Author: WhiteHouse

04.15.10 06:13 PM

On Thursday, April 15, 2010, the President signed into law:
H.R. 4851, the “Continuing Extension Act of 2010,” which provides short-term extensions of several authorities, including those related to: (1) unemployment compensation; (2) COBRA health insurance premiums; (3) Medicare physician payments; (4) Federal poverty guidelines; (5) flood insurance programs; and (6) small business loan guarantee programs.

White House.gov Press Office Feed

04.16.10 04:39 AM

6:42 P.M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT: Thank you, everybody. Everybody have a seat. Everybody have a seat. Settle down here for a second. (Applause.) Oh, it is good to be back in Miami. (Applause.) It’s good to be back in the Sunshine State. I came to Florida today to visit NASA, lay out a bold new vision for America’s future in space. And I figured, hey, while I’m here — (laughter) — let’s beam down and visit some old friends in Miami. (Applause.)

Thank you, Tim Kaine, not only for the generous introduction but for the great job he is doing — (applause) — an unbelievable job as DNC chair, just like he did an unbelievable job as the governor of the great Commonwealth of Virginia.

Thank you to your vice chair, your own Debbie Wasserman Schultz. We love Debbie. (Applause.) We have in the house Florida’s next governor, Alex Sink. (Applause.) We’ve got Florida’s next CFO and one of the first people in Florida to stand up and endorse my campaign — Lorann Ausley is here as well. (Applause.) Somewhere around here is the next senator from the great state of Florida, Kendrick Meek. He’s here somewhere. There he is. (Applause.) Kendrick’s doing a great job.

I also want to point out a great friend of mine, a former member of my administration who just yesterday announced he is running for Congress in Florida’s 25th — Joe Garcia is in the house. Joe Garcia. (Applause.) So is Florida’s next agricultural commissioner, Scott Maddox. (Applause.) And a wonderful member of Congress from further up north, I don’t know if she came out, but she’s doing unbelievable work, so keep her in mind — Suzanne Kosmas. (Applause.) There’s Suzanne. There she is. She came out.

And thank you to the talented Esperanza Spalding. Isn’t she terrific? (Applause.) I love listening to Esperanza, she is wonderful.

I also want to thank all the leaders of the Haitian American community who are with us tonight. (Applause.) I think some of you know my political director, Patrick Gaspard, is from Haiti. (Applause.) And so through him we understood how much you’ve lost and how much you’ve given. And some of you know, I think, Michelle just took her first solo trip abroad as First Lady. Her first stop was to Haiti. (Applause.) The devastation moved her deeply, and she also saw, though, the resiliency and the resolve of the people. And that filled her with hope. And so I asked her to give the people of Haiti a message from me, which is the United States of America will continue to stand with the people of Haiti as they recover and they rebuild. That is something that we are committed to. (Applause.)

So it’s good to be among friends in Florida. I spent a lot of time here during our campaign. Many of you were on the frontlines, devoting your time, your energy, knocking on doors, making phone calls, arguing with people. (Laughter.) Most of all, affirming that unyielding faith in the promise of America. And so I want to thank you for being part of this journey. (Applause.)

In a time of incredible economic uncertainty, you believed that we could still make the American Dream accessible for everybody who was willing to work for it. And at a time of cynicism, you believed that we could still solve problems that had held us back for years, decades. At a time of great challenge, especially when we were challenged, you believed that change was still possible in the United States of America.

So, Miami, I’ve come back here to tell you tonight that we have kept the faith with those beliefs. We’ve begun to fix the problems that we identified during the campaign. The change you fought for is beginning to take hold in Washington and all across the country. (Applause.)

Now, change is never easy. I don’t know if you’ve noticed this. (Laughter.) People tend to be comfortable with the status quo, even when the status quo isn’t working for them. And the fact is that with all the turbulence that’s been taking place this year, for many Americans, change still can’t come fast enough. But I wanted people to understand what we were looking at when we first came into office: a financial crisis unlike any we had seen in generations; an economy that was bleeding 750,000 jobs a month; challenges that ranged from the specter of terrorism to the impacts of globalization to two wars that were costly in every sense of the word.

Before we could start healing, we had to stop the bleeding. We needed to make sure that an economic disaster did not become a full-blown depression. And some of those short-term steps designed to stabilize the economy, they weren’t popular. The Recovery Act, even though we gave tax cuts to everybody — (applause) — somehow got confused with the bank bailout. And then there was the auto thing, and everybody said, gosh, what’s Obama doing? (Laughter.) He’s not listening to the polls; this is unpopular.

But it turns out that there are some things that, shockingly enough, are more important than polls, more important that elections. (Applause.) The country was in trouble. We had to respond. We had to respond to the problems that were facing the American people with the same sense of urgency that they felt in their own lives. That was just over a year ago.

Now, we’ve still got a long way to travel. There’s still a lot of people hurting out there. You see them in your communities; you see them in your own family; maybe you see them in your own lives. But one year later, we can say that the financial system has stabilized. (Applause.) People have recouped a lot of what they had lost in their 401(k)s. We’ve seen that an economy that was contracting is now growing again. We were losing jobs; now we’re gaining jobs.

As far as the bank system goes, we recovered most of the money that it cost to stabilize it. (Applause.) And I proposed a fee on the nation’s biggest banks so that we recover every dime the taxpayers put into them. (Applause.)

So one year later we’ve made progress. The economy is growing again; the markets are rising again; America’s businesses are creating jobs again. One year later more than 2 million Americans, more than 100,000 Floridians are at work today who otherwise would not be there, because of the Recovery Act, because of what Debbie Wasserman Schultz did and Suzanne Kosmas did and Kendrick Meeks did. (Applause.)

And since today happens to be Tax Day — (laughter) — I should just point out that one third of the Recovery Act went to tax cuts — tax cuts that strengthened the cornerstone of the American Dream: working for a living, earning an education, owning a home, raising a family. We cut taxes for 95 percent of working Americans, just like I promised we would on the campaign. (Applause.) That made a difference for 7 million families in Florida alone. We cut taxes on small businesses. We cut taxes for students and parents paying for college. We cut taxes for first-time homebuyers, more than 128,000 here in Florida. In all, we passed 25 different tax cuts last year. And one thing we haven’t done is raise income taxes on families making less than $250,000 a year — another promise that we kept. (Applause.)

So I’ve been a little amused over the last couple of days where people have been having these rallies about taxes. (Laughter.) You would think they would be saying thank you. (Laughter.) That’s what you’d think. (Applause.)

So we’re headed in the right direction on our road to recovery. But the true measure of our progress is the progress that the American people feel in their lives — and there’s still a lot of hurt out here. Too many folks still out of work. That’s why we’re doing everything we can in the short term to accelerate private sector job creation. But here’s the thing, Miami, if we want our economy to fuel job creation in the long term, if we want to grow in the way that brings the middle class along for the ride, then we need to rebuild it on a new and a stronger foundation for growth. And that’s what we’ve been doing. We’re working to give every American the world-class education they need to compete and win in the global economy. (Applause.) Every child in America.

We launched a national competition to improve our schools. We took on the special interests, and with the help of Debbie and Suzanne and Kendrick, we reformed the school loan system — $68 billion that was going to banks is now going to students and families to help pay for their education. (Applause.) So we’re making college education more affordable and more accessible.

We’ve made the largest investment in clean and renewable energy in our nation’s history — (applause) — because there are factories to reopen and assembly lines to restart and workers ready to build wind turbines and solar panels and advanced batteries for the new electric cars, right here in America. The nation that leads the clean energy economy will lead the 21st century economy. And I believe that America has to be that nation. And that’s what we’re going to fight for. (Applause.)

And Miami, for the sake of our families and businesses, and with your help, we finally passed comprehensive health reform right here in the United States of America. (Applause.) We did it thanks to Debbie, thanks to Suzanne, and thanks to Kendrick, and thanks to you. As my Vice President said, this is a big deal. (Laughter and applause.) Joe’s got a way with words. And he was right. It’s a big deal. (Applause.)

I mean, think about what we accomplished here. This reform is the strongest, most sweeping insurance reform in history. It will begin to end the worst practices of the insurance industry. It cuts the deficit by over $1 trillion — (applause) — puts in place all sorts of reforms that are going to make sure that we are getting better-quality health care for less money, and it’s going to finally offer millions of families and small business owners quality, affordable care and the security and peace of mind that comes with it — a lot of people for the very first time in their lives. (Applause.)

So for all the sound and fury and all the scare tactics, here’s what you need about health care reform. The law doesn’t hand more control to the government. It doesn’t hand more control to health insurance companies. It gives it back to you, the American people. (Applause.) This law doesn’t weaken Medicare; it strengthens it and extends its life almost by a decade. This law doesn’t increase our deficits; it’s going to reduce them — more than $100 billion over the next decade, over $1 trillion the decade after that.

And there’s an array of consumer protection and benefits that take effect this year. I just want to list some of these off just in case you’re having a conversation with your coworker or friend. (Laughter.) I know you’ve had some of those conversations.

This year, seniors who fall into the doughnut hole coverage gap will receive $250 to help them pay for their prescriptions, and that begins a pathway where we are closing that doughnut hole completely so that seniors have the coverage they need and the security they need for their prescription drug coverage. (Applause.) This year, millions of small business owners will be eligible for tax credits to cover the cost of ensuring their employees — this year. (Applause.) This year, 10,000 — tens of thousands of uninsured Americans with a preexisting condition and parents with children with preexisting conditions will finally be able to purchase the coverage they need. (Applause.) This year, insurance companies can’t drop you when you get sick. (Applause.) This year, insurance companies can’t apply lifetime limits on your coverage. (Applause.) These are big deals for families all across America.

Now, this reform is not perfect. There are going to be adjustments that we’re going to have to make. This is going to take a few years to fully implement, because we’ve got the responsibility to get it right.

But when you turn on the television, you’ve got pundits saying that the country is still divided on health care; it’s not universally popular yet. Folks, I want to repeat what I said in Maine: It’s only been a couple weeks. (Applause.) You know, sometimes the way they cover stuff in Washington — I was talking about how the way they cover a farm, you know. You’d be up there tilling the soil, and the press would look, and, “Look, the dirt’s all messed up!” (Laughter.) And then you’d put the seeds in and pack it down. And next morning they’d come up, “There are no crops! It’s not working! We’re going to starve!” (Laughter and applause.) Let me tell you.

And then you’ve got — then you have some of my Republican friends who were warning that after health care — this was going to be Armageddon. (Laughter.) Wanted to repeal health reform before the signature was even dry.

So I went to NASA today and I asked some of the guys. I said, are asteroids coming? (Laughter.) Are you sending Bruce Willis and Ben Affleck out to –- (laughter.) They told me, America is going to be okay. (Laughter.)

And for those Republicans and folks who are on the “repeal” platform, my attitude is, go for it. I’ll have that fight. We’ll have that argument. (Applause.) We’ll take that argument across the country. If they want to let kids — if they want to let kids be barred from getting insurance because of preexisting conditions, we can have that discussion. They want to take back tax cuts from small businesses who want to do the right thing by their employees, I’m happy to have that argument. They want to allow insurance companies to take away your insurance right when you get sick and need it most, I’m happy to have that debate. Are they really willing to look that senior in the eye and say, we’re not going to help you afford that medicine? Well, they may — (laughter and applause) — but I tell you what, if they do it, I don’t think they’re going to get a very good response. (Applause.) I don’t think they’re going to look a small business owner in the eye and take away their tax credits or say that your son can’t have health care after all; too bad, tough luck, you’re on your own.

