It’s that time of year where we’re all filling out our tax forms to get them in under the deadline, so we thought it would be worth taking a step back and looking over how two of the President’s top priorities – health reform and the Recovery Act – are helping to give a little relief to middle class families.  While some critics and media outlets may want to mislead the public, or cherry-pick provisions to give another impression, there is no debating the fact that making the tax code more fair for the middle class, and helping working families get through these tough economic times has been the central plank of the President’s agenda.

Health Reform: The health reform legislation signed into law by President Obama includes the largest health care tax cut in history for middle class families, helping to make insurance much more affordable for millions of families.  Here’s a more extensive list of how health reform helps ease the financial burden on the middle class:

• The largest health care tax cut in history for middle class families.
• Americans buying the same coverage they have today in the individual market will see premiums fall by 14 to 20 percent compared to what they would pay without health insurance reform and by as much as 3% for those who get coverage through their employers.
• The Small Business Health Care Tax Credit can cover up to 35 percent of the premiums a small business pays to cover its workers. In 2014, the rate will increase to 50 percent
• Reduces out-of-pocket expenses so insurance doesn’t still leave families holding the bag
• Bans lifetime limits on coverage

The Recovery Act: As the President noted in his last Weekly Address, you can get a good handle on how the Recovery Act might help you out on your taxes through our Tax Savings Tool.  Here’s a glance at how the numbers break down nationwide:

• Over $160 Billion - Tax relief provided through the Recovery Act so far to families and businesses. 
• Nearly $3,000 - The record average tax refund taxpayers are seeing this tax season, something the IRS says is largely due to the Recovery Act.
• Nearly 10% - The percentage average tax refunds are up this year - something the IRS says is largely due to Recovery Act tax credits.
• 95% - The percentage of working families benefiting from the Recovery Act's Making Work Pay tax credit, making it the broadest tax credit in the history of the country. 
• $800 - The amount most married couples are collecting through their paychecks this year thanks to the Recovery Act's Making Work Pay tax credit. Individuals collected $400 this year thanks to Making Work Pay.
• Up to $2,500 - The expanded amount eligible taxpayers can collect with the American Opportunity Credit to help cover college expanses thanks to the Recovery Act.
• Up to $8,000 - The amount new homebuyers can collect this year for purchasing their first home thanks to the Recovery Act's expansion of the First-Time Homebuyers Tax Credit. 
• Up to $1,500 - The amount homeowners can collect this year on improvements made to their homes like energy-efficient windows, doors and insulation thanks to Recovery Act tax credits.
• 65% - The amount by which the Recovery Act cut the cost of COBRA health insurance premiums for unemployed workers last year through an up-front tax credit.

Dan Pfeiffer is White House Communications Director

Today the President and delegations from 46 other nations are working to address the most dire threat of our time: nuclear terrorism.  It is the second day of the Nuclear Security Summit, following a first day during which several nations made significant commitments which will strengthen the global effort to maintain nuclear security and nonproliferation.  For instance: 

• Chile has shipped its highly enriched uranium to the United States; Ukraine has agreed to ship its highly enriched uranium out of the country within two years; and Canada has agreed to ship its used highly enriched uranium to the United States.
• The United States and Russia have reached an agreement on plutonium disposal, a deal that has been stalled since 2000, and which commits both countries to eliminate enough total plutonium for approximately 17,000 nuclear weapons.
• Recognizing the importance of this summit, and that its goals require a long-term commitment, South Korea has agreed to host the next Nuclear Security Summit in 2012.

And of course this summit follows two major steps on the issues of nuclear security, non-proliferation, and the threat of nuclear terrorism: the release of the Nuclear Posture Review and the signing of the New START Treaty with Russia. This morning the President addressed the first of two major Plenary Sessions, offering his condolences to the people of Poland for their recent losses, and once again laying out the scope of the threat before closing on his vision for progress.

So today is an opportunity -- not simply to talk, but to act.  Not simply to make pledges, but to make real progress on the security of our people.  All this, in turn, requires something else, which is something more fundamental.  It will require a new mindset -- that we summon the will, as nations and as partners, to do what this moment in history demands.

I believe strongly that the problems of the 21st century cannot be solved by any one nation acting in isolation.  They must be solved by all of us coming together.

At the dawn of the nuclear age that he helped to unleash, Albert Einstein said:  “Now everything has changed…”  And he warned: “We are drifting towards a catastrophe beyond comparison.  We shall require a substantially new manner of thinking if mankind is to survive.”

