ObamaNews

The President met with King Abdullah bin Abd al-Aziz Al Saud of Saudi Arabia today in London. The leaders reaffirmed the long-standing, strong relationship between the two countries.

President Obama meets with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev

They discussed their intention to draft a new arms control treaty to replace the START agreement, and broad parameters of US-Russia relations in general. This morning Prime Minister Gordon Brown told President Obama, "Your first 70 days in office have changed America, and you've changed America's relationship with the world" – both President Obama and President Medvedev’s words standing together after the meeting

A Town Hall in Strasbourg

Today, President Barack Obama announced the availability of $2.4 billion in funding to put American ingenuity and America's manufacturers to work producing next generation Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles and the advanced battery components that will make these vehicles run. The initiative will create tens of thousands of U.S. jobs and help us end our addiction to foreign oil. Americans who decide to purchase these Plug-in Hybrid vehicles can claim a tax credit of up to $7,500.

STATEMENT BY THE PRESIDENT
ON THE BUDGET
3/17/2009

"The purpose of this council is to ensure that American women and girls are treated fairly in all matters of public policy," Obama said during a signing ceremony for the executive order. "But I want to be clear that issues like equal pay, family leave, child care and others are not just women's issues, they are family issues and economic issues."

The council chairwoman is White House senior adviser and presidential assistant Valerie Jarrett. Tina Tchen, director of the White House Office of Public Liaison, is the executive director. Its membership includes Cabinet secretaries and other Cabinet-level positions

The panel will ensure that federal departments consider the needs and concerns of women and girls, the White House said, focusing on enhancing, supporting and coordinating the efforts of existing programs for women and girls.

Readout of the President's Call to King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia

The President spoke with King Abdullah ahead of the G-20 meetings in London about the need to coordinate international efforts to restore economic growth.

Obama taps new ambassadors for Iraq, Afghanistan

President Barack Obama announced his intent to nominate Lieutenant General Karl Eikenberry as Ambassador to Afghanistan and Christopher R. Hill as Ambassador to Iraq.

The President also announced his intent to nominate Ivo Daalder as United States Permanent Representative on the Council of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (Ambassador to NATO) and Alexander Vershbow as Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs. Vershbow, a former Foreign Service Officer who served as the U.S. Ambassador to NATO, Russia and South Korea, will have lead responsibility at the Pentagon for U.S. policy toward NATO, and will coordinate U.S. security and defense policies relating to the nations and international organizations of Europe, the Middle East and Africa. If confirmed, Vershbow and Daalder will coordinate on U.S. defense, development and diplomatic objectives at the upcoming NATO summit this April in Germany.

The President today also announced his intent to nominate Richard R. Verma for Assistant Secretary for Legislative Affairs at the State Department.

CONTINUATION OF THE NATIONAL EMERGENCY WITH RESPECT TO IRAN

On March 15, 1995, by Executive Order 12957, the President declared a national emergency with respect to Iran pursuant to the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701 1706) to deal with the unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security, foreign policy, and economy of the United States constituted by the actions and policies of the Government of Iran. On May 6, 1995, the President issued Executive Order 12959 imposing more comprehensive sanctions to further respond to this threat, and on August 19, 1997, the President issued Executive Order 13059 consolidating and clarifying the previous orders.

Because the actions and policies of the Government of Iran continue to pose an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security, foreign policy, and economy of the United States, the national emergency declared on March 15, 1995, must continue in effect beyond March 15, 2009. Therefore, in accordance with section 202(d) of the National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 1622(d)), I am continuing for 1 year the national emergency with respect to Iran. Because the emergency declared by Executive Order 12957 constitutes an emergency separate from that declared on November 14, 1979, by Executive Order 12170, this renewal is distinct from the emergency renewal of November 2008. This notice shall be published in the Federal Register and transmitted to the Congress.

How much will Obama move U.S. courts?

President Barack Obama will soon begin naming a small stream of nominees to the federal appeals courts, administration officials said, a step that will provide the first signs of how much he intends to impose any ideological stamp on the nation's judiciary.

