PRESIDENT OBAMA'S WEEKLY ADDRESS FOR MAY 31, 2014

FROM:  THE WHITE HOUSE 

Weekly Address: Reducing Carbon Pollution in Our Power Plants

WASHINGTON, DC — In this week’s address, President Obama discussed new actions by the Environmental Protection Agency to cut dangerous carbon pollution, a plan that builds on the efforts already taken by many states, cities and companies. These new commonsense guidelines to reduce carbon pollution from power plants were created with feedback from businesses, and state and local governments, and they would build a clean energy economy while reducing carbon pollution. The President discussed this new plan from the Children’s National Medical Center in Washington, D.C., where he visited children whose asthma is aggravated by air pollution.  As a parent, the President said he is dedicated to make sure our planet is cleaner and safer for future generations.

Remarks of President Barack Obama
Weekly Address
Children’s National Medical Center in Washington, D.C.
May 31, 2014

Hi, everybody.  I’m here at Children’s National Medical Center in Washington, D.C., visiting with some kids being treated here all the time for asthma and other breathing problems.  Often, these illnesses are aggravated by air pollution – pollution from the same sources that release carbon and contribute to climate change.  And for the sake of all our kids, we’ve got to do more to reduce it.

Earlier this month, hundreds of scientists declared that climate change is no longer a distant threat – it “has moved firmly into the present.” Its costs can be measured in lost lives and livelihoods, lost homes and businesses; and higher prices for food, insurance, and rebuilding.

That’s why, last year, I put forward America’s first climate action plan.  This plan cuts carbon pollution by building a clean energy economy – using more clean energy, less dirty energy, and wasting less energy throughout our economy. 

One of the best things we can do for our economy, our health, and our environment is to lead the world in producing cleaner, safer energy – and we’re already generating more clean energy than ever before.  Thanks in part to the investments we made in the Recovery Act, the electricity America generates from wind has tripled.  And from the sun, it’s increased more than tenfold. In fact, every four minutes, another American home or business goes solar – and every panel is pounded into place by a worker whose job cannot be shipped overseas.

We’re wasting less energy, too.  We’ve doubled how far our cars and trucks will go on a gallon of gas by the middle of the next decade, saving you money at the pump – and we’re helping families and businesses save billions with more efficient homes, buildings, and appliances.

This strategy has created jobs, grown our economy, and helped make America more energy independent than we’ve been in decades – all while holding our carbon emissions to levels not seen in about 20 years.  It’s a good start.  But for the sake of our children, we have to do more. 

This week, we will.  Today, about 40% of America’s carbon pollution comes from power plants.  But right now, there are no national limits to the amount of carbon pollution that existing plants can pump into the air we breathe. None. We limit the amount of toxic chemicals like mercury, sulfur, and arsenic that power plants put in our air and water.  But they can dump unlimited amounts of carbon pollution into the air.  It’s not smart, it’s not safe, and it doesn’t make sense.

That’s why, a year ago, I directed the Environmental Protection Agency to build on the efforts of many states, cities, and companies, and come up with commonsense guidelines for reducing dangerous carbon pollution from our power plants.  This week, we’re unveiling these proposed guidelines, which will cut down on the carbon pollution, smog, and soot that threaten the health of the most vulnerable Americans, including children and the elderly.  In just the first year that these standards go into effect, up to 100,000 asthma attacks and 2,100 heart attacks will be avoided – and those numbers will go up from there. 

These standards were created in an open and transparent way, with input from the business community.  States and local governments weighed in, too.  In fact, nearly a dozen states are already implementing their own market-based programs to reduce carbon pollution.  And over 1,000 mayors have signed agreements to cut their cities’ carbon pollution. 

So the idea of setting higher standards to cut pollution at our power plants is not new.  It’s just time for Washington to catch up with the rest of the country.

Now, special interests and their allies in Congress will claim that these guidelines will kill jobs and crush the economy.  Let's face it, that’s what they always say. 

But every time America has set clear rules and better standards for our air, our water, and our children’s health – the warnings of the cynics have been wrong.  They warned that doing something about the smog choking our cities, and acid rain poisoning our lakes, would kill business.  It didn’t.  Our air got cleaner, acid rain was cut dramatically, and our economy kept growing.

These excuses for inaction somehow suggest a lack of faith in American businesses and American ingenuity.  The truth is, when we ask our workers and businesses to innovate, they do.  When we raise the bar, they meet it.  When we restricted cancer-causing chemicals in plastics and leaded fuel in our cars, American chemists came up with better substitutes.  When we phased out the gases that depleted the ozone layer, American workers built better refrigerators and air conditioners.  The fuel standards we put in place a few years ago didn’t cripple automakers; the American auto industry retooled, and today, they’re selling the best cars in the world, with more hybrids, plug-in, and fuel-efficient models to choose from than ever before.

In America, we don’t have to choose between the health of our economy and the health of our children.  The old rules may say we can’t protect our environment and promote economic growth at the same time, but in America, we’ve always used new technology to break the old rules.

As President, and as a parent, I refuse to condemn our children to a planet that’s beyond fixing.  The shift to a cleaner energy economy won’t happen overnight, and it will require tough choices along the way.  But a low-carbon, clean energy economy can be an engine of growth for decades to come.  America will build that engine.  America will build the future.  A future that’s cleaner, more prosperous, and full of good jobs – a future where we can look our kids in the eye and tell them we did our part to leave them a safer, more stable world.

Thanks, and have a great weekend.

SECRETARY HAGEL ANNOUNCES RELEASE OF ARMY SGT. BOWE BERGDAHL

FROM:  U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT 

Hagel Announces Release of Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl by Afghan Captors

By Cheryl Pellerin

American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, May 31, 2014 – Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel today announced that Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl’s Afghan captors have released him to the U.S. military after taking him prisoner nearly five years ago while he was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.

Bergdahl, at the time a private first class, went missing from his post in Afghanistan on June 30, 2009. He was the only U.S. service member known to be held captive there.

The now 28-year-old soldier was thought captured by the Haqqani network. He appeared in a proof-of-life video that surfaced last January and military officials said at the time they believed the video to be recently made.

“A few hours ago, the family of Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl was informed by President [Barack] Obama that their long wait for his return will soon be over,” Hagel said in today’s statement.

“We will give him all the support he needs to help him recover from this ordeal,” the secretary added, “and we are grateful that he will soon be reunited with his family.”

Also today, Hagel said he informed Congress of the decision to transfer five detainees from Guantánamo Bay to Qatar.

“The United States has coordinated closely with Qatar to ensure that security measures are in place and the national security of the United States will not be compromised,” Hagel said.

“I appreciate the efforts of the Emir of Qatar to put these measures in place and I want to thank him for his instrumental role in facilitating the return of Sgt. Bergdahl,” the secretary acknowledged.

One of Hagel’s first acts upon taking office in February 2013 was to call the Bergdahl family about their son’s situation, Pentagon Press Secretary Navy Rear Adm. John Kirby said during a January press conference.

In June 2011 the Army announced that it had promoted Bergdahl to the rank of sergeant. Bergdahl, now 27, is assigned to the 1st Battalion, 501st Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division at Fort Richardson, now Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, in Alaska.

That was Bergdahl’s second promotion since he was listed as Missing-Captured on June 30, 2009. He was promoted to the rank of specialist in June 2010.
“Sgt. Bergdahl's return is a powerful reminder of the enduring, sacred commitment our nation makes to all those who serve in uniform,” Hagel said in his statement today.

The U.S. government never forgot Sgt. Bergdahl, he added, and the Defense Department and other federal agencies never stopped working to bring him back.
“I am grateful to all the military and civilian professionals -­ from DOD and our interagency partners -­ who helped make this moment possible, and to all those Americans who stood vigil with the Bergdahl family,” the secretary said.
Hagel issued the announcement while on a 12-day international trip to countries in Asia and Europe.

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey also commented on Bergdahl's return today. The chairman said in a written statement, "It is our ethos that we never leave a fallen comrade. Today we have back in our ranks the only remaining captured soldier from our conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. Welcome home, Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl.

