FRI, AUGUST 7, 11:30 AM EST
Posted by Linda Douglass
If you’ve been following the health insurance reform debate, you probably have a number of questions about how health insurance reform will help you and improve the quality of care you receive. With all the talk about health insurance reform, it can be difficult to sort out fact from fiction.
We want to be sure you have the facts and answer your questions. Today, I’ll be moderating a webcast with Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and other top HHS officials where we’ll discuss how health insurance reform will benefit all Americans and take on some of the myths you may have heard. The webcast will begin at 1:00 PM EDT and you can watch it at
www.healthreform.gov. You can also watch and discuss using the
White House Facebook application.
During the webcast, we’ll be answering your questions. Questions can be emailed to
hhsstudio@hhs.gov or submitted via Twitter by using the hashtag #HCRQ.
We look forward to answering your questions today.
FRI, AUGUST 7, 10:33 AM EST
Posted by Dr. Jill Biden
I wanted to share an essay I wrote last week about an issue that is close to my heart: community colleges. I am thrilled that President Obama has asked me to spread the word to as many people as possible about the value of these institutions. As I write in my essay, I have seen firsthand how these institutions serve as a gateway to opportunity for so many Americans. I hope you enjoy it.
Here is a short snippet:
I have been an educator for 28 years, and I have taught in the community college system for more than 16 of them. I don't have to look any further than my classroom to see the power of community colleges to change lives. For years I have welcomed students to my classroom from many different educational, economic and cultural backgrounds, and seen how the community college system puts them on the same path of opportunity.
I have seen how community colleges fill important gaps: granting two-year degrees, teaching English to immigrants, providing vocational skills training and certification and teaching basic academic skills to those who may not yet be ready to pursue a four-year degree.
It's also hard to ignore the financial advantages. In today's challenging economy, community colleges are an increasingly affordable way for students from middle-class families to complete the first two years of a baccalaureate degree before moving on to a four-year university.
Read the full essay here.
- Jill
THU, AUGUST 6, 4:24 PM EST
Posted by Katherine Brandon
John Brennan, Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism, spoke today at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. It has been a busy six months since the President took office, but Brennan stressed that the President has never lost sight of the "single most important responsibility as President" – keeping Americans safe. From his
prepared remarks:
To this end, he and Secretary of State Clinton have renewed America’s commitment to diplomacy: rebuilding old alliances; strengthening critical partnerships with nations such as Russia and China; and naming special envoys and representatives to focus on some of most pressing international challenges, from Middle East peace, to Afghanistan and Pakistan, to climate change, to the crisis in Darfur. He has launched a new era of engagement with the world, including committing the United States to a new partnership with Muslims around the world—a partnership based on mutual interests and mutual respect.
To confront the transnational threats of the 21st Century, he has launched new initiatives: strengthening the global non-proliferation regime; promoting food security that fights world hunger and lifts people around the world out of poverty; and bolstering the nation’s digital defense against cyber attacks.
And to refocus the fight against those who attacked our embassies in Africa eleven years ago tomorrow and our homeland eight years ago next month, the President is proceeding with his plan to end the war in Iraq and to defeat al Qaeda and its allies in Afghanistan and Pakistan. And to ensure that our counterterrorism efforts strengthen our national security—and not undermine it—he banned the use of enhanced interrogation techniques, is proceeding with a new plan to swiftly and certainly deal with detainees, and will close the prison at Guantanamo Bay.
Brennan emphasized the significance of the President’s decision to end enhanced interrogation techniques:
At the same time, I have seen—we all have seen—how our fight against terrorists sometimes led us to stray from our ideals as a nation. Tactics such as waterboarding were not in keeping with our values as Americans, and these practices have been rightly terminated and should not, and will not, happen again.
I believe President Obama is absolutely correct: such practices not only fail to advance our counterterrorism efforts, they actually set back our efforts. They are a recruitment bonanza for terrorists, increase the determination of our enemies, and decrease the willingness of other nations to cooperate with us. In short, they undermine our national security.
Brennan went on to say the President "rejects the false choice between ensuring our national security and upholding civil liberties." In this vein, he seeks to maintain a robust dialogue with the American people about the administration’s efforts to prevent terrorist attacks. Brennan explained that the administration’s plan covers two distinct challenges: the immediate challenge of destroying Al Qaeda and other terrorist organizations, and the longer-term challenge of dealing with violent extremism generally. He explained what the administration is doing to face the first challenge, fighting terrorist organizations:
He is confronting what he has identified as the most immediate and extreme threat to global security—the possibility that terrorists will obtain and use a nuclear weapon. That is why he has taken a number of critical steps: leading the effort for a stronger global nonproliferation regime; launching an international effort to secure the world’s vulnerable nuclear material in four years; and hosting a Global Nuclear Summit next year. The risk of just one terrorist with just one nuclear weapon is a risk we simply cannot afford to take.