White House lawyers have compiled lists of likely candidates for vacancies on several of the 12 regional appeals courts, notably those based in Richmond, Virginia, and New York.

Drug imports must meet standards, White House says

Cheap drugs imported into the United States to bring costs down must meet Food and Drug Administration safety and efficacy standards, White House budget director Peter Orszag said on Tuesday.

President Barack Obama's administration is pressing for Congress to allow people to buy inexpensive drugs from other countries to try and lower healthcare costs, but drug makers complain this could leave the country open to substandard products.

NATO expert appointed to the National Security Council

Stanford researcher Elizabeth Sherwood-Randall will join the Obama administration as a special assistant to the president and senior director for European affairs at the National Security Council.

Remarks of President Obama and United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon

As well as a Presidential Memorandum ensuring that sound science be protected from politics. Participants and Attendees

Building on Thursday’s White House Forum on Health Care Reform, President Obama announced a series of Regional White House Forums on Health Reform that will bring the conversation about health care reform directly to communities across the country. In keeping with the Obama administration’s commitment to a transparent, accountable government, the forums will be an opportunity for Americans from all over the country to voice their concerns and ideas about reforming our health care system.

The First Lady at Miriam’s Kitchen

In light of an imminent government shut down as result of delays in passing last year’s appropriations bills, Congress has passed and President Obama has signed a continuing resolution to maintain the prior year’s funding level through Wednesday while negotiations continue on last year’s budget work.

Graduation of the Columbus Police Division’s 114^th Class

The President went to Ohio for the Graduation of the Columbus Police Division’s 114th Class. The bad economic numbers are more than statistics there, but the recovery act did bring some good news.

Presidential Memorandum that will reform government contracting

I hereby certify to the Congress that the export of two environmental chambers to be used to test automotive parts is not detrimental to the U.S. space launch industry, and that the material and equipment, including any indirect technical benefit that could be derived from this export, will not measurably improve the missile or space launch capabilities of the People's Republic of China.

President Obama and British Prime Minister Gordon Brown

The President called Prime Minster Brown today at approximately 3:00pm. In a call that lasted about 10 minutes, the President congratulated the Prime Minister on his speech to Congress and expressed his appreciation for a very productive visit.

Renewing America's Infrastructure

I can say that 14 days after I signed our Recovery Act into law, we are seeing shovels hit the ground," President Obama said in remarks at the Department of Transportation today, announcing the allocation of billions in infrastructure spending. See the details at www.Recovery.gov.

Sebelius at HHS

"Kathleen Sebelius has a remarkable intellect, unquestioned integrity, and the kind of pragmatic wisdom you’ll tend to find in a Kansan," President Obama said as he announced the Kansas Governor as his nominee to lead the Department of Health and Human Services. He also announced Nancy Ann DeParle as his choice to lead the White House Office for Health Reform.

Pres. Obama: Responsibly Ending the War in Iraq

"Let me say this as plainly as I can: by August 31, 2010, our combat mission in Iraq will end," the President said today at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina.

Juan Cole: We're really leaving Iraq

"Obama was not signaling any diffidence about ending the Iraq War before the end of his term. He was attempting to provide for an orderly withdrawal that will ensure that U.S. troops are not drawn back in by a subsequent security collapse."

Thomas E. Ricks: Yes, we are staying in Iraq, and fooling some of the people

"The more I consider it, the more I think President Obama's Camp Lejeune speech last Friday was about how to stay in Iraq for a while, not about how to get out. I think he is doing the right thing, or at least the least wrong thing in a misbegotten war."

The President's address (Update: photos, video, full remarks

The President is gearing up to give his first address to a joint session of Congress tonight. Read an excerpt of the address, along with the names of the Americans who will be seated in the First Lady’s box during the President’s remarks.

The President's first foreign trip to Canada

We put together a short video with some highlights from the President's first foreign trip, last week's visit to Ottawa.

Pentagon critic tapped to be weapons buyer

Obama has nominated Harvard professor Ashton Carter, a leading authority on arms control and a longtime academic, to serve as the Pentagon’s chief weapons buyer, the White House announced Monday.

