The First Lady addresses a joint luncheon meeting in Chicago hosted by Mayor Rahm Emanuel that included members of Chicago’s leading civic organizations. Mrs. Obama urges Chicago¹s business leaders to invest in expanded opportunities for youth across Chicago¹s neighborhoods.
Daily Archives: 04/11/2013
A Responsible Blueprint for Middle-Class Jobs and Growth
This morning the President sent Congress his Budget for Fiscal Year 2014. He spoke to the press about his proposal and said that while our economy is poised for progress, we need to get smarter about our priorities as a nation.
President Obama’s budget also replaces the across-the-board spending cuts known as the sequester with smarter reductions — making long-term reforms and eliminating actual waste and programs that are no longer needed.
Learn more about the President’s budget here.
President Barack Obama delivers remarks on the FY 2014 budget, in the Rose Garden of the White House, April 10, 2013. Office of Management and Budget Director Jeffrey Zients accompanies the President. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)
In Case You Missed It
Here are some of the top stories from the White House blog:
President Obama Asks Americans to Stand Up and Call for Action to Reduce Gun Violence President Obama today told families of the children and teachers who died at Sandy Hook Elementary that we have not forgotten our promise to help prevent future tragedies and reduce gun violence in our country.
Increasing Access to Mental Health Services President Obama’s Fiscal Year 2014 Budget includes a critical $205 million investment in programs to help identify mental health concerns early, improve access to mental health services and support safer school environments, and invests $30 million in tools and research that will expand our understanding of gun violence prevention, including key mental health issues.
First Lady Michelle Obama Hosts a Student Workshop Celebrating “Memphis Soul” Yesterday First Lady Michelle Obama hosted an interactive student workshop event: “Soulsville, USA: The History of Memphis Soul,” in the State Dining Room.
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Farm Bill Countdown
Farm Bill Countdown
The clock is ticking on Congress’ latest attempt to pass a Farm Bill. We have just 173 days until the current extension expires. By taking action, you are joining others who are keeping up the pressure on Congress to pass the Farm Bill.
Take Action Today!
Tell Congress to Support the Local Farms, Food, and Jobs Act
It sounds like simple advice: “Eat your fruits and veggies.” But it’s not so easy. Our country spends too much money subsidizing crops like corn and soybeans that get turned into processed junk food, instead of expanding access to foods that are healthier for us and the planet.
Now we have the chance to begin to reorient how our federal dollars are spent.
The Local Farms, Food, and Jobs Act—a proposal to improve the federal Farm Bill—will encourage greater production of sustainably produced fruits, vegetables, meats, and other healthy foods; make these foods more accessible for all individuals; and stimulate local economies. The bill will also expand access to healthy food for all consumers by improving the ability for families and seniors to use Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits at farmers markets and other outlets for local, healthy foods. Our analysis shows that these programs can create jobs and encourage healthier eating.
Tell your members of Congress to cosponsor the Local Farms, Food, and Jobs Act!
Take Action Today!
Sincerely, 
Jenn Yates National Field Organizer Food & Environment Program Union of Concerned Scientists
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You Are Invited to a Panel Discussion at National Archives this Thursday
One Hundred Years: From the Emancipation Proclamation to the March on Washington
Explore the journey from slavery to freedom between the 1863 Emancipation Proclamation and the 1963 March on Washington. Thursday, April 11, 2013, 7:00 pm National Archives, William G. McGowan Theater 7th Street and Constitution Avenue, NW Washington, DC Metro: Archives-Navy Memorial-Penn Quarter John Franklin, Community and Constituent Services, National Museum of African American History and Culture, will moderate a panel discussion about the Emancipation Proclamation and the continuing struggle for freedom, justice, and equality during Reconstruction, as well as the Tilden-Hayes Compromise and Jim Crow laws.
Panelists include:
FREE ADMISSION For more information, visit www.archives.gov, send an email to public.program@nara.gov or call 202.357.5000. |
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What the banks don’t want you to know!
They’re out to weaken your rights – and your watchdog!
Our financial watchdog is under attack right now in the Senate. Without a confirmed director to hold them accountable, the financial industry can get away with a lot more tricks! Tell your Senators to hold the banks accountable!
Lax banking and mortgage oversight tanked our economy, so Americans like you demanded a real financial watchdog, not a bank lapdog.
You got one in the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. In a little more than a year, this watchdog made the banks pay back $425 million to consumers they duped, made sure borrowers can pay back their loans, and demanded an end to hidden credit card fees.
But rather than being celebrated, your watchdog is under attack. A minority of Senators is holding up the CFPB director’s confirmation unless they can weaken his ability to protect the public – and turn him into a lapdog!
If you’re tired of these politics, email your Senators now and demand the accountability you were promised!
For more than a year Richard Cordray has successfully led the CFPB, not only holding the banks accountable but going after the giant credit reporting and student loan industries.
But this success is rubbing the financial lobbyists the wrong way. They want to weaken the bureau by subjecting it to the highly politicized and sluggish Congressional funding process; replace the director with a five-member commission; and let other bank regulators (those who failed to prevent the economic meltdown) veto the bureau’s decisions.
A block of Senators is holding up Cordray’s confirmation for a new term until they get these changes. And without a confirmed director, each of us is at greater risk of being scammed – the CFPB can’t exercise its full powers over payday lenders and certain mortgage operators, as well as student loan servicers and credit reporting agencies.
Email your Senators here and tell them you want a watchdog that holds the financial industry accountable!
The best way to stymie this plan is to flood the Senate with a tidal wave of constituent messages demanding the watchdog we were promised. Please take action, then forward this to as many people as you can so they can act too.
Sincerely,
Pamela Banks, DefendYourDollars.org
Consumers Union, policy and action from Consumer Reports
Be a Seed for Change 
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