Author: WhiteHouse

02.17.10 01:13 PM

President Obama had the pleasure of hosting King Juan Carlos I of Spain for lunch at his private dining room at the White House. The President was joined by Secretary Clinton and National Security Advisor General Jones while the King’s delegation included Foreign Minister Moratinos and Mr. Aza, Head of Royal Household. During the lunch, the leaders recognized the strong bonds between the American and Spanish people. The President expressed appreciation for the King’s long history of friendship with the United States and highlighted his interest in strengthening our partnership with Spain as we seek to confront common challenges, including the global economy, climate change, terrorism and Afghanistan. The leaders also had the opportunity to discuss the situation in the Middle East as well as important issues in Latin America and the Caribbean, including Cuba and ongoing relief efforts in Haiti.

White House.gov Press Office Feed

02.18.10 08:16 AM

10:20 A.M. EST

THE PRESIDENT: Good morning, everybody. When I took office, America faced three closely linked challenges. One was a financial crisis, brought on by reckless speculation that threatened to choke off all lending. And this helped to spark the deepest recession since the Great Depression, from which we’re still recovering. That recession, in turn, helped to aggravate an already severe fiscal crisis, brought on by years of bad habits in Washington.

Now, the economic crisis required the government to make immediate emergency investments that added to our accumulated debt — critical investments that have helped to break the back of the recession and lay the groundwork for growth and job creation. But now, with so many Americans still out of work, the task of recovery is far from complete. So in the short term, we’re going to be taking steps to encourage business to create jobs that will continue to be my top priority.

Still there’s no doubt that we’re going to have to also address the long-term quandary of a government that routinely and extravagantly spends more than it takes in.

When I walked into the door of the White House, our government was spending about 25 percent of GDP but taking in only about 16 percent of GDP. Without action, the accumulated weight of that structural deficit, of ever-increasing debt, will hobble our economy, it will cloud our future, and it will saddle every child in America with an intolerable burden.

This isn’t news. Since the budget surpluses at the end of the 1990s, federal debt has exploded. The trajectory is clear and it is disturbing. But the politics of dealing with chronic deficits is fraught with hard choices and therefore it’s treacherous to officeholders here in Washington. As a consequence, nobody has been too eager to deal with it.

That’s where these two gentlemen come in. Alan Simpson and Erskine Bowles are taking on the impossible: They’re going to try to restore reason to the fiscal debate and come up with answers as co-chairs of the new National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform. I’m asking them to produce clear recommendations on how to cover the costs of all federal programs by 2015, and to meaningfully improve our long-term fiscal picture. I’ve every confidence that they’ll do that because nobody is better qualified than these two.

Alan Simpson is a flinty Wyoming truth-teller — (laughter) — if you look in the dictionary it says "flinty," and then it’s got Simpson’s picture. (Laughter.) Through nearly two decades in the United States Senate, he earned a reputation for putting common sense and the people’s welfare ahead of petty politics. As the number two Republican in the Senate, he made the tough choices necessary to close deficits and he played an important role in bipartisan deficit reduction agreements.

Erskine Bowles understands the importance of managing money responsibly in the public sector, where he ran the Small Business Administration and served as President Clinton’s chief of staff. In that capacity, he brokered the 1997 budget agreement with Republicans that helped produce the first balanced budget in nearly 30 years. One is a good Republican, the other a good Democrat. But above all, both are patriotic Americans who are answering their country’s call to free our future from the stranglehold of debt.

The commission they’ll lead was structured in such a way as to rise above partisanship. There’s going to be 18 members. In addition to the two co-chairs, four others will be appointed by me. Six will be appointed by Republican leaders, six by Democratic leaders. Their recommendations will require the approval of 14 of the commission’s 18 members, and that ensures that any recommendation coming out of this effort and sent forward to Congress has to be bipartisan in nature.

This commission is patterned on a bill that I supported for a binding commission that was proposed by Democratic Senator Kent Conrad and Republican Senator Judd Gregg. Their proposal failed recently in the Senate. But I hope congressional leaders in both parties can step away from the partisan bickering and join this effort to serve the national interest.

As important as this commission is, our fiscal challenge is too great to be solved with any one step alone, and we can’t we wait to act. That’s why last week, I signed into law the PAYGO bill — says very simply that the United States of America should pay as we go and live within our means again — just like responsible families and businesses do. This law is what helped get deficits under control in the 1990s and produced surpluses by the end of the decade.

It was suspended in the last decade, and during that period we saw deficits explode again. By reinstituting it, we’re taking an important step towards addressing the deficit problem in this decade, and in decades to come.

That’s also why, after taking steps to cut taxes and increase access to credit for small businesses to jumpstart job creation this year, I’ve called for a three-year freeze on discretionary spending, starting next year. This freeze won’t affect Medicare, Medicaid, or Social Security spending. And it won’t affect national security spending, including veterans’ benefits. But all other discretionary spending will be subject to this freeze.

These are tough times and we can’t keep spending like they’re not. That’s why we’re seeking to reform our health insurance system — because if we don’t, soaring health care costs will eventually become the single largest driver of our federal deficits. Reform legislation in the House and the Senate would bring down deficits, and I’m looking forward to meeting with members of both parties and both chambers next week to try to get this done.

And that’s also why this year, we’re proposing a responsible budget that cuts what we don’t need to pay for what we do. We’ve proposed budget reductions and terminations that would yield about $20 billion in savings. We’re ending loopholes and tax giveaways for oil and gas companies and for the wealthiest 2 percent of Americans. So, taken together, these and other steps would provide more than $1 trillion in deficit reduction over the coming decade. That’s more savings than any administration’s budget in the past 10 years.

I know the issue of deficits has stirred debate. And there’s some on the left who believe that this issue can be deferred. There are some on the right who won’t enter into serious discussions about deficits without preconditions. But those who preach fiscal discipline have to be willing to take the hard steps necessary to achieve it. And those who believe government has a responsibility to meet these urgent challenges have a great stake in bringing our deficits under control — because if we don’t, we won’t be able to meet our most basic obligations to one another.

So America’s fiscal problems won’t be solved overnight. They’ve been growing for years; they’re going to take time to wind down. But with the commission that I’m establishing today, and the other steps we’re pursuing, I believe we are finally putting America on the path towards fiscal reform and fiscal responsibility.

And I want to again thank Alan and Erskine for taking on what is a difficult and perhaps thankless task. I’m grateful to them for their willingness to sacrifice their time and their energy in this cause. I know that they’re going to take up their work with a sense of integrity and a sense of commitment that America’s people deserve and America’s future demands.

And I think part of the reason they’re going to be effective is, although one is a strong Democrat and one is a strong Republican, these are examples of people who put country first. And they know how to disagree without being disagreeable, and there’s a sense of civility and a sense that there are moments where you set politics aside to do what’s right.

That’s the kind of spirit that we need. And I am confident that the product that they put forward is going to be honest; it’s going to be clear; it’s going to give a path to both parties in terms of how we have to address these challenges.

All right. Thank you very much.

(The executive order is signed.)

Q Sir, is everything on the table for this?

THE PRESIDENT: Everything is on the table. That’s how this thing is going to work.

Q What’s "Erskine" in the dictionary? (Laughter.)

END
10:29 A.M. EST

White House.gov Press Office Feed

02.18.10 04:09 PM

Today the President met with 24 human rights activists who are in Washington to attend a Human Rights Summit organized by two U.S. nongovernmental organizations, Freedom House and Human Rights First. The meeting was hosted by National Security Advisor General James Jones, and included other senior National Security Staff. The discussion covered a wide range of issues and countries and focused on the growing challenges for human rights defenders around the world.

The President commended attendees for their work on behalf of human rights, in some cases at risk to their own safety, and appreciated the opportunity to hear directly from them. The President pledged that his administration will continue to strive to live by the universal standards we champion, highlighted his commitment to engagement that extends to civil society and everyday citizens, and reiterated his support for a broad view that recognizes the crucial link between development and human rights.

White House.gov Press Office Feed

02.18.10 12:51 PM

“My Administration is dedicated to ensuring that federal agencies treat all our citizens fairly, and the settlement in the Pigford case reflects that commitment. I applaud Secretary Vilsack for his efforts to modernize operations at the USDA, as well as the work of the Justice Department in bringing these long-ignored claims of African American farmers to a rightful conclusion. I look forward to a swift resolution to this issue, so that the families affected can move on with their lives."

White House.gov Press Office Feed

02.18.10 01:20 PM

The Path to Nuclear Security: Implementing the President’s Prague Agenda

Ladies and gentlemen; Secretaries Gates and Chu; General Cartwright; Undersecretary Tauscher; Administrator D’Agostino; members of our armed services; students and faculty; thank you all for coming.

At its founding, Elihu Root gave this campus a mission that is the very essence of our national defense: “Not to promote war, but to preserve peace by intelligent and adequate preparation to repel aggression.” For more than a century, you and your predecessors have heeded that call. There are few greater contributions citizens can claim.

Many statesmen have walked these grounds, including our Administration’s outstanding National Security Advisor, General Jim Jones. You taught him well. George Kennan, the scholar and diplomat, lectured at the National War College in the late 1940s. Just back from Moscow, in a small office not far from here, he developed the doctrine of Containment that guided a generation of Cold War foreign policy.

Some of the issues that arose during that time seem like distant memories. But the topic I came to discuss with you today, the challenge posed by nuclear weapons, continues to demand our urgent attention.

Last April, in Prague, President Obama laid out his vision for protecting our country from nuclear threats.

He made clear we will take concrete steps toward a world without nuclear weapons, while retaining a safe, secure, and effective arsenal as long as we still need it. We will work to strengthen the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. And we will do everything in our power to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons to terrorists and also to states that don’t already possess them.

It’s easy to recognize the threat posed by nuclear terrorism. But we must not underestimate how proliferation to a state could destabilize regions critical to our security and prompt neighbors to seek nuclear weapons of their own.

Our agenda is based on a clear-eyed assessment of our national interest. We have long relied on nuclear weapons to deter potential adversaries.

Now, as our technology improves, we are developing non-nuclear ways to accomplish that same objective. The Quadrennial Defense Review and Ballistic Missile Defense Review, which Secretary Gates released two weeks ago, present a plan to further strengthen our preeminent conventional forces to defend our nation and our allies.

Capabilities like an adaptive missile defense shield, conventional warheads with worldwide reach, and others that we are developing enable us to reduce the role of nuclear weapons, as other nuclear powers join us in drawing down. With these modern capabilities, even with deep nuclear reductions, we will remain undeniably strong.

As we’ve said many times, the spread of nuclear weapons is the greatest threat facing our country.

That is why we are working both to stop their proliferation and eventually to eliminate them. Until that day comes, though, we will do everything necessary to maintain our arsenal.

At the vanguard of this effort, alongside our military, are our nuclear weapons laboratories, national treasures that deserve our support. Their invaluable contributions range from building the world’s fastest supercomputers, to developing cleaner fuels, to surveying the heavens with robotic telescopes.

But the labs are best known for the work they do to secure our country. Time and again, we have asked our labs to meet our most urgent strategic needs. And time and again, they have delivered.

In 1939, as fascism began its march across Europe, Asia, and Africa, Albert Einstein warned President Roosevelt that the Nazis were racing to build a weapon, the likes of which the world had never seen. In the Southwest Desert, under the leadership of Robert Oppenheimer, the physicists of Los Alamos won that race and changed the course of history.

