PRESIDENT OBAMA'S REMARKS ON MINIMUM WAGE AT ANN ARBOR, MICHIGAN

FROM:  THE WHITE HOUSE 

Remarks by the President on Minimum Wage -- Ann Arbor, MI

University of Michigan
Ann Arbor, Michigan

2:52 P.M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT:  Hello, Michigan!  (Applause.)  Go Blue!  (Applause.)  This is a good-looking crowd.  (Applause.)  Just happy to be out of class.  (Applause.)  I'm sure that's not true. I'm sure these are all outstanding students.  (Applause.)  Good to see you.

First of all, give Mira a big round of applause for the great introduction.  (Applause.)  I want to say thanks to your president, Mary Sue Coleman, for her years of outstanding leadership here at Michigan.  (Applause.)  We’ve got a few other Michigan leaders who are here today.  We've got Congressman John Conyers.  (Applause.)  We've got Congressman Gary Peters.  (Applause.)  We've got your mayor, John Hieftje.  (Applause.)   Former Congressman Mark Schauer.  (Applause.)  Your Congressman, the legendary John Dingell, could not make it, but his wife Debbie is here.  Give her a big round of applause.  (Applause.)
  
Now, most importantly I know to all of you, we’ve got some Wolverines in the house here.  (Applause.)  We've got Greg Robinson III.  (Applause.)  We've got Jordan Morgan.  (Applause.) We've got Big Ten Player of the Year, Nik Stauskas.  (Applause.) And we've got quarterback, Devin Gardner.  (Applause.)  These guys were outstanding this year.  Give them a bigger round of applause than that.  (Applause.)

You guys had a great run.  That last game was as good of a game as we've seen the entire season.  I know you wish that that turned out a little bit later -- if you’d had five more seconds, it would have been helpful.  (Laughter.)  But I wanted to congratulate the coach, Coach Beilein, and the team for a great season.  (Applause.) 

And I understand that Jordan wanted me to talk about my bracket.  (Laughter.)  My bracket is a mess.  (Laughter.)  I've learned my lesson -- I will not pick against the Wolverines.  (Applause.)  It's not going to happen.  This is the problem with doing these brackets -- people just trash-talk you non-stop.  (Laughter.)  It's terrible. 

And I think it's worth mentioning, I want to congratulate Jordan for playing more games at Michigan than any other player in history -- not only earning an undergraduate degree in engineering -- (applause) -- pursuing a graduate degree in engineering as well.  That's the kind of student athlete we're talking about.  (Applause.)

Now, do some of you guys have chairs?  Because if you’ve got chairs, feel free to sit down.  But if you don't, don't sit down, because I don't want you getting hurt. 

Before I came here today, I stopped at Zingerman’s, which is the -- (applause) -- which is the right thing to do when you're in Ann Arbor.  (Laughter.)  I stopped for two reasons.  The first is the Reuben is killer.  (Laughter.)  So I ordered like the small -- (laughter) -- and it didn’t look that small.  So I gave half to Valerie Jarrett, who’s traveling with us.  And then after I finished the half, I wanted the half back.  (Laughter.)  But it was too late.  All she had left was the pickle.  (Laughter.)  So I took the pickle.  (Laughter.)

So one of the reasons I went was because the sandwiches are outstanding.  The second reason, though, is Zingerman’s is a business that treats its workers well, and rewards honest work with honest wages.  (Applause.)  And that’s worth celebrating.  And that’s what I’m here to talk about today:   How do we rebuild an economy that creates jobs and opportunities for every American?  And I want to focus on something a lot of people in Michigan are working very hard to accomplish right now, and that is raising the minimum wage to help more folks get ahead.  (Applause.) 

Now, here’s the context.  Our economy is doing better.  It’s growing.  Our businesses are creating jobs -- 8.7 million new jobs over the past four years.  (Applause.)  Our manufacturing sector, which had been losing jobs throughout the ‘90s and throughout the -- what do you call it -- aughts?  (Laughter.)  You know, the 2000 to 2010, whatever you call that.  (Laughter.)
But manufacturing had been losing jobs -- about a third of manufacturing had lost -- and obviously that hit Michigan really hard.  But we’re now seeing the manufacturing sector add jobs for the first time since the 1990s.  So that is good news.  (Applause.) 

The housing market is recovering.  Obviously the stock market has recovered, which means people’s 401(k)s, if they have them, are doing a lot better. 

Troops that were fighting two wars, they’re coming home.  (Applause.)   We just went through the first month since 2003 where no U.S. soldier was killed in either Afghanistan or Iraq.  (Applause.)

Today you’ve got companies looking to invest in the U.S. instead of sending jobs overseas.  They want to create more jobs and invest right here in the United States.  We’re more competitive.  We’re more productive. 

Oh, and by the way, 7.1 million Americans have now signed up for coverage through the Affordable Care Act, otherwise known as Obamacare.  (Applause.)  That’s a lot of people -- 7.1.  That’s enough to fill up The Big House 65 times.  (Applause.)  And by the way, that doesn’t count the more than 3 million young people who have been able to stay on their parents’ plans.  (Applause.) So we have seniors here who graduate and then it may take a couple months to find a job, or you’re doing an internship or something that does not provide health care, you’re going to be covered until you get that job that actually provides health insurance.  So it provides you the kind of protection you need.  (Applause.) 

So that’s the good news.  We fought back from the worst economic crisis in our lifetimes.  We’ve laid the foundation for America’s future growth.  But here’s the problem:  There’s been a long-term trend that has really been hitting middle-class folks and folks trying to get into the middle class, and that’s been going on since before most of you were born.  The economy increasingly has folks at the top doing really well, but then middle-class families, people who are struggling to get into the middle class, they’re working harder, but their wages, their incomes aren’t going up. 

And we’re a better country than that.  In America, we do not believe in opportunity just for the few.  We believe that everybody should have a chance at success.  Everybody.  (Applause.)  And we believe our economy grows best not from the top down, but from the middle out, and from the bottom up.  (Applause.)  And we want to make sure that no matter where you’re born, what circumstances, how you started out, what you look like, what your last name is, who you love -- it doesn’t matter, you can succeed.  That’s what we believe.  (Applause.)

We believe that what matters is the strength of our work ethic and the scope of our dreams and our willingness to take responsibility for ourselves, but also for ourselves.  That's what America is about.  That’s the promise that this country is built on.  And for the sake of your generation, we got to make sure that that continues to be the case; that that’s not just something we’re nostalgic about; that that’s something that we project out into the future. 

So I had a State of the Union a while back and I laid out a four-part Opportunity Agenda to make sure everybody has a shot.  And that starts with something I know graduating seniors are thinking about:  More good jobs paying good wages; jobs in high-tech and manufacturing and energy and innovation.  And there are things we can do to create jobs -- rebuilding our infrastructure in this country, investing in R&D, closing wasteful loopholes that don't create jobs.  So we’re providing tax breaks to companies that are creating jobs right here in the United States. Those are things we can do right now.

Opportunity means training more Americans for the skills needed to fill those jobs.  We got to make sure everybody is ready with the skills they need.  Not everybody is going to be lucky enough to be a Wolverine and graduate from Michigan.  (Applause.)  But everybody can get a good, solid base so that they can have a job and a career.

Opportunity means guaranteeing every young people access to a world-class education, and that's got to start with pre-K, all the way through higher education.  (Applause.)  And it means making college more affordable.  (Applause.) 

Some of you may not know this, but before a lot of you even entered college, we took on the student loan system.  It was giving billions of taxpayer dollars to big banks to serve as middlemen in the student loan process.  We said, why do we need the banks?  We cut them out.  We used the savings that were generated, billions of dollars, to expand the grants that help millions of low-income students pay for college.  And we’re offering millions of students who are graduating the chance to cap monthly student loan payments at 10 percent of your income.  (Applause.)

This is something you need to talk to your counselors about, especially if you’re going into teaching or social work, or other professions where it’s a passion but you’re not going to be an investment banker salary situation.  So make sure you find out about this.  You can cap -- I mean, I know Stauskas has got the contract coming up, so he’ll -- (laughter) -- he doesn't have to worry about these things.  But I’m saying later -- I’m not telling him to leave.  (Laughter.)  I wasn’t editorializing on that.  (Laughter.)

My point is we got to make sure that everybody can afford to do things that may not pay huge sums of money but are really valuable to society.

