PRESIDENT OBAMA PRESENTS MEDAL OF HONOR TO FORMER ARMY CAPTAIN

President Barack Obama presents the Medal of Honor to former Army Capt. William D. Swenson during an Oct. 15, 2013, White House ceremony. Swenson was honored for his valor during a Sept. 8, 2009, battle in Afghanistan's Kunar province. U.S. Army photo by Lisa Ferdinando 

FROM:  U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT 
Former Army Captain Receives Medal of Honor at White House
By Lisa Ferdinando
Army News Service

WASHINGTON, Oct. 16, 2013 - President Barack Obama presented the Medal of Honor to former Army Capt. William D. Swenson in a White House ceremony yesterday, citing Swenson's heroism during a six-hour battle that followed a deadly Taliban ambush in Afghanistan four years ago.
Swenson is the first Army officer to receive the nation's highest military honor for actions in Iraq or Afghanistan.
Guests at the White House ceremony included other Medal of Honor recipients, soldiers and Marines who fought alongside Swenson, and the families of service members who died in the battle. Army Secretary John M. McHugh, Army Chief of Staff Gen. Ray Odierno and Army Undersecretary Joseph W. Westphal also attended.

Before draping the medal around Swenson's neck, Obama recounted Swenson's heroic actions in saving more than a dozen lives during the Sept. 8, 2009, Battle of Ganjgal in Afghanistan's Kunar province.

Swenson is the second service member to receive the Medal of Honor for that battle. Dakota Meyer, a Marine Corps corporal at the time, was honored two years ago.

The president said Swenson is a remarkable example to the nation of the professionalism and patriotism that everyone should strive for.

"Capt. Will Swenson was a leader on that September morning," Obama said. "But like all great leaders, he was also a servant -- to the men he commanded, to the more than a dozen Afghans and Americans whose lives he saved, to the families of those who gave their last full measure of devotion on that faraway field."

Swenson served with Combined Security Transition Command Afghanistan's Task Force Phoenix in support of 10th Mountain Division's 1st Battalion, 32nd Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, as an embedded advisor to the Afghan border police. He said the honor is for all who served that day and for the families of those who were killed in the battle.

"The value of an award is truly what we as a nation put into it, what we value it as," he told reporters after receiving the award. "This award is earned with a team -- a team of our finest Marines, Army, Air Force, Navy and our Afghan partners standing side by side. Now that team includes Gold Star families who lost their fathers, sons and husbands that day. This medal represents them -- it represents us."

Around sunrise that day four years ago, Obama said, a column of Afghan soldiers and their American advisors were winding their way up a narrow trail toward a village to meet with elders. "But just as the first soldier reaches the outskirts of the village, all hell breaks loose," he added.

The American forces and their Afghan partners were ambushed by more than 60 well-armed, well-positioned enemy fighters, the Medal of Honor citation said. Insurgents surrounded three Marines and a Navy corpsman, Obama said, and rocket-propelled grenades, mortar and machine-gun fire poured in from three sides.

"Will and the soldiers in the center of the column are pinned down," he said. Swenson called in air support, Obama said, but initial requests were denied because Swenson and his team were too close to the village.

After finding out his noncommissioned officer, Army Sgt. 1st Class Kenneth Westbrook, was injured, Swenson risked his life to aid him.

"Will breaks across 50 meters of open space, bullets biting all around," Obama said. "Lying on his back, he presses a bandage to Kenneth's wounds with one hand and calls for a medevac with the other, trying to keep his buddy calm."

Swenson continued to fight the enemy and risked his life getting Westbrook to the medevac, said Obama, noting that before the helicopter left, Swenson kissed Westbrook on the forehead in "a simple act of compassion and loyalty to a brother in arms."

Risking his own life again, Swenson then drove an unarmored vehicle straight into the kill zone to rescue injured Afghan forces, Obama said. He returned into the path of enemy fire again, when he and a Humvee crew recovered the four fallen service members.

"Will and the others carry them out, one by one," Obama said. "They bring their fallen brothers home."

Marine Corps Gunnery Sgt. Edwin Johnson, Marine Corps 1st Lt. Michael Johnson, Marine Corps Gunnery Sgt. Aaron Kenefick and Navy Petty Officer 3rd Class James Layton were killed, along with nine Afghan security force personnel.

Westbrook survived the battle, but died a month later from complications.

"To the families of those we've lost, we will never forget," said Obama, adding that the nation is grateful for those who served that day and all who continue to serve "with such incredible courage and professionalism."

