FROM: THE WHITE HOUSE
April 30, 2015
Remarks by the President Before Signing The Energy Efficiency Improvement Act of 2015
Oval Office
3:06 P.M. EDT
THE PRESIDENT: It is a great pleasure to welcome some outstanding legislators and advocates on behalf of an issue that should always be bipartisan, and that is making sure that we have the most energy-efficient economy in the world.
We’ve made great strides since the beginning of my administration on everything from doubling fuel-efficiency standards on cars to incentivizing smarter policies when we build buildings so that they’re not wasting as much energy. And thanks to the leadership of folks like Senators Shaheen and Portman and Bennet, and Representative Welch, and other folks who are here, what we’ve seen is a coming together of Republicans and Democrats who are going to facilitate us being much smarter in terms of building buildings, how we use energy and, as a consequence, we’re going to save money for consumers, we’re going to save money for businesses, and we’re going to deal with issues like climate change that have an enormous economic and health impact on Americans as a whole.
So I very much appreciate the efforts of all the organizations involved here. Senator Franken, I should have mentioned him. He stands out. (Laughter.) And I just want to say how much I appreciate the outstanding efforts that have been made in both chambers and by both parties. I hope that we can use this to build even more progress in the future, because we’ve got a lot more work to do. There’s a lot of low-hanging fruit -- this is the area where we can have the greatest environmental impact while making sure that we’re creating good jobs and saving businesses and consumers money. So it’s a win-win, and I very much appreciate the strong efforts that were made by everybody behind me here today.
With that, I’m going to sign this legislation.
END
Showing posts with label PRESIDENT OBAMA. Show all posts
Showing posts with label PRESIDENT OBAMA. Show all posts
Friday, May 1, 2015
Thursday, April 30, 2015
PRESIDENT OBAMA'S STATEMENT ON 7Oth ANNIVERSARY OF DACHAU CONCENTRATION CAMP LIBERATION
FROM: THE WHITE HOUSE
April 29, 2015
Statement by the President on the 70th Anniversary of the Liberation of Dachau
On this day, we remember when American forces liberated Dachau 70 years ago, dismantling the first concentration camp established by the Nazi regime. Dachau is a lesson in the evolution of darkness, how unchecked intolerance and hatred spiral out of control.
From its sinister inception in 1933, Dachau held political prisoners – opponents of the Third Reich. It became the prototype for Nazi concentration camps and the training ground for Schutzstaffel (SS) camp guards. As the seed of Nazi evil grew, the camp swelled with thousands of others across Europe targeted by the Nazis, including Jews, other religious sects, Sinti, Roma, LGBT persons, the disabled, and those deemed asocial.
Our hearts are heavy in remembrance of the more than 40,000 individuals from every walk of life who died, and the more than 200,000 who suffered at Dachau. As we reflect on the anniversary of Dachau’s liberation, we draw inspiration from, and recall with gratitude, the sacrifices of so many Americans – in particular our brave soldiers – to win victory over oppression. Drawing from the words of Captain Timothy Brennan, who wrote to his wife and child after liberating the camp - “You cannot imagine that such things exist in a civilized world” – we fervently vow that such atrocities will never happen again. History will not repeat itself.
April 29, 2015
Statement by the President on the 70th Anniversary of the Liberation of Dachau
On this day, we remember when American forces liberated Dachau 70 years ago, dismantling the first concentration camp established by the Nazi regime. Dachau is a lesson in the evolution of darkness, how unchecked intolerance and hatred spiral out of control.
From its sinister inception in 1933, Dachau held political prisoners – opponents of the Third Reich. It became the prototype for Nazi concentration camps and the training ground for Schutzstaffel (SS) camp guards. As the seed of Nazi evil grew, the camp swelled with thousands of others across Europe targeted by the Nazis, including Jews, other religious sects, Sinti, Roma, LGBT persons, the disabled, and those deemed asocial.
Our hearts are heavy in remembrance of the more than 40,000 individuals from every walk of life who died, and the more than 200,000 who suffered at Dachau. As we reflect on the anniversary of Dachau’s liberation, we draw inspiration from, and recall with gratitude, the sacrifices of so many Americans – in particular our brave soldiers – to win victory over oppression. Drawing from the words of Captain Timothy Brennan, who wrote to his wife and child after liberating the camp - “You cannot imagine that such things exist in a civilized world” – we fervently vow that such atrocities will never happen again. History will not repeat itself.
Tuesday, April 28, 2015
PRESIDENT'S REMARKS MARKING 10TH ANNIVERSARY OF OFFICE OF DIRECTOR OF NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE
FROM: THE WHITE HOUSE
April 24, 2015
Remarks by the President Marking the 10th Anniversary of the Office of the Director of National Intelligence
Office of the Director of National Intelligence
McLean, Virginia
2:40 P.M. EDT
THE PRESIDENT: Thank you. (Applause.) Thank you, everybody. Thank you so much. Please, please, have a seat. Thank you very much. Well, thank you, Jim, for that introduction. And former Director Negroponte, we are -- there he is -- we are thrilled to have you here, as well.
I am here to help mark the 10th anniversary of the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. And I’m here for a simple reason: Jim asked me to come. (Laughter.) You see, as you might say with the IC, Jim is one of my best HUMINT sources. He is well-placed. His reporting is known to be reliable. So I accepted his invitation with a high degree of confidence. (Laughter.)
I want to thank you, Jim, and your entire team, and leaders from across the IC, for all of you taking the time to welcoming me here today. I’m not going to give a long speech, but I do have three basic messages that I wanted to convey.
The first is that I don’t know how astute a consumer of information I am, but I can tell you I sure do rely on it. And those who come and brief me every single morning do an extraordinary job.
I will say that the only flaw, generally, in what’s called the PDB that I receive is that when Jim provides it, some of you may have heard, he leaves paperclips all over my office. (Laughter.) They’re in the couch, they’re on the floor. He’s shuffling paper. And so because I knew I was coming over here, one of the things I did was return them all. (Laughter and applause.) And so this will be available to you. The DNI’s budget is always a little tight; we can start recycling these. (Laughter.) That’s going to be critical.
But Jim is often one of the first people that I see in the morning, during the Presidential Daily Brief. Jim always gives it to me straight. He gives me his honest assessment free of politics, free of spin. I trust his integrity. And I can’t tell you how invaluable that is in the job that he has.
And that culture is one that permeates our IC. It’s a culture that reflects leaders at the top. And nobody, I think, exemplifies that more than Jim Clapper. So I am very grateful for him.
Here at ODNI, Jim has also led important reforms, both within the office and across the intelligence community. Today, the Community is more collaborative and more integrated than it has ever been in the past.
And since no good deed ever goes unpunished, in appreciation of this integrity and outstanding work, I sent Jim to North Korea. (Laughter.) And I know he had a wonderful time in Pyongyang. But thanks to the role that Jim played, he returned home with Kenneth Bae and Matthew Miller to be reunited with their families.
Today is also special to him because it happens to be his 50th wedding anniversary to his wonderful wife, Sue. So we want to congratulate the two of them. (Applause.) And fear not, this is not all he’s doing for their 50th wedding anniversary. (Laughter.) My understanding is they’re headed off for a well-deserved anniversary vacation this weekend. So I'm going to move this along.
The second reason I wanted to be here was to thank all of you at ODNI. I see Jim or Mike Dempsey, or sometimes Stephanie, every morning. And I know that everything they present reflects incredible hard work on the part of hundreds of people -- thousands of people across the various agencies that are represented. And I want you to know that Jim and Mike and Stephanie, and all the folks who give me these briefings, they are the first one to acknowledge that they are just the tip of the operation and that they can’t do their job if it weren’t for the incredible contributions that all of you are making every single day.
I know that sometimes it can seem like a one-way street. You push up your reports, but you don’t always know how your work is received by your customers, and I guess I'm the number one customer. You don’t always maybe get feedback. So I'm here just to tell you, you do an outstanding job. The work that you provide is vital for me being able to make good decisions. And the fact that the work you prepare is giving it to me straight -- that doesn’t look at the world through rose-colored glasses, that doesn’t exaggerate threats but doesn’t underplay the significant challenges that we face around the world -- that’s vitally important to me and, as a consequence, vitally important to the security of the American people.
So Jim knows it, Mike know it. The people who meet with me are always extolling your virtues. But I figured it would be useful for you to hear it from me directly in saying how much we appreciate the incredible hard work and effort that you make every single day.
Whether it’s the PDB, your daily articles, your expert briefs, NIE’s, I could not do my job without your insights and your analysis, and your judgment.
More broadly, you’re dedicated to your founding mission. The 9/11 Commission said we needed to unify our intelligence community. The legislation that created the DNI made you the statutory head of the Community overseeing all the agencies.
And it’s not an easy task bringing together 17 different organizations. They each have unique histories and missions and cultures and tradecraft. Many of you here represent those agencies. And yet, you come here together to create a sum that’s even greater and stronger than its individual parts.
And we see the results. We’ve got more sharing of intelligence across the Community and also beyond it, with our other partners. The federal, state, local and the private sectors are now working together more effectively than they have in the past. New technologies and new satellites are being shared and working across various platforms means that we’re able to do a better job both accumulating information but also disseminating it. There’s more transparency than there’s been in the past. There’s more innovation than there’s been in the past. All that is making a difference each and every day.
I know that integrating the efforts and contributions of all 17 organizations, people, expertise, capabilities, is never-ending work. And then there’s the challenge of being as open and transparent as possible, even as we continue to protect intelligence that saves lives.
But I want you to remember the United States is the most professional, most capable, most cutting-edge intelligence community in the world. And part of the reason is because all of you here at ODNI bring it together. It makes a difference.
Which brings me to my third and final point. A message that I hope you share with the colleagues who are not in this auditorium, I want you to share it with all the home agencies: You can take great pride in your service.
Many of you -- those of you with gray beards or goatees, or, in Jim’s case, just no hair -- (laughter) -- are intelligence veterans with decades of service. Some of you are young, and look even younger; a new post-9/11 generation. And over the years, I know some of you have lost good friends and colleagues -- patriots, men and women who gave their lives, like those honored in the stars on the Memorial Wall at Langley. On days like today, we remember them and we honor them, as well.
These are challenging times. And over the last few years, we’ve seen unprecedented intelligence disclosures. We’ve seen wild swings with respect to our budgets because of sequestration and furloughs; increasing demands for intelligence due to everything from Russian aggression in Ukraine to turmoil and ISIL in the Middle East.