SECRETARY KERRY'S COMMENTS ON THE RETURN OF U.S. POW BOWE BERGDAHL

FROM:  

U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT 

Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl

Press Statement

John Kerry

Secretary of State

Washington, DC

May 31, 2014

---

The responsibility to make sure all of our men and women in uniform return from battle, especially those taken prisoner and held during war, is deeply personal to me as someone who has worn the uniform of my country – and as someone who was deeply involved in those efforts with respect to the unfinished business of the war in which I fought. Our nation has a sober and solemn duty to ensure that every single American who signs up to serve our country comes home. The cost of years of captivity to Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl and his family is immeasurable. Today, we are heartened that Sergeant Bergdahl will soon by reunited with his family and friends, from whom he has been apart for far too long.

I extend my personal gratitude to the Government of Qatar – and especially to the Amir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani – who played such an instrumental role in returning Sergeant Bergdahl home. We work every day with Qatar on a range of critical foreign policy priorities. This effort – one that was personally so close to our hearts here – exemplifies how vital our partnership with Qatar is and will remain.

I spoke today with Afghan President Karzai to brief him on this development and to discuss President Obama’s announcement this week about our efforts there. As we look to the future in Afghanistan, the United States will continue to support steps that improve the climate for conversations between Afghans about how to end the bloodshed in their country through an Afghan-led reconciliation process. As we’ve said, we look forward to working with the next President of Afghanistan and to standing side-by-side with the Afghan Government and the Afghan people as they build a secure, stable, sovereign, and unified country.

ADDING THE ORION HEAT SHIELD

FROM:  NASA 

At the Operations and Checkout Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, the Orion crew module and heat shield are being moved into position for the mating operation. The heat shield will be tested on Orion's first flight in December, Exploration Flight Test-1 (EFT-1), an uncrewed flight that will put to the test the spacecraft that will send astronauts to an asteroid and eventually Mars on future missions. EFT-1 will launch an uncrewed Orion capsule 3,600 miles into space for a four-hour mission to test several of its most critical systems. After making two orbits, Orion will return to Earth at almost 20,000 miles per hour and endure temperatures near 4,000 degrees Fahrenheit, before its parachutes slow it down for a landing in the Pacific Ocean. Image Credit: NASA.

THE BROTHER'S KEEPER TASK FORCE REPORT TO PRESIDENT OBAMA

FROM:  THE WHITE HOUSE 

FACT SHEET & REPORT: Opportunity for All: My Brother’s Keeper Blueprint for Action

The My Brother’s Keeper Task Force Report to the President can be found HERE.

Over the past five years, the hard work and grit of the American people pulled our economy back from the brink of collapse.  We are now moving forward again.  But there is more work to do, and for decades opportunity has lagged behind for some, including millions of boys and young men of color.  Boys of color are too often born into poverty and live with a single parent.  And while their gains contributed to the national high school graduation rate reaching an all-time high, in some school districts dropout rates remain high.  Too many of these boys and young men will have negative interactions with the juvenile and criminal justice system, and the dream of a college education is within grasp for too few.  Our society can and will do more to help remove barriers to all young people’s success, because America prospers not only when hard work and responsibility are rewarded but also when we all pull forward together. 

Rebuilding that core American value—community—is why the President launched My Brother’s Keeper, an initiative designed to determine what works to help young people stay on track to reach their full potential. 

The Administration is doing its part by identifying programs and policies that work, and recommending action that will help all our young people succeed.  Since the launch of My Brother’s Keeper, the President’s Task Force has met with and heard from thousands of Americans, through online and in-person listening sessions, who are already taking action.  Cities and towns, businesses, foundations, faith leaders and individuals have made commitments to helping youth get a strong start in school and life and later connect them to mentoring, support networks and specialized skills they need to find a good job or go to college and work their way up into the middle class.  As President Obama has said, “We are stronger when America fields a full team.”

Today, the President met with his Cabinet to discuss the Task Force’s initial assessments and recommendations and the President called on the American people to get engaged through mentorship opportunities nationwide. 

Call to Action

The President is calling on Americans interested in getting involved in My Brother’s Keeper to sign up as long-term mentors to young people at WH.gov/mybrotherskeeper.  This effort will engage Americans from all walks of life to sign up to develop sustained and direct mentoring relationships that will play vital roles in the lives of young people.

It is important that all children have caring adults who are engaged in their lives.  But too many young people lack this support.  For example, roughly two-thirds of Black and one-third of Hispanic children live with only one parent.   Moreover, research suggests that a father's absence increases the risk of his child dropping out of school among Blacks and Hispanics by 75 percent and 96 percent respectively.  We see significant high school dropout rates—as high as 50 percent in some school districts—including among boys and young men from certain Southeast Asian and Pacific Islander populations. And some 27 percent of American Indians and Alaska Natives live in poverty, compared to 11.6% of White Americans.

Presidential Task Force 90-Day Report

As part of its 90-day report, the Task Force has identified a set of initial recommendations to the President, and a blueprint for action by government, business, non-profit, philanthropic, faith and community partners.

In developing its recommendations, the Task Force identified key milestones in the path to adulthood that are especially predictive of later success, and where interventions can have the greatest impact:

1. Getting a healthy start and entering school ready to learn;
2. Reading by third grade;
3. Graduating from high school ready for college and career;
4. Completing post-secondary education or training;
5. Entering the workforce;
6. Keeping kids on track and giving them second chances.

By focusing on these key moments, and helping our young people avoid roadblocks that hinder progress across life stages, we can help ensure that all children and young people have the tools they need to build successful lives.  Focused on areas of action that can improve outcomes at these key moments, the President’s Task Force today presented him with recommendations including:

Cross-Cutting Recommendations

• Launch a public-private campaign to actively recruit mentors for youth and improve the quality of mentoring programs. 
• Make the status and progress of boys and young men of color and other populations more visible by improving data collection and transparency.

A Healthy Start and Ready for School

• Eliminate suspensions and expulsions in preschool and other early learning settings. 

Reading at Grade Level by the End of Third Grade

• Close the word gap by launching a public and private initiative to increase joint and independent reading time outside of school and build a reading culture in more homes. 

Graduating from High School

• Increase focus on transforming the schools and districts producing the majority of the country's dropouts. 

Completing Post-Secondary Education or Training

• Increase college completion by expanding students’ access to and successful completion of rigorous courses, such as Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate and dual enrollment options in high school.

Entering the Workforce

• Increase awareness about youth summer employment and use of pre-apprenticeships as good entry-level jobs.  

Reducing Violence and Providing a Second Chance

• Institutionalize community oriented policing practices in the field and employ methods to address racial and ethnic bias within the juvenile and criminal justice systems.

The recommendations identified by the President’s Task Force mark the starting point of what must and will be a long-term effort.  The Task Force and public, private and philanthropic actors will continue to develop recommendations and support community solutions well beyond this 90-day progress report.

In addition to today’s announcements, in coming weeks and months, leading foundations will independently announce specific commitments to help ensure young people can succeed.  The following foundations will together seek to invest at least $200 million:  The Annie E. Casey Foundation, The Atlantic Philanthropies, Bloomberg Philanthropies, The California Endowment, The Ford Foundation, The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, The Open Society Foundations, The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, The W.K. Kellogg Foundation, The Kapor Center for Social Impact, and the Nathan Cummings Foundation.

AUTO LENDER SETTLES FTC CHARGES OF CONSUMER HARASSMENT BY PAYING $5,5 MILLION

FROM:  FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION 
Auto Lender Will Pay $5.5 Million to Settle FTC Charges It Harassed Consumers, Collected Amounts They Did Not Owe

A national subprime auto lender will pay more than $5.5 million to settle Federal Trade Commission charges that the company used illegal tactics to service and collect consumers’ loans, including collecting money consumers did not owe, harassing consumers and third parties, and disclosing debts to friends, family, and employers.