REMARKS BY PRESIDENT OBAMA AT DINNER IN DAR ES SALAAM, TANZANIA

FROM:  THE WHITE HOUSE

Remarks by President Obama in an Exchange of Dinner Toasts -- Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

State House
Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

8:58 PM EAT

PRESIDENT OBAMA: President Kikwete, Madam First Lady, distinguished guests -- on behalf of myself and Michelle, our delegation, our daughters -- we want to thank you for the incredible warmth and hospitality with which you've greeted us throughout the day. We could not be more grateful.

I am not the first American leader to visit this beautiful country. Other Presidents and prominent citizens have come before me. We just came from South Africa, where Robert Kennedy famously spoke of how every time we stand up for an ideal, we send out a "tiny ripple of hope." Less known is that after that trip to South Africa, Robert Kennedy also came here to Tanzania. It was a little different back then. Kennedy and his wife, Ethel, rode in the back of an open truck. The Secret Service has me and Michelle inside a fortified limousine. We call it "The Beast." (Laughter.) As Kennedy's truck made its way through the crowds, he picked up two boys and let them ride alongside them. The Secret Service doesn't let me do these things. (Laughter.) When Kennedy came, it was a public holiday here. I apologize to Tanzanians that you all had to work today. (Laughter.)

But while these times have changed, the good feelings stay the same. We've been deeply touched by the welcome and the warm wishes from the Tanzanian people along the streets as we came in here with you tonight. Dar es Salaam means "harbor of peace," and we thank you for sharing that sense of peace and brotherhood for which this country and its people have long been known.

Mr. President, you've shown wisdom and strength in seeking reforms so that more Tanzanians can enjoy progress, more opportunity. And like me, you're strengthened by a woman who is a leader in her own right. (Applause.) I am told that Mama Kikwete is fond of a traditional Tanzanian saying -- "My neighbor's child is my child." And that sentiment I think also captures the feeling, the partnership between -- our two countries must have. We live thousands of miles apart, but as fellow human beings, we share a sense of obligation to each other, especially to the youngest among us.

So you might say an American child is my child. We might say a Tanzanian child is my child. In this way, both of our nations will be looking after all of our children and we'll be living out the vision of President Nyerere. The core values that he proclaimed for Tanzania also describe what both our countries seek -- wisdom, unity, and peace -- Hekima, Umoja, na Amani. (Applause.)

So what I'd like to do is to propose a toast -- if I can get my water here -- to our gracious Tanzanian hosts, to our Tanzanian friends and to wisdom, unity and peace that we all seek in the world. Cheers.

PRESIDENT OBAMA'S STATEMENT ON VOTING RIGHTS ACT COURT DECISION

FROM: WHITE HOUSE

Statement by the President on the Supreme Court Ruling on Shelby County v. Holder

I am deeply disappointed with the Supreme Court’s decision today. For nearly 50 years, the Voting Rights Act – enacted and repeatedly renewed by wide bipartisan majorities in Congress – has helped secure the right to vote for millions of Americans. Today’s decision invalidating one of its core provisions upsets decades of well-established practices that help make sure voting is fair, especially in places where voting discrimination has been historically prevalent.


As a nation, we’ve made a great deal of progress towards guaranteeing every American the right to vote. But, as the Supreme Court recognized, voting discrimination still exists. And while today’s decision is a setback, it doesn’t represent the end of our efforts to end voting discrimination. I am calling on Congress to pass legislation to ensure every American has equal access to the polls. My Administration will continue to do everything in its power to ensure a fair and equal voting process.

PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA ON THE PHONE OVER THE HOLIDAYS

President Barack Obama talks on the phone in the Oval Office, Dec. 28, 2012. (Official White House Photo by Chuck Kennedy

Weekly Address: It’s Time for Congress to Help Responsible Homeowners | The White House

Weekly Address: It’s Time for Congress to Help Responsible Homeowners | The White House

DEATH OF AL-QAIDA SECOND-IN-COMMAND CONFIRMED BY WHITE HOUSE

Photo:  9-11 Memorial at Pentagon.  Credit:  U.S. Navy.

FROM:  AMERICAN FORCES PRESS SERVICE

White House Confirms Death of Al-Qaida's Second-in-Command

By Army Sgt. 1st Class Tyrone C. Marshall Jr.

WASHINGTON, June 6, 2012 - The U.S. government has confirmed the death of Abu Yahya al-Libi, the second in command of al-Qaida, a senior White House spokesman said yesterday.

