with her four children; a husband, a father who is absent who is still in Somalia. They don't know whether or not he's alive," Frist said of the situation, which has resulted in the deaths of 29,000 children under the age of five in the past three months alone.

Contributions made by the U.S government and the international community are helping to relieve the suffering - but the famine is spreading and without life-saving assistance, hundreds of thousands of people – most of them children – could die from hunger and disease in the coming months. There is a role for all persons to take action and save lives.

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On the Ground in the Horn of Africa

2011-08-10T01:38:00.000-07:00

Eighty kilometers from Kenya’s limit with Somalia, the Dadaab Refugee Complex—already the world’s major refugee camp—has seen on average 1,500 exhausted and starving men, women and children arrive each day. Fleeing from famine that is now gripping a large part of southern Somalia largely inaccessible to aid workers, thousands of refugees have walked days—or even weeks—to reach help. The United Nations estimates that over 12.4 million people are in urgent need of humanitarian aid, including food, water and medical care, across the drought-stricken eastern Horn of Africa.

Yesterday, I arrived in Dadaab with representatives from across the United States Government, counting Dr. Jill Biden, Special Assistant to the President Gayle Smith, Senator Bill Frist and Assistant Secretary of State Eric Schwartz. The trip underscored the pledge of the U.S. Government—the single largest donor in the region—to react to the immediate crisis with life-saving assistance and investments in long-term solutions to hunger. Ultimately, we know that it is smarter and cheaper to put in food security than face the consequences of famine and food riots.

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A Fresh Start for America’s Auto Communities

2011-08-09T00:41:00.000-07:00

I know communities that have faced hard times. I grew up in one. I’ve lived in one, and awaiting last week I was the mayor of one. Helping my community get back on its feet has been my passion for as long as I can remember. But I also know that Youngstown is just one city that needed help. Now as the new director of the Office of Recovery for Auto Communities and Workers, I have the possibility to give back to not just my own community, but many throughout the nation that carry on to face challenges as the auto industry and American manufacturing emerges from the deepest recession in decades.

When President Obama took office two and a half years ago, the future of the American automotive industry was unsure. Two of the Big 3 American automakers were on the verge of bankruptcy. Plants across the country were life form closed or idled.

Just as our President standard that the automotive companies themselves needed assistance, he also recognized that our automotive communities wanted support in addressing the challenges they were facing. That’s why in March 2009, President Obama named his first director of the Office of Recovery for Auto Communities and Workers.

Over the past two years, we have seen the automotive industry make great strides on the way to recovery. Auto manufacturers are making investments in facilities and addition jobs again. Since June 2009, the automotive industry has additional more than 110,000 jobs. GM, Chrysler, and Ford are all operating at a profit. Still, for communities that have lost a plant, there is still a lot of hard work ahead. That’s where we come in.

My experience as mayor provided me with a sole perspective. I know firsthand the struggles that communities face when trying to work in the direction of recovery, but I’ve also seen what can happen when the right people – state, local, and federal governments all along with community leaders, businesses, and philanthropic organizations — come to the table with fresh ideas and the wish to get things done. I’m keyed up to do just that for the auto communities across the country that need a fresh start.

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Tech Leaders distribute Ideas on Job Creation and Innovation

2011-08-05T01:42:00.000-07:00

Earlier this week, top Silicon Valley executives, including Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg, AOL co-founder Steve Case, venture capitalist John Doerr and Netflix CEO Reed Hastings joined Aneesh Chopra, CTO of the United States, on a panel to talk about how private and public sectors can collaborate to encourage business growth. In addition to conversations on the sole spirit of entrepreneurial innovation that drives the Silicon Valley's success, Aneesh Chopra announced three clarifications to existing immigration policies that can allow entrepreneurs to start companies here:

“First, we're clarifying what it means to say publicly entrepreneurship in the national interest. Second, in an H1B visa, typically temporary in nature, the question is: Can you come in as an immigrant founder? If there's a way to show that there's a separation between your role as founder and that role as employee, you have the ability to pursue that existing avenue. Third, we have a category that exists called the EB5 visa for immigrant investors. If you're willing to invest 1 million dollars in the United States and create 10 new jobs you have the power to come in under this condition. But it's a complicated process and we only use half the alloted slots. So we're streamlining the process and making this more good-looking for folks who want to create jobs in industries for the future”

Chopra also discussed the aid immigrants make in terms of job creation and the economy. John Doerr talked about the role of education and recognized the “uniquely American asset” of innovation that enables great economic growth, while Sandberg spoke on the lack of women in technology and the need for a greater focus on STEM education for girls.

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Responding To Representative Ryan

2011-08-04T01:23:00.000-07:00

House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan presented an interesting take on the President’s leadership on dealing with our long-term debt and deficits the recent deficit drop negotiations in today’s Wall Street Journal. Below are a few of Congressman Ryan’s claims down with our responses.

