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Ending Bad Habits

2009-05-07T17:07:00Z

Today the President released his full budget providing all the details for the blueprint that Congress recently approved in the Budget Resolution. Having spoken about his vision to create a new foundation for the country a few weeks ago, today he returned to that theme:

We're doing everything that we can to create jobs and to get our economy moving while building a new foundation for lasting prosperity -- a foundation that invests in quality education, lowers health care costs, and develops new sources of energy powered by new jobs and industries.

But one of the pillars of this foundation is fiscal responsibility. We can no longer afford to spend as if deficits don't matter and waste is not our problem. We can no longer afford to leave the hard choices for the next budget, the next administration -- or the next generation.

That's why I've charged the Office of Management and Budget, led by Peter Orszag and Rob Nabors who are standing behind me today, with going through the budget -- program by program, item by item, line by line -- looking for areas where we can save taxpayer dollars.

He referenced the 100-program volume of Terminations, Reductions, and Savings released by OMB Director Orszag in his blog post this morning, and went on to give a few examples of how these programs represent the long-standing bad habits in Washington. He mentioned an obsolete navigation system that still gets funding, a literacy program that devotes half its budget to overhead, an a Department of Education outpost in Paris whose work could easily be accomplished here at home.

In addition, we're going to save money by eliminating unnecessary defense programs that do nothing to keep us safe, but rather prevent us from spending money on what does keep us safe. One example is a $465 million program to build an alternate engine for the Joint Strike Fighter. The Defense Department is already pleased with the engine it has. The engine it has works. The Pentagon does not want and does not plan to use the alternative version. That's why the Pentagon stopped requesting this funding two years ago. Yet it's still being funded.

These are just a few examples. But the point to remember is that there are consequences for this kind of spending. It makes the development of new tools for our military, like the Joint Strike Fighter, more expensive -- even prohibitively so -- and crowds out money that we could be using, for example, to improve our troops' quality of life and their safety and security. It makes government less effective. It makes our nation less resilient and less able to address immediate concerns and long-term challenges. And it leaves behind a massive burden for our children and grandchildren.

He closed by reiterating all of the ways the Administration has fought for fiscal discipline already, from supporting "pay as you go" rules, to ending sibsidies for insurance companies, to empowering government employees to find and suggest efficiencies. He pledged that this was just the beginning.

Determining What Works, Line by Line

2009-05-07T14:06:00Z

OMB Director Peter Orszag tells us about the budget being released today, in particular the volume on Terminations, Reductions, and Savings.

We in the Administration have spoken often about the President’s Budget heralding a new era of responsibility—an era in which we not only do what we must to lift our economy out of recession, but in which we also lay a new foundation for long-term growth and prosperity. This means making long overdue investments and reforms in health care, education, and energy. It also means restoring fiscal discipline. We cannot put our nation on a course for long-term growth with uncontrollable deficits and debt, and we no longer can afford to tolerate investments in programs that are outdated, duplicative, ineffective, or wasteful.

That’s why the Budget we’re releasing today includes a separate volume, Terminations, Reductions, and Savings, which identifies more than 100 terminations, reductions, or other areas of savings that take nearly $17 billion off the federal government’s bottom line next year alone. About half of the savings for next fiscal year are from defense programs, and about half are from non-defense programs.

The programs in Terminations, Reductions, and Savings are ones that do not accomplish the goals set for them, do not do so efficiently, or do a job already done by another initiative. They include these ten:

· LORAN-C ($35 million). This long-range, radio-navigation system has been made obsolete by GPS.

· Abandoned Mine Lands Payments ($142 million). This program now pays to clean up mines that have already been cleaned up.

· Educational attaché, Paris, France ($632,000). The Department of Education can use e-mail, video conferencing, and modest travel to replace a full-time representative to UNESCO in Paris, France.

· Los Alamos Neutron Science Center refurbishment ($19 million). The linear accelerator housed here was built 30 years ago and no longer plays a critical role in weapons research.

· Even Start ($66 million). The most recent evaluation found no difference between families in the program and those not in it across 38 of 41 outcomes. Strengthening early childhood education is accomplished through significant investments in proven, more effective programs such as Head Start, Early Head Start, and the Early Learning Challenge Fund.

· Christopher Columbus Fellowship Foundation ($1 million). Due to high overhead, the Foundation would spend only 20 percent of its 2010 appropriation on the fellowships it awards.

· Advanced Earned Income Tax Credit ($125 million). This program benefits very few taxpayers, and has an extremely high error rate: GAO found that 80 percent of recipients did not meet at least one of its requirements.

· Javits Gifted and Talented Education Program ($7 million). Grants from this program go to only 15 school districts nationwide, and there are no empirical measures to judge their efficacy.

· Public Broadcasting Grants ($5 million). USDA made these grants to support rural public broadcasting stations in their conversions to digital broadcasting. That transition is now almost complete.

· Rail Line Relocation Grants ($25 million). This program, duplicative of a merit-based program, is loaded with earmarks.

The steps we are detailing in Terminations, Reductions, and Savings are part of the Administration’s larger effort to change how Washington does business and put the nation’s fiscal house in order. Today represents a significant installment in our commitment to review the federal budget line by line.

But our efforts to restore fiscal responsibility have already begun. To date, we have taken the following steps to cut waste, save taxpayer dollars, and make government more effective:

· The Budget includes an historic down payment on health care reform, the key to our long-term fiscal future.

· The Budget will cut the deficit in half by the end of the President’s first term and was constructed without commonly used budget gimmicks that, for instance, hide the true costs of war and natural disasters.

· The Budget will bring non-defense discretionary spending to its lowest level as a share of GDP since we began keeping records in 1962.

· The President has announced a contracting reform effort that will greatly reduce no-bid contracts and help to save $40 billion. In support of this effort, Secretary of Defense Gates, in consultation with our nation’s military leadership, unveiled an unprecedented effort to reform defense contracting.

· The President directed agency heads at the first Cabinet meeting to identify at least $100 million in administrative savings.

· The President personally called on the congressional leadership to pass PAYGO laws so that Congress will be required to adhere to a simple principle: to pay for what it spends.

Now, every one of the programs listed in our Terminations, Reductions, and Savings volume has a supporter, and there will be vocal and powerful interests that will oppose different aspects of this Budget. I am under no illusions that change will be easy, but after an era of profound irresponsibility, I believe that Americans are ready to put problem-solving ahead of point-scoring and to reconstruct an economy built on a solid foundation.

That’s why I know the President will work with Congress to reform and transform Washington, to make these needed cuts so that we use taxpayer dollars to invest in what works and put our nation back on the path toward prosperity for all Americans.

What Is the Social Innovation Fund?

2009-05-06T23:55:00Z

Last night the First Lady discussed the Social Innovation Fund at the Time 100 Most Influential People Awards; we asked Michele Jolin, Senior Advisor for Social Innovation for the Domestic Policy Council, to tell us about it:

Yesterday, the President announced that he would ask Congress in the FY2010 budget to provide $50 million in seed capital for his Social Innovation Fund, fulfilling a campaign pledge. The Fund will identify the most promising, results-oriented non-profit programs and expand their reach throughout the country.

This is a dramatically different way for the government to do business – and it reflects the President’s new governing approach -- finding and scaling the best social innovations; partnering with those who are leading change in their communities; and creating a policy environment for all these innovations to thrive.