The budget -- more info

Much more info on the budget for Fiscal Year 2010 is available on the website of the Office of Management and Budget, www.OMB.gov.

The budget (Update: photos)

The President just spoke on the budget for FY 2010, here are some highlights.

Help is on the way

The President announced that $15 billion in relief funds for states will be available as soon as this Wednesday, and he has named Earl Devaney, former inspector general of the Interior Department, to oversee spending of funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

The quickest and broadest tax cut ever

In his weekly address, President Obama announced that the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act will start having an impact as soon as a few weeks from now, in the form of the quickest and broadest tax cut in history.

Overhaul

Just a week after President Obama signed the Act into law, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) today allocated 75% of its recovery funds -- $10 billion -- to create green jobs, to revive housing markets with high rates of foreclosure, and curb homelessness

Locke at Commerce

"Gary knows the American Dream. He's lived it. And that's why he shares my commitment to do whatever it takes to keep it alive in our time," President Obama said this morning in announcing former Washington governor Gary Locke as his choice to lead the Commerce Department.

EXECUTIVE ORDERS

2/20/2009

Amending Executive Order 13390

Executive Order: Establishment of the White House Office of Urban Affairs

Executive Order: Use of Project Labor Agreements for Federal Construction Projects

Presidential Executive Order Establishing the President's Economic Recovery Advisory Board

Executive Order - Further Amendments To Executive Order 12859,Establishment Of The Domestic Policy Council

Executive Order: Further Amendments to Executive Order 12835, Establishment of the National Economic Council

Amendments to Executive Order 13199 and Establishment of the President's Advisory Council for Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships

Cyber review underway

John Brennan, Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism, provides an update on the National Security Council and Homeland Security Council's review of our communications and information infrastructure (i.e., cyberspace).

Keeping Promises

President Obama explains how the budget he sent to Congress will fulfill the promises he made as a candidate, and assures special interests that he is ready for the fight.

President and Vice President Meet with Nation's Mayors

He laid out the four key elements of the Homeowner Affordability and Stability Plan:

"The plan I’m announcing focuses on rescuing families who have played by the rules and acted responsibly," the President said, "by refinancing loans for millions of families in traditional mortgages who are underwater or close to it; by modifying loans for families stuck in sub-prime mortgages they can’t afford as a result of skyrocketing interest rates or personal misfortune; and by taking broader steps to keep mortgage rates low so that families can secure loans with affordable monthly payments."

President Barack Obama and Vice President Biden today announced the release of $28 billion from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) to states and local transportation authorities to repair and build highways, roads and bridges. This investment will lead to 150,000 jobs saved or created by the end of 2010. The President and Vice President were joined at the Department of Transportation by Secretary Ray LaHood.

President Obama signed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act

"What I am signing is a balanced plan with a mix of tax cuts and investments. It is a plan that’s been put together without earmarks or the usual pork barrel spending. And it is a plan that will be implemented with an unprecedented level of transparency and accountability," President Obama said before signing the bill into law. "And we expect you, the American people, to hold us accountable for the results. That is why we have created Recovery.gov – so every American can go online and see how their money is being spent."

That site, Recovery.gov, is now live. You can go there to see projections -- based on language in the legislation -- of where your money will go, broken down state-by-state. And over the coming weeks and months, as the funds start to go out, you'll be able to see far more detailed information.

It's just the beginning of a long process, of course -- on Air Force One today, Press Secretary Robert Gibbs called it "a strong start towards economic viability."

"Our American story is not -- and has never been -- about things coming easy," the President said in his remarks at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science. "It’s about rising to the moment when the moment is hard, converting crisis into opportunity, and seeing to it that we emerge from whatever trials we face stronger than we were before."

Before the signing, President Obama toured the museum's solar panel installation.

Read the President's and Vice President's full remarks.

The quickest and broadest tax cut ever

Briefing by White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs, 2/20/2009

President Obama Selects Top Rural Health Care Advocate to Oversee Key HHS Agency

FLOTUS pool report and remarks from Dept. of Transportation Event

Remarks by the President and Vice President at meeting with nation's mayors, 2/20/09

"This increase is necessary to stabilize a deteriorating situation in Afghanistan, which has not received the strategic attention, direction and resources it urgently requires," Obama said in a statement.

