Tag Archives: obama

Weekly Address: Congress Should Take Action to Continue Growing the Economy


Weekly Address: Congress Should Take Action to Continue Growing the Economy

In this week’s address, President Obama says that the economy is moving in the right direction, but there is still more work to do. He calls on Congress to act to give every responsible homeowner the chance to save money on their mortgage by refinancing at historically low interest rates, put more Americans to work rebuilding our crumbling infrastructure, and fix our broken immigration system — so that we can continue to grow our economy and create good middle class jobs.

Watch this week’s Weekly Address.

Watch this week's Weekly Address

Justice for Everybody


The White House, Washington

West Wing Week: “Justice for Everybody”

This week, the President continued his Jobs & Opportunity tour — highlighting bold new efforts in education and manufacturing in Baltimore. He gave the commencement address at Morehouse College, and hosted an array of guests here at the White House — including the President of Myanmar, eight immigration reform advocates and DREAMers, and Gershwin Prize winner Carol King and friends. And that was all before Thursday, when President Obama delivered a major counter-terrorism speech at the National Defense University.

Watch this week’s West Wing Week.

Infographic: Creating a Judicial Pool That Resembles the Nation It Serves

The Senate confirmed Sri Srinivasan to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit — but there’s more to do. President Obama’s nominees embody an unprecedented commitment to expanding the racial, gender, and experiential diversity of the men and women who enforce our laws and deliver justice.

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Photo Gallery: Behind the Scenes in April 2013

See some of the White House Photo Office’s favorite images from events including the Easter Egg Roll and President Obama’s visit to the George W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum.

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President Obama Responds to the Tornadoes in Oklahoma

President Obama will travel to the Oklahoma City area to see firsthand the response to the devastating tornadoes and severe weather that have impacted the area on Sunday night and Monday. He will visit with affected families as well as thank first responders.

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Gitmo


click above to sign petition
by Dalia Hashad – Avaaz.org
Avaazpix
In 24 hours, President Obama could finally move to close Guantanamo
With inmates on a 100-day hunger strike and massive calls for Obama to act, our president has been pushed to respond with a major speech about the prison. If enough of us demand a plan — he could free the prisoners already cleared for release, and appoint a White House official with one mission: close Guantanamo down!
We’re at a tipping point. Sign up to demand Obama close this shameful gulag down, and share the shocking facts below so others join this urgent call.
The facts speak for themselves:
Detainees in Guantanamo now: 166
• Detainees facing active charges: 6
• Detainees cleared for immediate release, but stuck in the camp: 86
• Guantanamo inmates on hunger strike: 103
Hunger strikers strapped down and force fed: 30
Prisoners who have died in custody: 9
• Children the US has held at Guantanamo: 21
• Detainees tried in civilian court: 1
• “Unreleasable” detainees who can’t be tried for lack of evidence or torture:50
• Prisoners released by the Bush administration: 500+
• Prisoners released by the Obama administration: 72
• Current annual cost to US taxpayers: $150 million
• Days since Obama first pledged to close Gitmo: 1579
• Time since first prisoners arrived at Guantanamo: 11 years, 4 months, 11 days
For years, Obama has blamed the US Congress for the failure to close Guantanamo. But since Congress granted the Defense Department waiver authority that allows prisoners who have been cleared to be transferred out, Obama himself can free these 86 men. And while he will need Congressional cooperation to close the prison completely, if he truly wants to shut it down, he can task someone at the White House right now to show it is a priority and make it happen.Sign now to demand Obama announce a plan to close Guantanamo, and then let’s up the pressure by flooding the White House with calls in these final hours  — it’s time we end this shame!

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