Sandia was born near Albuquerque soon after the Second World War and became our premier facility for developing the non-nuclear components of our nuclear weapons program.

And a few years later the institution that became Lawrence Livermore took root in California. During the arms race that followed the Korean War, it designed and developed warheads that kept our nuclear capabilities second to none.

These examples illustrate what everyone in this room already knows – that the past century’s defining conflicts were decided not just on the battlefield, but in the classroom and in the laboratory.

Air Force General Hap Arnold, an aviation pioneer whose vision helped shape the National War College, once argued that the First World War was decided by brawn and the Second by logistics. “The Third World War will be different,” he predicted. “It will be won by brains.”

General Arnold got it almost right. Great minds like Kennan and Oppenheimer helped win the Cold War and prevent World War Three altogether.

During the Cold War, we tested nuclear weapons in our atmosphere, underwater and underground, to confirm that they worked before deploying them, and to evaluate more advanced concepts. But explosive testing damaged our health, disrupted our environment and set back our non-proliferation goals.

Eighteen years ago, President George H.W. Bush signed the nuclear testing moratorium enacted by Congress, which remains in place to this day.

Under the moratorium, our laboratories have maintained our arsenal through the Stockpile Stewardship Program without underground nuclear testing, using techniques that are as successful as they are cutting edge.

Today, the directors of our nuclear laboratories tell us they have a deeper understanding of our arsenal from Stockpile Stewardship than they ever had when testing was commonplace.

Let me repeat that – our labs know more about our arsenal today than when we used to explode our weapons on a regular basis. With our support, the labs can anticipate potential problems and reduce their impact on our arsenal.

Unfortunately, during the last decade, our nuclear complex and experts were neglected and underfunded.

Tight budgets forced more than 2,000 employees of Los Alamos and Lawrence Livermore from their jobs between 2006 and 2008, including highly-skilled scientists and engineers.

And some of the facilities we use to handle uranium and plutonium date back to the days when the world’s great powers were led by Truman, Churchill, and Stalin. The signs of age and decay are becoming more apparent every day.

Because we recognized these dangers, in December, Secretary Chu and I met at the White House with the heads of the three nuclear weapons labs. They described the dangerous impact these budgetary pressures were having on their ability to manage our arsenal without testing. They say this situation is a threat to our security. President Obama and I agree.

That’s why earlier this month we announced a new budget that reverses the last decade’s dangerous decline.

It devotes $7 billion to maintaining our nuclear stockpile and modernizing our nuclear infrastructure. To put that in perspective, that’s $624 million more than Congress approved last year—and an increase of $5 billion over the next five years. Even in these tight fiscal times, we will commit the resources our security requires.

This investment is not only consistent with our nonproliferation agenda; it is essential to it. Guaranteeing our stockpile, coupled with broader research and development efforts, allows us to pursue deep nuclear reductions without compromising our security. As our conventional capabilities improve, we will continue to reduce our reliance on nuclear weapons.

Responsible disarmament requires versatile specialists to manage it.

The skilled technicians who look after our arsenal today are the ones who will safely dismantle it tomorrow.

And chemists who understand how plutonium ages also develop forensics to track missing nuclear material and catch those trafficking in it.

Our goal of a world without nuclear weapons has been endorsed by leading voices in both parties. These include two former Secretaries of State from Republican administrations, Henry Kissinger and George Shultz; President Clinton’s Secretary of Defense Bill Perry; and my former colleague Sam Nunn, for years the Democratic Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee.

Together, these four statesmen called eliminating nuclear weapons “a bold initiative consistent with America’s moral heritage.”

During the 2008 Presidential campaign, both the President and Senator McCain supported the same objective. We will continue to build support for this emerging bipartisan consensus like the one around containment of Soviet expansionism that George Kennan inspired.

Toward that end, we have worked tirelessly to implement the President’s Prague agenda.

In September, the President chaired an historic meeting of the UN Security Council, which unanimously embraced the key elements of the President’s vision.

As I speak, U.S. and Russian negotiators are completing an agreement that will reduce strategic weapons to their lowest levels in decades.

Its verification measures will provide confidence its terms are being met. These reductions will be conducted transparently and predictably. The new START treaty will promote strategic stability and bolster global efforts to prevent proliferation by showing that the world’s leading nuclear powers are committed to reducing their arsenals.

And it will build momentum for collaboration with Russia on strengthening the global consensus that nations who violate their NPT obligations should be held to account.

This strategy is yielding results. We have tightened sanctions on North Korea’s proliferation activities through the most restrictive UN Security Council resolution to date – and the international community is enforcing these sanctions effectively.

And we are now working with our international partners to ensure that Iran, too, faces real consequences for failing to meet its obligations.

In the meantime, we are completing a government-wide review of our nuclear posture.

Already, our budget proposal reflects some of our key priorities, including increased funding for our nuclear complex, and a commitment to sustain our heavy bombers and land and submarine-based missile capabilities, under the new START agreement.

As Congress requested and with Secretary Gates’ full support, this review has been a full interagency partnership.

We believe we have developed a broad and deep consensus on the importance of the President’s agenda and the steps we must take to achieve it. The results will be presented to Congress soon.

In April, the President will also host a Nuclear Security Summit to advance his goal of securing all vulnerable nuclear material within four years. We cannot wait for an act of nuclear terrorism before coming together to share best practices and raise security standards, and we will seek firm commitments from our partners to do just that.

In May, we will participate in the Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conference. We are rallying support for stronger measures to strengthen inspections and punish cheaters.

The Treaty’s basic bargain – that nuclear powers pursue disarmament and non-nuclear states do not acquire such weapons, while gaining access to civilian nuclear technology – is the cornerstone of the non-proliferation regime.

Before the treaty was negotiated, President Kennedy predicted a world with up to 20 nuclear powers by the mid-1970s. Because of the Non-Proliferation Treaty and the consensus it embodied, that didn’t happen.

Now, 40 years later, that consensus is fraying. We must reinforce this consensus, and strengthen the treaty for the future.

And, while we do that, we will also continue our efforts to negotiate a ban on the production of fissile materials that can be used in nuclear weapons.

We know that completing a treaty that will ban the production of fissile material will not be quick or easy – but the Conference on Disarmament must resume its work on this treaty as soon as possible.

The last piece of the President’s agenda from Prague was the ratification of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty.

A decade ago, we led this effort to negotiate this treaty in order to keep emerging nuclear states from perfecting their arsenals and to prevent our rivals from pursuing ever more advanced weapons.

We are confident that all reasonable concerns raised about the treaty back then – concerns about verification and the reliability of our own arsenal – have now been addressed. The test ban treaty is as important as ever.

As President Obama said in Prague, “we cannot succeed in this endeavor alone, but we can lead it, we can start it.”

Some friends in both parties may question aspects of our approach. Some in my own party may have trouble reconciling investments in our nuclear complex with a commitment to arms reduction. Some in the other party may worry we’re relinquishing capabilities that keep our country safe.

With both groups we respectfully disagree. As both the only nation to have used nuclear weapons, and as a strong proponent of non-proliferation, the United States has long embodied a stark but inevitable contradiction. The horror of nuclear conflict may make its occurrence unlikely, but the very existence of nuclear weapons leaves the human race ever at the brink of self-destruction, particularly if the weapons fall into the wrong hands.

Many leading figures of the nuclear age grew ambivalent about aspects of this order. Kennan, whose writings gave birth to the theory of nuclear deterrence, argued passionately but futilely against the development of the hydrogen bomb. And Robert Oppenheimer famously lamented, after watching the first mushroom cloud erupt from a device he helped design, that he had become “the destroyer of worlds.”

President Obama is determined, and I am as well, that the destroyed world Oppenheimer feared must never become our reality. That is why we are pursuing the peace and security of a world without nuclear weapons. The awesome force at our disposal must always be balanced by the weight of our shared responsibility.

Every day, many in this audience help bear that burden with professionalism, courage, and grace.

A grateful nation appreciates your service. Together, we will live up to our responsibilities. Together, we will lead the world.

Thank you.

May God bless America.

May God protect our troops.

White House.gov Press Office Feed

02.18.10 01:27 PM

3:10 P.M. EST

MR. GIBBS: All right, fire away.

Q Any more details you can tell us about the plane crash?

MR. GIBBS: No — as I said earlier, John Brennan briefed the President. We’ve gotten a number of updates on the flight from the Situation Room. The President will get regular updates as well as local and federal officials figure out what happened on the ground.

Q To follow up on my question earlier, there was some talk before we left that this might have been a case of domestic terrorism, that distinction that it might have been a domestic act of terrorism. Is there any clarity on that?

MR. GIBBS: Well, I took your question to mean an incident of foreign — terrorism from — that had threatened the homeland from somebody like an al Qaeda. As I said earlier, we don’t suspect that. I am going to wait, though, for all the situation to play out through investigation before we determine what to label it. Ben, I would say this. You have — again, I don’t want to get ahead of where we are in the investigation, but obviously — well, let me just do this. Let me wait until we get a better sense of where we are on the facts.

Q Do you think the President will address it? Does it rise to that level?

MR. GIBBS: I think some of it depends on sort of where — what we learn and where this goes.

Q Talking a little bit about the deficit panel today, has the President been in touch with Republican leaders in the House and the Senate about appointing members to it?

MR. GIBBS: Well, the President spoke with Congressman Boehner and Senator McConnell last week at the bipartisan meeting. I know that Larry Summers and Tim Geithner have been in contact with each of those individuals. The impression that we got was in fact that they would appoint members. I do not know if they have commented specifically on that since the President signed the executive order setting up the commission.

I would say this, that this is a panel that is very comparable to what statutorily would have been set up through Conrad-Gregg and the companion legislation in the House that Congressman Boehner was a co-sponsor of. In fact, the ratios, as I understand it, in the House bill would have been four — the ratios for appointments from Democrats and Republicans in Congress is actually stronger in the President’s executive order than would have been called for under the legislation that Congressman Boehner co-sponsored. I would — I can only assume that those two individuals are equally as concerned about fiscal responsibility as the President.

Q So your assumption, at least at this point, is that they will appoint members to the commission?

MR. GIBBS: That’s our assumption. I have not seen anything directly, though, from them.

Q Moving on to one other issue, do you have anything to comment about the IAEA reports today on Iran?

MR. GIBBS: Well, look, I think the reports again continue to demonstrate the failure of the Iranian government to live up to its international obligations. The President has on a number of occasions talked about engagement, talked about the benefits of living up to those international obligations. And the IAEA has been — the IAEA has been charged with trying to seek agreement from the Iranian government on the Tehran research reactor.

And we’ve always said that if Iran failed to live up to those international obligations, that there would be consequences. And I think this report is — demonstrates for the world again the obligations they’re failing to live up to.

Q What about the fact that the President is out here so early in the midterm elections, in the primary process? Some Democrats have complained about that, saying you’re picking sides.

MR. GIBBS: We’re supporting incumbent U.S. senators — in the case of Senator Bennet, somebody who has represented Coloradans admirably in the Senate and has their best interests at heart.

Q When will the President post his health care plan online?

MR. GIBBS: Soon.

Q Sometime before the — can you give any kind of —

MR. GIBBS: As I said earlier, it will be in — I don’t have an exact date for you. It will be within plenty of time for people to evaluate the ideas. We do know that there have — Senator Enzi has said that he will participate in the Blair House event next week, and we hope that the Republicans also will post their ideas online for bringing down health care costs.