Look what happened the other day, just north of here. Ted Deutch — (applause) — won the first congressional election since health reform passed. Now, look, I mean, let’s not get too excited, it’s a Democratic district. (Laughter.) But to listen to the Republicans, they were warning over and over again this would be a referendum on health care; this is a referendum on the Recovery Act; this is a referendum on Obama. Well, maybe it was. (Laughter and applause.) I’m just listening to them.

AUDIENCE: Obama! Obama! Obama!

THE PRESIDENT: Here’s what I think, Miami. Here’s what I think. I think if we stay true to our principles, if we do what’s right for the American people, then elections will take care of themselves. (Applause.) You know, I noticed — this was one of the great things about running for President — especially for two years — (laughter) — is it gives you a little perspective because you realize that these things go in cycles, the mood of the media and how things get portrayed. And so you’re like a genius for about a month and then you’re an idiot for about six months. (Laughter.) Then, you know, you’re smart again for — you’re not as smart as you were, but you’re a little smarter than they thought you were, then you’re an idiot again. (Laughter.)

But what it shows you is that you can’t hyperventilate about the day-to-day politics and the gamesmanship and the polls. What you’ve got to focus on is that true North, that lodestar, which is, are the things we’re doing over the long term going to help not just this generation but the next generation? Is this going to make America stronger? Is it going to help the economy grow? Is it going to help equip our children to compete in a new economy?

There are always going to be issues that Democrats and Republicans don’t see eye to eye on. That’s how our democracy works. I have to say, though, it’s one thing to disagree out of principle. It’s another to stand in the way simply because of politics. And too often that’s been what’s going on. (Applause.) And we had — we had Republican leaders who made a decision even before I took office — now, this is their quote, so I’m not making this up — who just said, you know, we’re not going to work with the Obama administration on the most important issues facing the American people.

A few weeks into my presidency I went to the Capitol to meet with some of my Republican friends on the House to talk about what were we going to do about this economy plunging into disaster. It turned out there was a press release issued before I got to the meeting saying they had already decided to vote against it. They didn’t know what “it” was, but they were going to oppose it. (Laughter.)

Early in the health care debate a Republican senator said, if we are able to stop Obama on this it will be his Waterloo, it will break him. When it comes to fiscal responsibility — these are the folks who inherited this massive surplus from Bill Clinton and the Democrats, right? (Applause.) So they conveniently forget when they’re in charge that they turned this massive surplus into massive deficits, voting for two tax cuts for the wealthy that weren’t paid for, two wars, a new entitlement program — paid for none of it. Suddenly we’re in and they’ve got the green visors out and they’re sharpening the pencils — (laughter) — and they’re deficit hawks again. Blamed me for all of it. I walked in with a $1.3 trillion deficit. Suddenly it’s mine. It’s a sight to see. (Laughter.)

So I said, okay, I’m President, I’m going to take responsibility for it. I embrace a Republican idea — we’re going to create a bipartisan fiscal commission to help us close the deficit. What happened? Some of the same folks who had proposed the idea — they were sponsors of the bill — suddenly they’re against it. (Laughter.)

So I’m sensing a pattern. (Laughter and applause.) So somebody has got to tell them, you talk and you share ideas first, then you can say no. You don’t say no first. (Laughter.)

So, not surprisingly, people are frustrated with Washington. But if folks spent less time trying to score points and more time thinking about the needs and the hopes of the American people, imagine all that we could accomplish together. (Applause.) I know this may be heresy to say in front of a crowd like this, at an event like this — but there are more important things than political party. (Applause.)

So I’m going to keep on reaching out to Republicans. I’m going to keep on incorporating good ideas when they have them — even if they refuse to consider my good ideas — because there is a lot that we should be able to agree on. We should be able to agree on rebuilding our economy so that hard work is rewarded and families feel like they’ve got a shot at achieving the American Dream again. This is more than just an economic challenge because jobs are more than about a paycheck. It’s about feeling a job well done, the sense of self-worth and dignity, the fulfillment of meeting one’s responsibilities. (Applause.) We’ve got to think creatively and collaboratively if we want to put America back to work in well-paying jobs.

We should all agree we’ve got to close our mounting deficits. I take this very seriously. Even as we’ve had to spend our way out of this recession in the near term, helping people with unemployment insurance and their health insurance needs, and helping states so they’re not having to lay off teaches and cops and firefighters — we’ve still been making hard choices necessary to put our country on a more stable fiscal footing in the long run.

But we’re going to face more tough choices ahead, and we’ve got to work on them together. We should all agree that we’ve got to pass common-sense Wall Street reform that prevents the kind of situation that led us into this crisis in the first place and damaged the dreams of millions of Americans. (Applause.)

Now, it’s no surprise that the financial institutions that profit from the status quo have sent hordes of lobbyists to kill reform. It’s like throwing a piece of meat into a piranha tank — they’re going to race to see how fast they can tear it apart. But we can’t allow them to succeed. Every member of Congress is soon going to have to make a decision; they’re going to have to make a choice. And the choice is going to be very simple between special interests and the American people. (Applause.) If you want the status quo where banks are able to take wild risks to pump up their bonuses and leave you footing the bill when things go south — that’s one option. I don’t think it’s the right one. And there’s going to be a very clear choice to make. I believe that all of us, Democrat and Republican, can find some common ground here.

So the bottom line is we’ve come a long way to go — we’ve come a long way this past year, but we’ve got a long way to go. We’ve got a lot of work left to do. Times are still tough for too many of our fellow Americans. But here’s what I want you to remember. America has endured tough times before — tougher times than these, even. And we always come out of them stronger. We always come out of them smarter, we always come out more united. And Miami, I’m convinced that if we keep at it, if we see this through, if we shun the cynics, if we heed the better angels of our nature, if we look beyond the next election, do what’s right for the next generation, then we’re going to meet our common challenges and we are going to finish what we’ve started. We are going to keep the promise and hope of America alive for this generation and for the next generation and every generation after that. (Applause.) And we’re only going to do it because of you guys and the incredible work that you’re doing each and every day.

Thank you. I love you. God bless you and God bless the United States of America. (Applause.)

END
7:11 P.M. EDT

White House.gov Press Office Feed

04.16.10 06:58 AM

Department of the Interior
Washington, D.C.

10:17 A.M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT: Thank you, everybody. Thank you so much. Thank you. Please, everybody have a seat. Thank you.

It is a great privilege to join [you] for this conference on America’s Great Outdoors. There are a number of people that obviously I want to acknowledge here who have worked tirelessly to move this agenda forward. At the top of our list, our Secretary of the Interior — who I believe is going to be one of the best Secretaries of Interior in American history — Ken Salazar, who has just fully embraced this issue, we’re thrilled with the work he’s done. Thank you. Thank you, Ken. (Applause.)

Secretary Tom Vilsack, Administrator Lisa Jackson, Nancy Sutley — all have been part of what we call our “green team,” and are consistently providing creative ideas to make sure that we understand that conservation is not contrary to economic growth, it is an integral part of economic growth. And they have just done a fabulous job on that so please give them a big round of applause. (Applause.)

We have my outstanding NOAA Administrator, Dr. Jane Lubchenco. We have Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works, Jo-Ellen Darcy. Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Installations and the Environment, Dr. Dorothy Robyn. And in the audience, if I’m not mistaken, we’ve got some luminaries. Is Governor Bill Richardson in the house? There he is — from New Mexico, a great conservationist. (Applause.) Former Secretary of the Interior, Secretary Bruce Babbitt is here. (Applause.) One of the finest young mayors in the country, Mayor Cory Booker. (Applause.) And to all the outstanding members of Congress who have been so diligent in promoting a conservation agenda.

Now, I am mindful that the first such conference was held over one century ago by one of my favorite Presidents, one of our greatest Presidents — and certainly our greatest conservation President. Upon taking office, Theodore Roosevelt –- avid birdwatcher, bear hunter –- set out on a tour of the American West that would change his life and the life of a nation forever.

He stood in awe of the geysers at Yellowstone. He camped in a snow blizzard at Yosemite. He stood on the lip of the Grand Canyon. “The ages have been at work on it,” he declared. “Man can only mar it.”

And from that sense of commitment sprang five national parks, 18 national monuments, 51 federal bird reservations, and 150 national forests. From that commitment sprang an effort to save the great Redwoods of California and the Petrified Forest of Arizona, the great bird rocks of the Aleutian Islands and the Tongass of Alaska. From that commitment sprang a breathtaking legacy of conservation that still enhances our lives.

Now, that legacy is an extraordinary achievement -– and no matter how long I have the privilege of serving as President, I know I can never match it. And I will probably never shoot a bear. (Laughter.) That’s a fair bet there, fair guess. (Laughter.) But I do intend to enrich that legacy, and I feel an abiding bond with the land that is the United States of America.

I do, for the same reasons that all of you do; for the same reason families go outside for a picnic or campers spend a night in a national park, and sportsmen track game through the woods or wade deep into a river. It’s a recognition passed down from one generation to the next, that few pursuits are more satisfying to the spirit than discovering the greatness of America’s outdoors.

And when we see America’s land, we understand what an incredible bounty that we have been given. And it’s our obligation to make sure that the next generation enjoys that same bounty.

That recognition has been a touchstone of this presidency thanks to the outstanding leadership of Ken Salazar and Secretary Vilsack and Lisa Jackson and Nancy Sutley. They have done extraordinary work.

Last year, I signed into law a public lands bill –- the most significant in decades -– that designated 2 million acres of wilderness, over 1,000 miles of wild and scenic rivers, and three national parks. We better protected cherished places like Oregon’s Mount Hood. We’re taking a new approach to our National Forests to make sure they’re not just providing timber for lumber companies, but water and jobs for rural communities. We are restoring our rivers and coasts, from the Chesapeake Bay to the Gulf Coast, from the Great Lakes to the Everglades.

So, yes, we are working faithfully to carry on the legacy of Teddy Roosevelt in the 21st century. But we also know that we must adapt our strategies to meet the new challenges of our time. Over the last century, our population grew from about 90 million to 300 million people, and as it did, we lost more and more of our natural landscape to development. Meanwhile, a host of other factors –- from a changing climate to new sources of pollution -– have put a growing strain on our wildlife and our waters and our lands.

So rising to meet these challenges is a task and an obligation, but it’s one that government cannot and should not meet alone. There are roughly 1,600 privately run land trusts in this country that have protected over 10 million acres through voluntary efforts. And by working with farmers and ranchers and landowners, the Department of Agriculture’s Conservation Reserve Program has protected over 30 million acres, and its Natural Resource Conservation Service -– a service that is 75 years old this year –- has protected almost 3 million more. So together, we are conserving our working lands in a way that preserves the environment and protects local communities.

And that’s the kind of collaborative spirit at the heart of the America’s Great Outdoors Initiative that we’re launching today. In the months ahead, members of this administration will host regional listening sessions across America. We’ll meet with everybody — from tribal leaders to farmers, from young people to businesspeople, from elected officials to recreation and conservation groups. And their ideas will help us form a 21st century strategy for America’s great outdoors to better protect our natural landscape and our history for generations to come.

Understand, we’re not talking about a big federal agenda being driven out of Washington. We’re talking about how we can collect best ideas on conservation; how we can pursue good ideas that local communities embrace; and how we can be more responsible stewards of tax dollars to promote conservation.

First, we’re going to build on successful conservation efforts being spearheaded outside of Washington -– by local and state governments, by tribes, and by private groups -– so we can write a new chapter in the protection of rivers, wildlife habitats, historic sites, and the great landscapes of our country.

