President Barack Obama delivers a statement to the press on the economy, in the East Room of the White House, Nov. 9, 2012. (Official White House Photo by Sonya N. Hebert)

On Friday, President Obama laid out his strategy for moving our country forward and reducing our deficit in a balanced way.

Speaking from the East Room of the White House, the President was joined by Vice President Joe Biden – and 14 others stood behind him at the podium.

So who were those 14 people anyway? One was Pam, a school administrator. Another, Sara, is a veteran recovering from open-heart surgery. Barry has six children and Steve is an orthopedic assistant. Estela recently became an American citizen and voted in a U.S. election for the first time on Tuesday.

What they all have in common, however, is an interest in helping find answers to some of the big questions we face as a nation. Whether it’s how to create jobs or how to help responsible homeowners or how to balance investments in our future with cutting our deficit, all of these citizens want to participate in the process of getting things done here in Washington.

Each of them had already taken the first step by speaking out about an issue that mattered to them, responding to requests for input on whitehouse.gov.  

Now, with lawmakers facing a series of deadlines that require major decisions about how to pay our deficit down, we put together an afternoon at the White House that would bring these same folks into the conversation about how those decisions will affect the middle class -- people like them. They would get the chance to stand behind the President during his remarks, and then take part in a discussion with Jason Furman, Assistant to the President for Economic Policy and the Principal Deputy Director of the National Economic Council.

Editor's Note: This post was originally published on FEMA.gov.

With so many New Yorkers facing the overwhelming and exhausting task of cleaning up after Hurricane Sandy, a group of former veterans known as Team Rubicon have become very popular. And rightly so.

“We were exhausted after the first few days,” said Rockaway homeowner Barbara Millet, “but they just showed up. My mother-in-law calls them angels.”

Founded by two former Marines following the Haitian earthquake in 2010, members of Team Rubicon use skills acquired in the military to assist people affected by disasters.  In the past 10 days, the team has deployed hundreds of volunteers to the Northeast to help Sandy survivors clean houses, remove trees, repair roofs and manage debris as they begin their road to recovery.

FEMA partners with numerous voluntary agencies to provide a wide range of crucial assistance to survivors who may have needs beyond what the state or federal assistance can provide. And this Veterans Day the agency would like to salute Team Rubicon, FEMA’s nearly 3,000 veteran employees, the thousands of veterans in the other federal agencies supporting the response and the more than 12,000 active duty, reserve and National Guard personnel who have been a part of Sandy response operations.

In honor of Veterans Day, Team Rubicon has been joined by volunteers from other veteran groups who have come together for a day of service. Some 1,000 veterans traveled to New York to support survivors as they recover from Sandy.  Representatives from Give an Hour, the 6th Branch, The Mission Continues, the Pat Tillman Foundation, the Headstrong Project, Got Your 6, Student Veterans of America, and Team Red, White, & Blue will be participating.

“A lot of times, people will see us out in the community and they will ask us how they can volunteer” says Andrew Stevens, Team Rubicon’s National Director of Field Operations. “Because of our organizational skills and experience in disaster relief, we’re able to put them to work right away.”

FEMA’s Voluntary Agency Liaison (VAL) works with state and local governments to establish volunteer reception centers. Unaffiliated volunteers who come to the centers are directed to one of the many voluntary organizations active in disaster relief efforts.  Other groups currently working with Sandy survivors in New York include the American Red Cross, the Salvation Army, the Southern Baptists, Adventist Community Services and other national and local voluntary organizations.

In addition to these organizations, individuals interested in volunteering time or donating money to help New Yorkers recover from Sandy can contact New York Cares at 212-228-5000 or NYC Service.

• Watch a video about Team Rubicon's disaster response and recovery efforts.

Michael Byrne is a FEMA Federal Coordinating Officer. 

President Barack Obama delivers Veterans Day remarks at the Memorial Amphitheater at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Va., Nov. 11, 2012. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

Today is Veterans Day, and President Obama, Vice President Biden, First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden travelled to Arlington National Cemetery to honor our nation’s fallen warriors, veterans and military families. Before President Obama gave remarks, they laid a wreath to “remember every service member who has ever worn our nation’s uniform.”

The President discussed our sacred duty to care for our men and women in uniform and their families, even after their military service has concluded.  

So long after the battles end, long after our heroes come home, we stay by their side.  That’s who we are.  And that’s who we’ll be for today’s returning service members and their families.  Because no one who fights for this country overseas should ever have to fight for a job, or a roof over their head, or the care that they have earned when they come home.   

We know the most urgent task many of you face is finding a new way to serve.  That’s why we’ve made it a priority to help you find jobs worthy of your incredible skills and talents.  That’s why, thanks to the hard work of Michelle and Jill Biden, some of our most patriotic businesses have hired or trained 125,000 veterans and military spouses.  It’s why we’re transforming, for the first time in decades, how the military transitions service members from the battlefield to the workplace.  And because you deserve to share in the opportunities you defend, we are making sure that the Post-9/11 GI Bill stays strong so you can earn a college education and pursue your dreams. 