I will say this, and I hope everybody has seen the press release and the report out of the Department of Health and Human Services today, which notes that the high increases in the individual insurance market that were proposed by Anthem in California are very much the tip of the iceberg.

We’ve seen this happen throughout the country. And without a concerted effort to drive down costs through comprehensive health care reform, more and more people across this country are going to open their mail, open letters from insurance companies, and realize that, regardless of what they did last year and, quite frankly, regardless of what health care spending does, they’re in for a big rate increase. And I don’t think that that’s what those individual policyholders have in mind.

Q Robert, can you characterize the status of the discussions between the White House and the leadership in Congress on merging the bills over the — that’s been ongoing over the last week or so? Where do those stand?

MR. GIBBS: All I’ll say is this. We continue to be in contact with the House and Senate on making progress on health care reform and look forward to a productive discussion next — a week from today, next Thursday.

Q And the bill you post is likely to be along the lines of what you guys were proceeding towards before —

MR. GIBBS: I won’t get ahead of what we may post and I’d be happy to characterize when we do.

Q One other question. Does the President have an opinion on whether the President of Toyota should testify before the congressional committees?

MR. GIBBS: I have not asked him specifically about that, Michael, but I will. I’ll say this. I think everybody in — everybody I think is rightly concerned about the recalls that have happened. Secretary LaHood and others have worked diligently to make sure that these investigations were taken seriously. We’ll continue to only have the safety of those drivers in mind and hope that Toyota will do all that it can to rectify this dangerous situation.

Q Will you try to ask him at some point and get back to us?

MR. GIBBS: Yes, I will.

Q (Inaudible) to the President’s visit, what about poll ratings? That’s another thing that’s been brought up, and the fact that the President’s polls aren’t so good and it could actually be a detriment to those he’s trying to campaign for.

Q Just turn around now, Robert. (Laughter.)

MR. GIBBS: Yes, I was going to say. (Laughter.)

I can’t follow the logic of that since I don’t think it’s a surprise that we’re going to land in Denver and help Senator Bennet today or go to Nevada later today. If it is, the movie may be shorter than you hoped.

Q How do you all see the political landscape in Colorado and Nevada?

MR. GIBBS: Look, I mean, in a presidential year they’re very competitive states, as they were just two years ago. Look, I think the political landscape, not just in these two states but throughout the country, continues to be dominated by concern about the economy — not surprisingly.

But I think the President will talk about ways in which he hopes that Republicans and Democrats can work together to make progress on issues like the economy, on deficit reduction, on health care. Because most of all I think what the American people are looking for are not the same old games that get played in Washington, but somebody that’s willing to deal with their concerns for the people that live in Denver or Aurora, or Henderson, Nevada or anywhere else throughout the country.

Q He’s going to talk about Democrats and Republicans working together at the fundraisers?

MR. GIBBS: I think that he is going to talk about the fact that we need to make progress for this country. And, Ben, the only way we’re going to make progress for the country is to work together. And what we need to do is move forward on the issues that we’ve talked about: getting this economy moving again and creating more jobs; health care reform, so that individuals that run small businesses aren’t opening those letters and finding their health care go up 39 or 40 percent, even though the cost of health care isn’t going up nearly that much.

Q (Inaudible) more chance for bipartisanship if there were more Republicans in the Senate?

MR. GIBBS: How so?

Q Well, I mean, you know, if bipartisanship is what you’re after and if that’s how — then why, you know, I mean —

MR. GIBBS: I’m going to give you a few minutes to figure out what you were talking about and then we’ll come back. (Laughter.)

Q Robert, could you talk a little about tomorrow’s events, the chamber event and the town hall?

MR. GIBBS: First there will be a town hall meeting where — look, obviously the President will take questions from the audience, something he very much enjoys doing; will then go over and speak to the Chamber of Commerce and the President will talk specifically about ideas that he’s had both in December and at the State of the Union to continue to get our economy moving.

Q Is there a sort of opening theme or a focus of the town hall?

MR. GIBBS: I’ll wait a little bit to get into that.

Q Robert, the issue of campaign finance seems to be a big one in the Colorado election, specifically. And Senator Bennet’s opponent seems to align himself more with how President Obama was as a candidate, in terms of refusing money from PACs. Is that an issue that the President is following in this particular primary?

MR. GIBBS: Not that I’m aware of. Not that I’m aware of.

Q Can you share any personal reflections the President had about meeting with the Dalai Lama?

MR. GIBBS: I have not gotten those from him, but let me try to get them for a different leg on the trip.

Q When will the President announce the other four members that he’s nominating?

MR. GIBBS: The hope is to do that in the next couple of days.

Q Who’s it going to be?

MR. GIBBS: You didn’t make the cut, I’m sorry. (Laughter.)

All right. Thanks.

END
3:23 P.M. EST

White House.gov Press Office Feed

02.18.10 07:34 AM

Names former White House Chief of Staff Erskine Bowles and former Republican Senate Whip Alan Simpson as Commission Co-Chairs

WASHINGTON – Today, President Obama will sign an executive order establishing the bipartisan National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform and announce that former White House Chief of Staff Erskine Bowles and former Republican Senate Whip Alan Simpson will serve as the Commission’s co-chairs.

President Obama said, “For far too long, Washington has avoided the tough choices necessary to solve our fiscal problems – and they won’t be solved overnight. But under the leadership of Erksine and Alan, I’m confident that the Commission I’m establishing today will build a bipartisan consensus to put America on the path toward fiscal reform and responsibility. I know they’ll take up their work with the sense of integrity and strength of commitment that America’s people deserve and America’s future demands.”

Former White House Chief of Staff Erskine Bowles said, “This is one of the most critically important challenges facing the country today and it has be addressed in a bipartisan manner. This is not a Republican or Democratic problem– this is a challenge for America.”

Former Republican Senate Whip Alan Simpson said, “We find ourselves in a difficult fiscal situation that is unsustainable. Whatever the results of our work, the American people are going to know about a lot more where we are headed with an honest appraisal of our situation and the courage to do something about it. I am pleased to accept this difficult role and eager to work with Erskine and the members of the Commission. ”

The bipartisan National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform will build bipartisan consensus to put forth solutions to tackle our long-ignored fiscal challenges.

The Commission will make recommendations that put the budget in primary balance so that we are paying for all operations and programs for the federal government (achieving deficits of about 3 percent of GDP) by 2015 and meaningfully improve the long-term fiscal outlook. The Commission will be comprised of 18 total members. 12 members will be appointed by Senate/House leaders (3 each by the Republican and Democratic leaders of both chambers). All must be sitting members of Congress. The additional 6 members will be appointed by the President, with no more than 4 from the same political party. Furthermore, 14 out of 18 votes needed to report recommendations, and recommendations must be reported to Congress by December 1, 2010. The executive order will be signed at the event this morning.

Since taking office, President Obama has worked to usher in a new era of responsibility in Washington. He put forward a 2011 Budget that includes more than a $1 trillion of deficit reduction, excluding war savings, and signed into law statutory PAYGO legislation so that Congress would have to pay for what it proposes. He ordered his administration to go line by line through the budget looking for programs that do not work or are outdated or duplicative. And the President is taking on the biggest challenge to our fiscal future — rising health care costs — by fighting to pass meaningful health reform legislation, and demanding that it doesn’t add a dime to our deficit.

President Obama named the following individuals as Co-Chairs of the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform:

Erskine Bowles is currently President of the University of North Carolina. He served as White House Chief of Staff under President Clinton from 1996 to 1998. In that capacity, Bowles brokered the last significant bipartisan budget agreement, the Balanced Budget Act of 1997, with the Republican leadership in Congress—helping to generate the first balanced budget in nearly 30 years. He had previously served as Deputy White House Chief of Staff from 1994 to 1995 and as head of the Small Business Administration from 1993 to 1994. Bowles has also had a long career in business, helping to found the investment firm Carousel Capital in Charlotte, North Carolina, and he was the Democratic nominee for the U.S. Senate in North Carolina in both 2002 and 2004.

Alan Simpson served as a U.S. Senator from Wyoming from 1979 to 1997. From 1985 to 1995, he was the Republican whip in the Senate, and he also chaired the Senate Finance Committee’s Subcommittee on Social Security. During his career in the Senate, Simpson was a consistent voice for fiscal balance—for example, voting in favor the bipartisan 1990 deficit-reduction agreement. From 1997 to 2000, Simpson taught at the Joan Shorenstein Center on the Press, Politics, and Public Policy at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government. Simpson left Harvard in 2000 to return home to Cody, Wyoming, where he now practices law with his two sons. Simpson serves on the Commission for Continuity in Government, as well as Co-Chair of Americans for Campaign Reform with several former Senate colleagues. He served as a member of the Iraq Study group.

White House.gov Press Office Feed

02.18.10 09:40 AM

11:05 A.M. EST

MRS. OBAMA: Well, first, let me just officially welcome you to the White House, to my house. We’re in the Old Family Dining Room, and this is the State Floor of the Residence, so this is where all the official functions happen. And we live upstairs, two floors upstairs. That’s where our house is, and the TVs, and the dog, and the kids, and all that stuff.

But this, we do a lot of intimate events here. I think yesterday the President had lunch with the King of Spain. So that’s the kind of stuff we do here. I met with Congress here on a childhood obesity initiative.

But on the rest of this floor this is where you do big press conferences. Right here in the State Dining Room we’re going to have the Governors Ball on Sunday. We invite every governor from the states and their wives. And then there’s the Blue Room and the Red Room and the Green Room — they’re that color. (Laughter.) So hopefully before you guys leave you’ll get to see everything. And in the Blue Oval Room you’ll be able to look out on the South Lawn, which is like our backyard. So it’s so good to have you.

As you know, we have entertained a lot of important guests here, people from your country. Many of your Prime Ministers have been here. The Queen has been here — not since we’ve been here, but she’s been here before. And you all are just among the many important people that we’ve had, and I am just thrilled to have you guys here.

STUDENTS: Thank you.

MRS. OBAMA: I really am thrilled and honored that you have taken time.

You know, when I was in the U.K. and visited the Elizabeth Garrett School, I had — you know, that was one of the most memorable moments for me in my first year. I’ve gotten to travel a lot of places, but the time that I spent with Nanah and her fellow students meant a lot to me because, as I said then, I see myself in you all — you know, the possibilities. And with you guys doing so well and working on these essays and making your way here, I mean, what you’re doing is laying that foundation. You’re demonstrating to your families, to your teachers, to your communities that you’re ready to put in the work and be serious and focused.

And by doing that, the important thing is to know that you can do anything. You can do anything. We’re living in a wonderful time where, you know, if you work hard and you develop important supports and resources — and it can be anyone — it may not be in your family, but it could be a teacher, it could be a pastor, it could be a neighbor — that the opportunities are endless.

And that was true for me, you know. Never before would I have imagined that everything that I did up until this point would prepare me to be the First Lady of the United States. But it really has, and it started with all the small stuff — going to school, taking pride in my work, enjoying being the best at whatever I was going to do, practicing discipline early on, listening to my teachers, taking on opportunities to travel. I never got to do anything like this when I was your age, but, you know, the fact that you have not only competed and won and were able to do this, but you had the courage to come and make it happen.

So I would just encourage you all to make the most of your time in high school. Is everybody in high school? Everybody is in high school, right?

STUDENT: Not me.

MRS. OBAMA: Not you? I was like, are you in high school? (Laughter.) So you’re starting early, which is good.

