My name is Luz Maria Hernandez. I am 75 years old. I am a mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother. It was my granddaughter who urged me to get involved in the immigration reform movement — and together, on September 12, we were arrested in Washington to demand Congress pass reform with a path to citizenship.
I was not afraid of facing arrest, because I face a much more real and desperate fear: missing out on the lives of my children. Although I’ve obtained my residency, my children have been waiting in Mexico for years to have their visas approved so that we might be reunited. Immigration reform is not about border security or jobs or “getting in a line” — it is about families who have been separated by deportations, or live each day dreading that, like me, they will be separated from their loved ones for years.
I will do whatever it takes to help those that suffer as my family has suffered, but I am only one person. That is why I am asking you to take action with me, to make a difference.
President Obama describes the incredible opportunities to create middle-class jobs in America by deepening our economic ties and expanding trade in Latin America and discusses recent Senate bill that takes commonsense steps to fix our broken immigration system.
Yesterday, the President had a bilateral meeting with Mexican President Peña Nieto at Palacio National in Mexico City. The bulk of his discussions in Mexico will cover the economy, and in Costa Rica, the President will meet with Central American leaders, who are important partners in improving foreign policy and the economy.
Transportation Secretary Nominated: On Tuesday, the President nominated the Mayor of Charlotte, Anthony Foxx, for Transportation Secretary. As mayor, Foxx modernized the electric train service to Charlotte’s downtown area, expanded the international airport, and extended the city’s light rail system. The President hopes cities can mimic the work done in Charlotte to attract more business, create more jobs, and stay competitive in the global economy.
Our top priority as a nation right now is doing everything we can to grow our economy and create good jobs and rebuild opportunity for the middle class. And one of the best ways we can do that is to put more Americans back to work rebuilding our infrastructure.
Watt served for 20 years as a member of the congressional committee that oversees housing policy and will be responsible for looking over mortgage financiers Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. The President will look for Wheeler to head the FCC to ensure American businesses and workers have “the tools they need to compete in the 21st century economy.”
Commerce and U.S. Trade Representative Tapped: On Thursday, the President announced his nominations of Penny Pritzker as Secretary of Commerce and Mike Froman as U.S. Trade Representative.
Pritzker is one of “our country’s most distinguished business leaders” with more than 25 years of management experience in real estate, finance, and hospitality.
If confirmed as U.S. Trade Representative, Froman, will bring with him over two decades in both the public and private sectors. The President described him as “one of the world’s foremost experts on our global economy” who pushes until “he’s delivered the best possible deal for American businesses and American works.”
At the event, the First Lady continued the call to action and said American companies have committed to hire or train 435,000 veterans or military spouses over the next five years.
For 150 years, you’ve strived to answer big questions, solve tough problems, not for yourselves but for the benefit of the nation. And that legacy has endured from the Academy’s founding days. And when you look at our history, you’ve stepped up at times of enormous need and, in some cases, great peril.
“If Congress does nothing, every family in America will see their taxes automatically go up at the beginning of next year,” the President said. “A typical middle-class family of four would see its income taxes go up by $2,200. That’s $2,200 out of people’s pockets. That means less money for buying groceries, less money for filling prescriptions, less money for buying diapers. It means a tougher choice between paying the rent and paying tuition. And middle-class families just can’t afford that right now.”
To help find an agreement President Obama pledged to keep up the pressure — meeting with lawmakers, labor leaders, and business executives. And he called on the American people to speak up and add their own voices to the debate.
Here are some of the top stories from the White House blog:President Obama Welcomes Mexico President-Elect Enrique Peña Nieto
Yesterday afternoon, President Obama welcomed Enrique Peña Nieto, the President-elect of Mexico, to the Oval Office.Giving Tuesday
America has a tradition of generosity. Yesterday was Giving Tuesday, a new nationwide effort to raise attention and motivate action for the common good. It’s a trend worth encouraging.
Fighting Human Trafficking in Cambodia
On each leg of his trip to Southeast Asia this week, President Obama raised with foreign leaders one of his priority human rights issues: ending human trafficking, a form of modern-day slavery
The Untouched Landscapes of Antarctica
Does Africa seem tame to you, with its conga lines of safari vehicles and camps with crystal chandeliers? Do you long for that frisson of the infinite? Then Antarctica is the place for you—immense, unowned, unspoiled, and populated by some of the world’s most enchanting (and brutal) creatures.
The fiscal cliff deadline is only weeks away. If you agree that President Obama’s plan to end reckless tax breaks for the rich is the right course for our nation, now’s the time to say it.
Add your name right now and tell Republicans to ditch Grover and his pledge to protect millionaire tax cuts once and for all.
Be a Seed for Change 
You must be logged in to post a comment.