President Obama has said that this is an "all-hands-on-deck" moment and that government cannot solve our nation’s problems alone. He has said that it is critical to partner with citizens, nonprofits, social entrepreneurs, foundations and corporations to make progress on our nation’s great challenges. The President has also talked about finding new solutions to old problems, and this is where the social innovation can play a unique role.

As the First Lady said in her remarks on Tuesday to the TIME 100 Most Influential people:

The idea is simple: to find the most effective programs out there and then provide the capital needed to replicate their success in communities around the country that are facing similar challenges. By focusing on high-impact, result-oriented non-profits, we will ensure that government dollars are spent in a way that is effective, accountable and worthy of the public trust.

(First Lady Michelle Obama attended and gave remarks at the TIME 100 Annual Dinner at the Rose Jazz Center
in New York City. She was greeted by (L to R) Jeffrey Bewkes, Chairman of Time Warner Inc., Rick Stengel,
Managing Editor of TIME magazine, and John Huey, Editorial Director of TIME Inc.)

The First Lady also talked more broadly about the need help nurture a new generation of innovators and entrepreneurs who will direct their skills and energy toward solving their community’s – and our nation’s – most serious social problems:

Careers focused on lifting up our communities – whether helping transform troubled schools or training workers for green jobs or helping low-income families access health care – are not always obvious. But, at a time when our nation is facing unprecedented challenges, encouraging careers in public service and social innovation are more important than ever.

The First Lady highlighted the work of a couple of young, new social entrepreneurs. One example was Rebecca Onie, a creative young woman who founded "Project Health" to help break the link between poverty and poor health. Rebecca organizes college students to staff Help Desks in urban medical centers, universities and community centers. Students then connect low-income families to other critical community and government resources – such as housing vouchers, supplemental nutrition assistance, and educational support.

This is just one example of the kind of social innovation and entrepreneurship that the Obama Administration wants to encourage and replicate in communities across the country.

The Social Innovation Fund will help do that. We recognize that there is no ready and available source of growth capital for programs and ideas that have demonstrated they work and are ready to spread. This gap in the social capital markets is a good niche for government action. The Social Innovation Fund will build a "pipeline" of programs that have demonstrated results and are ready to spread across the country to meet community needs. Now, more than ever, we need to invest in programs that work and find innovative, effective solutions to our nation’s most serious challenges.

"The President and I look forward to working with Mr. Franken"

2009-05-06T22:34:00Z

The Vice President met with Al Franken this afternoon, and released this statement afterwards:

"The election process and recount in Minnesota have lived up to the state's reputation for organization, transparency, and bipartisanship. The officials have been meticulous and every ruling has been unanimous.

"While Senator Amy Klobuchar is one of the hardest working members of the United States Senate, Minnesotans deserve their full representation.

"Once the Minnesota Supreme Court has issued its final ruling in this case, the President and I look forward to working with Mr. Franken on building an economy for the 21st century."

[Download Full Size]

(Vice President Joe Biden meets with Al Franken in the Vice President's West Wing office in Washington DC, Wednesday, May 6, 2009. Official White House Photo by David Lienemann.)

“Joined By a Common Goal”

2009-05-06T20:36:00Z

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Today the President’s schedule was virtually clear except for three pivotal meetings with leaders from two pivotal countries. He was joined by Vice President Biden first for a meeting with President Karzai of Afghanistan, then with President Zardari of Pakistan, and finally for a trilateral meeting with both of them. He was flanked by the two leaders when he spoke to the press afterwards:

We meet today as three sovereign nations joined by a common goal: to disrupt, dismantle, and defeat al Qaeda and its extremist allies in Pakistan and Afghanistan, and to prevent their ability to operate in either country in the future. And to achieve that goal, we must deny them the space to threaten the Pakistani, Afghan, or American people. And we must also advance security and opportunity, so that Pakistanis and Afghans can pursue the promise of a better life.

He went on to discuss the specific tasks ahead:

There is much to be done. Along the border where insurgents often move freely, we must work together with a renewed sense of partnership to share intelligence, and to coordinate our efforts to isolate, target and take out our common enemy. But, we must also meet the threat of extremism with a positive program of growth and opportunity. That is why my Administration is working with members of Congress to create opportunity zones to spark development. And that is why I’m proud that we’ve helped advance negotiations toward a landmark transit-trade agreement to open the Afghanistan and Pakistan border to more commerce.

Within Afghanistan, we must help grow the economy, while developing alternatives to the drug trade by tapping the resilience and ingenuity of the Afghan people. We must support free and open national elections later this fall, while helping to protect the hard-earned rights of all Afghans. And we must support the capacity of local governments and stand up to corruption that blocks progress. I also made it clear that the United States will work with our Afghan and international partners to make every effort to avoid civilian casualties as we help the Afghan government combat our common enemy.

Within Pakistan, we must provide lasting support to democratic institutions, while helping the government confront the insurgents who are the single greatest threat to the Pakistani state. And we must do more than stand against those who would destroy Pakistan – we must stand with those who want to build. That is why I have asked Congress for sustained funding for schools, roads, and hospitals. I want the Pakistani people to understand that America is not simply against terrorism – we are on the side of their hopes, and their aspirations. Because we know that the future of Pakistan must be determined by the talent, innovation and intelligence of its people.

(President Barack Obama (center) with Afghan President Karzai and Pakistan President Zardari during
a US-Afghan-PakistanTrilateral meeting in Cabinet Room May 6, 2009.
Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

(President Barack Obama (center) with Afghan President Karzai and Pakistan President Zardari
during a US-Afghan-PakistanTrilateral meeting in Cabinet Room May 6, 2009.
Official White House Photo by Pete Souza )

(President Barack Obama (center) with Afghan President Karzai and Pakistan President Zardari
during a US-Afghan-PakistanTrilateral meeting in Cabinet Room May 6, 2009.
Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

(President Barack Obama (center) with Afghan President Karzai and Pakistan President Zardari
walk along the Colonnade following a US-Afghan-PakistanTrilateral meeting in Cabinet Room
May 6, 2009. Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

(President Barack Obama with Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai, Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari
and Vice President Joe Biden during a statement in the Grand Foyer of the White House May 6, 2009.
Official White House Photo By Lawrence Jackson)

(President Barack Obama, Pakistan's President Asif Ali Zadari and Afghan President Hamid Karzai, give
remarks to the media following their trilateral meeting at the White House Wednesday, May 6, 2009.
Official White House Photo by Chuck Kennedy)

Cinco de Mayo

2009-05-05T17:38:00Z

The President and Mexican Ambassador Arturo Sarukhan got an early start on Cinco de Mayo at the White House last night, as did the First Lady at the Latin American Montessori Bilingual Charter School.