Consumer Portfolio Services, Inc. (CPS), headquartered in Irvine, Calif., agreed to refund or adjust 128,000 consumers’ accounts more than $3.5 million and forebear collections on an additional 35,000 accounts to settle charges the company violated the FTC Act. CPS will pay another $2 million in civil penalties to settle FTC charges that the company violated the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) and the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA)’s Furnisher Rule.

“At the FTC, we hold loan servicers responsible for knowing their legal obligations and abiding by them,” said Jessica Rich, director, FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection. “The law is very clear: Loan servicers can’t charge consumers more than they owe. And they can’t threaten and harass consumers about delinquent debts.”

The order settling the charges requires CPS to change its business practices to comply with the requirements of the appropriate laws. In addition, the company is required to establish and maintain a comprehensive data integrity program to ensure the accuracy, integrity and completeness of its loan servicing processes, and the data and other information it services, collects or sells. CPS must also provide the FTC with periodic independent assessments of its data integrity program for 10 years.

According to the FTC’s complaint, CPS’ loan-servicing violations include:

Misrepresenting fees consumers owed in collection calls, monthly statements, pay-off notices, and bankruptcy filings;
Making unsubstantiated claims about the amounts consumers  owed;
Improperly assessing and collecting fees or other amounts;
Unilaterally modifying contracts by, for example, increasing principal balances;
Failing to disclose financial effects of loan extensions;
Misrepresenting that consumers must use particular payment methods requiring service fees; and
Misrepresenting that the company audits verified consumer accounts balances.
The company’s collection violations include disclosing the existence of debts to third parties; calling consumers at work when not permitted or inconvenient; calling third parties repeatedly with intent to harass; making unauthorized debits from consumer bank accounts; falsely threatening car repossession; and deceptively manipulating Caller ID. Because for many of its accounts CPS is a creditor, the complaint charges these practices violated Section 5 of the FTC Act. For those accounts where CPS is a debt collector, the complaint charges these practices violated the FDCPA.

CPS is also charged with failure to establish and implement reasonable written procedures and failure to reasonably investigate and respond timely to consumer disputes under the Furnisher Rule.

Under the order, the company will begin sending refunds to consumers and adjusting affected account balances within 90 days. Consumers with questions about their elgibility for a refund or account adjustment should contact CPS directly via telephone at 1-888-806-2367, email FTCsettlement@consumerportfolio.com, or visit the company’s website.

The FTC provides information for businesses regarding debt collection and the Furnisher Rule. For consumers, the FTC has resources on credit and loans and dealing with debt.

The Commission vote to authorize the staff to refer the complaint to the Department of Justice, and to approve the proposed consent decree, was 4-0-1, with Commissioner Terrell McSweeny not participating. The DOJ filed the complaint and proposed consent decree on behalf of the Commission in the Central District of California on May 28, 2014. The proposed consent decree is subject to court approval.

NOTE: The Commission authorizes the filing of a complaint when it has “reason to believe” that the law has been or is being violated, and it appears to the Commission that a proceeding is in the public interest. Consent decrees have the force of law when signed by the District Court judge.

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.

STUDY LOOKS AT POSITIVE AFFECTS OF INVASIVE SPECIES ON THE ENDANGERED

FROM:  NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION 

Eradicating invasive species sometimes threatens endangered ones

Study of California Clapper Rail and salt marsh cordgrass Spartina offers new insights

What should resource managers do when the eradication of an invasive species threatens an endangered one?

In results of a study published this week in the journal Science, researchers at the University of California, Davis, examine one such conundrum now taking place in San Francisco Bay.

The study was led by UC Davis researcher Adam Lampert.

"This work advances a framework for cost-effective management solutions to the conflict between removing invasive species and conserving biodiversity," said Alan Tessier, acting deputy division director in the National Science Foundation's (NSF) Directorate for Biological Sciences, which supported the research through NSF's Dynamics of Coupled Natural and Human Systems (CNH) Program.

CNH is also co-funded by NSF's Directorates for Geosciences and Social, Behavioral & Economic Sciences.

"The project exemplifies the goals of the CNH program," says Tessier, "which are to advance the understanding of complex systems involving humans and nature."

The California Clapper Rail--a bird found only in San Francisco Bay--depends on an invasive salt marsh cordgrass, hybrid Spartina, as nesting habitat.

Its native habitat has slowly vanished over recent decades, largely due to urban development and invasion by Spartina.

Study results show that, rather than moving as fast as possible with eradication and restoration plans, the best approach is to slow down the eradication of the invasive species until restoration or natural recovery of the system provides appropriate habitat for the endangered species.

"Just thinking from a single-species standpoint doesn't work," said paper co-author and UC-Davis environmental scientist Alan Hastings.

"The whole management system needs to take longer, and you need to have much more flexibility in the timing of budget expenditures over a longer time-frame."

The scientists combined biological and economic data on Spartina and on the Clapper Rail to develop a modeling framework to balance conflicting management goals, including endangered species recovery and invasive species restoration, given fiscal limitations.

While more threatened and endangered species are becoming dependent on invasive species for habitat and food, examples of the study's specific conflict are relatively rare--for now.

Another case where the eradication of an invasive species threatened to compromise the recovery of an endangered plant or animal is in the southwestern United States, where an effort to eradicate Tamarisk was cancelled because the invasive tree provides nesting habitat for the endangered Southwestern Willow Flycatcher.

"As eradication programs increase in number, we expect this will be a more common conflict in the future," said paper co-author and UC Davis scientist Ted Grosholz.

Other co-authors include scientists James Sanchirico of UC Davis and Sunny Jardine of the University of Delaware.

-NSF-

Media Contacts
Cheryl Dybas, NSF

DEFENSE SECRETARY HAGEL TRAVELS TO SINGAPORE FOR MEETINGS WITH LEADERS

FROM:  U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT 

U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel meets with Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong at the Parliament House in Singapore, May 30, 2014. DOD photo by U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Aaron Hostutler.

Hagel Meets With Singapore’s Prime Minister, Defense Minister

American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, May 30, 2014 – Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel met today with top Singaporean leaders to discuss recent events in the Asia-Pacific region and the defense relationship between the United States and Singapore.
Hagel is in Singapore to attend the annual Asia security conference known as the Shangri-La Dialogue.

The secretary thanked Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong for Singapore's continued leadership in the region, particularly with respect to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, Pentagon Press Secretary Navy Rear Adm. John Kirby said in a statement. “He also thanked the prime minister for Singapore's role in hosting the annual Shangri-La Dialogue, underscoring the growing importance of such meetings as the region continues to face shared challenges,” he added.

The two leaders discussed recent events in the South and East China seas and reiterated the need for any disputes to be resolved in a peaceful manner consistent with international law that respects the principle of freedom of navigation, Kirby said, and Hagel discussed the continued and deep U.S. commitment to the region’s security and prosperity.

Hagel also met privately with Singaporean Defense Minister Dr. Ng Eng Hen.
“Secretary Hagel thanked Minister Ng for his strong support of the relationship our two militaries continue to enjoy,” Kirby said. “They also discussed a range of regional security issues, to include tensions in the South and East China seas, recent events in Thailand, defense reforms in Japan, and the need for a continued focus on dialogue, cooperation and the peaceful resolution of disputes in the region.”

Hagel reiterated the U.S. commitment to its security obligations in the Asia-Pacific region, the press secretary added, and stressed the importance of multilateral venues like the Shangri-La Dialogue to helping all Pacific nations work more closely together in improving mutual understanding, transparency and cooperation.

U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT CONTRACTS FOR MAY 30, 2014

FROM:  U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT DEFENSE 

CONTRACTS

ARMY
Exelis Systems Corp., Colorado Springs, Colorado, was awarded a $143,100,534 modification (P00012) to contract W91RUS-13-C-0006 for operations and maintenance support of Title X communications equipment and information systems under the Network Enterprise Technology Command (Army), 160th Signal Brigade and its subordinate units in southwest Asia. Fiscal 2014 operations and maintenance (Army) funds in the amount of $143,100,534 were obligated at the time of the award. Work will be performed in Kuwait, Afghanistan and Bahrain, with an estimated completion date of May 31, 2015. Army Contracting Command, Ft. Huachuca, Arizona, is the contracting activity.