Secondly, we’re going to help farmers, ranchers, property owners who want to protect their lands for their children and their grandchildren.

Third, we’ll help families spend more time outdoors, building on what the First Lady has done through the “Let’s Move” initiative to encourage young people to hike and bike and get outside more often.

And fourth, we want to foster a new generation of community and urban parks so that children across America have the chance to experience places like Millennium Park in my own Chicago.

We’re launching this strategy because it’s the right thing to do -– because, as TR said, we must not mar the work of the ages. But we’re also doing it because it’s the right thing to do for our economy. It’s how we’re going to spur job creation in the tourism industry and the recreation industry. It’s how we’ll create jobs preserving and maintaining our forests, our rivers, our great outdoors.

In a time of great difficulty, when we are recovering from the worst recession in generations, and waging two wars abroad, some may ask whether now is the time to reaffirm our commitment to our national heritage. But I want everybody to recall, it was in the midst of civil war that Abraham Lincoln set aside lands that are now Yosemite. It was in midst of a great depression that FDR formed the Civilian Conservation Corps that built the trails and campgrounds and parks we enjoy today.

Even in times of crisis, we’re called to take the long view to preserve our national heritage –- because in doing so we fulfill one of the responsibilities that falls to all of us as Americans, and as inhabitants of this same small planet. And that is the responsibility that we are rising to meet today.

So thank you all for the outstanding work that you’re doing individually. I look forward to the work that you’re going to be doing collectively and advising this administration. Thank you. God bless you. God bless the United States of America. (Applause.)

END
10:28 A.M. EDT

White House.gov Press Office Feed

04.15.10 04:30 PM

2:43 P.M. PDT

MRS. OBAMA: Thank you, everyone. Thank you so much. It is — (applause) — thank you, guys. (Applause.) All right, you all are crazy. (Laughter.)

I am just delighted to be here. I can’t tell you — as much as I love living in Washington, there is nothing that I love better than getting out of Washington — (laughter) — particularly when it means coming to such a beautiful community with such energy and passion. So I am happy to be here.

I want to start by thanking Rosa for her wonderful introduction, for her terrific leadership in community service. We are so very proud of you. Let’s give her a big hand. (Applause.) Thank you, Rosa.

And I just want to also acknowledge a few people, as well. I’m honored to be joined by the Lieutenant Governor — it’s so good to see you, thank you for your work — as well as the State Controller. Wonderful to see you. Thank you so much for taking the time to be here.

I know that the mayor had to leave, but I want to thank he and his wife for being here. I know that the one thing I heard over there, when I was touring the plots — more land! (Applause.) More land. (Applause.) But he’s done a terrific job, and I just want to thank all the city officials here for making this visit wonderful. To all of the elected officials who are here, thank you for your work, your leadership, your energy.

I want to thank Bob Montgomery and Amy Lint from the New Roots Community Farm. Yay! (Applause.) They’re doing a fabulous job, and proud of their work, and full of the kind of energy that you need to get this thing going.

And I want to again acknowledge the 14 community leaders who are here, the Building Healthy Community partners who are representing all segments of this state. Don’t let Dr. Ross use that picture as any kind of leverage. (Laughter.) You get the picture and hassle him when you need to, right? (Laughter.) I know they will.

We are just proud of the work that you’re doing. And I know that everyone could not be here, but I know that you’ll send back my excitement, my gratitude, and just assure them that we’re supporting the work that they’re doing. It is a model for the nation, for the world. So thank you. Thank you so much. (Applause.)

And finally, I want to thank my dear friend, Dr. Bob Ross and — (applause) — yes, yes — (applause) — as well as all the folks from the California Endowment who have joined us today. Thank you so much. Thank you. We’ve been plotting this for a little bit, right? (Laughter.) He’s been such a wonderful partner.

For more than 30 years, as a pediatrician, a professor, a public health administrator, and an advocate, Dr. Ross has worked tirelessly to give all of our kids the kind of healthy start that they deserve. He has been a tremendous asset not just to the state of California but to this nation.

And no matter how he’s served, Dr. Ross has always had a knack for bringing people together — that’s been his MO — hospitals, non-profits, businesses, elected officials, you name it –- bringing people together constantly to tackle some of the toughest public health challenges that we face here in our country.

So I think it’s fitting that we’re all here today and that he’s leading the charge to take on yet another challenge. And it is one, as you know, that I care about deeply not just because I’m the First Lady, but I am a mother of beautiful children. (Applause.) When I look at children, I see my kids. And I know that we have to work now to start to curb the epidemic of childhood obesity in this nation.

We all know that this phenomenon is relatively recent. It is not something that has been a challenge for us all this time. This is a new issue, because as I said time and time again, back when we were growing up, we naturally led reasonably healthy lives. It’s just the way we had to function. It kept us healthier than we could imagine.

Most of us lived in communities and went to schools in our communities, so we walked to school. So if nothing else, you were getting exercise just walking to and from school. Everyone had recess and gym. It was not an option; it was mandatory. No one liked it. Some of us did it, but you had to do it. And that also gave us a sense of movement that we’d lost. And at home, we had some pretty simple rules, particularly at dinner. You ate what was put before you, period. No choices, no options, no discussion. And if you didn’t, you just went to bed hungry. (Laughter.) We all know that. My mother pretends like she didn’t apply those rules, but she did. (Laughter.)

And many kids today aren’t so fortunate. For many kids, those walks to school have been replaced by car or bus rides because it’s either not safe or they’re going to schools that are far away. School budget cuts mean the so-called “extras” like P.E. and recess are often the first things that go, meaning that our kids are doing a lot less running around during the day, and they’re living and existing in a more sedentary life. And the truth is, is that parents are busy and struggling and working hard, many of them working multiple jobs. That is just the truth. People are working harder than ever. And oftentimes the cost of fresh fruits and vegetables, they keep going up, so many families can’t afford to purchase the foods that they know that they need.

And it is unfair to look to families and tell them to do something better for their children that they can’t afford or don’t have access to. So today, many parents really feel like the deck is stacked against them. They want to do the best for their kids. All of us do — parents, grandparents, all of us.

But it just seems like the odds are against us. They know their children’s health is their responsibility, but sometimes they feel like the whole issue is just out of their control. They’re trying to do the right thing, but they’re bombarded by contradictory information at every turn –- and they don’t really know who or what to believe. Labels are tough to work through. And sometimes what we prepared when we were young have a different impact physically on our children today.

So that’s why, two months ago, we launched the “Let’s Move!” campaign. (Applause.) And we launched it with the help of so many partners. As you know, this is a nationwide campaign with one single but very ambitious goal, and that’s to solve the problem of childhood obesity in a generation so that children born today grow up at a healthy weight with a different set of habits and a different set of beliefs about how to live their lives.

As part of this initiative, we’ve issued a call to action to get things going all throughout the nations — nation.

And we’re working with so many different groups. We’re working with pediatricians, and food manufacturers, with the FDA to give parents the information they need to make healthy decisions for their kids. And we’ve created a Web site, letsmove.gov, to help provide those helpful tips, step-by-step strategies that parents need to get on the right track to eat well and to stay fit.
We’re working to get healthier food into our schools. This is an important initiative. Most of our kids these days are getting a lot of their calories at school, and by strengthening legislation that supports our federal school meal programs, we can go a long way to changing the eating habits of our children. (Applause.)
And we’re also working with several major food suppliers to get them to do their part — to decrease sugar, fat and salt not just in school meals but in all the foods that we eat, and to increase fruits, vegetables and whole grains. And we’re getting them to think about how they market to our kids, as well.
One important goal in this initiative is we’re working to eliminate “food deserts.” And you all know what “food deserts” are — communities that don’t have access to any fresh produce or grocery stores. There are so many of them that exist throughout this country. Millions of children are living in “food deserts.” And our goal is to completely eliminate those by bringing grocery stores and farmers markets into underserved areas so that our families have access to the kind of healthy food, the affordable food, that they’re going to need. And there are many examples in communities around this country, showing how they’re bringing these resources back into communities.
And finally we cannot forget the whole key to “Let’s Move,” and that’s moving. (Laughter.) We have to get our kids moving again. And we’re revamping the President’s physical fitness challenge. That’s coming up. We’re going to be working with professional athletes from dozens of sports leagues to inspire kids to stay physically fit and active. So if you see me hula hooping and jumping around like I’m crazy, I am. (Laughter.) But it’s a lot of fun, and, you know, it just shows that parents taking the lead, doing simple things with their kids, jumping around, dancing, sweating, turning on music, can make a big difference in their lives.
But we’ve also known from the very beginning that the solution to our childhood obesity crisis isn’t going to just come from Washington. I have talked to a lot of experts about this issue, and not a single one of them has said that the answer is to have federal government telling people what to do. That never works.
Instead, as I’ve traveled across this country, one thing that has become very clear is that we already have many of the solutions to childhood obesity right at our fingertips. There are so many communities in this country that are doing some innovative things. And our goal is to find those folks in those communities who are already running some of the most innovative and creative and effective programs out there, and to do our job to highlight those successes and to share those successes so that they become models for the rest of the country and perhaps even the rest of the world.
And that’s why just last week we hosted a summit at the White House for members of our childhood obesity task force so that they could gather with experts around the country and get some new ideas from all across the country. We heard from doctors about the role of prenatal care in determining a child’s health. We can’t underestimate that as an important factor.
We heard from teachers about the need for schools and suppliers to think about how the food that’s — that are served are, again, marketed to kids. That’s the key: How are we talking to our children and our parents about healthy eating?
And we also heard from community advocates about the creative ways that our cities and towns are transforming urban environments into oases for growing fresh fruits and vegetables, just like we’re doing here.
That’s why a new foundation, The Partnership for a Healthier America, was created –- to help support these kind of efforts. This foundation is really key to this movement. It’s going to serve as an independent, non-partisan player that’s going to mobilize and continue to coordinate businesses, foundations, state and local governments, community leaders, the media and others to help with the key goals that come out of the task force for “Let’s Move!”
And it’s no surprise that the California Endowment signed right on board to be a beginning player in this foundation. (Applause.) The Partnership is designed to do just what the Endowment has been doing for years, so it makes sense that they’ve been such an important partner. The goal is to address problems at their root and help folks around the country turn good ideas into something bigger. That’s what the California Endowment is trying to do. That’s the mission of this partnership.
And today, I’m pleased that the California Endowment is once again leading the way with their new plan to create healthier, more active communities all across this state with this fabulous new “Building Healthy Communities” initiative that’s based on a simple idea –- that healthy children come from a place; a place that is a healthy community.
If a family lives in a neighborhood with a grocery store nearby, it is simple — they’re more likely to put fresh fruits and vegetables on the table because they’ll have access to it. If there’s safe, inviting parks down the street, parents are going to be more likely to let their kids play. They’re going to be more likely to go to that park with them and enjoy being outdoors. And if our environment is clean and pollution-free, children are less likely to get sick, being outside, and they’re more likely to spend time outside. These are not complicated principles.
But this isn’t just about good ideas and good intentions. It’s about serious investments that make a lasting difference for our kids. And that is why the California Endowment is investing $1 billion -– that’s billion with a “b” –- (applause) — pretty amazing — in these 14 California communities across this state to support people and programs that will help our kids lead active, healthy lives right from the beginning. So you all have a lot of money. And that’s good. (Laughter.) That’s really, really good. It’s never enough; it isn’t. And that’s the point. Money alone won’t do it. But money is an important first start.
The investments that will be made will go to folks like Dennis and Michelle Mineni. Did I pronounce that right? Are they here? They’re not here. But they run the Merced Flea and Farmers Market. They’ve run it for more than 10 years. And Dennis and Michelle, I understand, are working with the state to ensure that their customers can use food stamps to buy fresh produce at much lower prices than at supermarkets or convenience stores. (Applause.) That’s something that we’ve heard throughout this campaign. We have to make sure that everyone has access to farmers markets. This initiative that Michelle and Dennis are promoting is an example of the right thing to do that’s already happening.
The Endowment is also investing in people like the students from Chula Vista who realized that the park that they played in growing up was now too dangerous for other kids to use. So what did they do? They worked with local leaders to fix up that park. And now it’s cleaner and busier than ever before, and now they’re ready to move on to the next park. That’s what our young people are doing. (Applause.)
The Endowment is also investing in people like the teachers from Willard Intermediary School in Santa Ana who turned the school’s old wood shop into a fitness center and are now working to combine gym class and science classes, which is something that we can do — exercise and learning, go figure, they go hand in hand — teaching students about heart rate and exercise science through personalized fitness programs.
And the Endowment is also investing in people like the farmers here today. The stories of these farmers are amazing. A group of refugees from around the world who founded the New Roots Community Farm right here in City Heights, it is just a phenomenal initiative. (Applause.) And what it shows is that although these farmers come from different corners of the globe, they all recognized a common problem right here in America as they have immigrated: that for many refugees like themselves, tight budgets and the lack of supermarkets often meant that folks were skipping fresh fruits and vegetables in their diets and settling for fast food. That’s — that has been the natural trend — transition. And that’s what’s happened to many of us. And as a result, many recent immigrants were suffering from high cholesterol and high blood pressure, diseases that they were not dealing with before, migrating here.
So the folks here today got to work. They saw this problem, they understood the connection, and they got to work. And after organizing and speaking out and raising money, they broke ground on the garden. And along with other farmers from places like Somalia, and Uganda, and Kenya, and Cambodia, and Vietnam, Mexico and Guatemala, and many, many more places, they have come together. (Applause.)
And at first, they weren’t sure whether people from so many different backgrounds and cultures would get along farming -– especially since the garden only had two hoses, I understand, when it started, to share and the farmers often didn’t speak the same language.
But day by day, and little by little, neighbors started sharing their vegetables. They started exchanging recipes. They started losing weight. And they started recognizing the hopes and dreams they all held in common, just through a plot of land and some vegetables — these hopes to make a home for themselves here in this country; and to keep their families healthy at the same time; and to give their kids a better life. Simple values. Simple shared values. And together, what they proved is that food is truly the universal language of this planet.
And that’s what “Let’s Move!” and the Building Healthy Communities initiative is really all about. It’s about giving people the tools that they need to make healthy choices for themselves and for their families. It’s about realizing that the best ideas don’t come from Sacramento or Washington, DC, but they come from communities large and small all across this country. And it’s about recognizing the simple truth that giving our children a healthy future starts one person, one family, one community at a time.
You truly are doing extraordinary work. It is a privilege for me to be able to come here with all the press to highlight what is going on in this simple plot of land. This is what we need to be doing in communities all across the country. And the truth is the world is watching these efforts. We’re not alone in these struggles. This is happening. These changes in diets and health are happening in communities across the globe. And through your effort and your leadership, your coordination, your vision, your determination, we’re beginning, step by step, to find the solutions that are going to make sure that all of these kids behind us have the kind of future that we want for them.
So thank you. We’re so proud of you. And it is an honor for me to be here. Thank you so much. And thank you to the Endowment. (Applause.)

