Weekly Address: Time to Replace the Sequester with a Balanced Approach to Deficit Reduction
Published on Apr 27, 2013
President Obama says that because Republicans in Congress allowed a series of harmful, automatic budget cuts—called the sequester—to take effect, important programs like Head Start are now forced to reduce their services. After travelers were stuck for hours in airports and on planes this past week, members of Congress passed a temporary band-aid measure to stop the cuts that impact airlines — but they must do more to stop cuts to vital services for the American people. That’s why it’s time for a balanced approach to deficit reduction that makes smarter cuts and reforms in the tax code while creating jobs and strengthening the middle class.
This week, the Vice President traveled to Boston for a memorial for Officer Collier, and the President memorialized the victims of the West Texas explosion. The President also hosted the Amir of Qatar, the Teacher of the Year, the 3rd White House Science Fair, and visited Dallas with the First Lady for the dedication of the George W. Bush Presidential Center.
President Obama Speaks at a Memorial Service for West, Texas
Published on Apr 26, 2013
President Obama delivers remarks at a memorial service for the victims of the explosion in West, Texas. April 25, 2013.
After attending the memorial for slain MIT Police Officer Sean Collier, Dr. Jill Biden made the short trip across the Charles River to the Marathon Memorial Site in Copley Square. Here, she left flowers and a pair of running shoes in honor of the victims of last week’s bombings at the Boston Marathon.
President Obama Meets with the Amir of Qatar
Published on Apr 23, 2013
President Obama Meets with the Amir of Qatar, His Highness Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani. April 23, 2013.
The President was halfway through a four-day trip to Israel, the West Bank, and Jordan. West Wing Week caught up with Deputy National Security Advisor Ben Rhodes, to fill us in on the trip so far for the latest installment of “From the Rhodes.”
Friday saw wreath laying at Herzl and Rabin’s gravesites, and then at the Hall of Remembrance at Yad Vashem, Israel’s official memorial to the Jewish victims of the Holocaust.
The President crossed into the West Bank again, this time to the Palestinian city of Bethlehem where he visited the Church of the Nativity.
Then, it was on to his last stop on his trip, to the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, where King Abdullah II honored the President’s arrival with a ceremony fit for a King. The two leaders then adjourned for a bilateral meeting and a joint press conference.
Saturday, March 23rd
The President made his way to the ancient city of Petra, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and his last stop on his tour of the Middle East.
Monday, March 25th
Back in Washington, the President began his week at home by hosting a naturalization ceremony to welcome 28 active duty service members and civilians to American citizenship, and to call for reforms that will help harness the talent and ingenuity of all those who want to work hard and find a place in America.
Tuesday, March 26th
The President congratulated two LA teams- the Kings and the Galaxy- on their MLS and NHL championship victories.
The President met with the 11 Cesar Chavez Champions of Change who embody the spirit of Cesar Chavez’s legacy and commit themselves to working in their communities to advocate for, and organize around comprehensive immigration reform.
Then he met with the March of Dimes Ambassador, second grader Nina Centofanti and her family.
Wednesday, March 27th
Wednesday marked the annual tradition of the Presidential signing of the ERP, the Economic Report of the President, where the President took the time to thank the entire staff of the Council of Economic Advisors who wrote the report.
Then the President sat down to talk with Lourdes Meluza of Univision and then Lori Montenegro of Telemundo on some of the issues of the day including the need for comprehensive immigration reform.
The President hosted the swearing-in ceremony of Julia Pierson as the Director of the United States Secret Service.
Thursday, March 28th
The President stood with mothers, law enforcement officials, and victims of gun violence to urge Congress to take action on commonsense measures to protect children from gun violence.
Then he congratulated the 2012 Kavli Prize winners, welcoming them into the Oval Office and honoring their pioneering contributions in the fields of Astrophysics, Nanoscience, and Neuroscience.
The President then met with a group of African Leaders representing Sierra Leone, Senegal, Malawi, and Cape Verde, where he spoke of his support for the impressive work being done by these leaders.
In Case You Missed It
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College for All: Affordable, Accessible, Attainable
Valerie Jarrett spoke at the Department of Education’s Higher Education Program Project Directors’ Meeting, an event that gathered thousands of people who are working tirelessly to ensure a better education for all.
Today’s Schedule
All times are Eastern Daylight Time (EDT).
10:30 AM: The President departs Joint Base Andrews.
12:50 PM: The President arrives Miami, Florida.