Camber Corp., Huntsville, Alabama, was awarded a $49,000,000 firm-fixed-price contract for incident response systems contractor logistics support for the Marine Corps in support of the Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear team. Funding and work location will be determined with each order. The estimated completion date is May 29, 2017. Bids were solicited via the Internet with four received. Army Contracting Command, Natick, Massachusetts, is the contracting activity (W911QY-14-D-0022).

ESA South, Inc.,* Cantonment, Florida, was awarded a $45,000,000 firm-fixed-price contract for emergency temporary roof repairs to residential structures in support of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Federal Emergency Management Agency disaster response. Work will be performed in Alabama, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland and Washington, District of Columbia. Work will also be done in Massachusetts, Mississippi, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Texas and Virginia, with an estimated completion date of May 31, 2019. Bids were solicited via the Internet with nine received. Funding will be determined with each order. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Omaha, Nebraska, is the contracting activity (W9128F-14-D-0014).
Northrop Grumman Systems Corp., ISR&T Div., Boulder, Colorado, was awarded a $37,974,775 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for logistics support and engineering services to the Joint Tactical Ground Station (JTAGS) system Block 1 fielded units as well as associated exerciser and institutional training suites. Work will be performed in Colorado Springs, Colorado, with an estimated completion date of July 31, 2018. Bids were solicited via the Internet with one received. Fiscal 2014 other procurement funds in the amount of $37,092, and operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $3,266,544 are being obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command, Huntsville, Alabama, is the contracting activity (W9113M-14-C-0018).

Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Co., Oak Brook, Illinois, was awarded a $25,376,872 firm-fixed-price contract for dredging the main channel of the Delaware River. Work will be performed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, with an estimated completion date of March 31, 2015. Bids were solicited via the Internet with three received. Fiscal 2014 operations and maintenance (Army) funds in the amount of $12,000,000, and fiscal 2014 other procurement funds in the amount of $13,376,872 are being obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is the contracting activity (W912BU-14-C-0013).
Peckham Vocational Industries, Inc., Lansing, Michigan, was awarded an $18,905,472 modification (P00013) to contract W56HZV-12-D-0064 to incorporate the first option year into the base contract for services to the Organizational Clothing and Individual Equipment (OCIE) Central Management Office to establish a national repair system to evaluate, clean and repair unserviceable, but economically repairable OCIE. Funding and work location will be determined with each order. Estimated completion date is May 31, 2015. Army Contracting Command, Warren, Michigan, is the contracting activity.

SRA International, Fairfax, Virginia, was awarded a $17,802,501 firm-fixed-price contract for enterprise operations and security services, and information technology services, for the Army National Guard. Work will be performed in Arlington, Virginia, with an estimated completion date of May 31, 2015. One bid was solicited and one received. Fiscal 2014 operations and maintenance (Army) funds in the amount of $17,802,501 are being obligated at the time of the award. National Guard Bureau, Arlington, Virginia, is the contracting activity (W9133L-14-C-0031).

General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems, Inc., St. Petersburg, Florida, was awarded a $12,743,632 modification (P00020) to contract W52P1J-11-C-0027 to add to the existing contract: explosive cartridges (100,000); explosive d 5" – (10,521); explosive d dye filled (5,163); improved conventional munitions (34,436); medium caliber – (1,116,122); and fuses (999,940). Fiscal 2014 other procurement (Army) funds in the amount of $12,743,632 were obligated at the time of the award. Estimated completion date is May 27, 2015. Work will be performed in St. Petersburg. Army Contracting Command, Rock Island Arsenal, Illinois, is the contracting activity.

HGL Construction, Inc.*, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, was awarded a $10,000,000 firm-fixed-price contract with options for military and civil works construction within the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Southwestern Division. The estimated completion date is May 29, 2015. Funding and work location will be determined with each order. Bids were solicited via the Internet with 22 received. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Tulsa, Oklahoma, is the contracting activity (W912BV-14-D-0006).

Mythics Inc., Virginia Beach, Virginia, was awarded an $11,041,269 modification (KX02) to contract W91QUZ-06-A-0003 to act under license from Oracle to provide Program Manager Warfighter Information Network-Tactical software maintenance/support. Fiscal 2014 other procurement (Army) funds in the amount of $11,041,269 were obligated at the time of the award. Estimated completion date is May 29, 2018. Work will be performed in Virginia Beach. Army Contracting Command, Aberdeen, Maryland, is the contracting activity.
Colt Defense LLC, West Hartford, Connecticut, was awarded a $6,750,000 firm-fixed-price contract for breech bolt assemblies for the M16 rifle and M4 carbine. Funding and work location will be determined with each order. Bids were solicited via the Internet with five received. Army Contracting Command, Warren, Michigan, is the contracting activity (W56HZV-14-D-0046).

AIR FORCE

Al Raha Group for Technical Services, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, has been awarded an estimated $93,335,656 undefinitized contract action for repair & return services for Royal Saudi Air Force F-15 unclassified items. Work will be performed at Riyadh; Warner Robins, Georgia and multiple certified sources of repair located throughout the continental United States. The work is expected to be completed by May 31, 2015. This contract is 100 percent foreign military sales for Saudi Arabia. This award is the result of a sole-source acquisition. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center/WWQK, Robins Air Force Base, Georgia, is the contracting activity (FA8505-14-C-0003).

Lockheed Martin Space Systems Center, Sunnyvale, California, has been awarded a $41,206,525 modification (P00075) to FA8810-08-C-0002 for the Highly Elliptical Orbit (HEO) Transition to Operations. The total cumulative face value of the contract is $3,214,926,620. The contract modification is to add HEO-4 launch and early on-orbit test (LEOT) capabilities to the HEO-3 LEOT baseline. This HEO 3/4 transition concept of operations is required to support the HEO 3/4 payloads transition to the Increment 2 operational baseline. Work will be performed at Sunnyvale and Azusa, California; Boulder, Aurora, and Colorado Springs, Colorado, and is expected to be completed by Sept. 30, 2018. Fiscal 2013 research and development funds in the amount of $36,528,691 are being obligated at time of award. Space and Missile Systems Center, Los Angeles, California, is the contracting activity.

Northrop Grumman Aerospace Systems, San Diego, California, has been awarded a $13,039,369 modification (P00512) to F33657-01-C-4600 for the Enhanced Integrated Sensor Suite (EISS) Timing and Control (TAC) Module A-3 replacement effort. The total cumulative face value of the contract is $2,318,001,044. The contract modification is for the completion of flight tests necessary to ensure the EISS TAC module and associated software developments are compatible to the Global Hawk aircraft in form, fit and function. Work will be performed at San Diego, and is expected to be completed by June 30, 2015. Fiscal 2013 research and development funds in the amount of $13,039,369 are being obligated at time of award. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center/WIGK, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is the contracting activity.

E-Corp, Layton, Utah (FA9401-14-D-0001); Mac Electric, Inc., Yuma, Arizona (FA9401-14-D-0002); Mirador Enterprises, Inc., El Paso, Texas (FA9401-14-D-0003); Applied Construction Technologies, LLC, Albuquerque, New Mexico (FA9401-14-D-0004); Engineering Construction Services LLC, Las Cruces, New Mexico (FA9401-14-D-0005); Dawn Inc. and McTech Corp. Joint Venture, Warren, Ohio (FA9401-14-D-0006), have been awarded a $12,800,000 firm-fixed-price, multiple-award indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for design/build and construction requirements (except military construction). This work will consist of multiple disciplines in general construction categories in a broad range of maintenance, repair, minor and/or new construction. Work will be performed at Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico, and other sites supported by Kirtland; the work is expected to be completed by May 27, 2019. This award is a result of a competitive 8(a) set-aside acquisition posted on the Federal Business Opportunities Website; 19 offers were received. Fiscal 2014 operations and maintenance funds will be obligated with each task order. Air Force Nuclear Weapons Center/PZIC, Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico, is the contracting activity.