END
3:03 P.M. PDT

White House.gov Press Office Feed

04.16.10 07:51 AM

On this occasion, we remember the day in 1862 when President Lincoln freed the enslaved people of Washington, DC – nine months before he issued the Emancipation Proclamation. I am proud that an original copy of that document now hangs in the Oval Office, and we remain forever grateful as a nation for the struggles and sacrifices of those Americans who made that emancipation possible.

Americans from all walks of life are gathering in Washington today to remind members of Congress that although DC residents pay federal taxes and serve honorably in our armed services, they do not have a vote in Congress or full autonomy over local issues. And so I urge Congress to finally pass legislation that provides DC residents with voting representation and to take steps to improve the Home Rule Charter.

White House.gov Press Office Feed

04.16.10 07:23 AM

MEMORANDUM FOR THE SECRETARY OF THE INTERIOR
THE SECRETARY OF AGRICULTURE
THE ADMINISTRATOR OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL
PROTECTION AGENCY
THE CHAIR OF THE COUNCIL ON ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY

SUBJECT: A 21st Century Strategy for America’s Great Outdoors

Americans are blessed with a vast and varied natural heritage. From mountains to deserts and from sea to shining sea, America’s great outdoors have shaped the rugged independence and sense of community that define the American spirit. Our working landscapes, cultural sites, parks, coasts, wild lands, rivers, and streams are gifts that we have inherited from previous generations. They are the places that offer us refuge from daily demands, renew our spirits, and enhance our fondest
memories, whether they are fishing with a grandchild in a favorite spot, hiking a trail with a friend, or enjoying a family picnic in a neighborhood park. They also are our farms, ranches, and forests — the working lands that have fed and sustained us for generations. Americans take pride in these places, and share a responsibility to preserve them for our children and grandchildren.

Today, however, we are losing touch with too many of the places and proud traditions that have helped to make America special. Farms, ranches, forests, and other valuable natural resources are disappearing at an alarming rate. Families are spending less time together enjoying their natural surroundings. Despite our conservation efforts, too many of our fields are becoming fragmented, too many of our rivers and streams are becoming polluted, and we are losing our connection to the parks, wild places, and open spaces we grew up with and cherish. Children, especially, are spending less time outside running and playing, fishing and hunting, and connecting to the outdoors just down the street or outside of town.

Across America, communities are uniting to protect the places they love, and developing new approaches to saving and enjoying the outdoors. They are bringing together farmers and ranchers, land trusts, recreation and conservation groups, sportsmen, community park groups, governments and industry, and people from
all over the country to develop new partnerships and innovative programs to protect and restore our outdoors legacy. However, these efforts are often scattered and sometimes insufficient. The Federal Government, the Nation’s largest land manager, has a responsibility to engage with these partners to help develop a conservation agenda worthy of the 21st Century. We must look to the private sector and nonprofit organizations, as well as towns, cities, and States, and the people who live and work in them, to identify the places that mean the most to Americans, and leverage the support of the Federal Government to help these community-driven efforts to succeed. Through these partnerships, we will work to connect these outdoor spaces to each other, and to reconnect Americans to them.

For these reasons, it is hereby ordered as follows:

Section 1. Establishment.

(a) There is established the America’s Great Outdoors Initiative (Initiative), to be led by the Secretaries of the Interior and Agriculture, the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Chair of the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) and implemented in coordination with the agencies listed in section 2(b) of this memorandum. The Initiative may include the heads of other executive branch departments, agencies, and offices (agencies) as the President may, from time to time, designate.

(b) The goals of the Initiative shall be to:

(i) Reconnect Americans, especially children, to America’s rivers and waterways, landscapes of national significance, ranches, farms and forests, great parks,
and coasts and beaches by exploring a variety of efforts, including:

(A) promoting community-based recreation and conservation, including local parks, greenways, beaches, and waterways;

(B) advancing job and volunteer opportunities related to conservation and outdoor recreation; and

(C) supporting existing programs and projects that educate and engage Americans in our history, culture, and natural bounty.

(ii) Build upon State, local, private, and tribal priorities for the conservation of land, water, wildlife, historic, and cultural resources, creating corridors and connectivity across these outdoor spaces, and for enhancing neighborhood parks; and determine how the Federal Government can best advance those priorities through public private partnerships and locally supported conservation strategies.

(iii) Use science-based management practices to restore and protect our lands and waters for future generations.

Sec. 2. Functions. The functions of the Initiative shall include:

(a) Outreach. The Initiative shall conduct listening and learning sessions around the country where land and waters are being conserved and community parks are being established in innovative ways. These sessions should engage the full range of interested groups, including tribal leaders, farmers and ranchers, sportsmen, community park groups, foresters, youth groups, businesspeople, educators, State and local governments, and recreation and conservation groups. Special attention
should be given to bringing young Americans into the conversation. These listening sessions will inform the reports required in subsection (c) of this section.

(b) Interagency Coordination. The following agencies shall work with the Initiative to identify existing resources and align policies and programs to achieve its goals:

(i) the Department of Defense;

(ii) the Department of Commerce;

(iii) the Department of Housing and Urban Development;

(iv) the Department of Health and Human Services;

(v) the Department of Labor;

(vi) the Department of Transportation;

(vii) the Department of Education; and

(viii) the Office of Management and Budget (OMB).

(c) Reports. The Initiative shall submit, through the Chair of the CEQ, the following reports to the President:

(i) Report on America’s Great Outdoors. By November 15, 2010, the Initiative shall submit a report that includes the following:

(A) a review of successful and promising nonfederal conservation approaches;

(B) an analysis of existing Federal resources and programs that could be used to complement those approaches;

(C) proposed strategies and activities to achieve the goals of the Initiative; and

(D) an action plan to meet the goals of the Initiative.

The report should reflect the constraints in resources available in, and be consistent with, the Federal budget. It should recommend efficient and effective use of existing resources, as well as opportunities to leverage nonfederal public and private resources and nontraditional conservation programs.

(ii) Annual reports. By September 30, 2011, and September 30, 2012, the Initiative shall submit reports on its progress in implementing the action plan developed pursuant to subsection (c)(i)(D) of this section.

Sec. 3. General Provisions.

(a) This memorandum shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of any necessary appropriations.

(b) This memorandum does not create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.

(c) The heads of executive departments and agencies shall assist and provide information to the Initiative, consistent with applicable law, as may be necessary to carry out the functions of the Initiative. Each executive department and agency shall bear its own expenses of participating in the Initiative.

(d) Nothing in this memorandum shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect the functions of the Director of the OMB relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.

(e) The Chair of the CEQ is authorized and directed to publish this memorandum in the Federal Register.

BARACK OBAMA

White House.gov Press Office Feed

04.15.10 02:15 PM

WASHINGTON – Today, President Barack Obama announced his intent to nominate the following individual to a key administration post:

William J. Boarman, Public Printer of the United States President Obama also announced his intent to appoint Michael Marshall to be the Alternate Federal Co-Chair for the Delta Regional Authority. His bio is below.

President Obama said, “Bill and Mike bring with them a depth of experience, and I am confident they will serve ably in their new roles. I look forward to working with them in the months and years ahead.”

President Obama announced his intent to nominate the following individual to a key administration post:

William J. Boarman, Nominee for Public Printer of the United States
William J. Boarman is President of the Printing, Publishing & Media Workers Sector of the Communications Workers of America (CWA), and the Senior Vice President of CWA. Mr. Boarman has been associated with the printing industry, its labor relations and personnel management for over 40 years starting with his four-year apprenticeship at McArdle Printing in Washington, D.C., succeeding to Journeyman Printer (Practical Printer by Trade) in 1971. In 1974 Mr. Boarman accepted an appointment as Printer to GPO. In 1977, Mr. Boarman took a leave of absence from GPO to serve in various elected posts within the International Typographical Union, which merged with CWA in 1987. He is chairman of the CWA/ITU Negotiated Pension Plan, a multi-employer defined benefit pension plan with assets of $1 billion; President of the International Allied Printing Trades Association; and President of the Union Printers Home, a 122-bed skilled nursing facility in Colorado Springs, CO. Mr. Boarman served three terms as co-chair of the Council of Institutional Investors (CII) and as the first-ever public member of the Maryland Commission on Judicial Disabilities.

