What You Missed: Tuesday Talk on Veterans Day with Tammy Duckworth

Posted by White House

With Veterans Day approaching, Tammy Duckworth, Veterans Affairs Assistant Secretary for Public and Intergovernmental Affairs, answered your questions during Tuesday Talks this week. On WhiteHouse.gov and Facebook, you asked questions on a range of topics -- from streamlining the claims process to getting Vets jobs to student outreach.

Use the links below to jump directly to the questions that you're interested in or watch the full video of the chat.

Opening remarks

What can be done to simplify the process for claims?

What is the progress of the Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Program?

How are we going to ensure equality in care in both rural and urban VA locations?

What is VA’s stance on Don’t Ask Don’t Tell?

Why are there homeless Veterans and what is being done about it?

What can citizens do to help or honor Veterans?

How will the VA handle the mental health needs of veterans returning from Iraq or Afghanistan?

Can you speak a little bit about the new VA blog?

Why aren’t there more programs for spouses of veterans?

Why are there backlogs in the claims department, particularly with appeals?

How many disabled Veterans are getting care? And why don’t we get to hear success stories?

What recommendations do you have for Veterans looking to speed up their claims process?

What is being done to get jobs for Veterans?

Which hospitals are Veterans eligible for?

Can you discuss new regulations for PTSD? How will this affect VA claims?

Can you talk about outreach to student Veterans?

What is being done to assist women Veterans with unreported MST?

For more information, read the Presidential Proclamation on Veterans Day, check out the new Department of Veterans Affairs blog VAntage Point or visit their Veterans Day page to learn the history of the holiday, volunteer opportunities and more.

Watch what you missed in previous Tuesday Talks:

• Tuesday Talk on the President’s Trip to Asia


• Tuesday Talk with David Axelrod


• Tuesday Talk with Austan Goolsbee


• Tuesday Talk with The President's Committee on the Arts and Humanities


• Tuesday Talk with Elizabeth Warren

Weekly Wrap Up: A Great Pumpkin

Posted by White House

A quick look at the week of October 25, 2010:

It's the Great Pumpkin:

Quote: “My favorite image will be the one I take tomorrow.” – Pete Souza, Chief Official White House Photographer and Director of the White House Photography Office, in a live video chat on WhiteHouse.gov. http://wh.gov/3wX and Souza's ten favorite photos: http://wh.gov/3mn

Your West Wing Week: "The Mysterious Case of Mysterious Case 55" Video: http://wh.gov/3dR

Fresh on Twitter: PressSec Something new: You take first crack. Use #1q in a q & I'll answer 1 on vid before today's briefing. What do you want to know? (Answer: http://wh.gov/3dN)

Actions We’re Taking: President Obama speaks on the security situation regarding suspicious packages bound for the United States. http://wh.gov/3wp

The Daily Show: President Obama talks to Jon Stewart: http://wh.gov/3p1

Notable Number: 2%. The Gross National Product (GDP) – a key measurement of our economic growth – grew at a 2.0% annual rate over the last three months. Video: The President on accelerating recovery: http://wh.gov/3vL

Energy Vampires: Secretary Chu says slay "energy vampires" (appliances that suck up energy even when turned off): http://on.fb.me/9HRA9c

National Energy Awareness Month: Solar panels on the White House and in the desert, 36 billion gallons of biofuels, and cleaner trucks: http://wh.gov/3vi

A First for Trucks and Buses: A proposal for the first national standards for emissions and fuel efficiency: http://wh.gov/3PP

Leveling the Playing Field: Elizabeth Warren talks about standing up the new Consumer Financial Protection Bureau: http://is.gd/gpqS9

You Asked, Axe: Answered: Senior Advisor to the President, David Axelrod, answered your questions in Tuesday Talks this week: http://wh.gov/3Vy

California Women's Conference: First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden go West: http://wh.gov/3Ev

The Science Guy: Check out a behind the scenes video from the White House Science Fair, including Bill Nye: http://wh.gov/3yh

It’s a Bird, It’s a Plane…It’s a High-Speed Train: The Department of Transportation awards $2.4 billion to continue developing high-speed passenger rail corridors: http://wh.gov/3pV

What You Missed: Tuesday Talk with David Axelrod

Posted by White House

During Tuesday Talks this week, David Axelrod, Senior Advisor to the President, answered your questions in a live video chat on WhiteHouse.gov and Facebook. He covered a range of topics, from the President's commitment to end "Don’t Ask Don’t Tell" to working across the aisle to promote the interests of the American people.