And the good news is more young people are earning college degrees than ever before.  But we’ve still got to do more work to rein in tuition costs.  I talked to your president about this. And we got to help more students who are trapped by student loan debt -- because this country cannot afford striving young people to be priced out of a higher education.  Everybody has got to be able to afford it.  (Applause.)

Finally, opportunity means rewarding the hard work of every American -- not just some Americans, every American.  That means making sure that folks are paid equal for doing equal work.  (Applause.)  I do not want my daughters paid less than somebody else’s sons for doing the same job.  (Applause.)

It means making sure that there are decent benefits and, at minimum, that every American has access to quality, affordable health insurance.  It means paychecks and wages that allow you to support a family. 

All of which brings me back to this issue of the minimum wage, giving America a raise.  Now, raising the minimum wage is not going to solve all of our economic challenges.  The majority of folks who are working get paid more than the minimum wage.  As Americans we understand that some people will earn more than others.  But here’s one thing we do believe:  Nobody who works full-time should be raising their family in poverty, right?  (Applause.)  If you’re working, if you’re responsible, you should be able to pay the rent, pay the bills.  (Applause.)

But that's what’s happening right now.  All across the country, you can work full-time on the minimum wage and still be in poverty.  And that’s why, in the year since I first asked Congress to raise the minimum wage, we’ve seen six states on their own pass laws to raise their minimum wage.  Last week, Connecticut became the first state in the country to raise its minimum wage to $10.10 an hour.  (Applause.)  Congratulations, Connecticut. 

You’ve got more states and counties and cities that are working to raise their minimum wage as we speak.  That includes your state legislators from Ann Arbor -- Adam Zemke and Jeff Irwin -- who are trying to raise it here in Michigan.  (Applause.)  We’re proud of them.  Stand up, guys.  Come on.  There they are.  (Applause.)  See, I used to be in the state legislature, so I was kind of partial to -- (laughter.)

But raising wages is not just a job for organizers, it’s not just a job for elected officials, it’s also a job for business.  It was here in Michigan 100 years ago that Henry Ford announced he was doubling his workers’ wages.  And at the time, some of his fellow business leaders thought he had lost his mind.  But Henry Ford understood it was going to be good for business.  Not only did it boost productivity, not only did it reduce turnover, not only did it make employees more loyal to the company, but it meant that the workers could afford to buy the cars that they were building.  (Applause.)  So you were building -- so by paying your workers more, you were building your own market for your products. 

And hugely successful companies today, like Costco, they take the same approach.  And it’s not just big businesses; small businesses, too.  In my State of the Union address, I called on more business leaders to boost their employees’ wages, give them a fair wage.  And since then, you’ve seen businesses across the country -- small ones, like an ice cream parlor in Florida, to a marketing agency in Georgia, to a pizzeria in St. Louis -- they’ve all said, you know what, this is the right thing to do. 

Recently, the Gap decided to raise its base wages, and that benefited about 65,000 workers in the United States -- and it led me to go shopping at Gap.  (Laughter and applause.)  Some of you may have seen the very attractive sweaters that I purchased for my daughters.  (Laughter.)  They have not worn them yet, so if they’re listening, make me feel good, just wear it one time.  (Laughter.) 

Now, Zingerman’s does not have as many workers as the Gap, obviously, but they try to do right by each and every one of them.  You’ve got some big businesses who go to Washington to lobby for special treatment for themselves.  So one of Zingerman’s owners, Paul Saginaw, flew to D.C. to lobby for his workers, to lobby for better treatment for workers through a higher minimum wage.  (Applause.)  That’s the kind of folks who are running Zingerman’s. 

Then afterwards, he held a sandwich summit here in Ann Arbor to help build support for Michigan’s minimum wage going up.  And Paul’s point is simple:  Fair wages and higher profits are not mutually exclusive; they can go hand-in-hand.  That’s what Henry Ford understood.  And Paul opened Zingerman’s doors 32 years ago last month so he knows a little bit about business.  But he and business owners like him believe higher wages are good for the bottom line. 

I happen to believe the same thing.  So I decided several months ago that the federal government should follow their lead. And so I issued an executive order that requires federal contractors, folks who are doing business with the government, to pay their employees on new contracts a fair wage of at least $10.10 an hour.  It’s the right thing to do.  (Applause.) 

And I’m determined to do my part to lift wages, improve take-home pay any way I can.  My attitude is if you cook our troops’ meals, you wash their dishes, your country should pay you a living wage.  (Applause.)

Now, here’s the challenge.  What Zingerman’s can do on its own, what even I can do as the head of the executive branch of the federal government, that doesn’t reach everybody.  If we’re going to do right by our fellow Americans, we need Congress to get onboard.  (Applause.)  We’ve got to have Congress to get onboard.  We’ve got to have state legislators to get onboard.  (Applause.)  Because even though we’re bringing manufacturing jobs back to America, we’re creating more good-paying jobs in education and health care and business services, there are always going to be folks who do critical work, who bust their tails every day -- airport workers, restaurant workers, and hospital workers, and retail salespeople -- who deserve an honest day’s pay for an honest day’s work.  They’re doing necessary jobs -- they should be able to make a living.

So right now there is a bill before Congress that would boost America’s minimum wage to $10.10 an hour.  It’s easy to remember:  10-10.  10-10.  Passing this bill would not just raise wages for minimum-wage workers; it would help lift wages for nearly 28 million Americans, including nearly a million people right here in Michigan.  It would lift millions of people out of poverty right away.  It would help millions more work their way out of poverty right away.  (Applause.)

It wouldn’t require any new taxes.  It doesn’t require new spending.  It doesn’t require new bureaucracy.  But what it would do is help those families and give businesses more customers with more money to spend.  And it would help grow the economy for everybody.

So you would think this would be a no-brainer.  Politically, you’d think that folks would be rushing to do this.  Nearly three in four Americans support raising the minimum wage -- nearly three in four.  Here’s the problem.  Republicans in Congress -- not Republicans out in America, because some of them get paid the minimum wage, so they want to see it raised -- Republicans in Congress don’t want to vote to raise it at all.  In fact, some want to just scrap the minimum wage.  One House Republican said, “It’s outlived its usefulness.”

AUDIENCE:  Booo --

THE PRESIDENT:  No, that’s what he said. 

AUDIENCE PARTICIPANT:  Booo --

THE PRESIDENT:  Don’t boo, organize.  (Applause.)  That’s what you need to do, because they may not hear the boos, but they can read a petition and they can see votes.  (Applause.)

You’ve got some Republicans saying we shouldn’t raise the minimum wage because -- they said this -- because, well, it just helps young people.  Now, first of all, I think it’s pretty good to help young people.  (Applause.)  I don’t know what’s wrong with helping young people.  Folks who say that, next thing you know they’ll say, “Get off my lawn.”  (Laughter.)  I think it’s okay to help young people.  

But the fact is most people who would benefit from a higher minimum wage are not teenagers taking on their first job.  The average age of folks getting paid the minimum wage is 35.  A majority of lower-wage jobs are held by women.  Many of them work full-time, often to support a family. 

And, by the way, what’s wrong with helping young people get ahead?  (Laughter.)  Mira puts herself through college on a base wage of less than $3 an hour, because she’s working in a restaurant.  She works hard -- she does.  So we should be making it easier for your generation to gain a foothold on the ladder of opportunity.  We shouldn’t be making it harder.

Now, the truth is the Republicans’ refusal so far to raise the minimum wage is pretty consistent with their general worldview -- (laughter) -- which says -- it says basically you’re on your own; government doesn’t have a role to play in making sure that the marketplace is working for everybody. 
 
Just yesterday, Republicans in Congress put forward a budget for the country that I believe would shrink opportunity for your generation.  It starts by giving a massive tax cut to households making more than $1 million a year, the very folks who’ve benefited the most over the last 20 years from this economy that is benefiting people at the top.  Then, so they don’t blow a hole in the deficit, they’d have to raise taxes on middle-class families with kids.  Then they’d force deep cuts to the investments that help our economy grow, like research and clean energy, and investments in middle-class families, like education and job training.