That truth endures today.  For the sake of our common security, for the sake of our survival, we cannot drift.  We need a new manner of thinking -- and action.  That is the challenge before us.  And I thank all of you for being here to confront that challenge together, in partnership.

And with that, I’m going to ask that we take a few moments to allow the press to exit before our first session.

UPDATE: From the course of the day, read the President's statement on Russia shutting down its final plutonium reactor, as well as the Trilateral Announcement Between Mexico, the United States, and Canada on Nuclear Security.

One of the goals of President Obama's Strategy for American Innovation is to harness science and technology to address the "grand challenges" of the 21st century in areas such as health, clean energy, national security, and education and life-long learning. Grand challenges are important national goals like putting a man on the Moon or sequencing the human genome that require advances in science and technology to achieve. They also have the potential to drive sustainable economic growth and the creation of quality jobs.

Examples of specific goals that have been previously articulated by the President and others include early detection of dozens of diseases from a saliva sample, solar cells as cheap as paint, and educational software that is as compelling as the best video game and effective as a personal tutor.

In February 2010, the Office of Science and Technology Policy and the National Economic Council  released a "Request for Information" to collect input from the public regarding the grand challenges identified in the President's innovation strategy, other possible grand challenges, and the partners (e.g. companies, universities, non-profit organizations) that would need to collaboration to achieve these ambitious goals. The deadline for responses is Thursday, April 15th.

Harnessing the expertise of the American people is a key element of President Obama's open government agenda.

I'm delighted that Expert Labs, a project of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, has developed some great tools to help the government (and anyone else, for that matter) capture the ideas and insights of participants in social networks. For example, you can send your idea via twitter by replying to @whitehouse and including the #whgc hashtag (a tip: check out other ideas with this search).

You can also email your ideas to challenge@ostp.gov.

We are really looking forward to reviewing your ideas, and to sharing the progress that we make in the weeks and months ahead to reach these ambitious goals.

Thomas Kalil is Deputy Director for Policy for the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy

Before a lunch meeting with foreign leaders and dignitaries, Vice President Biden delivered remarks about the significance of the Nuclear Security Summit and the “historic task of creating a better and a safer world for all our peoples.” He discussed the goal of reducing the number of nuclear weapons arsenals worldwide and the importance of controlling nuclear materials to prevent extremists groups from gaining access to them. He also talked about the United States’ support for peaceful benefits of nuclear power and technology.

The United States of America stands fully committed to supporting the promotion of peaceful benefits of nuclear power, in the context though -- in the context of the nuclear non-proliferation treaty.  But, again, here we can all agree that those who have developed nuclear technology should do so -- are going to develop a peaceful nuclear technology must do so wisely, with a proper attention to security, good governance, and as safely as it can possibly be done.

As countries seeking to develop your nuclear sectors, we stand ready to support you, to share our experience with you.

And we recognize that it is not a problem for governments alone to control this fissile material, it requires good regulations and public-private partnerships to get it right.

More than half the world’s dangerous nuclear materials are owned not by governments but by industry.  And we will work with them, as we will work with you, to address our common concerns. 

Later this week, the Vice President will host a roundtable discussion with leading nuclear industries to talk about forming partnerships and working to guarantee safety and security. Today, the President is holding several bilateral discussions with world leaders at the Nuclear Security Summit.

President Barack Obama participates in an expanded bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Mohamed Najib Abdul Razak of Malaysia, during the Nuclear Security Summit at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C., April 12, 2010. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

In a terrible accident, President Lech Kaczynski of Poland was killed in a plane crash along with his wife, and an extraordinary and distinguished delegation of Polish civilian and military leaders. This morning, President Obama called Prime Minister Tusk of Poland to express his deepest condolences for the tragic loss suffered by the Polish people. President Obama expressed the full and strong support of the American people for our close friend and ally Poland, and he released the following statement.

Today, I called Polish Prime Minister Tusk to express Michelle's and my deepest condolences to the people of Poland on the tragic deaths this morning of President Lech Kaczynski, First Lady Maria Kaczynski, and all who were traveling with them to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the Katyn massacre.  Our thoughts and prayers are with the Kaczynski family, the loved ones of those killed in this tragic plane crash, and the Polish nation.