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(First Lady Michelle Obama attends Cinco de Mayo celebration program Monday,
May 4, 2009, at the Latin American Montessori Bilingual Charter School in
Washington, D.C. White House Photos by Samantha Appleton)

Continuing the Conversation: Tax Reform for American Jobs

2009-05-05T13:48:00Z

Yesterday, even before we posted here on the blog about the President's proposals to curb offshore tax havens and end tax incentives for companies shifting jobs overseas, we asked for your reactions on our various social networking outposts. As we expected, there were a lot of interesting comments and questions, largely supporting the President but some raising concerns and objections. We asked Jason Furman, Deputy Director of the National Economic Council, to address some of them:

kylekunkler: Ending deferral (when US already has 2nd highest corporate tax) will only hurt US MNCs and cost jobs! http://tinyurl.com/coofnd

Jason Furman: Kyle, you are correct that the United States has the second highest statutory tax rate in the world, the official rate published in the tax code. But the United States also has more loopholes and special tax preferences than many other countries. As a result, the United States has a much lower effective tax rate. If you look at corporate taxes as a share of GDP they are below those of most major economies. The result is a tax code that is complicated, inefficient and unfair. One of major causes of these problems is the way that we tax – or more often do not tax – the foreign earnings of American companies. The administration’s plan is intended as a major, first step in addressing this problem.

ScottGjerdingen: What sort of jobs would be impacted by Obama's "offshore jobs" corporate cutback on tax benefits?

Jason Furman: Scott, you ask an important question of what jobs would be affected by the President’s proposal. In answering it is important to look at both halves of the proposal. One half is to end special tax preferences for creating jobs overseas. The goal of this is not to stop American companies from competing and succeeding in the global economy. What the President wants is to stop giving them special subsidies for doing so – subsidies they would not get for investing in the United States. The result will be to shift more investment and job creation to the United States. The second half of the policy is to take these savings and use them to cut taxes in businesses that create jobs in the United States by making the tax credit for research & development permanent. The direct beneficiaries of this policy will be companies engaged in research and development, but the innovations that result will have important spillover effects, creating jobs and raising wages across the economy.

Marc Solomon: Bringing jobs back to the US by switching tax incentives from creating jobs overseas to creating jobs in the US is a wonderful idea. My concern is, if the goal is to make our tax laws fairer and simpler, this accomplishes only the first and not the second (and of course that assumes fairer means fairer for US citizens and not for all people of the ... Read Moreworld). Wouldn't just removing the tax incentives for creating jobs overseas accomplish BOTH goals and not just the one? It would definitely simplify the tax laws and be fair for all people, not just U.S. citizens (although, personally, I am prejudiced to being fairer for U.S. citizens).

Jason Furman: Marc, you should understand that today’s announcement is a down-payment on the President’s overall tax agenda. As he said in his remarks today, "the steps I am announcing today will help us deal with some of the most egregious examples of what's wrong with our tax code and will help us strengthen some of these other efforts. It's a down payment on the larger tax reform we need to make our tax system simpler and fairer and more efficient for individuals and corporations." That said, the proposals the President made today would start to simplify the tax code. This includes the President’s proposal to reward companies that create jobs in America – which would make the research and development tax credit permanent, adding more predictability and stability to the tax code because companies would no longer have to worry about whether or not the credit would expire or continue.

Good Jobs Here at Home

2009-05-04T17:06:00Z

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One of the most frequent questions we get, whether through our comment form or through the Open for Questions session we launched for the President’s online town hall, is about the incentives in the tax code for companies to shift jobs overseas. This was one of the top questions in the jobs section, for example:

"What are your plans to encourage corporations to keep middle class jobs, such as customer service call centers and transactional based support services like accounting and computer program jobs, in the U.S?"

PAG, Houston, TX

Today the President answered that question with proposals to curb tax havens and replace tax advantages for creating jobs overseas with incentives to create them here at home.

The President closed his remarks on a note of basic fairness:

So the steps I am announcing today will help us deal with some of the most egregious examples of what's wrong with our tax code and will help us strengthen some of these other efforts. It's a down payment on the larger tax reform we need to make our tax system simpler and fairer and more efficient for individuals and corporations.

Now, it will take time to undo the damage of distorted provisions that were slipped into our tax code by lobbyists and special interests, but with the steps I'm announcing today we are beginning to crack down on Americans who are bending or breaking the rules, and we're helping to ensure that all Americans are contributing their fair share.

In other words, we're beginning to restore fairness and balance to our tax code. That's what I promised I would do during the campaign, that's what I'm committed to doing as President, and that is what I will work with members of my administration and members of Congress to accomplish in the months and years to come.

Join or read through the discussion started at Twitter.com/WhiteHouse, or read all the details in the White House fact sheet:

1) Replacing Tax Advantages for Creating Jobs Overseas With Incentives to Create Them at Home

· Reforming Deferral Rules to Curb A Tax Advantage for Investing and Reinvesting Overseas

· Closing Foreign Tax Credit Loopholes

· Using Savings To Make Permanent The Tax Credit for Investing in Research and Experimentation at Home

2) Getting Tough on Overseas Tax Havens

· Eliminating Loopholes for "Disappearing" Offshore Subsidiaries

· Cracking Down on the Abuse of Tax Havens by Individuals

· Devoting New Resources for IRS Enforcement to Help Close the International Tax Gap

Read the HHS Report on Rural Health Care

2009-05-04T14:01:00Z

This morning Nancy-Ann DeParle, Director of the White House Office of Health Reform, is meeting with rural Americans in the fourth in a series of White House Health Care Stakeholder Discussions.

Watch the live stream. [UPDATE: This event has now concluded]

The meeting will be held against the backdrop of a new report out of HHS, which you can find at HealthReform.gov, entitled "Hard Times in the Heartland: Health Care in Rural America." A few of the key reasons rural communities particularly need health reform this year, from the report:

Nearly one in five of the uninsured – 8.5 million people – live in rural areas.
Rural residents pay on average for 40% of their health care costs out of their own pocket, compared with the urban share of one-third.
In a multi-state survey, one in five insured farmers had medical debt

Late Update: Rebecca Adelman of HHS reports back on the meeting:

Health care in rural America has been a significant topic of conversation at every health reform stakeholder event held at the White House over the past three months, and for good reason. Rural Americans are being hit especially hard by the skyrocketing cost of health care, and many live hundreds of miles away from the physicians and hospitals they need for treatment. Earlier today, representatives from rural communities met with White House office of Health Reform Director Nancy-Ann DeParle to discuss the state of the health care system outside America’s largest cities.

There are nearly 50 million people living in rural America who face unique challenges accessing quality and affordable health care. Rural Americans are more likely to live in poverty, and have fewer providers in their communities. They report more health problems, and are more likely to be without health insurance than citizens living in urban areas. They are also more likely to delay medical treatment because they cannot afford it. According to a new study released today on www.healthreform.gov, nearly one in five of the uninsured – 8.5 million people – live in rural areas.

The meeting participants gathered at the White House included farmers, ranchers, teachers, and fishermen, who spoke of their shared difficulty affording health care. Dr. Wayne Meyers, a pediatrician and organic farmer in rural Maine, summed it up by saying: "For most rural people, cost is the bottom line…health care costs are eating us alive." Many participants expressed frustration that farmers who spend their lives growing healthy food for the nation are struggling to afford medical care they need to live healthy lives. Jon Bailey, Director of the Rural Research and Analysis Program, spoke to the difficulty many small businesses are having in rural areas as they attempt to remain profitable while paying huge sums for health care coverage. Bailey said, "If we don’t solve the health care issues of small businesses, and farmers and ranchers and fishermen in rural areas, we won’t have an entrepreneurial economy, and that means we won’t have much of an economy in rural America."