"I can tell you that our intelligence community has intelligence that leads them to believe that al-Qaida's No. 2 leader, al-Libi, is dead," White House Press Secretary Jay Carney said.

Carney didn't provide details on how or where al-Libi was killed but he said the deceased terrorist had "served as al-Qaida's general manager" overseeing the group's day-to-day operations in the tribal areas of Pakistan and managing regional outreach.

"I can simply say that he was the No. 2 leader in al-Qaida, and this is the second time in less than a year that the No. 2 leader of al-Qaida has been removed from the battlefield," he said.

Al-Libi was deputy to Ayman al-Zawahiri, who assumed leadership of the terrorist network after Osama bin Laden, the mastermind of the 9/11 attacks, was killed during an assault by U.S. Navy SEALs on a compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan in May of last year.

"[Al-Libi's] death is part of the degradation that has been taking place to core al-Qaida during the past several years," Carney said. "[This] degradation has depleted the ranks to such an extent that there is now no clear successor to take on the breadth of his responsibilities."

Carney noted the loss of al-Libi adds pressure to al-Zawahiri to effectively manage the group. "We believe al-Libi's death is a major blow to core al-Qaida, removing the No. 2 leader for the second time in less than a year and further damaging the group's morale and cohesion, and bringing it closer to its ultimate demise than ever before," he said.

Carney added that al-Libi's death represents another serious blow to al-Qaida in the wake of the demise of bin Laden, in what is an ongoing effort to disrupt, dismantle and defeat a foe that brought terror and death to the United States on 9/11, and has perpetrated acts of terrorism against innocent civilians around the globe.

REDUCING ASTHMA RATES AND CONTROLLING PROBLEM AMONG RACIAL AND ETHNIC MINORITIES

Photo Credit:  Wikimedia 
FROM:  U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
Obama Administration Working to Close Racial, Ethnic Gap on Asthma
Asthma disproportionately affects minority children, children living below poverty level
WASHINGTON – Today U.S. federal agencies unveiled the Coordinated Federal Action Plan to Reduce Racial and Ethnic Asthma Disparities. White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) Chair Nancy Sutley, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lisa P. Jackson, Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) Kathleen Sebelius and Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Shaun Donovan discussed the new plan during an event at Town Hall Education Arts Recreation Campus (THEARC), which houses The Boys and Girls Club of Greater Washington along with other community groups.

Nearly 26 million Americans are affected by this chronic respiratory disease, including 7 million children, especially minority children and children with family incomes below the poverty level. Asthma rates of African American children are currently at 16 percent, while 16.5 percent of Puerto Rican children suffer from the chronic respiratory disease, more than double the rate of Caucasian children in the United States. The annual economic cost of asthma, including direct medical costs from hospital stays and indirect costs such as lost school and work days, amounts to approximately $56 billion.

“Across America we see low-income and minority children and families at a disproportionately higher risk for asthma and respiratory illnesses. Air pollution and other challenges are having serious health effects, which compound economic challenges through medical bills and missed school and work days,” said EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson. “As the mother of a child with asthma, I know what it means for our children to have clean and healthy air to breathe. This Action Plan enables federal agencies and our partners to work more collaboratively and comprehensively on tackling a major health threat, so that we can protect all Americans, no matter what community they call home.”

“Low-income and minority communities often face an unacceptable burden of pollution in this country, diminishing their economic potential and threatening the health of millions of American families,” said Nancy Sutley, Chair of the White House Council on Environmental Quality. “As we close National Asthma Awareness Month today, the President’s Administration is standing behind his commitment to integrating environmental justice into the missions of federal agencies, promoting clean air and healthy communities, and ensuring this really is a country of equal opportunity for all.”

“The report is a blueprint for how we can work together to reduce asthma disparities and help ensure children with asthma get the right care with the right support,” said Secretary Sebelius. “One key factor that is so critical to controlling a child’s asthma is access to health care. Uninsured people with asthma are less likely to take the preventive medicine they may need to keep their condition under control, making them more likely to suffer an attack. That’s why we are focused on expanding access to care.”

HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan said, “The numbers don’t lie: Asthma disproportionately impacts low-income minority families which is why we must do everything we can to ensure all children have a healthy place to call home. Today’s announcement will help the federal government support the development of innovative new approaches to improve and control asthma.”

The action plan will coordinate efforts to improve asthma management and prevention:
Reduce barriers to asthma care: Ensure that the populations most severely impacted by asthma receive evidence-based comprehensive care, which includes access to medical services, education and environmental interventions.

