Just over a year ago, President Obama asked the Federal government to lead by example when he signed Executive Order 13514: Federal Leadership in Environmental, Energy, and Economic Performance.  This Order directs federal agencies to set aggressive sustainability goals, and to promote “green practices” more generally.  The Department of Veterans Affairs has responded enthusiastically to the President’s request.  Indeed, we have long been leading by example in the area of environmental sustainability.  For instance, as far back as 2005, when the Energy Policy Act ordered federal agencies to purchase 7.5 percent of their electricity from renewable sources by 2013, VA responded by setting its own target at 15 percent—double the mandated amount.  This increased use of renewable energy also helps VA to accomplish another aggressive goal we have recently set ourselves: reducing our greenhouse gas emissions by 30% by 2020.

This week brings more good news regarding VA’s leadership in environmental performance, and its commitment to renewable energy in particular.  On Monday, we proudly announced that we have awarded nearly $78 million in contracts to build solar photovoltaic (PV) systems at VA facilities nationwide.

Recently, several young people have taken their own lives after being bullied for being gay – or perceived as being gay – by their peers. Their deaths are shocking and heartbreaking tragedies. No one should have to endure relentless harassment or tormenting. No one should ever feel so alone or desperate that they feel they have nowhere to turn. We each share a responsibility to protect our young people. And we also have an obligation to set an example of respect and kindness, regardless of our differences.

This is personal to me. When I was a young adult, I faced the jokes and taunting that too many of our youth face today, and I considered suicide as a way out.  But I was fortunate.  One of my co-workers recognized that I was hurting, and I soon confided in her.  She cared enough to push me to seek help.  She saved my life.  I will always be grateful for her compassion and support – the same compassion and support that so many kids need today. 

In the wake of these terrible tragedies, thousands of Americans have come together to share their stories of hope and encouragement for LGBT youth who are struggling as part of the It Gets Better Project.  Their messages are simple: no matter how difficult or hopeless life may seem when you’re a young person who’s been tormented by your peers or feels like you don’t fit in: life will get better.

President Obama is committed to ending bullying, harassment and discrimination in all its forms in our schools and communities.  That’s why he recorded this message.

Last year, the Departments of Education and Health and Human Services joined forces with four other departments to create a federal task force on bullying.  In August 2010, the task force staged the first-ever National Bullying Summit, bringing together 150 top state, local, civic, and corporate leaders to begin mapping out a national plan to end bullying.   The task force also launched a new website, www.bullyinginfo.org, which brings all the federal resources on bullying together in one place for the first time ever. 

If you’re a young person who’s been bullied or harassed by your peers, or you’re a parent or teacher who knows a young person being bullied or harassed, here are a few resources that can help you:

The Trevor Project
The Trevor Project is determined to end suicide among LBGTQ youth by providing resources and a nationwide, 24 hour hotline.  If you are considering suicide or need help, call: 866-4-U-TREVOR (866-488-7386).

BullyingInfo.org
BullyingInfo.org is a project of the Interagency Working Group on Youth Programs (IWGYP) focused on providing tools and resources for youth, parents, teachers and mental health providers to prevent and address bullying. 

It Gets Better Project
President Obama’s video is just one of thousands of videos submitted by people across the country to inspire and encourage LGBT youth who are struggling.  You can watch more videos at ItGetsBetterProject.com.

For even more information and resources visit or call:

• Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN)
• Matthew Shepard Foundation
• Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG)
• National Suicide Lifeline 800-273-TALK (8255)

A transcript of the President’s video is here.

The report out this morning on how the Administration has worked to ensure economic stability for women as part of our economic recovery and America’s new economic foundation was well worth a read.  So was the blog post discussing it from Senior Adviser Valerie Jarrett.  But as powerful as the statistics are, there’s nothing like hearing it first-hand.

That’s why the President took some time in a backyard in Seattle, Washington to talk with women who are moving forward in every sector of our economy.  From teachers who have been able to give their students just a little more because of the President’s investments in education, to clean energy entrepreneurs who got a boost from the Recovery Act to help them get going, to a woman who was making money the old fashioned way – cupcakes:

This morning, the Governor of Tennessee voiced concerns that the Affordable Care Act would lead many businesses to drop coverage for their employees. Independent experts have concluded the opposite. The new law will provide tremendous benefits for employers, including tax credits for small business and savings for employers. According to a Business Round Table (BRT)/Hewitt Associates study, employers that offer and contribute to health insurance coverage for their workers could experience cost savings of as much as $3,000 a person from reforms included in the Act.  And the Congressional Budget Office has found that any decrease in employer sponsored coverage would be minimal.

This afternoon, Jonathan Gruber of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology analyzed the Governor’s arguments and declared:

“The Affordable Care Act will not lead to widespread erosion of employer-sponsored insurance. Rather, it will provide the necessary protection for those who are suffering from the erosion that is already taking place.”