Today’s loss is devastating to Poland, to the United States, and to the world.  President Kaczynski was a distinguished statesman who played a key role in the Solidarity movement, and he was widely admired in the United States as a leader dedicated to advancing freedom and human dignity.  With him were many of Poland’s most distinguished civilian and military leaders who have helped to shape Poland’s inspiring democratic transformation.  We join all the people of Poland in mourning their passing.

Today, there are heavy hearts across America.  The United States cherishes its deep and abiding bonds with the people of Poland.  Those bonds are represented in the strength of our alliance, the friendships among our people, and the extraordinary contributions of Polish-Americans who have helped to shape our nation.

It is a testament to the strength of the Polish people that those who were lost were travelling to commemorate a devastating massacre of World War II as the leaders of a strong, vibrant, and free Poland.  That strength will ensure that Poland emerges from the depths of this unthinkable tragedy, and that the legacy of the leaders who died today will be a light that continues to guide Poland – and the world – in the direction of human progress.

Ben Rhodes is Deputy National Security Advisor for Strategic Communications

As April 15th approaches, the President discusses several of the tax breaks for middle class families he has signed into law.  Find out more about the Making Work Pay tax credit, breaks for first-time homebuyers, rewards for making your home more energy efficient and more through our Tax Savings Tool.

Drum roll please …

This afternoon, we announced, in coordination with the Department of Education, the top six finalists for the first annual Race to the Top High School Commencement Challenge:

• Blue Valley Northwest High School (Overland Park, Kansas)
• Clark Montessori Junior High and High School (Cincinnati, Ohio)
• Denver School of Science and Technology (Denver, Colorado)
• Environmental Charter High School (Lawndale, California)
• Kalamazoo Central High School (Kalamazoo, Michigan)
• MAST Academy (Miami, Florida)

We launched the Commencement Challenge this past February -- inviting high schools across the country to compete to have President Obama speak at their graduation.  Today’s finalists were chosen for best demonstrating their dedication to academic excellence and preparing students to graduate ready for college and career choices.

Yesterday afternoon, I watched my colleagues Lauren Paige and Laura Schifter call each of the six finalists to share the good news.  Take a look at some of their – let’s say – more than enthusiastic responses:
 

As part of today’s announcement, President Obama gave special thanks to all the high schools that submitted applications:

I thank all of the schools that submitted applications for the first Commencement Challenge and I congratulate the six finalists for demonstrating effective approaches to teaching, learning and preparing students to graduate ready for college and a career.  The quality of the applications we received is a testament to the exciting work happening in schools throughout the country, and I look forward to visiting and speaking at the winning school later this spring.

So, what happens next?  You get to vote.  In the coming weeks, we’ll feature the six finalists on WhiteHouse.gov and let you vote for your favorites.  The top three schools will then be sent to the President for the final selection. 

Stay tuned to WhiteHouse.gov so you can help choose the winning high school.

Cross-posted from the DOT Blog.

The other day, I heard a great success story from a man who thanked me for the work DOT's Recovery Act grants had stimulated. He had in mind, specifically, our Federal Transit Administration grants that have allowed local and regional transit districts to upgrade and expand their fleets in times of strapped budgets.

Because of the Obama Administration's stimulus, he said, the Gillig Corporation, a 100% American bus manufacturer in California, had not only been able to retain its workforce in threatening times, but had added workers and was even working a shift on Saturdays.

The first of 14 new Gillig-made buses for the Whatcom Transportation Authority (WA) April 9, 2010.

Now, I've heard a lot of anecdotes like this in the past 14 months. Recovery Act grants have allowed transit agencies to purchase over 12,000 new buses, rail cars, and paratransit vans. In Tennessee, for example, a grant to the Memphis Area Transit Authority allowed them to order 26 new vehicles from Gillig.

So we decided to follow up on this story by calling Gillig and chatting with their President, Denny Howard. Here's what he had to say:

"I've been with Gillig for 32 years, so I've been watching the transit industry for decades. I meet with managers from transit agencies every day, and I have never seen the local funding in such desperate straits as today.

"A typical year industry-wide, agencies buy about 5,000 buses a year. With the stimulus, it's up to 7,000 for last year, this year, and next year. But, if the stimulus hadn't come through, the market would have dropped 40% to 3,000 buses a year for last year, this year, and at least through next year.

This Gillig hybrid-electric rolls for the Redwood Transit System, April 9, 2010.

"That would have devastated our employees. I've heard the talk about the stimulus not creating enough jobs, but you never read a statistic about the number of jobs saved. We would have had to lay off 175 workers--more than 25% of our people.