Build local capacity: Enhance capacity to deliver integrated, community-based asthma care systems.
Target services: Identify the children, families and communities most impacted by asthma disparities.
Accelerate prevention efforts: Increase understanding of the cause or causes of asthma and test interventions that may prevent the onset of asthma.

FIRST LADY AT WHITE HOUSE MOTHER'A DAY TEA

FROM:  THE WHITE HOUSE
First Lady Michelle Obama greets guests during a Mother’s Day Tea in the East Room of the White House, May 10, 2012. (Official White House Photo by Sonya N. Hebert)


White House Women's Update: Happy Mother's Day!
Friends --
Happy Mother's Day to you and yours!


Yesterday, the President released a presidential proclamation to celebrate the special role mothers play as cornerstones of our families and our communities, and on Thursday, First Lady, Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden hosted a Mother's Day Tea for military families in the East Room of the White House and we hosted a Twitter Chat with the leadership of MomsRising.org, Mocha Moms, and Mamiverse – who were joined by their children and parents.

Additionally, please take a moment to read a new post by Lynn Rosenthal, the first-ever White House Advisor on Violence Against Women, and Senior Policy Director for Immigration, Felicia Escobar on the risk of Rolling Back Protections for Domestic Violence Victims.

We hope that you took a moment to watch the President's interview with ABC News on Wednesday, where he said that, "I think same sex couples should be able to get married." He made it clear that he believes that it’s wrong to prevent couples who are in loving, committed relationships from getting married.
Happy Mother's Day and thank you for all that you do!
The White House Council on Women & Girls

PRESIDENT OBAMA CRACKS DOWN ON SCHOOLS TARGETING SERVICE MEMBERS WITH MISLEADING INFORMATION

FROM:  AMERICAN FORCES PRESS SERVICE
President Barack Obama tapes the Weekly Address in the Grand Foyer of the White House, April 27, 2012. (Official White House Photo by Chuck Kennedy)
Obama: Executive Order Protects Military, Vet Students
By Donna Miles
WASHINGTON, April 28, 2012 – President Barack Obama dedicated his weekly radio and video address today to describing the advantages of a new executive order designed to crack down on bad actors who prey on service members and veterans considering higher education.

Obama, who traveled yesterday to Fort Stewart, Ga., to unveil the new order, called it vital protection to brave men and women who are often bombarded by schools that provide false or misleading information about things like interest rates on loans, credit transfers, and job placement programs.

The order, he explained, will make it easier for military members and veterans to make informed decisions about financial aid and paying for college and also takes a number of steps to fight deceptive practices by some institutions.

“These men and women have fought with bravery and honor in some of the most dangerous places on the planet,” the president said today, noting that some never returned. “But those who did are now fighting a different kind of battle here at home,” he said. “They’re looking for new jobs, new opportunities, and new ways to serve.”
For many, Obama said, that means returning to school with help from the 9/11 GI Bill and tuition assistance program to help defray costs. Last year, these measures supported more than a half-million veterans and more than 300,000 service members who are pursuing a higher education, he noted.

“That’s progress,” he said. “But it’s not enough to just help our veterans and service members afford school -– we need to make sure they have all the tools they need to make an informed decision when it comes to picking the right program.”

Obama recognized the sad truth that some unscrupulous people are “less interested in helping our men and women in uniform get ahead and more interested in making a buck.” They game the system, he said, bombarding potential students with high-pressure tactics and steering them toward high-interest loans and misleading credit transfers and job placement programs.

“That’s appalling. It’s disgraceful,” he said. “And even though the vast majority of schools do the right thing, we need to guard against the bad actors who don’t.”
The new executive order will make it tougher for those who try to prey on service members and veterans. It will ensure they get the straight facts and make it easier to file complaints, he said.
The result, the president said, will be more security for service members, veterans and their families.

“When our men and women in uniform succeed, our country succeeds,” Obama said. “ They have our back; now it’s our turn to have theirs. And as long as I’m president, I’m going to make sure that anyone who serves this country gets every opportunity they deserve.”

WHITE HOUSE ON HIGHER TAXES FOR THE RICH

FROM:  THE WHITE HOUSE
The Buffett Rule Asks the Wealthiest to Pay Their Fair Share
Megan Slack April 10, 2012
Nearly one-quarter of all millionaires (about 55,000 individuals) pay a lower tax rate than millions of middle-class families. Warren Buffett has famously said that he pays a lower tax rate than his secretary, and he agrees that isn’t fair. To reform our tax system, which is currently tilted in favor of very high-income households, President Obama has proposed a basic principle of tax fairness called the Buffett Rule.