President Obama says that it’s time for Congress to pass the middle class tax cuts for 98 percent of all Americans. Both parties agree that this will give 98 percent of families and 97 percent of small businesses the certainty that will lead to growth, and so there is no reason to wait. On Tuesday, the American people voted for compromise and action, and the President calls on Congress to come together in that spirit to help create jobs and strengthen our economy.

 Transcript  |  Download mp4  |  Download mp3

President Barack Obama, with Vice President Joe Biden, delivers a statement to the press on the economy, in the East Room of the White House, Nov. 9, 2012. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

There are 53 days left to find a solution that stops taxes from going up on 140 million American families and helps us reduce our nation's deficits in a smart and responsible way.

And that's what brought President Obama to the East Room of the White House this afternoon -- where he laid out his strategy for finding the right approach to move the country forward.

"I’m committed to solving our fiscal challenges," he said. "But I refuse to accept any approach that isn’t balanced. I am not going to ask students and seniors and middle-class families to pay down the entire deficit while people like me, making over $250,000, aren’t asked to pay a dime more in taxes. I'm not going to do that."

In the days and weeks ahead, the President plans to reach out to members of Congress, labor and business leaders, and citizens from all walks of life to gather ideas and input.

In fact, next week, he's invited leaders from both parties to come to the White House to begin discussing solutions. But he intends for those conversations to unfold with a minimal amount of drama.

"What the American people are looking for is cooperation," he said. "They're looking for consensus. They're looking for common sense. Most of all, they want action. I intend to deliver for them in my second term, and I expect to find willing partners in both parties to make that happen."

Watch the full video here. 

Yesterday’s announcement that President Obama will become the first U.S. President to visit Burma marks an historic step in the United States’ engagement with Burma. In the past year, since President Obama first noted “flickers of progress” in Burma – and since Secretary Clinton became the most senior U.S. official to visit since 1955 – we have seen continued progress on the road to democracy. Several opposition political parties have been permitted to register legally for the first time and their members – including Aung San Suu Kyi – have been elected to parliament. Restrictions on the press have been eased. Legislation has been enacted to expand the rights of workers to form labor unions, and to outlaw forced labor. The government has signed an action plan aimed at ridding its army of child soldiers; it has pledged to join the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) to help ensure that Burma’s natural wealth is not squandered to corruption; and it has announced fragile ceasefires in several longstanding ethnic conflicts.

Seeing these signs of progress, we have responded in kind, with specific steps to recognize the government’s efforts and encourage further reform. We have eased sanctions, appointed our first ambassador in 22 years, and opened a USAID mission. At the same time, we have also updated sanctions authorities that allow us to target those who interfere with the peace process or the transition to democracy, and we created a ground-breaking framework for responsible investment from the United States that encourages transparency and oversight.

Editor’s note: This post was originally published on the Fast Lane, the official blog of the U.S. Department of Transportation.

Despite the arrival of another storm last night, hurricane recovery efforts continue throughout the Northeast.  For DOT, this means working with state and local officials to help commuters get where they need to go and ensure families have access to housing and other resources they need.

For example, our Federal Highway Administration is working with our Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) and the American Association of State Highway Officials (AASHTO) to speed up permitting for carriers moving temporary mobile housing units from Maryland and Alabama to New Jersey.

Transporting temporary housing (Photo credit: U.S. Department of Transportation)

Under normal circumstances, carriers have to work with states to get permits from each state they travel through. In this instance, FHWA is coordinating with AASHTO to cut through some of the red tape and get all necessary permits at the same time. In addition, FHWA is also working with states to allow nighttime moves, which aren’t normally allowed.

This partnership will help people move into badly needed temporary housing even faster.

Working with the Department of Homeland Security, our Maritime Administration has provided FEMA with several nearby ships to provide lodging, food, and power for emergency response teams who have traveled to New York. 

Were you affected by Hurricane Sandy? As Small Business Administration Administrator Karen G. Mills explains, “Getting businesses and communities up and running after a disaster is our highest priority at SBA,” which is why the Small Business Administration has resources to help you rebuild your business or your home.

Businesses of any size, as well as homeowners and renters in areas within a disaster declaration (New York, New Jersey, or Connecticut),  may be eligible to apply for SBA disaster assistance.

Businesses and private non-profit organizations of any size may borrow funds to repair or replace disaster damaged or destroyed real estate, machinery and equipment, inventory, and other business assets, or to make improvements that lessen the risk of property damage by future disasters of the same kind. And Disaster loans are available for homeowners and renters to repair or replace disaster damaged or destroyed real estate or personal property. 

In this week’s address, President Obama thanks the brave first responders and National Guardsmen for their tireless work following one of the worst storms in our nation’s history, and reassures the millions of Americans affected by Hurricane Sandy that their country will be there for them during the long road to recovery. 

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