Use the links below to jump directly to the questions that you're interested in or watch the full video of the chat.

Use the links below to jump directly to a question (questions are paraphrased).

• 
  Introduction


• Does the President have plans to extend unemployment benefits?


• Thank you from David Axelrod


• Why is the President appealing the court’s decisions on “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell”?


• Does President Obama have plans to address the way Credit Reporting Agencies work?


• What is President Obama doing about the high price of education?


• On efforts to put together a climate and energy bill: what worked, what didn’t work and why?


• What is the White House doing to reverse Citizens United and further the goal of campaign reform?


• My job doesn’t provide health insurance. How will health reform help me?


• Why aren’t we closing loopholes that allow America's largest companies to get large tax breaks?


• How will the President move forward under this climate of "Civil War" between parties?


• Closing Remarks
  

Check out what you missed in previous Tuesday Talks:

Tuesday Talk with Austan Goolsbee

Tuesday Talk with Elizabeth Warren

Tuesday Talk with the President’s Committee on the Arts and Humanities

Tuesday Talks: David Axelrod

Posted by White House

David Axelrod, Senior Advisor to the President, is answering your questions in a live video chat on WhiteHouse.gov on Tuesday, October 26th at 1:00 p.m. EDT

Axelrod has been with the President in the White House since day one and knows his perspective on major policy issues across the board. Ask Axe your questions about the economy, health care, energy -- or whatever else is on your mind.

Join us for a talk with David Axelrod on Tuesday, October 26th at 1:00 p.m. EDT.

Here's how you can participate:

• Ask your questions in advance on Facebook
• Join the discussion live through the White House Facebook application
• Watch the chat through WhiteHouse.gov/live

Tune in for upcoming talks:

Tuesday, November 2 at 1:00 p.m. EDT: Talk with Ben Rhodes, Deputy National Security Advisor for Strategic Communications, and Jeff Bader, Senior Director for Asian Affairs, on the President’s upcoming foreign travel.

And check out past Tuesday Talks:

• What You Missed: Tuesday Talk with Austan Goolsbee
• What You Missed: Tuesday Talk with The President's Committee on the Arts and Humanities
• What You Missed: Tuesday Talk with Elizabeth Warren

Email from David Axelrod: Filibustering Recovery

Posted by White House

On Saturday, David Axelrod sent this email to the White House list highlighting the President’s Weekly Address calling on Congress to stand up for small businesses and unemployed Americans by quickly passing legislation that would provide small businesses with the credit they need to hire and grow and extend unemployment benefits for Americans looking for work.

If you didn’t get the email, you can sign up for the White House email list here.

Right now many Americans are still feeling the effects of the recession. Small business owners are having a hard time getting the credit they need to hire and grow, and millions of our friends and neighbors are still looking for work.

In his Weekly Address, President Obama calls on Congress to stop their procedural maneuvers and allow for a simple up or down vote on expanded unemployment insurance and additional tax cuts and lending for small businesses. These are two much-needed measures that will provide a boost to our economy and relief to our friends and neighbors who can’t find jobs.

Take a moment to hear what he has to say:

For the past 18 months, President Obama has been fighting to help small business owners because he understands that small businesses are key to getting the American people back to work. He has been fighting for expanded unemployment insurance because he understands that putting money in the pockets of the people who are most likely to spend it is a cost-effective way of boosting local economies and creating jobs.

Unemployment insurance is a vital lifeline for many families struggling to find work in these tough times. Over the past few weeks, that lifeline has disappeared for more than 2 million Americans, and if Congress doesn’t act, that number will grow to 3.2 million people by the end of this month.

Getting our economy back on track hasn’t been easy, but passing important legislation to support small businesses and Americans looking for work has proved nearly impossible. Repeatedly, Republicans have used procedural maneuvers to deny this legislation an up or down vote.

There may be a lot of controversial topics out there, but support for small businesses and unemployment insurance shouldn’t be among them.

It’s time for an up or down vote on these important measures. It’s time for Congress to act.

Sincerely,

David Axelrod
Senior Advisor to the President