Mary Wakefield, Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and Congressman Mike Ross (D-AR) were both on hand to listen. Congressman Ross closed the meeting by thanking Nancy-Ann DeParle and President Obama for their attention to rural health care issues, and for bringing together a diverse group from outside Washington, D.C. to share their experiences and concerns. DeParle made a point to emphasize the President’s commitment to enacting comprehensive health reform that will help rural Americans by lowering costs, guaranteeing choice of doctors and plans, and assuring quality and affordable coverage for all Americans.

Weekly Address: Government Actions to Address the H1N1 Flu Virus

2009-05-02T08:50:00Z

In his Weekly Address, the President discusses the government’s response to the 2009 H1N1 flu virus, from school closings to activating online social networks. He urges Americans to be calm but cautious.

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President Obama: This is also why the Centers for Disease Control has recommended that schools and child care facilities with confirmed cases of the virus close for up to fourteen days. It is why we urge employers to allow infected employees to take as many sick days as necessary. If more schools are forced to close, we’ve also recommended that both parents and businesses think about contingency plans if children do have to stay home. We have asked every American to take the same steps you would take to prevent any other flu: keep your hands washed; cover your mouth when you cough; stay home from work if you’re sick; and keep your children home from school if they’re sick. And the White House has launched pages in Facebook, MySpace and Twitter to support the ongoing efforts by the CDC to update the public as quickly and effectively as possible.

Read more about the White House efforts to get information out through online social networks.

“My Fellow Americans”

2009-05-01T23:08:00Z

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This afternoon the President attended a naturalization ceremony for active duty service members in the East Room of the White House, along with Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano who delivered the oath of allegiance. It was a meaningful moment to reflect on what it means to be an American.

The President also presented the Outstanding American by Choice award to Peter Lemon, whose amazing story you can read along with the names of all of the new American citizens in the background to the event.

The President spoke from the heart:

You all have your own stories of how you came to this country. And you all have your own personal reasons for why you joined the military. But in the service that you render, in the sacrifices that each of you have made and will continue to make, in the commitment you've shown to your adopted nation, you're part of a larger story -- America's story.

For more than two centuries, this nation has been a beacon of hope and opportunity -- a place that has drawn enterprising men and women from around the world who have sought to build a life as good as their talents and their hard work would allow. And generation after generation of immigrants have come to these shores because they believe that in America all things are possible.

So you are not only living examples of that promise; you're also serving to defend that promise for future generations. And your service reminds all of us that much of the strength of this country is drawn from those who have chosen to call it home. It's not lost on me or anybody here today that at a time when we face an economic crisis born in many ways of irresponsibility, there are those who are actively pursuing greater responsibility.

Ethics Update

2009-05-01T22:10:00Z

As he has done before in the spirit of transparency, Norm Eisen, special counsel to the president for ethics and government reform, asked us to pass along this update on the President’s Executive Order on Ethics:

Just a quick post to advise that we granted an authorization under Section 3 of the President’s Ethics Executive Order to Senior Advisor Valerie Jarrett to lead the White House's effort to support Chicago's bid to secure the 2016 Olympics.

The President promised during the campaign that staff would not work on contracts or regulations directly related to their former employers. We have captured that promise in Paragraph 2 of our revolving door rules, which applies to non-lobbyists. Valerie previously served as Vice Chair of Chicago 2016, the non-profit entity responsible for the Chicago bid. Although Chicago 2016 was not her "former employer" in traditional terms, the term "former employer" in the President's Order encompasses entities that appointees served as directors or officers, as Valerie did here. (To be clear, Valerie was not a lobbyist for Chicago 2016, and this waiver has nothing to do with lobbying.)

We decided that a waiver of Paragraph 2 was in the public interest in order to help bring the Olympics back to the United States. Valerie’s past experience with Chicago 2016 makes her ideal to work with the city and its bid committee to help win the Olympics for the U.S., with the many benefits that would bestow. In her time working with the City of Chicago on its bid, she developed knowledge about the process that will make her a powerful advocate and liaison. Although Valerie previously volunteered with Chicago 2016, she has no continuing financial relationship with them. Since the Administration already plans on vigorously supporting the United States’ sole 2016 Olympic bid, we felt that letting Valerie lead our efforts was strongly in the public interest. The authorization can be found here (pdf).

As I have previously noted on this blog, the availability of waivers in appropriate cases has been praised by ethics experts and commentators alike:

*Norman Ornstein, a Resident Scholar at the American Enterprise Institute stated that "This tough and commendable new set of ethics provisions goes a long way toward breaking the worst effects of the revolving door. There are many qualified people for the vast majority of government posts. But a tough ethics provision cannot be so tough and rigid that it hurts the country unintentionally. Kudos to President Obama for adding a waiver provision, to be used sparingly for special cases in the national interest. This is all about appropriate balance, and this new executive order strikes just the right balance."

*Thomas Mann, Senior Fellow of Governance Studies and the Brookings Institution said that "The new Obama ethics code is strict and should advance the objective of reducing the purely financial incentives in public service. I applaud another provision of the EO, namely the waiver provision that allows the government to secure the essential services of individuals who might formally be constrained from doing so by the letter of the code. The safeguards built into the waiver provision strike the right balance."

*The Washington Post editorialized that the President had "adopted a tough ethics policy . . . sweeping in time and scope." The editorial board wrote that "The president's rule ensures that any conflicts will be carefully watched, and his flexibility despite certain criticism signals an ability to make hard but reasonable calls."

The President's Remarks on Justice Souter

2009-05-01T20:23:00Z

Read Justice Souter's letter to the President.

The President made an appearance at today's press briefing to discuss Justice David Souter's retirement:

THE PRESIDENT: I just got off the telephone with Justice Souter. And so I would like to say a few words about his decision to retire from the Supreme Court.

Throughout his two decades on the Supreme Court, Justice Souter has shown what it means to be a fair-minded and independent judge. He came to the bench with no particular ideology. He never sought to promote a political agenda. And he consistently defied labels and rejected absolutes, focusing instead on just one task -- reaching a just result in the case that was before him.

He approached judging as he approaches life, with a feverish work ethic and a good sense of humor, with integrity, equanimity and compassion -- the hallmark of not just being a good judge, but of being a good person.

I am incredibly grateful for his dedicated service. I told him as much when we spoke. I spoke on behalf of the American people thanking him for his service. And I wish him safe travels on his journey home to his beloved New Hampshire and on the road ahead.

Now, the process of selecting someone to replace Justice Souter is among my most serious responsibilities as President. So I will seek somebody with a sharp and independent mind and a record of excellence and integrity. I will seek someone who understands that justice isn't about some abstract legal theory or footnote in a case book. It is also about how our laws affect the daily realities of people's lives -- whether they can make a living and care for their families; whether they feel safe in their homes and welcome in their own nation.

I view that quality of empathy, of understanding and identifying with people's hopes and struggles as an essential ingredient for arriving as just decisions and outcomes. I will seek somebody who is dedicated to the rule of law, who honors our constitutional traditions, who respects the integrity of the judicial process and the appropriate limits of the judicial role. I will seek somebody who shares my respect for constitutional values on which this nation was founded, and who brings a thoughtful understanding of how to apply them in our time.

As I make this decision, I intend to consult with members of both parties across the political spectrum. And it is my hope that we can swear in our new Supreme Court Justice in time for him or her to be seated by the first Monday in October when the Court's new term begins.