When they put these budgets together, usually they don’t tell you exactly what they’d cut because they know you wouldn’t like it, so you have to kind of do the math.  But compared to my budget, if they cut everything evenly in the amount that they’re talking about, within a few years about 170,000 kids would get cut from early childhood education.  About 200,000 new moms and children would get cut off from the programs that help them to get healthy food.  Funding for 21,000 special education teachers would be cut off.  And if they wanted to make smaller cuts in any of these -- in any one of these areas, they’d have to make bigger cuts in others.  It even cuts Pell grants, which makes it harder for students to pay for a college education. 

Now, to give them credit, they do have one original idea, which is to repeal Obamacare -- (laughter) -- because they haven’t tried that 50 times.  (Applause.)  Fifty times they’ve tried to do that.  (Laughter.)  So that means they would take away health coverage not only for more than 7 million Americans who’ve done the responsible thing, signed up, bought health care for themselves and their families, but for the 3 million young adults who’ve been able to stay on their parents’ plan under this law.  What I just told you about being able to stay on your parent’s plan -- the Republicans don’t like that. 

And their budget guts the rules we put in place to protect middle-class families from another financial crisis like the one that we’ve endured.  So if this all sounds familiar, it should be familiar because it was their economic plan in the 2012 campaign, it was their economic plan in 2010.  It’s like that movie Groundhog Day -- (laughter) -- except it’s not funny.  (Applause.)  If they tried to sell this sandwich at Zingerman’s, they’d have to call it the Stinkburger, or the Meanwich.  (Laughter and applause.)

 Look, here’s the truth.  They’re not necessarily cold-hearted, they just sincerely believe that if we give more tax breaks to a fortunate few and we invest less in the middle class, and we reduce or eliminate the safety net for the poor and the sick, and we cut food stamps, and we cut Medicaid, and we let banks and polluters and credit card companies and insurers do only what’s best for their bottom line without the responsibility to the rest of us, then somehow the economy will boom, and jobs and prosperity will trickle down to everybody. 

And when I say it that way, I know it sounds like I’m exaggerating -- except I’m not.  This is their theory.  They’re pretty unabashed about it.  And it’s not a new theory.  They’ve held it for decades, through good times and bad.  They were making the same argument against FDR when he was setting up Social Security.

 And, look, it does create opportunity for a handful of people who are already doing really, really well.  But we believe in opportunity for everybody.  More good jobs for everybody.  More workers to fill those jobs.  (Applause.)  A world-class education for everybody.  Hard work that pays off with wages you can live on and savings you can retire on and health care you can count on.  That’s what “opportunity for all” means.  (Applause.) That’s what it means.  

 Now, next week, members of Congress have a fresh chance to show which side they’re on.  They’re going to get a yes or no vote on raising the minimum wage all across this country.  And they’ve got to make a clear choice:  Talk the talk about valuing hardworking families, or walk the walk and actually value hardworking families.  (Applause.)  You’ve got a choice.  You can give America the shaft, or you can give it a raise.  (Applause.)

 Here in Michigan, your Senators, Carl Levin and Debbie Stabenow -- (applause) -- your Representatives, John Dingell and John Conyers and Gary Peters, they are already onboard.  But every American deserves to know where their elected representatives stand on this choice.  So those of you -- if you’re going back home for spring break or something or -- did that already happen, spring break? 

 AUDIENCE:  Yes!

 THE PRESIDENT:  I’m sorry.  (Laughter.)  Everybody is all, aw, yeah.  (Laughter.)  Well, I hope you had a good time.  (Laughter.)  But if you have the chance to talk to a congressman who’s not supporting it, you need to ask him, do you support raising the minimum wage to $10.10 an hour?  If they say yes, then you should say thank you -- (laughter) -- because elected officials do not hear that very often.  When they do the right thing, you should reward them. 

 AUDIENCE MEMBER:  Thank you, President Obama!

 THE PRESIDENT:  You’re welcome.  Thank you.  Thank you.  (Applause.)

 Now, if they say no, you shouldn’t yell at them.  Be polite.  Ask them why not.  Ask them to reconsider.  Tell them to join the rest of the country.  For once, instead of just saying no, say yes.  It’s time for $10.10.  It’s time to give America a raise.

 And as I’m looking out at all of you I’m reminded, four years ago I had the privilege of delivering the commencement address at the university, over in the big stadium.  (Applause.) And I said our democracy, it's always been noisy, it’s always been messy.  We have big arguments.  But in the end, we’ve always had the ability to look past our differences and our disagreements and forge a common future.  And we’ve got common values -- hard work, responsibility, pursuing your individual dreams. 

 What the argument is right now about is whether we also affirm the values that make sure we’ve giving everybody a chance; making sure our fellow citizens can also pursue their dreams; that we’re not just looking out for ourselves all the time, but we’re also looking out for the person next to you.  That's also what America is about.  That's what we have to do again.

 We’ve got more jobs to create.  We’ve got more kids to educate.  We’ve got more clean energy to create.  (Applause.)  We’ve got more troops to bring home.  We got more veterans to care for.  We got an immigration system we got to fix.  (Applause.)  We got to build a middle class.  We got to give opportunity for everybody who strives for it.  We got to make sure everybody -- black, white, Latino, Asian, Native American, gay, straight, with or without a disability, folks in the inner city, folks outside the borders of the city -- everybody has got a chance.  (Applause.)   America is a place for everybody.  That's what we’re fighting for.  That's what I need you to go out there and talk about.  (Applause.)

 Thank you.  God bless you.  God bless America.  (Applause.)

END
3:26 P.M. EDT

U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT CONTRACTS FOR APRIL 2, 2014

FROM:  U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT 
CONTRACTS

AIR FORCE

Northrop Grumman Systems Corp., Defense Systems Division, Herndon, Va., has been awarded a maximum $98,000,000 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, cost-plus-incentive-fee contract for the sustainment/maintenance of the Global Adaptive Planning Collaborative Information Environment (GAP CIE) software system. The contract will provide software deliveries for sustainment, enhancement, and modification to fielded GAP CIE capabilities, and continue to incorporate tools to support the production of assigned campaign/contingency plans and orders, Unified Command Plan taskings, and Guidance for the Employment of the Force-assigned tasks. Work will be performed in Nebraska and is expected to be completed on April 30, 2019. Fiscal 2014 operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $397,161 will be obligated at award. This contract was solicited via the Federal Business Opportunities website, with four offers received. The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center/HBCC, Offutt Air Force Base, Neb., is the contracting activity (FA8730-14-D-0011).

DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY

Hologic Inc., Bedford, Mass., has been awarded a maximum $78,910,453 modification (P00102) exercising the fifth option period on a one-year base contract (SPM2D1-09-D-8334) with seven one-year option periods for radiology systems, subsystems, and components. This is a fixed-price with economic-price adjustment contract. Location of performance is Massachusetts with an April 6, 2015 performance completion date. Using military services are Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and federal civilian agencies. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2014 through fiscal 2015 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pa.
United Metro Energy Corp.,* Brooklyn, N.Y., has been awarded a maximum $57,449,285 fixed-price with economic-price-adjustment, requirements contract for fuel. This is a competitive acquisition, and 34 offers were received. This is a three-year base contract with no option periods. Location of performance is New York with a March 31, 2017 performance completion date. Using military services are Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and federal civilian agencies. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2014 through fiscal 2017 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Energy, Fort Belvoir, Va., (SP0600-14-D-8516).

Papco Inc.,* Virginia Beach, Va., has been awarded a maximum $37,197,905 fixed-price with economic-price-adjustment, requirements contract for fuel. This is a competitive acquisition, and 34 offers were received. This is a three-year base contract with no option periods. Locations of performance are Virginia, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York with a March 31, 2017 performance completion date. Using military services are Army, Navy, Air Force, and federal civilian agencies. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2014 through fiscal 2017 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Energy, Fort Belvoir, Va., (SP0600-14-D-8515).

Calumet San Antonio Refining LLC, Brooks City Base, Texas, has been awarded a maximum $36,393,732 modification (P00002) exercising the first option period on a two-year base contract (SPE600-14-D-0482) with three one-year option periods for aviation turbine fuel. This is a fixed-price with economic-price adjustment, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract. Location of performance is Texas with a March 31, 2015 performance completion date. Using service is Defense Logistics Agency Energy. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2014 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Energy, Fort Belvoir, Va.

