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

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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.

VP in Asia Day Two: Getting Down to Business

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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.

President Obama Supports the Respect for Marriage Act

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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.

STEM Jobs Help America Win the Future

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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.

Our Heroes Are All just about Us

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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.

Video: The President Tweets from the White House

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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.

 

Bringing clearness to College Costs

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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.

President Obama Tours Alcoa and Talks developed in Iowa

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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.

Our power Independence: Join the Live Chat

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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.

President Obama on the Way ahead in Afghanistan

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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:

Statement by the President on World Refugee Day

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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.

Taking the Time to be a Dad

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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.

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

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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.

A Playground and a Picnic with Congressional Families

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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)

Weekly Address: Partnering with the personal Sector to Spur Hiring

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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.

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

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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)

West Wing Week: "One pace at a Time"

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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.

Equal way in to Transportation: A Right for All Americans

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Transportation is about a lot more than just receiving around. Our roadways, runways, and railways connect people with all of the things that make life worth living: family, education, job opportunities, and recreation. That’s why we here at DOT--and the entire Obama Administration--are laser-focused on civilizing access to transportation for all Americans.

Last week, I joined the White House monthly disability call with the Special Assistant to President Obama on Disability Policy, Kareem Dale, to talk about with hundreds of stakeholders everything we’re doing at DOT to get better transportation access for people with disabilities. In the twenty years since the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act, there’s no doubt we’ve made important strides forward. But we won’t rest awaiting everyone has equal access to all forms of transportation.

President Obama at Arlington National Cemetery: "Honor the Sacrifice of Those We've Lost"

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This Memorial Day, President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama gathered in Arlington National Cemetery with military members, Gold Star families, veterans and other Americans who came to honor and keep in mind those who gave the ultimate sacrifice for our country. After presenting a garland at the Tomb of the Unknowns, the President spoke at the Memorial Day Service:

To those of you who mourn the loss of a loved one today, my heart breaks goes out to you. I love my daughters more than anything in the world, and I cannot envisage losing them. I can’t imagine losing a sister or brother or parent at war. The grief so many of you carry in your hearts is a grief I cannot fully know.

This day is about you, and the fallen heroes that you loved. And it’s a day that has meaning for all Americans, counting me. It’s one of my highest honors, it is my most solemn liability as President, to serve as Commander-in-Chief of one of the finest fighting forces the world has ever known. (Applause.) And it’s a responsibility that carries a particular weight on this day; that carries a special weight each time I meet with our Gold Star families and I see the pride in their eyes, but also the tears of pain that will never fully go away; each time I sit down at my desk and sign a comfort letter to the family of the fallen.

Saving You Money at the Pump and Protecting the Air We Breathe

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To make stronger our economy, save drivers money at the gas pump and decrease harmful pollution in the air we breathe, President Obama has made cleaner, innovative and more fuel efficient vehicles a precedence for this administration. Today, we’re taking one more step to help put more fuel efficient cars on our streets and highways.

To match a new creation of vehicles rolling off the lines in American auto plants, we’re releasing a new generation of fuel wealth labels to help consumers decide which vehicle is right for them and their families. These new labels represent the most important redesign of fuel economy labels in 35 years – and one of the most powerful tools car buyers have ever had to find a vehicle that will meet their requirements and save them money.

The new fuel economy labels will still give the familiar, and important, information about city and highway mileage for new vehicles. But they will also cover new categories to help car buyers who are comparing a wide assortment of different vehicles on the market.