The GOP’s austerity spending cuts and strategy of government-by-crisis are hurting the economy in a real and tangible way. As the infographic below explains, Republicans and the policies they support have killed or put at risk 3.1 MILLION jobs since 2010.
Check it out.
In his weekly address, President Obama discusses progress in American energy and highlights that we are now producing more oil at home than we buy from other countries for the first time in nearly two decades. We reached this milestone in part not only because we’re producing more energy, but because we’re wasting less energy, and as a result, we are also reducing our carbon emissions while growing the economy.
Click here to watch this week’s Weekly Address.
Honoring our Military: On Veterans Day, the President honored those who have served, or are currently serving, our country. The President hosted a breakfast that morning for veterans and their families before heading off to Arlington Cemetery with the Vice President, the First Lady, and Dr. Biden. The President participated in a wreath-laying ceremony and spoke to the crowd about the devotion and commitment of those who don our nation’s uniform.
In the life of our nation, across every generation, there are those who stand apart. They step up, they raise their hands, they take that oath. They put on the uniform and they put their lives on the line. They do this so that the rest of us might live in a country and a world that is safer, freer, and more just.
The President also reminded Americans that we need to support troops after they have come home. “This is how we’ll be judged. Not just by how well we care for our troops in battle, but how we treat them when they come home,” the President said. Check out the President’s remarks here.
In honor of Veteran’s Day, First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden wrote an op-ed about Joining Forces that appeared in military news websites, highlighting their commitment to employment, wellness, and education for veterans, service members, and their families.
Continuing his work with members of the military later that week, the President welcomed senior civilian defense and military leaders to an annual meeting and dinner, where those present discussed a wide range of issues.
Affordable Care Act: President Obama made a statement in the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room on Thursday, announcing new steps to help those Americans that are receiving insurance cancellation notices. The President stated that insurers can offer customers who have been notified about canceled plans the option to renew their 2013 plan in 2014.
“It took 100 years for us to even get to the point where we could start talking about and implementing a law to make sure everybody has got health insurance,” the President said. “And my pledge to the American people is, is that we’re going to solve the problems that are there, we’re going to get it right, and the Affordable Care Act is going to work for the American people.”
Manufacturing in Ohio: The President spoke at a steel factory in Cleveland, Ohio on Thursday, highlighting the plant’s comeback after nearly 1,200 steelworkers were furloughed when the auto industry was on the brink of collapse. Today, ArcelorMittal, is the largest supplier of steel in the auto industry and is a global leader in producing advanced high-strength steel for fuel efficient cars. “The story of this plant is the story of America over the last five years,” President Obama said. “We haven’t just been recovering from a crisis. What we’ve been trying to do is rebuild a new foundation for growth and prosperity to protect ourselves from future crises.”
Tribal Nations Conference: On Thursday, the White House hosted the fifth White House Tribal Nationals Conference, which welcomed leaders from all 566 federally recognized tribes. The President spoke to conference attendees, highlighting the need for strengthening justice and tribal sovereignty, expanding opportunities for Native Americans, and protecting tribal lands. Read the President’s full remarks here.
Protecting kids with asthma and allergies: President Obama signed into law the School Access to Emergency Epinephrine Act on Wednesday, which encourages schools to plan for severe asthma attacks and allergic reactions. Approximately 9.5 percent of American children suffer from asthma, and between 4 and 6 percent of children have food allergies. By updating and upgrading school’s response capacity for asthma and food allergies, this law will help relieve the anxiety of millions of parents.
First Lady Talks Education: First Lady Michelle Obama and Secretary of Education Arne Duncan visited Bell Multicultural High School in Washington, D.C. to discuss the importance of youth empowerment and education. The First Lady shared her personal academic experiences to a group of sophomores, telling them that she pushed herself to have a strong academic and extracurricular record. “And when I encountered doubters…when people told me that I wasn’t going to cut it… I didn’t let that stop me,” she said.
Far too many of our troops serving at home and abroad live in constant fear that those they love most will be deported.
Thanks to President Obama and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), they can rest easy.
In an extraordinary ruling last week, DHS announced it will halt the deportation of “spouses, children and parents of active-duty military members, reservists who may be called up as part of the ‘Ready Force.'”
Over 50,000 veterans, military family members, and VoteVets supporters signed a petition urging the Washington to take action on immigration reform. And while we’ll keep fighting for comprehensive action, this is a welcome victory.