And today, like all Americans, our thoughts and prayers also continue to be with the families of Dr. Warren Weinstein and Giovanni Lo Porto. I’m not going to repeat everything I said yesterday, but I do want to make one point again. We’re going to review what happened. We’re going to identify the lessons that can be learned and any improvements and changes that can be made. And I know those of you who are here share our determination to continue doing everything we can to prevent the loss of innocent lives.
I was asked by somebody -- how do you absorb news like that that we received the other day. And I told the truth: It’s hard. But the one thing I wanted everybody to know -- because I know you, because I work with you, because I know the quality of this team -- is that we all bleed when we lose an American life. We all grieve when any innocent life is taken. We don’t take this work lightly. And I know that each and every one of you understand the magnitude of what we do and the stakes involved.
And these aren’t abstractions. And we’re not cavalier about what we do, and we understand the solemn responsibilities that are given to us. And our first job is to make sure that we protect the American people. But there’s not a person that I talk to that’s involved in the intelligence community that also doesn’t understand that we have to do so while upholding our values and our ideals, and our laws and our constitutions, and our commitment to democracy.
And that’s part of the reason why I’m so grateful to work with you, because I know you share that commitment, understanding that this is hard stuff. Everybody here is committed to doing it the right way. And for that reason, I’m absolutely committed to making sure that the American people understand all that you put in to make sure that we do it the right way. I’m very grateful for that.
This self-reflection, this willingness to examine ourselves, to make corrections, to do better -- that’s part of what makes us Americans. It’s part of what sets us apart from other nations. It’s part of what keeps us not only safe but also strong and free.
And part of what makes our job even more challenging is, is that despite the extraordinary work that’s done here and the lives that are saved on an ongoing basis, a lot of our work still requires that we maintain some things as classified. And we can’t always talk about all the challenges. And the one thing I know about people in the IC is they don’t seek the limelight. That means, sometimes, that the world doesn’t always see your successes, the threats that you prevent or the terrorist attacks you thwart, or the lives that you save.
But I don’t want you or folks across the intelligence community to ever forget the difference that you make every day. Because of you, we’ve had the intelligence to take out al Qaeda leaders, including Osama bin Laden. Because of you, we’ve had the intelligence, quickly, that showed Syria had used chemical weapons, and then had the ability to monitor its removal. Because of you, we had the intelligence, despite Russia’s obfuscations, to tell the world the truth about the downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 over Ukraine. Because of you, we had the intelligence support that helped enable our recent nuclear framework with Iran. And you’re going to be critical to our efforts to forge a comprehensive deal to prevent Iran from ever getting a nuclear weapon.
So you help keep us safe, but you also help protect our freedoms by doing it the right way. And the American people and people around the world may never know the full extent of your success. There may be those outside who question or challenge what we do -- and we welcome those questions and those challenges because that makes us better. It can be frustrating sometimes, but that’s part of the function of our democracy.
But I know what you do. We’re more secure because of your service. We’re more secure because of your patriotism and your professionalism. And I’m grateful for that. And the American people are grateful, as well -- to you and your families who sacrifice alongside you.
So it’s been 10 long and challenging years. But when we look back on those 10 years, the American people have been a whole lot safer. And I’m confident that over the next 10 years and 10 years after that, as long as we continue to have outstanding patriots like yourselves, we’re going to be okay.
Thank you very much, everybody. God bless you. God bless America. (Applause.)
END
2:57 P.M. EDT
April 24, 2015
Remarks by the President Marking the 10th Anniversary of the Office of the Director of National Intelligence
Office of the Director of National Intelligence
McLean, Virginia
2:40 P.M. EDT
THE PRESIDENT: Thank you. (Applause.) Thank you, everybody. Thank you so much. Please, please, have a seat. Thank you very much. Well, thank you, Jim, for that introduction. And former Director Negroponte, we are -- there he is -- we are thrilled to have you here, as well.
I am here to help mark the 10th anniversary of the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. And I’m here for a simple reason: Jim asked me to come. (Laughter.) You see, as you might say with the IC, Jim is one of my best HUMINT sources. He is well-placed. His reporting is known to be reliable. So I accepted his invitation with a high degree of confidence. (Laughter.)
I want to thank you, Jim, and your entire team, and leaders from across the IC, for all of you taking the time to welcoming me here today. I’m not going to give a long speech, but I do have three basic messages that I wanted to convey.
The first is that I don’t know how astute a consumer of information I am, but I can tell you I sure do rely on it. And those who come and brief me every single morning do an extraordinary job.
I will say that the only flaw, generally, in what’s called the PDB that I receive is that when Jim provides it, some of you may have heard, he leaves paperclips all over my office. (Laughter.) They’re in the couch, they’re on the floor. He’s shuffling paper. And so because I knew I was coming over here, one of the things I did was return them all. (Laughter and applause.) And so this will be available to you. The DNI’s budget is always a little tight; we can start recycling these. (Laughter.) That’s going to be critical.
But Jim is often one of the first people that I see in the morning, during the Presidential Daily Brief. Jim always gives it to me straight. He gives me his honest assessment free of politics, free of spin. I trust his integrity. And I can’t tell you how invaluable that is in the job that he has.
And that culture is one that permeates our IC. It’s a culture that reflects leaders at the top. And nobody, I think, exemplifies that more than Jim Clapper. So I am very grateful for him.
Here at ODNI, Jim has also led important reforms, both within the office and across the intelligence community. Today, the Community is more collaborative and more integrated than it has ever been in the past.
And since no good deed ever goes unpunished, in appreciation of this integrity and outstanding work, I sent Jim to North Korea. (Laughter.) And I know he had a wonderful time in Pyongyang. But thanks to the role that Jim played, he returned home with Kenneth Bae and Matthew Miller to be reunited with their families.
Today is also special to him because it happens to be his 50th wedding anniversary to his wonderful wife, Sue. So we want to congratulate the two of them. (Applause.) And fear not, this is not all he’s doing for their 50th wedding anniversary. (Laughter.) My understanding is they’re headed off for a well-deserved anniversary vacation this weekend. So I'm going to move this along.
The second reason I wanted to be here was to thank all of you at ODNI. I see Jim or Mike Dempsey, or sometimes Stephanie, every morning. And I know that everything they present reflects incredible hard work on the part of hundreds of people -- thousands of people across the various agencies that are represented. And I want you to know that Jim and Mike and Stephanie, and all the folks who give me these briefings, they are the first one to acknowledge that they are just the tip of the operation and that they can’t do their job if it weren’t for the incredible contributions that all of you are making every single day.
I know that sometimes it can seem like a one-way street. You push up your reports, but you don’t always know how your work is received by your customers, and I guess I'm the number one customer. You don’t always maybe get feedback. So I'm here just to tell you, you do an outstanding job. The work that you provide is vital for me being able to make good decisions. And the fact that the work you prepare is giving it to me straight -- that doesn’t look at the world through rose-colored glasses, that doesn’t exaggerate threats but doesn’t underplay the significant challenges that we face around the world -- that’s vitally important to me and, as a consequence, vitally important to the security of the American people.
So Jim knows it, Mike know it. The people who meet with me are always extolling your virtues. But I figured it would be useful for you to hear it from me directly in saying how much we appreciate the incredible hard work and effort that you make every single day.
Whether it’s the PDB, your daily articles, your expert briefs, NIE’s, I could not do my job without your insights and your analysis, and your judgment.
More broadly, you’re dedicated to your founding mission. The 9/11 Commission said we needed to unify our intelligence community. The legislation that created the DNI made you the statutory head of the Community overseeing all the agencies.
And it’s not an easy task bringing together 17 different organizations. They each have unique histories and missions and cultures and tradecraft. Many of you here represent those agencies. And yet, you come here together to create a sum that’s even greater and stronger than its individual parts.
And we see the results. We’ve got more sharing of intelligence across the Community and also beyond it, with our other partners. The federal, state, local and the private sectors are now working together more effectively than they have in the past. New technologies and new satellites are being shared and working across various platforms means that we’re able to do a better job both accumulating information but also disseminating it. There’s more transparency than there’s been in the past. There’s more innovation than there’s been in the past. All that is making a difference each and every day.
I know that integrating the efforts and contributions of all 17 organizations, people, expertise, capabilities, is never-ending work. And then there’s the challenge of being as open and transparent as possible, even as we continue to protect intelligence that saves lives.
But I want you to remember the United States is the most professional, most capable, most cutting-edge intelligence community in the world. And part of the reason is because all of you here at ODNI bring it together. It makes a difference.
Which brings me to my third and final point. A message that I hope you share with the colleagues who are not in this auditorium, I want you to share it with all the home agencies: You can take great pride in your service.
Many of you -- those of you with gray beards or goatees, or, in Jim’s case, just no hair -- (laughter) -- are intelligence veterans with decades of service. Some of you are young, and look even younger; a new post-9/11 generation. And over the years, I know some of you have lost good friends and colleagues -- patriots, men and women who gave their lives, like those honored in the stars on the Memorial Wall at Langley. On days like today, we remember them and we honor them, as well.
These are challenging times. And over the last few years, we’ve seen unprecedented intelligence disclosures. We’ve seen wild swings with respect to our budgets because of sequestration and furloughs; increasing demands for intelligence due to everything from Russian aggression in Ukraine to turmoil and ISIL in the Middle East.
And today, like all Americans, our thoughts and prayers also continue to be with the families of Dr. Warren Weinstein and Giovanni Lo Porto. I’m not going to repeat everything I said yesterday, but I do want to make one point again. We’re going to review what happened. We’re going to identify the lessons that can be learned and any improvements and changes that can be made. And I know those of you who are here share our determination to continue doing everything we can to prevent the loss of innocent lives.
I was asked by somebody -- how do you absorb news like that that we received the other day. And I told the truth: It’s hard. But the one thing I wanted everybody to know -- because I know you, because I work with you, because I know the quality of this team -- is that we all bleed when we lose an American life. We all grieve when any innocent life is taken. We don’t take this work lightly. And I know that each and every one of you understand the magnitude of what we do and the stakes involved.
And these aren’t abstractions. And we’re not cavalier about what we do, and we understand the solemn responsibilities that are given to us. And our first job is to make sure that we protect the American people. But there’s not a person that I talk to that’s involved in the intelligence community that also doesn’t understand that we have to do so while upholding our values and our ideals, and our laws and our constitutions, and our commitment to democracy.