To ensure our military has the new capabilities and technologies its needs for this fight, he accelerated the increase in the size of the Army and the Marines, has approved another increase in the size of the Army, is expanding our Special Forces, and is increasing the intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance assets our troops need in Afghanistan.
To ensure we have the timely and accurate intelligence that prevents terrorist attacks and saves lives, we are continuing to adapt and strengthen the intelligence community by expanding human intelligence; strengthening operations; enhancing the workforce with improved linguistic and cultural skills; filling intelligence gaps; improving collaboration across the intelligence community; and promoting greater coordination with foreign intelligence partners.
And to better secure the homeland from attack, we’re taking the steps Secretary Napolitano described last week: enhancing information sharing arrangements with our allies and partners; strengthening partnerships with state and local officials, law enforcement, and first responders; and improving the security of our critical infrastructure, borders, ports, and airports.
Facing the second challenge involves tackling the political, economic, and social factors that help drive individuals to extremist organizations. Brennan said the President’s approach is fundamentally new, and involves five key elements. First of all, the administration will not focus its entire foreign policy on fighting terrorism, but rather, will focus on broader engagement with other countries and peoples. The second element of his approach is a clearer, more precise definition of the challenge. He also seeks a broader, more accurate understanding of the conditions that fuel violent extremism because any comprehensive approach must address these underlying conditions. The fourth element is a recognition that in order to address these factors, we must meet the basic needs of ordinary people, not through military operations, but through social, political, and economic campaigns. The final facet of the President’s approach is to ensure these social, political, and economic factors discourage rather than encourage violent extremism. All of these elements represent a fundamentally different strategy to rid the world of violent extremists and assure the American people are kept safe.
THU, AUGUST 6, 4:19 PM EST
Posted by Katherine Brandon
Viewing this video requires Adobe Flash Player 8 or higher.
Download the free player.
download .mp4 (159.8 MB) | read the transcript
The Senate confirmed Judge Sonia Sotomayor this afternoon, 68-31, making her the 111th Supreme Court Justice, only the third female Justice, and the first Hispanic Justice. Speaking shortly after the confirmation, the President said he was grateful for the Senate's confirmation, and gave special thanks the Senate Judiciary Committee for their hard work. He then reflected on Judge Sotomayor's qualifications, and the historic nature of her confirmation:
The members of our Supreme Court are granted life tenure and are charged with the vital and difficult task of applying principles set forth at our founding to the questions and controversies of our time. Over the past 10 weeks, members of the Senate Judiciary Committee and the full Senate have assessed Judge Sotomayor’s fitness for this work. They've scrutinized her record as a prosecutor, as a litigator, and as a judge. They've gauged her respect for the proper role of each branch of our government, her commitment to faithfully apply the law to the facts at hand, and her determination to protect our core constitutional rights and freedoms.
And with this historic vote, the Senate has affirmed that Judge Sotomayor has the intellect, the temperament, the history, the integrity and the independence of mind to ably serve on our nation’s highest court.
This is a role that the Senate has played for more than two centuries, helping to ensure that "equal justice under the law" is not merely a phrase inscribed above our courthouse door, but a description of what happens every single day inside the courtroom. It's a promise that, whether you’re a mighty corporation or an ordinary American, you will receive a full and fair hearing. And in the end, the outcome of your case will be determined by nothing more or less than the strength of your argument and the dictates of the law.
These core American ideals -- justice, equality, and opportunity -- are the very ideals that have made Judge Sotomayor’s own uniquely American journey possible. They're ideals she's fought for throughout her career, and the ideals the Senate has upheld today in breaking yet another barrier and moving us yet another step closer to a more perfect union.
Like so many other aspects of this nation, I'm filled with pride in this achievement and great confidence that Judge Sotomayor will make an outstanding Supreme Court justice. This is a wonderful day for Judge Sotomayor and her family, but I also think it's a wonderful day for America.
You can read the President’s full statement
here.
THU, AUGUST 6, 1:45 PM EST
Posted by Cammie Croft
At 2pm EDT, the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST) will be opening up their meeting for public comment.
Have thoughts on what the President’s priorities in the fields of science or technology should be? Join the live chat on facebook and submit your comments.
[UPDATE: This event has now concluded]
THU, AUGUST 6, 10:05 AM EST
Posted by John P. Holdren
The President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology, or PCAST, is an advisory group of the nation’s leading scientists and engineers, appointed by the President to augment the science and technology advice he receives from inside the White House and from cabinet departments and other federal agencies. PCAST offers insights, and in many cases makes policy recommendations, concerning the full range of issues where understandings from the domains of science, technology, and innovation are relevant to the policy choices before the President. PCAST is administered by the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), which I direct in parallel with my role as science and technology advisor to the President.