Obama to name Kerlikowske drug czar

President Barack Obama has selected Seattle's police chief to be the nation's next drug czar, an administration official said Thursday.

Gil Kerlikowske will lead the Office of National Drug Control Policy, a position that has in past administrations been a Cabinet-level post, according to an official who would speak only on the condition of anonymity because no official announcement has been made.

The official did not know if the position would be a Cabinet post, but said its status would become clear when Kerlikowske was announced. The official did not know when the appointment would be announced.

Expert to review WH Afghanistan, Pakistan policy

The White House says a Middle East expert will conduct an interagency review of Afghanistan and Pakistan policy for the Obama administration.

Bruce Riedel is a former CIA officer who has been a senior adviser to three presidents on the Middle East and South Asian issues.

Presidential spokesman Robert Gibbs says Riedel will be at the White House for two months and will lead the review. It's supposed to be completed before the NATO summit in early April.

Gibbs says the administration believes the country needs a broader policy for the countries and region instead of focusing solely on the military aspect. Riedel will work with Richard Holbrooke, the U.S. special envoy for Pakistan and Afghanistan, and national security adviser James Jones.

Transcript: Obama Press Conference

February 9, 2009 From The White House

Barack Obama to overhaul security team dossier: NSA

US President Barack Obama plans to overhaul the US National Security Council (NSC), expanding its size and its national and international dossier, the Washington Post reported on Sunday, quoting the president’s top security aide.

National Security Adviser James Jones told the daily that the NSC will be “dramatically different” under Obama, adding that “the world that we live in has changed so dramatically in this decade that organisations that were created to meet a certain set of criteria no longer are terribly useful”.

The retired Marine general said he will be the primary conduit of national security advice to Obama. “We’re not always going to agree on everything,” Jones said, and “so it’s my job to make sure that minority opinion is represented” to the president. “But if at the end of the day he turns to me and says, ‘Well, what do you think, Jones?,’ I’m going to tell him what I think,” he said. The new structure will be outlined in a presidential directive, probably later this week. Jones told The Post that the newly configured NSC will reach far beyond the range of traditional foreign policy issues and will include Cabinet and departmental seats at the table – historically occupied only by the secretaries of defense and state – on an issue-by-issue basis.

‘Mom in Chief’ Touches on Policy; Tongues Wag

The government workers greeted Michelle Obama like a Hollywood celebrity, whooping and cheering and oohing and aahing over her slate gray power suit. But when she took to the podium, the nation’s self-described mom in chief quickly turned policy wonk.

The first lady pitched her husband’s economic stimulus package, including plans to create 15,000 affordable housing units, weatherize 2 million low-income homes and repair military housing. Such investments, Mrs. Obama told employees at the Department of Housing and Urban Development, would prevent “an increase in homelessness during these tough economic times.”

Obama takes a break at Kennedy Center show

After a tough week of haggling over an economic stimulus package and cabinet nominee dramas, President Barack Obama took some time to unwind on Friday night and stepped out for a dance show with his family.

Obama, first lady Michelle and daughters Sasha and Malia attended a 50th anniversary celebration performance by the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington.

The audience at the sold out show greeted the Obamas with raucous applause as the first family waved from a red VIP box decorated with the presidential seal.

Obama Praises Senate Stimulus Deal

The U.S. Senate "responded appropriately" in reaching a compromise on an $820 billion economic recovery package, U.S. President Barack Obama says.

Obama, in his weekly Saturday radio and Internet address, praised efforts by Senate negotiators Friday to hammer out their differences and reach a tentative agreement on the massive stimulus measure, and urged that it be afforded quick passage in Congress.

"(On Friday) morning, we received yet another round of alarming employment figures -- the worst in more than 30 years," Obama said. "Another 600,000 jobs were lost in January. We've now lost more than 3.6 million jobs since this recession began.

"But by the evening, Democrats and Republicans came together in the Senate and responded appropriately to the urgency this moment demands."

Obama again criticized the "tax-cut only" stimulus approach advocated by some Republicans, saying the bill's "scale and scope" are "right."