Read Gruber’s complete post here.

This morning at the National Press Club, I joined HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan, DOT Secretary Ray LaHood, and EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson to discuss the Partnership for Sustainable Communities.  The Partnership is an initiative that brings together the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, and the U.S. Department of Transportation to ensure that the agencies’ policies, programs, and funding consider affordable housing, transportation, and environmental protection together.  Founded on the idea that how and where we build our communities affects our economy, our environment, and our everyday lives, the Partnership is supporting communities that want to give Americans more housing choices, make transportation systems more efficient and reliable, and support vibrant neighborhoods that attract businesses.  This is good for our communities and good for our economy.

Since June of 2009, the Partnership for Sustainable Communities has been building economic competitiveness by connecting housing with good jobs, quality schools and transportation. Examples include:

• EPA grants to develop area-wide plans for the reuse of formerly contaminated properties and targeted technical assistance to communities tackling growth and development issues;
• HUD Sustainable Community Regional Planning Grants to assist in the development and execution of regional plans that integrate affordable housing with neighboring retail and business development and realize more livable and sustainable communities across the country;
• DOT TIGER II Grants to fund innovative surface transportation projects that can improve communities’ quality of life while advancing broader transportation goals;
• And, awarded in conjunction with DOT’s TIGER II grants, HUD Community Challenge Planning Grants to support local planning activities that integrate transportation, housing, and economic development.                                                                                                                                                             

Coordinating federal investments in infrastructure, facilities, and services meets multiple economic, environmental, and community objectives with each dollar spent.  At a time when every dollar the federal government invests in jumpstarting the economy is critical, the President’s plan ensures that all these agencies are coordinating efforts and targeting resources with precision.  This collaboration gets better results for communities and uses taxpayer money more efficiently. 

The Sustainable Communities Partnership is yet another foundational pillar of the President’s urban agenda; last month you learned more about the Neighborhood Revitalization Initiative.  Both of these initiatives show that the federal government is doing business in a new way to more effectively serve the American people and our communities in urban, suburban and rural neighborhoods.

Today, President Obama is holding a backyard event in Seattle focusing on women and the economy.  Here at the White House, the National Economic Council (NEC) is releasing a report titled Jobs and Economic Security for America’s Women.  Since his first day in office, President Obama has focused on laying the foundation for economic growth that creates good jobs and a healthy economy for all Americans. Strengthening opportunities for women in our economy is a key focus of the President’s Economic Agenda.

Women are a growing share of our workforce, our entrepreneurs, and our innovators. As the majority of college graduates and nearly 50 percent of the workforce, women are in the position to drive our 21st century economy. Women are an increasing share of breadwinners for their families. In almost two thirds of American families, women are either the primary or co-breadwinner. 

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act is a driving force in job creation and economic renewal in rural America. 

Earlier today, I released a report (pdf) outlining how funds allocated to seven programs administered by USDA Rural Development have sparked economic growth,  created or saved over 300,000 jobs, and funded projects in almost 3,000 counties. USDA staff approved 95,000 loans, made 2,500 grants and assisted 2,000 rural businesses with loan guarantees.  We also assisted 93,000 American families close home loans, either by guaranteeing a loan from a lending institution or making a loan through our direct program.  We approved Internet projects that will provide an estimated 7 million people, many of them in remote areas including Tribal lands, access to improved state-of-the-art broadband service.

For the second of two Tuesday Talks this week, we hosted members and co-chairs of the President's Committee on the Arts and Humanities, including visual artist Chuck Close, ballet dancer Damian Woetzel, and co-chairs Margo Lion and George Stevens, Jr., in celebration of National Arts and Humanities Month. We took your questions from WhiteHouse.gov and facebook, and covered a range of topics from the mission of the President's Committee on Arts and Humanities to the steps that can be taken on a local level for artists to get involved. You can check out the full video of the chat or use the links below to jump to the questions you're interested in.

In Washington, it’s often hard to cut through it all the political rhetoric and examine the facts of what is being claimed. Today’s New York Times did that with a critical issue: government spending.

In “As G.O.P. Seeks Spending Cuts, Details Are Scarce,” David Herszenhorn reports that all over the country, Congressional Republicans are calling for spending restraint, but offering few if any details on what they would cut.

The scarcity of those details is probably explained by the fact that, as the Times puts it, “federal budget statistics show that Republican policies over the last decade, and the cost of the two wars, added far more to the deficit than initiatives approved by the Democratic Congress since 2006.” In particular, the previous administration’s failure to pay for two large tax cuts and a prescription drug benefit for Medicare added trillions of dollars to our deficits. Congressional Republicans certainly don’t mention that their call to extend tax cuts to the wealthiest of the wealthy would add another $700 billion to the deficit or that their call to repeal the Affordable Care Act actually would make the deficit $100 billion larger over the next decade.