Ports Petroleum Co. Inc.,* Wooster, Ohio, has been awarded a maximum $7,126,629 fixed-price with economic-price-adjustment, requirements contract for fuel. This is a competitive acquisition, and 34 offers were received. This is a three-year base contract with no option periods. Locations of performance are Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New York with a March 31, 2017 performance completion date. Using military services are Army, Air Force, and federal civilian agencies. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2014 through fiscal 2017 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Energy, Fort Belvoir, Va.; (SP0600-14-D-8512).

ARMY

Global-Pacific Tech Joint Venture 1,* Longview, Wash., was awarded a $45,000,000 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, single award task order contract to design and construct projects related to building electrical systems and control and industrial processes within the continental United States for the Army Corps of Engineers, South Atlantic Division. Funding and work performance location will be determined with each order. Estimated completion date is March 11, 2019. Bids were solicited via the Internet with eight received. Army Corps of Engineers, Jacksonville, Fla., is the contracting activity (W912EP-14-D-0003).

NAVY

Northrop Grumman Systems Corp., San Diego, Calif., is being awarded a $43,781,216 modification to a previously awarded cost-plus-incentive-fee, firm-fixed-price contract (N00019-12-C-0059) for the production and delivery of five MQ-8 Firescout vertical take-off and landing tactical unmanned aerial vehicles (VTUAV) and one ground control station in support of the VTUAV endurance upgrade rapid deployment capability effort. Work will be performed in Dallas, Texas (32 percent); Ozark, Ala. (27 percent); Rancho Bernardo, Calif. (25 percent); Moss Point, Miss. (15 percent); and Point Mugu, Calif. (1 percent), and is expected to be completed in December 2015. Fiscal 2013 and 2014 aircraft procurement, Navy funds in the amount of $43,781,216 are being obligated at time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity.
Raytheon Co., Integrated Defense Systems, Sudbury, Mass., is being awarded a $29,521,981 modification to previously awarded contract (N00024-13-C-5115) to exercise options for the production of the AN/SPY-1D(V) Radar Transmitter Group, Missile Fire Control System (MFCS) MK 99 and site support. Work will be performed in Andover, Mass. (78.3percent); Sudbury, Mass. (19.3 percent); Canada (1 percent); Moorestown, N.J. (0.9 percent) and Norfolk, Va. (0.5 percent), and work is expected to be completed by June 2017. Fiscal 2014 shipbuilding and conversion, Navy contract funds in the amount of $29,521,981 will be obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity.

Raytheon Co., Tucson, Ariz., is being awarded a $9,778,372 cost-plus-fixed-fee, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for up to 52,473 hours of advanced technology insertion and integration support of weapons systems. The systems supported include AIM-9 Sidewinder, AIM-120 AMRAAM, AGM-65 Maverick, AGM-154 JSOW, R/UGM-109 Tomahawk, XM982 Excalibur, BGM-71 TOW, Standard Missile, Evolved Sea Sparrow Missile, Talon, Pyros and Griffin. Also included are line of sight/non-line of sight technologies for seekers, multi-mode seekers, tube-launched unmanned aerial systems, autonomous weapons employment and precision targeting, and similar applications. Work will be performed in Tucson, Ariz., and is expected to be completed in April 2016. Fiscal 2014 research, development, test, and evaluation, Navy funding in the amount of $100,000 is being obligated on this award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured pursuant to FAR 6.302-1. The Naval Air Warfare Center, Weapons Division, China Lake, Calif., is the contracting activity (N68936-14-D-0011).

RFD Beaufort Inc., Sharon Center, Ohio, is being awarded $8,101,410 for delivery order 0004 under a previously awarded firm-fixed-price contract (N00104-12-D-F001) for 1,900 each submarine escape and immersion equipment MK11 suits. Work will be performed at Sharon Center, Ohio, and is expected to be completed by Feb. 27, 2015. Fiscal 2014 Navy working capital funds in the amount of $8,101,410 will be obligated at the time of award and will not expire before the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured in accordance with 10 U.S.C. 2304 (c)(l). The NAVSUP Weapon Systems Support, Mechanicsburg, Pa., is the contracting activity.

Austal USA, Mobile, Ala., is being awarded a $6,726,406 modification to previously awarded contract (N00024-11-C-2301) for fabrication and assembly of a live fire test module in support of the Navy’s Independence variant littoral combat ship survivability testing program which is critical to class qualifications and ships eventual deployment. Work will be performed in Mobile, Ala., and is expected to be completed by March 2015. Fiscal 2013 research, development, test and evaluation funding in the amount of $6,726,406 will be obligated at the time of award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Supervisor of Shipbuilding Gulf Coast, Pascagoula, Miss., is the contracting activity.

WASHINGTON HEADQUARTERS SERVICES

NetCentrics Corp., Herndon, Va., is being awarded an $11,486,816 modification (P00011) to firm-fixed-price contract (HQ0034-11-D-0002) to obtain information technology operations back office support for the Office of the Secretary of Defense, Washington Headquarters Services (WHS), WHS-supported organizations, and the Pentagon Force Protection Agency. Work will be performed in Arlington, Va., with an expected completion date of April 30, 2015. Fiscal 2014 operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $11,486,816 are being obligated on this award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured, with three proposals received. WHS, Arlington, Va., is the contracting activity.
*Small Business

SECRETARY OF STATE KERRY'S STATEMENT ON AFGHAN ELECTIONS

FROM:  U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT 

Upcoming Afghan Elections

Press Statement

John Kerry
Secretary of State

Washington, DC

April 2, 2014

---

This is a pivotal moment after more than a decade of sacrifice and struggle. When millions of Afghan men and women go to the polls on April 5 to choose a new President, it could mark Afghanistan’s first democratic transition of power, and we all have a stake in seeing that milestone achieved.

The United States has proudly supported Afghanistan’s electoral and security institutions. But make no mistake: this is Afghanistan’s moment. These elections have been Afghan-owned from the start. The Afghan people have planned and prepared for this historic vote. The Afghan people are staffing and leading the electoral institutions. And the Afghan people are dedicated to protecting and advancing their own democracy.

The United States encourages the presidential candidates, their supporters, and election officials to abide by the laws and regulations governing the elections. By committing to an inclusive, fair, and transparent process, Afghanistan’s leaders will contribute to an outcome that is broadly accepted by Afghans and that strengthens the unity of the country and its democratic future.

The peaceful handover of power will be just as important as the progress achieved over the past decade in building a stronger, more secure and prosperous Afghanistan. It will help protect the gains in security and development over the last 12 years. Above all, it will stand as a powerful legacy of those who have sacrificed so much, including those who have made the ultimate sacrifice, to make this election possible.

The United States is ready to work with the next president, and we look forward to an enduring partnership with the Afghan people, consistent with our shared democratic values and interests.

IN OP-ED DEFENSE SECRETARY HAGEL DISCUSSES ASIA-PACIFIC-REBALANCE AND PARTNERSHIPS

FROM:  U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT
Hagel Describes Role of Partnerships in Asia-Pacific Rebalance
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, April 2, 2014 – In a world where security challenges do not adhere to political boundaries and economies are linked as never before, no nation can go it alone and hope to prosper, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel wrote in an op-ed article published yesterday on the Defense One website.
“Achieving sustained security and prosperity in the 21st century requires nations to work together and to meet common challenges with uncommon unity and purpose,” Hagel added.

The secretary noted that the response of more than 25 nations to the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 shows how that kind of unity is increasingly visible in the Asia-Pacific, which he called one of the most critical regions for global security and the global economy. And Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines led to a massive international relief and recovery effort last fall and produced Japan’s largest overseas military deployment in the post-war period, Hagel wrote.
“In both cases, nations in the region were able to set aside rivalries and differences and instead work together,” the secretary wrote. “At the same time, both cases underscore the reality that nations must engage in more practical security cooperation ahead of time in order to work together more effectively when challenges arise.”

Deepening cooperation does not materialize on its own, Hagel wrote, but requires deliberate and sustained efforts such as those of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, or ASEAN, to continue building a stronger regional security architecture that can address shared challenges.

These efforts have the full support of the United States and will be highlighted this week in Hawaii, at the first U.S.-hosted gathering of U.S. and ASEAN defense ministers, Hagel wrote. By hosting this meeting at the start of his fourth visit to the Asia-Pacific region -- which will include stops in Japan, China and Mongolia -- it serves to underscore the growing role ASEAN members are playing in promoting regional stability and enhanced security cooperation, he added.