1:20 PM: The President tours a tunnel project at PortMiami.
2:00 PM: The President delivers remarks on the economy.
President Obama Speaks on Infrastructure and the Economy
Published on Mar 29, 2013
President Obama discusses his plan to create jobs by investing in rebuilding the infrastructure that powers our businesses and our economy. March 29, 2013.
3:00 PM: The President departs Miami, Florida.
5:00 PM: The President arrives Joint Base Andrews.
Here are some of the top stories from the White House blog:
Weekly Address: Helping Protect Our Kids by Reducing Gun Violence
The American people made their voices heard, and the Senate acted to make it harder for criminals and people with serious mental illnesses to get guns, to crack down on anyone trying to funnel guns to criminals, and to reinstate and strengthen a ban on the sale of military-style assault weapons.
10:30 AM: The President and the Vice President receive the Presidential Daily Briefing.
11:15 AM: The Vice President meets with Australian Foreign Minister Robert Carr at the White House.
11:30 AM: The President delivers remarks at a naturalization ceremony for active duty service members and civilians.
12:10 PM: The President designates five new National Monuments using his authority under the Antiquities Act in a signing ceremony with the Vice President and Secretary Salazar.
1:00 PM: Press Briefing by Principal Deputy Press Secretary Josh Earnest.
6:30 PM: The President and the First Lady mark the beginning of Passover with a Seder at the White House.
This week, President Obama completed his historic trip to Israel, the West Bank and Jordan. During the trip he reiterated the unbreakable bonds between the United States and Israel and America’s unwavering commitment to Israel’s security as well as the importance of security, peace and prosperity for all in the region.
President Obama also touched upon the upcoming Passover holiday, the powerful symbols that it represents, and the inspiration it provides to him and to all people seeking a more just and peaceful future.
President Obama Speaks at a Naturalization Ceremony
Published on Mar 25, 2013
President Obama delivers remarks at a naturalization ceremony for active duty service members and civilians at the White House. March 25, 2013.
Today, President Obama spoke at a at a naturalization ceremony for active duty service members and civilians at the White House. He welcomed 28 new American citizens to our nation of immigrants and called for reforms to our immigration system that will help harness the talent and ingenuity of all those like them who want to work hard and find a place here in America.
President Obama said that in each of the men and women who had earned the right to call this country home, we’re reminded of the millions who came before them and our “faith in the idea that anyone, anywhere, can write the next great chapter in this American story. ”
We are so proud of everybody here. In each of you, we see the true spirit of America. And we see a bit of ourselves, too, because most of our stories trace back to moments just like this one. To an ancestor who -– just like the men and women here today –- raised their right hand and recited that sacred oath.
And the point is that unless you are one of the first Americans, unless you are a Native American, you came from someplace else. That’s why we’ve always defined ourselves as a nation of immigrants. And we’ve always been better off for it. The promise we see in those who come from all over the world is one of our greatest strengths. It’s kept our workforce young. It keeps our businesses on the cutting edge. It’s helped to build the greatest economic engine that the world has ever known.
“Immigration makes us stronger,” the President said. “And if we want to keep attracting the best and the brightest that the world has to offer, then we need to do a better job of welcoming them.”
“After avoiding the problem for years, the time has come to fix it once and for all,” he said. “The time has come for a comprehensive, sensible immigration reform”
No other country on Earth welcomes as many new arrivals as we do, he said. “And as long as the promise of America endures, as long as we continue to stand tall as a beacon of hope and opportunity, then the world’s hardest workers, the hungriest entrepreneurs, the men and women who are willing to make enormous sacrifices to get a better life — not just for themselves but for their children and their grandchildren, they’re going to keep on coming.”
A Jordanian soldier stands watch from a portion of the Nabataean Amphitheater as President Barack Obama and Dr. Suleiman A.D. Al Farajat, a University of Jordan tourism professor, walk through the ancient city of Petra, Jordan, March 23, 2013. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)
In the first foreign trip of his second term in office, President Obama will visit Israel, the West Bank, and Jordan. The trip is an important opportunity to meet with the new Israeli government and speak to the Israeli people — as well as to meet with the Palestinian leadership and the King of Jordan.
We asked Ben Rhodes, Deputy National Security Advisor for Strategic Communications, to preview the upcoming trip — and some of the issues the President will be discussing in his meetings.