And that’s part of the reason why I’m so grateful to work with you, because I know you share that commitment, understanding that this is hard stuff. Everybody here is committed to doing it the right way. And for that reason, I’m absolutely committed to making sure that the American people understand all that you put in to make sure that we do it the right way. I’m very grateful for that.
This self-reflection, this willingness to examine ourselves, to make corrections, to do better -- that’s part of what makes us Americans. It’s part of what sets us apart from other nations. It’s part of what keeps us not only safe but also strong and free.
And part of what makes our job even more challenging is, is that despite the extraordinary work that’s done here and the lives that are saved on an ongoing basis, a lot of our work still requires that we maintain some things as classified. And we can’t always talk about all the challenges. And the one thing I know about people in the IC is they don’t seek the limelight. That means, sometimes, that the world doesn’t always see your successes, the threats that you prevent or the terrorist attacks you thwart, or the lives that you save.
But I don’t want you or folks across the intelligence community to ever forget the difference that you make every day. Because of you, we’ve had the intelligence to take out al Qaeda leaders, including Osama bin Laden. Because of you, we’ve had the intelligence, quickly, that showed Syria had used chemical weapons, and then had the ability to monitor its removal. Because of you, we had the intelligence, despite Russia’s obfuscations, to tell the world the truth about the downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 over Ukraine. Because of you, we had the intelligence support that helped enable our recent nuclear framework with Iran. And you’re going to be critical to our efforts to forge a comprehensive deal to prevent Iran from ever getting a nuclear weapon.
So you help keep us safe, but you also help protect our freedoms by doing it the right way. And the American people and people around the world may never know the full extent of your success. There may be those outside who question or challenge what we do -- and we welcome those questions and those challenges because that makes us better. It can be frustrating sometimes, but that’s part of the function of our democracy.
But I know what you do. We’re more secure because of your service. We’re more secure because of your patriotism and your professionalism. And I’m grateful for that. And the American people are grateful, as well -- to you and your families who sacrifice alongside you.
So it’s been 10 long and challenging years. But when we look back on those 10 years, the American people have been a whole lot safer. And I’m confident that over the next 10 years and 10 years after that, as long as we continue to have outstanding patriots like yourselves, we’re going to be okay.
Thank you very much, everybody. God bless you. God bless America. (Applause.)
END
2:57 P.M. EDT
WHITE HOUSE FACT SHEET ON UPSKILL INITIATIVE
FROM: THE WHITE HOUSE
April 24, 2015
FACT SHEET: Administration Announces New Commitments in Support of President Obama¹s Upskill Initiative to Empower Workers with Education and Training
100 employers commit to help millions of front-line workers climb up the career ladder and earn higher wages
Today, at the White House Upskill Summit, Vice President Biden and Administration officials will announce new steps to help realize the full potential of America’s workforce by empowering workers with the education and training they need to develop new skills and earn higher wages. Over 100 leading employers, who employ more than 5 million workers, are making concrete commitments to empower front-line workers across their businesses, in partnership with 30 national labor unions, and accelerated by new innovative data and tools. During his State of the Union address earlier this year, the President launched a new Upskill Initiative, calling on businesses to help workers of all ages earn a shot at better, higher-paying jobs, even if they do not have a higher education. The commitments being announced today already represent significant action and progress since the President’s January call to action.
As part of this Summit, the companies, unions and tech innovators are announcing that new tools and opportunities that will be made available to millions of front-line workers to get ahead in their careers:
100 leading employers are answering the President’s call to action and announcing new commitments to provide opportunities for their front-line workers to get ahead by expanding access to apprenticeships and on-the-job training; increasing uptake of training opportunities by making them cheaper, easier, and faster; and clarifying what skills workers need to get ahead within their companies. The President and Vice President are challenging other employers to follow their lead.
30 national and local labor unions and major foundations are also working with employers to expand access to best-practice training strategies like apprenticeships, and by targeting small businesses and industries like retail and hospitality where there is an opportunity to help millions of low wage workers earn a reward for better skills.
New data tools for workers and employers: To accelerate these efforts, the private sector and tech leaders are inspiring innovation and developing efficient tools that disseminate best practices for employers and workers, so that more can follow those who are leading the way.
When all Americans have the opportunity to master new skills, contribute their full talents to our economy, and be rewarded for it, our businesses, our families and our communities thrive. The President has laid out an agenda designed to increase wages for workers across the country, through steps that range from providing tax relief to working families, increasing the minimum wage, improving access to higher education and investing in areas that support well-paying jobs like infrastructure, research and clean energy. The Upskill Initiative is a public-private effort that is a critical part of that agenda, meant to create clear pathways for the over 20 million workers in front-line jobs who may too often lack the opportunity to progress into higher-paying jobs.
Developing the skills and abilities of these workers, and empowering them to contribute more at work, presents a significant opportunity to improve their wages and to increase the productivity and competitiveness of employers. Front-line workers are too often stuck because of three primary challenges: lack of access to training, which is often focused on workers who are already highly skilled; low uptake of training where it is available, due to limited awareness as well as difficulties in finding the time and money needed to take advantage of it; and a lack of clear information on pathways to promotions, which makes it hard for low wage workers to take the steps needed to advance.
Today’s White House Upskill Summit brings together employers, labor unions, foundations, educators, workforce leaders, non-profits and technologists who are committing to take action in the next year to enable more front-line workers to realize their full potential at work and advance into better paying jobs. The summit is also an opportunity to build on Vice President Biden’s comprehensive report released last summer that lays out successful strategies to train our nation’s workforce and widen the path to the middle class for more hard-working Americans.
A new White House report is also available here that includes new data on trends in employer training investments and highlights best practices and employer case studies. Click here to learn more about the Upskill commitments being announced today, which are summarized below.
To join these employers, unions, and technologists, share what you are doing to support the Upskill Initiative at Wh.gov.
Employers including 30 of the Fortune 500 and many small businesses are leading the way by taking steps within their own companies to end dead-end jobs, and enable workers to earn more over time.
Over 100 employers across the country, employing more than 5 million workers, are expanding access to on-the-job training and launching registered apprenticeship training programs, increasing uptake of these programs by making participation easier, cheaper, and faster, and clarifying career pathways for workers who want to get ahead.
More on-the-job training and apprenticeship opportunities, the “gold-standard of upskilling” that help workers get ahead, without having to leave their jobs to go back to school full-time.
Companies big and small, like IBM, Zurich Insurance, CVS, Daetwyler, Stober Drives and Optimax, are committing to start or expand apprenticeships in new industries as far-ranging as information technology, insurance, healthcare and advanced manufacturing.
Fortune 500 companies like Gap Inc., Capital One, McDonalds and Walmart are expanding partnerships with online educational organizations like LearnUp, Udacity and Cengage Learning to enable millions of front-line workers to earn credentials and develop the skills required for more senior roles.
Employers of all sizes including Pepsico, PG&E and Metaphase Technologies are setting internal goals to staff a certain percentage of their management and supervisory jobs from their front-line workforce, and leveraging on-the-job training programs to help meet those targets; others, like Orange Research are setting a goal for the percent of working hours that will be devoted to training.
Increasing uptake of training programs by building awareness and making it easier, cheaper and faster for front-line workers to benefit from these opportunities.
Companies across industries, such as Grifols and Partners HealthCare, are increasing uptake of tuition benefits by partnering with competency-based online programs, like College for America at Southern New Hampshire University, so tens of thousands of employees can use their benefits online to complete an accredited degree for free or close to free, and at their own pace.
Small businesses like R&R Transportation are providing employees with the necessary time and financial support to increase the number of workers with skills certifications; others, like Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center are focusing on making training more of a company priority by talking about it more with employees.
Businesses like Discover and Amali Restaurant are testing how financial incentives can drive upward career mobility and accelerated job progression for employees.
Clarifying pathways to a promotion by articulating the skills better-paying jobs require, and providing self-assessments for workers to figure out how far away they are from having those skills today:
Businesses like Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center are launching initiatives including talent management frameworks that will provide employees with a clear understanding of what differentiates success at each organizational level.
Companies like Kaiser Permanente and Bank of America are launching new online career portals that will provide employees and managers with tools, resources and training for skill enhancement and career development.
Major employers like AXA are making online gaming tools available to their employees to identify their strengths and develop a more granular understanding of their skills needs.
Employers are also working in partnership with government, unions, and philanthropy to expand the use of strategies like apprenticeships in new and growing fields.
The Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour division is clarifying common employer misperceptions that may lead employers to be less likely to offer training to employees . DOL is publishing a new “mythbuster” document that stipulates how employers can more specifically determine when they are and when they are not required to compensate employees for voluntary training.
30 major employers are working with the Department of Labor to launch a new employer-to-employer outreach program called LEADERs (Leaders of Excellence in Registered Apprenticeship Development, Education, and Research) that helps business leaders learn from other businesses how to launch a successful Registered Apprenticeship program. Later this year, the Department of Labor will bring together major employers on expanding the use of Registered Apprenticeship to strengthen U.S. companies while providing workers with pathways to the middle class and beyond.
Focusing on the healthcare industry in particular, SEIU and AFSCME, together with their local unions and employer partners including Temple University Health System, Kaiser Permanente, Addus Healthcare, and the League of Voluntary Hospitals and Homes of New York, are joining together to create 1,700 apprenticeships for advanced home care aides, community health workers, and medical coders throughout six states.
Labor management partnerships like BEST Corp. Hospitality Training Center, District 1199C Training & Upgrading Fund, SEIU Healthcare NW Training Partnership and 1199SEIU Bill Michelson Home Care Education Fund, and unions like IBEW Local Union 43, the Carpenters’ District Council of Greater St. Louis and Vicinity, and UAW, are committing to expanding access to registered apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship programs.
Labor leaders such as local affiliates of SEIU and AFL-CIO, non-profits like Goodwill and industry groups such as the Western Association of Food Chains are focusing on expanding access to training and credentials in industries like retail and hospitality that employ millions of front-line workers.
Foundations like Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses are providing small business owners with a business education that promotes front-line talent development.
The private sector and tech leaders are spurring innovation and developing tools that disseminate best practices for employers and workers, so that more can follow those who are leading the way.
Recognizing and supporting employers that are upskilling: The Aspen Institute is coordinating a business-led UpSkill America campaign in partnership with the Council for Adult and Experiential Learning, the HR Policy Association, the National Fund for Workforce Solutions, Business Leaders United for Workforce Partnerships, the Committee for Economic Development of The Conference Board, the Bay Area Council, and the Small Business Majority. This coalition will work to recognize leading employers that provide expanded career opportunities for their workers, promote the widespread adoption of business policies and practices that increase economic opportunity for frontline workers, and cultivate public-private education and workforce development efforts that support and advance these initiatives.
