Press Secretary Gibbs on His Future & the Future of @PressSec

Posted by White House

In today's edition of First Question, Press Secretary Robert Gibbs answered the flood of questions that came in over Twitter on what he's doing next, whether White House social media engagement will continue in his absence, and perhaps most important of all: what will become of his Twitter handle @PressSec:

The President released the statement below after Gibbs' announcement:

For the last six years, Robert has been a close friend, one of my closest advisers and an effective advocate from the podium for what this administration has been doing to move America forward. I think it’s natural for him to want to step back, reflect and retool. That brings up some challenges and opportunities for the White House – but it doesn’t change the important role that Robert will continue to play on our team.

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A Commitment to Reach Out to Veterans - Wherever They Are

Posted by White House

Lately it seems like everyone has jumped on the social networking bandwagon, or at least have claimed to do so. One can find buttons for Twitter, Facebook, Flickr and others on the front pages of most Federal agencies, including VA. However, social networking sites are more than just a fad to join in order to boost an organization’s hipness. At VA, we’ve found the internet to be one of the most powerful tools in our mission to reach out to our nation’s Veterans across the country.

While many people equate social media with a younger generation of users, as it turns out, Vietnam and Vietnam-era Veterans represent VA’s fastest growing population of online users. Both VA’s website and our social media pages have allowed VA to reach out to Veterans who have traditionally been geographically isolated, as well as those who live far away from large cities or major military installations. The majority of our Veterans live in rural communities and small towns across this great nation -- to include places like Native American tribal lands and Pacific Islands like American Samoa and Guam. In the past, these Vets would have had to make the trek into a VA facility to get information, submit paperwork, or receive care. That is changing. They can now access our online resources to fill out applications, download information and even access care. VA now provides both telemedicine to monitor medical conditions and online mental health counseling via chat rooms. In the past year, we’ve added over 180 Veteran-centric videos to VA’s YouTube channel, which have now been viewed over 250,000 times.

This time last year I had just created the Office of New Media at VA in order to pursue the President and Secretary Shinseki’s mission to increase access to VA. Since fall 2009, we have made a concerted effort to reach and converse with today’s Veterans through the use of a number of new media tools, to include Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Flickr, and blogs. In doing so, we have had considerable success. When we started, VA’s primary Facebook page had 879 subscribers. Now we have over 71,000 -- more than any other cabinet-level agency. In fact, we now estimate that VA reaches more Veterans through social media each day than through the VA website. And just in time for Veterans Day, VA has launched its official blog, called VAntage Point. This new platform will allow Veterans to receive timely and useful information straight from the source. It’s something we’re very excited about. Anyone wanting to voice their concerns over Veterans issues can submit a guest post for publication -- and we’re hoping they will.

So as we all take a day to celebrate and honor our nation’s Veterans, I ask all Americans to help spread the word. Get on your Facebook pages and send out links to VA’s resources, sign on as a follower to VA’s or my Twitter feed, then check out VAntage Point. Let’s serve those who have served us and let them know of their benefits. The added bonus is you get to be hip while doing it.

You Asked, We Answered

Posted by White House

Last week, President Obama participated in a live town hall with young people from across the country sponsored by MTV, BET, and CMT. The President took questions from young people in the audience and questions submitted via Twitter. While the President answered as many questions as he could on topics ranging from education to jobs and the economy, there were many of questions from the audience and Twitter that he didn’t have a chance to answer.

We thought it would be a good idea to follow up with answers to some of your questions that the President didn’t have a chance to answer. Check out the videos below from Melody Barnes, Director of the Domestic Policy Council, and Ben Rhodes, Deputy National Security Advisor, answering questions about education policy and foreign aid.

We’ll be posting more video answers from senior White House officials over the next week, so be sure to check back!

What are your thoughts on extremely high dropout rates in American high schools?

Tweet Your Questions to President Obama

Posted by White House

Here’s your chance to ask the President about the issues that have been weighing on your mind. Tomorrow at 4 PM EDT, President Obama will be participating in a live youth town hall event in partnership with MTV, BET, and CMT.

The President will be taking questions from the live audience and Twitter. To ask your question, just use the hashtag #ask plus the topic of your question. For example, if your question is about jobs use #askjobs, if it’s about energy use #askenergy. You can also comment the event using the hashtag #comment. Be sure to tune in tomorrow at 4 PM EDT to see if your question gets asked.

To get the latest news and updates from the White House be sure to follow @WhiteHouse on Twitter or the White House Facebook page.

31,000 Homes Weatherized in June

Posted by White House

Ed. Note: Cross posted from the Energy Blog.

One of the best and most exciting parts of my job is helping make homes and businesses more efficient. Why? The places where we live and work consume 40% of the energy we use in the U.S. Through tune-ups to existing homes or new construction, doing more while using less energy is key to improving our buildings and energy future.

Last week, we announced that during the month of June, more than 31,000 low-income homes nationwide underwent retrofits to use less energy. This month represents the largest number of homes ever upgraded – or “weatherized” – in a single month. Through the Recovery Act, more than 80,000 homes will be weatherized across the country this summer. By March 2012, that total will grow to nearly 600,000 homes – each with upgrades like better furnaces, insulation, and caulking. They will use less energy, perform better, and save homeowners money.

These energy-efficient upgrades are important to the thousands of Americans who are paying less for utilities, and they are also important to the 13,000 American workers whose jobs are supported by our weatherization program.

But when you step back, there is an even bigger trend developing, driven by strong policy and initiatives. Community partnerships are coming up with creative ways to enable energy tune-ups for more and more homes. Places like Washington, New Hampshire, San Antonio, and many others are working with lenders to establish loan funds to help consumers pay the upfront costs of energy-saving improvements so they can upgrade their homes even in economic tough times.

Gene Brady – who has been helping communities in Pennsylvania save energy for 25 years – is leading the charge to install and test new in-home energy monitors to help homeowners make wise choices about energy use. Maine, a state that relies heavily on imported heating oil, has set a target to improve the energy efficiency of all residences and half of its businesses by 2030. Businesses across America are hiring experts to stop energy and money from escaping their buildings and bottom lines.

That is good for America, and that’s what gets me excited.

Have questions about weatherization and saving energy in your home? Send them our way via Facebook, Twitter (#weatherization) or email and we’ll have our experts follow-up with responses in the coming days. You can also find home energy saving tips by visiting EnergySavers.gov.