NAVY

Earl Industries L.L.C. doing business as NASSCO-Mayport, Jacksonville, Florida, is being awarded a not-to-exceed $23,238,392 undefinitized contract action for continuous maintenance availability to include structural damage and aluminum welding onboard USS Hue City (CG 66). This effort on USS Hue City covers repairs to the superstructure including the main propulsion gas turbine intake. Work will encompass four levels and will require extensive aluminum welding. Other work to be performed involves electrical equipment and cable replacement, lagging and insulation, exhaust vent ducting, vane axial fans, deck drain piping, watertight doors and metal joiner doors. Work will be performed in Jacksonville, and is expected to be completed by November 2014. Fiscal 2014 operations and maintenance (Navy) contract funds in the amount of $8,372,146 will be obligated at time of award. Funding in the amount of $8,372,146 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured in accordance with 10 U.S.C. 2304(c)(3). Southeast Regional Maintenance Center, Mayport, Florida, is the contracting activity (N40027-14-C-0015).

Walbridge Aldinger Co., Detroit, Michigan, is being awarded $21,550,080 for firm-fixed-price task order 0005 under a previously awarded multiple award construction contract (N40085-10-D-5331) for construction of a CH-53K helicopter maintenance training facility and Regional Communication Station (RCS) at Marine Corps Air Station New River, North Carolina. The CH-53K facility will provide a training space to support maintenance personnel and will house several full size CH-53K mock-ups. The facility will also provide classrooms, administration space, personnel support space, general offices, hydraulic/mechanical rooms, tool room, maintenance training areas, storage space, avionics, airframe, wire repair, and composite repair labs, a high bay, clear span hangar area and an access apron for CH-53K preventive maintenance training. The RCS facility will provide administrative spaces, customer service area, reception, secure vault, electronic repair space, conference room, training room/classroom, battery storage room, mechanical spaces, personnel support space, and telephone switchgear space. The task order also contains four planned modifications, which if exercised would increase cumulative task order value to $23,392,433. Work will be performed in Jacksonville, North Carolina, and is expected to be completed by December 2015. Fiscal 2014 military construction (Navy) contract funds in the amount of $21,550,080 are being obligated on this award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Four proposals were received for this task order. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Mid-Atlantic, Norfolk, Virginia, is the contracting activity.

Northrop Grumman Systems Corp., Bethpage, New York, is being awarded a $20,917,239 modification under previously awarded contract (N00024-06-C-6311) to provide integration services for mission packages that will deploy from and integrate with the Littoral Combat Ship (LCS). The Navy’s plan is to use continuous evaluation of system maturity through a disciplined system engineering framework to improve mission capability in identified mission areas. LCS mission packages will be optimized for flexibility in the littorals. Work will be performed in Bethpage, New York (44 percent); Oxnard, California (16 percent);
Washington, District of Columbia (14 percent); Panama City, Florida (10 percent); Dahlgren, Virginia (8 percent); San Diego, California (4 percent); Hollywood, Maryland (2 percent); Andover, Massachusetts (1 percent); and Middletown, Rhode Island (1 percent), and is expected to be completed by January 2015. Fiscal 2014 and 2015 operations and maintenance (Navy); fiscal 2014 and 2015 research, development, test and evaluation; and fiscal 2015 other procurement (Navy) funding in the amount of $20,917,239 will be obligated at time of award. Contract funds in the amount of $5,611,140 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, District of Columbia, is the contracting activity.

Softchoice Corp., McLean, Virginia, is being awarded $17,487,675 for delivery order 0030 against a previously awarded Blanket Purchase Agreement (M67854-12-A-4701). This delivery order will procure Microsoft brand name software licenses and support, known as software assurance. Work will be performed in McLean, and is expected to be completed by May 2015. Fiscal year 2014 operation and maintenance (Marine Corps) funds in the amount $17,487,675 will be obligated at the time of award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Marine Corps System Command, Quantico, Virginia, is the contracting activity.

Softchoice Corp., McLean, Virginia, is being awarded $15,703,370 for delivery order 0031 against a previously awarded Blanket Purchase Agreement (M67854-12-A-4701). This delivery order will procure Microsoft brand name software licenses and support, known as software assurance. Work will be performed in McLean, and work is expected to be completed in May 2015. Fiscal 2014 operation and maintenance (Marine Corps) funds in the amount $12,007,670, and fiscal 2014 operation and maintenance (Marine Corps Reserves) funds in the amount of $3,695,700, will be obligated at the time of award. Contract funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Marine Corps System Command, Quantico, Virginia, is the contracting activity.

CH2M Hill Constructors, Inc., Englewood, Colorado, is being awarded a $15,044,771 modification to task order JU01 under a previously awarded indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity multiple award contract (N62470-13-D-6019), to exercise option one which provides for furniture, fixtures and equipment for the Naval Sea Systems Command Headquarters Recovery Restoration at Naval Support Activity Washington. The work to be performed provides for labor, management, supervision, tools, materials, site work and provisions necessary to provide for furniture, fixtures and equipment. The total contract amount after exercise of this option will be $59,284,771. Work will be performed in Washington, District of Columbia, and is expected to be completed by February 2015. Fiscal 2014 operation and maintenance (Navy) contract funds in the amount of $15,044,771 are being obligated on this award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Washington, Washington, District of Columbia, is the contracting activity.

Timken Gears & Services Inc., King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, is being awarded a $13,963,212 modification to previously awarded contract (N00024-10-C-2310) to procure a DDG 51 class main reduction gear assembly. The main reduction gear is the set of gears that transmit the power from two main propulsion power turbines to the propulsion shaft. Each DDG 51 class destroyer has two gear sets, one for each propulsion shaft. Work will be performed in Santa Fe Springs, California (68 percent); Riverside, Missouri (10 percent); New Castle, Delaware (7 percent); Latrobe, Pennsylvania (2 percent); St. Augustine, Florida (1 percent); Spring Grove, Illinois (1 percent); Fitchburg, Massachusetts (1 percent); Corry, Pennsylvania (1 percent); Erie, Pennsylvania (1 percent); Antigo, Wisconsin (1 percent); and other United States locations less than 1 percent (7 percent). Work is expected to be completed by May 2016. Fiscal 2014 other procurement (Navy) contract funds in the amount of $13,963,212 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, District of Columbia, is the contracting activity.
Leebcor Services, LLC*, Williamsburg, Virginia, is being awarded $13,799,474 for firm-fixed-price task order 0002 under a previously awarded multiple award construction contract (N69450-13-D-1765) for the construction of the Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) Logistics Support Facility at Naval Station Mayport. The work to be performed provides for the construction of a two-story building with a reinforced concrete foundation, masonry walls and a pitched standing seam metal roof logistics support facility to serve the LCS Squadron and other organizations which support the LCS. The project also includes construction of classrooms, operations watch work space, a reference library room, storage, administrative office space, video teleconference rooms, and crew lounge. The task order also contains one unexercised option, which if exercised, would increase cumulative task order value to $16,011,693. Work will be performed in Jacksonville, Florida, and is expected to be completed by November 2015. Fiscal 2014 military construction (Navy) contract funds in the amount of $13,799,474 are being obligated on this award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Five proposals were received for this task order. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Southeast, Jacksonville, Florida, is the contracting activity.

Colonna’s Shipyard, Inc.*, Norfolk, Virginia, is being awarded a $13,262,660 firm-fixed price contract, for docking phased maintenance availability to include drydocking, hull plating replacement, propulsion engine removal and habitability onboard USS Zephyr (PC 8). This contract includes options which, if exercised, would bring the cumulative value of this contract to $14,280,669. Work will be performed in Norfolk, and is expected to be completed July 2015. Fiscal 2014 operations and maintenance (Navy) funding in the amount of $14,280,669 will be obligated at time of award. Contract funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via the Federal Business Opportunities website, with nine proposals solicited and two offers received. Southeast Regional Maintenance Center, Mayport, Florida, is the contracting activity (N40027-14-C-0010).