Innovation that helps facilitate upskilling: XPRIZE is promoting innovation by announcing its commitment to design an incentivized prize competition aimed at spurring innovation and accelerating the rate of positive change in upskilling among American workers.
Tools for workers that are trying to get ahead: Glass Door is launching an On-the-Job Training Finder, an interactive, map-based tool to help job seekers easily search job opportunities, such as apprenticeships and trainee positions, in which they can learn new skills to advance their career while getting paid. LinkedIn is committing to help employers identify mentors for front-line workers by engaging interested senior employees in aspirational roles.
Best practice resources for employers: Deloitte Consulting and The Aspen Institute are launching A Guide to Upskilling America’s Frontline Workers that aims to deliver a structured resource to help businesses strengthen existing or jumpstart new upskilling initiatives. The National Institute for Metalworking Skills (NIMS) will develop a Registered Apprenticeship Blueprint to help companies expedite implementation of customized apprenticeships that meet their talent needs.
The Upskill initiative builds on the Administration’s agenda to support job-driven training:
Proposed Rules for Reforming our Federal Workforce System. Last July, the President signed into law the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) – the most significant reform to our Federal workforce system in nearly 20 years. Last week, we issued proposed rules implementing WIOA that will move our entire system to be more job-driven. The law will also increase opportunities for work-based learning, including on-the-job training and Registered Apprenticeships.
Vice-President Biden’s Job-Driven Training Review. The President’s Upskill Initiative builds on the job-driven training review that the President asked the Vice President to lead in the 2013 State of the Union. Amongst other findings, the Vice President’s review identified employer training for front-line workers as an area in need of more job-driven training strategies to meet business needs and provide more workers with a path to the middle class.
American Apprenticeship Grants Competition. Last year, the Department of Labor launched a $100 million competition to spur partnerships to expand apprenticeships into high-growth fields like information technology, advanced manufacturing, and healthcare. The deadline for this application is April 30, 2015, and more information is available at the Grants.gov application page.
$100 million in New Federal Investments to Train and Connect More Workers to a Good Job in Technology and Other In-Demand Fields. The Administration is launching a $100 million H-1B grant competition by the Department of Labor to support innovative approaches to training and successfully employing low-skill individuals with barriers to training and employment including those with child care responsibilities, people with disabilities, disconnected youth, and limited English proficient workers, among others.
Launching a New $25 Million Competition for an Online Skills Academy that Will Leverage Technology to Offer Free and Open Online Courses of Study, helping students earn credentials online through participating accredited institutions, and will expand access to curricula designed to speed the time to credit and completion.
FY16 Budget Proposals to Expand Access to Quality Training and Career Advancement Opportunities. The President’s Budget includes measures that support upskilling through:
American Technical Training Fund would award $200 million in new competitive grants to support the development, operation and expansion of innovative, evidence-based job training programs in high-demand fields that provide a path to the middle class for low-income individuals. This could replicate successful models like Tennessee’s Applied Technology Centers whose graduates have impressive employment rates.
Doubling American Apprenticeships over Five Years: The President is calling on Congress to launch a $2 billion Apprenticeship Training Fund for states and regions to adopt comprehensive strategies ranging from economic incentives to stronger links to technical colleges to double the number of registered apprentices in America over the next five years.
Updating Licensing Requirements: The Budget proposes a $15 million increase for grants to States and partnerships of States for the purpose of identifying, exploring, and addressing areas where occupational licensing requirements create an unnecessary barrier to labor market entry or labor mobility and where interstate portability of licenses can support economic growth and improve economic opportunity.
April 24, 2015
FACT SHEET: Administration Announces New Commitments in Support of President Obama¹s Upskill Initiative to Empower Workers with Education and Training
100 employers commit to help millions of front-line workers climb up the career ladder and earn higher wages
Today, at the White House Upskill Summit, Vice President Biden and Administration officials will announce new steps to help realize the full potential of America’s workforce by empowering workers with the education and training they need to develop new skills and earn higher wages. Over 100 leading employers, who employ more than 5 million workers, are making concrete commitments to empower front-line workers across their businesses, in partnership with 30 national labor unions, and accelerated by new innovative data and tools. During his State of the Union address earlier this year, the President launched a new Upskill Initiative, calling on businesses to help workers of all ages earn a shot at better, higher-paying jobs, even if they do not have a higher education. The commitments being announced today already represent significant action and progress since the President’s January call to action.
As part of this Summit, the companies, unions and tech innovators are announcing that new tools and opportunities that will be made available to millions of front-line workers to get ahead in their careers:
100 leading employers are answering the President’s call to action and announcing new commitments to provide opportunities for their front-line workers to get ahead by expanding access to apprenticeships and on-the-job training; increasing uptake of training opportunities by making them cheaper, easier, and faster; and clarifying what skills workers need to get ahead within their companies. The President and Vice President are challenging other employers to follow their lead.
30 national and local labor unions and major foundations are also working with employers to expand access to best-practice training strategies like apprenticeships, and by targeting small businesses and industries like retail and hospitality where there is an opportunity to help millions of low wage workers earn a reward for better skills.
New data tools for workers and employers: To accelerate these efforts, the private sector and tech leaders are inspiring innovation and developing efficient tools that disseminate best practices for employers and workers, so that more can follow those who are leading the way.
When all Americans have the opportunity to master new skills, contribute their full talents to our economy, and be rewarded for it, our businesses, our families and our communities thrive. The President has laid out an agenda designed to increase wages for workers across the country, through steps that range from providing tax relief to working families, increasing the minimum wage, improving access to higher education and investing in areas that support well-paying jobs like infrastructure, research and clean energy. The Upskill Initiative is a public-private effort that is a critical part of that agenda, meant to create clear pathways for the over 20 million workers in front-line jobs who may too often lack the opportunity to progress into higher-paying jobs.
Developing the skills and abilities of these workers, and empowering them to contribute more at work, presents a significant opportunity to improve their wages and to increase the productivity and competitiveness of employers. Front-line workers are too often stuck because of three primary challenges: lack of access to training, which is often focused on workers who are already highly skilled; low uptake of training where it is available, due to limited awareness as well as difficulties in finding the time and money needed to take advantage of it; and a lack of clear information on pathways to promotions, which makes it hard for low wage workers to take the steps needed to advance.
Today’s White House Upskill Summit brings together employers, labor unions, foundations, educators, workforce leaders, non-profits and technologists who are committing to take action in the next year to enable more front-line workers to realize their full potential at work and advance into better paying jobs. The summit is also an opportunity to build on Vice President Biden’s comprehensive report released last summer that lays out successful strategies to train our nation’s workforce and widen the path to the middle class for more hard-working Americans.
A new White House report is also available here that includes new data on trends in employer training investments and highlights best practices and employer case studies. Click here to learn more about the Upskill commitments being announced today, which are summarized below.
To join these employers, unions, and technologists, share what you are doing to support the Upskill Initiative at Wh.gov.
Employers including 30 of the Fortune 500 and many small businesses are leading the way by taking steps within their own companies to end dead-end jobs, and enable workers to earn more over time.
Over 100 employers across the country, employing more than 5 million workers, are expanding access to on-the-job training and launching registered apprenticeship training programs, increasing uptake of these programs by making participation easier, cheaper, and faster, and clarifying career pathways for workers who want to get ahead.
More on-the-job training and apprenticeship opportunities, the “gold-standard of upskilling” that help workers get ahead, without having to leave their jobs to go back to school full-time.
Companies big and small, like IBM, Zurich Insurance, CVS, Daetwyler, Stober Drives and Optimax, are committing to start or expand apprenticeships in new industries as far-ranging as information technology, insurance, healthcare and advanced manufacturing.
Fortune 500 companies like Gap Inc., Capital One, McDonalds and Walmart are expanding partnerships with online educational organizations like LearnUp, Udacity and Cengage Learning to enable millions of front-line workers to earn credentials and develop the skills required for more senior roles.
Employers of all sizes including Pepsico, PG&E and Metaphase Technologies are setting internal goals to staff a certain percentage of their management and supervisory jobs from their front-line workforce, and leveraging on-the-job training programs to help meet those targets; others, like Orange Research are setting a goal for the percent of working hours that will be devoted to training.
Increasing uptake of training programs by building awareness and making it easier, cheaper and faster for front-line workers to benefit from these opportunities.
Companies across industries, such as Grifols and Partners HealthCare, are increasing uptake of tuition benefits by partnering with competency-based online programs, like College for America at Southern New Hampshire University, so tens of thousands of employees can use their benefits online to complete an accredited degree for free or close to free, and at their own pace.
Small businesses like R&R Transportation are providing employees with the necessary time and financial support to increase the number of workers with skills certifications; others, like Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center are focusing on making training more of a company priority by talking about it more with employees.
Businesses like Discover and Amali Restaurant are testing how financial incentives can drive upward career mobility and accelerated job progression for employees.
Clarifying pathways to a promotion by articulating the skills better-paying jobs require, and providing self-assessments for workers to figure out how far away they are from having those skills today:
Businesses like Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center are launching initiatives including talent management frameworks that will provide employees with a clear understanding of what differentiates success at each organizational level.
Companies like Kaiser Permanente and Bank of America are launching new online career portals that will provide employees and managers with tools, resources and training for skill enhancement and career development.
Major employers like AXA are making online gaming tools available to their employees to identify their strengths and develop a more granular understanding of their skills needs.
Employers are also working in partnership with government, unions, and philanthropy to expand the use of strategies like apprenticeships in new and growing fields.
The Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour division is clarifying common employer misperceptions that may lead employers to be less likely to offer training to employees . DOL is publishing a new “mythbuster” document that stipulates how employers can more specifically determine when they are and when they are not required to compensate employees for voluntary training.
30 major employers are working with the Department of Labor to launch a new employer-to-employer outreach program called LEADERs (Leaders of Excellence in Registered Apprenticeship Development, Education, and Research) that helps business leaders learn from other businesses how to launch a successful Registered Apprenticeship program. Later this year, the Department of Labor will bring together major employers on expanding the use of Registered Apprenticeship to strengthen U.S. companies while providing workers with pathways to the middle class and beyond.