"In the midst of our greatest economic crisis since the Great Depression, the American people were hoping that Congress would begin to confront the great challenges we face," he said. "That was, after all, what last November's election was all about."

Obama’s Economic Recovery Advisory Board

President Barack Obama is bringing in a team of outside advisers to help steer the economy out of a tailspin. Here’s the White House’s statement:

President Barack Obama today signed an executive order establishing the new Economic Recovery Advisory Board. Modeled on the Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board created by President Dwight D. Eisenhower the Board will provide an independent voice on economic issues and will be charged with offering independent advice to the President as he formulates and implements his plans for economic recovery.

The Economic Recovery Advisory Board will provide regular briefings to the President, Vice President and their economic team. The Board will be established initially for a two-year term, after which the President will make a determination on whether to extend the work of the Board.

Members of the Board are distinguished citizens outside the government who are qualified on the basis of achievement, experience, independence, and integrity. The Board will bring a diverse set of perspectives and voices from different parts of the country and different sectors of the economy to bear in the formulation and evaluation of economic policy.

The Board will meet regularly and provide advice directly to the President on the programs to jump-start economic growth and facilitate economic stability. The Board will also focus on how the response to the short-run economic crisis is laying the groundwork for the reforms necessary for longer-run prosperity.

Paul Volcker will serve as Chairman and Austan Goolsbee as Staff Director and Chief Economist.

Members of the Board include:

William H. Donaldson, Chairman, SEC (2003-2005)

Roger W. Ferguson, Jr., President & CEO, TIAA-CREF

Robert Wolf, Chairman & CEO, UBS Group Americas

David F. Swensen, CIO, Yale University

Mark T. Gallogly, Founder & Managing Partner, Centerbridge Partners L.P.

Penny Pritzker, Chairman & Founder, Pritzker Realty Group

Jeffrey R. Immelt, CEO, GE

John Doerr, Partner, Kleiner, Perkins, Caufield & Byers

Jim Owens, Chairman and CEO, Caterpillar Inc.

Monica C. Lozano, Publisher & Chief Executive Officer, La Opinion

Charles E. Phillips, Jr., President, Oracle Corporation

Anna Burger, Chair, Change to Win

Richard L. Trumka, Secretary-Treasurer, AFL-CIO

Laura D’Andrea Tyson, Dean, Haas School of Business at the University of California at Berkeley

Martin Feldstein, George F. Baker Professor of Economics, Harvard University

White House Calls to Speed the Stimulus Bill Amid Job Losses

Mounting job losses in the U.S. last month reinforce the need for economic stimulus, the White House said Friday.

“If we fail to act, we are likely to lose millions more jobs and the unemployment rate could reach double digits,” Council of Economic Advisers Chairman Christina Romer said in a statement. “Prompt, well-designed fiscal policy is necessary to stop the decline and heal the economy.”

President Barack Obama has intensified his push for lawmakers to quickly wrap up a fiscal stimulus package. At the House Democrats’ retreat in Williamsburg, Va., Thursday night, he praised lawmakers while urging them to work with the Senate to get a bill passed quickly. He also had a sharp comment, apparently aimed at Republicans who want to put more tax cuts into the package now being debated in the Senate. “We can’t embrace the losing formula that says only tax cuts will work for every problem we face; that ignores critical challenges like our addiction to foreign oil, or the soaring cost of health care, or falling schools and crumbling bridges and roads and levees,” he said. “I don’t care whether you’re driving a hybrid or an SUV _ if you’re headed for a cliff, you’ve got to change direction.”

Obama names advisers to help right the economy

President Barack Obama has announced a team of outside economic advisers to help boost an economy in a virtual free fall.

The president signed an executive order creating the Economic Recovery Advisory Board, headed by former Federal Reserve Chairman Paul Volcker. He planned to introduce members of the team at a White House ceremony Friday morning.

His announcement came as employers eliminated 598,000 jobs in January, the most since the end of 1974, and the unemployment rate soared to 7.6 percent

In a statement, the White House said the board will offer independent advice in regular briefings to the president, vice president and their economic team.

