| Hello –During the State of the Union, President Obama called for a reasonable debate on a set of commonsense measures to help protect our kids by reducing gun violence. That night, Congress stood up and applauded. But now that the cameras are off and they aren’t forced to look the families of Newtown in the face, some in Congress aren’t backing up that show of support with action.
When it matters most, they’re hoping that you’re not paying attention. But I know that’s not the case. In the past week, 17,000 people have told us that they’ll commit to adding their voices to this debate through social media — together, they’ll reach more than 15 million of their friends on Facebook and Twitter. We’re planning to have them speak out today. And we could really use your help. Pledge to speak out about the need to reduce gun violence. If we have a simple vote in Congress, we can get this done. And this afternoon, we’ll begin to understand whether or not that’s possible. The Senate is considering a proposal that would go a long way toward making our country safer and protecting our kids. This afternoon, lawmakers get a chance to offer amendments — some of them aimed at making the legislation better, some aimed at sinking it. One idea, closing loopholes in the background check system, has support from 90 percent of the public. In fact, even a majority of senators support this step. But we still need you to make your voice heard. Vice President Biden will be talking through all of this today at 2:45 p.m. ET. He’ll lead a discussion with a group of mayors from around the country on the steps we can take to reduce gun violence. You can watch that as it happens at whitehouse.gov. And while you’re doing that, take a minute to join the debate. Pledge to speak out, and we’ll work to make sure you’re part of the conversation about guns here in Washington: http://www.whitehouse.gov/issues/preventing-gun-violence/action Thanks, Dan Dan Pfeiffer Senior Advisor White House |
Tag Archives: BarackObama
mondaish Monday

just another rant …
It’s the middle of April , technically spring, the last day to file taxes, but some Americans are still battling snow or summer like temperature while others hear birds chirping and it feels like spring , though if you live on the left coast …. It still feels like fall.
The weather is like politics …right, seemingly straight forward with designated seasons only to find as the years progress, little bumps appear that turn into malicious masses and in spite of it those who happen to be addicted to politics like so many wait to see when and where the sequester hammer will fall. Though the sequester is only about a month old the media seems to have moved on to sizing up how Hillary will do against the various Republicans wanting to be King; I mean President.
If you did not know better and took what the media spews as the truth, it seemed as if we were closer to 2016 than the beginning of President Obama’s 2nd term. Telling viewers that gun safety legislation was more than impossible and a filibuster was imminent; then President Obama gave a fabulous speech with families of victims of gun violence standing with President Obama in support of better gun safety laws. This led Newtown families to be advocates for their and our futures asking that members of Congress to do their jobs and let the debate on gun reform happen on the floor of the Senate and the first test vote to move forward and debate Gun Reform was taken on the Senate floor and passed 68 -31. Unfortunately, two Democratic Senators decided to side with Republicans and while gun reform seems like a no brainer to me we should give props to anyone for their bipartisan efforts to move gun laws into the 21st Century.
Now, the media focus still seems to want viewers to accept that nothing positive can be done in Congress and we hear all their skepticism they have leaped frogged from 2016 elections to the pushing public cynicism on all that is on the Congressional calendar. Yet, this is the time that voters, people who have friend’s family or co-workers fallen victim to gun violence make calls to a Republican member of the House
This week, in Congress the political games are just about to begin; the so-called debates heated and the word filibuster will probably make its way into even the youngest members of our society’s vocabulary, but as Margaret’s Mead said fits …
Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it is the only thing that ever has. – Margaret Mead
The time is NOW ~ Gun Reform Reduces Gun Violence

| David Simas Deputy Senior Advisor | ||
| Hello, all –For the first time since the 1990s, Congress might be on track to pass legislation aimed at reducing gun violence in the United States. And it’s because folks in Washington are starting to understand that the rest of the country isn’t going to sit by and let them ignore this issue. Your voices are the reason we have a chance to win this debate. The American people expect and demand a yes or no vote.But this is a critical moment. It’s been almost four months since the tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, thousands more Americans have died at the hands of gun violence, and time is on the side of those who would prefer that we do nothing.We want to make sure that your voices are impossible to ignore. So we’re asking people from all over the country to speak out online in concert — all at the same time. Will you join us?
Pledge to speak out about the need to reduce gun violence. It’s easy to participate. Over the next few days, anyone can sign up to tweet or share a message to Facebook. Through that time, we’ll gather up as many people as we can. Then we’ll make sure that all these individual messages get posted together in the same moment for maximum effect. That wave of social media will get seen by millions and millions of people. We’re talking about common-sense reforms. Like the idea that any of us who want to buy a gun should have to go through a background check first — which 90 percent of Americans support. So let’s make sure that there’s absolutely no confusion about the public consensus. Pledge to speak out with us, and then forward this email to your family and friends: http://www.whitehouse.gov/now-is-the-time/action Thanks! David David Simas |
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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.
Victims of Gun Violence Deserve a Vote
Yesterday President Obama traveled to Connecticut, where he spoke with families of children and teachers of the tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary. He reiterated that we have not forgotten our promise to help prevent future tragedies and reduce gun violence in our country — and that now more than ever we need to act:
“Now is the time to get engaged. Now is the time to get involved. Now is the time to push back on fear, and frustration, and misinformation. Now is the time for everybody to make their voices heard from every state house to the corridors of Congress.”
See more from President Obama’s visit, and the common-sense plan to reduce gun violence.
President Barack Obama and Jillian Soto exit Air Force One at Joint Base Andrews, Md., April 8, 2013. Soto is the sister of Victoria Soto, a first-grade teacher who was killed during the Sandy Hook Elementary School shootings. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)
In Case You Missed It
Here are some of the top stories from the White House blog:
Recognizing Sexual Assault Awareness Month April is National Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month and Americans are urged to support survivors to continue the progress towards addressing sexual assault.
Weekly Address: The President’s Plan to Create Jobs and Cut the Deficit President Obama tells the American people about the budget he is sending to Congress, which makes the tough choices required to grow our economy and shrink our deficits.
Weekly Wrap Up: “We Have Not Forgotten” Here’s what happened last week on WhiteHouse.gov.


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