As he embarks this week on his first presidential trip to Israel, President Obama “will seek to clarify his support for the Jewish state’s theory of its historical roots — addressing one of several subtle, but essential, missteps he is attempting to fix in his second term. The trip is a mission of remedial diplomacy, rather than the kind of specific peace initiative common for previous presidential visits,” the Washington Post reports.
“Obama will also travel to the West Bank city of Ramallah during his four-day trip for air-clearing meetings with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and other leaders, who are deeply disappointed by Obama and his staunch opposition to their diplomatic push for statehood through the United Nations.”
A new Washington Post-ABC News poll finds Americans by a wide margin sympathize more with Israel than the Palestinian Authority when it comes to thorny Middle East politics, 55^ to 9%.
President Obama’s Nowruz Message to the Iranian People (Persian)
Published on Mar 18, 2013
President Obama sends best wishes to the Iranian people as they celebrate Nowruz. In his video message, the President speaks directly to the people and leaders of Iran about the opportunity to begin a new relationship between our two countries.
To Mark Nowruz, President Obama Speaks to the People and Leaders of Iran
By Ms. Colleen Curtis March 18, 2013
As families and friends gather around the Sofreh-e Haft Sin to celebrate Nowruz, President Obama extends his best wishes for the new spring and new year.
In his message, the President speaks directly to the people and leaders of Iran about the opportunity to begin a new relationship between our two countries. In expressing his hope that Americans and Iranians will one day work together, build together, and innovate together, the President says “As a new spring begins, I remain hopeful that our two countries can move beyond tension. And I will continue to work toward a new day between our nations that bears the fruit of friendship and peace.”
Eid-e Shoma Mobarak.
In Case You Missed It
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Weekly Address: Time to Create the Energy Security Trust
President Obama discusses the need to harness American energy in order to reduce our dependence on oil and make the United States a magnet for new jobs. He highlights his all-of-the-above approach to American energy — including a proposal to establish an Energy Security Trust, which invests in research that will help shift our cars and trucks off of oil.
Today: At 11:40 AM President Obama will announce his intent to nominate Thomas Perez as Labor Secretary. In the afternoon, he will deliver remarks at the Women’s History Month Reception in the East Room (4:40). The First Lady will also attend.
Tuesday: In the morning, the President will meet Taoiseach Enda Kenny of Ireland in the Oval Office, and subsequently he will attend the traditional St Patrick’s Day lunch at the U.S. Capitol. During the day, the president will also greet First Minister Peter Robinson and Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness of Northern Ireland at the White House.
In the evening, the President and first lady will host a reception to celebrate their fifth St Patrick’s Day at the White House.
Later in the evening, the President will depart for Israel.
Wednesday: The President will have separate meetings with Israeli President Peres and Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu. He will also hold a joint press conference with Netanyahu.
Thursday: The President will meet with President Abbas of the Palestinian Authority and will tour a youth development center with Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Fayyad. Later in the day, the President will deliver a speech to the Israeli people at the Jerusalem International Convention Center. He will also hold a joint press conference with Abbas.
Friday: The President with meet with King Abdullah II of Jordan and later will hold a joint press conference with Abdullah.
Saturday: The President will return to Washington, DC.
President Obama Nominates Thomas Perez for Secretary of Labor
“His story reminds us of this country’s promise, that if you’re willing to work hard, it doesn’t matter who you are, where you come from, what your last name is — you can make it if you try,” President Obama said. “And Tom has made protecting that promise — for everybody — the cause of his life.”
The President reminded those gathered for the announcement of the three questions he believes all officials should ask themselves every day — How do we make sure America is a magnet for good jobs? How do we equip people with the skills they need to get those jobs? And how do we make sure that hard work actually pays off in a decent living? — and said that Perez has already shown his commitment to answering those questions in his work at the Justice Department, where he fought to open pathways into the workforce for everyone willing to contribute and helped settle some of the largest cases ever on behalf of families targeted by unfair mortgage lending.
Prior to joining the team at DOJ, Perez was Maryland’s Secretary of Labor, where he helped implement the country’s first statewide living-wage law, because, the President said, ”he understood that a minimum wage should be a wage that you can live on.”
Describing Perez as a “consensus builder” who has worked with CEOs and labor leaders at federal, state, and local government levels who understands that our economy works best when the middle class and those working to get into the middle class have the security they need on the job and a democratic voice in the workplace, President Obama asked the Senate to confirm his nominee “as quickly as possible.”
Jueseppi B.