The United States also has a key role to play in this endeavor, the secretary wrote.
“As a leading economic and military power in the Pacific -- one with no disputed territorial claims or ambitions in the region -- the United States is uniquely positioned to continue to help Asian nations build a vibrant regional security architecture,” he explained. “My upcoming trip emphasizes three ways in which the Department of Defense will contribute to this effort.”

First, the U.S. military will increase its role in cooperative security efforts and exercises as it continues to shift forces and operational focus to the Asia-Pacific region, Hagel wrote.

“It has been more than five years since President Barack Obama came to office determined to lead America’s rebalance toward the Asia-Pacific, and it remains front and center in our national security strategy,” he added. “The rebalance has helped to strengthen our alliances and partnerships in Asia and led to increased engagement, exercises and training on a bilateral and multilateral basis.”
The deployment of advanced military capabilities to the region has also proven indispensable, Hagel wrote, noting that the U.S. contributions to the search for Flight 370 included the world’s most advanced maritime patrol aircraft -- the P-8A Poseidon -- which was recently deployed to Japan.

Second, the U.S. military will continue to build new types of partnerships that tackle nontraditional security challenges more effectively, the secretary wrote. “The military presence we maintain in the Pacific -- including approximately 330,000 personnel, 180 ships, 2,000 aircraft, the 3rd Marine Expeditionary Force and five Army brigades -- provides unparalleled capabilities,” he wrote. “But the kind of nontraditional security challenges that pose a growing threat to stability in the region, such as climate change, natural disasters and pandemic disease, cannot be resolved through military efforts alone.”

Those changes require strong partnerships across military and civilian agencies and with the private-sector and nongovernmental organizations, he added, noting that Rajiv Shah, administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development, is leading a session during the conference in Hawaii.

Even as the United States looks for new ways to tackle shared challenges, Hagel wrote, the U.S. military will defend its allies and consistently champion the international laws and norms that have provided the basis for regional security and prosperity for generations.

“Over the course of 10 days, I will meet with 13 defense ministers whose nations represent more than 30 percent of the global economy,” Hagel wrote. “They recognize that there can be no economic growth without stability and prosperity for their people. Continuing the positive trends in the region will depend on upholding the principles of free and open commerce, the rule of law, open access to sea lanes, air, space, and cyberspace, and resolving conflicts and disputes peacefully.

“As we have recently seen in Ukraine, threats to these principles are threats to peace and security in the 21st century,” he continued. “That’s why all nations must commit to resolving disputes peacefully, without coercion and in accordance with international law.”

For more than 60 years, Hagel wrote, the Asia-Pacific region has enjoyed relative peace and stability and become an engine for global progress and prosperity.
“The beneficiaries of this progress have been the people of the region, and that includes the American people,” he added. “The region has benefited from American leadership, and it will continue to do so. But sustaining this progress is not the work of any single nation -- it is a shared responsibility. And the more nations that embrace this responsibility and spirit of cooperation, the more confident we can be that Asia in the 21st century will be defined by security and prosperity for all its people.”

READOUT: VP'S MEETING WITH IT BUSINESS EXECUTIVES

FROM:  THE WHITE HOUSE 

Readout of the Vice President’s Meeting with Business Executives from Information Technology Companies

As part of the Administration’s ongoing efforts to help Americans obtain the skills they need to acquire good middle class jobs, Vice President Biden dropped by a meeting today with a group of business executives from leading information technology companies. The Vice President highlighted the importance of making sure our training efforts teach skills that are in demand by employers. He also encouraged the participants to expand initiatives that have proven successful, including partnerships between companies and community colleges to teach workers new skills. The group discussed how increasing the availability of on-the-job training opportunities -- like apprenticeships – can help Americans find employment and ultimately widen the aperture into the middle class.

The Vice President is working with private companies, non-profit organizations, federal agencies, education institutions, state and local leaders, and others across the country to make the workforce and training system more job-driven, integrated, and effective.

WHITE HOUSE RESPONSE TO HOUSE REPUBLICAN BUDGET

FROM:  THE WHITE HOUSE 

Statement by the Press Secretary on the House Republican Budget 

To build real, lasting economic security for the middle class, the President and Democrats in Congress have a plan to grow our economy from the middle out, not the top down, and create more opportunities for every hardworking American to get ahead.  Unfortunately, Republicans in Congress do not have a plan that works for the middle class and the House Republican Budget is the same old top-down approach.  Because of a stubborn unwillingness to cut the deficit in a balanced way by closing tax loopholes for the wealthy and well connected, the House Republican Budget would slow the economy, stack the deck against the middle class, and threaten the guaranteed benefits seniors have paid for and earned.

The House Republican Budget would raise taxes on middle class families with children by an average of at least $2,000 in order to cut taxes for households with incomes over $1 million. It would force deep cuts to investments in our roads and bridges, scientific research to cure diseases like Alzheimer’s and at every level of education from early childhood to community college. It would end Medicare as we know it, turning it into a voucher program and risking a death spiral in traditional Medicare. Instead of ensuring that Americans earn a fair wage for a hard day’s work and lifting millions of people out of poverty, the House Republican approach undermines Americans working hard to support their families by slashing food stamps and Medicaid. And rather than expanding health coverage for all Americans and making it more affordable, it would repeal the Affordable Care Act, raising health care costs on families and businesses and eliminating coverage for the 3 million young adults who have gained coverage by staying on their parent’s plan, the millions of people who have signed up for private insurance plans through the Marketplaces, and millions more who can continue to gain coverage through Medicaid.

The House Republican Budget stands in stark contrast to the President’s Budget, which would accelerate economic growth and expand opportunity for all hardworking Americans, while continuing to cut the deficit in a balanced way.  The President has put forward a Budget that rewards hard work with fair wages, equips all children with a high-quality education to prepare them for a good job, puts a secure retirement within reach, and ensures health care is affordable and reliable, while at the same time asking the wealthiest to pay their fair share and making tough cuts to programs we can’t afford.  And by paying for new investments and tackling our true fiscal challenges, the President’s Budget builds on the progress we’ve already made to cut the deficit by more than half since 2009 and cuts the deficit as a share of the economy to 1.6 percent by 2024.  It also stabilizes the debt as a share of the economy by 2015 and puts it on a declining path after that.

Budgets are about choices and values.  House Republicans have chosen to protect tax breaks for the wealthiest rather than create opportunities for middle class families to get ahead.  The President believes that is the wrong approach and that we should instead be making smart investments necessary to create jobs, grow our economy, and expand opportunity, while still cutting the deficit in a balanced way and securing our nation’s future.

FTC WARNS PUBLIC OF MUDSLIDE CHARITY SCAMS

FROM:   FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION 

FTC Warns Consumers: Beware of Washington Mudslide Charity Scams
In the wake of the deadly mudslide in Washington State, the Federal Trade Commission, the nation’s consumer protection agency, reminds consumers that scams often follow disasters.  If you’re asked to make a charitable donation to help people in disaster-affected areas, before you give, be sure your donations are going to a reputable organization that will use the money as promised.

Unfortunately, legitimate charities face competition from scammers who either collect for a charity that doesn’t exist or aren't honest about how their “charity” will use the money you give.  Like legitimate charities, they might appeal for donations in person, by phone or mail, by e-mail, on websites, or on social networking sites.  For more information, read the FTC consumer blog post, Helping victims of the Washington State mudslide — Make sure your donations count and, for a list of groups that can help you research a charity, go to Charity Scams.

The Federal Trade Commission works for consumers to prevent fraudulent, deceptive, and unfair business practices and to provide information to help spot, stop, and avoid them. The FTC enters complaints into Consumer Sentinel, a secure, online database available to more than 2,000 civil and criminal law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and abroad. The FTC’s website provides free information on a variety of consumer topics. Like the FTC on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, and subscribe to press releases for the latest FTC news and resources.

PRESIDENT OBAMA'S REMARKS IN THE ROSE GARDEN ON THE AFFORDABLE CARE ATC

FROM:  THE WHITE HOUSE 

Remarks by the President on the Affordable Care Act

REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT

ON THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT

Rose Garden

April 1, 2014

4:19 P.M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT:  Everybody, please have a seat.  Thank you so much.   Welcome to the White House. 

Six months ago today, a big part of the Affordable Care Act kicked in as healthcare.gov and state insurance marketplaces went live.  And millions of Americans finally had the same chance to buy quality, affordable health care -- and the peace of mind that comes with it -- as everybody else.