President Obama also announced his intent to appoint the following individual to a key administration post:

Michael Marshall, Appointee for Alternate Federal Co-Chair, Delta Regional Authority
Mike Marshall is a farm manager and past President of First State Bank & Trust of Sikeston, Missouri with 30 years in the banking industry. For thirteen years, he served as a Commissioner on the Southeast Missouri Regional Port Authority where he was involved in a cooperative effort with federal, state, and the private sectors to increase the import-export volume to over 1 million tons per year. Mr. Marshall has worked on specific infrastructure projects such as the Sikeston Northern Interchange Project and the Tri-state Mississippi River Bridge Summit which includes Southeast Missouri, Southern Illinois, and Western Kentucky. In 2003, Marshall was elected as Mayor of Sikeston, and during his term he established a Land Clearance and Redevelopment Authority. He also served as President of the Sikeston Chamber of Commerce.

White House.gov Press Office Feed

04.15.10 03:29 PM

MEMORANDUM FOR THE SECRETARY OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

SUBJECT: Respecting the Rights of Hospital Patients to Receive Visitors and to Designate Surrogate Decision Makers for Medical Emergencies

There are few moments in our lives that call for greater compassion and companionship than when a loved one is admitted to the hospital. In these hours of need and moments of pain and anxiety, all of us would hope to have a hand to hold, a shoulder on which to lean — a loved one to be there for us, as we would be there for them.

Yet every day, all across America, patients are denied the kindnesses and caring of a loved one at their sides — whether in a sudden medical emergency or a prolonged hospital stay. Often, a widow or widower with no children is denied the support and comfort of a good friend. Members of religious orders are sometimes unable to choose someone other than an immediate family member to visit them and make medical decisions on their behalf. Also uniquely affected are gay and lesbian Americans who are often barred from the bedsides of the partners with whom they may have spent decades of their lives — unable to be there for the person they love, and unable to act as a legal surrogate if their partner is incapacitated.

For all of these Americans, the failure to have their wishes respected concerning who may visit them or make medical decisions on their behalf has real onsequences. It means that doctors and nurses do not always have the best information about patients’ medications and medical histories and that friends and certain family members are unable to serve as intermediaries to help communicate patients’ needs. It means that a stressful and at times terrifying experience for patients is senselessly compounded by indignity and unfairness. And it means that all too often, people are made to suffer or even to pass away alone, denied the comfort of companionship in their final moments while a loved one is left worrying and pacing down the hall.

Many States have taken steps to try to put an end to these problems. North Carolina recently amended its Patients’ Bill of Rights to give each patient "the right to designate visitors who shall receive the same visitation privileges as the patient’s immediate family members, regardless of whether the visitors are legally related to the patient" — a right that applies in every hospital in the State. Delaware, Nebraska, and Minnesota have adopted similar laws.

My Administration can expand on these important steps to ensure that patients can receive compassionate care and equal treatment during their hospital stays. By this memorandum, I request that you take the following steps:

1. Initiate appropriate rulemaking, pursuant to your authority under 42 U.S.C. 1395x and other relevant provisions of law, to ensure that hospitals that participate in Medicare or Medicaid respect the rights of patients to designate visitors. It should be made clear that designated visitors, including individuals designated by legally valid advance directives (such as durable powers of attorney and health care proxies), should enjoy visitation privileges that are no more restrictive than those that immediate family members enjoy. You should also provide that participating hospitals may not deny visitation privileges on the basis of race, color, national
origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability. The rulemaking should take into account the need for hospitals to restrict visitation in medically appropriate circumstances as well as the clinical decisions that medical professionals make about a patient’s care or treatment.

2. Ensure that all hospitals participating in Medicare or Medicaid are in full compliance with regulations, codified at 42 CFR 482.13 and 42 CFR 489.102(a), promulgated to guarantee that all patients’ advance directives, such as durable powers of attorney and health care proxies, are respected, and that patients’ representatives otherwise have the right to make informed decisions regarding patients’ care. Additionally, I request that you issue new guidelines, pursuant to your authority under 42 U.S.C. 1395cc and other relevant provisions of law, and provide technical assistance on how hospitals participating in Medicare or Medicaid can best comply with the regulations and take any additional appropriate measures to fully enforce the regulations.

3. Provide additional recommendations to me, within 180 days of the date of this memorandum, on actions the Department of Health and Human Services can take to address hospital visitation, medical decisionmaking, or other health care issues that affect LGBT patients and their families.

This memorandum is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.

You are hereby authorized and directed to publish this memorandum in the Federal Register.

BARACK OBAMA

White House.gov Press Office Feed

04.15.10 05:08 PM

“In these tough economic times, it is more critical than ever to bring relief to Americans who are working every day to find a job, and families that are struggling to make ends meet. Millions of Americans who lost their jobs in this economic crisis depend on unemployment and health insurance benefits to get by as they look for work and get themselves back on their feet. I’m grateful that the House and Senate moved forward on this temporary extension today. But as I requested in my budget, I urge Congress to move quickly to extend these benefits through the end of this year. I also urge Congress to move forward on legislation to help small businesses grow and hire and other measures to increase the pace of job growth. This is my top priority, and I will fight day and night until every American who wants a good job has one.”

White House.gov Press Office Feed

04.15.10 01:48 PM

Michelle and I were saddened to hear of the passing of Dr. Benjamin L. Hooks. As I was running for this office, I had the honor of spending some time with Dr. Hooks, and hearing about his extraordinary place in our American story. For 16 years, he led the NAACP with a strong hand and a nimble mind. And all the while, he not only reminded us of that historic organization’s noble mission; he inspired each and every one of us to play our part in forging a stronger nation for all Americans. While many would have been satisfied with that achievement, Dr. Hooks was a man driven to accomplish so much more. A true trailblazer, he served as the first African American criminal court judge in his native Tennessee. He became the first African American to serve on the Federal Communications Commission. He earned the Presidential Medal of Freedom. And throughout it all, he made the time to serve others as a mentor and preach the Gospel as a pastor.

Our national life is richer for the time Dr. Hooks spent on this Earth. And our union is more perfect for the way he spent it: giving a voice to the voiceless. Michelle and I offer our thoughts and prayers to his wife, Frances; his daughter, Patricia Gray; and all who knew Dr. Hooks through his extraordinary good works.

White House.gov Press Office Feed

04.15.10 12:46 PM

“Today’s bipartisan Committee vote is an important step forward in our effort to create jobs, save consumers money, and increase energy efficiency. In my State of the Union Address and in the months since, I have called on Congress to pass a program of incentives to homeowners who make their homes more energy efficient. The Home Star legislation approved today would do just that – providing consumers with up-front rebates on investments in things like insulation, heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems and windows that have been proven to save energy. This proposal is not a Democratic or Republican idea: it’s a common sense strategy to help put Americans back to work while giving American consumers a break. I want to thank the members of Congress from both parties that have worked to support this legislation, as well as their colleagues in the Senate who are working to promote Home Star legislation. I look forward to working with Congress to get this bill to my desk without delay.”

White House.gov Press Office Feed

04.15.10 11:03 AM

12:46 P.M. EDT

MR. BURTON: All right, so, a couple things here before start.

Q Sorry, Bill, can you try to speak louder?

MR. BURTON: You bet. Tomorrow the President will host a meeting of the President’s Economic Recovery Advisory Board — also known as PERAB — at the White House to discuss a range of economic issues, including job creation and the President’s proposal to double the number of exports over the next five years. He will discuss with PERAB members the urgent need to pass strong financial reform legislation and the momentum behind reform efforts currently in the Senate. He will specifically address the steps we must take to strengthen oversight of derivatives, the same financial products that led to the near collapse of AIG, warning that the problems of the future will rest on the steps we take to address derivatives now.

Q Who’s on that board, Bill, do you know?

MR. BURTON: Well, I can get you a full list of it. It includes —

Q So who’s going to be at the White House?

MR. BURTON: Wolf will be there, Robert Wolf. I mean, it’s — I’ll get you a full list. Thanks for digging me on a question I didn’t know. (Laughter.)

So, some notes on what we’ve got going today. On the plane is Senator Bill Nelson, Representative Kosmas, Buzz Aldrin, John Holdren, NASA Administrator Charlie Bolden. Mona is along for the ride.

Q Who?

MR. BURTON: Mona Sutphen.

Q Oh.

Q Who’s the person you said before Bolden?

MR. BURTON: Before Bolden? Buzz Aldrin. Astronaut. American hero.

Before the speech, the President will tour a commercial rocket facility, where we’ll see a Falcon 9 rocket, which is scheduled to lift off next month. Then we’ll go on to the event. It will be about 200 — there will be about 200 leaders in space; members of Congress; workers. And the President will outline his bold and ambitious space initiative.

Then we’ll go on to — oh, and the members who will be there include Bill Nelson and Kosmas, of course, and Representatives Bill Posey, Sheila Jackson Lee, and Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz.* And then this evening in Miami we’ve got a private — a fundraiser in a private home, and then — be about 100 people — and then another at 6:30 p.m. at the arts center, which will be about 800 people.

Q Are those both DNC?

MR. BURTON: Yes. Actually, I’m not 100 percent sure. I’m almost certain, but let me double-check that for you.

Q What was the question?

MR. BURTON: If it was DNC. Just want to make sure it’s not joint or something like that — mislead you.

Q Both DNC.

Q Schedule said DNC.

Q Could you talk about the evolution of the bold space plan?

MR. BURTON: Well, this is something that was done in consultation with leaders in space, members of Congress; obviously the President’s advisors on science. And the President feels that he’s come to a program that will create more innovation for our country, that will create more jobs than the trajectory we’re currently on, and there will be more [astronauts in space].

Q Was there a feeling when the budget came out that you needed to add a little more specifics —

MR. BURTON: Well, obviously there’s a process that we go through, and in consultations with members of Congress what we were able to do is find ways that we could improve upon the plan, take a look at some of the programs that worked and that didn’t work, like with the Constellation program, use the things that were working, and do away with the things that weren’t.

So the President thinks that his plan is the right one.

Q Are there going to be any specifics, any additional specifics announced today beyond what you’ve already put out?

MR. BURTON: I wouldn’t anticipate a lot more in the way of specifics. You’ll get some fact sheets that help to flesh out some of the details, but that will be about it.

Q Can I just go back to the PERAB stuff real quick? Will the President be making public remarks? And forgive me if I missed that.

MR. BURTON: You didn’t miss that. We’ll probably — the coverage plans are still being determined. They may have determined them since we took off, but —

Q It’s not like we’re expecting the President to talk about derivatives in front of the cameras?

MR. BURTON: I think that you can expect that the President is going to make remarks in some fashion or another, be it at a pool spray or something else. When we land I’ll check on what the latest is and make sure you know.

Q Given some of the concerns about NASA cuts and the proposals, does the President feel like he needs to make any sort of — do any convincing today? And what sort of — what does he anticipate from the crowd?

MR. BURTON: Well, the President’s view is that every time we put out a new policy, especially when we’re changing course to some extent, it requires a lot of explanation. So you can bet that the President is going to be — explain it in detail why we made the — why he made the decisions that he made and why we didn’t take other directions.

The space program that was in place when he came into office had made some determinations about the direction of our nation’s space policies that the President thought could be refined and moved in a different direction. So, yes, he’ll be explaining that.