Claim: The President has failed to put forward a plan to undertake our long term debt and deficits.

* Since the beginning of the current discuss on the debt ceiling, the President has led with a inclusive plan for deficit reduction.

* In April, the President released a fiscal framework for $4 trillion in shortfall reduction, which described the President’s plans for closing tax loopholes and for in charge reforms of Medicare and Medicaid so they are strengthened for future generations.

* Beginning less than a week after he announced this Framework, the President led four separate efforts to discuss a compromise on the debt limit – talks with Vice President Joe Biden, meetings with all eight Congressional leaders from both parties, and two rounds of negotiations directly with Speaker Boehner.

* Throughout this process, the Administration put forward specific policy proposals with the goal of reaching an agreement on a $4 trillion package – an agreement which Speaker Boehner in the end walked away from.

Claim: The GOP “won the policy debate” during the debt negotiations.

* We consider that this agreement was not a victory for one party, but for the American people. If Congress did not act and allowed the United States to default on its obligations, the results would have been catastrophic for our economy and for millions of Americans still digging out from the last depression.

* The debt agreement is reliable with the President’s commitment to protecting our nation from default and achieving significant deficit reduction through a balanced approach. It represents an important down payment on reform of about $1 trillion and sets the stage for added balanced deficit reduction by the end of the year.

* In enacting this bill, the President held to his principles—and prevented Republicans from ending Medicare as we know it, slashing Medicaid, and threatening Social Security.

* The President prevented Republicans from using the prospect of default as leverage again in six months by pushing any additional debt limit increases to 2013.

* The cuts in the first phase are balanced between domestic and security spending, while protecting critical initiatives like aid for college students.

* If the new Joint Committee on Deficit Reduction fails to act, the law includes a balanced enforcement mechanism—that divides automatic cuts 50-50 between defense and non-defense with low-income programs exempted.

Claim: The President “warned Republican leaders not to call his bluff by sending him a bill without tax increases.”

* As the AP reported, President Obama warned Republicans not to call his bluff “by passing a short-term debt limit increase he has threatened to veto.”

* The President stood firm and forced Republicans to back down, preventing them from using the prospect of default as leverage again in six months by ensuring that any additional debt limit increases will not be needed until 2013.

Claim: Spending on Medicare, Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act is projected to skyrocket, while the House Republicans’ budget outlined a responsible approach to Medicare and Medicaid Reform.

* The Affordable Care Act was fully paid for, and according to the CBO will reduce the deficit by $200 billion over the next 10 years and by more than $1 trillion in the next decade.

* The Affordable Care Act will provide coverage to 34 million Americans and will extend the life of the Medicare trust fund.

* The House Republican plan would convert Medicare into a voucher program; increasing seniors’ health costs by $6,400 annually starting in 2022; raise health insurance premiums for middle-class Americans and small businesses; and cut Federal Medicaid spending by one-third by the end of the decade, which would cause 50 million to lose coverage.

Claim: The House Republicans’ plan would put the budget on a path to balance without tax increases, while President Obama tried to use the debt ceiling negotiations to raise taxes.

* The House Republicans’ plan would also put the nation on a path to end the guarantee of Medicare for our seniors while imposing deep spending cuts that would harm our economy to balance out tax cuts for the highest income earners.

* Their approach locks in many of the irresponsible policies that brought us to the debt limit this week including tax cuts for the wealthy, big corporations and special interests.

* In stark contrast, the President stands committed to a balanced approach with responsible entitlement reform, and comprehensive tax reform that produces a system which is fairer, has fewer loopholes, less complexity, and is not rigged in favor of those who can afford lawyers and accountants to game it.

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Office Hours 8/1/11 or "Important Win 4 Economy": Brian Deese Answers Your Questions on Twitter

2011-08-04T01:13:00.000-07:00

We're presently one week in to White House "Office Hours," a question and answer session with Administration officials on Twitter, submitted using the hashtag #WHChat. Today, Brian Deese, Deputy Director of the National Economic Council, was back to answer your questions on the bipartisan debt deal announced by President Obama last night. Have a look at a transcript of today's Office Hours below, or on Storify.

If you missed this session, check out the plan for upcoming chances to join. Follow us at @WhiteHouse for the latest updates and use the hashtag #WHWeb to share your feedback and ideas on how we can improve Office Hours and our online program.

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President Obama speaks in support of the bipartisan deal to reduce the deficit and raise the debt limit

2011-07-31T23:42:00.000-07:00

Tonight, President Obama spoke in support of a bipartisan deal to decrease the nation's deficit and avoid default. It extends the debt limit to 2013, removing the cloud of indecision over our economy and ensuring that no one will be able to use the threat of defaulting now or in only a few months for political gain. The bipartisan compromise assures that the United States meets its obligations – including monthly Social Security checks, veterans’ benefits, and the government contracts we’ve signed with thousands of businesses.