Last night, the first open-enrollment period under this law came to an end.  And despite several lost weeks out of the gate because of problems with the website, 7.1 million Americans have now signed up for private insurance plans through these marketplaces -- 7.1.  (Applause.)

The truth is, even more folks want to sign up.  So anybody who was stuck in line because of the huge surge in demand over the past few days can still go back and finish your enrollment -- 7.1 million, that’s on top of the more than 3 million young adults who have gained insurance under this law by staying on their family’s plan.  That’s on top of the millions more who have gained access through Medicaid expansion and the Children’s Health Insurance Program.  Making affordable coverage available to all Americans, including those with preexisting conditions, is now an important goal of this law.  (Applause.) 

And in these first six months, we’ve taken a big step forward.  And just as importantly, this law is bringing greater security to Americans who already have coverage.  Because of the Affordable Care Act, 100 million Americans have gained free preventive care, like mammograms and contraceptive care, under their existing plans.  (Applause.)  Because of this law, nearly 8 million seniors have saved almost $10 billion on their medicine because we’ve closed a gaping hole in Medicare’s prescription drug plan.  We’re closing the donut hole.  (Applause.)  And because of this law, a whole lot of families won’t be driven into bankruptcy by a serious illness, because the Affordable Care Act prevents your insurer from placing dollar limits on the coverage they provide.

These are all benefits that have been taking place for a whole lot of families out there, many who don’t realize that they’ve received these benefits.  But the bottom line is this:  Under this law, the share of Americans with insurance is up and the growth of health care costs is down, and that’s good for our middle class and that’s good for our fiscal future.  (Applause.)

Now, that doesn’t mean that all the problems in health care have been solved forever.  Premiums are still rising for families who have insurance, whether you get it through your employer or you buy it on your own -- that’s been true every year for decades.  But, so far, those premiums have risen more slowly since the Affordable Care Act passed than at any time in the past 50 years.  It’s also true that, despite this law, millions of Americans remain uncovered in part because governors in some states for political reasons have deliberately refused to expand coverage under this law.  But we’re going to work on that. And we’ll work to get more Americans covered with each passing year.  (Applause.)

And while it remains true that you’ll still have to change your coverage if you graduate from college or turn 26 years old or move or switch jobs, or have a child -- just like you did before the Affordable Care Act was passed -- you can now go to healthcare.gov and use it year-round to enroll when circumstances in your life change.  So, no, the Affordable Care Act hasn’t completely fixed our long-broken health care system, but this law has made our health care system a lot better -- a lot better.  (Applause.)

All told, because of this law, millions of our fellow citizens know the economic security of health insurance who didn’t just a few years ago -- and that’s something to be proud of.  Regardless of your politics or your feelings about me, or your feelings about this law, that’s something that’s good for our economy, and it’s good for our country.  And there’s no good reason to go back. 

Let me give you a sense of what this change has meant for millions of our fellow Americans.  I’ll just give you a few examples.  Sean Casey, from Solana Beach, California, always made sure to cover his family on the private market.  But preexisting medical conditions meant his annual tab was over $30,000.  The Affordable Care Act changed that.  See, if you have a preexisting condition, like being a cancer survivor, or if you suffer chronic pain from a tough job, or even if you’ve just been charged more for being a woman -– you can no longer be charged more than anybody else.  So this year, the Casey family’s premiums will fall from over $30,000 to under $9,000.  (Applause.) 

And I know this because Sean took the time to write me a letter.  “These savings,” he said, “will almost offset the cost of our daughter’s first year in college.  I’m a big believer in this legislation, and it has removed a lot of complexity and, frankly, fear from my life.  Please keep fighting for the ACA.”  That's what Sean had to say.

Jeanne Goe is a bartender from Enola, Pennsylvania.  Now, I think most folks are aware being a bartender, that's a job that usually doesn't offer health care.  For years, Jeanne went uninsured or underinsured, often getting some health care through her local Planned Parenthood.  In November, she bought a plan on the marketplace.  In January, an illness sent her to the hospital.  And because her new plan covered a CAT scan she wouldn’t have otherwise been able to afford, her doctor discovered that she also had ovarian cancer -– and gave her a chance to beat it.  So she wrote me a letter, too.  She said it’s going to be “a long tough road to kill this cancer, but I can walk that road knowing insurance isn’t an issue.  I won’t be refused care.  I hope to send a follow-up letter in a few months saying I am free and clear of this disease, but until then, I know I will be fighting just as you have been fighting for my life as a working American citizen.”

And after her first wellness visit under her new insurance plan, Marla Morine, from Fort Collins, Colorado, shared with me what it meant to her.  “After using my new insurance for the first time, you probably heard my sigh of relief from the White House.”  (Laughter.)  “I felt like a human being again.  I felt that I had value.”

That’s what the Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare, is all about -– making sure that all of us, and all our fellow citizens, can count on the security of health care when we get sick; that the work and dignity of every person is acknowledged and affirmed.  The newly insured like Marla deserve that dignity.  Working Americans like Jeanne deserve that economic security.  Women, the sick, survivors -- they deserve fair treatment in our health care system, all of which makes the constant politics around this law so troubling. 

Like every major piece of legislation -- from Social Security to Medicare -- the law is not perfect.  We’ve had to make adjustments along the way, and the implementation -- especially with the website -- has had its share of problems.  We know something about that.  And, yes, at times this reform has been contentious and confusing, and obviously it’s had its share of critics.  That’s part of what change looks like in a democracy.  Change is hard.  Fixing what’s broken is hard.  Overcoming skepticism and fear of something new is hard.  A lot of times folks would prefer the devil they know to the devil they don’t.

But this law is doing what it’s supposed to do.  It’s working.  It’s helping people from coast to coast, all of which makes the lengths to which critics have gone to scare people or undermine the law, or try to repeal the law without offering any plausible alternative so hard to understand.  I’ve got to admit, I don’t get it.  Why are folks working so hard for people not to have health insurance?  Why are they so mad about the idea of folks having health insurance?  Many of the tall tales that have been told about this law have been debunked.  There are still no death panels.  (Laughter.)  Armageddon has not arrived.  Instead, this law is helping millions of Americans, and in the coming years it will help millions more.

I’ve said before, I will always work with anyone who is willing to make this law work even better.  But the debate over repealing this law is over.  The Affordable Care Act is here to stay.  (Applause.)

And those who have based their entire political agenda on repealing it have to explain to the country why Jeanne should go back to being uninsured.  They should explain why Sean and his family should go back to paying thousands and thousands of dollars more.  They’ve got to explain why Marla doesn’t deserve to feel like she’s got value.  They have to explain why we should go back to the days when seniors paid more for their prescriptions or women had to pay more than men for coverage, back to the days when Americans with preexisting conditions were out of luck -- they could routinely be denied the economic security of health insurance -- because that’s exactly what would happen if we repeal this law.  Millions of people who now have health insurance would not have it.  Seniors who have gotten discounts on their prescription drugs would have to pay more.  Young people who were on their parents’ plan would suddenly not have health insurance. 

In the end, history is not kind to those who would deny Americans their basic economic security.  Nobody remembers well those who stand in the way of America’s progress or our people.  And that’s what the Affordable Care Act represents.  As messy as it’s been sometimes, as contentious as it’s been sometimes, it is progress.  It is making sure that we are not the only advanced country on Earth that doesn’t make sure everybody has basic health care.  (Applause.)  And that’s thanks in part to leaders like Nancy Pelosi and Dick Durbin, and all the members of Congress who are here today.  We could not have done it without them, and they should be proud of what they’ve done.  They should be proud of what they’ve done.  (Applause.) 

And it’s also thanks to the often-unheralded work of countless Americans who fought tirelessly to pass this law, and who organized like crazy these past few months to help their fellow citizens just get the information they needed to get covered.  That’s why we’re here today.  That’s why 7.1 million folks have health insurance -- because people got the word out. 

And we didn’t make a hard sell.  We didn’t have billions of dollars of commercials like some critics did.  But what we said was, look for yourself, see if it’s good for your family.  And a whole lot of people decided it was.  So I want to thank everybody who worked so hard to make sure that we arrived at this point today.

