The White House Blog: The President
President Obama Hosts Fourth Annual Iftar Dinner at the White House
Posted byon August 11, 2012 at 2:19 PM EDTLast night, President Obama hosted his fourth Iftar dinner as President in the State Dining Room of the White House. The Iftar is the meal that breaks the day of fasting during Ramadan, when Muslim families and communities eat together after sunset.
During his remarks at the dinner, the President reflected on the importance of religious freedom and the important role Muslims have played throughout our country’s history.
Of all the freedoms we cherish as Americans, of all the rights that we hold sacred, foremost among them is freedom of religion, the right to worship as we choose. It’s enshrined in the First Amendment of our Constitution -- the law of the land, always and forever. It beats in our heart -- in the soul of the people who know that our liberty and our equality is endowed by our Creator. And it runs through the history of this house, a place where Americans of many faiths can come together and celebrate their holiest of days -- and that includes Ramadan.
As I’ve noted before, Thomas Jefferson once held a sunset dinner here with an envoy from Tunisia -- perhaps the first Iftar at the White House, more than 200 years ago. And some of you, as you arrived tonight, may have seen our special display, courtesy of our friends at the Library of Congress -- the Koran that belonged to Thomas Jefferson. And that's a reminder, along with the generations of patriotic Muslims in America, that Islam -- like so many faiths -- is part of our national story.
Watch the President's remarks at the Iftar Dinner here.
Weekly Address All-Hands-On-Deck Response to the Drought
Posted byon August 11, 2012 at 5:30 AM EDTPresident Obama discusses the Administration’s all-hands-on-deck approach to one of the worst droughts in more than fifty years.
Transcript | Download mp4 | Download mp3
West Wing Week 08/10/12 or “We Have A Moral, Sacred Duty”
Posted byon August 10, 2012 at 12:00 AM EDTWelcome to the West Wing Week, your guide to everything that’s happening at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. This week, the President continued to push for middle class tax cuts, spoke with both the AAPD Summer interns with disabilities and with the White House Summer Interns of 2012, signed the Honoring America’s Veterans and Caring for Camp Lejeune Families Act, and convened his Rural Council to discuss ways to ease the burden of drought. That’s August 3rd to August 9th or “We Have A Moral, Sacred Duty.”
Watch the West Wing Week here.
President Obama's Tax Cuts for the Middle Class
Posted byon August 9, 2012 at 11:55 AM EDTUnless the House of Representatives takes action before January 1, 2013, taxes will go up on 114 million middle-class families. Nearly everyone in Washington agrees that’s a bad idea. That’s why President Obama is calling for -- and the Senate has already passed -- legislation that will keep the middle class from paying thousands of extra dollars next year.
Republicans in the House of Representatives, however, are refusing to extend middle-class tax cuts without also giving massive tax cuts to the wealthiest 2 percent of Americans. In fact, House Republicans have proposed their own tax plan that would actually raise taxes on 25 million families making less than $250,000, while giving families making more than $1 million an average tax cut of $160,000 next year.
We’ve put together an infographic to help you understand some of the details behind the tax cut extension President Obama is asking Congress to pass, and how it differs with the House Republican proposal. Check it out, and if you agree with President Obama that extending middle-class tax cuts is the right thing to do, share it on your social networks and pass it on to your friends and family.
President Obama's Call with the Prime Minister of India
Posted byon August 9, 2012 at 11:21 AM EDTPresident Barack Obama talks on the phone with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh of India aboard Air Force One during a flight to Colorado, Aug. 8, 2012. The President called Prime Minister Singh to express condolences for victims of the attack at the gurdwara in Wisconsin, which took the lives of Indian nationals as well as Americans, and to convey the solidarity of the American people. Ben Rhodes, Deputy National Security Advisor for Strategic Communications, is seated at right. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)
The two leaders discussed the shooting at the Sikh temple in Oak Creek, Wisconsin, and the President expressed his condolences for the senseless attack.According to a readout of that conversation, "Prime Minister Singh expressed his gratitude for the many messages and gestures of support from the United States, and for the prompt reaction and heroism of the local police department."To learn more about the call, check out the full readout here.In the United States, the American flag remain at half-staff until sunset tomorrow to honor the victims of the shooting.