And then also I think that folks in Florida and people who are a part of this space program all over the country obviously have a lot at stake here. And, you know, take for example the decision that was made six years ago to end the shuttle program. As a result of that, a lot of people are going to lose their jobs.

What the President will talk about today is the $40 million fund that he has to help train those workers and help them transition into other ways of work. Obviously that’s not a lot of solace for someone who’s losing their job, but he’s serious about making sure that these Americans get back to work.

I would also point you to a story in the Orlando Sentinel today that gives a sense of what kind of reaction we might get, and I think that, if you look at the headline, that this program gives some hope to the people of Florida about the direction of space. I think that that answers your question about the reception.

Q Will the audience contain any of those workers who are concerned about their jobs, may be losing jobs?

MR. BURTON: I don’t know specifically what workers will be there, but you probably will have a chance to talk to some of them.

Q I’m just curious who he — how he selected who he’s addressing. And if part of this is to try to explain what he’s doing, will the audience itself include some of the people that have most at stake?

MR. BURTON: Yes, there certainly will be workers from the Kennedy Space Center who will be there. I don’t know if specifically there are going to be workers who are going to be losing their jobs or transitioning to something else, but you’ll be able to see them when we get there.

Q Does Florida politics come into play here?

MR. BURTON: I think what — the President’s view is that good policy is good politics. So what he did was he talked to experts, he talked to the people that he trusts on these issues, and he came up with what he thought was the best plan. And he’s convinced that the people of Florida and the folks who are really interested in our space program are going to see the truth, which is that it is the best direction for the space program.

Q Sally Ride, in her essay that you all distributed, talks about how the Constellation never really captured the public’s imagination. Is he going to have something for the public’s imagination today?

MR. BURTON: I’ll let you be the judge of that, but I’ve taken a look at the remarks and I certainly think so.

Q Can you comment on the thing in Iceland, the volcano, with all the flight cancellations, whether the President will still travel to Poland?

MR. BURTON: Sure. It’s something that we’re keeping an eye on. Right now our schedule is still on. We have every intention of making it to Poland. I talked to some of the folks in the Air Force before I came back here and they feel confident that we’ll be able to make that trip. But it’s something we’re watching and obviously cognizant of.

Q And then China’s decision to I guess divest some U.S. Treasury bonds — what’s your reaction to that?

MR. BURTON: I’m not going to get into a matter like that here, but I would refer you to the Department of Treasury where you can probably get some more information about what their view of that is.

Anybody else? All right. Thanks, guys.

Q Thank you, Bill.

END
12:55 P.M. EDT

*Senator Nelson, Representative Kosmas, and Sheila Jackson Lee will be at Kennedy Space Center. Representatives Kosmas and Debbie Wasserman Schultz will be in Miami.

White House.gov Press Office Feed

04.15.10 12:00 PM

John F. Kennedy Space Center
Merritt Island, Florida

2:55 P.M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT: Thank you, everybody. Thank you. (Applause.) Thank you so much. Thank you, everybody. Please have a seat. Thank you.

I want to thank Senator Bill Nelson and NASA Administrator Charlie Bolden for their extraordinary leadership. I want to recognize Dr. Buzz Aldrin as well, who’s in the house. (Applause.) Four decades ago, Buzz became a legend. But in the four decades since he’s also been one of America’s leading visionaries and authorities on human space flight.

Few people — present company excluded — can claim the expertise of Buzz and Bill and Charlie when it comes to space exploration. I have to say that few people are as singularly unimpressed by Air Force One as those three. (Laughter.) Sure, it’s comfortable, but it can’t even reach low Earth orbit. And that obviously is in striking contrast to the Falcon 9 rocket we just saw on the launch pad, which will be tested for the very first time in the coming weeks.

A couple of other acknowledgments I want to make. We’ve got Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee from Texas visiting us, a big supporter of the space program. (Applause.) My director, Office of Science and Technology Policy — in other words my chief science advisor — John Holdren is here. (Applause.) And most of all I want to acknowledge your congresswoman Suzanne Kosmas, because every time I meet with her, including the flight down here, she reminds me of how important our NASA programs are and how important this facility is. And she is fighting for every single one of you and for her district and for the jobs in her district. And you should know that you’ve got a great champion in Congresswoman Kosmas. Please give her a big round of applause. (Applause.)

I also want to thank everybody for participating in today’s conference. And gathered here are scientists, engineers, business leaders, public servants, and a few more astronauts as well. Last but not least, I want to thank the men and women of NASA for welcoming me to the Kennedy Space Center, and for your contributions not only to America, but to the world.

Here at the Kennedy Space Center we are surrounded by monuments and milestones of those contributions. It was from here that NASA launched the missions of Mercury and Gemini and Apollo. It was from here that Space Shuttle Discovery, piloted by Charlie Bolden, carried the Hubble Telescope into orbit, allowing us to plumb the deepest recesses of our galaxy. And I should point out, by the way, that in my private office just off the Oval, I’ve got the picture of Jupiter from the Hubble. So thank you, Charlie, for helping to decorate my office. (Laughter.) It was from here that men and women, propelled by sheer nerve and talent, set about pushing the boundaries of humanity’s reach.

That’s the story of NASA. And it’s a story that started a little more than half a century ago, far from the Space Coast, in a remote and desolate region of what is now called Kazakhstan. Because it was from there that the Soviet Union launched Sputnik, the first artificial satellite to orbit the Earth, which was little more than a few pieces of metal with a transmitter and a battery strapped to the top of a missile. But the world was stunned. Americans were dumbfounded. The Soviets, it was perceived, had taken the lead in a race for which we were not yet fully prepared.

But we caught up very quick. President Eisenhower signed legislation to create NASA and to invest in science and math education, from grade school to graduate school. In 1961, President Kennedy boldly declared before a joint session of Congress that the United States would send a man to the Moon and return him safely to the Earth within the decade. And as a nation, we set about meeting that goal, reaping rewards that have in the decades since touched every facet of our lives. NASA was at the forefront. Many gave their careers to the effort. And some have given far more.

In the years that have followed, the space race inspired a generation of scientists and innovators, including, I’m sure, many of you. It’s contributed to immeasurable technological advances that have improved our health and well-being, from satellite navigation to water purification, from aerospace manufacturing to medical imaging. Although, I have to say, during a meeting right before I came out on stage somebody said, you know, it’s more than just Tang — and I had to point out I actually really like Tang. (Laughter.) I thought that was very cool.

And leading the world to space helped America achieve new heights of prosperity here on Earth, while demonstrating the power of a free and open society to harness the ingenuity of its people.

And on a personal note, I have been part of that generation so inspired by the space program. 1961 was the year of my birth — the year that Kennedy made his announcement. And one of my earliest memories is sitting on my grandfather’s shoulders, waving a flag as astronauts arrived in Hawaii. For me, the space program has always captured an essential part of what it means to be an American — reaching for new heights, stretching beyond what previously did not seem possible. And so, as President, I believe that space exploration is not a luxury, it’s not an afterthought in America’s quest for a brighter future — it is an essential part of that quest.

So today, I’d like to talk about the next chapter in this story. The challenges facing our space program are different, and our imperatives for this program are different, than in decades past. We’re no longer racing against an adversary. We’re no longer competing to achieve a singular goal like reaching the Moon. In fact, what was once a global competition has long since become a global collaboration. But while the measure of our achievements has changed a great deal over the past 50 years, what we do — or fail to do — in seeking new frontiers is no less consequential for our future in space and here on Earth.

So let me start by being extremely clear: I am 100 percent committed to the mission of NASA and its future. (Applause.) Because broadening our capabilities in space will continue to serve our society in ways that we can scarcely imagine. Because exploration will once more inspire wonder in a new generation — sparking passions and launching careers. And because, ultimately, if we fail to press forward in the pursuit of discovery, we are ceding our future and we are ceding that essential element of the American character.

I know there have been a number of questions raised about my administration’s plan for space exploration, especially in this part of Florida where so many rely on NASA as a source of income as well as a source of pride and community. And these questions come at a time of transition, as the space shuttle nears its scheduled retirement after almost 30 years of service. And understandably, this adds to the worries of folks concerned not only about their own futures but about the future of the space program to which they’ve devoted their lives.

But I also know that underlying these concerns is a deeper worry, one that precedes not only this plan but this administration. It stems from the sense that people in Washington — driven sometimes less by vision than by politics — have for years neglected NASA’s mission and undermined the work of the professionals who fulfill it. We’ve seen that in the NASA budget, which has risen and fallen with the political winds.

But we can also see it in other ways: in the reluctance of those who hold office to set clear, achievable objectives; to provide the resources to meet those objectives; and to justify not just these plans but the larger purpose of space exploration in the 21st century.

All that has to change. And with the strategy I’m outlining today, it will. We start by increasing NASA’s budget by $6 billion over the next five years, even — (applause) — I want people to understand the context of this. This is happening even as we have instituted a freeze on discretionary spending and sought to make cuts elsewhere in the budget.

So NASA, from the start, several months ago when I issued my budget, was one of the areas where we didn’t just maintain a freeze but we actually increased funding by $6 billion. By doing that we will ramp up robotic exploration of the solar system, including a probe of the Sun’s atmosphere; new scouting missions to Mars and other destinations; and an advanced telescope to follow Hubble, allowing us to peer deeper into the universe than ever before.

We will increase Earth-based observation to improve our understanding of our climate and our world — science that will garner tangible benefits, helping us to protect our environment for future generations.

And we will extend the life of the International Space Station likely by more than five years, while actually using it for its intended purpose: conducting advanced research that can help improve the daily lives of people here on Earth, as well as testing and improving upon our capabilities in space. This includes technologies like more efficient life support systems that will help reduce the cost of future missions. And in order to reach the space station, we will work with a growing array of private companies competing to make getting to space easier and more affordable. (Applause.)

Now, I recognize that some have said it is unfeasible or unwise to work with the private sector in this way. I disagree. The truth is, NASA has always relied on private industry to help design and build the vehicles that carry astronauts to space, from the Mercury capsule that carried John Glenn into orbit nearly 50 years ago, to the space shuttle Discovery currently orbiting overhead. By buying the services of space transportation — rather than the vehicles themselves — we can continue to ensure rigorous safety standards are met. But we will also accelerate the pace of innovations as companies — from young startups to established leaders — compete to design and build and launch new means of carrying people and materials out of our atmosphere.

In addition, as part of this effort, we will build on the good work already done on the Orion crew capsule. I’ve directed Charlie Bolden to immediately begin developing a rescue vehicle using this technology, so we are not forced to rely on foreign providers if it becomes necessary to quickly bring our people home from the International Space Station. And this Orion effort will be part of the technological foundation for advanced spacecraft to be used in future deep space missions. In fact, Orion will be readied for flight right here in this room. (Applause.)

Next, we will invest more than $3 billion to conduct research on an advanced “heavy lift rocket” — a vehicle to efficiently send into orbit the crew capsules, propulsion systems, and large quantities of supplies needed to reach deep space. In developing this new vehicle, we will not only look at revising or modifying older models; we want to look at new designs, new materials, new technologies that will transform not just where we can go but what we can do when we get there. And we will finalize a rocket design no later than 2015 and then begin to build it. (Applause.) And I want everybody to understand: That’s at least two years earlier than previously planned — and that’s conservative, given that the previous program was behind schedule and over budget.

