Tag Archives: Barack Obama

The President Talks About How to Build a Rising, Thriving Middle Class


Obama Cares: On the Friday before Mother’s Day, President Obama explained how the Affordable Care Act is helping women. For example, the law prevents insurance companies from charging women more than men and requires insurance companies to cover preventive services like mammograms free of charge.

Thanks to the women in this room and people all across the country, we worked really hard — and it’s now been more than three years since Congress passed the Affordable Care Act and I signed it into law. It’s been nearly a year since the Supreme Court upheld the law under the Constitution. And, by the way, six months ago, the American people went to the polls and decided to keep going in this direction. So the law is here to stay.

Review of IRS: On Wednesday, the President delivered remarks on the Treasury Department’s review of the Internal Revenue Service and said the “misconduct that it uncovered is inexcusable.” The President said he will hold the responsible parties accountable, put in place new safeguards to make sure this does not happen again, and work with Congress as it performs its oversight role.

I’ll do everything in my power to make sure nothing like this happens again by holding the responsible parties accountable, by putting in place new checks and new safeguards, and going forward, by making sure that the law is applied as it should be — in a fair and impartial way.

Prime Minister Erdogan of Turkey: On Thursday, President Obama and Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan held a press conference at the Rose Garden. The leaders discussed U.S. – Turkey relations such as trade and investment, mutual security, and the conflict in Syria.

Prime Minister Cameron of Great Britain: On Tuesday, the President welcomed British Prime Minister David Cameron to the White House. The global partners spoke about the upcoming Group of Eight summit, sustaining the global economy, and the conflict in Syria.

As we’ve said before, the great alliance between the United States and the United Kingdom is rooted in shared interests and shared values, and it’s indispensable to global security and prosperity.

National Peace Officers Memorial Service: On Wednesday, the President headed to the U.S. Capitol for the National Peace Officers Memorial Service. The event paid respect to law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty the last year. The 143 fallen officers were recognized for their courage on the front lines and their dedication to our community.

They exemplified the very idea of citizenship — that with our God-given rights come responsibilities and obligations to ourselves and to others. They embodied that idea. That’s the way they died. That’s how we must remember them. And that’s how we must live.

#WeTheGeeks: On Thursday, the White House launched “We the Geeks,” a new series of Google+ Hangouts highlighting the future of science, technology, and innovation in America. The first “We the Geeks” Hangout covered Grand Challenges, which are “ambitious goals on a national or global scale that capture the imagination and demand advances in innovation and breakthroughs in science and technology.”

Honoring Our National Peace Officers and more


The White House

Watch the first “We the Geeks” Hangout on today, May 16, at 2:00 p.m. EDT on WhiteHouse.gov and on the White House Google+ page.

Photo of the Day: Honoring Our National Peace Officers

Yesterday, President Obama spoke at the National Peace Officers Memorial Service, an annual ceremony honoring law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty in the previous year.

The President said that the 143 officers honored “exemplified the very idea of citizenship — that with our God-given rights come responsibilities and obligations to ourselves and to others.”

Read more of the President’s remarks here.

President Barack Obama greets audience members during the National Peace Officers Memorial Service, an annual ceremony honoring law enforcement who were killed in the line of duty in the previous year, at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. May 15, 2013. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

President Barack Obama greets audience members during the National Peace Officers Memorial Service, an annual ceremony honoring law enforcement who were killed in the line of duty in the previous year, at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. May 15, 2013. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

In Case You Missed It

Here are some of the top stories from the White House blog:

Hanging out with “We the Geeks” The White House is kicking off “We the Geeks,” a new series of Google+ Hangouts to highlight the future of science, technology, and innovation here in the United States.

President Obama Discusses the Internal Revenue Service President Obama discusses the Treasury Department’s review of the Internal Revenue Service.

The President and Vice President’s 2012 Financial Disclosure Forms See the President and Vice President’s 2012 financial disclosure reports.

Today’s Schedule

All times are Eastern Daylight Time (EDT).

9:50 AM: The President holds a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Erdogan of Turkey

12:00 PM: The President and Prime Minister Erdogan of Turkey hold a joint press conference WhiteHouse.gov/live

1:30 PM: The Vice President, Dr. Jill Biden and Secretary of State Kerry host a lunch in honor of Prime Minister Erdogan

4:30 PM: The President meets with senior advisors

5:15 PM: The Vice President delivers remarks at an event with Prime Minister Erdogan

6:30 PM: The President hosts a working dinner with Prime Minister Erdogan of Turkey

2:30 PM: The Vice President meets with Prime Minister Ivica Dacic of Serbia

WhiteHouse.gov/live Indicates that the event will be live-streamed on WhiteHouse.gov/Live

Here’s Why President Obama is Headed to Austin


Today, President Obama is making his first stop on a series of Middle Class Jobs and Opportunity Tour — traveling to Austin, Texas to highlight the work being done to create stable and well-paying jobs that can support a middle-class family.

During his trip, the President will visit a high school where  students are learning real-world skills for today’s jobs, and meet technology entrepreneurs who are creating the tools and products that will drive America’s long-term economic growth.

Watch the video to learn about President Obama’s trip to Austin.

Find out why President Obama is headed to Austin

In Case You Missed It

Here are some of the top stories from the White House blog:

Cecilia Muñoz: “Let’s show we’re a nation of immigrants” Cecilia Muñoz sends a message to the White House email list, asking people to share their American stories.

From Snacks to Cleaning Products: Women Empowered to Start Businesses Last week, as part of President Obama’s visit to Mexico and Costa Rica, I had the pleasure of participating in a roundtable discussion on women’s entrepreneurship.

President Obama Meets with President Park of South Korea President Obama and President Park Geun-hye of the Republic of Korea mark 60 years of bilateral partnership between our two nations.

Immigration : An American Story


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Cecilia Muñoz Director,

Domestic Policy Council

The White House

Hi, everyone —

This is the start of a national debate. Across the country, we’re having a serious discussion about how we can build a fair and effective immigration system that lives up to our heritage as a nation of laws and a nation of immigrants.

And we need your help to make sure that genuine, personal perspectives are part of the conversation. The truth is, that if we go back far enough, nearly every American story begins somewhere else — so often with ancestors setting out in search of a different life, carving out a future for their children in this place that all of us now call home.

We want to make sure that idea isn’t far from the minds of policymakers here in Washington as we work to reach an agreement to reform immigration.

To kick things off, one of the President’s senior advisors sat down to share his story with you.

Watch David Simas tell his American story, then tell us yours.

When Americans from all over the country — each with different backgrounds, each from different circumstances — all speak out with the same voice, it’s powerful in a way that’s hard to ignore. We’ve seen it again and again, in debate after debate.

And this is the kind of issue where putting a face on the push for reform takes an abstract concept and makes it real. So share your American stories with us, and we’ll put them to use.

We’ll publish them on the White House website. We’ll share them on Facebook and Twitter. We’ll do everything we can to make sure they’re part of the debate around immigration reform.

Get started here:

http://www.whitehouse.gov/issues/immigration/stories

Thanks, Cecilia

Cecilia Muñoz Director, Domestic Policy Council The White House