Focusing on the healthcare industry in particular, SEIU and AFSCME, together with their local unions and employer partners including Temple University Health System, Kaiser Permanente, Addus Healthcare, and the League of Voluntary Hospitals and Homes of New York, are joining together to create 1,700 apprenticeships for advanced home care aides, community health workers, and medical coders throughout six states.
Labor management partnerships like BEST Corp. Hospitality Training Center, District 1199C Training & Upgrading Fund, SEIU Healthcare NW Training Partnership and 1199SEIU Bill Michelson Home Care Education Fund, and unions like IBEW Local Union 43, the Carpenters’ District Council of Greater St. Louis and Vicinity, and UAW, are committing to expanding access to registered apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship programs.
Labor leaders such as local affiliates of SEIU and AFL-CIO, non-profits like Goodwill and industry groups such as the Western Association of Food Chains are focusing on expanding access to training and credentials in industries like retail and hospitality that employ millions of front-line workers.
Foundations like Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses are providing small business owners with a business education that promotes front-line talent development.
The private sector and tech leaders are spurring innovation and developing tools that disseminate best practices for employers and workers, so that more can follow those who are leading the way.
Recognizing and supporting employers that are upskilling: The Aspen Institute is coordinating a business-led UpSkill America campaign in partnership with the Council for Adult and Experiential Learning, the HR Policy Association, the National Fund for Workforce Solutions, Business Leaders United for Workforce Partnerships, the Committee for Economic Development of The Conference Board, the Bay Area Council, and the Small Business Majority. This coalition will work to recognize leading employers that provide expanded career opportunities for their workers, promote the widespread adoption of business policies and practices that increase economic opportunity for frontline workers, and cultivate public-private education and workforce development efforts that support and advance these initiatives.
Innovation that helps facilitate upskilling: XPRIZE is promoting innovation by announcing its commitment to design an incentivized prize competition aimed at spurring innovation and accelerating the rate of positive change in upskilling among American workers.
Tools for workers that are trying to get ahead: Glass Door is launching an On-the-Job Training Finder, an interactive, map-based tool to help job seekers easily search job opportunities, such as apprenticeships and trainee positions, in which they can learn new skills to advance their career while getting paid. LinkedIn is committing to help employers identify mentors for front-line workers by engaging interested senior employees in aspirational roles.
Best practice resources for employers: Deloitte Consulting and The Aspen Institute are launching A Guide to Upskilling America’s Frontline Workers that aims to deliver a structured resource to help businesses strengthen existing or jumpstart new upskilling initiatives. The National Institute for Metalworking Skills (NIMS) will develop a Registered Apprenticeship Blueprint to help companies expedite implementation of customized apprenticeships that meet their talent needs.
The Upskill initiative builds on the Administration’s agenda to support job-driven training:
Proposed Rules for Reforming our Federal Workforce System. Last July, the President signed into law the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) – the most significant reform to our Federal workforce system in nearly 20 years. Last week, we issued proposed rules implementing WIOA that will move our entire system to be more job-driven. The law will also increase opportunities for work-based learning, including on-the-job training and Registered Apprenticeships.
Vice-President Biden’s Job-Driven Training Review. The President’s Upskill Initiative builds on the job-driven training review that the President asked the Vice President to lead in the 2013 State of the Union. Amongst other findings, the Vice President’s review identified employer training for front-line workers as an area in need of more job-driven training strategies to meet business needs and provide more workers with a path to the middle class.
American Apprenticeship Grants Competition. Last year, the Department of Labor launched a $100 million competition to spur partnerships to expand apprenticeships into high-growth fields like information technology, advanced manufacturing, and healthcare. The deadline for this application is April 30, 2015, and more information is available at the Grants.gov application page.
$100 million in New Federal Investments to Train and Connect More Workers to a Good Job in Technology and Other In-Demand Fields. The Administration is launching a $100 million H-1B grant competition by the Department of Labor to support innovative approaches to training and successfully employing low-skill individuals with barriers to training and employment including those with child care responsibilities, people with disabilities, disconnected youth, and limited English proficient workers, among others.
Launching a New $25 Million Competition for an Online Skills Academy that Will Leverage Technology to Offer Free and Open Online Courses of Study, helping students earn credentials online through participating accredited institutions, and will expand access to curricula designed to speed the time to credit and completion.
FY16 Budget Proposals to Expand Access to Quality Training and Career Advancement Opportunities. The President’s Budget includes measures that support upskilling through:
American Technical Training Fund would award $200 million in new competitive grants to support the development, operation and expansion of innovative, evidence-based job training programs in high-demand fields that provide a path to the middle class for low-income individuals. This could replicate successful models like Tennessee’s Applied Technology Centers whose graduates have impressive employment rates.
Doubling American Apprenticeships over Five Years: The President is calling on Congress to launch a $2 billion Apprenticeship Training Fund for states and regions to adopt comprehensive strategies ranging from economic incentives to stronger links to technical colleges to double the number of registered apprentices in America over the next five years.
Updating Licensing Requirements: The Budget proposes a $15 million increase for grants to States and partnerships of States for the purpose of identifying, exploring, and addressing areas where occupational licensing requirements create an unnecessary barrier to labor market entry or labor mobility and where interstate portability of licenses can support economic growth and improve economic opportunity.
Saturday, April 25, 2015
Thursday, April 23, 2015
PRESIDENT'S STATEMENT ON CONFIRMATION OF LORETTA LYNCH AS ATTORNEY GENERAL
FROM: U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT
April 23, 2015
Statement by the President on the Confirmation of Loretta Lynch as Attorney General
Today, the Senate finally confirmed Loretta Lynch to be America’s next Attorney General – and America will be better off for it. Loretta has spent her life fighting for the fair and equal justice that is the foundation of our democracy. As head of the Justice Department, she will oversee a vast portfolio of cases, including counterterrorism and voting rights; public corruption and white-collar crime; judicial recommendations and policy reviews – all of which matter to the lives of every American, and shape the story of our country. She will bring to bear her experience as a tough, independent, and well-respected prosecutor on key, bipartisan priorities like criminal justice reform. And she will build on our progress in combatting newer threats like cybercrime. Loretta’s confirmation ensures that we are better positioned to keep our communities safe, keep our nation secure, and ensure that every American experiences justice under the law.
April 23, 2015
Statement by the President on the Confirmation of Loretta Lynch as Attorney General
Today, the Senate finally confirmed Loretta Lynch to be America’s next Attorney General – and America will be better off for it. Loretta has spent her life fighting for the fair and equal justice that is the foundation of our democracy. As head of the Justice Department, she will oversee a vast portfolio of cases, including counterterrorism and voting rights; public corruption and white-collar crime; judicial recommendations and policy reviews – all of which matter to the lives of every American, and shape the story of our country. She will bring to bear her experience as a tough, independent, and well-respected prosecutor on key, bipartisan priorities like criminal justice reform. And she will build on our progress in combatting newer threats like cybercrime. Loretta’s confirmation ensures that we are better positioned to keep our communities safe, keep our nation secure, and ensure that every American experiences justice under the law.
Wednesday, April 22, 2015
PRESIDENT OBAMA'S MESSAGE TO CONGRESS ON U.S.-CHINA NUCLEAR ENERGY AGREEMENT
FROM: THE WHITE HOUSE
April 21, 2015
Message to Congress -- Agreement for Cooperation Between the Government of the United States of America and the Government of the People's Republic of China Concerning Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy
TO THE CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES:
I am pleased to transmit to the Congress, pursuant to subsections 123 b. and 123 d. of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended (42 U.S.C. 2153(b), (d)) (the "Act"), the text of a proposed Agreement for Cooperation Between the Government of the United States of America and the Government of the People's Republic of China Concerning Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy (the "Agreement"). I am also pleased to transmit my written approval, authorization, and determination concerning the Agreement, and an unclassified Nuclear Proliferation Assessment Statement (NPAS) concerning the Agreement. (In accordance with section 123 of the Act, as amended by Title XII of the Foreign Affairs Reform and Restructuring Act of 1998 (Public Law 105-277), two classified annexes to the NPAS, prepared by the Secretary of State, in consultation with the Director of National Intelligence, summarizing relevant classified information, will be submitted to the Congress separately.) The joint memorandum submitted to me by the Secretaries of State and Energy and a letter from the Chairman of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission stating the views of the Commission are also enclosed. An addendum to the NPAS containing a comprehensive analysis of China's export control system with respect to nuclear-related matters, including interactions with other countries of proliferation concern and the actual or suspected nuclear, dual-use, or missile-related transfers to such countries, pursuant to section 102A(w) of the National Security Act of 1947 (50 U.S.C. 3024(w)), is being submitted separately by the Director of National Intelligence.
The proposed Agreement has been negotiated in accordance with the Act and other applicable law. In my judgment, it meets all applicable statutory requirements and will advance the nonproliferation and other foreign policy interests of the United States.
The proposed Agreement provides a comprehensive framework for peaceful nuclear cooperation with China based on a mutual commitment to nuclear nonproliferation. It would permit the transfer of material, equipment (including reactors), components, information, and technology for nuclear research and nuclear power production. It does not permit transfers of any Restricted Data. Transfers of sensitive nuclear technology, sensitive nuclear facilities, and major critical components of such facilities may only occur if the Agreement is amended to cover such transfers. In the event of termination, key nonproliferation conditions and controls continue with respect to material, equipment, and components subject to the Agreement.
The proposed Agreement would obligate the United States and China to work together to enhance their efforts to familiarize commercial entities in their respective countries about the requirements of the Agreement as well as national export controls and policies applicable to exports and imports subject to the Agreement. It would have a term of 30 years from the date of its entry into force. Either party may terminate the proposed Agreement on at least 1 year's written notice to the other party.
Since the 1980s, China has become a party to several nonproliferation treaties and conventions and worked to bring its domestic export control authorities in line with international standards. China joined the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons in 1992 as a nuclear weapon state, brought into force an Additional Protocol to its International Atomic Energy Agency safeguards agreement in 2002, and joined the Nuclear Suppliers Group in 2004. China is a party to the Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material, which establishes international standards of physical protection for use, storage, and transport of nuclear material, and has ratified the 2005 Amendment to the Convention. A more detailed discussion of China's civil nuclear program and its nuclear nonproliferation policies and practices, including its nuclear export policies and practices, is provided in the NPAS and in two classified annexes to the NPAS submitted to you separately. As noted above, the Director of National Intelligence will provide an addendum to the NPAS containing a comprehensive analysis of the export control system of China with respect to nuclear-related matters.