As you can see from the
member roster, PCAST is populated by a spectacular cast of leaders of the science and technology community. The 21 members include 4 winners of MacArthur "genius" awards, 3 Nobel laureates, 2 university presidents, as well as 16 members of one or more of the U.S. national academies of science, engineering, and medicine. At its meeting Thursday and Friday —the first meeting of the full Obama PCAST—the group will be hearing from a number of Administration officials who deal with science and technology issues. The first public session starts at 10:15 Thursday and the full agenda is visible
here. Watch the live-stream of the meeting below:
The largest part of the committee’s attention over the two days will be focused on the selection of the topics to which PCAST will be giving highest-priority attention in the months immediately ahead. The President will meet with PCAST on Friday to weigh in with his own thoughts on these priorities. (Everybody gets a say, but his say is the final one!) Candidate topics include the roles of science and technology in job creation, economic recovery, and growth; research and development strategy for clean-energy technologies; the science of adaptation to climate change; the science and technology of homeland security; extending internet connectivity to all Americans; and a strategy for strengthening science, technology, engineering, and math education in this country.
It’s a privilege and a pleasure to be working on these issues in an Administration led by a President so appreciative of the potential of science and technology to help meet the many challenges our country faces. I know all my colleagues in PCAST feel the same way. I hope you will gain something of an appreciation for the excitement and enthusiasm as well as the ideas we are bringing to this work as you watch the proceedings of this inaugural PCAST meeting—a meeting, by the way, that, through webcasting on the OSTP website embodies the President’s oft-stated commitment to using technology to make government more open, transparent, and collaborative.
Dr. John P. Holdren is the Assistant to the President for Science and Technology and Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy
[UPDATE: This event has now concluded]
THU, AUGUST 6, 9:54 AM EST
Posted by Jason Djang
Driving down State Route 19 through the endless corn fields and silos, one might think that Elkhart County in Indiana is a purely agricultural community. But the landscape is dotted with numerous manufacturing plants--places that have made the region the "RV Capital of the World."
The RV industry has been hit hard by the recession. As a result, the area has experienced a 10% increase in unemployment over the last year, the second highest jump in the country. But behind such figures are the lives of real people. We got to spend some time with people like Herman and Pam, faithful employees of Monaco Coach, in advance of President Obama's announcement at their plant yesterday of billions of dollars in funds for advanced battery and electric drive projects. At its prime, Monaco employed some 1,200 staff; today, they're down to about 100, though the hope is these projects will help bring hundreds of jobs back to town. Herman and Pam told us the story of their embattled community, as they face this more than challenging economic climate together.
Viewing this video requires Adobe Flash Player 8 or higher.
Download the free player.
download .mp4 (83 MB)
THU, AUGUST 6, 9:15 AM EST
Posted by Katherine Brandon
As we told you yesterday, the President announced $2.4 billion in Recovery Act funds designated for the manufacturing of advanced batteries and electric vehicles. As part of this unprecedented investment, Michigan will receive more than one billion in grants, the most of any state, and the Vice President was in Detroit yesterday to make the announcement. In his remarks, he explained that the United States must build on Detroit's rich past in order for the state's economy, which is dominated by the automobile industry, to recover. The grants are designed to do just that – by spurring innovation, they will create jobs while making Detroit an industry leader in the 21st century.
(Vice President Joe Biden hugs Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm at an American Recovery and
Reinvestment Act event at Next Energy in Detroit, Michigan, Wednesday, August 5, 2009.
Official White House Photo by David Lienemann)
(Vice President Joe Biden speaks in front of several plug-in hybrid vehicles at an American Recovery and
Reinvestment Act event at Next Energy in Detroit, Michigan, Wednesday, August 5, 2009.
Official White House Photo by David Lienemann)
(Vice President Joe Biden shakes hands after speaking at an American Recovery and Reinvestment Act event at
Next Energy in Detroit, Michigan, Wednesday, August 5, 2009. Official White House Photo by David Lienemann)
WED, AUGUST 5, 3:57 PM EST
Posted by Katherine Brandon
Viewing this video requires Adobe Flash Player 8 or higher.
Download the free player.
download .mp4 (159.8 MB) | read the transcript
The
President spoke directly and personally to the audience in Elkhart County, Indiana today:"For as the world grows more competitive, we can't afford to run the race at half-strength or half-speed. If we hope to lead this century like we did the last century, we have to create the conditions and the opportunities for places like Elkhart to succeed. We have to harness the potential –- the innovative and creative spirit –- that's waiting to be awakened all across America." Continuing his effort to establish a 21st century clean energy economy, the President announced an unprecedented
$2.4 billion investment in 48 new advanced battery and electric drive projects, funded through the Recovery Act. The projects were selected through a highly competitive process by the Department of Energy, and these innovative ideas will help propel America forward as we work to establish the next generation of advanced vehicles.