But make the most of this time. I tell my kids that this is practice for the rest of your life, because you don’t wake up and become the person that you are. President Obama didn’t wake up to become who he is. It was a lot of practice early on, of getting things done. You’re going to slip and fall and trip along the way. He certainly did. I did a little less than he did. (Laughter.)

But, you know, no one gets to where they are without a lot of mistakes, and I tell my kids that’s the whole point. Now you make the mistakes. And be proud of those mistakes, you know. And if you don’t know what’s going on, make some — make sure people explain things to you. Don’t be afraid to not know, don’t be afraid to be wrong, because now is the time to be wrong and to get a few things wrong, because you’re just learning. It’s all practice. But we’re proud of you. We’re very proud and honored to have you with us.

And the other thing that I’ll just say is having you here is sort of where — I know the President talked about moving the country through young people; you know, young people exchanging ideas, and traveling, and sharing, and by visiting the schools you’ve been visiting, and going to Howard, and seeing some historical sites. You never know what impression you’ll make on the kids that you meet here, because you — if you haven’t run into kids here already, they probably never even been to the U.K. They probably don’t even know what your world is like.

And what you learn as you get older is that so much of who we are is exactly the same, but for an accent or a location. You’ll find that your challenges are the same across the globe. And you have an opportunity through your visits to inspire somebody here maybe to pick up a map and say, let me find out a little bit more about the U.K. or this community that you all are from; maybe I’ll think about competing in an essay contest; maybe I’ll think about studying abroad when I get to college; maybe I’ll think about expanding my world, right?

So you have that opportunity to influence young people’s lives here, and we hope to have more of our young people here in the United States visit many countries and do the same thing.

But remember when you go back that this is a special opportunity. And one of the things that I try to do and tried to do along my life, throughout my life, is to look back and pull somebody along. And it’s never too early to do that, you know. It could be a younger brother or a kid in your community, or a cousin. Think about who you’re going to help along, and never stop doing that.

That’s why mentoring is so important to me, because even being here as the First Lady I’m constantly thinking about who I’m going to bring with me; you know, who gets to see this, who gets to experience this life that I’m living.

And if we all think like that, you know, just imagine what we can do in our communities, for kids who may not get to come on this trip, right? But we can take this experience back to them, and you all can do the same thing. That’s the only thing I’d ask you guys to think about.

But it is really wonderful to have you here. And we’re excited.

But now I think we’ve got — Curtly, you’re going to do a little reading for us? Why don’t we do that.

(Curtly Mejias reads an excerpt from his winning essay.)

END
11:14 A.M. EST

White House.gov Press Office Feed

02.18.10 09:41 AM

“The President met this morning at the White House with His Holiness the XIV Dalai Lama. The President stated his strong support for the preservation of Tibet’s unique religious, cultural and linguistic identity and the protection of human rights for Tibetans in the People’s Republic of China. The President commended the Dalai Lama’s “Middle Way” approach, his commitment to nonviolence and his pursuit of dialogue with the Chinese government. The President stressed that he has consistently encouraged both sides to engage in direct dialogue to resolve differences and was pleased to hear about the recent resumption of talks. The President and the Dalai Lama agreed on the importance of a positive and cooperative relationship between the United States and China.”

White House.gov Press Office Feed

02.18.10 08:01 AM

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. Establishment. There is established within the Executive Office of the President the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform (Commission).

Sec. 2. Membership. The Commission shall be composed of 18 members who shall be selected as follows:

(a) six members appointed by the President, not more than four of whom shall be from the same political party;
(b) three members selected by the Majority Leader of the Senate, all of whom shall be current Members of the Senate;
(c) three members selected by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, all of whom shall be current Members of the House of Representatives;
(d) three members selected by the Minority Leader of the Senate, all of whom shall be current Members of the Senate; and
(e) three members selected by the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, all of whom shall be current Members of the House of Representatives.

Sec. 3. Co-Chairs. From among his appointees, the President shall designate two members, who shall not be of the same political party, to serve as Co-Chairs of the Commission.

Sec. 4. Mission. The Commission is charged with identifying policies to improve the fiscal situation in the medium term and to achieve fiscal sustainability over the long run. Specifically, the Commission shall propose recommendations designed to balance the budget, excluding interest payments on the debt, by 2015. This result is projected to stabilize the debt-to-GDP ratio at an acceptable level once the economy recovers. The magnitude and timing of the policy measures necessary to achieve this goal are subject to considerable uncertainty and will depend on the evolution of the economy. In addition, the Commission shall propose recommendations that meaningfully improve the long-run fiscal outlook, including changes to address the growth of entitlement spending and the gap between the projected revenues and expenditures of the Federal Government.

Sec. 5. Reports.

(a) No later than December 1, 2010, the Commission shall vote on the approval of a final report containing a set of recommendations to achieve the mission set forth in section 4 of this order.
(b) The issuance of a final report of the Commission shall require the approval of not less than 14 of the 18 members of the Commission.

Sec. 6. Administration.

(a) Members of the Commission shall serve without any additional compensation, but shall be allowed travel expenses, including per diem in lieu of subsistence, as authorized by law for persons serving intermittently in Government service (5 U.S.C. 5701-5707), consistent with the availability of funds.
(b) The Commission shall have a staff headed by an Executive Director.

Sec. 7. General.

(a) The Commission shall terminate 30 days after submitting its final report.
(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
(ii) functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.

(c) 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,
February 18, 2010.

White House.gov Press Office Feed

02.17.10 03:39 PM

From the Roosevelt Room

5:20 P.M. EST

THE PRESIDENT: Hey, guys.

COMMANDER ZAMKA: Good morning from the International Space Station and from the Space Shuttle Endeavour, Mr. President.

THE PRESIDENT: Well, it’s great to talk to you guys. I wanted to, first of all, just say that we’ve got a bunch of very excited young people here with us, along with a bunch of somewhat excited teachers. (Laughter.) We have one engineer and one member of Congress, so you’ve got a — and a whole bunch of press here, so it’s a pretty motley crew. And one President.

But I just wanted to let you guys know how proud we are of all of you at what you guys have been accomplishing. I’ve had a chance to take a look at what Tranquility Module is doing. Everybody here back home is excited about this bay on the world that you guys are opening up, and Stephen Colbert at least is excited about his treadmill. (Laughter.)

And so we just wanted to let you know that the amazing work that’s being done on the International Space Station not only by our American astronauts but also our colleagues from Japan and Russia is just a testimony to the human ingenuity; a testimony to extraordinary skill and courage that you guys bring to bear; and is also a testimony to why continued space exploration is so important, and is part of the reason why my commitment to NASA is unwavering.

But instead of me doing all the talking, I wanted you guys to maybe let us know what this new Tranquility Module will help you accomplish. One of the things that we’ve done with our NASA "Vision for the Future" is to extend the life of our participation in the Space Station. And so we just want to get a sense of the kind of research that you guys are doing, and then maybe I’ll turn it over to some young people to see if they’ve got any questions.

COMMANDER ZAMKA: Well, thank you very much, Mr. President. It is a large team effort. In front of you, you have the joint crew of Endeavour and the Space Station, and we are the ones that are fortunate enough to be able to accomplish this great mission together in space. But there are many thousands of people around the world that gave the best of themselves over many years in order to have the days that we’ve been having up here.

For your question, I’m going to turn it over to ISS Commander Jeff Williams.

COMMANDER WILLIAMS: Well, Mr. President, as you know, the ISS has been under assembly for many years, over a decade now. And as George said, it’s because of the efforts of thousands of people around the world among the international partnerships.

The arrival of this module means several things. It means, of course, that we — everybody is aware of this new grand view that we have of the world below us, and that brings a special significance. But the Tranquility Module also is going to serve as a gym, as a hygiene area, as a place a crew can maintain themselves for a long duration. And a long duration living and working in space is what the Space Station is all about — to do the research and the science necessary to take us beyond Earth orbit.

That was the ultimate purpose of the Space Station, and the arrival of this module will enable us to do that. And it really marks the end of the major assembly of at least the U.S. orbiting segment to — as we transition into full utilization of this magnificent orbiting laboratory.

THE PRESIDENT: Do you guys want to just mention some of the research and experiments that you can conduct on the Space Station that you could not be doing back here at home?

FLIGHT ENGINEER CREAMER: That’s a great question, Mr. President. Let me start off by saying one of the nice things about where we physically are right now is that we remove the effects of gravity, so we’re able to do experiments that involve the effect of gravity basically on Earth as we look at what happens with the absence of it.

For instance, when you do combustion studies, flames on Earth burn in a teardrop fashion because the air comes in from underneath it and feeds the flame, but we can’t do that here since the air doesn’t know where up is, there’s no convection. So the flames burn very purely in a ball.

In a similar sense, when we do cellular research for even — like for cancer research, for instance, on Earth the cells actually collapse under their own weight and so their growth on Earth are a little bit distorted. Here, without the gravity effect, we can grow cells very purely and understand the mechanisms by which they are replicating.

We’re also doing metallic research and materials research to help us understand how to make materials on Earth better, but also to find out what materials are better for long-duration missions and traveling beyond Earth’s orbit.

Some of the other experiments involve biological, where we actually have, for instance, butterflies up here and we watch the life process of the butterflies. Many, many experiments up and down the stack are quite exciting when we are able to remove the variable of gravity.

THE PRESIDENT: Well, some of the things that you talked about are in line with where we want to see NASA going increasingly: What are those transformational technologies that would allow us to potentially see space travel of longer durations? If we want to get to Mars, if we want to get beyond that, what kinds of technologies are going to be necessary in order for us to make sure that folks can get there in one piece and get back in one piece and that — the kinds of fuels that we use and the technologies we use are going to facilitate something that is actually feasible? And we’re very excited about the possibilities of putting more research dollars into some of these transformational technologies.

So we’re excited about what you’re doing and what folks back on Earth as part of NASA’s engineering teams and scientific teams are doing.

What I want to do is give some of these young people a chance to ask a couple of questions, but I’m not sure I’ve got any volunteers so I’m going to have to turn around — oh, look. (Laughter.) This is a serious bunch here, I can tell. So I’m going to hand the phone over to the first one — hold on — what’s your name?

Q Ruth.

THE PRESIDENT: This is Ruth, coming from North Carolina.

Q What are some of the benefits of exploring space as opposed to exploring other places on Earth?

THE PRESIDENT: Okay. A pretty serious question, guys. You better have a good answer — the NASA folks are sitting here listening. (Laughter.)

MISSION SPECIALIST: Ruth, I can tell you your curiosity reaches far, and so does ours. And that’s sort of the human spirit, to find out what can humans really do.
One thing that’s always been I think amazing to every person who travels in space is that the human body is adaptable to this environment. But adaptable in what way, and how does the human body and even the human brain adapt to this very, very different environment? Learning about how we, ourselves, work and how we can handle changes if we go somewhere very different than what we’re used to is something that’s valuable also on Earth, because our environment changes on Earth, too — and in terms of health and medicine, we understand better how our own bodies work. So there’s a lot to be learned.

THE PRESIDENT: All right, who’s next?

Q Mary.

THE PRESIDENT: All right, this is Mary coming at you.

Q What inspired you to become an astronaut?

THE PRESIDENT: Got any takers on that one?