In order to be given the support from both parties -- as the President has consistently stressed -- the agreement has a few important elements:

A down payment on shortage reduction with historic long-term spending restraint: Nearly $1 trillion in spending cuts -- done in a way to not harm the economic recovery, are balanced between domestic and pentagon spending, and protects critical initiatives like aid for college students;

Expedited process for impartial deficit reduction: Puts in place a longer term process for additional $1.5 trillion in deficit reduction through a committee structure that will put the whole thing on the table, including tax and entitlement reform. To prevent either side from using procedural tricks to prevent Congress from acting, the committee’s recommendations will be given fast track authority, which means they can’t be amended or filibustered.

Sets the stage for a balanced package, including revenues: The American people and a growing number of Republicans agree that any deficit reduction package must be balanced and included revenue.

If the Committee does not do well in meaningful balanced deficit reduction with revenue-raising tax reform on the most well-off by the end of 2012, the President can use his veto pen to raise nearly $1 trillion from the most well-off by vetoing any extension of the Bush high income tax cuts.

A proven enforcement mechanism: An enforcement mechanism that will compel painful enough cuts to both sides that it will force congress to act. Enforcement mechanisms by their very nature should comprise measures that neither side supports so as to ensure action.

If Congress fails to act, beginning in 2013 there will be $1.2 trillion in spending cuts through 2021 – 50 percent from domestic spending and 50 percent from defense spending. Low income programs, counting Medicaid, and Social Security and Medicare benefits would be exempted. Medicare cuts would be capped, limited to the provider side.

* Does not accept entitlement reforms without equal deliberation of revenue raising tax reform, and ensures that low-income and middle class families are not forced to bear a disproportionate share of the burden from deficit reduction.

This fact sheet provides and even more comprehensive overview of the deal.

Here are President Obama's full remarks (video will be posted here shortly):

Good evening. There are still some very important votes to be taken by members of Congress, but I want to announce that the leaders of both parties, in both chambers, have reached an agreement that will decrease the deficit and avoid default -- a default that would have had a devastating effect on our economy.

The first part of this agreement will cut about $1 trillion in spending over the next 10 years -- cuts that both parties had decided to early on in this process. The result would be the lowest level of annual domestic spending since Dwight Eisenhower was President -- but at a level that still allows us to make job-creating investments in things like education and research. We also made sure that these cuts wouldn’t happen so suddenly that they’d be a drag on a fragile economy.

Now, I've said from the beginning that the ultimate solution to our deficit problem must be impartial. Despite what some Republicans have argued, I believe that we have to ask the wealthiest Americans and biggest corporations to pay their fair share by giving up tax breaks and special deductions. Despite what some in my own party have argued, I believe that we need to make some modest adjustments to programs like Medicare to make sure that they’re still around for future generations.

That's why the second part of this agreement is so important. It establishes a bipartisan committee of Congress to report back by November with a suggestion to further reduce the deficit, which will then be put before the entire Congress for an up or down vote. In this stage, everything will be on the table. To hold us all accountable for making these reforms, tough cuts that both parties would find objectionable would automatically go into effect if we don’t act. And over the next few months, I’ll continue to make a detailed case to these lawmakers about why I believe a impartial approach is necessary to finish the job.

Now, is this the deal I would have preferred? No. I believe that we could have made the tough choices required -- on entitlement reform and tax reform -- right now, rather than through a special congressional committee process. But this compromise does make a serious down payment on the deficit reduction we need, and gives each party a strong incentive to get a balanced plan done before the end of the year.

Most importantly, it will allow us to avoid default and end the crisis that Washington imposed on the rest of America. It ensures also that we will not face this same kind of crisis again in six months, or eight months, or 12 months. And it will begin to lift the cloud of debt and the cloud of uncertainty that hangs over our economy.

Now, this process has been messy; it’s taken far too long. I've been concerned about the impact that it has had on business confidence and consumer confidence and the economy as a whole over the last month. Nevertheless, ultimately, the leaders of both parties have found their way toward compromise. And I want to thank them for that.

Most of all, I want to thank the American people. It’s been your voices -- your letters, your emails, your tweets, your phone calls -- that have compelled Washington to act in the final days. And the American people's voice is a very, very powerful thing.

We’re not done yet. I want to urge members of both parties to do the right thing and support this deal with your votes over the next few days. It will allow us to avoid default. It will allow us to pay our bills. It will allow us to start reducing our deficit in a responsible way. And it will allow us to turn to the very important business of doing everything we can to create jobs, boost wages, and grow this economy faster than it's currently growing.