I have considered the views and recommendations of the interested departments and agencies in reviewing the proposed Agreement and have determined that its performance will promote, and will not constitute an unreasonable risk to, the common defense and security. Accordingly, I have approved the proposed Agreement and authorized its execution and urge that the Congress give it favorable consideration.
This transmission shall constitute a submittal for purposes of both sections 123 b. and 123 d. of the Act. My Administration is prepared to begin immediately the consultations with the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the House Foreign Affairs Committee as provided in section 123 b. Upon completion of the 30 days of continuous session review provided for in section 123 b., the 60 days of continuous session review provided for in section 123 d. shall commence.
BARACK OBAMA
April 21, 2015
Message to Congress -- Agreement for Cooperation Between the Government of the United States of America and the Government of the People's Republic of China Concerning Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy
TO THE CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES:
I am pleased to transmit to the Congress, pursuant to subsections 123 b. and 123 d. of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended (42 U.S.C. 2153(b), (d)) (the "Act"), the text of a proposed Agreement for Cooperation Between the Government of the United States of America and the Government of the People's Republic of China Concerning Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy (the "Agreement"). I am also pleased to transmit my written approval, authorization, and determination concerning the Agreement, and an unclassified Nuclear Proliferation Assessment Statement (NPAS) concerning the Agreement. (In accordance with section 123 of the Act, as amended by Title XII of the Foreign Affairs Reform and Restructuring Act of 1998 (Public Law 105-277), two classified annexes to the NPAS, prepared by the Secretary of State, in consultation with the Director of National Intelligence, summarizing relevant classified information, will be submitted to the Congress separately.) The joint memorandum submitted to me by the Secretaries of State and Energy and a letter from the Chairman of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission stating the views of the Commission are also enclosed. An addendum to the NPAS containing a comprehensive analysis of China's export control system with respect to nuclear-related matters, including interactions with other countries of proliferation concern and the actual or suspected nuclear, dual-use, or missile-related transfers to such countries, pursuant to section 102A(w) of the National Security Act of 1947 (50 U.S.C. 3024(w)), is being submitted separately by the Director of National Intelligence.
The proposed Agreement has been negotiated in accordance with the Act and other applicable law. In my judgment, it meets all applicable statutory requirements and will advance the nonproliferation and other foreign policy interests of the United States.
The proposed Agreement provides a comprehensive framework for peaceful nuclear cooperation with China based on a mutual commitment to nuclear nonproliferation. It would permit the transfer of material, equipment (including reactors), components, information, and technology for nuclear research and nuclear power production. It does not permit transfers of any Restricted Data. Transfers of sensitive nuclear technology, sensitive nuclear facilities, and major critical components of such facilities may only occur if the Agreement is amended to cover such transfers. In the event of termination, key nonproliferation conditions and controls continue with respect to material, equipment, and components subject to the Agreement.
The proposed Agreement would obligate the United States and China to work together to enhance their efforts to familiarize commercial entities in their respective countries about the requirements of the Agreement as well as national export controls and policies applicable to exports and imports subject to the Agreement. It would have a term of 30 years from the date of its entry into force. Either party may terminate the proposed Agreement on at least 1 year's written notice to the other party.
Since the 1980s, China has become a party to several nonproliferation treaties and conventions and worked to bring its domestic export control authorities in line with international standards. China joined the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons in 1992 as a nuclear weapon state, brought into force an Additional Protocol to its International Atomic Energy Agency safeguards agreement in 2002, and joined the Nuclear Suppliers Group in 2004. China is a party to the Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material, which establishes international standards of physical protection for use, storage, and transport of nuclear material, and has ratified the 2005 Amendment to the Convention. A more detailed discussion of China's civil nuclear program and its nuclear nonproliferation policies and practices, including its nuclear export policies and practices, is provided in the NPAS and in two classified annexes to the NPAS submitted to you separately. As noted above, the Director of National Intelligence will provide an addendum to the NPAS containing a comprehensive analysis of the export control system of China with respect to nuclear-related matters.
I have considered the views and recommendations of the interested departments and agencies in reviewing the proposed Agreement and have determined that its performance will promote, and will not constitute an unreasonable risk to, the common defense and security. Accordingly, I have approved the proposed Agreement and authorized its execution and urge that the Congress give it favorable consideration.
This transmission shall constitute a submittal for purposes of both sections 123 b. and 123 d. of the Act. My Administration is prepared to begin immediately the consultations with the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the House Foreign Affairs Committee as provided in section 123 b. Upon completion of the 30 days of continuous session review provided for in section 123 b., the 60 days of continuous session review provided for in section 123 d. shall commence.
BARACK OBAMA
Tuesday, April 21, 2015
WHITE HOUSE READOUT: PRESIDENT OBAMA MEETS WITH UAE CROWN PRINCE AL NAHYAN
FROM: THE WHITE HOUSE
April 20, 2015
Readout of the President’s Meeting with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan of the United Arab Emirates
During their meeting today at the White House, President Obama and the UAE's Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan discussed a range of regional and bilateral issues, and consulted on how best to deepen our cooperation in areas of shared interest. They underscored the strong partnership between our two countries, and reaffirmed their mutual commitment to close defense and security cooperation, including in counterterrorism, in particular against ISIL and Al Qaeda. The President and Crown Prince also reviewed the expanding ties between the United States and the UAE in areas ranging from trade and commerce to clean energy.
The President and the Crown Prince also discussed a range of regional challenges, including the ongoing conflicts in Yemen, Libya, Iraq and Syria; and efforts to reach a long-term, comprehensive deal between the P5+1 and Iran to ensure that Iran does not acquire a nuclear weapon. The President and Crown Prince also discussed the upcoming May meetings at the White House and Camp David with Gulf Cooperation Council leaders as an important opportunity to deepen cooperation between the U.S. and GCC partners.
April 20, 2015
Readout of the President’s Meeting with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan of the United Arab Emirates
During their meeting today at the White House, President Obama and the UAE's Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan discussed a range of regional and bilateral issues, and consulted on how best to deepen our cooperation in areas of shared interest. They underscored the strong partnership between our two countries, and reaffirmed their mutual commitment to close defense and security cooperation, including in counterterrorism, in particular against ISIL and Al Qaeda. The President and Crown Prince also reviewed the expanding ties between the United States and the UAE in areas ranging from trade and commerce to clean energy.
The President and the Crown Prince also discussed a range of regional challenges, including the ongoing conflicts in Yemen, Libya, Iraq and Syria; and efforts to reach a long-term, comprehensive deal between the P5+1 and Iran to ensure that Iran does not acquire a nuclear weapon. The President and Crown Prince also discussed the upcoming May meetings at the White House and Camp David with Gulf Cooperation Council leaders as an important opportunity to deepen cooperation between the U.S. and GCC partners.
Monday, April 20, 2015
Sunday, April 19, 2015
Saturday, April 18, 2015
PRESIDENT OBAMA'S REMARKS AT WOUNDED WARRIOR PROJECT SOLDIER RIDE EVENT
FROM: THE WHITE HOUSE
April 16, 2015
Remarks by the President at the Wounded Warrior Project Soldier Ride Event
South Lawn
11:24 A.M. EDT
THE PRESIDENT: Good morning, everybody! (Applause.) What a gorgeous day. I will just point out, it is always beautiful at this particular event. It is gorgeous every single day. And I want to thank Vice President Biden and VA Secretary Bob McDonald for being here.
This is the sixth time that we’ve welcomed the Soldier Ride to the White House. It’s one of our favorite events of the year. You all know the story. Over 10 years ago, a young Long Island bartender, a civilian named Chris Carney, dreamed up the idea of biking coast-to-coast to raise money and support for our wounded warriors. And back then, he probably would not have predicted how far the Soldier Ride would go; how thousands of Americans would join the cause; how a nation would be inspired by all of you.
We’ve got a number of folks here who are currently serving or have served in uniform. We’ve got Army. (Hooah!) We’ve got Navy. (Applause.) Air Force. (Applause.) We’ve got Marines. (Oorah!) And we’ve got some Coast Guard.
AUDIENCE MEMBER: Yeah! (Laughter.)
THE PRESIDENT: That’s it, man. (Applause.)
We’ve got some extraordinary military families who support you every single mile. (Applause.) So we are among heroes here today -- all the riders, I just had a chance to say hi to them, and they look great. Don’t get too comfortable, though -- you’ve got a lot of miles ahead. This is just a pit stop so we can all cheer you on.
Just to give you some sense of who these riders are -- we’ve got heroes like Sergeant William Armstrong. Where’s William? There he is in the back. (Applause.) William was 24 years old and serving in Afghanistan when a roadside bomb tore the ligaments in his knee and broke the bones in his leg. As a lifelong distance runner, he was devastated that he might never run again. But he didn’t give up. His caretakers at Walter Reed got him a bike so he could get into shape. After a lot of surgeries and months of physical therapy, two weeks ago, William ran a marathon. (Applause.) And I want to quote what William said here. He said, “This Army put me back together,” he says. But it was being “with people with similar life experiences… that exhilarated and motivated me.” Thank you, William, for your incredible service. (Applause.)
We’ve got Specialist Teresa Ann Jackson. Where’s Teresa? There she is right there. (Applause.) Two years ago, while serving as a medic at Fort Campbell, Teresa fell ill with a rare disease that affected her arteries. Doctors had to amputate both her feet. She remembers the shock and isolation she and her husband felt afterwards. And again, I want to quote her: “I wasn’t expecting to be in a wheelchair at 30,” she says. And at first, her -- at her first Wounded Warrior event, she found a community of people who welcomed her, who understood what she was going through, who continue to support her today through her recovery. And today, Teresa wants to study to be a social worker so that she can give back to others. Teresa, we thank you. (Applause.)
And we’ve got Captain Vincent Cerchione. Where’s Vincent? There he is right there. (Applause.) In 2003, Vincent led a dozen soldiers of the 3rd Infantry Division into battle in Iraq, taking rocket fire on a daily basis. He served two tours there, and then came home with the kind of wound you can’t always see -- post-traumatic stress. But with courage and the support of his wife, Vincent reached out for help, which is what we want all of our warriors to do. He says that when he found the Wounded Warrior Project -- and I’m quoting here -- “It was the first time since I returned that I’d ever talked to anybody and felt like I wasn’t alone.” Vincent, you are never alone. And because of your service, we also know that we are never alone and we’re always safe. Thank you so much for everything you’ve done. (Applause.)