WhiteHouse 2.0

2009-05-01T18:03:00Z

In the President’s last Weekly Address, he called on government to "recognize that we cannot meet the challenges of today with old habits and stale thinking." He added that "we need to reform our government so that it is more efficient, more transparent, and more creative," and pledged to "reach beyond the halls of government" to engage the public. Today the White House is taking steps to expand how the Administration is communicating with the public, including the latest information and guidance about the H1N1 virus. In addition to WhiteHouse.gov, you can now find us in a number of other spots on the web:

The WhiteHouse blog (RSS) will power a lot of the content in these networks, but we’re looking forward to hearing from our fans, friends and followers. Don’t forget these sites as well:

Technology has profoundly impacted how – and where – we all consume information and communicate with one another. WhiteHouse.gov is an important part of the Administration’s effort to use the internet to reach the public quickly and effectively – but it isn’t the only place.

There’s a lot to talk about right now. From an economic crisis to wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the President and his Administration have a full plate – not the least of which is making sure the public stays up-to-date and involved in our efforts.

Here’s an important thing you can do right now. The Department of Homeland Security, as well as the Department of Health and Human Services, supported by the Center for Disease Control, have been working around the clock to make sure that the public has the latest facts about the H1N1 virus. This is a serious situation that demands serious precautions. No precaution is more essential than having the most accurate information, so head over to the CDC page to get the latest news, prevention tips – and tools you can use to promote public health efforts around the web.

Shooting Around With the Huskies

2009-05-01T14:13:00Z

We will have more on their visit later, but in the meantime watch a quick shoot-around from earlier this week when the undefeated women's basketball national champions, the UCONN Huskies, came to the White House.

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download .mp4 (212 MB) | also available here

UPDATE: Maya Moore, this year’s winner of the John R. Wooden Award as the women's college basketball player of the year, dropped us a note after her visit:

Wow what an experience! I am still in shock that my teammates and I were able to be in the same atmosphere as some of the greatest leaders in history. As we were taking a tour of the rooms of the White House, like the famous Red Room, I felt a deeper appreciation for the founders of this nation. We truly do live in an amazing country and actually walking where some of our great leaders have walked gave me chills! Meeting President Obama was as enjoyable as advertised, and he left an inspiring impression on us all. The way he took the time to shake hands, take pictures, and talk to everyone showed his humility and genuine personality. The way he sacrificed some extra time out of his day to shoot a few shots with us made me remember what life is all about. It is about investing in people and having faith that the love you impart on them will somehow make the world better than it was. Thank you to President Obama and everyone who made this event possible!

“It's Good Weather for a Race”

2009-04-30T23:36:00Z

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Today, after being introduced by Defense Secretary Gates, the President gave a few remarks on the South Lawn before kicking off the "White House to Light" House Wounded Warrior Soldiers Ride. The race raises public awareness of the challenges facing veterans as they recover from life-altering injuries, and it drew quite a crowd, including Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki, National Security Advisor General Jim Jones, and Veterans Affairs Assistant Secretary of Public and Intergovernmental Affairs Tammy Duckworth.

The President gave a little more background:

Now, like a lot of great ideas, this one was conceived in a bar. (Laughter and applause.) A young bartender on Long Island named Chris Carney began talking about biking across the country to raise funds and awareness for returning troops and wounded warriors. And his boss said to him, "If you don't do it, I'll find somebody who will."

So Chris hopped on his bike for what became the first annual Soldier Ride. The next year, a couple of wounded warriors joined him. A year later, even more. Civilians started to ride along. Grateful Americans began lining the streets to cheer and show their support. More rides were added, and more money was raised.

And five years after that first ride, I'm honored to have 40 wounded warriors gathered here on the South Lawn to kick off the third annual "White House to the Lighthouse" Challenge. Over the next three days -- (applause) -- over the next three days these men and women, along with family and supporters, will ride from here to Annapolis on bicycles and in wheelchairs, raising money and awareness for others returning from Iraq and Afghanistan with serious injuries.

Keep in mind that today's riders once faced down the possibility that they might never have an active lifestyle again. Some are missing limbs, coping with nerve damage, living with Traumatic Brain Injury or blindness. Some have endured painful rehabilitation, some still are, and some have battles yet to come.

These wounded warriors didn't get to choose the direction their lives would take the instant they were injured. But now they choose to prove that life after injury isn't about what you can't do -- it's about what you can. They choose to keep their faith with the future. They choose to keep fighting for their brothers and sisters and show them that they're not alone.

We also remember that so many are supported by spouses and children, parents and siblings who suffered the absence of a loved one, and then stood by their side through their recovery. These military families are heroes, too. And they are a top priority for Michelle and me, and they will always have our support.

To anyone who's along their route this weekend, I ask you to go out there and cheer. Salute. Say thank you. And we'll do our part to support our troops, their families, and all who have worn the uniform of the United States of America -- because when it comes to their service and sacrifice, warm words and gestures are more than warranted, but they're not nearly enough.

(President Barack Obama applauds the cyclists at the start of the 'White House to Light House' Wounded Warrior Soldier's ride on the South Lawn of the White House Thursday, April 30, 2009. Also taking part in the ceremony were Defense Secretary Robert Gates, Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki, and Deputy Secretary of Veterans Affairs Tammy Duckworth. Official White House Photo by Chuck Kennedy)

Celebrating our Teachers

2009-04-30T22:04:00Z

On Tuesday the President welcomed the Teachers of the Year to the White House, Dr. Jill Biden tells us about the time she spent with them.

It’s been a really inspiring week in Washington– because the teachers are in town! This week I had the true honor of welcoming some very special guests to Washington DC: the 2009 Teachers of the Year. 55 of them traveled to DC representing all of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, the Department of Defense, American Samoa, the Marianna Islands, and the Virgin Islands. I’ve been a teacher for 28 years, so I know how hard these teachers work and was thrilled to meet them and welcome them to our home, the Vice President’s Residence.

(Dr. Jill Biden, an educator of 28 years, addresses the 2009 National Teachers of the Year reception at the Vice President's residence in Washington D.C. Photo by Joshua Hoover)

On Monday night – all of the teachers came (by bus of course) for a reception and a "class photo." I felt so at home with this group – we could have talked for hours about our work, our students, and our teaching experiences. Our dog Champ Biden even made an appearance to congratulate the teachers. As I told the group on Monday, each of these teachers deserves recognition for being the best in their state or region - but I must say that every teacher is a ‘teacher of the year’ in my experience, and I have nothing but admiration for all of my colleagues around the country.

(Dr. Jill Biden poses with the 2009 National Teachers of the Year at a reception in their honor at the Vice President's Residence in Washington D.C. Photo by Joshua Hoover)

On Tuesday morning, I taught two English classes at my community college in Virginia, quickly changed in the school bathroom, and raced to the White House so that I could be there to celebrate the teachers and congratulate Anthony Mullen, the final winner along with President Obama, Michelle Obama, and Arne Duncan. Anthony teaches Special Education to 9-12th graders in Connecticut. I used to teach at-risk students in the high schools, so I was truly excited to spend time with him and his family. It was a beautiful day in the Rose Garden and I know that everyone there left feeling inspired.