That’s what the American people sent us here to do, and that’s what we should be devoting all of our time to accomplishing in the months ahead.

Thank you very much, everybody.

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First Lady Michelle Obama Announces Commitments to get bigger Access to Healthy, Affordable Food

2011-07-20T23:44:00.000-07:00

Today, First Lady Michelle Obama announced nationwide commitments from major food retailers to open or get bigger over 1,500 stores to help provide healthy, affordable food to millions of people in areas that do not presently have easy access to fresh, nutritious food. Across the country, 23.5 million Americans – including 6.5 million children – live in underserved communities that do not have readily obtainable fresh foods for reasonable prices.

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President Obama Supports the Respect for Marriage Act

2011-07-19T23:39:00.000-07:00

President Obama is bigheaded to support the Respect for Marriage Act, which is being introduced by Senator Feinstein and Congressman Nadler in the council on July 20. This legislation would sustain the principle that the federal government should not reject gay and lesbian couples the same rights and legal protections as straight couples.

The President has long called for a legislative revoke of the so-called Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), which continues to have a real collision on the lives of real people -- our families, friends and neighbors.

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Rural Champions of Change – Sparking Innovation

2011-07-19T03:57:00.000-07:00

Champions of Change is a weekly plan to highlight Americans who are making an impact in their communities and helping our country rise to meet the many challenges of the 21st century.

President Barack Obama talks with rural community leaders from across the country at a Rural Champions for Change Roundtable meeting in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building of the White House, July 6, 2011. With President Obama are Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, second from left, and Domestic Policy Council Director Melody Barnes.

One of the most gratifying aspects of working in the White House is that you never know who you might see on a daily basis. A wonderful and diverse cadre of Americans pass through for meetings and events, including well-known scientists, members of the U.S. Armed Forces, and occasionally even entertainment celebrities. Often, these visitors represent the most talented leaders in their individual fields.

With this in mind, I was particularly satisfied to recently participate in a Champions of Change roundtable with eighteen Rural Americans, representing the spectrum of excellence in Rural America. The group incorporated farmers, ranchers, local educators, small business owners, and folks who are improving their communities through inventive actions. These rural champions represent the best of the best in their relevant fields.

We were honored to be attached by President Obama, who shared his vision for economic growth and development in rural areas. The President highlighted the significance of exports in agricultural areas, and the critical nature of transportation issues. He emphasized the need for high-speed internet access and stated that rural areas should wait for to have opportunities equivalent to those in other areas of the nation. The President also discussed the significance of identifying rural Americans’ success stories and sharing that knowledge across the country.

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PHOTO: The First Family Views the Women’s World Cup Final

2011-07-17T23:16:00.000-07:00

This afternoon, the First Family gathered in the Treaty Room office in the residence of the White House to cheer on the US women's soccer team in the World Cup Final. Here's a photo of the First Family enjoying the game.

President Barack Obama, First Lady Michelle Obama, and their daughters Sasha and Malia watch the World Cup soccer game among the U.S. and Japan, from the Treaty Room office in the residence of the White House. July 17, 2011.

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STEM Jobs Help America Win the Future

2011-07-15T03:05:00.000-07:00

Highlighting the significance of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education and jobs, the U.S. Commerce Department today free a new report profiling U.S. employment in the critical fields that drive our nation’s novelty and competitiveness. STEM workers are helping America win the future by generating new ideas, new companies and new industries.

Not surprisingly, President Obama has made STEM education a key precedence of his administration, with an ambitious agenda to move American students to the top of the pack globally in science and math achievement over the next decade.

Initiatives like Race to the Top and the “Educate to Innovate” campaign show the administration’s ongoing commitment to making sure Americans get the science and technology skills they require to fill the jobs of the future.

STEM: Good Jobs Now and for the Future, by Commerce’s Economics and Statistics Administration, shows that increase in STEM jobs has been three times greater than that of non-STEM jobs over the last 10 years. And all through the next decade, STEM occupations are projected to grow by 17 percent, compared to 9.8-percent growth for other occupations.

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Our Heroes Are All just about Us

2011-07-13T04:22:00.000-07:00

In the present day the President awarded the Medal of Honor to Sergeant First Class Leroy Petry. Sergeant Petry is the second living Medal of Honor recipient to have earned the award for overhaul during the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. It was an unbelievable event.

Sergeant Petry, an Army Ranger, was honored for his actions during a operation to Afghanistan in 2008. While on a high-risk daytime mission, Petry and two of his comrades were offended by enemy fire. Despite his wounds, Petry continued to lead his soldiers, dragging one who had been injured to cover. When an enemy grenade landed near him and his comrades, Sergeant Petry moved toward the grenade and picked it up to throw it back – saving the lives of his fellow Rangers. As he cocked his arm to lob the live grenade away, it exploded. Petry lost his hand, but did not give up the fight. He tied a tourniquet around his own bleeding arm and sustained to direct the operation, working to make sure the safety of his comrades until the end of the mission.