MISSION SPECIALIST PATRICK: Mary, hello. This is Nick Patrick. The thing that inspired me to become an astronaut was watching the Apollo moon landings many, many years ago with my parents. I thought I wanted to be a space explorer then and I stuck to my dream. I stayed in school and I studied hard, and through schoolwork and also an interest in things like sailing and flying I was able to realize my dream.

So I would have some advice to all of you there, which is study really hard in school, listen to your teachers. They’re full of knowledge and experience that you really can use in whatever path your future life takes you along — whether it be engineering, science, a job in business, or even space exploration.

THE PRESIDENT: All right, let’s get — we have one of our young people from —

Q From Nebraska.

THE PRESIDENT: From Nebraska. And what’s your name?

Q Jordan.

THE PRESIDENT: This is Jordan from Nebraska.

Q Do you think it will ever be possible to create artificial gravity in space?

THE PRESIDENT: That’s a big physics question there, guys. Anybody want to tackle that one?

PILOT VIRTS: Hi, Jordan, this is Terry Virts here. And that’s a great question because one of the hard things about long-duration space flight is the human body dealing with weightlessness and a lack of gravity.

And one way you can create gravity is to spin things. If you take a bucket of water or paint you can spin it around and you’ll notice that the water stays pressed up against the bucket because you’re accelerating it. And so you can artificially create that acceleration that makes you feel like you’re in gravity just by rotating something like a centrifuge.

So it is possible, but to do that it requires a really large structure. And so that’s something that we haven’t done here on the Space Station, but that’s one way you can do it.

THE PRESIDENT: That was a great question. All right, we need a Michigan — we’ve got to make sure every state is represented here. What’s your name?

Q Shanae.

THE PRESIDENT: Okay, go ahead and introduce yourself.

Q I was just wondering, what kind of training did you have to go through before you were able to get into space?

THE PRESIDENT: That was Shanae from Michigan.

MISSION SPECIALIST HIRE: Well, that’s a great question. You know, it takes a lot of experience to be an astronaut and it’s not just in one field. We’ve all been through many, many years of school, but also experience in our own fields. So we have engineers, scientists, mathematicians, medical doctors and physicists. We have quite a range of experience that become astronauts.

And the important thing is that you have a good, solid background in the technical fields — the science, the technology, the engineering and the math — to build on that, because once everyone comes and is selected as an astronaut, we all train generically for space flight, and then we train specifically for our mission.

For the International Space Station it’s a very complicated and very large spacecraft, so the training is over multiple years just for a specific flight. For the Space Shuttle, being a shorter-duration flight of just a couple of weeks, we still train for over one year just specifically on the task that we’ll accomplish on our mission.

So it’s quite a bit of time, but it certainly is worth it. It’s quite rewarding to us to be able to execute the mission that we’ve been training for, for so long.

THE PRESIDENT: And I think we need to have at least one Floridian — is that right? We already had a Floridian? Do we have every state covered so far?

All right, we’ve got time for a couple more questions. We were going to get a little gender balance here. (Laughter.) This young man back here, what’s your name?

Q Joseph.

THE PRESIDENT: Joseph.

Hold on one second. You’ve got a question from Joseph from Nebraska.

Q Are there any recognizable landmarks that you can see from space?

THE PRESIDENT: Yes, the rumor was, is that you can see the Great Wall from space, but I’m not sure that’s true. So are there at least — if there aren’t manmade landmarks, are there some natural landmarks other than continents that you can see?

FLIGHT ENGINEER: Yes, Mr. President and Joseph, that’s a great question. Actually, one of the great — in this mission, we have a great window, big window, that we are really fascinated by the great view of the Earth. And, yes, we can see a lot of great landmarks. We can see the Golden Gate Bridge, the great skyscrapers in New York. And the Grand Canyon is just breathtaking. And also while in the night pass we can see all the lights — that means that the humans are active even in the night. And this is a great benefit that we all benefit from, being in space.

THE PRESIDENT: Well, there you go.

All right, we’ve got — looks like I’ve got a couple more questions. Hold on. What’s your name?

Q Barbara.

THE PRESIDENT: This is Barbara. From?

Q From Florida.

THE PRESIDENT: From Florida. Hold on.

Q Hi, I’m curious about the thoughts and emotions that you guys feel when you’re in space.

THE PRESIDENT: There you go. Do you start getting lonely? Do you feel a little claustrophobic?

MISSION SPECIALIST: That’s an excellent question, and I think that probably it ranges quite a bit over the period of a space shuttle mission, And I expect it probably varies quite a bit over the range of a long-duration mission.

Kind of starting off, for the shuttle mission, at least for me, I’ve done that twice now; you kind of get into orbit, and you’re just kind of finding the equivalent of your sea legs, if you will. And so you’re — you’ve arrived on orbit and you kind of have a feeling of joy, having accomplished it. Your body has just gone through kind of a little bit of a violent experience through the launch, and you have a little bit of adrenaline probably getting out of your system. So it’s a little bit of a joyous, giddy moment, at the same time that you’re disoriented as you deal with the first couple of hours of actually being on orbit.

After that passes, after a couple of days, for me it was kind of a sense of wonder as you explore what you can do in zero gravity and the things that you can see out the window and just how the entire complex works together to make it happen. So it’s just a sense of wonder.

After — a little while after that, I think you start to think a little bit about the people who are back on Earth that are most precious to you, and then that little bit of loneliness can kick in. And one of the really nice things that we have and the long-duration crews have is the opportunity to use a telephone or to perform a videoconference similar to like we’re doing with you guys with our families. And I think that’s really important for folks to maintain that contact when you’re up here on orbit.

Of course, you have your crew members, but you do really want to maintain those precious relationships with all your family members and friends that are on the ground. And they do a remarkable job actually supporting us while we’re in space to make sure that we can still speak with our families and that our families are informed and able to stay in contact with us.

But all those emotions kind of wrap up together. Kind of the final one is kind of when you do return to Earth and kick off all those relationships that, whether they were two weeks or six months later, have — time has passed and you have to kind of rebuild them a little bit. But it’s a very joyous experience, and something that you can share with both the people on the ground and the people who are part of your crew throughout the entire mission.

Great question.

THE PRESIDENT: All right. So I think we’re going to make this the last question. We’ve been keeping you guys overtime. So what’s your name?

Q Alex.

THE PRESIDENT: This is Alex. Hold on one sec.

Q Does being up in space allow you to see things such as the weather? Like could you see the storm over Washington?

THE PRESIDENT: That’s a good point. Obviously we’re using a lot of satellite imagery these days, and this is going to be a major focus of some of the work NASA is doing here at home, thinking about how we can get better information about our own climate. Is that something that you guys are tracking from the Space Station?

COMMANDER WILLIAMS: Well, we view a lot of the weather phenomena. We’ve seen many hurricanes and typhoons and whatnot around the world. We can see fronts crossing continents. We see the whole variety of cloud formations. We sometimes can see the aftermath of a storm or other major impact on the Earth after the sky clears.

So there’s a whole lot of details that we can see here from the Space Station — and observe every day. We can see things — we pass over the same portion of the Earth every day, so it’s a regular observation that we can make over a long period of time, as well.

THE PRESIDENT: You guys have been extraordinarily generous with your time, and I just want to repeat, and I think I speak for all the young people here, everybody back home, how proud we are of you, how excited we are about the work that’s being done on the Space Station, and how committed we are to continuing human space exploration in the future.

So you guys continue to be great pioneers and great role models for all of us, and we thank you for your courage. And tell your families we appreciate them letting you float up into space like this. (Laughter.) All right?

Bye-bye, guys.

END
5:41 P.M. EST

White House.gov Press Office Feed

02.17.10 03:51 PM

The President and Vice President met today with Ambassador Chris Hill and General Ray Odierno, Commanding General of the United States Forces-Iraq (USF-I), to review political, economic, and security developments in Iraq. They discussed the importance of broad participation in the upcoming Parliamentary elections and reaffirmed U.S. support for Iraqi efforts to promote national unity. They also discussed how to develop U.S. partnership with Iraq in sectors such as the economy and education. The Ambassador and General Odierno will also participate in a meeting on Iraq which the Vice President will chair with Principals on Friday.

White House.gov Press Office Feed

02.16.10 04:20 PM

“Ambassador Ford is a highly accomplished diplomat with many years of experience in the Middle East. His appointment represents President Obama’s commitment to use engagement to advance U.S. interests by improving communication with the Syrian government and people. If confirmed by the Senate, Ambassador Ford will engage the Syrian government on how we can enhance relations, while addressing areas of ongoing concern.”

White House.gov Press Office Feed

02.17.10 06:55 AM

Michelle and I join Christians here in America and around the world in observing Ash Wednesday. We mark this solemn day of repentance and promise, knowing that Lent is a time for millions to renew faith and also deepen a commitment to loving and serving one another.

White House.gov Press Office Feed

02.17.10 08:17 AM

The Recovery Act at One Year

One year in, the Recovery Act is at work across the country creating jobs and driving economic growth. From major highway projects to green retrofits of military facilities and manufacturing of advanced batteries, more than 55,000 projects across the country have now been funded through the Recovery Act. To get an up close look at some of those projects, click HERE. This is in addition to the nearly $120 billion in tax relief already provided to American families and businesses – with more to come this year – and the billions of dollars in relief provided to shore up state and local government programs like Medicaid and education facing severe budget shortfalls. To see a video of how the Recovery Act is helping cities across the country click HERE.

This is what it looks like, by the numbers:

Jobs

CBO: According to the nonpartisan CBO, the Recovery Act is already responsible for as many as 2.4 million jobs through the end of 2009.CEA, Other Private Forecasters: Analysis by the Council of Economic Advisers also found that the Recovery Act is responsible for about 2 million jobs – a figure in line with estimates from private forecasters like IHS Global, Moody’s Economy and even the conservative American Enterprise Institute.The Economy

GDP/Economic Growth: In the fourth quarter of 2009, the economy grew 5.7 percent – – the largest gain in six years and something many economists say is largely due to the Recovery Act. Before the Recovery Act, the economy was shrinking by about 6 percent.Job Losses: Job losses for the fourth quarter of 2009 were one-seventh what they were in the first quarter of 2009 when the Recovery Act was passed.Recovery Dollars

Spending: Nearly 70 percent of the $499 billion in Recovery Act spending has been obligated to specific programs and projects so far, putting those dollars to work in communities across the country.Tax Relief: Nearly $120 billion in tax relief has been provided for working families and businesses through the Recovery Act this year.Infrastructure

Transportation Construction: Over 12,500 transportation construction projects – ranging from highway construction to airport improvement projects – have been funded so far. Of those, more than 8,500 are already underway across the country – with even more breaking ground as the weather warms up.Defense Construction: Over 2,850 DOD construction and rehabilitation projects have been started at over 350 military facilities nationwide.Superfund Sites: 51 Superfund project sites from the National Priority List have been funded. Of those sites, 34 already have on-site construction.National Parks: Over 300 improvement projects underway or completed at 175 National Parks nationwide.Community Health Centers: Over 1,100 health center grant recipients operate more than 7,500 community-based clinics nationwide have received nearly $1.9 billion in Health Resources and Services Administration Recovery Act awards to build or improve facilities and expand services.Public Housing: Over 3,100 public housing authorities have been awarded Recovery Act funding totaling nearly $4 billion, helping to create jobs, retrofit housing, and support construction projects to improve public housing across the country.Build America Bonds: Over $70 billion in Build America Bonds have been issued in 47 states since April 2009 to fund a wide array of critical infrastructure projects, many of which may have been stalled or unfunded construction projects. Build America Bonds attract a wider array of investors and provide a more attractive financing option for States and localities, and they now represent about 19 percent of municipal bond debt issued since the popular program began.Technology/Innovation