The $2.4 billion is the single largest investment ever in advanced battery technology for hybrid and electric drive vehicles, and coupled with another $2.4 billion in cost share from the award winners, it will result in the creation of tens of thousands of manufacturing jobs that are much needed in places like Elkhart. Places like Elkhart have been hit particularly hard as manufacturing jobs have disappeared, but this new investment provides $39 million for Navistar to create or save hundreds of jobs in Elkhart.
(President Barack Obama shakes hands with people in the audience following remarks on the economy at Monaco
RV manufacturing in Indiana. Wednesday, Aug. 5, 2009. Official White House Photo by Chuck Kennedy)
This investment also demonstrates the President’s commitment to innovation, which is key to creating the jobs of the future right here in America:
Now, history should be our guide. The United States led the world's economies in the 20th century because we led the world in innovation. Today, the competition is keener; the challenge is tougher; and that's why innovation is more important than ever. That's the key to good, new jobs in the 21st century. That's how we will ensure a high quality of life for this generation and future generations. With these investments, we're planting the seeds of progress for our country, and good-paying, private-sector jobs for the American people.
So that's why I'm here today -- to announce $2.4 billion in highly competitive grants to develop the next generation of fuel-efficient cars and trucks powered by the next generation of battery technologies all made right here in the U.S. of A. (Applause.) Right here in America. (Applause.) Made in America. (Applause.)
For too long, we failed to invest in this kind of innovative work, even as countries like China and Japan were racing ahead. That's why this announcement is so important: This represents the largest investment in this kind of technology in American history.
See, I'm committed to a strategy that ensures America leads in the design and the deployment of the next generation of clean-energy vehicles. This is not just an investment to produce vehicles today; this is an investment in our capacity to develop new technologies tomorrow. This is about creating the infrastructure of innovation.
The President closed his remarks by acknowledging the realities of the recession, because even as progress is made, families continue to struggle. But as he explained, these tough times also present great opportunity for rebuilding a stronger foundation for our country:
Energy and innovation, health care and education -- these are the pillars of the new foundation that we have to build. This is how we won't just rescue the economy, but we're going to rebuild it stronger than before.
Now, there are a lot of people out there those who are looking to defend the status quo. There are those who want to seek political advantage. They want to oppose these efforts. Some of them caused the problems that we got now in the first place, and then suddenly they're blaming other folks for it. (Applause.) They don't want to be constructive. They don't want to be constructive; they just want to get in the usual political fights back and forth. And sometimes that's fed by all the cable chatter on the media.
But you and I know the truth. We know that even in the hardest times, against the toughest odds, we have never surrendered. We don't give up. We don't surrender our fates to chance. We have always endured. We have worked hard, and we have fought for our future. Our parents had to fight for their future; our grandparents had to fight for their future. That's the tradition of America. This country wasn't built just by griping and complaining. It was built by hard work and taking risks. (Applause.) And that's what we have to do today.
WED, AUGUST 5, 11:09 AM EST
Posted by Katherine Brandon
Viewing this video requires Adobe Flash Player 8 or higher.
Download the free player.
download .mp4 (159.8 MB) | read the transcript
We were all relieved to learn yesterday that American journalists Euna Lee and Laura Ling, detained in North Korea since March, would be released. They arrived safely back in the United States this morning, and were reunited with their families. The President called the families yesterday when he learned that the journalists were on the plane home, and described the reunion as "a source of happiness not only for the families but for the entire country."
The President reflected on the release in
a statement this morning, and he thanked President Clinton and Vice President Gore for their efforts which led to the safe homecoming:
I want to thank President Bill Clinton -- I had a chance to talk to him -- for the extraordinary humanitarian effort that resulted in the release of the two journalists. I want to thank Vice President Al Gore who worked tirelessly in order to achieve a positive outcome.
I think that not only is this White House obviously extraordinarily happy, but all Americans should be grateful to both former President Clinton and Vice President Gore for their extraordinary work. And my hope is, is that the families that have been reunited can enjoy the next several days and weeks, understanding that because of the efforts of President Clinton and Gore, they are able to be with each other once again.
So we are very pleased with the outcome, and I'm hopeful that the families are going to be able to get some good time together in the next few days.
(President Barack Obama makes a statement about the two journalists released from North Korea before
boarding Marine One on the South Lawn of the White House, Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Official White House Photo by Lawrence Jackson)