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As I told the group of teachers on Monday night, the greatest thing about this Administration is that the President and my husband Joe not only believe in education, they are investing in it. I know that teachers have many challenges in their classrooms, but we’re going to keep working together to make things better. I hope someone reading this post might even be inspired to become a 2010, 2015, or 2020 Teacher of the Year. You won’t regret it and our country needs you.

The President’s Remarks on H1N1

2009-04-30T14:58:00Z

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As a PSA, here are the President’s remarks on the H1N1 flu virus during the opening of last night’s press conference:

Before we begin tonight, I just want to provide everyone with a few brief updates on some of the challenges we're dealing with right now.

First, we are continuing to closely monitor the emergency cases of the H1N1 flu virus throughout the United States. As I said this morning, this is obviously a very serious situation, and every American should know that their entire government is taking the utmost precautions and preparations. Our public health officials have recommended that schools with confirmed or suspected cases of this flu strongly consider temporarily closing. And if more schools are forced to close, we've recommended that both parents and businesses think about contingency plans if their children do have to stay home.

I've requested an immediate $1.5 billion in emergency funding from Congress to support our ability to monitor and track this virus and to build our supply of antiviral drugs and other equipment, and we will also ensure that those materials get to where they need to be as quickly as possible.

And finally, I've asked every American to take the same steps you would take to prevent any other flu: Keep your hands washed; cover your mouth when you cough; stay home from work if you're sick; and keep your children home from school if they're sick.

We'll continue to provide regular updates to the American people as we receive more information, and everyone should rest assured that this government is prepared to do whatever it takes to control the impact of this virus.

(President Barack Obama speaks at a press conference in the White House on April 29, 2009.
White House Photo/ Chuck Kennedy)

He was also asked about the government’s response during the question-and-answer portion:

Q Thank you, Mr. President. With the flu outbreak spreading and worsening, can you talk about whether you think it's time to close the border with Mexico, and whether -- under what conditions you might consider quarantining, when that might be appropriate?

THE PRESIDENT: Well, first of all, as I said, this is a cause for deep concern, but not panic. And I think that we have to make sure that we recognize that how we respond -- intelligently, systematically, based on science and what public health officials have to say -- will determine in large part what happens.

I've consulted with our public health officials extensively on a day-to-day basis, in some cases, an hour-to-hour basis. At this point they have not recommended a border closing. From their perspective it would be akin to closing the barn door after the horses are out, because we already have cases here in the United States. We have ramped up screening efforts, as well as made sure that additional supplies are there on the border so that we can prepare in the eventuality that we have to do more than we're doing currently.

But the most important thing right now that public health officials have indicated is that we treat this the same way that we would treat other flu outbreaks, just understanding that because this is a new strain we don't yet know how it will respond. So we have to take additional precautions -- essentially, take out some additional insurance. That's why I asked for an additional $1.5 million, so that we can make sure that everything is in place should a worst-case scenario play out.

I do want to compliment Democrats and Republicans who worked diligently back in 2005 when the bird flu came up. I was part of a group of legislators who worked with the Bush administration to make sure that we had beefed up our infrastructure and our stockpiles of antiviral drugs like Tamiflu. And I think the Bush administration did a good job of creating the infrastructure so that we can respond. For example, we've got 50 million courses of antiviral drugs in the event that they're needed.

So the government is going to be doing everything that we can. We're coordinating closely with state and local officials. Secretary Napolitano at the Department of Homeland Security, newly installed Secretary Sebelius of Health and Human Services, our Acting CDC Director -- they are all on the phone on a daily basis with all public health officials across the states to coordinate and make sure that there's timely reporting, that if as new cases come up that we are able to track them effectively, that we're allocating resources so that they're in place.

The key now I think is to make sure that we are maintaining great vigilance, that everybody responds appropriately when cases do come up. And individual families start taking very sensible precautions that can make a huge difference. So wash your hands when you shake hands. Cover your mouth when you cough. I know it sounds trivial, but it makes a huge difference. If you are sick, stay home. If your child is sick, keep them out of school. If you are feeling certain flu symptoms, don't get on an airplane. Don't get on any system of public transportation where you're confined and you could potentially spread the virus.

So those are the steps that I think we need to take right now. But understand that because this is a new strain, we have to be cautious. If this was a strain that we were familiar with, then we might have to -- then I think we wouldn't see the kind of alert levels that we're seeing, for example, with the World Health Organization.

Taking Stock

2009-04-30T01:30:00Z

A lot of people were taking stock today of the change that the President has so far. But throughout the federal government change has been unfolding at the agency level in thousands of ways you have likely never even heard about. Take a look at the agency reports for whatever issues you are most interested in:

We will update this list as more come in.

Retrospective in Missouri

2009-04-29T20:53:00Z

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Today the President was in Arnold, Missouri for a town hall, and took a moment to be retrospective in his opening remarks:

Today marks 100 days since I took the oath of office to be your President. (Applause.) One hundred days. It's a good thing. Thank you. Thank you. (Applause.)

Now, back in November, some folks were surprised that we showed up in Springfield at the end of our campaign. But then again, some folks were surprised that we even started our campaign in the first place. (Laughter.) They didn't give us much of a chance. They didn't think we could do things differently. They didn't know if this country was ready to move in a new direction.

But here's the thing -- my campaign wasn't born in Washington. My campaign was rooted in neighborhoods just like this one, in towns and cities all across America; rooted in folks who work hard and look after their families and seek a brighter children -- future for their children and for their communities and for their country.

He spoke at length of progress he believed he had made in this short time, from the Recovery Act to the Budget Resolution, but quickly added: "I want to warn you, there will be setbacks. It will take time. But I promise you I will always tell you the truth about the challenges that we face and the steps that we are taking to meet them."

The questions covered a wide range of topics. On the auto industry, and Chrysler in particular, he made clear that he strongly believes America should have a vibrant auto industry:

We don't know yet whether the deal is going to get done. I will tell you that the workers at Chrysler have made enormous sacrifices -- enormous sacrifices -- to try to keep the company going. One of the key questions now is, are the bond holders, the lenders, the money people, are they willing to make sacrifices, as well? We don't know yet, so there's still a series of negotiations that are taking place.

Asked about the challenges facing America’s educational system, he noted how impressive the Teacher of the Year he spoke with last night was, and discussed how he believed we could make sure more teachers are like him:

The deal I've got to strike with teachers, though -- I may not get as much applause on this -- (laughter) -- is I would like to work with teachers and the teachers unions, because I'm a union guy, but I do believe -- (applause) -- but I do believe that it's important for the unions to work flexibly with school districts in a consensual fashion to find ways so that if you've got a really excellent teacher, after 15, 20 years, they can get paid a little bit more -- right? -- if they're doing a really good job. (Applause.) And now the flip side -- I'm telling you, I'm getting to the point where I'm not going to get applause. (Laughter.) If you've got a bad teacher who can't -- after given all the support and the training that they need is just not performing up to snuff, we've got to find that person a new job. (Applause.)

Asked about the future of Social Security, he reiterated his long-standing support for raising the cap on the payroll tax for wealthy Americans and saying that Social Security is actually the easy fix compared to health care costs:

What we face long term, the biggest problem we have is that Medicare and Medicaid -- health care costs are sky-rocketing, and at the same time as the population is getting older, which means we're using more health care -- you combine those two things, and if we aren’t careful, health care will consume so much of our budget that ultimately we won't be able to do anything else. We won't be able to provide financial assistance to students; we won't be able to help build green energy; we won't be able to help industries that get into trouble; we won't have a national park system; we won't be able to do what we're supposed to do on our veterans. Everything else will be pushed aside because of Medicare and Medicaid. That's the problem that we really confront.