So that’s what these riders represent here today -- that sense of community and support and love for each other. And that’s what binds everyone who serves proudly under our flag and all the Americans who cheer you on. It’s our chance to say to all our returning heroes that you’re not alone, that we’ve got your back, we’re going to be with you every step of the way. We will be with you all that long journey that it often takes to recover every single mile.
You and all the men and women of our Armed Forces represent what’s best in America. And for me and Michelle and the girls, for Joe Biden and Jill, and I know Bob and his family, time with you has been some of the most inspiring parts of our jobs. We could not be prouder of you or more grateful to you and your families for everything you’ve done to protect our freedom.
And that’s why, as Commander-in-Chief, I’m going to keep doing everything in my power to make sure that we serve you as well as you serve us. That means getting you the care and benefits that you deserve and have earned, including wounds like traumatic brain injury and post-traumatic stress. It means making sure our veterans have the education and the jobs and opportunities that you have to have in order to get your shot at the American Dream that you helped to defend. It means recognizing and supporting the incredible families and caregivers who sacrifice so much. They serve as well. We’ve got to be there for those families.
So I want to encourage every American along the route to get out and cheer for these men and women. And I want all of our riders -- and all those that you’re riding for, including some who were left behind on the field of battle -- we want all of you to know that we’re not just going to be with you for three days and these 60 miles. As a nation, as Americans grateful for your sacrifices, we’re going to be with you on all the roads of your life ahead.
So God bless you and your families, all who serve. God bless America. With that, I’m going to do my favorite part which is blow the horn. (Laughter.) Let’s get this ride started. (Applause.)
END
11:30 A.M. EST
April 16, 2015
Remarks by the President at the Wounded Warrior Project Soldier Ride Event
South Lawn
11:24 A.M. EDT
THE PRESIDENT: Good morning, everybody! (Applause.) What a gorgeous day. I will just point out, it is always beautiful at this particular event. It is gorgeous every single day. And I want to thank Vice President Biden and VA Secretary Bob McDonald for being here.
This is the sixth time that we’ve welcomed the Soldier Ride to the White House. It’s one of our favorite events of the year. You all know the story. Over 10 years ago, a young Long Island bartender, a civilian named Chris Carney, dreamed up the idea of biking coast-to-coast to raise money and support for our wounded warriors. And back then, he probably would not have predicted how far the Soldier Ride would go; how thousands of Americans would join the cause; how a nation would be inspired by all of you.
We’ve got a number of folks here who are currently serving or have served in uniform. We’ve got Army. (Hooah!) We’ve got Navy. (Applause.) Air Force. (Applause.) We’ve got Marines. (Oorah!) And we’ve got some Coast Guard.
AUDIENCE MEMBER: Yeah! (Laughter.)
THE PRESIDENT: That’s it, man. (Applause.)
We’ve got some extraordinary military families who support you every single mile. (Applause.) So we are among heroes here today -- all the riders, I just had a chance to say hi to them, and they look great. Don’t get too comfortable, though -- you’ve got a lot of miles ahead. This is just a pit stop so we can all cheer you on.
Just to give you some sense of who these riders are -- we’ve got heroes like Sergeant William Armstrong. Where’s William? There he is in the back. (Applause.) William was 24 years old and serving in Afghanistan when a roadside bomb tore the ligaments in his knee and broke the bones in his leg. As a lifelong distance runner, he was devastated that he might never run again. But he didn’t give up. His caretakers at Walter Reed got him a bike so he could get into shape. After a lot of surgeries and months of physical therapy, two weeks ago, William ran a marathon. (Applause.) And I want to quote what William said here. He said, “This Army put me back together,” he says. But it was being “with people with similar life experiences… that exhilarated and motivated me.” Thank you, William, for your incredible service. (Applause.)
We’ve got Specialist Teresa Ann Jackson. Where’s Teresa? There she is right there. (Applause.) Two years ago, while serving as a medic at Fort Campbell, Teresa fell ill with a rare disease that affected her arteries. Doctors had to amputate both her feet. She remembers the shock and isolation she and her husband felt afterwards. And again, I want to quote her: “I wasn’t expecting to be in a wheelchair at 30,” she says. And at first, her -- at her first Wounded Warrior event, she found a community of people who welcomed her, who understood what she was going through, who continue to support her today through her recovery. And today, Teresa wants to study to be a social worker so that she can give back to others. Teresa, we thank you. (Applause.)
And we’ve got Captain Vincent Cerchione. Where’s Vincent? There he is right there. (Applause.) In 2003, Vincent led a dozen soldiers of the 3rd Infantry Division into battle in Iraq, taking rocket fire on a daily basis. He served two tours there, and then came home with the kind of wound you can’t always see -- post-traumatic stress. But with courage and the support of his wife, Vincent reached out for help, which is what we want all of our warriors to do. He says that when he found the Wounded Warrior Project -- and I’m quoting here -- “It was the first time since I returned that I’d ever talked to anybody and felt like I wasn’t alone.” Vincent, you are never alone. And because of your service, we also know that we are never alone and we’re always safe. Thank you so much for everything you’ve done. (Applause.)
So that’s what these riders represent here today -- that sense of community and support and love for each other. And that’s what binds everyone who serves proudly under our flag and all the Americans who cheer you on. It’s our chance to say to all our returning heroes that you’re not alone, that we’ve got your back, we’re going to be with you every step of the way. We will be with you all that long journey that it often takes to recover every single mile.
You and all the men and women of our Armed Forces represent what’s best in America. And for me and Michelle and the girls, for Joe Biden and Jill, and I know Bob and his family, time with you has been some of the most inspiring parts of our jobs. We could not be prouder of you or more grateful to you and your families for everything you’ve done to protect our freedom.
And that’s why, as Commander-in-Chief, I’m going to keep doing everything in my power to make sure that we serve you as well as you serve us. That means getting you the care and benefits that you deserve and have earned, including wounds like traumatic brain injury and post-traumatic stress. It means making sure our veterans have the education and the jobs and opportunities that you have to have in order to get your shot at the American Dream that you helped to defend. It means recognizing and supporting the incredible families and caregivers who sacrifice so much. They serve as well. We’ve got to be there for those families.
So I want to encourage every American along the route to get out and cheer for these men and women. And I want all of our riders -- and all those that you’re riding for, including some who were left behind on the field of battle -- we want all of you to know that we’re not just going to be with you for three days and these 60 miles. As a nation, as Americans grateful for your sacrifices, we’re going to be with you on all the roads of your life ahead.
So God bless you and your families, all who serve. God bless America. With that, I’m going to do my favorite part which is blow the horn. (Laughter.) Let’s get this ride started. (Applause.)
END
11:30 A.M. EST
Friday, April 17, 2015
Thursday, April 16, 2015
PRESIDENT'S STATEMENT ON FIX TO MEDICARE PHYSICIAN PAYMENT SYSTEM
FROM: THE WHITE HOUSE
April 14, 2015
Statement by the President on the Passage of a Permanent Fix to the Medicare Physician Payment System
I applaud the Members of Congress from both parties who came together to pass the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act.
Nearly every year for the past 13 years, physicians have faced the possibility of an arbitrary cut in their payments from Medicare unless Congress passed a so-called “doc fix.” In my budget, I called for putting a permanent end to this annual manufactured crisis to ensure that doctors will not face a sudden drop in their pay. This bill is consistent with that proposal – it’s a milestone for physicians, and for the seniors and people with disabilities who rely on Medicare for their health care needs.
This bill also strengthens our country’s health care system for the long term. It more directly rewards providers for better-quality care. It creates incentives to encourage physicians to participate in new, innovative payment models that could further reduce the growth in Medicare spending while preserving access to care. And it extends the Children’s Health Insurance Program, which has provided coverage to millions of American children.
This bipartisan bill will protect health coverage for millions of Americans, and I will be proud to sign it into law. I hope Congress builds on this good work by finding more ways to make sure every American has access to the quality, affordable health care they deserve.
April 14, 2015
Statement by the President on the Passage of a Permanent Fix to the Medicare Physician Payment System
I applaud the Members of Congress from both parties who came together to pass the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act.
Nearly every year for the past 13 years, physicians have faced the possibility of an arbitrary cut in their payments from Medicare unless Congress passed a so-called “doc fix.” In my budget, I called for putting a permanent end to this annual manufactured crisis to ensure that doctors will not face a sudden drop in their pay. This bill is consistent with that proposal – it’s a milestone for physicians, and for the seniors and people with disabilities who rely on Medicare for their health care needs.
This bill also strengthens our country’s health care system for the long term. It more directly rewards providers for better-quality care. It creates incentives to encourage physicians to participate in new, innovative payment models that could further reduce the growth in Medicare spending while preserving access to care. And it extends the Children’s Health Insurance Program, which has provided coverage to millions of American children.
This bipartisan bill will protect health coverage for millions of Americans, and I will be proud to sign it into law. I hope Congress builds on this good work by finding more ways to make sure every American has access to the quality, affordable health care they deserve.
Monday, April 13, 2015
PRESIDENT OBAMA ASKS SENATE TO CONSENT TO RATIFY PROTOCOL AMENDING CONVENTION BETWEEN U.S. AND JAPAN
FROM: THE WHITE HOUSE
April 13, 2015
Message to Congress -- Protocol Amending the Convention between the Government of the United States of America and the Government of Japan
TO THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES:
I transmit herewith, for the advice and consent of the Senate to its ratification, the Protocol Amending the Convention between the Government of the United States of America and the Government of Japan for the Avoidance of Double Taxation and the Prevention of Fiscal Evasion with respect to Taxes on Income and a related agreement entered into by an exchange of notes (together the "proposed Protocol"), both signed on January 24, 2013, at Washington, together with correcting notes exchanged March 9 and March 29, 2013. I also transmit for the information of the Senate the report of the Department of State, which includes an overview of the proposed Protocol.
The proposed Protocol was negotiated to bring U.S.-Japan tax treaty relations into closer conformity with current U.S. tax treaty policy. For example, the proposed Protocol provides for an exemption from source-country withholding tax on all cross-border payments of interest, and updates the provisions of the existing Convention with respect to the mutual agreement procedure by incorporating mandatory arbitration of certain cases that the competent authorities of the United States and Japan have been unable to resolve after a reasonable period of time.
I recommend that the Senate give early and favorableconsideration to the proposed Protocol and give its advice and consent to its ratification.