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President Obama on Tackling our Debt and Deficit

2011-07-12T01:02:00.000-07:00

Earlier today, President Obama held a press conference to give an inform on the ongoing efforts to find a balanced come up to get our fiscal house in order and decrease our nation’s deficit to help our economy grow. The President believes this is the instant to put politics aside, rise above the cynicism, and prove to the American people that Washington can resolve problems and do big things. As he has said, “If not now, when?”

To solve our deficit problems, the President is eager to make tough choices -- it’s time for members of both parties to do the same. But, solving our economic problems requires communal sacrifice -- which means the wealthiest and special interests be supposed to pay their fair share.

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South Sudan's instant of Promise

2011-07-10T22:17:00.000-07:00

Today, South Sudan became the world’s latest nation. Several months ago West Wing Week took you behind the scenes of the referendum that led to today’s celebration of an self-determining South Sudan. We traveled to all parts of the country with the President’s Special Envoy, General Scott Gration. We went behind the scenes at polling stations from Juba to Khartoum, met some of the international community who helped to make sure the vote was fair and peaceful, and traveled to Darfur to inspect conditions and learn about the commitment of the United States to peace in this region after decades of civil war.

In case you missed it, be sure to check out the video.

Earlier today President Obama sent an email to organizations and persons in the United States and in Sudan who worked along the South Sudanese people to make this day probable. You can read the email below and check out the President's statement on credit of South Sudan.

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Changing the discussion on Immigration Reform

2011-07-09T01:22:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, I went back home to Los Angeles to host a discussion on immigration reform. More than 300 people packed the auditorium at East Los Angeles College (ELAC).

The immigration issue in communities like this one is about a lot more than numbers. For families in this neighborhood, it represents a daily kick guided by great uncertainty, anxiety, and fear.

I was raised by settler parents in a town about fifteen minutes from ELAC, so I’m familiar with this story. Not surprisingly, many in the audience were, too. I heard about families being alienated because of our broken immigration laws; about fearful workers who had been treated terribly; and about brilliant students, with big dreams who can’t make them come true. It broke my heart. It made me think about my story – about the people who raised me and how much they’ve meant to my life.

Storytelling is one way to learn about the immigration issue, one way to attach with it, and with each other. Stories help link our commonality – our ordinary struggles, goals and victories. Stories bring us closer as people. But they also give a unique framework from which to better make the case for building a 21st century immigration reform.

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President Obama on Finding a Balanced Approach to Deficit Reduction

2011-07-08T02:59:00.000-07:00

Today, President Obama held a gathering with Congressional leaders to talk about the ongoing efforts to find a balanced approach to decrease our deficit. Following the meeting, the President stopped by the press meeting to give a statement on the negotiations:

I just finished a meeting with all the congressional leaders from both chambers, from both parties, and I have to say that I thought it was a very positive meeting. People were frank. We discussed the various options obtainable to us. Everybody reconfirmed the significance of completing our work and raising the debt limit ceiling so that the full faith and praise of the United States of America is not impaired.

What we resolute was that staffs, as well as leadership, will be operational during the weekend, and that I will reconvene congressional leaders here on Sunday with the anticipation that, at that point, the parties will at least know where each other’s bottom lines are and will expectantly be in a position to then start engaging in the hard bargaining that’s necessary to get a deal done.

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Video: The President Tweets from the White House

2011-07-07T04:28:00.000-07:00

Today, President Obama participated in the initial ever Twitter Town Hall at the White House, answering questions from Americans across the country submitted on Twitter by the #AskObama hashtag.

The President kicked off the occasion with a tweet asking the American public for their ideas on reducing the deficit.

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President Obama Addresses the Position of the Deficit Negotiations

2011-07-06T04:22:00.000-07:00

Today, President Obama delivered remarks to talk about the status of efforts to find a impartial approach to deficit reduction. The President stated that progress has been made, and though we still need to work through some real differences, that even better progress is within reach.

However, he also strained that we can’t afford to do the bare minimum to avoid defaulting on our debt in the short-term, and we must seize the chance to make considerable progress reducing the deficit:

Now, I’ve heard reports that there may be some in Congress who want to do just sufficient to make sure that America avoids defaulting on our debt in the short term, but then wants to kick the can down the road when it comes to solving the larger trouble of our deficit. I don’t share that view. I don’t think the American people sent us here to avoid hard problems. That’s, in fact, what drives them nuts about Washington, when both parties just take the path of least resistance. And I don’t want to do that here.