And, using the average tax rate to tell the story actually, like in the chart above, masks the fact that some high-income Americans pay extraordinarily low tax rates. A full 22,000 households that made more than $1 million in 2009 paid less than 15 percent of their income in income taxes. And the top 400 richest Americans—all making over $110 million a year—paid an average of 18 percent of their income in income taxes in 2008, but one in three of them paid less than 15 percent.

It is these high-income taxpayers that the Buffett Rule is meant to address by limiting the degree to which they can take advantage of loopholes and tax expenditures. For middle class families making less than $250,000 a year—families for whom tax rates have barely budged in the last 50 years—taxes should not go up.

WHITE HOUSE FORUM ON WOMEN AND THE ECONOMY

FROM:  THE WHITE HOUSE
President Barack Obama delivers remarks at the “White House Forum on Women and the Economy” in Eisenhower Executive Office Building South Court Auditorium, April 6, 2012. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza). 
White House Forum on Women and the Economy
Friends -
On Friday, April 6, President Obama hosted the White House Forum on Women and the Economy. The Forum addressed the critical role that women play in driving our economic progress.
In his remarks, the President discussed the importance of restoring economic security for the middle class, and creating an economy that's built to last for America's women: "As a father, one of the highlights of my day is asking my daughters about theirs. Their hopes and and their futures are what drive me every day I step into the Oval Office," said President Obama. "Every decision I make is all about making sure they and all our daughters and all our sons grow up in a country that gives them the chance to be anything they set their minds to; a country where more doors are open to them than were ever open to us."


Chair of the White House Council on Women and Girls Valerie Jarrett opened the event and introduced a panel moderated by Mika Brzezinski of MSNBC's Morning Joe with Senior Administration Officials, private sector, and academic leaders participating.
Following the President's remarks, Senior Administration Officials, including Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius, Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis, Attorney General Eric Holder, as well as the Director of the Domestic Policy Council Cecilia Munoz, and Katharine Abraham, Member of the Council of Economic Advisors, led a series of breakout sessions on a range of topics including Women at Work, Education, Health,Women's Entrepreneurship, and Violence Against Women and Girls.


As part of the Forum, the White House released a new report entitled Keeping America's Women Moving Forward, The Key to an Economy Built to Last which examines the ways in which the Administration has worked to ensure women's economic security through all stages of life - from young women furthering their education and beginning their careers, to working women who create jobs and provide for their families, to seniors in retirement or getting ready for retirement.


Please feel free to share this information with your friends and networks.
Thank you for your hard work and commitment to women and girls. We welcome your voiceand look forward to hearing from you.


Best Regards,


Avra & Hallie

DEDICATION OF THE NAVY'S LABORATORY FOR AUTONOMOUS RESEARCH

This photo and excerpt are from the U.S. Department of Defense Armed with Science website: 
Director of the Institute for Nanoscience at the NRL, Dr. Eric Snow, briefs Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, Dr. John P. Holdren, during a tour of NRL prior to attending the opening of the Laboratory for Autonomous Systems Research. (U.S. Navy photo by John F. Williams/Released)

Advisor to President Barack Obama for the Office of Science and Technology Policy, Dr. John P. Holdren visited the Navy’s corporate laboratory, March 16, to dedicate the opening of the Laboratory for Autonomous Systems Research (LASR) and tour the sprawling 130-acre Washington, D.C., campus.
“For nearly 90 years NRL has served the Navy, Marine Corps and our Nation in ever evolving capacities,” said Dr. Holdren, Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. “This new facility, dedicated today, builds on a grand NRL tradition of military research and innovation.”

The Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), established through Congress in 1976, is mandated to advise the President and others within the Executive Office of the President on the effects of science and technology (S&T) on domestic and international affairs and lead interagency efforts to develop and implement sound S&T policies and budgets to provide the greatest benefit to society.

With the objective to enable continued scientific leadership in autonomy, the state-of-the-art laboratory will become the nerve center for autonomy research for the Department of Defense (DoD) and will provide specialized facilities to support highly innovative research in intelligent autonomy, sensor systems, power and energy systems, human-system interaction and network and communications platforms.

“Today, the Navy and Marine Corps rely on robotics and autonomous systems for a host of missions, including unmanned air vehicles providing intelligence in Afghanistan, robots that defeat improvised explosive devices, and submersibles that explore the depths of the ocean,” added Holdren.
To see a photo album form Dr. Holdren’s tour of the research facilities, visit the Naval Research Laboratory’s Facebook Page.