BARACK OBAMA
April 13, 2015
Message to Congress -- Protocol Amending the Convention between the Government of the United States of America and the Government of Japan
TO THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES:
I transmit herewith, for the advice and consent of the Senate to its ratification, the Protocol Amending the Convention between the Government of the United States of America and the Government of Japan for the Avoidance of Double Taxation and the Prevention of Fiscal Evasion with respect to Taxes on Income and a related agreement entered into by an exchange of notes (together the "proposed Protocol"), both signed on January 24, 2013, at Washington, together with correcting notes exchanged March 9 and March 29, 2013. I also transmit for the information of the Senate the report of the Department of State, which includes an overview of the proposed Protocol.
The proposed Protocol was negotiated to bring U.S.-Japan tax treaty relations into closer conformity with current U.S. tax treaty policy. For example, the proposed Protocol provides for an exemption from source-country withholding tax on all cross-border payments of interest, and updates the provisions of the existing Convention with respect to the mutual agreement procedure by incorporating mandatory arbitration of certain cases that the competent authorities of the United States and Japan have been unable to resolve after a reasonable period of time.
I recommend that the Senate give early and favorableconsideration to the proposed Protocol and give its advice and consent to its ratification.
BARACK OBAMA
Friday, April 10, 2015
PRESIDENTIAL DETERMINATION ON AGREEMENT BETWEEN U.S.-CHINA ON PEACEFUL USES OF NUCLEAR ENERGY
FROM: THE WHITE HOUSE
April 10, 2015
Presidential Determination -- Proposed Agreement for Cooperation Between the Government of the United States of America and the Government of the People's Republic of China Concerning Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy
SUBJECT: Presidential Determination on the Proposed
Agreement for Cooperation Between the Government
of the United States of America and the
Government of the People's Republic of China
Concerning Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy
I have considered the proposed Agreement for Cooperation Between the Government of the United States of America and the Government of the People's Republic of China Concerning Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy (the "Agreement"), along with the views, recommendations, and statements of the interested departments and agencies.
I have determined that the performance of the Agreement will promote, and will not constitute an unreasonable risk to, the common defense and security. Pursuant to section 123 b. of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended (42 U.S.C. 2153(b)), I hereby approve the proposed Agreement and authorize the Secretary of State to arrange for its execution.
The Secretary of State is authorized to publish this determination in the Federal Register.
BARACK OBAMA
April 10, 2015
Presidential Determination -- Proposed Agreement for Cooperation Between the Government of the United States of America and the Government of the People's Republic of China Concerning Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy
SUBJECT: Presidential Determination on the Proposed
Agreement for Cooperation Between the Government
of the United States of America and the
Government of the People's Republic of China
Concerning Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy
I have considered the proposed Agreement for Cooperation Between the Government of the United States of America and the Government of the People's Republic of China Concerning Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy (the "Agreement"), along with the views, recommendations, and statements of the interested departments and agencies.
I have determined that the performance of the Agreement will promote, and will not constitute an unreasonable risk to, the common defense and security. Pursuant to section 123 b. of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended (42 U.S.C. 2153(b)), I hereby approve the proposed Agreement and authorize the Secretary of State to arrange for its execution.
The Secretary of State is authorized to publish this determination in the Federal Register.
BARACK OBAMA
Thursday, April 9, 2015
PRESIDENT OBAMA GIVES NOTICE OF CONTINUATION OF NATIONAL EMERGENCY WITH RESPECT TO SOMALIA
FROM: THE WHITE HOUSE
April 08, 2015
Notice -- Continuation of the National Emergency with Respect to Somalia
NOTICE
- - - - - - -
CONTINUATION OF THE NATIONAL EMERGENCY WITH
RESPECT TO SOMALIA
On April 12, 2010, by Executive Order 13536, I declared a national emergency pursuant to the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701-1706) to deal with the unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States constituted by the deterioration of the security situation and the persistence of violence in Somalia, acts of piracy and armed robbery at sea off the coast of Somalia, which have repeatedly been the subject of United Nations Security Council resolutions, and violations of the arms embargo imposed by the United Nations Security Council.
On July 20, 2012, I issued Executive Order 13620 to take additional steps to deal with the national emergency declared in Executive Order 13536 in view of United Nations Security CouncilResolution 2036 of February 22, 2012, and Resolution 2002 of July 29, 2011, and to address: exports of charcoal from Somalia, which generate significant revenue for al-Shabaab; the misappropriation of Somali public assets; and certain acts of violence committed against civilians in Somalia, all of which contribute to the deterioration of the security situation and the persistence of violence in Somalia.
Because the situation with respect to Somalia continues to pose an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States, the national emergency declared on April 12, 2010, and the measures adopted on that date and on July 20, 2012, to deal with that emergency, must continue in effect beyond April 12, 2015. Therefore, in accordance with section 202(d) of the National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 1622(d)), I am continuing for 1 year the national emergency declared in Executive Order 13536.
This notice shall be published in the Federal Register and transmitted to the Congress.
BARACK OBAMA
April 08, 2015
Notice -- Continuation of the National Emergency with Respect to Somalia
NOTICE
- - - - - - -
CONTINUATION OF THE NATIONAL EMERGENCY WITH
RESPECT TO SOMALIA
On April 12, 2010, by Executive Order 13536, I declared a national emergency pursuant to the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701-1706) to deal with the unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States constituted by the deterioration of the security situation and the persistence of violence in Somalia, acts of piracy and armed robbery at sea off the coast of Somalia, which have repeatedly been the subject of United Nations Security Council resolutions, and violations of the arms embargo imposed by the United Nations Security Council.
On July 20, 2012, I issued Executive Order 13620 to take additional steps to deal with the national emergency declared in Executive Order 13536 in view of United Nations Security CouncilResolution 2036 of February 22, 2012, and Resolution 2002 of July 29, 2011, and to address: exports of charcoal from Somalia, which generate significant revenue for al-Shabaab; the misappropriation of Somali public assets; and certain acts of violence committed against civilians in Somalia, all of which contribute to the deterioration of the security situation and the persistence of violence in Somalia.
Because the situation with respect to Somalia continues to pose an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States, the national emergency declared on April 12, 2010, and the measures adopted on that date and on July 20, 2012, to deal with that emergency, must continue in effect beyond April 12, 2015. Therefore, in accordance with section 202(d) of the National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 1622(d)), I am continuing for 1 year the national emergency declared in Executive Order 13536.
This notice shall be published in the Federal Register and transmitted to the Congress.
BARACK OBAMA
Wednesday, April 8, 2015
PRESIDENT OBAMA'S STATEMENT ON 21ST ANNIVERSARY OF RWANDA GENOCIDE
FROM: THE WHITE HOUSE
April 07, 2015
Statement by the President on the 21st Anniversary of the Genocide in Rwanda
Twenty-one years ago today, a genocide began that would claim the lives of more than 800,000 Rwandan men, women, and children and mark the beginning of one hundred days of horror for Rwanda’s people. Today is a day to commemorate those who lost their lives, to honor the courage of those who risked their lives to save others, and to grieve with the Rwandan people. It is also a day to reaffirm what our common humanity demands—that we stand together to prevent mass atrocities and continue to do all we can to make good on the pledge of “never again.” We also renew our commitment to help finish the task of bringing to justice those who inflicted such tragedy upon such a beautiful land.
While we remain haunted by the genocide, we also draw hope and inspiration from the people of Rwanda, who are building a brighter future. We commend their determination to continue to make important progress toward healing old wounds and lifting people out of poverty. The United States will continue to work tirelessly in partnership with Rwanda and with other nations to help prevent such atrocities and advance dignity and peace for all.
April 07, 2015
Statement by the President on the 21st Anniversary of the Genocide in Rwanda
Twenty-one years ago today, a genocide began that would claim the lives of more than 800,000 Rwandan men, women, and children and mark the beginning of one hundred days of horror for Rwanda’s people. Today is a day to commemorate those who lost their lives, to honor the courage of those who risked their lives to save others, and to grieve with the Rwandan people. It is also a day to reaffirm what our common humanity demands—that we stand together to prevent mass atrocities and continue to do all we can to make good on the pledge of “never again.” We also renew our commitment to help finish the task of bringing to justice those who inflicted such tragedy upon such a beautiful land.
While we remain haunted by the genocide, we also draw hope and inspiration from the people of Rwanda, who are building a brighter future. We commend their determination to continue to make important progress toward healing old wounds and lifting people out of poverty. The United States will continue to work tirelessly in partnership with Rwanda and with other nations to help prevent such atrocities and advance dignity and peace for all.
Monday, April 6, 2015
Saturday, April 4, 2015
READOUT PRESIDENT OBAMA'S CALLS WITH MIDDLE EAST LEADERS
FROM: THE WHITE HOUSE
April 03, 2015
Readout of the President’s Calls with King Hamad al Khalifa of Bahrain, Amir Sabah al Sabah of Kuwait, Amir Tamim al Thani of Qatar, and Crown Prince Mohammed al Nahyan of the United Arab Emirates
The President today spoke with King Hamad al Khalifa of Bahrain, Amir Sabah al Sabah of Kuwait, Amir Tamim al Thani of Qatar, and Crown Prince Mohammed al Nahyan of the United Arab Emirates. With each the President shared details of the political framework reached between the P5+1, the EU, and Iran on a Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action regarding Iran’s nuclear program. He highlighted that nothing is agreed until everything is agreed, and the months ahead will be used to finalize the technical details for a lasting, comprehensive solution that verifiably ensures the peaceful nature of Iran’s nuclear program. He also reiterated the United States’ enduring commitment to work with partners to address Iran’s destabilizing activities in the region. The President invited the leaders of the Gulf Cooperation Council to join him at Camp David this spring to further these consultations.
April 03, 2015
Readout of the President’s Calls with King Hamad al Khalifa of Bahrain, Amir Sabah al Sabah of Kuwait, Amir Tamim al Thani of Qatar, and Crown Prince Mohammed al Nahyan of the United Arab Emirates
The President today spoke with King Hamad al Khalifa of Bahrain, Amir Sabah al Sabah of Kuwait, Amir Tamim al Thani of Qatar, and Crown Prince Mohammed al Nahyan of the United Arab Emirates. With each the President shared details of the political framework reached between the P5+1, the EU, and Iran on a Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action regarding Iran’s nuclear program. He highlighted that nothing is agreed until everything is agreed, and the months ahead will be used to finalize the technical details for a lasting, comprehensive solution that verifiably ensures the peaceful nature of Iran’s nuclear program. He also reiterated the United States’ enduring commitment to work with partners to address Iran’s destabilizing activities in the region. The President invited the leaders of the Gulf Cooperation Council to join him at Camp David this spring to further these consultations.
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