Stemnion, Inc.,* Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, is being awarded a $9,894,778 cost-reimbursement (no fee) contract modification to previously awarded contract (N62645-13-C-4014) to exercise an option to provide research and development services in support the Naval Medical Research Center’s cellular combat wound initiative. Work will be performed in Pittsburgh, , and the work is expected to be completed April 2016. Fiscal 2013 research, development, test and evaluation (Navy) funds in the amount of $9,894,778 will be obligated at the time of award; the funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Medical Logistics Command, Fort Detrick, Maryland, is the contracting activity.

BAE Systems, Land & Armaments L.P., Minneapolis, Minnesota, is being awarded a $7,137,528 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for the MK 45 5” gun system design agent services and waterfront/pierside support. BAE Systems will provide engineering, technical, logistics services and technical data to support the MK 45 5” gun system design, development, fabrication, production, operation and integration. This contract includes options which, if exercised, would bring the cumulative value of this contract to $44,417,249. Work will be performed in Minneapolis, Minnesota (85 percent) and Louisville, Kentucky (15 percent); and is expected to be completed by May 2015. Fiscal 2011 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy); fiscal 2014 operations and maintenance (Navy); and fiscal 2013 and 2014 weapons procurement (Navy) funding in the amount of $7,137,528 will be obligated at the time of the award. Contract funds in the amount of $1,087,528 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured in accordance with 10 U.S.C 2304(c)(1) and FAR 6.302-1 - only one responsible source and no other supplies or services will satisfy the agency's requirements. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, District of Columbus, is the contracting activity (N00024-14-C-5324).

DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY

Phillips 66 Company, Bartlesville, Oklahoma, has been awarded a maximum $9,407,144 fixed-price with economic-price-adjustment contract for fuel and delivery service to Altus Air Force Base, Oklahoma. This delivery order was a competitive acquisition on a five-year basic ordering agreement (SP0600-13-R-0706) with one offer received. Location of performance is Oklahoma with an Aug. 31, 2014 performance completion date. Using military service is Air Force. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2014 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Energy, Fort Belvoir, Virginia (SP0600-14-G-0611-0001).

Meggitt (Rockmart), Inc., Rockmart, Georgia, has been awarded a maximum $7,600,327 firm-fixed-price contract for aircraft fuel cells. This contract was a competitive acquisition, with one offer received. This is a three-year base contract. Location of performance is Georgia with a May 15, 2017 performance completion date. Using military services are Air Force and Defense Logistics Agency Aviation. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2014 Air Force working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Aviation, Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma (SPRTA1-14-C-0023).

Phillips 66 Company, Bartlesville, Oklahoma, has been awarded a maximum $7,218,029 fixed-price with economic-price-adjustment contract for fuel and delivery service to Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma. This delivery order was a competitive acquisition on a five-year basic ordering agreement (SP0600-13-R-0706) with one offer received. Location of performance is Oklahoma with an Aug. 31, 2014 performance completion date. Using military service is Air Force. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2014 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Energy, Fort Belvoir, Virginia (SP0600-14-G-0611-0005).

DEFENSE INFORMATION SYSTEMS AGENCY

Verizon Business Network Services, Inc., Ashburn, Virginia was awarded a $10,567,483 firm-fixed-price contract for the Priority Telecommunication Service to support the Department of Homeland Security Office of Emergency Communications. This contract has a nine-month base period and nine one-year option periods. If all options are exercised, the total cumulative contract value is $81,027,515. Work will be performed throughout the continental United States, with an estimated completion date of March 31, 2015. Fiscal Year 2014 operation and maintenance funds in the amount of $10,567,483 are being obligated at award. The contract was a sole-source award pursuant to 10 U.S.C. 2304(c)(1). The Defense Information Technology Contracting Organization, Scott Air Force Base, Illinois is the contracting activity (HC1013-14-C-0002).

U.S. TRANSPORTATION COMMAND

Erickson Transport, Inc. (formerly Evergreen Helicopters of Alaska), Portland, Oregon, has been awarded a $17,662,214 modification (P00018) to previously awarded contract HTC711-10-D-R017; Berry Aviation, Inc.* of San Marcos, Texas, has been awarded a $32,907,631 modification (P00024) to previously awarded HTC711-10-D-R018; and AAR Airlift Group, Inc. of Palm Bay, Florida, has been awarded a $42,519,795 modification (P00019) to previously awarded HTC711-10-D-R016 for fixed-wing aircraft, personnel, equipment, tools, material, maintenance and supervision necessary to perform passenger and cargo air transportation service. Work will be performed in Afghanistan with an expected completion date of May 31, 2015. Fiscal year 2014 operations and maintenance funds are being obligated at time of award: full amount for Erickson Transport, Inc., and Berry Aviation, Inc., and $15,123,535 for AAR Airlift Group, Inc. The U.S. Transportation Command Directorate of Acquisition, Scott Air Force Base, Illinois, is the contracting activity.

DEFENSE INTELLIGENCE AGENCY

Zel Technologies, LLC of Hampton, Virginia, is being awarded a maximum $25,000,000 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract providing specialized services in science and engineering, business operation functions and other related services in support of the Defense Intelligence Agency’s science and technology mission. Work will be performed in the United States with an estimated completion date of May 31, 2019. The acquisition was a set aside competition for small businesses, with three offers received. Fiscal 2014 operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $1,360,720 and fiscal 2014 research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $710,828 are being obligated on the first task order. Virginia Contracting Activity, Washington, District of Columbia is the contracting activity (HHM402-14-D-0006).

*Small Business

U.S. CONGRATULATES PEOPLE OF SAMOA ON THEIR INDEPENDENCE DAY

FROM:  U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT 

Samoa's Independence Day

Press Statement

John Kerry

Secretary of State

Washington, DC

May 30, 2014

---

On behalf of President Obama and the people of the United States, I would like to congratulate the people of the Independent State of Samoa as you celebrate the 52^nd anniversary of your nation’s independence this June 1.

The United States and Samoa enjoy a warm friendship, strengthened by our cooperation in advancing our shared values and interests. We are working together to protect the environment and oceans, promote sustainable economic development, strengthen democratic institutions, combat the effects of climate change, and reinforce the rule of law in the Pacific region.
The United States looks forward to further deepening our partnership with Samoa.

We wish all Samoans around the world a joyous celebration and peace and prosperity over the coming year.

U.S. SECRETARY OF VETERANS AFFAIRS RESIGNS

FROM:  THE DEFENSE DEPARTMENT 

Accepts Shinseki’s Resignation as VA Secretary

American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, May 30, 2014 – President Barack Obama said today that “with considerable regret” he has accepted the resignation of Eric K. Shinseki as secretary of veterans affairs.

Sloan Gibson, who has served as deputy VA secretary for the last three months, will head the department in an acting capacity until a permanent successor takes office.

“Ric Shinseki has served his country with honor for nearly 50 years,” the president said. “He did two tours of combat in Vietnam -- he’s a veteran who left a part of himself on the battlefield. He rose to command the 1st Cavalry Division, served as Army chief of staff, and has never been afraid to speak truth to power.”
As VA secretary, Obama said, Shinseki presided over record investments in the nation’s veterans -- enrolling 2 million new veterans in health care, delivering disability pay to more Vietnam veterans exposed to Agent Orange, making it easier for veterans with post-traumatic stress, mental health issues and traumatic brain injury to get treatment and improving care for women veterans.
At the same time, he added, Shinseki helped to reduce veteran homelessness and assisted more than 1 million veterans, service members and their families pursue their education under the Post-9/11 GI Bill.

“So Ric’s commitment to our veterans is unquestioned,” Obama said. “His service to our country is exemplary. I am grateful for his service, as are many veterans across the country. He has worked hard to investigate and identify the problems with access to care, but as he told me this morning, the VA needs new leadership to address them.”