Please sign our card thanking President Obama and Department of Homeland Security chief Janet Napolitano and we’ll deliver your well-wishes. You can do that here:
http://action.votevets.org/immigration-victory
DHS argued that the constant threat of deportation put an unnecessary “stress and anxiety” on those who signed up to serve their country through military service.
That’s right. And thanks to their action, a large portion of our force has something extra to be thankful for this Thanksgiving.
Thanks for standing with us in this fight. Your action matters.
Jon Soltz
@JonSoltz
Iraq War Veteran and Chairman
VoteVets.org
On three recent occasions — January 2011, January 2013, and July 2013 — Senate Democrats threatened to make changes to the Senate filibuster rules in order to stop Republicans from obstructing even the most routine business of the Senate and slow-walking or simply blocking the president’s nominees. Each time, Democrats agreed to very modest changes to the rules or even simply a gentleman’s agreement with Republicans and each time Republicans broke their word and went back to their same old obstructionist ways.
In the past few weeks, things have gotten even worse than usual. Senate Republicans have embarked on an unprecedented campaign of obstruction:
Republicans have reveled in this disturbing pattern of partisan obstruction, daring Democrats to change the Senate rules in order to eliminate the filibuster on nominations.
Well, it appears Republicans have made their bed and now they may have to lie in it.
A parade of Democrats, including some who have previously expressed strong opposition to the idea, have come forward in recent days to support changing the Senate rules:
Sen. Reid reportedly may move to end the GOP’s partisan obstructionism as soon as this week. We’ll be sure and bring you the latest updates.
BOTTOM LINE: We simply cannot allow a minority in Congress to retroactively veto laws and the results of elections. This is unfair, makes a mockery of our constitutional system, and represents the worst kind of partisan gridlock that the American people are sick and tired of. It’s time for the GOP’s unprecedented campaign of obstruction to end.
For the past two weeks, President Obama has continued to reach out to the unique cross-section of groups pushing for comprehensive immigration reform. On November 5th he hosted a meeting with top business executives to explain the economic benefits of overhauling the nation’s immigration laws and brainstorm possible ways to move forward with legislation in the House:
That same week, the President traveled to New Orleans to visit one of the world’s busiest port complexes. He toured the facilities and spoke to the community about increasing exports and efficiency. In his remarks he described the positive impact comprehensive immigration reform would have on our economy and reminded the audience that both parties have historically supported fixing our broken immigration system:
On November 13th the President and Vice President welcomed faith leaders to the Oval Office to discuss the moral imperative of fixing our immigration laws. The Christian leaders shared their concerns about the impact our current immigration system is having on families throughout their congregations and offered prayers that we as a nation can work together to achieve comprehensive reform.
The broad range of groups in favor of immigration reform, from business and labor to law enforcement and faith, represents a remarkable level of consensus in Washington and across the nation. Let’s seize this opportunity and work across the aisle to fix our broken immigration system.
Julie Chavez Rodriguez Deputy Director White House | Office of Public Engagement
CBP’s Global Entry Program Achieves Milestone November 13, 2013 U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) announced that one million people have been given the designation of a ‘trusted traveler’ through the Global Entry program. The program, which was launched five years ago, provides arriving travelers with a quicker, more efficient and more secure entry process into the United States.
Serving Veterans Across DHS November 8, 2013 As we take time on Monday to thank our nation’s veterans for their service and sacrifices, we also recognize the veterans who continue to serve here at home, including across the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). As a veteran himself, Rand Beers is proud that DHS employs more than 54,000 veterans who make up almost 28 percent of DHS’ total workforce, in addition to the more than 43,000 active duty U.S. Coast Guardsmen and women he is honored to call his colleagues.
USCIS Honors Military Veterans During Naturalization Ceremonies November 8, 2013 In recognition of Veterans Day, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will conduct naturalization ceremonies across the country that will feature military members, military spouses and veterans taking the Oath of Allegiance to become U.S. citizens. From Nov. 7-13, USCIS is welcoming approximately 8,000 new U.S. citizens during 120 naturalization ceremonies throughout the nation and overseas.