I believe that right now we’ve got a sole opportunity to do something big -- to undertake our deficit in a way that forces our government to live within its means, that puts our economy on a stronger footing for the future, and still allows us to put in that future.

Most of us previously agree that to truly solve our deficit problem, we need to find trillions in savings over the next decade, and considerably more in the decades that follow. That’s what the bipartisan fiscal commission said, that’s the amount that I put forward in the structure I announced a few months ago, and that’s around the same amount that Republicans have put onward in their own plans. And that’s the kind of considerable progress that we should be aiming for here.

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Weekly Address: Cutting the Deficit and Creating Jobs

2011-07-04T01:37:00.000-07:00

President Obama addresses the need to diminish the nation’s deficit while creating jobs across the country and wishes Americans a happy Fourth of July.

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Bringing clearness to College Costs

2011-07-01T03:18:00.000-07:00

More and more, Americans understand the serious role that earning a college degree plays in their lives, with prospects for higher earnings and additional advancements that extend throughout their careers. However, one of the greatest challenges Americans face is the growing cost of higher education.

To help students make knowledgeable decisions about their choice for higher education, today the Department of Education launched an online College Affordability and Transparency Center on the Department of Education’s College Navigator website. As part of this Center, the Department posted lists that show up institutions with the highest tuition prices, highest net prices, and institutions whose prices are rising at the fastest rates. Institutions whose prices are increasing the fastest will report why costs have gone up and how the institution will speak to rising prices. The Department will summarize these reports and make them publicly obtainable to parents and students.

The President has been committed to making higher education more reasonable, and today’s announcement complements our ongoing efforts. Since taking office, we have worked to get bigger student aid, improve options to repay student loans, and give more students access to higher education. We have also improved consumer information on the FAFSA and on the College Navigator portal, a resource that can give information on thousands of institutions of higher education across the nation. These existing tools will complement the revealing resources newly available today.

But colleges also have a role to play as we work to ease the financial load of higher education. In his State of the Union address last year, the President called on colleges to do a enhanced job of keeping costs down. Additionally, state budget constraints present rising challenges for affordability. Too often the answer has been to cut aid to public colleges and augment tuition, pushing the financial burden on families previously struggling to make ends meet.

Ultimately, better information alone will not cure the problem of college affordability. However, it will improve the choices and decisions made by families as they pursue higher education. The new College Transparency and Affordability Center is just a first step in helping students better appreciate their path in postsecondary education; the Administration will continue to promote clearness in educational costs that will help all current and prospective students of higher education make a smart investment in their postsecondary studies.

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President Obama Tours Alcoa and Talks developed in Iowa

2011-06-28T23:59:00.000-07:00

Today, the President traveled to Bettendorf, Iowa to tour the Alcoa Davenport Works plant and deliver remarks on the critical role the developed sector plays in the American economy. The Davenport factory serves as the built-up hub for Alcoa's $3 billion aerospace business, producing an aluminum-lithium alloy that makes Airbus and Boeing airplanes lighter and more corrosion resistant at a lesser cost.

Alcoa, as a leader in manufacturing innovation, is participating in the President’s Advanced Manufacturing Partnership (AMP) announced last week in Pittsburgh, PA. The Advanced Manufacturing Partnership is national effort to bring jointly industry, universities and the federal government to invest in emerging technologies that will create lofty quality manufacturing jobs and improve our global competitiveness.

In his remarks, the President harassed the importance of having a strong and growing manufacturing sector as part of the continuing economic recovery:

A big part of our future has to be a robust and rising manufacturing sector. We’ve got to make things right here in America. We’ve always made things here in America. It’s in our blood. This plant has been in process for 60 years. And what you’ve erudite is that if you want to beat the competition, then you’ve got to innovate. You’ve got to invest in new skills, you’ve got to spend in new processes, and you’ve got to invest in new products. I was just learning that some of the tackle right behind us -- this was a huge investment. How much did you guys -- $90 million. Think about that. That’s what made you guys competitive, having the best workers but also having the best tackle. You had to up your game. And that’s what we’ve got to do as a country as a whole. I want the cars and planes and wind turbines of the outlook to bear the proud stamp that says “Made in America.” That’s what I want.

That’s why two years ago, we stood by the auto industry and kept some of our nation’s largest automakers from individual sold for parts. And today, for the first time in years, the Big Three automakers are adding jobs and rotating a profit and putting steel workers to work.

That’s also why I announced last week a new enterprise between our top engineering schools, our most inventive manufacturers, and the federal government to get American products from the drawing board to the factory floor to the marketplace as rapidly as possible. And today, I’m self-righteous to announce that Alcoa is joining that partnership. The idea is to create jobs now, and to make sure America stays on the cutting edge of built-up for years to come.