Shinseki’s resignation comes as revelations unfold of practices at VA medical facilities that have masked delays in veterans receiving health care with prescribed time limits. “He does not want to be a distraction, because his priority is to fix the problem and make sure our vets are getting the care that they need,” Obama said. “That was Ric’s judgment on behalf of his fellow veterans, and I agree. We don't have time for distractions. We need to fix the problem.”

Gibson, now the acting VA secretary, has devoted his life to serving the nation and its veterans, the president said. “His grandfather fought on the front lines of World War I,” he added. “His father was a tail-gunner in World War II. Sloan graduated from West Point, earned his Airborne and Ranger qualifications, and served in the infantry. And most recently, he was President and CEO of the USO, which does a remarkable job supporting our men and women at war, their families, our wounded warriors and families of the fallen.”

The president said he told Gibson that reforms in getting veterans the health care they deserve cannot wait.

“We’re going to do right by our veterans across the board, as long as it takes,” he said. “We're not going to stop working to make sure that they get the care, the benefits, and the opportunities that they’ve earned and they deserve. I said we wouldn’t tolerate misconduct, and we will not. I said that we have to do better, and we will. There are too many veterans receiving care right now who deserve all of our best efforts -- and an honest assessment if something is not working.”
Obama noted that he has visited recently with men and women in uniform at different stages of their service, including the newest Army officers at their U.S. Military Academy graduation, troops currently serving in Afghanistan, and veterans and military families at Arlington National Cemetery on Memorial Day.
“And what I saw is what I’ve seen in every single service member, veteran, and military spouse that I have had the privilege to meet -- a selfless, clear-eyed commitment to serving their country the best way that they know how,” he said. “They’re the best that our country has to offer. They do their duty. They expect us to do ours.

“So, today,” he continued, “I want every man and woman who’s served under our flag to know -- whether your tour has been over for decades, or it’s just about to end -- we will never stop working to do right by you and your families.”

DOD SAYS DEFENSE SECRETARY'S ASIA CONFERENCE "STRENGTHEN MILITARY-TO-MILITARY RELATIONSHIPS"

FROM:  U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT 

Hagel: Meetings in Singapore Will Build on Relationships

By John D. Banusiewicz

American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, May 30, 2014 – At an annual Asia security conference in Singapore that he helped to create while he was a U.S. senator, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel will lay out challenges the participating nations face and will meet with many fellow defense leaders to strengthen their military-to-military relationships with the United States.

Speaking with reporters traveling with him to the Shangri-La Dialogue, Hagel noted that this is his fifth trip to the Asia-Pacific region since he took office in February 2013, and that President Barack Obama and Secretary of State John F. Kerry have visited the region in recent months.

“So we continue to build on the relationships that are part of showing our commitment, and the visits are part of showing our commitment to this Asia-Pacific rebalance,” he said.

Hagel said that in a speech at the conference, he will talk about some specific challenges, Thailand being one, as well as the China-U.S. relationship and tensions in the South and East China seas.

“I will address in my remarks these challenges, he added, “as well as continuing to focus on the building of these mutual defense capability relationships as we deepen and strengthen our partners' capabilities in this area.”

During the conference, the secretary said, he will have one-on-one meetings with his counterparts from 10 nations, as well as two trilateral meetings. One trilateral meeting, with Japan and South Korea, will be particularly important, he added.
“I am looking forward to each of these bilaterals, because in the bilateral meetings, you can go deeper and wider into the specifics of the differences,” Hagel said. “And I'm looking forward to the meeting I will have with my Chinese counterpart.” When he visited Beijing in April, Hagel said he addressed the specifics of the differences that the United States and China have. “And the only way to deal with those differences is to be direct and upfront,” he added.
Two weeks ago, the secretary noted in emphasizing the ongoing U.S. military relationship with China, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey -- who also is in Singapore to attend the Shangri-La Dialogue -- hosted the senior Chinese military leader at the Pentagon.

“It's clearly in both China and the U.S. interest to continue to build that relationship,” Hagel said, “if for no other reason than assure both sides as best we can and the nations of Asia-Pacific that we have some sense of each other's intentions, we have some ability to communicate when tensions rise, we have mechanisms [and] bridges to deal with those before they get beyond our ability to deal with them.

So we'll continue to focus on that,” he continued. “But also, when we talk about Asia-Pacific and what the Shangri-La Dialogue is all about, this is an area of the world that is growing; it's prospering. It's an area that's presenting more and more opportunities for more and more people, but also more and more challenges.”
Among those challenges, the secretary said, is the critical importance of open, free sea lanes and airways for commerce.

“The nations of this region, Asia-Pacific, rely on those freedoms -- individual rights. So, we'll talk about that,” he said. “We'll talk about tensions and what's going on in some specific terms. But at the same time, we still have to develop relationships of cooperation, and we do have areas that we cooperate, as well as directly confronting not just areas of competition, but where we think China is overplaying its hand and is presenting new challenges and new tensions to this area.”

BIDEN GIVES SPEECH AT U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY 2014 GRADUATION

FROM:  U.S. AIR FORCE 

The U.S. Air Force Academy's Class of 2014 marches into Falcon Stadium for graduation in Colorado Springs, Colo., May 28, 2014. A total of 995 cadets received their commissions during the ceremony. U.S. Air Force photo by Bill Evans.

The U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds fly overhead as graduating cadets toss their covers skyward as commencement concludes at the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colo. May 28, 2014. U.S. Air Force photo by Mike Kaplan.

DEPUTY AG COLE'S SPEECH ON PRISON RAPE ELIMINATION ACT

FROM:  U.S. JUSTICE DEPARTMENT 

Deputy Attorney General James Cole Speaks at Press Conference Updating States’ Efforts to Comply with Prison Rape Elimination Act

Washington, D.C. ~ Wednesday, May 28, 2014

Hello everyone.  Thank you for joining us this afternoon to discuss the Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) and the work being done across the country to implement the National PREA Standards.

I’m joined by Mary Lou Leary, the Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General of the Department’s Office of Justice Programs.  She and I will both make brief statements, and then we will take a few questions from you.

Let me start with some background on PREA.  PREA was passed, unanimously, by Congress and signed into law by then-President Bush in 2003.  PREA required, among other things, the development and promulgation of “national standards for the detection, prevention, reduction and punishment of prison rape.”  These standards, like the law mandating them, are intended to address a serious public safety, public health and human rights problem – the incidence of sexual violence in our nation’s confinement facilities.

According to our most recent research, an estimated 4 percent of state and federal prison inmates and 3.2 percent of jail inmates reported experiencing one or more incidents of sexual victimization by another inmate or a facility staff member within the previous 12 months.  Even more troubling, an estimated 9.5 percent of adjudicated youth in state juvenile facilities and state contract facilities reported sexual victimization in the previous 12 months.

These statistics are alarming and they are unacceptable.  No one should be subjected to sexual abuse while in the custody of our justice system.  It serves as a violation of fundamental rights, an attack on human dignity and runs contrary to everything we stand for as a nation.

To stem the tide, back in 2009, a bipartisan national commission submitted draft PREA standards to the Department of Justice.  We opened those standards to two rounds of public comment that generated more than 2,000 comments from members of the public and stakeholder groups – including justice system policymakers and practitioners, corrections professionals, and victim and inmate advocates.  In addition, the commission and the department held several public hearings to get feedback from corrections professionals and other constituent groups.  After incorporating many of the comments and input from the hearing, we issued the final standards in 2012.

The states and territories have since begun auditing their facilities for compliance with the standards, and the governors have been asked to submit certifications of compliance or assurances that they are working toward compliance.

This May 15th served as the deadline for state governors to indicate to the Department of Justice that their states and territories fully comply with the National PREA Standards or, in the alternative, that they will use a portion of certain department grant funds to work to achieve full compliance with the standards in the future.

The deadline for those certifications and assurances recently passed.  I’ll let Mary Lou discuss the responses in more detail, but I do wish to say that we were very encouraged.  Forty-six states and territories provided assurances that they will leverage a portion of grant funding to work toward achieving compliance.  Two states – New Hampshire and New Jersey – certified that they are in full compliance.  It’s clear that states and territories are taking this issue seriously and that addressing sexual abuse in confinement facilities is a high nationwide priority.