Advanced Batteries and Electric Vehicles: $2.4 billion in grants have been awarded to companies and educational institutions in over 20 states to fund 48 new advanced battery and electric drive projects that will help power the next generation of advanced vehicles.Smart Energy Grid: $3.4 billion in grants have been awarded to private companies, utilities, manufacturers and cities to fund smart energy grid projects that will support tens of thousands of jobs and benefit consumers in 49 states.Energy-Efficient Vehicles: $300 million in grants have been awarded to 25 cost-share projects under DOE’s Clean Cities program to expand the nation’s fleet of alternative fuel vehicles by putting more than 9,000 alternative fuel and energy efficient vehicles on the road.Health Research: More than $5 billion in awards have been made through 12,000 grants to research and educational institutions to fund cutting edge medical research in every state.Broadband: The first of over $7 billion in awards to bring broadband to communities where there is little or no access have been made – a significant step forward in driving local economic development.High Speed Rail: Projects in 31 states to help lay a foundation for a high speed rail network here in the U.S. – including down-payments on 13 new, large-scale high-speed rail corridors across the country. This $8 billion investment will not only create jobs and drive economic growth, but jump-start a critical element of 21st century infrastructure.Health IT: Over $750 million in awards have been made to state and local governments and community organizations to help prepare for widespread, meaningful use of health information technology. The awards will help make health IT available to over 100,000 hospitals and primary care physicians by 2014 and grow an emerging industry expected to support tens of thousands of jobs.Immediate Relief

Middle Class Tax Cut: Over 110 million working families have received a boost in their paycheck thanks to the Making Work Pay tax credit. Through this program, 95 percent of American families received an immediate infusion of cash that totaled $37 billion in tax relief in 2009.Emergency Relief Checks: Nearly 55 million seniors, veterans and other high-need residents across the country have received one-time economic relief payments of $250, totaling $13.7 billion in relief.Unemployment Benefits: More than 18 million Americans have received unemployment benefits through the Recovery Act.Small Business Loans: SBA has supported nearly $20 billion in ARRA-funded loans to over 42,000 small businesses since the Recovery Act was signed into law.Aid to State and Local Governments

Medicaid: The Recovery Act has already made more than $56 billion available to states to help prevent cuts to Medicaid programs across the country.Education: More than $60 billion of Recovery Act funding has been awarded to help support education budgets – a move that governors say funded over 300,000 education jobs in the fourth quarter of 2009.Law Enforcement: Over 4,600 law enforcement officers from more than 1,000 communities nationwide received three years of salary and benefits through the COPS program.

White House.gov Press Office Feed

02.17.10 08:35 AM

10:26 A.M. EST

THE VICE PRESIDENT: Good morning, folks. Thank you all for being here. It’s been one year today since the President signed the Recovery Act into law, and I’m probably preaching to the choir here as to how beneficial it’s been. I stand before you, as I said, actually one day — actually the exact day to a year that we signed this act. And what I want to talk about is what we’ve accomplished, where we were back then, where I think we are now, and where we’re going.

And you and I know without any question the Recovery Act is working. It’s working well, and maybe even most importantly, it’s working towards something. It’s not only helping American workers get back on their feet today but it’s laying a foundation for long-term growth for tomorrow — a little bit what we were talking about in the anteroom. And you’re the living proof of just what the Recovery Act is capable of.

But the President and I, we realize that there’s still a great deal more to do. We know that every success story that you could talk about there’s another story about a man or woman who just lost a job, just been laid off, a plant that’s been closed down, a mortgage that’s been foreclosed on. We know times are tough for too many people and — throughout the country. I don’t find — I’ve traveled now to I think it’s 60-some cities talking about the Recovery Act, and every day, every community I go to, you can see the pain that some of the communities are going through — communities that were battered by the economy.

I was just in Saginaw, Michigan. Through no fault of their own — I’ve looked into the eyes of those out-of-work teachers, out-of-work businessmen and women, small business owners, construction workers who’ve been laid off. But I’ve seen something else as I’ve gone through those cities and towns. I’ve seen a sense of hope and optimism as well.

Just yesterday, as I said, in Saginaw, Michigan, I was with a gentleman who has his B.A. — his name is Gonzalez — Mr. Gonzalez. He worked for an automobile company and he got laid off. His wife and two kids were there at this event. But because of the Recovery Act and the job training program at a community college in his town, he went back and took a 16-hour course in being able to begin to deal with — 16-week course — in being able to deal with chemicals related to how they produced solar panels. And DOW Corning has a plant nearby. They added a thousand people over the last year because of some help they got as well, and in their great reach, he’s now working. He’s working at a decent salary. And that community college is going to train this year — another hundred people are going to go right from that training program directly to a job.

The other thing I’ve noticed is — and I notice particularly from you all — and I use "you" in an editorial sense — is this emphatic, unrelenting belief that there is no reason why America has to be number two. None whatsoever. I find even that laid-off worker refuses to believe America is going to be number two in the world — whether it’s in ultimately the construction of wind turbines, or whether it’s in any other renewable energy form, or new automobiles and battery technology. I mean, there is this sense, there is this sense among Americans, even in these tough times, there’s no reason we’re not going to come out of this stronger than when we went into it.

And so that’s what we’ve been having — we’ve been able to deal with. And the Recovery Act has just provided some significant degree of optimism. Rebuilding our crumbling infrastructure, sparking a clean energy revolution, transforming American health care, creating the best education system in the world — that’s our future.

I always say to my friends who think — in politics who voted against this act — I say, any of you tell me how we can possibly lead in the 21st century with the same education system, with the same health care system, and the same energy policy we’ve had the last 35 years? Everyone knows the truth. The truth is that without a transformation in health care, without a transformation in education, without a transformation in energy, we’re not going to succeed; we will not lead the 21st century — which is an unacceptable proposition to the American people.

But sadly, some of my friends who were willing to acknowledge we need to lead in all those areas and make transformational changes, they’re unwilling to take what I admit are difficult steps to make this transformation. They’re unwilling to step up.

Well, not us. The President and I know we can do better. You know we can do better. We know this is a new economy, and there’s no reason why we won’t lead it. That’s why we think we have to usher in a new era of innovation and global leadership for America, and we owe much of the Recovery Act — behind the Recovery Act, which we don’t talk much about, is those elements of innovation and change we’re looking for. And we also owe it to the clear-eyed leadership of not only the President but many of you.

I’ll conclude by saying that many of you have taken advantage of the sort of spark that the Recovery Act provides in some of the tax incentives and others. But we don’t think the government is the one that’s going to ignite this revolution we need. You all take a little bit of help and you go out and you risk a lot. You go out and you get some help from the government, and then you go out to capital markets and you’ve been out there and you go on the line for a whole lot more — a whole lot more risk. And we admire you for it. That’s the way we’re going to get through this.

That, along with the President’s leadership — he’s the reason, in my view, why we stand here today with so much hope for tomorrow. His leadership has taken us very far from where we were last year. It’s easy to forget, the first quarter of last year, this economy shrunk over 6 percent. The last quarter of this year it grew over 6 percent. Something’s happening. Something positive is happening.

So, ladies and gentlemen, I think the main reason it’s happening, at least in terms of government guidance, is because of the man I’m about to introduce: the President of the United States of America, President Barack Obama. (Applause.)

THE PRESIDENT: Thank you, everybody. Thank you. Please, have a seat. Thank you very much. Thank you to Blake and Chuck, and thank you to my outstanding Vice President and his extraordinary team that have done just a great job managing this program.

I want to begin by recalling where we were one year ago. Millions of jobs had already been lost to the recession before I was sworn into office. Another 800,000 would be lost in the month of January. We’d later learn that our economy had shrunk by an astounding 6.4 percent in the first quarter of 2009. And economists from across the political spectrum warned that if dramatic action was not taken to break the back of the recession, the United States could spiral into another depression.

That was the backdrop against which I signed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act in Denver with Blake alongside. It certainly wasn’t a politically easy decision to make for me or for the members of Congress who supported it — because, let’s face it, no large expenditure is ever that popular, particularly at a time when we’re also facing a massive deficit. But we acted because failure to do so would have led to catastrophe. We acted because we had a larger responsibility than simply winning the next election. We had a responsibility to do what was right for the U.S. economy and for the American people.

One year later, it is largely thanks to the Recovery Act that a second depression is no longer a possibility. It’s one of the main reasons the economy has gone from shrinking by 6 percent to growing at about 6 percent. And this morning we learned that manufacturing production posted a strong gain. So far, the Recovery Act is responsible for the jobs of about 2 million Americans who would otherwise be unemployed. These aren’t just our numbers; these are the estimates of independent, nonpartisan economists across the spectrum.

Now, despite all this, the bill still generates some controversy. And part of that is because there are those, let’s face it, across the aisle who have tried to score political points by attacking what we did, even as many of them show up at ribbon-cutting ceremonies for projects in their districts. (Laughter and applause.) But if we’re honest, part of the controversy also is, is that despite the extraordinary work that has been done through the Recovery Act, millions of Americans are still without jobs. Millions more are struggling to make ends meet. So it doesn’t yet feel like much of a recovery. And I understand that. It’s why we’re going to continue to do everything in our power to turn this economy around.

Now the truth is the Recovery Act was never intended to save every job or restore our economy to full strength. No bill or government program can do that. Businesses are the true engines of growth; businesses are the engines of job creation in this country. They always will be. But during a recession, when businesses pull back and people stop spending, what government can do is provide a temporary boost that puts money in people’s pockets, and keeps workers on the job, cuts taxes for small businesses, generates more demand; gives confidence to entrepreneurs that maybe they don’t have to cut back right now, maybe they can hold steady in their plans and in their dreams. That’s exactly what we’ve been able to do with the Recovery Act.

And I just want to point this out — there has never been a program of this scale, moved at this speed, that has been enacted as effectively and as transparently as the Recovery Act. I’m grateful that Congress agreed to my request that the bill include no earmarks, that all projects receive funding based solely on their merits. And despite that, I was still concerned — Joe and I were just talking in the back — when this thing passed we said $787 billion — somewhere there’s going to be some story of some money that ended up being misspent; $787 billion spent out over 18 months, that’s a lot — that’s a lot of money. And it is a testimony to Vice President Biden and his team that, as Joe puts it, the dog, so far at least, hasn’t barked. (Laughter.)

This team has done an outstanding job overseeing the Recovery Act. It doesn’t mean that everything has been perfect, but when you think about the scope, the magnitude of this thing, this program has run cleanly, smoothly, transparently. We brought in one of the toughest inspector generals in Washington as well as professionals from private industry to help run the implementation. And every American can see how and where this money has been spent just by going on www.recovery.gov.

Now, just to review: One-third of the money in this bill — one-third — was made up of tax cuts. I talked about this at the State of the Union. Tax cuts for 95 percent of working Americans. I just want to say to the American people, because we see some polling where about twice as many people think we’ve raised taxes as lowered taxes — 95 percent of you got a tax cut. (Applause.) Tax cuts for 95 percent of working Americans. Tax cuts for small businesses. Tax cuts for first-time homebuyers. Tax cuts for parents trying to — trying to care for their kids. Tax cuts for 8 million Americans paying for college. So far, we’ve provided $120 billion in tax relief to families and small businesses.