The White House said the board's initial focus will be programs to "jump-start economic growth."

U.S. drops Guantanamo charges per Obama order

The Pentagon official overseeing the U.S. war crimes court at Guantanamo has dropped charges against a Saudi prisoner whose hearing had been set for Monday, a spokesman said on Thursday.

The charges against Abd al Rahim al Nashiri were dropped without prejudice, meaning they could be refiled later, said the spokesman, Navy Commander J.D. Gordon.

President Barack Obama had ordered the proceedings frozen to review pending cases. Nashiri is accused of plotting an attack on the American warship USS Cole that killed 17 U.S. sailors in the Yemeni port of Aden in 2000.

Obama Tries to Renew Faith in a Faith-Based Office

Obama Orders Higher Energy Efficiency Standards

“This kind of innovative school…is an example of how all our schools should be,” President Obama said yesterday, as he and Mrs. Obama visited a public charter school in Washington, D.C.

Obama sets executive pay limits

Pledging to take "the air out of golden parachutes," President Obama announced Wednesday that executives of companies receiving federal bailout money will have their pay capped at $500,000 under a revised financial compensation plan.

For top executives to award themselves these kinds of compensation packages in the midst of this economic crisis isn't just bad taste -- it's a bad strategy -- and I will not tolerate it. We're going to be demanding some restraint in exchange for federal aid -- so that when firms seek new federal dollars, we won't find them up to the same old tricks," the president added.

Under Obama's plan, companies that want to pay their executives more than $500,000 will have to do so through stocks that cannot be sold until the companies pay back the money they borrow from the government. The rules will be implemented by the Treasury Department and do not need to be approved by Congress.

Relief for Gaza

President Obama signed a memorandum today directing more than $20 million for "urgent refugee and migration needs" in Gaza.

PRESIDENTIAL MEMORANDA

January 26, 2009

Asked in a television interview why he hasn't used the oft-repeated "war on terror" phrase coined by the Bush administration, Obama said he believes the U.S. can win over moderate Muslims if he chooses his words carefully.

"Words matter in this situation because one of the ways we're going to win this struggle is through the battle of hearts and minds," Obama said in an interview with CNN's "Anderson Cooper 360."

The Associated Press reported Saturday that Obama has used the catch phrase just once, in contrast to its repeated use by the Bush administration in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. Instead, Obama has spoken broadly of the "enduring struggle against terrorism and extremism" and pledged to "go after" extremists and "win this fight."

Executive Orders Reverse Course, Raise Interesting Questions

Three executive orders issued by President Barack Obama include provisions that could lead to some interesting outcomes for federal contractors.

The orders reverse Bush administration initiatives that Democrats consider inimical to labor unions. But some observers believe they now will hamper contractors will new requirements.

"The orders he signed, which union officials say will undo Bush administration policies that tilted toward employers, would require federal contractors to offer jobs to current workers when contracts change, and would make it more difficult for federal contractors to discourage union activities."

Obama names Judd Gregg commerce secretary

President Barack Obama has nominated Republican Sen. Judd Gregg to be Commerce secretary. Obama announced the nomination at the White House.

If confirmed, Gregg would be the third Republican in the Democrat's Cabinet, joining Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood.

It was the last open spot in the senior ranks of the Obama administration.

Visionary urban leader tapped to serve during time of crisis & opportunity

President Barack Obama today announced he intends to nominate Ron Sims, County Executive of King County, Washington, to become the Deputy Secretary at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). As the Deputy Secretary, Sims will be charged with managing HUD's day-to-day operations, a nearly $39 billion annual operating budget and the agency's 8,500 employees.

Duckworth Tapped for VA Assistant Secretary

President Barack Obama has announced his intent to nominate L. Tammy Duckworth, director of the Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs, to be the Assistant Secretary of Public and Intergovernmental Affairs for the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).

"Effective communications with Veterans and VA's stakeholders is key to improving our services and ensuring Veterans receive the benefits they deserve," said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki. "Tammy Duckworth brings significant talent, leadership and personal experience to this important work."