I want to make sure everybody understands:  In the months, years ahead, I guarantee you there will be additional challenges to implementing this law.  There will be days when the website stumbles -- I guarantee it.  So, press, just -- I want you to anticipate -- (laughter) -- there will be some moment when the website is down -- and I know it will be on all of your front pages.  It’s going to happen.  It won’t be news.  There will be parts of the law that will still need to be improved.  And if we can stop refighting old political battles that keep us gridlocked, then we could actually make the law work even better for everybody.  And we’re excited about the prospect of doing that.  We are game to do it.  (Applause.) 

But today should remind us that the goal we set for ourselves -- that no American should go without the health care that they need; that no family should be bankrupt because somebody in that family gets sick, because no parent should have to be worried about whether they can afford treatment because they’re worried that they don’t want to have to burden their children; the idea that everybody in this country can get decent health care -- that goal is achievable. 

We are on our way.  And if all of us have the courage and the wisdom to keep working not against one another, not to scare each other, but for one another –- then we won’t just make progress on health care.  We’ll make progress on all the other work that remains to create new opportunity for everybody who works for it, and to make sure that this country that we love lives up to its highest ideals.  That’s what today is about.  That’s what all the days that come as long as I’m President are going to be about.  That’s what we’re going to be working towards.

Thank you very much, everybody.  God bless you.  God bless America.  (Applause.)  Thank you. 

                                      END               

FTC TESTIFIES TO SENATE COMMITTEE REGARDING DATA SECURITY

FROM:  FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION 
FTC Testifies on Data Security Before Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee
Commission Renews Call for Data Security Legislation

In testimony before Congress today, the Federal Trade Commission provided an update on its efforts to protect consumers’ privacy in the face of growing data breaches and renewed its call for data security legislation.

Testifying on behalf of the Commission before the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, Chairwoman Edith Ramirez told lawmakers that the Commission believed that as more data breaches are revealed, the risk to consumers and businesses becomes clear.

“Consumers’ data is at risk,” the testimony states. “Recent publicly announced data breaches remind us that hackers and others seek to exploit vulnerabilities, obtain unauthorized access to consumers’ sensitive information, and potentially misuse it in ways that can cause serious harm to consumers as well as businesses.”

The testimony highlights the Commission’s wide-ranging efforts in the data security arena, including its enforcement of the FTC Act as well as specific statutes such as the Fair Credit Reporting Act, Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act, and the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act to encourage companies to make data security a priority. The Commission has settled more than 50 such cases alleging that companies took inadequate measures to protect consumer data.  The testimony calls attention to recent settlements with Fandango and Credit Karma as part of the Commission’s effort to encourage companies to adopt security in the design of their products.

In addition, the testimony outlines the Commission’s policy initiatives related to data security issues, including workshops, seminars and reports on a wide variety of topics that affect the collection, use and security of consumers’ personal information. The testimony also notes the Commission’s ongoing efforts to educate consumers and provide guidance to businesses about issues related to data security.

In calling for legislation, the Commission’s testimony recommends that Congress strengthen its existing authority governing data security tools, and that it require companies in appropriate circumstances to notify consumers affected by a data breach. Specifically, the testimony calls for authority to seek civil penalties to help deter unlawful conduct, rulemaking authority under the Administrative Procedures Act, and jurisdiction over non-profit entities, which are not currently subject to FTC oversight.

The Commission vote approving the testimony and its inclusion in the formal record was 4-0.

SECRETARY KERRY'S REMARKS AT U.S..-EU ENERGY COUNCIL MEETING

FROM:  U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT 

Remarks at the U.S.-EU Energy Council Meeting

Remarks

John Kerry
Secretary of State

Brussels, Belgium

April 2, 2014

---

Deputy Secretary Dan Poneman and I are very, very pleased to be here for the 5^th U.S.-EU Energy Council today, and I’m particularly happy to join High Representative Cathy Ashton who is doing a superb job in my judgment wearing a lot of hats and helping to fight fires in many places, as well as lead our efforts in the Iran nuclear talks. I’m delighted to be here with Commissioner Oettinger and Giannis Maniatis – thank you very much. We’re happy to be here with you also representing the EU presidency.

I think the difficulties of the recent days underscore the imperative to what brings us here today: energy security – not just for Ukraine but all across Europe – that it frankly requires a major amount of transatlantic cooperation and transatlantic leadership. And that’s why President Obama asked us to come together with our European partners in order to tackle these challenges head-on.

It really boils down to this: No nation should use energy to stymie a people’s aspirations. It should not be used as a weapon. It’s in the interest of all of us to be able to have adequate energy supplies critical to our economies, critical to our security, critical to the prosperity of our people. And we can’t allow it to be used as a political weapon or as an instrument for aggression. So we are taking important steps today in order to make it far more difficult for people to deploy that tool.

And we’re working in lock-step to help Ukraine bring natural gas in from Poland and Hungary and develop a route through Slovakia. Ukraine is committed to do its part. And through their recent commitments to the IMF they’ve agreed to act on energy subsidies and to make their energy market more competitive. This is critical, obviously.

The United States and the EU have a lot of work to do in order to diversify our energy supplies. We’re working on it very hard in the United States. President Obama’s implemented a climate action plan, and Europe – no group of nations have done more than the European community to try to move on this front. But we, all of us, have to make certain that we are not dependent on one single source of energy.

So our agenda today, or at least part of it, is going to be to look at how do we get more natural gas through what folks call the Southern corridor, from Azerbaijan to Turkey and on to Europe. There are also other opportunities, including LNG terminals planned across Europe, and pipelines that can get gas to customers.

I think it’s fair to say that American entrepreneurship is hard at work trying to help change this equation. Our new capacities as a gas producer and the approval of seven export licenses is going to help supply gas to global markets, and we look forward to doing that starting in 2015. And we will supply more gas than all of Europe consumes today.

So whether it’s confronting the immediate energy challenges in Ukraine, which is critical, or the absolute imperative of all of us meeting the challenge of climate change, which in the latest IPCC report we see underscored for its importance, we’re going to have a partnership – with a partnership between the United States and Europe is absolutely vital in this effort.
So we couldn’t be more pleased than to have leaders like Representative Ashton and Commissioner Oettinger alongside us today to begin this work, and we look forward to a really healthy, productive discussion. Thank you.

JOHN KERRY'S REMARKS TO PRESS AT NATO

FROM:  U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT 
Press Availability at NATO
Remarks
John Kerry
Secretary of State
Brussels, Belgium
April 1, 2014

SECRETARY KERRY: Well, good evening to everybody. This obviously could not be a more important time for NATO allies to come together and to reaffirm our commitment to each other, to the transatlantic treaty and transatlantic security, and especially to our common values. As we mark the 65th anniversary of the strongest alliance on earth, we are all facing a new challenge, a critical moment, a new reality on the Euro-Atlantic landscape at a time when some of the basic principles underlying the international system have been violated and, frankly, our alliance has been put to the test.

Let me reiterate what President Obama said in this city last week: Russia today has challenged truths that only a few weeks ago appeared to be self-evident; that in the 21st century, the borders of Europe would not be redrawn with force; and that international law still guides all of us; that people and nations must always be able to make their own decisions about their own future. It’s clear that the alliance is prepared for this moment. We heard that over and over again today from every participant. We are unified, and the alliance is strong.

Today, NATO allies tasked the Supreme Allied Commander to provide visible reassurance with respect to our Central and Eastern European allies, assurance that Article 5 of NATO’s treaty means what it says on land, air, and sea. The United States has already begun to contribute to this mission because, as President Obama reaffirmed to Secretary General Rasmussen last week and I reiterated to my colleagues here today, the United States commitment to Article 5 obligations is unwavering.

Now in recent weeks, the United States has augmented NATO’s Baltic air policing mission with six additional F-16s. We’ve deployed 12 F-16s to Poland. We’ve kept the USS Truxtun in the Black Sea and more U.S. support is on the way. Today, many allies pledged their own contributions to assure that every ally, from the Baltic to the Black Sea, feels secure.

Just as importantly, Europe and North America have stood together in defense of Ukraine’s right to choose its future and in defense of international law. Together, we have rejected any notion that there is any legality in Russia’s efforts to annex Crimea and challenged – we have all challenged - the tactics of intimidation, particularly the deployment of unprecedented amounts of military forces around Ukraine’s borders.