That's why I've said we've got to have health reform this year -- (applause) -- to drive down costs and make health care affordable for American families, businesses and for our government. (Applause.)

So, you know, when you see -- those of you who are watching certain news channels that -- on which I'm not very popular -- (laughter) -- and you see folks waving tea bags around -- (laughter) -- let me just remind them that I am happy to have a serious conversation about how we are going to cut our health care costs down over the long term, how we're going to stabilize Social Security. Claire and I are working diligently to do basically a thorough audit of federal spending. But let's not play games and pretend that the reason is because of the Recovery Act, because that's just a fraction of the overall problem that we've got.

Having taken questions directly from the public this morning, the President returns to the White House tonight for a prime time press conference. Watch it streamed at 8:00 at WhiteHouse.gov/live.

UPDATE: The President met with several people who submitted their stories of service through our site after the town hall.

[Download High Resolution]

(President Barack Obama poses for a photo with service volunteers Wednesday, April 29, 2009, at
Fox High School in St. Louis, Mo. Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

"Words and Deeds"

2009-04-29T16:10:00Z

Norm Eisen, special counsel to the president for ethics and government reform, drops by to talk about progress on ethics and transparency since the President was sworn in.

The President promised across-the-board change in Washington and all of us in the White House have been pleased to help deliver. In the ethics and government reform arena, we have worked hard to help the President impose strict new ethics rules for all employees; foster a culture of compliance and respect for the law; promote greater transparency (including through our first-ever instant electronic release of personal financial disclosure forms); and implement historic revolving door limits for lobbyists and others.

But don't just take our word for it. Members of the government reform community have issued a statement praising the President for the "groundbreaking government integrity reforms he has put in place" and recognizing that "the President has demonstrated in his first hundred days through words and deeds that he is serious about changing the rules of the game in Washington and increasing the voice of citizens in the governing process."

Click through and read the complete statement by members of the government reform community acknowledging the administration's historic opening efforts.

Service with the Gators

2009-04-29T14:43:00Z

The National College Football Champion Florida Gators visited the White House last week. Joe Kennedy of the Office of Public Liaison discusses the visit and introduces a video where they discuss why they are so dedicated to service in their community:

Thursday was one of those days where I pinch myself. As a former baller on the Northwestern basketball team (although a lot of my time was watching not playing), sports is a major part of my life. Thursday was the first event where the President welcomed a sports championship team to the White House during his Administration!

What was especially inspiring for the staff in the Office of Public Liaison was that the President’s call to service was already being heeded in Gainesville. The Gators football program does hundreds of hours of community service, based mainly around working with local schools and children. The players talk about healthy living, personal development, and the importance of staying in school. And there is no doubt the players care about their community. Just look at the video form after the event…

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These kinds of activities and leadership, "Community Champion" behavior as they call it, is echoed in much of the community work the Florida Gators have done, like the Gator Club service at Shands Pediatric Unit where they visit the kids in the pediatric unit. In Gator Literacy, which is designed to promote reading and literacy in Alachua County, players will read stories to children during their lunch time. They have also worked at local schools interacting with schools about programs designed to promote fitness and physical activity, and reading skills.

In addition to celebrating the great accomplishment achieved by the Gator Nation, what's especially inspiring is all the work the Gators do off the field. The President has always spoken about personal empowerment and the importance of being a good neighbor, being involved in your community, and when possible being a "Community Champion." It's clear they get at least as much out of it as the people they lend a hand to.

Weekly Updates on Health Reform

2009-04-29T13:39:00Z

Over at HealthReform.gov, they have started a new series of weekly updates -- watch the latest from Nancy-Ann DeParle, Director of the White House Office on Health Reform:

We have highlighted a lot of what HealthReform.gov has to offer, from their reports demonstrating the urgency of reform, to the videos they house from the White House Forum on Health Reform and Regional Forums, to the stories they compiled from thousands of Americans across the country showing the unimaginable strain problems in the health care system can put on people's lives. Pay them a visit to see why health reform has to happen this year, and why it is worth keeping on top of these updates every week. You can also show your support for the President’s commitment to pass comprehensive health reform this year, including controlling costs, guaranteeing choice of doctor, and assuring high-quality, affordable health care for every American.

Delivering on Change, an Inside Look

2009-04-29T01:15:00Z

Pete Souza and the White House Photo Office bring us an exclusive, massive, unique look at the President’s term so far. Take a few minutes to get a different perspective from the images on television every day.

Sworn In, Straight to Work

2009-04-29T01:01:00Z

[Download High Resolution]

(The new Secretary of Health and Human Services, Kathleen Sebelius, is briefed on the 2009 H1N1 flu by
John Brennan, assistant to the President for Homeland Security, in the Situation Room of the White House
on April 28, 2009. Sebelius was sworn in moments earlier in the Oval Office. Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel,
right, and National Security chief of staff Mark Lippert are in background.
Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

[Download High Resolution]

(The new Secretary of Health and Human Services, Kathleen Sebelius, is briefed on the H1N1 flu by John Brennan, assistant to the President for Homeland Security, in the Situation Room of the White House on April 28, 2009.
Sebelius was sworn in moments earlier in the Oval Office. Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

A Proclamation: Equal Pay Day

2009-04-28T21:02:00Z

A Proclamation issued this afternoon:

THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary
------------------------------------
For Immediate Release April 28, 2009

NATIONAL EQUAL PAY DAY, 2009
- - - - - - -
BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
A PROCLAMATION

Harriet Beecher Stowe helped galvanize the abolitionist movement with her groundbreaking literature. Frances Perkins advised President Franklin Delano Roosevelt and led the Department of Labor during one of its most challenging periods in history. Barbara McClintock helped unlock the mysteries of genetics and earned a Nobel Prize. These and countless other women have broken barriers and changed the course of our history, allowing women and men who followed them the opportunity to reach greater heights.

Despite these achievements, 46 years since the passage of the Equal Pay Act and 233 years since our Nation was established with the principle of equal justice under law, women across America continue to experience discrimination in the form of pay inequity every day. Women in the United States earn only 78 cents for every dollar a man earns, and today marks the inauspicious occasion when a woman's earnings finally catch up with a man's from the previous year. On National Equal Pay Day, we underscore the importance of this issue to all Americans.

If we wish to honor our Nation's highest ideals, we must end wage discrimination. The Founders established a timeless framework of rights for the American people. Generation after generation has worked and sacrificed so that this framework might be applied equally to all Americans. To honor these Americans and stay true to our founding ideals, we must carry forward this tradition and breathe life into these principles by supporting equal pay for men and women.

Wage discrimination has a tangible and negative impact on women and families. When women receive less than their deserved compensation, they take home less for themselves and their loved ones. Utilities and groceries are more difficult to afford. Mortgages and rent bills are harder to pay. Children's higher education is less financially feasible. In later years of life, the retirement that many women have worked so hard for—and have earned—is not possible. This problem is particularly dire for women who are single and the sole supporters of their families. Women should not and need not endure these consequences.