We know that there are real challenges associated with compliance.  In that regard, the department is fully committed to working closely with the states and territories to help them meet their PREA responsibilities.

For instance, we’ve put into place a number of resources to aid corrections directors and staff, jail administrators, sheriffs, those who oversee and work in juvenile facilities and others.  Since 2010, we’ve made almost 100 awards totaling over $22 million to support state and local jurisdictions in creating zero-tolerance cultures for sexual abuse in confinement facilities.  And we established the PREA Resource Center to provide training and intensive technical assistance to justice system actors and victim advocates on a broad range of issues related to PREA.

While we are encouraged by the responses from the states and territories working actively toward compliance, I must be clear that the jurisdictions that do not comply with the standards – of which there are eight – will be held accountable, as we are required to do by law.

We will continue to work to provide all jurisdictions with the assistance they need to come into compliance.  We expect that the commitment to ending sexual violence in our nation’s confinement facilities – voiced by so many of our nation’s governors – will be reflected not by their words alone, but in the action they take.

The enactment of PREA 11 years ago signaled an unequivocal rejection of the outdated – and morally unconscionable – acceptance of rape as part of the sentence being served by an adult or juvenile in the American correctional system.  The PREA standards have lead us closer to ending the culture of violence in our nation’s prisons, jails, and juvenile facilities.  Going forward, we will continue to help the states and territories work to ensure that their correctional facilities are safe and live up to the standards we’ve set.

I’d now like to let Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Mary Lou Leary provide you with details about what OJP has learned from the governors, and OJP’s next steps to assist with compliance.

SECRETARY KERRY, ESTONIAN PRIME MINISTER PAET MAKE REMARKS BEFORE MEETING

FROM:  U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT S

Remarks With Estonian Foreign Minister Urmas Paet Before Their Meeting

Remarks

John Kerry

Secretary of State

Treaty Room

Washington, DC

May 29, 2014

SECRETARY KERRY: Good morning, everybody. Great pleasure to welcome Foreign Minister Paet of Estonia to Washington. We could not be more grateful or pleased for and with the relationship with Estonia.

Estonia is a very strong NATO partner. In fact, one of only four countries in NATO that has met its 2 percent commitment to defense, and has committed to continue that 2 percent spending for at least the next 10 years. We have a very strong relationship with respect to democracy, commitment to democracy building, territorial integrity. Estonia has been a solid partner in the effort to make clear all of our feelings about the territorial violations that have taken place with respect to Ukraine and the challenge to stability in the region.

In addition to that, Estonia is currently hosting a significant increase of presence within NATO in order to make clear the issues of sovereignty within the region. So on the issues of defense and security we have been as forward leaning as any members within the NATO alliance. But in addition to that, we have other efforts in which we’re working together, particularly diversity of the energy supply to Europe. There are important choices to be made in order to try to create greater energy independence. Estonia is a leader with respect to that effort, as well as our hopes, all of us, to try to move forward on the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership, which we think is a critical economic step that can rekindle growth in Europe and strengthen the rules of the road for our economies.

So we have a lot to talk about today, but particularly grateful to welcome a country that has been, frankly, as courageous, as clear, as principled as Estonia has been. It’s a strong and important NATO ally, and we’re happy to have the discussions we will today.

Thank you.

FOREIGN MINISTER PAET: Thank you. Well, it’s good to be in Washington once again, and thank you very much for hosting, Secretary Kerry. Estonia and the United States, we are very strong partners and we share all important and basic values. And Estonia really and strongly appreciates the very quick reaction of the United States to change the security circumstances and security environment in Europe. We appreciate a lot the additional contribution of the United States with air policing of Estonia and also Latvia and Lithuania, and also troops you sent to Estonia to participate in military exercise, but also to stay longer in Estonia.

Of course, we both at the moment like to see the quick and clear de-escalation of the situation in Ukraine. Unfortunately, recently, another four OSCE observers were taken by people in eastern Ukraine. Among these four OSCE observers also one is an Estonian citizen, and we of course hope that these people will be released as soon as possible.

We’re also making good cooperation with the United States in this fare of supporting new democracies, which together in the so-called LEND project, which supports the leaders of new democracies and also one of the areas we make very strong cooperation is cyber defense and all other cyber and IT-related issues.

I’d like also mention energy security of Europe, and here the United States plays important and critical role, and the EU and U.S. relationship is also for us absolute necessity, so that we are also firm and strong supporter of European Union and United States free trade agreement talks, so that we hope that this common free trade area will be created as soon as possible.

So that once again, thank you very much for hosting. Thank you very much for this very strong partnership and friendship. Thank you.

SECRETARY KERRY: Thank you very much.

QUESTION: Mr. Secretary, Edward Snowden says he has cooperated with Russia…

SECRETARY KERRY: I have no comment right now, but thank you.

PUERTO RICO JUDGE, BUSINESSMAN INDICTED IN CONSPIRACY AND BRIBERY CASE

FROM:  U.S. JUSTICE DEPARTMENT 

Thursday, May 29, 2014

Puerto Rico Superior Court Judge and Local Businessman Indicted on Conspiracy and Federal Programs Bribery Charges

A current Puerto Rico Superior Court Judge and Puerto Rico businessman were charged with orchestrating a criminal scheme in which the businessman paid bribes to the judge presiding over the criminal case against the businessman according to an indictment unsealed today.

Assistant Attorney General Leslie R. Caldwell of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Rosa Emilia Rodríguez-Vélez of the District of Puerto Rico, and Special Agent in Charge Carlos Cases of the FBI’s San Juan Division made the announcement.

“The outcome of a criminal case should be determined by the evidence and the law, not by paid-for bias,” said Assistant Attorney General Caldwell.  “When citizens can’t have faith in the very people who are sworn to uphold the law, confidence in the entire system is shaken.  We are committed to restoring that faith by rooting out corruption wherever it may be found.”

“A fair and impartial criminal justice system is one of the cornerstones of our democracy,” said U.S. Attorney Rodríguez-Vélez.  “Judges, in particular, are expected to protect the public’s trust in the fairness of the judicial system.  Investigations such as the one leading to today’s indictment are crucial to deter corrupt officials influenced by greed from breaking their oath to uphold the rule of law.   This case should serve as a strong warning to those who might consider similar behavior.  No one is above the law and everyone is accountable for their misdeeds.”

“Rogue justice as the one allegedly imparted by Judge Manuel Acevedo-Hernández will not be tolerated by the FBI,” said Special Agent in Charge Cases.   “The FBI will continue vigorously to investigate allegations of corruption at all levels.”

The indictment, returned yesterday by a federal grand jury in the District of Puerto Rico and unsealed today, charges Manuel Acevedo-Hernandez, 62, and Lutgardo Acevedo-Lopez, 39, with conspiracy to commit federal programs bribery.  Acevedo-Hernandez was also charged with receipt of a bribe by an agent of an organization receiving federal funds, and Acevedo-Lopez was charged with paying a bribe to an agent of an organization receiving federal funds.

According to the indictment, Acevedo-Hernandez, a Supervisory Superior Court Judge in the Aguadilla judicial region of Puerto Rico, allegedly accepted bribes from Acevedo-Lopez and others, knowing that the payments were made so that Acevedo-Hernandez would use his official position as a Superior Court judge for Acevedo-Lopez’s benefit.    In particular, Acevedo-Hernandez presided over a criminal trial of Acevedo-Lopez and acquitted Acevedo-Lopez of all charges pending against him, including vehicular homicide.   In exchange for the acquittal, Acevedo-Lopez, through an intermediary, bribed Acevedo-Hernandez by paying taxes owed by Acevedo-Hernandez, paying for construction of a garage, and providing him with a motorcycle, clothing and accessories, including cufflinks and a watch.

The charges contained in the indictment are merely accusations.   The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

The case is being investigated by the FBI’s San Juan Division and is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Peter Mason of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Timothy Henwood and Jose Capo of the District of Puerto Rico.