At the same time, after decades of neglect, we will increase investment — right away — in other groundbreaking technologies that will allow astronauts to reach space sooner and more often, to travel farther and faster for less cost, and to live and work in space for longer periods of time more safely. That means tackling major scientific and technological challenges. How do we shield astronauts from radiation on longer missions? How do we harness resources on distant worlds? How do we supply spacecraft with energy needed for these far-reaching journeys? These are questions that we can answer and will answer. And these are the questions whose answers no doubt will reap untold benefits right here on Earth.

So the point is what we’re looking for is not just to continue on the same path — we want to leap into the future; we want major breakthroughs; a transformative agenda for NASA. (Applause.)

Now, yes, pursuing this new strategy will require that we revise the old strategy. In part, this is because the old strategy — including the Constellation program — was not fulfilling its promise in many ways. That’s not just my assessment; that’s also the assessment of a panel of respected non-partisan experts charged with looking at these issues closely. Now, despite this, some have had harsh words for the decisions we’ve made, including some individuals who I’ve got enormous respect and admiration for.

But what I hope is, is that everybody will take a look at what we are planning, consider the details of what we’ve laid out, and see the merits as I’ve described them. The bottom line is nobody is more committed to manned space flight, to human exploration of space than I am. (Applause.) But we’ve got to do it in a smart way, and we can’t just keep on doing the same old things that we’ve been doing and thinking that somehow is going to get us to where we want to go.

Some have said, for instance, that this plan gives up our leadership in space by failing to produce plans within NASA to reach low Earth orbit, instead of relying on companies and other countries. But we will actually reach space faster and more often under this new plan, in ways that will help us improve our technological capacity and lower our costs, which are both essential for the long-term sustainability of space flight. In fact, through our plan, we’ll be sending many more astronauts to space over the next decade. (Applause.)

There are also those who criticized our decision to end parts of Constellation as one that will hinder space exploration below [sic] low Earth orbit. But it’s precisely by investing in groundbreaking research and innovative companies that we will have the potential to rapidly transform our capabilities — even as we build on the important work already completed, through projects like Orion, for future missions. And unlike the previous program, we are setting a course with specific and achievable milestones.

Early in the next decade, a set of crewed flights will test and prove the systems required for exploration beyond low Earth orbit. (Applause.) And by 2025, we expect new spacecraft designed for long journeys to allow us to begin the first-ever crewed missions beyond the Moon into deep space. (Applause.) So we’ll start — we’ll start by sending astronauts to an asteroid for the first time in history. (Applause.) By the mid-2030s, I believe we can send humans to orbit Mars and return them safely to Earth. And a landing on Mars will follow. And I expect to be around to see it. (Applause.)

But I want to repeat — I want to repeat this: Critical to deep space exploration will be the development of breakthrough propulsion systems and other advanced technologies. So I’m challenging NASA to break through these barriers. And we’ll give you the resources to break through these barriers. And I know you will, with ingenuity and intensity, because that’s what you’ve always done. (Applause.)

Now, I understand that some believe that we should attempt a return to the surface of the Moon first, as previously planned. But I just have to say pretty bluntly here: We’ve been there before. Buzz has been there. There’s a lot more of space to explore, and a lot more to learn when we do. So I believe it’s more important to ramp up our capabilities to reach — and operate at — a series of increasingly demanding targets, while advancing our technological capabilities with each step forward. And that’s what this strategy does. And that’s how we will ensure that our leadership in space is even stronger in this new century than it was in the last. (Applause.)

Finally, I want to say a few words about jobs. Suzanne pointed out to me that the last time I was here, I made a very clear promise that I would help in the transition into a new program to make sure that people who are already going through a tough time here in this region were helped. And despite some reports to the contrary, my plan will add more than 2,500 jobs along the Space Coast in the next two years compared to the plan under the previous administration. So I want to make that point. (Applause.)

We’re going to modernize the Kennedy Space Center, creating jobs as we upgrade launch facilities. And there’s potential for even more jobs as companies in Florida and across America compete to be part of a new space transportation industry. And some of those industry leaders are here today. This holds the promise of generating more than 10,000 jobs nationwide over the next few years. And many of these jobs will be created right here in Florida because this is an area primed to lead in this competition.

Now, it’s true — there are Floridians who will see their work on the shuttle end as the program winds down. This is based on a decision that was made six years ago, not six months ago, but that doesn’t make it any less painful for families and communities affected as this decision becomes reality.

So I’m proposing — in part because of strong lobbying by Bill and by Suzanne, as well as Charlie — I’m proposing a $40 million initiative led by a high-level team from the White House, NASA, and other agencies to develop a plan for regional economic growth and job creation. And I expect this plan to reach my desk by August 15th. (Applause.) It’s an effort that will help prepare this already skilled workforce for new opportunities in the space industry and beyond.

So this is the next chapter that we can write together here at NASA. We will partner with industry. We will invest in cutting-edge research and technology. We will set far-reaching milestones and provide the resources to reach those milestones. And step by step, we will push the boundaries not only of where we can go but what we can do.

Fifty years after the creation of NASA, our goal is no longer just a destination to reach. Our goal is the capacity for people to work and learn and operate and live safely beyond the Earth for extended periods of time, ultimately in ways that are more sustainable and even indefinite. And in fulfilling this task, we will not only extend humanity’s reach in space — we will strengthen America’s leadership here on Earth.

Now, I’ll close by saying this. I know that some Americans have asked a question that’s particularly apt on Tax Day: Why spend money on NASA at all? Why spend money solving problems in space when we don’t lack for problems to solve here on the ground? And obviously our country is still reeling from the worst economic turmoil we’ve known in generations. We have massive structural deficits that have to be closed in the coming years.

But you and I know this is a false choice. We have to fix our economy. We need to close our deficits. But for pennies on the dollar, the space program has fueled jobs and entire industries. For pennies on the dollar, the space program has improved our lives, advanced our society, strengthened our economy, and inspired generations of Americans. And I have no doubt that NASA can continue to fulfill this role. (Applause.) But that is why — but I want to say clearly to those of you who work for NASA, but to the entire community that has been so supportive of the space program in this area: That is exactly why it’s so essential that we pursue a new course and that we revitalize NASA and its mission — not just with dollars, but with clear aims and a larger purpose.

Now, little more than 40 years ago, astronauts descended the nine-rung ladder of the lunar module called Eagle, and allowed their feet to touch the dusty surface of the Earth’s only Moon. This was the culmination of a daring and perilous gambit — of an endeavor that pushed the boundaries of our knowledge, of our technological prowess, of our very capacity as human beings to solve problems. It wasn’t just the greatest achievement in NASA’s history — it was one of the greatest achievements in human history.

And the question for us now is whether that was the beginning of something or the end of something. I choose to believe it was only the beginning.

So thank you. God bless you. And may God bless the United States of America. Thank you. (Applause.)

END
3:21 P.M. EDT

White House.gov Press Office Feed

04.14.10 04:35 PM

Earlier today, the Vice President visited the Polish Embassy in Washington, DC, to sign the condolence book for President Lech Kaczynski, First Lady Maria Kaczynska and all those who lost their lives in the tragic plane crash last Saturday in Russia.

Below is the text of the Vice President’s condolence note:

"It is with a heavy heart that I write these words. I had the honor and privilege of knowing President Kaczynski – recently having been with him in Poland as we worked out the new missile defense agreement.
His loss and the loss of Mrs. Kaczynski along with so many dedicated servants of the Polish people is almost too much to ask the Polish people to endure – but endure you will as you always have.
Please know that I am an admirer of all that is Polish – and that you can count on my country and all Americans to continue to stand with you.
With deep sympathy.
Joe Biden"

To view a photograph of the Vice President signing the condolence book at the Polish Embassy, please click HERE.

White House.gov Press Office Feed

04.14.10 04:38 PM

Earlier today, the Vice President met with Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili at the White House. The Vice President thanked President Saakashvili for Georgia’s substantial contribution to the international effort in Afghanistan, with its battalion serving alongside United States’ troops in Afghanistan’s Helmand Province. The Vice President reiterated the United States’ support for Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. The Vice President encouraged President Saakashvili’s efforts to strengthen Georgia through democratic and economic reforms designed to ensure stability and prosperity. They discussed the deep and abiding friendship between the people of the United States and Georgia based on the shared values of democracy, freedom and respect for human rights.

White House.gov Press Office Feed

04.15.10 06:06 AM

The following essay penned by Dr. Jill Biden will be featured in the April 23 issue of The Chronicle of Higher Education, and can be found online HERE.

Community Colleges: Our Work Has Just Begun
Jill Biden

I have been a teacher for almost three decades and a community-college instructor for the past 16 years. Last spring, President Obama asked me to increase awareness about one of the best-kept secrets of higher education: the very sizable and valuable contribution of community colleges. Since then I have been visiting colleges around the country and reporting back to the president about their challenges, innovations, and ideas. This issue is a priority for the Obama-Biden administration. We are committed to making community colleges better and more accessible to students across this nation.

The passage of the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 was a substantial victory for community colleges. The final legislation does not contain everything our administration had proposed, but it does include one of the most significant new federal investments in higher education, and in community colleges, since the GI Bill was introduced, over 60 years ago.

Pell Grants had been threatened with a 60-percent funding decrease, but we stabilized the Pell program and ensured that such grants would increase with inflation. The Pell Grant victory will put money in the pockets of millions of full- and part-time community-college students, helping them pay for tuition, books, supplies, and living expenses. This increase in financial aid is coupled with the recently expanded Opportunity Tax Credit, which provides students a tax credit of up to $2,500 per year for up to four years to offset higher-education expenses, including a partial credit for those who owe no taxes. It also sets up income-based repayment of student loans, capping loan repayments at rates based on income and family size. As a lifelong teacher, I am particularly pleased that income-based repayment helps those who choose public-service careers. Graduates who work as teachers, nurses, or in other public-service professions—and those who serve in the military—can have their loans forgiven after 10 years.

The reconciliation bill also sets aside $2-billion ($500-million per year over four years) to develop and improve educational and training programs at community colleges. Throughout the nation, community colleges will receive funds to help them serve students more effectively, and to help form partnerships with regional industry clusters so that graduates will be prepared to excel in the local work force.

This administration’s commitment to community colleges is a long-term one. The president has asked me to convene a national summit on community colleges in the fall. We will bring college presidents, instructors, and advocates together with business leaders and other stakeholders to share best practices and successful models for helping students gain the knowledge, training, certificates, and degrees needed to succeed. This will be a working summit, a setting where we can shine a spotlight on community colleges, highlight their utility to families and communities across the nation, nurture more collaboration, and generate additional policy ideas and goals for student success. As a community-college instructor, I am thrilled to be leading this summit and truly pleased to have the support of the administration.

Over the past 16 years, I have seen firsthand the power of community colleges to change lives. And that is, in large part, why I never really considered the possibility of not teaching at a community college after we moved to Washington last year. Since then I have been privileged to teach students from more than 22 countries.

As an English teacher, I frequently use journals and exercises in our school’s learning lab as a tool for my students to develop their writing and composition skills. One exercise that is always productive is to encourage my students to write about their core beliefs as inspired by National Public Radio’s This I Believe program. In these sessions, students listen to radio segments as examples—and then I encourage them to write about their own core beliefs. I am constantly moved and humbled by the experiences my students share in this exercise and in their journals about their dreams, challenges, and values.

Each one of them has a story to tell—stories about dedication and sacrifice.

Every day, I see my students work hard to overcome obstacles just to be in the classroom. Many of them work full time, have aging parents in need of care and attention, or are parents themselves. Often they contend with difficult economic realities. They are eager to learn, and many of them are the first members of their families to attend college. They persevere because they understand that getting an education will change their lives for the better. It will improve their job prospects and enrich their understanding of the world around them.

