This afternoon the President congratulated the winners of the proud three-way rivalry between the Army, Navy and Air Force Academy football teams.  Noting the presence of Superintendent of the Air Force Academy, Lieutenant General Michael Gould, and the Air Force Chief of Staff, General Norton Schwartz, he gave all appropriate respect to the players who serve their country:

Most of all, though, I want to congratulate the cadets who are standing behind me.  Until this year, no one on this team knew what it felt like to beat Army, to beat Navy, to visit the White House, and to earn football bragging rights over the other branches.  Now you know the feeling.  (Applause.)  They also know what it feels like not just to be a good service academy team, but to be a good team, period.  Put up 350 rushing yards against Oklahoma.  Finished 9-4 after what Coach Calhoun called the toughest schedule a service academy ever played.  And to cap it all off, to win in a bowl game against Georgia Tech.  (Applause.)  That’s impressive.  Georgia Tech has three times as many students. 

Of course, I hear the victory that was sweetest of all was finally beating that Navy team.  I’m told that as soon as the final whistle blew, the loudspeakers started blasting Etta James singing “At Last.”  (Laughter.)  The entire cadet wing -– usually some of the most disciplined young men and women you’ll ever see -– just rushed the field and sang the alma mater with the team.

So this is a group that has a lot to be proud of.  But, obviously, the most impressive thing about these young men, the thing that sets them apart, is that being a football player isn’t what defines them.  They’re airmen first.  And more important than any bowl game or trophy is the commitment that they’ve made to serve this country.

That’s why last summer, when almost every other Division I team was working out and running through drills together, these players were scattered around the world learning the skills they needed long after they take off their jerseys and hang up their helmets. 

Tonight and tomorrow night, Jewish families and friends in the United States and around the world will gather for Seders to commemorate the Exodus from Egypt and the triumph of hope and perseverance over injustice and oppression. For most Jewish families, the Passover meal is full traditions passed down through the generations like the maror, or bitter herbs, which symbolize the bitterness of slavery in Egypt or the matzoh, unleavened bread, which recalls the haste with which the Israelites left Egypt – giving them no time to allow their bread to rise.

While some families hold the secret to the fluffiest matzoh balls in town, others have created new traditions to share with their families and friends.

Here at the White House tonight, President and Mrs. Obama will again host a small Seder, complete with recipes provided by friends and family.  It’s a tradition that started in Pennsylvania in 2008, when after a long day on the campaign trail then-Senator Obama gathered a group of staffers – Jewish and non-Jewish alike – for an impromptu Seder.  Each year since, the same group, along with a few close friends and family, have come together to carry on the tradition at the White House.  Among the family recipes on the menu this year are a traditional chicken soup with matzoh balls, braised beef brisket, potato kugel, carrot soufflé, and matzoh chocolate cake.

Watch as President Obama personally invites you to participate in his “Shared Responsibility and Shared Prosperity” facebook town hall event on Wednesday, April 20th at 1:45 pm PT / 4:45 pm ET live online from Facebook headquarters in Palo Alto, California. The event will be live streamed on facebook at facebook.com/WhiteHouse or https://apps.facebook.com/facebooklive/ and at WhiteHouse.gov/live. 

Watch the video here and RSVP for the event at facebook.com/WhiteHouse.

After the event, be sure to stay tuned for our Women and Technology panel with White House Senior Advisor Valerie Jarrett and the Startup America panel with Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers Austan Goolsbee.  Learn more about these events and find out how you can get involved at: http:/www.facebook.com/WhiteHouse

And be sure to “like” the White House on facebook to stay up to date with the latest news, events and ways to engage with President Obama and other senior advisors.

Your quick look at the week that was on WhiteHouse.gov.

America's Fiscal Future: On Wednesday, President Obama spoke at the George Washington University about his plan to control spending while staying true to America's values of shared prosperity and shared responsibility. After his speech, economic advisor Brian Deese answered your questions in a live video chat. The President's focus on fiscal policy continued as he met with bipartisan leaders from the House and Senate, and with the co-chairs of his fiscal commission.