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Our power Independence: Join the Live Chat

2011-06-28T01:02:00.000-07:00

As many of us hit the road to rejoice America's independence this upcoming 4th of July weekend, we must once again tackle the actuality of our country's economy, environment and security dependence on foreign oil.

On Wednesday, June 29th, at 2:00 pm ET, please join Dr. Arun Majumdar at Energy.gov for a frank, two-way discussion about the savings the federal government is making in innovative research and technology today that will move us off of foreign oil and to the clean energy infrastructure of the future.

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President Obama on the Way ahead in Afghanistan

2011-06-23T05:32:00.000-07:00

Tonight, President Obama addressed the nation from the East Room of the White House about the way ahead in Afghanistan and his plan to take away 10,000 American troops from Afghanistan by the end of this year, and a total of 33,000 by next summer.

The President reflected on the difficult choice he made in December of 2009 to order 30,000 additional troops into Afghanistan, and keeping his promise to begin the drawdown of troops this summer:

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Statement by the President on World Refugee Day

2011-06-21T04:56:00.000-07:00

As we mark World Refugee Day, I join with people around the sphere in highlighting the plight of the 15 million refugees in the world today, and we reiterate our commitment to support them as they seek a safe place to call home again. In particular, we honor the courage of those who have been compulsorily displaced from their homes, including men, women and children in Libya, Syria, Cote d'Ivoire who hark back us that somewhere in the world, refugees are forced to flee their homes virtually every day.

This year marks the 60th anniversary of the 1951 Convention connecting to the Status of Refugees – a landmark achievement of international law that sets forth certain rights of refugees and legal obligations of States relating to refugees. Hundreds of thousands – and probably millions – of people around the world are alive today thanks to the help and guard they received from the international community when they were required to flee their countries to escape violence, oppression, abuse, and other forms of persecution.

This year is also the 50th anniversary of the 1961 Convention on the lessening of Statelessness. In at least 30 countries, nationality laws distinguish against women and limit their ability to acquire and transmit citizenship to their children or spouses, which can lead to statelessness. The United States will carry on to work to empower women and girls and ensure opportunities for displaced and stateless women all through the world.

Our values and our interests say that the protection of the most vulnerable is a critical component of our foreign policy. We have a moral vital to save lives. We also have interest in sustaining U.S. leadership, which enables us to drive the growth of international humanitarian principles, programs, and policies like no other government in the world. Such efforts endorse reconciliation, security, and well-being in circumstances where despair and misery intimidate stability and critical U.S. national security interests.

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Taking the Time to be a Dad

2011-06-20T00:11:00.000-07:00

This morning, President Obama sent the email under to the White House email list in honor of Father's Day. If you didn't get the email, be sure to sign up for the White House email list.

Good morning,

I grew up without a father around. I was blessed enough to be raised by a wonderful mother who, like so many heroic single mothers, never permitted my father's absence to be an excuse for me to slack off or not always do my best. But I often wonder what it would have been like if my father had a greater occurrence in my life.

So as a father of two young girls, I've tried hard to be a fine dad. I haven't always been just right – there have been times when work kept me away from my family too often, and most of the parenting duties fell to Michelle.

I know many other fathers face comparable challenges. Whether you're a military dad returning from deployment or a father doing his best to make ends meet for his family in a hard economy, being a parent isn't easy.

That's why my management is kicking off the Year of Strong Fathers, Strong Families. We're joining with dads across the country to do impressive about father absence. And we're taking steps to offer men who want to be good fathers but are facing challenges in their lives a little extra support, while partnering with businesses to offer fun opportunities for fathers to use time with their kids. For example, the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, Major League Baseball and the WNBA are offering discounts for fathers and their kids, and companies like Groupon and LivingSocial will be featuring special offers for behavior fathers can do with their children.

We know that every father has a personal responsibility to do right by their kids – to support them to turn off the video games and pick up a book; to teach them the difference between right and wrong; to show them through our own example the value in treating one another as we wish to be treated. And most of all, to play an active and occupied role in their lives.

But all of us have a stake in forging stronger bonds flanked by fathers and their children. All of us can support those who are eager to step up and be father figures to those children growing up without a dad. And that's what the Year of Strong Fathers, Strong Familiesis all about.

So I hope the dads out there will take benefit of some of the opportunities Strong Fathers, Strong Families will offer. It's one way of saying thank you to those who are doing the most significant job of all: playing a part in our children's lives.

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West Wing Week: "Where the outlook Will Be Won"

2011-06-17T01:56:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the West Wing Week, your direct to everything that's happening at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. This week, walk step-by-step with the President as he meets with his Jobs Council in North Carolina to talk about ideas that will go faster job growth and improve America's competitiveness, tours a manufacturer of energy competent lighting, travels to Puerto Rico, and more.