"And there's a multiplier effect, too. Every base manufacturing job is worth five jobs down the supply chain. You can imagine how that would have knocked our suppliers.

"So even if we hadn't added workers, I'd call the Recovery Act a success. But we did. We added 40 people last year, and we know we're keeping them through at least 2011. And that has the same multiplier effect with our suppliers, but in a positive direction.

"Typically, we produce 25 vehicles a week. With the stimulus, we're up to more like 30. Without it, we'd be down to 20. There's a big difference between 20 and 30, a big difference.

"There's not a worker in our plant who doesn't know someone who's been laid-off. The fact that our people are not only secure but getting the opportunity to work some overtime on Saturdays is just phenomenal. I mean, they are eager to come to work on a Saturday.

The interior of a Gillig Bus, April 9, 2010.

"The stimulus has been just a tremendous success. We're one of the last made-in-America busmakers, we've been in business since we started making buggies and carriages in 1890, and we've had a great cooperative relationship with our workers.

"You can't imagine how this industry would have been decimated without that stimulus. It would have jeopardized everything we've worked to build in the last 120 years.

"Instead, we're stronger, we've added jobs, and America gets a better, safer fleet of buses."
Thank you, Denny Howard and Gillig, for doing your part and sharing your story.

After listening to Mr. Howard, we also talked to Rome Aloise, Western Regional Vice President for the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, and he confirmed everything we had heard.

"I travel around to transit districts, urging them to buy American," said Aloise, "because there's a ton of competition from foreign manufacturers. Having a partner like Gillig really makes that job easier for me."

"And the Recovery Act does, too," he added. "It offers cash-strapped agencies the incentive they need to upgrade their fleets. Until now, it's been the only thing standing between us and complete disaster. Going forward, it will ensure employment."

As I said, I've heard a lot of these anecdotes, but it's great to talk at length with industry people to get the real scoop on the Recovery Act's effectiveness. And it inspires all of us at DOT as we continue working hard to create more good jobs for American workers.

Ray LaHood is Secretary of Transportation

Last fall, the Office of National AIDS Policy (ONAP) asked Americans to give us their input for the National HIV/AIDS Strategy, which will be released in the coming months.  From the beginning, ONAP recognized that community feedback would be invaluable to our National HIV/AIDS Strategy development so we hosted 14 community discussions and meetings throughout the United States, in addition to launching an online portal for Americans to send their comments directly to the White House.  In the end, we received over 1000 written responses from nearly every state and U.S. territory, from people affected by or living with HIV, from men, women, and transgender individuals, from young and old, and from respondents of various ethnicities, racial backgrounds and sexual orientation. 

Despite the diversity in setting and respondents, a core set of common themes emerged across all of the recommendations.  Today, we are releasing a report of the major themes that we heard from the public .

Throughout this process we heard that people want to bring the issue of HIV/AIDS back into the forefront of the American psyche through efforts such as social marketing campaigns and comprehensive HIV prevention and education for youth, injection drug users, communities of color, and gay and bisexual men.  Access to care was also commonly discussed.  Specifically, expanding support services for people living with HIV and the need to diagnose and treat co-occurring conditions such as Hepatitis, substance use, mental health, and markers of economic instability (e.g. housing, joblessness).    

Even when access to treatment is available, the stigma surrounding an HIV diagnosis may be too great for people to get tested or enroll in care. We heard from many people living with HIV who spoke about the stigma associated with being HIV-positive and its effect on their daily lives.    Many people discussed the ways in which stigma and discrimination contributed to HIV-related racial, geographic, and gender disparities. People also described personal accounts of discrimination and stigma from providers and difficulties in accessing a range of services, including dental care and prenatal care. 

Last, many expressed the importance of coordinating HIV prevention and treatment activities across the Federal government.  Many also expressed the importance of evaluating current HIV prevention and care efforts and making sure that these evaluation activities help guide Federal, state and local activities and funding. 

These recommendations are only a subset of the input that we had received and many more recommendations for the National HIV/AIDS Strategy are detailed in the community discussions report. Not all of the recommendations, however, will appear in the National HIV/AIDS Strategy.  To be effective, the strategy must include a small number of high payoff items that will address the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the United States.  Nevertheless, we intend for this community report to provide a baseline for the status of the domestic epidemic and serve as a planning tool and resource for Federal, State and local agencies. We are grateful for the many Americans who helped make this report possible and for the many insightful recommendations that will go a long way in ensuring that the National HIV/AIDS Strategy is a success.