DHS Privacy Office Issues Annual Report Summarizing Its Accomplishments November 7, 2013 Over the past nine years, the Privacy Office has worked to create an environment at DHS where neither privacy nor security are compromised, but rather merged in a manner that keeps the country safe and honors the principles on which the country was founded. As a result, privacy is now firmly embedded into the lifecycle of DHS programs and systems to inform Departmental policy, and to ensure effective privacy protections.
DHS and Western Union Announce New Alliance to Combat Human Trafficking November 6, 2013 The Department of Homeland Security announced a new alliance between the DHS Blue Campaign— the unified voice for DHS’ efforts to combat human trafficking— and Western Union. Through this alliance, Western Union will provide the Blue Campaign’s multilingual training and awareness materials to select agent locations across the country. Participating agents will also receive additional training from Western Union on how to identify and recognize indicators of human trafficking, as well as how to report suspected cases of human trafficking.
USCIS: Temporary Protected Status Extended for Somalis November 6, 2013 Acting Secretary of Homeland Security Rand Beers has extended Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for eligible nationals of Somalia for an additional 18 months, effective March 18, 2014, through Sept. 17, 2015. Current Somali beneficiaries seeking to extend their TPS status must re-register during a 60-day period that runs from Nov. 1, 2013, through Dec. 31, 2013.
Honoring the Legacy of Immigrants Serving in the Armed Forces November 11, 2013 The success of our military, and indeed, our nation as a whole, is rooted in the dynamism, courage and sacrifice demonstrated by generations of immigrants who have answered the call of duty.
Weekly Wrap Up: “You Can Make it Here if You Try” November 8, 2013 Weekly Wrap Up: Remarks on the Economy, Affordable Health Care for Texans, Business Leaders and Immigration Reform, Stanley Cup Champion Chicago Blackhawks, White House Tours Resume, Celebrating Diwali, and “Careers in Film Symposium.”
The Time is Now: President Obama Meets with Business Leaders on Immigration Reform November 5, 2013 In a meeting with the President and Vice President at the White House, a group of top U.S. business leaders discuss the importance of commonsense immigration reform to bolster U.S. economic growth, and improve the climate for business and job creation.
Comprehensive Immigration Reform: Survivors Can’t Afford to Wait November 5, 2013 Domestic Violence Awareness Month has come to a close, but the White House wants to make sure immigrant survivors are not forgotten by shedding light on the important ways in which sensible immigration reform that has already passed the Senate will protect victims and hold abusers accountable.
Once Undocumented, Now an Immigrant Advocate October 31, 2013 As a first-generation American whose own family emigrated from the Philippines, Victor Diaz Zapanta always relishes the opportunity to hear personal stories of immigration. As Filipino American History Month comes to a close, he shares a story from Angelo Mathay, a Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) law fellow at the National Immigration Law Center.
Combating Domestic Violence and Other Forms of Violence Against Women October 31, 2013 U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) approved the statutory maximum 10,000 petitions for U nonimmigrant status (U visas) for immigrant victims of crime, including domestic violence, for the fourth straight year since it began issuing U visas in 2008.
USCIS Invitation: Immigration 101 Webinar U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) invites you to participate in an online meeting to discuss green cards and visas.
When: Tuesday, November 19, 2013 at 1 PM (Pacific) Where: Online webinar To RSVP: Join online meeting room 15 minutes before the event.
WHIEEH Webinar on Immigrant Integration White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanics invites you to participate in a webinar on immigrant integration. How do local communities and cities assist immigrant communities in effectively integration in new communities? Join us to learn how the U.S. Department of Education in partnering to create networks for effective immigrant integration.
When: Wednesday, November 20, 2013 at 2 PM (Eastern) Where: Online webinar To RSVP: To RSVP for the webinar, email WHIEEH@ed.gov with the subject line: “Immigrant Integration Webinar” and please provide your name and organization. You must RSVP in order to receive the presentation materials that will be reviewed during the call.
USCIS Invitation: Implementation of ABT Settlement Agreement Teleconference U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) invites you to participate in a teleconference on Thursday, November 21, 2013, from 1:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. Eastern to discuss the implementation of the ABT Settlement Agreement. During this engagement, officials from USCIS and EOIR will be available to discuss the implementation of the settlement agreement and answer questions
When: Thursday, November 21, 2013 at 1 PM (Eastern) Where: Online teleconference To RSVP: You are encouraged to submit questions and agenda items before the teleconference. You may do so on the event registration page or by emailing us at Public.Engagement@uscis.dhs.gov.
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