My Administration is working to advance pay equity in the United States. The first bill I signed into law as President, the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009, allows more women to challenge pay discrimination by extending the timeline within which complaints can be filed. This law advances the struggle

for equal pay, but it is only an initial step. To continue this progress, I issued an Executive Order establishing the White House Council on Women and Girls. This high-level body, composed of Cabinet members and heads of sub-Cabinet agencies, is charged with advancing the rights and needs of women, including equal pay.

Still, Government can only advance this issue so far. The collective action of businesses, community organizations, and individuals is necessary to ensure that every woman receives just treatment and compensation. We Americans must come together to ensure equal pay for both women and men by reminding ourselves of the basic principles that underlie our Nation's strength and unity, understanding the unnecessary sacrifices that pay inequity causes, and recalling the countless women leaders who have proven what women can achieve.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim April 28, 2009, as National Equal Pay Day. I call upon American men and women, and all employers, to acknowledge the injustice of wage discrimination and to commit themselves to equal pay for equal work.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-eighth day of April, in the year of our Lord two thousand nine, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-third.

BARACK OBAMA

At the FBI

2009-04-28T19:58:00Z

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Today the President visited FBI Headquarters in DC to commend FBI employees on their work, and elaborate on the theme he discussed with CIA employees that upholding American values while keeping the country safe is not only possible, but essential:

In so many ways, the FBI is a unique institution. You're unique because the FBI is both an intelligence agency and a law enforcement agency. You must both prevent danger and help us pursue those who carry it out. You protect us and you protect the civil liberties that we cherish.

But after all, that is why America is unique -- because of that fundamental belief that we are committed both to our security and to the rule of law; because of that hard-earned truth that we are always stronger when we act in concert with our most deeply held values.

I have no illusions that this is simple or easy. Many of you made enormous sacrifices and are incredibly dedicated. Living our values means that we must hold ourselves to higher standard than our enemies. We face a long struggle against a determined adversary. We know that al Qaeda is not constrained by a constitution, or by allegiance to anything other than a hateful ideology and a determination to kill as many innocents as possible. But what makes the United States of America so special is precisely the fact that we are willing to uphold our values and our ideals not just when it's easy, but when it's hard; we've been called to serve in such a time. (Applause.)

And I have to say that I am heartened but what I see here today. Each of you has made the decision to serve your country, and you are dong so at a critical time. And you know, none of us can know with certain [sic] what the future will hold. But I do know that the FBI can and will continue to adapt to new dangers, that you will be critical in leading the way in keeping this country safe. And we are counting on you.

A Call With Senator Specter

2009-04-28T17:13:00Z

[Download Full Size]

(President Barack Obama speaks by phone to Senator Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania on
April 28, 2009 about the Senator's decision to become a member of the
Democratic Party. White House Photo, Pete Souza)

The Necessity of Science

2009-04-27T18:15:00Z

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Speaking at the National Academy of Sciences, the President paid due tribute to the wonder, history, and inspiration of science in America. But he also made the connection between science and the news being discussed all across America right now to make clear that science is no afterthought or hobby:

At such a difficult moment, there are those who say we cannot afford to invest in science, that support for research is somehow a luxury at moments defined by necessities. I fundamentally disagree. Science is more essential for our prosperity, our security, our health, our environment, and our quality of life than it has ever been before. (Applause.)

And if there was ever a day that reminded us of our shared stake in science and research, it's today. We are closely monitoring the emerging cases of swine flu in the United States. And this is obviously a cause for concern and requires a heightened state of alert. But it's not a cause for alarm. The Department of Health and Human Services has declared a public health emergency as a precautionary tool to ensure that we have the resources we need at our disposal to respond quickly and effectively. And I'm getting regular updates on the situation from the responsible agencies. And the Department of Health and Human Services as well as the Centers for Disease Control will be offering regular updates to the American people. And Secretary Napolitano will be offering regular updates to the American people, as well, so that they know what steps are being taken and what steps they may need to take.

But one thing is clear -- our capacity to deal with a public health challenge of this sort rests heavily on the work of our scientific and medical community. And this is one more example of why we can't allow our nation to fall behind.

Unfortunately, that's exactly what's happened.

The President gave the all-too-familiar statistics about math and science education, and lamented the politicization of science that has too often stunted American ingenuity. He pledged to address those problems head on:

I believe it is not in our character, the American character, to follow. It's our character to lead. And it is time for us to lead once again. So I'm here today to set this goal: We will devote more than 3 percent of our GDP to research and development. We will not just meet, but we will exceed the level achieved at the height of the space race, through policies that invest in basic and applied research, create new incentives for private innovation, promote breakthroughs in energy and medicine, and improve education in math and science. (Applause.)

This represents the largest commitment to scientific research and innovation in American history.

Just think what this will allow us to accomplish: solar cells as cheap as paint; green buildings that produce all the energy they consume; learning software as effective as a personal tutor; prosthetics so advanced that you could play the piano again; an expansion of the frontiers of human knowledge about ourselves and world the around us. We can do this.

And of course as mentioned earlier, the President also pointed people to OSTP's revamped site where a conversation is ongoing on the President's memo on scientific integrity. Read much more about the President's commitment to science in the White House fact sheet, and meet the members of his Science and Technology Advisory Council.

Update on Lobbyist Contacts Regarding the Recovery Act

2009-04-27T17:03:00Z

In the spirit of transparency, Norm Eisen, special counsel to the president for ethics and government reform, asked us to pass along this update on the President’s restrictions on lobbyist contacts regarding the Recovery Act.

President Obama has made historic commitments to putting the public interest first and to cracking down on special interests and, in particular, lobbying abuses. To accomplish that, he has put forward the toughest rules in history closing the revolving door between K Street and the Executive Branch and putting contacts with lobbyists regarding projects under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act on the internet for all Americans to see.

We know some people think the Administration has been too tough in keeping lobbyists out of government jobs, and too tough in making lobbyist contacts about Recovery Act projects fully transparent. We don’t think so. We think our restrictions are correct to promote the public interest ahead of special interests. As the President has noted, one of the hallmarks of being tough is that you not only talk to the people you agree with—you talk to the ones you disagree with. So we want to hear from everyone affected during the 60-day initial evaluation period for the stimulus lobbying restrictions. We have heard from those that support these rules. On Friday, we met with several groups who disagree with the rules. These groups included Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW), the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), and the American League of Lobbyists (ALL). Present at the meeting were the following, each representing the entity noted:

Michael W. Macleod-Ball, Chief Legislative and Policy Counsel, American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU); Melanie Sloan, Executive Director, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW); Adam Rappaport, Senior Counsel, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW); David Wenhold, President, American League of Lobbyists (ALL); Kenneth A. Gross, Partner, Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom (representing ALL);

and

Norman Eisen, Special Counsel to the President for Ethics and Government Reform; Preeta Bansal, General Counsel and Senior Policy Advisor, Office of Management and Budget; Michael Mongan, Deputy Counsel to the Vice President; and members of their staffs.

We told them we believed the restrictions were tough but fair to make sure that lobbyist communications are as transparent as possible, and that stimulus decisions are based on the merits. They agreed with our objectives -- any differences we have are over the best means to achieve those goals. They took exception to some of the specifics of the restrictions and we had an honest exchange about our differences. We noted that others, including in the reform community, strongly support the restrictions and we have heard from them too as part of the 60 day evaluation period mandated by the President's Memorandum.