An Administration-Wide Response to the Drought
Posted byon August 7, 2012 at 5:19 PM EDTThroughout much of the country, communities are struggling with one of the worst droughts to strike the U.S. in decades. The lack of rain and high temperatures have done considerable damage to crops -- particularly those in the Midwest.
Today, President Obama met with the White House Rural Council to discuss the steps being taken to help farmers, ranchers, and small businesses wrestling with this crisis.
As part of that response, the U.S. Department of Agriculture today announced that it will provide millions of dollars in assistance to restore livestock lands affected by the drought. The USDA will spend $16 million on technical and financial assistance for those whose crops or herds have suffered.
The USDA has also reduced interest rates on its emergency loan program and worked with the major crop insurers to allow farmers to forego interest payments on unpaid premiums until November. The National Credit Union Administration also announced that more than 1,000 credit unions are increasing their lending to small businesses -- including farmers.
President Obama Discusses the Shooting in Oak Creek, Wisconsin
Posted byon August 6, 2012 at 5:37 PM EDTBefore signing a bill that will better protect veterans and their families, President Obama took a question from reporters about Sunday's shooting in Oak Creek, Wisconsin.
Though he urged caution against assumptions while the investigations unfold, the President also spoke about the need for Americans to come together as one people in this time of tragedy."If it turns out, as some early reports indicate, that it may have been motivated in some way by the ethnicity of those who were attending the temple," he said, "I think the American people immediately recoil against those kinds of attitudes, and I think it will be very important for us to reaffirm once again that, in this country, regardless of what we look like, where we come from, who we worship, we are all one people, and we look after one another and we respect one another."This afternoon, he also issued a proclamation mandating that the flag of the United States be flown at half-staff at the White House and at all public buildings and grounds until sunset on August 10.
President Obama Signs the Honoring America's Veterans and Caring for Camp Lejeune Families Act of 2012
Posted byon August 6, 2012 at 5:36 PM EDTPresident Barack Obama signs the “Honoring America’s Veterans and Caring for Camp Lejeune Families Act of 2012,” in the Oval Office, Aug. 6, 2012. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)
First, the new law offers extended care to a group of servicemembers who were based at Camp Lejeune with their families during a period when contaminated water caused major medical issues for a number of individuals.
Among those standing with the President at today's bill signing were Jerry Ensminger, a Marine Corps veteran who has been an advocate for affected families, and Mike Partain, who was born at Camp Lejuene and later developed male breast cancer. The bill the President signed was named after Janey Ensminger, the Master Sargeant's daughter who passed away from leukemia at age nine.
Second, the law prohibits protests at military funerals in the two hours immediately prior to and following a military funeral -- a measure, the President said, that will ensure that our servicemembers get laid to rest with "the utmost honor and respect."
President Obama upheld this bill as an example of the type of issue on which Republicans and Democrats can find common ground, and he pushed lawmakers to take action on other measures to aid veterans -- including his proposal for a Veterans Jobs Corps.
Read his full remarks here.
Statement by President Obama on the Shooting in Wisconsin
Posted byon August 5, 2012 at 5:04 PM EDTPresident Obama today released the following statement on the tragic shooting in Wisconsin:
Michelle and I were deeply saddened to learn of the shooting that tragically took so many lives in Wisconsin. At this difficult time, the people of Oak Creek must know that the American people have them in our thoughts and prayers, and our hearts go out to the families and friends of those who were killed and wounded. My Administration will provide whatever support is necessary to the officials who are responding to this tragic shooting and moving forward with an investigation. As we mourn this loss which took place at a house of worship, we are reminded how much our country has been enriched by Sikhs, who are a part of our broader American family.
Happy Birthday, President Obama
Posted byon August 4, 2012 at 10:58 AM EDTToday, President Obama turns 51. In honor of the occasion, we thought we’d share 51 of our favorite pictures of the President in the White House.
Check out the slideshow.
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