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A Playground and a Picnic with Congressional Families

2011-06-15T23:35:00.000-07:00

This evening the President and First Lady welcomed members of Congress and their families to the White House for the yearly White House Congressional picnic.

Earlier in the day, First Lady Michelle Obama attached congressional families and AmeriCorps volunteers to help build a playground through the Congressional Family Service Project in partnership with KaBOOM!, a national non-profit organization that promotes activity for communities across the country. As the First Lady said before getting started, the playground they helped build at Imagine Southeast Public Charter School in Washington, D.C. was KaBOOM!’s 2,000th all-volunteer done-in-a-day playground. Find repair opportunities near you at Serve.gov.

First Lady Michelle Obama and a young volunteer mix cement as they help build a playground through the KaBOOM! and Congressional Family Service Project at Imagine Southeast Public Charter School in Washington, D.C., June 15, 2011. (Official White House Photo by Chuck Kennedy)

First Lady Michelle Obama tightens a bolt on a climbing wall as she joins volunteers to help construct a playground during the KaBOOM! and Congressional Family Service Project at envision Southeast Public Charter School in Washington, D.C., June 15, 2011. (Official White House Photo by Chuck Kennedy)

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President Obama Visits Puerto Rico

2011-06-14T23:39:00.000-07:00

Today, President Obama traveled to San Juan, Puerto Rico for the first authorized visit by a sitting U.S. President to the island since President Kennedy visited in 1961. The visit follows a complete report of the President’s Task Force on Puerto Rico’s Status, which provides a meaningful way forward on the query of status while making significant recommendations important to Puerto Rico’s economic development.

President Barack Obama delivers remarks at the arrival ritual at Luis Munoz Marin International Airport in San Juan, Puerto Rico, June 14, 2011.

A woman cheers President Barack Obama at the onset ceremony at Luis Munoz Marin International Airport in San Juan, Puerto Rico, June 14, 2011.

President Barack Obama tours La Fortaleza, the authorized residence of the Governor of Puerto Rico, with Gov. Luis Fortuno, First Lady Luce Vela de Fortuno and Rep. Pedro Pierluisi in San Juan, Puerto Rico, June 14, 2011.

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Weekly Address: Partnering with the personal Sector to Spur Hiring

2011-06-12T23:28:00.000-07:00

The President outlines how the government is partnering with the private sector to make sure workers have the skills they need to be spirited and grow the economy.

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Welcoming the 2010 BCS National Champion Auburn Tigers to the White House

2011-06-08T23:30:00.000-07:00

Today, President Obama welcomed the 2010 BCS National Champion Auburn Tigers to the White House and congratulated the team on “winning their first national title since before I was born.”

Former Press Secretary (and Auburn fan) Robert Gibbs and his son Ethan were also on hand to rejoice the occasion.

During his remarks, President Obama reflected on the team’s commitment to serving those in their home state of Alabama in the wake of the new devastating tornadoes:

Now, this visit was at first scheduled to happen a couple of months ago. But two days before this team was theoretical to be in Washington, the state of Alabama was hit by a series of devastating tornados.

So Michelle and I went down with many members of the congressional allocation to meet some of the folks who had lost loved ones, make sure everything possible was being done to help the community get back on its feet. And it was a heartbreaking visit. Coach and I were just talking about -- you don't understand the damage until you see it firsthand.

But what was also inspiring was the amount of strength and liberality that was shown by so many people in the midst of so much tragedy. And that includes the members of this program. Two days after the tornado, almost 70 Auburn coaches, players, and athletic department staff -– led by Coach -– traveled to agreeable Grove and Cullman to help out with relief efforts.

And even though one of the toughest-hit areas by the storm was the home of the Crimson Tide, this team knew what we all know in situations like this, which is we’re all on the same team. We’re all Americans first and foremost, and we’ve got an compulsion to support each other in times of need.

So I’ve said before, I will say again, we will continue to stand with the fatalities of these disasters -- whether they’re in Tuscaloosa or in Joplin, Missouri, which I just visited a couple weeks ago -- we’re going to do this as long as it takes pending families are able to rebuild.

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Photo: President Obama’s Monthly gathering on Afghanistan and Pakistan

2011-06-07T03:28:00.000-07:00

Today President Obama convened a monthly meeting on Afghanistan and Pakistan with his national security team. Check out the announce from the conference and photo below.

President Barack Obama, along with Vice President Joe Biden, meets with members of his national security team for a monthly meeting on Afghanistan in the location Room of the White House, June 6, 2011. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

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West Wing Week: "One pace at a Time"

2011-06-02T23:53:00.000-07:00

This week, President Obama traveled to Joplin, Missouri in the wake of significant and deadly tornadoes to see the destruction first hand. The President ended his week-long trip to Europe in Poland and visited Arlington National Cemetery on Memorial Day.

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