Ukraine’s democratic and economic success is, in the end, going to be the best response to this challenge. Every ally here today pledged unwavering support in order to help make sure that Ukraine succeeds. This includes support through the IMF, our bilateral and multilateral assistance, the OSCE monitors, and through our support for free, fair, constitutional elections and for constitutional reform, as well as the anticorruption and demobilization efforts that are taking place.

We also reaffirmed to Foreign Minister Deshchytsia that just as Ukraine has stood in partnership for the past two decades, it’s important that NATO stand in partnership now with Ukraine, and we endorsed a range of measures in order to do so. Secretary General Rasmussen has called the events in Ukraine a wake-up call – a reminder that the stability and security in NATO’s neighborhood requires all of our constant vigilance. To that end, today, I made clear that many members of the alliance now need to step up defense spending. As we plan for NATO’s summit in Wales this September, each of us must demonstrate by the decisions that we take and the budget commitments that we make that we are committed to each other, and by our shared security and our shared prosperity and our shared values, we will continue to maintain that strength.

This afternoon, we mark the five, ten, and fifteen-year anniversaries of NATO’s post-Cold War expansions. And it is clear that each of these expansions has actually strengthened NATO by opening doors for millions of people who, through the power of this alliance, now are able to experience greater opportunity, a greater prosperity, and greater security. As free nations, we will continue to stand together and stand always in defense of international law, of our mutual security, and of the right of nations and people everywhere to freely choose their own destiny. Our meeting today underscored these principles in both words and in deeds.

I’d be happy to take a couple questions.

MS. PSAKI: The first question will be from Margaret Brennan of CBS News. Oh, right – other side.

QUESTION: Geez, wow. Thank you very much. (Laughter.) Mr. Secretary, two questions for you. NATO says there are no signs of a Russian pullback. What is it going to take for this body to have a greater show of force? Because there do seem some members wary of antagonizing Russia.

And on Mideast peace, where are we in this process, with President Abbas saying he’s canceled this meeting with you? Is this brinksmanship? And has the U.S. offered the release of Jonathan Pollard?

SECRETARY KERRY: Well, that’s about three questions or four, I think. But I’m happy to answer them. With respect to NATO and the presence of force and what is it going to take, I think everybody here today made it clear that the preference of NATO and the preference of all of us is to see a de-escalation, to find a diplomatic route in order to be able to work, hopefully, ultimately, together to strengthen the possibilities of Ukrainians making their own choices about Ukraine in the future. That’s the goal.

And at the same time, it is important for everybody in the world to understand that the NATO alliance takes seriously this attempt to change borders by use of force. So that is the wakeup call. And as a result, people here today made a commitment to be able to strengthen visibly, as a matter of deterrence and as a matter of reality, the cooperation, the deployment, and the efforts of those who are members of this alliance.

Now, with respect to the de-escalation, we were happy that yesterday Russia made an announcement, President Putin made the announcement initially, that they were going to move a battalion back. And that’s obviously small compared to the numbers that are deployed, but it is a welcome gesture in the right direction. The question now is: Is there a way to build on that in order to be able to find a way to move the masses of troops back and truly deescalate?

So I think there’s a delicate balance, and we’re engaged in efforts with lots of different people engaged in this effort to see if there is a way forward. That’s a lot of the discussion here today – it’ll be some of the discussion at the dinner tonight – is to help map that road forward.

With respect to the Middle East peace process, I’ve heard a rumor about, a quote not being invited sort of, but I’m not sure I’m going, regardless of that, whether or not we have certain things that we’re trying to figure out in terms of the logistics on the ground and what is possible.

What is important to say about the Middle East right now is it is completely premature tonight to draw any kind of judgment, certainly any final judgment, about today’s events and where things are. This is a moment to be really clear-eyed and sober about this process. It is difficult, it is emotional, it requires huge decisions, some of them with great political difficulty, all of which need to come together simultaneously.

And all I can tell you is that we are continuing, even now as I am standing up here speaking, to be engaged with both parties to find the best way forward. We’ve been in touch with the White House and Washington during the day, as well as all of the parties. And I’ve talked to many people on the ground in the region, and I will continue to even tonight.

So my team is on the ground meeting with the parties even tonight. And we urge both sides to show restraint while we work with them. Obviously, it’s moments like this when we all need to remember exactly what brought us to this effort in the first place, what the goal is, and where everybody wants to end up. And tonight I haven’t heard yet what the public response of Israel has been, but I know that President Abbas in his comments made it clear that he intends to continue to work, even tonight, on this process that we are engaged in.

So we will see where we wind up at the end of the evening in the next days, but it is, as I said at the outset of my remarks, completely premature to draw any judgments about this at this point in time. And at this point in time, no agreement has been reached with respect to any prisoner, not even the ones that, at this moment, are at issue in terms of the transfer. The cabinet in Israel has to vote; I’m not sure exactly when that might take place or not. And so there is no agreement at this point in time regarding anyone or any specific steps. There are a lot of different possibilities in play.

MS. PSAKI: The next question will be from Lesley Wroughton of Reuters.

QUESTION: Mr. Secretary, I just wanted to be clear because there’s a lot of reports going around. We also understand from a U.S. official that you’re not traveling tomorrow to Ramallah. But also if it is true – I mean, I’ve looked at the transcript and President Abbas has signed those conventions to join these 15 agencies – is this in your mind a breach of the understanding of the process that you launched eight, nine months ago?

On the other hand, do you – how do you see the way going forward? If this is – the way that President Abbas explained it was that the Israelis did not release those prisoners; that was the agreement. He agreed he wouldn’t go to the UN until the end of April, and he’s going – he’s going to go now. So there seems to be a lot of disappointment.

SECRETARY KERRY: No, he’s not. He is not. Let me make it absolutely clear: None of the agencies that President Abbas signed tonight involve the UN. None of them. And President Abbas has given his word to me that he will keep his agreement and that he intends to negotiate through the end of the month of April.

Now obviously, the prisoners were due on the 29th, which was Saturday. I’m not going to get into the who, why, what, when, where, how of why we’re where we are today. We’re where we are today – and the important thing is to keep the process moving and find a way to see whether the parties are prepared to move forward. In the end, this is up to the parties.

I mean, I want to make this crystal clear: The United States is proud and ready and willing to be a facilitator in this process. But the leaders on both sides have to make the decisions, not us. It’s up to them to decide what they’re prepared to do with each other, for each other, for the future, for the region, for peace. And we will do everything in our power. President Obama has been as committed to this as anybody. He has committed his personal time. He has committed my time. The President is desirous of trying to see how we can make our best efforts in order to find a way to facilitate. But facilitation is only as good as the willingness of leaders to actually make decisions when they’re put in front of them.

And we’re going to continue to do our work. We’re going to continue because this matters – matters to the region, matters to the parties, matters to us, matters to the world. Everywhere I go, people ask me: Is there any progress? Can you get anywhere? Can you move? The one thing that I keep in the center of my mind is that, even tonight, both parties say they want to continue to try to find a way forward. And so we will continue to work with them in order to try to do that.

MS. PSAKI: Thank you, everyone.

SECRETARY KERRY: Thank you, everyone.

SHADOWY FIGURE ON THE MARTIAN SLOPES

FROM:  NASA
Shadow Portrait of NASA Rover Opportunity on Martian Slope

NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity caught its own silhouette in this late-afternoon image taken by the rover's rear hazard avoidance camera. This camera is mounted low on the rover and has a wide-angle lens.

The image was taken looking eastward shortly before sunset on the 3,609th Martian day, or sol, of Opportunity's work on Mars (March 20, 2014). The rover's shadow falls across a slope called the McClure-Beverlin Escarpment on the western rim of Endeavour Crater, where Opportunity is investigating rock layers for evidence about ancient environments.  The scene includes a glimpse into the distance across the 14-mile-wide (22-kilometer-wide) crater.
Image Credit-NASA-JPL-Caltech

RECENT U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT PHOTOS FROM AFGHANISTAN

FROM:  U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT 
An Afghan army commando bounds toward a compound after taking enemy fire during a clearing operation in the Khogyani district of Afghanistan's Nangarhar province, March 20, 2014. U.S. Army photo by Spc. Connor Mendez.

The sun rises off the tail of an AH-64E Apache Guardian helicopter as U.S. soldiers slowly guide it off the ramp of an U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster III cargo aircraft on Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan, March 17, 2014. U.S. Army photo by Capt. Andrew Cochran.