Now, up until this point I’ve never met a Republican who didn’t like a good tax cut — (laughter) — but you remember when I mentioned this at the State of the Union, Joe, they were all kind of squirming in their seats. They weren’t sure whether to clap or — (laughter) — or not because most of them had voted against all these tax cuts, which I thought was — it was interesting to watch. (Laughter.)

The second third of this bill was made up of relief for those who have been most affected by this recession. We’ve extended or increased unemployment benefits for more than 19 million Americans. We made health insurance 65 percent cheaper for families who lost their jobs and had to get temporary coverage through COBRA. And we gave relief to states that were struggling to balance their budgets -– relief that has allowed 300,000 teachers and education workers to keep their jobs, as well as tens of thousands of cops and firefighters and first responders and correctional officers. And Joe Biden will tell you that not one of the 50 governors we’ve spoken to -– Democrat or Republican -– has failed to show appreciation for this relief.
And I also have to tell you that I am concerned because state budgets have not yet recovered, and you’re now seeing a whole bunch of state and local governments who were able to put off layoffs last year, as the recovery money is running out, having to make some very tough decisions. And we could potentially see layoffs taking place this year because we haven’t re-upped in terms of providing some help to those states and local governments. That’s something that we’re watching and we’re concerned about.

Now, the last third of the Recovery Act is what I want to talk a little bit about more today. It’s the reason Blake and Doug are here. That third is about rebuilding our economy on a new and stronger foundation for growth over the long term. See, we knew when we came into office that it wasn’t enough simply to solve the immediate crisis before us. We knew that even before the crisis hit, we had come through what some people are calling the "lost decade" -– a period where there was barely any job growth, and where the income of the average American household declined. This is before the recession, over the course of the decade, the average American household, they saw their incomes decline even as the cost of health care and college tuition were skyrocketing, had reached record highs. The prosperity was built on little more than a housing bubble and on financial speculation — people maxing out on their credit cards, taking out home equity loans.

We can’t go back to that kind of economy. That’s not where the jobs are. The jobs of the 21st century are in areas like clean energy and technology, advanced manufacturing, new infrastructure. That kind of economy requires us to consume less and produce more; to import less and export more. Instead of sending jobs overseas, we need to send more products overseas that are made by American workers and American business. And we need to train our workers for those jobs with new skills and a world-class education.

Other countries already realize this. They’re putting more emphasis on math and science. They’re building high-speed railroads and expanding broadband. They’re making serious investments in clean energy because they want those jobs.

And America cannot stand still in the face of this challenge. We can’t afford to put our future on hold. So that’s why a big part of the Recovery Act has been about investing in that future. Yes, it created jobs now. Yes, it created business opportunities now. But more importantly, it’s laying the foundation for where we need to go.

So instead of just pouring more money into America’s schools, regardless of their performance, we launched a national competition between states that only rewards success and reform — reform that raises student achievement, and inspires students to excel in math and science, and turns around failing schools — failing schools that steal the future of too many young Americans.

We’re also making sure that our nation has an infrastructure that’s built to compete in the 21st century. So we now have projects in 31 states that are laying the ground for the first high-speed rail network in the United States of America. I mean, for years, Japan and Europe have had high-speed rail. China has got about 40 times as many projects that have been going on, on this front. We’re playing catch-up; we shouldn’t be.

The Recovery Act has made possible over 12,500 transportation construction projects, from rebuilding highways to improving our airports. And today we announced funding for over 50 innovative transportation projects across America –- everything from railroads in Appalachia to a new passenger terminal in New Orleans.

These projects will put hundreds of thousands of Americans to work. And in many cases, they already have. That’s part of the reason that Chuck is here today — he’s the president of a construction company in Pennsylvania, and the Recovery Act will fund about a third of the work his paving company will do this year. That’s allowed him to hire two engineers and about a hundred employees. So in case people are wondering whether or not the Recovery Act has created jobs and opportunity for businesses, talk to Chuck. (Laughter.) The new equipment he’s ordered to help pave these roads will save an additional 40 jobs on an assembly line out in California. These are well-paying, long-lasting, private sector jobs that wouldn’t be possible without the Recovery Act. They’ll be doing the work that America needs done to stay competitive in a global economy.

In no area is this more important than in energy. Because of the Recovery Act, we have finally jumpstarted the clean energy industry in America, and made possible 200,000 jobs in the clean energy and construction sectors.

Just take one example: Consider the investment that we’ve made in the kind of batteries used in hybrid and electric cars. You’ve heard about these, right? Before the Recovery Act was signed, 98 percent of the world’s advanced battery production was done in Asian countries. The United States did less than 2 percent of this advanced battery manufacturing that’s going to be the key to these high-mileage, low-emission cars.

Then we invested in new research and battery technologies, and supported the construction of 20 battery factories that will employ tens of thousands of Americans -– batteries that can make enough — factories that can make enough batteries each year to power half a million plug-in hybrid vehicles. So as a result, next year — next year, two years after the Recovery Act — the United States will have the capacity to produce nearly 20 percent of the world’s advanced batteries — from less than 2 percent to 20 percent. And we’ll be able to make 40 percent of these advanced batteries by 2015 — an entire new industry because of the Recovery Act.

This kind of progress is happening throughout our clean energy sector. Yesterday I announced loan guarantees to break ground on America’s first new nuclear power plant in nearly three decades -– a plant that will create thousands of construction jobs and 800 permanent jobs in years to come. There’s the manufacturer in Philadelphia who makes energy-efficient windows. He used to be skeptical about the Recovery Act until he had to add two more shifts just to keep up with the new business it’s created.

And Blake at Namaste Solar — it’s based in Boulder, Colorado. One year ago, Blake gave us a tour of one of his company’s solar installations, on top of a museum in Denver, right before I signed the Recovery Act into law. And at the time, Blake was pretty sure that the recession would force him to lay off about half of his staff. One year later, because of the clean energy investments in the Recovery Act, he has instead added about a dozen new workers, and expects to hire about a dozen more by year’s end. His company continues to install solar panels all over Colorado, from the Governor’s Mansion to the Denver Museum of Natural — Nature and Science.

So that’s our future. That’s what’s possible in America. You can argue, rightly, that we haven’t made as much progress as we need to make when it comes to spurring job creation. That’s part of the reason why the Recovery Act is on track to save or create another 1.5 million jobs in 2010. That’s part of the reason why I expect Congress to pass additional measures as quickly as possible that will help our small business owners create new jobs; give them more of an incentive to hire.

But for those skeptics who refuse to believe the Recovery Act has done any good, who continue to insist that the bill didn’t work, I’d ask you to take that argument up with Blake and his employees. Take that argument up with Chuck and his construction workers. Take it up with the Americans who are working in those battery plants, or building those new highways, or teaching our children new skills — all because the Recovery Act made it possible.

So our work is far from over, but we have rescued this economy from the worst of this crisis. And slowly, in new factories and research facilities and small businesses, the American people are rebuilding a better future. And we will continue to support their efforts. We will leave our children an economy that is stronger and more prosperous than it was before.

Thank you very much, everybody. (Applause.)

END
10:50 A.M. EST

White House.gov Press Office Feed

02.16.10 03:12 PM

WASHINGTON – Today, President Barack Obama announced his intent to nominate the following individuals to key administration posts:

Robert Stephen Ford, Ambassador to the Syrian Arab Republic, Department of StateJonathan Andrew Hatfield, Inspector General, Corporation for National and Community ServicePresident Obama said, “Our nation will be well-served by these fine public servants, who both bring a depth of experience and tremendous dedication to their fields. I look forward to working with them in the months and years ahead.”

President Obama announced today his intent to nominate the following individuals:

Robert Stephen Ford, Nominee for Ambassador to the Syrian Arab Republic, Department of State
Robert Stephen Ford is presently Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy Baghdad, Iraq. Mr. Ford is a career member of the Senior Foreign Service. He was confirmed by the U.S. Senate as Ambassador to Algeria on May 27, 2006, and sworn in on August 11, 2006. Mr. Ford served from 2004 until 2006 and again from 2008 until 2009 as the Political Counselor to the U.S. Embassy Baghdad, Iraq and was Deputy Chief of Mission in Bahrain from 2001 until 2004. Mr. Ford has also served in a number of other posts since entering the Foreign Service in 1985, including Izmir, Cairo, Algiers, and Yaoundé. Mr. Ford earned a Master of Arts in 1983 from Johns Hopkins University. He is a recipient of a number of Department of State awards, including the 2005 James Clement Dunn Award for outstanding work at the mid-level in the Foreign Service as well as three Superior Honor Awards and two Meritorious Honor awards. Mr. Ford speaks German, Turkish, French, and Arabic.

Jonathan Andrew Hatfield, Nominee for Inspector General, Corporation for National and Community Service
Jonathan Andrew Hatfield has served as the Deputy Inspector General of the Federal Election Commission since 2005. He has been with the Federal Election Commission Office of Inspector General since 1994 and has held several executive, managerial, and staff positions. As the Deputy Inspector General, Mr. Hatfield is responsible for assisting the Inspector General coordinate and supervise audits, investigations, and inspections at the Commission. He is also responsible for policy setting and strategic planning that integrates key audit and investigative goals and priorities to provide effective oversight of the Commission. Mr. Hatfield has received several awards during his professional career for outstanding accomplishments; most notably, the Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency recognized Mr. Hatfield for his audit, investigative, and individual accomplishments. In 2009, he was granted a graduate certificate by American University for completion of the University’s Key Executive Leadership Certificate Program for Inspector General Leaders. Mr. Hatfield holds a B.B.A. in Accounting from Radford University and is a Certified Public Accountant in the state of Virginia.

White House.gov Press Office Feed

02.17.10 07:14 AM

The following op-ed, written by Vice President Joe Biden, was published in today’s USA Today:

USA TODAY
Assessing the Recovery Act: ‘The best is yet to come’
By Joe Biden
February 17, 2010

A year ago today, President Obama signed the Recovery Act into law. Time and again I am asked, "How can you say that the Recovery Act has worked when the unemployment rate is so much higher today than it was when the act was signed?" It’s a fair question — and one worth answering on this anniversary day.

First, we think the Recovery Act is working because of the progress we’ve made in slowing job loss. In the three months before the act took effect, America lost 750,000 jobs a month. In the last three months, we’ve lost about 35,000 jobs a month. That’s progress — not good enough, not where we need to be, but progress. And most economists agree that that progress is thanks in a very large part to the Recovery Act.

Independent economists believe that, thanks to the Recovery Act, about 2 million people are on the job today who would not have work otherwise. Is that good enough in an economy that has lost more than 8 million jobs? Of course not. But it is a lot better than the alternative.

Second, the Recovery Act is working because it is helping hard-hit families get through tough economic times. If you get a paycheck, you got a tax cut from the Recovery Act, which lowered the amount of withholding for over 95% of working Americans. If you are a senior citizen, or a veteran, you got a $250 check to help pay your bills. If you are unemployed, your benefits were extended thanks to the Recovery Act. In fact, these tax cuts and direct aid to individuals are the largest parts of the Recovery Act — more than half of all Recovery Act spending has gone to cut taxes or provide relief to seniors, veterans and the unemployed.

Look around for results

Third, we know that the Recovery Act is working because we can see the results all around us. Thousands of road projects are not only creating jobs — they are making for faster, safer transportation. Superfund sites are being cleaned up and commuter rail tracks are being repaired. Work is underway on water, weatherization and construction projects — creating jobs now, and making critical improvements in our nation’s infrastructure for the future.