Community colleges can also serve as a gateway from a high-school diploma to a baccalaureate degree. They offer an affordable option for middle-class high-school students who want to attend a four-year college but cannot afford the tuition. The numbers tell the story: The average cost of tuition at a private four-year university is over $26,000 for the current academic year. At public four-year universities, the average is $7,000. Community-college tuition averages $2,500, presenting a far more affordable way to complete the first two years of a college education, especially when the credits earned on a community-college campus can often be transferred directly into four-year programs. It is not a coincidence that community colleges educate over 40 percent of all postsecondary students nationally.

For laid-off workers, community colleges offer job-certification programs that teach new skills and professions. Most people would be surprised to look at the catalog of an average community college today—they would find course work in a range of emerging health-care industries, training in cutting-edge technologies, offerings in architecture and green-building techniques, and classes in highly marketable job fields. For an immigrant or first-generation American, community college is often the place to begin a postsecondary education.

All of us have the opportunity to match the dedication of community-college students with a renewed commitment to ensuring their success. By working together, we can maximize the return on the new federal investment in students through Pell Grants, and in community colleges themselves, by modernizing the way classes are offered, ensuring easy transfer to four-year schools, and supporting other strategies for student success.

We know that education is the key to unlocking human potential. And we know that today, on community-college campuses across this country, millions of students are eager to build a more secure future for themselves, their families, and our country. We cannot—and we will not—let them down. As a member of the education community, I ask for your continued partnership in the months and years ahead as we continue to build support for community colleges and work to improve their offerings and outcomes. This is the moment for community colleges. Our work has just begun.

Jill Biden, a lifelong educator with a doctorate in education from the University of Delaware, teaches English at Northern Virginia Community College.

White House.gov Press Office Feed

04.15.10 07:23 AM

10:39 A.M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT: Good morning, everybody. On April 5th, the United States suffered the worst mine disaster in more than a generation. Twenty-nine lives were lost. Families have been devastated. Communities have been upended. And during this painful time, all of us are mourning with the people of Montcoal and Whitesville and Naoma and the Coal River Valley. The people of West Virginia are in our prayers.

But we owe them more than prayers. We owe them action. We owe them accountability. We owe them an assurance that when they go to work every day, when they enter that dark mine, they are not alone. They ought to know that behind them there is a company that’s doing what it takes to protect them, and a government that is looking out for their safety.

In the immediate aftermath of the tragedy, I asked the officials standing with me — Labor Secretary Hilda Solis, and Joe Main and Kevin Stricklin with the Mine Safety and Health Administration — to lead an investigation into what caused the explosion at Massey Energy Company’s Upper Big Branch mine. I asked them to report back with preliminary findings this week.

We just concluded a meeting, where they briefed me on their investigation. I want to emphasize that this investigation is ongoing, and there’s still a lot that we don’t know. But we do know that this tragedy was triggered by a failure at the Upper Big Branch mine — a failure first and foremost of management, but also a failure of oversight and a failure of laws so riddled with loopholes that they allow unsafe conditions to continue.

So today I’ve directed Secretary Solis, Assistant Secretary Main, and Administrator Stricklin to work closely with state mining officials to press ahead with this investigation — so we can help make sure a disaster like this never happens again. Owners responsible for conditions in the Upper Big Branch mine should be held accountable for decisions they made and preventive measures they failed to take. And I’ve asked Secretary Solis to work with the Justice Department to ensure that every tool in the federal government is available in this investigation.

But this isn’t just about a single mine. It’s about all of our mines. The safety record at the Massey Upper Big Branch mine was troubling. And it’s clear that while there are many responsible companies, far too many mines aren’t doing enough to protect their workers’ safety.

And that’s why yesterday Governor Manchin announced that West Virginia miners will take this Friday off from coal production so they can mourn their loss, but also reevaluate safety procedures. He also called for additional inspections in West Virginia mines. The federal government is taking sweeping actions as well. Starting today, we’ll go back and take another look at mines across this country with troubling safety records, and get inspectors into those mines immediately to ensure they aren’t facing the same unsafe working conditions that led to this disaster.

Second, I’ve directed Secretary Solis, Assistant Secretary Main, and Administrator Stricklin to work with Congress to strengthen enforcement of existing laws and close loopholes that permit companies to shirk their responsibilities.

Stronger mine safety laws were passed in 2006 after the Sago mine disaster. But safety violators like Massey have still been able to find ways to put their bottom line before the safety of their workers — filing endless appeals instead of paying fines and fixing safety problems.

To help ensure that mine companies no longer use a strategy of endless litigation to evade their responsibilities, we need to tackle the backlog of cases at the Mine Safety and Health Review Commission.

And to help hold companies accountable, I’ve also asked Secretary Solis to streamline the rules for proving that a mining company has committed a pattern of violations — so that we can empower the mine safety agency to take essential steps to keep miners safe. If a mining company consistently violates safety standards, they should be subjected to the tougher enforcement that comes with being placed on an updated Pattern of Violations list.

Third, we can’t just hold mining companies accountable — we need to hold Washington accountable. And that’s why I want to review how our Mine Safety and Health Administration operates. For a long time, the mine safety agency was stacked with former mine executives and industry players. The industry [sic] is now run, I’m proud to say, by former miners and health safety experts like Joe Main and Kevin Stricklin. Even so, we need to take a hard look at our own practices and our own procedures to ensure that we’re pursuing mine safety as relentlessly as we responsibly can. In addition, we need to make sure that miners themselves, and not just the government or mine operators, are empowered to report any safety violations.

I think we all understand that underground coal mining is, by its very nature, dangerous. Every miner and every mining family understands this. But we know what can cause mine explosions, and we know how to prevent them. I refuse to accept any number of miner deaths as simply a cost of doing business. We can’t eliminate chance completely from mining any more than we can from life itself. But if a tragedy can be prevented, it must be prevented. That’s the responsibility of mine operators. That’s the responsibility of government. And that is the responsibility that we’re all going to have to work together to meet in the weeks and months to come.

Thank you very much, everybody.

END
10:46 A.M. EDT

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04.14.10 03:21 PM

NOMINATIONS SENT TO THE SENATE:

Arthur Darrow Baylor, of Alabama, to be United States Marshal for the Middle District of Alabama for the term of four years, vice Jesse Seroyer, Jr.

Michael Robert Bladel, of Iowa, to be United States Marshal for the Southern District of Iowa for the term of four years, vice Charles E. Beach, Sr.

Kevin Anthony Carr, of Wisconsin, to be United States Marshal for the Eastern District of Wisconsin for the term of four years, vice William P. Kruziki, resigned.

Donald J. Cazayoux, Jr., of Louisiana, to be United States Attorney for the Middle District of Louisiana for the term of four years, vice David R. Dugas.

Edward Carroll DuMont, of the District of Columbia, to be United States Circuit Judge for the Federal Circuit, vice Paul R. Michel, retiring.

John A. Gibney, Jr., of Virginia, to be United States District Judge for the Eastern District of Virginia, vice Robert E. Payne, retired.

Kevin Charles Harrison, of Louisiana, to be United States Marshal for the Middle District of Louisiana for the term of four years, vice William Carey Jenkins, retired.

Pamela Cothran Marsh, of Florida, to be United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida for the term of four years, vice Gregory Robert Miller.

Darryl Keith McPherson, of Illinois, to be United States Marshal for the Northern District of Illinois for the term of four years, vice Kim Richard Widup.

Zane David Memeger, of Pennsylvania, to be United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania for the term of four years, vice Patrick Leo Meehan.

Peter J. Smith, of Pennsylvania, to be United States Attorney for the Middle District of Pennsylvania for the term of four years, vice Thomas A. Marino, resigned.

Edward L. Stanton, III, of Tennessee, to be United States Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee for the term of four years, vice David F. Kustoff, resigned.

John F. Walsh, of Colorado, to be United States Attorney for the District of Colorado for the term of four years, vice Troy A. Eid, resigned.

Henry Lee Whitehorn, Sr., of Louisiana, to be United States Marshal for the Western District of Louisiana for the term of four years, vice William R. Whittington, resigned.

Stephen R. Wigginton, of Illinois, to be United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois for the term of four years, vice Ronald J. Tenpas, resigned.

WITHDRAWAL SENT TO THE SENATE:

Stephanie Villafuerte, of Colorado, to be United States Attorney for the District of Colorado for the term of four years, vice Troy A. Eid, resigned, which was sent to the Senate on September 30, 2009.

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04.14.10 02:25 PM

We send our deepest condolences to families of the victims of the earthquake in China’s Qinghai province. The American people are saddened by the loss of life and the devastation caused by this disaster.

Our thoughts and prayers are with those injured or displaced, and all the people of China in this difficult period. We stand ready to assist in any way possible.

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04.14.10 02:47 PM

By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, it is hereby ordered as follows:

Section 1. Interagency Group on Insular Areas.

(a) There is established, within the Department of the Interior for administrative purposes, the Interagency Group on Insular Areas (IGIA) to address policies concerning Guam, American Samoa, the United States Virgin Islands, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (Insular Areas).

(b) The IGIA shall consist of:

(i) the heads of the executive departments, as defined in 5 U.S.C. 101;

(ii) the heads of such other executive agencies as the Co-Chairs of the IGIA may designate; and

(iii) the Deputy Assistant to the President and Director of Intergovernmental Affairs.

(c) The Secretary of the Interior and the Deputy Assistant to the President and Director of Intergovernmental Affairs shall serve as Co-Chairs of the IGIA, convene and preside at its meetings, direct its work, and establish such subgroups of the IGIA as they deem appropriate, consisting exclusively of members of the IGIA.

(d) Members of the IGIA may designate a senior department or agency official who is a full-time officer or employee of the Federal Government to perform their IGIA functions.

Sec. 2. Functions of the IGIA. The IGIA shall:

(a) advise the President on establishment or implementation of policies concerning the Insular Areas;

(b) solicit information and advice concerning the Insular Areas from the Governors of, and other elected officials in, the Insular Areas (including through at least one meeting each year with any Governors of the Insular Areas who may wish to attend) in a manner that seeks their individual advice and does not involve collective judgment, or consensus advice or deliberation;

(c) solicit information and advice concerning the Insular Areas, as the IGIA determines appropriate, from representatives of entities or other individuals in a manner that seeks their individual advice and does not involve collective judgment, or consensus advice or deliberation;

(d) solicit information from executive departments or agencies for purposes of carrying out its mission; and

(e) at the request of the head of any executive department or agency who is a member of the IGIA, with the approval of the Co-Chairs, promptly review and provide advice on a policy or policy implementation action affecting the Insular Areas proposed by that department or agency.

Sec. 3. Recommendations. The IGIA shall:

(a) submit annually to the President a report containing recommendations regarding the establishment or implementation of policies concerning the Insular Areas; and

(b) provide to the President, from time to time, as appropriate, recommendations concerning proposed or existing Federal programs and policies affecting the Insular Areas.

Sec. 4. General Provisions.

(a) The heads of executive departments and agencies shall assist and provide information to the IGIA, consistent with applicable law, as may be necessary to carry out the functions of the IGIA. Each executive department and agency shall bear its own expenses of participating in the IGIA.

(b) Nothing in this order shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:

(i) authority granted by law to an executive department, agency, or the head thereof, or the status of that department or agency within the Federal Government; or

(ii) functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.

(c) This order shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations.

(d) This order shall supersede Executive Order 13299 of May 8, 2003.

(e) This order is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.

BARACK OBAMA

THE WHITE HOUSE,
April 14, 2010.

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