Today, President Obama released the National Strategy for Trusted Identities in Cyberspace (NSTIC) (PDF).This Strategy seeks to improve security in cyberspace and e-commerce. We can see how this plays out in at least two areas. First, passwords alone are not secure enough, which contributes to online fraud and identity theft. It is also inconvenient to have to remember dozens of passwords to access different online services. Second, it is difficult for individuals to prove their true identity when they want to perform a sensitive transaction online, like banking or accessing health records.  These problems are limiting the full economic potential of the Internet, because certain services cannot easily be moved online.  NSTIC envisions a private sector led effort to create a new infrastructure for the Internet, built on interoperable, privacy-enhancing, and secure identity credentials.  This new infrastructure is centered around choice. First, you don't have to use it at all. If you do, you can choose when or how to use it.

For example, you might get a "digital credential" bundled with your cell phone plan that resides as an application on your smart phone. It would remain inactive when you are just browsing the web. But with a single, short PIN or password, you could use your credential on the phone to do a range of transactions from logging in to your favorite online game as “anon01” where you do not want to reveal your real name to accessing your tax information where you do. To see an animated example of this system, visit the NSTIC program office's home page.

But not everybody wants a smart phone. Under this strategy, you will be able to choose from many different identity providers: perhaps your bank, your health care provider, your email provider, or any other preferred organization. We seek to create an ecosystem of many different providers, so that there is an option that suits every individual who wants to participate. Individuals can also choose between different credentials, or ways of logging in: cell phones, keychain “fobs,” smart cards, and many others – in fact, there will undoubtedly be ways that have not yet even been invented.

Have you ever wondered how much of your own tax dollars actually go to support foreign aid? To support education? Well, now you can find out – and you might be surprised.

In his State of the Union Address, President Obama promised that this year, for the first time ever, American taxpayers would be able to go online and see exactly how their federal tax dollars are spent.

So today, we’re announcing the first-ever federal taxpayer receipt.

Just enter a few pieces of information about your taxes, and the taxpayer receipt will give you a breakdown of how your tax dollars are spent on priorities like education, veteran’s benefits, or health care.

Ed. note: This was originally posted on the Small Business Administration blog.

Today, President Obama signed a law that removes the expanded “1099” reporting requirement from the Affordable Care Act. This is a big win for small businesses.

The SBA and President Obama supported repealing this provision, which would have required businesses to send 1099 forms for all purchases of goods and services over $600 annually. With this bipartisan effort, we have removed a requirement that would have been an undue barrier to small business growth.

The many benefits of the health reform law for small businesses remain in place. These tools are already helping small business owners find more affordable and accessible coverage for themselves and their employees.

In particular, with tax day coming on Monday, don’t forget that many small business that provide health insurance are eligible for tax credits, thanks to the new law. You can learn more at this page on the IRS website.

Karen Mills is the Administrator of the Small Business Administration.

Just before meeting with fiscal commission chairs Erskine Bowles and Alan Simpson, President Obama delivered brief remarks in the Oval Office:

Watch Joining Forces at Camp Lejeune, here. 

I hope this initiative is worthy of your sacrifice...

After launching Joining Forces on Tuesday at the White House in front of senior military leaders, Cabinet Members, CEOs, heads of non-profits, and military families, the First Lady and Dr. Biden hit the road to talk about the campaign.

The first stop was Camp Lejeune, NC to thank our military and their families for their extraordinary service. Mrs. Obama and Dr. Biden spoke to a crowd of Marines, sailors and even some soldiers who drove in from Ft. Bragg before delivering gifts to expectant mothers.

It is always great to get out of DC and even better when you get to spend time with Marines and their families.  As the First Lady said to the crowd, their ordinary is extraordinary. From the families who help our wounded warriors heal, to the spouses who comfort others in their time of grief, their faith, courage and perseverance embody the best of America.

It was an extraordinary start to the trip, and, as a veteran, I am grateful to see this initiative in action.  I hope all Americans will Join Forces and help serve our military families.  For their service and sacrifice, kind words are not enough.  Please help make this initiative worthy of our military families.