And yet, to me, the most exciting thing about the Recovery Act is not what we’ve done, but what lies ahead. Many Recovery Act programs that will build the groundwork for the economy of the 21st century will be implemented in the next few months. Broadband access for small and rural communities. New factories where electric cars and clean fuel cells will be made. Wind farms, solar panels — and the facilities to construct them. New health technologies and smarter electrical power grids will be creating jobs this year thanks to the Recovery Act. Truly, the best is yet to come.

‘A long way to go’

We’ve gotten the act moving ahead of schedule, and most projects are coming in under budget. A tough, independent group of inspectors general is on the lookout for fraud, and we’ve killed scores of projects that don’t pass muster. Your tax dollars are being used wisely and quickly to turn the economy around.

We’re on track to meet or beat our goal of saving or creating 3.5 million jobs by the end of this year. Work on road, rail, bridge, airport and other infrastructure projects will expand dramatically as warm weather returns. Projects that needed final planning in 2009 will see construction in 2010.

Americans know this downturn isn’t over yet — we have a long way to go before we are over the economic chasm left by the Great Recession. Year Two of the Recovery Act will build on the successes of Year One, continuing to generate jobs while seeding the transformative investments needed to ensure that our economy remains the world’s strongest.

Joe Biden is vice president of the United States.

White House.gov Press Office Feed

02.17.10 07:32 AM

Recovery Act-Funded Projects Will Create Jobs, Spur Lasting Economic Growth

KANSAS CITY, MO – One year to the day after President Obama signed the historic American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) into law, Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood will announce Recovery Act awards to states, tribal governments, cities, counties and transit agencies across the country to fund 51 innovative transportation projects.

The TIGER (Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery) Discretionary Grant Program was included in the Recovery Act to spur a national competition for innovative, multi-modal and multi-jurisdictional transportation projects that promise significant economic and environmental benefits to an entire metropolitan area, a region or the nation. Projects funded with the $1.5 billion allocated in the Recovery Act include improvements to roads, bridges, rail, ports, transit and intermodal facilities.

In an overwhelming show of demand for the program, the U.S. Department of Transportation was flooded with more than 1,400 applications from all 50 states, territories and the District of Columbia requesting funding for almost $60 billion worth of projects – 40 times the amount available through the program.

“TIGER grants will tackle the kind of major transportation projects that have been difficult to build under other funding programs,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. “This will help us meet the 21st century challenges of improving the environment, making our communities more livable and enhancing safety, all while creating jobs and growing the economy.”

The projects announced today will create jobs and spur lasting economic growth, reduce gridlock for the traveling public, and provide Americans with more safe, affordable and environmentally sustainable transportation choices. They will also help factories, farms and businesses across the U.S. move goods more efficiently and better compete in the global economy. Sixty percent of the funding will go to economically distressed areas, which are home to 39 percent of the U.S. population.

Awardees were selected based on their contribution to economic competitiveness of the nation, improving safety and the condition of the existing transportation system, increasing quality of life, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and demonstrating strong collaboration among a broad range of participants, including the private sector.

Projects were funded in large cities as well as rural and tribal communities across the country and were selected based on merit. Selected projects represent some of the most innovative projects as well as multi-modal, multi-jurisdictional projects that are often overlooked by the existing funding system. The winning TIGER projects highlighted the diversity of transportation needs throughout the U.S. from grand Moynihan Station in New York City, which will carry millions of train and subway riders each year to “the most beautiful drive in America” – Wyoming’s Beartooth Highway – the gateway to Yellowstone National Park. They ranged from major billion dollar freight rail corridors in the Midwest and South, to bridge repairs in Oklahoma and South Carolina to port projects in Maine and Hawaii.
TIGER funds will also help construct the Union Passenger Terminal/Loyola Streetcar Loop in New Orleans, make safety improvements to a key highway in New Mexico Najavo country and spur economic growth in Appalachia through the Appalachian Regional Short Line Rail Project and the Gateway Project.

The U.S. Department of Transportation required rigorous economic justifications for projects more than $100 million and will require all recipients to report on their activities on a routine basis. A complete list of recipients can be viewed HERE.

White House.gov Press Office Feed

02.16.10 05:00 PM

WASHINGTON – At tomorrow’s Economic Daily Briefing, Vice President Joe Biden will deliver to President Barack Obama his “Annual Report to the President on Progress Implementing the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.” The report, which summarizes Recovery Act progress to-date and lays out projections for the program in the coming months, can be viewed in full HERE. Key excerpts from the report are below.

KEY EXCERPTS

GDP IMPACT
As ARRA funds have begun to work their way through the economy, several key indicators show that they have clearly halted an economic freefall. In their recently released quarterly report, the Council of Economic Advisers (CEA) found that GDP had been positively impacted by ARRA:

“ARRA added between 2 to 3 percentage points to real GDP growth in the second quarter of 2009; between 3 and 4 percentage points in the third quarter, and between 1.5 and 3 percentage points in the fourth quarter. This is broadly similar to those of a wide range of other analysts.”

Figure 1 shows the progression of GDP over the past five quarters.

Figure 1. GDP Progression over the Past Five Quarters

EMPLOYMENT IMPACT
GDP is not the only indicator that shows a boost from ARRA funds. Payroll job losses are also lessening and, ever since a peak in March of 2009, unemployment insurance claims have been generally declining. Both these trends can be seen in Figures 2 and 3:

Figure 2 Payroll Job Losses December 2008 – Present

Figure 3 Initial Unemployment Insurance Claims, 2007 – Present
It is no accident that we have seen the labor market improve dramatically since the passage of ARRA – abundant evidence and many different experts say it is creating millions of jobs.
***
At the end of September 2009, CEA released their first quarterly report, finding that ARRA had created or saved over 1 million jobs. In their second quarterly report, CEA found that this positive trend continues, with ARRA having created or saved 1.5 to 2 million jobs in the fourth quarter of 2009, as shown in Figure 4. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO), in their latest report on the status of ARRA implementation, also found that ARRA funding has supported a comparable number of jobs – with their estimate being up to 2.4 million jobs supported.

Figure 4. ARRA Jobs Created or Saved by Quarter, per CEA[1]
These jobs not only span sectors, but also span the entire country as is seen in Figure 5.

Figure 5. Cumulative ARRA Jobs Created or Saved by State per CEA

PACE OF SPENDING
Though each part of the Act was designed to spend at different rates, the Act overall represents one of the largest and fastest infusions of direct funding into the economy. Just as the Congress understood the urgency of passing the Recovery Act, so too did the Federal agencies and their partners in charge of implementing it. In fact, Recovery Act funds have not only moved into the economy quickly, but the pace has also exceeded the Congressional Budget Office’s (CBO) original ambitious projection, as shown in Figure 8.
Part of keeping up the pace of moving funds out into the economy is tied directly to the oversight and management capabilities of the Federal agencies. Agencies have worked diligently to move funds out the door as fast as possible, while not sacrificing the careful selection processes, monitoring, and oversight necessary to make sure that Recovery Act funds are being used in a prudent manner. Understanding that speed in getting funds into the economy is crucial to achieving the goals of the Act, agencies, such as the Department of Defense, have reallocated funds from projects that, while worthy, are not able to execute in a timely fashion. In other cases, agencies have realized bid savings on project costs – and have quickly reallocated those “excess” funds to new projects, allowing more projects to be started than originally projected. For example, in August, the Department of Homeland Security was able to quickly reallocate $240 million in bid savings on current projects to new in-line baggage screening projects at ten additional airports across the country.

Figure 8 Recovery Act Spending vs. CBO Spending Projection as of September 30, 2009
WHAT’S NEXT
Looking forward, we have a clear goal to disburse (outlays + taxes) 70 percent of Recovery Act funds, or $551 billion, by September 30, 2010. We are on track to achieve this goal.

We have disbursed to date nearly $300 billion in outlays and taxes for an average monthly rate of about $27 billion. Of that $27 billion, $11 billion has been in the form of tax relief and $16 billion in spending.

To achieve our goal for a $551 billion in disbursements by the end of September, we will need to disburse $32 billion per month going forward, a pace which we will meet or exceed. From February onwards, monthly tax relief should increase from $11 billion to $18 billion.

***

Mix of Outlays Changes in 2010, With Projects Spending Accounting for a Larger Share
Just as tax relief will play a major part in 2010 disbursements, so will spending, as outlays comprise the second and critical part to meeting the goal of disbursing 70 percent of the Act by September 30. In the months ahead, there will be a modest uptick in the monthly outlay rate of the Act. More importantly however, the mix in spending will shift significantly from being primarily payment driven to being more evenly matched between payments and projects. In fact, monthly project outlays are expected to more than double compared to the 2009 average. Since payments were the portion of the Act most quickly disbursed in 2009 to rescue the economy from freefall, 2010 payment outlays may see a slight drop off in pace. Nevertheless, total monthly outlays will see a modest uptick which will be driven by projects.

Figure 13 Projected Outlays through June 2010
***
Building on the Successes of the First Year
The increase expected in overall outlay pace going forward, as well as in the change in mix, can be directly traced to a groundwork that was laid in the first year of the Act’s implementation. Through the end of January, a total of $334 billion in spending had been obligated, of which $179 billion had been outlayed. The portion of obligations made up by payments was greater than the portion made up by projects, but by less than 15 percent. However, the split within the portion outlayed is dramatically different, with over four times as much going towards payments v. projects. In other words, less than one fifth of outlays through January were project related outlays. Thus, project related dollars that are already obligated and working in today’s economy will transition into significant corresponding outlays. By the numbers, in addition to the money that is left to be obligated, there remains $112 billion in obligated project dollars that have yet to be outlayed, while by contrast, there remains only $43 billion in obligated payment dollars that have yet to be outlayed.

Figure 15. Obligated and Outlayed Dollars to Projects and Payments, February 2009 through January 2010

Figure 16. Obligations and Outlays in Projects and Payments, February 2009 through January 2010
Therefore, fueled largely by a strong first year performance of getting dollars awarded and projects obligated and started, the year ahead will see a capitalizing on an inventory of work that is awarded and “ready to go”. This capitalizing explains much of the increase in outlay pace as well as the change in outlay mix that will be seen in the months ahead.
Further evidence of this lies in reports filed by a portion of Recovery Act funding recipients who, by law, report on the use of their funds every quarter. These recipients filed reports in January detailing the status and progress made on their awards through December 31, 2009. Despite the sizeable activity that these recipients depict, their reports tell us that the vast majority of their projects are less than half complete. This assessment remains the same whether made in terms of project numbers or in terms of dollars as is seen in Figure 17.

Figure 17. Projects and Dollars by Level of Completeness
With a strong and increasing base of awards that have been made, and with large numbers of awards that still have more than half of their work remaining to be done, the level of on-the-ground work being done by the Recovery Act will remain strong and the pace of outlays will accelerate during Fiscal Year 2010.
Signature Projects Come Online
In addition to the increase from standard infrastructure related projects, 2010 will also see work getting underway on several of the longer-term signature investments in the Recovery Act, including the recently awarded High Speed Rail, Health IT and Broadband related grants. The table below provides some highlights on signature programs – part of the Reinvestment phase of ARRA – that are scheduled to spend out over 2010 and beyond, keeping the Recovery moving forward.

Figure 18. Signature ARRA Project Status
###

White House.gov Press Office Feed