As assistant secretary, Duckworth will direct VA's public affairs, internal communications and intergovernmental relations. She also will oversee programs for homeless Veterans, consumer affairs and special rehabilitative events.

Obama calls Iraqi leaders

President Barack Obama has spoken to two key leaders of Iraq after that nation held provincial elections over the weekend.

White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said Obama spoke Monday with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and Iraqi President Jalal Talabani.

Obama says differences with GOP shouldn't delay passage of stimulus bill

Obama spoke Monday to reporters as he and Vermont Gov. Jim Douglas, the Republican vice chairman of the National Governors Association, were about to meet in the Oval Office about the plan.

Obama: 'One-term proposition' if no fix

The economy will not turn around overnight - "there are no silver bullets to this'' - President Barack Obama says in the second part of an interview with NBC News that aired this morning on Today.

But if it doesn't turn around in three years, the president suggested, he will be looking at "a one-term proposition.''

More banks still are likely to fail before the financial markets are stabilized - the banks still are suffering from a "hangover'' from a "binge'' of risk -- the president also said. And, while he doesn't want to "preempt'' any news coming out of Treasury this week about the government establishing some sort of "bad bank'' for debilitating assets, it's clear the government will have to help some banks write down debt.

President Obama Promises Comprehensive Review of FDA

"I think that the FDA has not been able to catch some of these things as quickly as I expect them to catch," Obama said in an interview aired Monday on NBC's "Today" show. "And so we're gonna be doing a complete review of FDA operations."

The president said Americans should be able to count on the government to keep children safe when they eat peanut butter and that includes his 7-year-old daughter Sasha.

"That's what Sasha eats for lunch probably three times a week. And you know, I don't want to have to worry about whether she's going to get sick as a consequence to having her lunch," Obama said.

Transcript of President Barack Obama’s interview with NBC News

Complete transcript of PresidentBarack Obama’s discussion with Matt Lauer, anchor of NBC’s TODAY show:

Statement from President Obama on the Iraqi elections

"I congratulate the people of Iraq on holding significant provincial elections today. Millions of Iraqi citizens from every ethnic and religious group went peacefully to the polls across the country to choose new provincial councils. It is important that the councils get seated, select new governors, and begin work on behalf of the Iraqi people who elected them.

The elections were managed and organized by the Iraqi government with vital assistance from the United Nations Assistance Mission to Iraq. Iraqi police and military forces helped secure the polling sites and protected voters as they cast their ballots. This important step forward should continue the process of Iraqis taking responsibility for their future.

The United States is proud to have provided technical assistance, along with the United Nations and other international organizations, to Iraq's Independent High Electoral Commission - which performed professionally under difficult circumstances."

Obama sets Afghanistan priorities with Joint Chiefs

The meeting and Obama's comments follow recent indications that the new administration intends to limit U.S. goals in Afghanistan while intensifying the military aspects of the war. Vice President Joe Biden, who accompanied Obama, said this week that U.S. forces would step up action to counter recent Taliban advances.

"Obviously, our efforts to continue to go after extremists that would do harm to the homeland is uppermost on our minds," Obama said.

In his remarks, Obama said he would involve civilian agencies more deeply in the war effort.

"We had for a long time put enormous pressure on our military to carry out a whole set of missions," Obama said, referring to nation-building functions. "And that's something that I spoke with the chiefs about and that I intend to change."

Obama: Wall Street 'Arrogance and Greed' Won't Be Tolerated

President Obama, usually cool, was visibly angry in his weekly address, chastising corporate bankers for the second time this week for accepting taxpayer bailout money and then doling out $18 billion in executive bonuses.

"The American people will not excuse or tolerate such arrogance and greed," Obama said in the video and radio message released today. "Even as they petitioned for taxpayer assistance, Wall Street firms shamefully paid out nearly $20 billion in bonuses for 2008."

Weekley Address

In the weekly address, President Barack Obama urged the swift passage of an American Recovery and Reinvestment Plan and announced that Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner is preparing a new strategy for reviving our financial system.

President Obama Speech at Alfalfa Dinner

More info about the dinner at HuffPo.

Obama Visits G.O.P. Lawmakers

President Obama made a campaign trip of sorts on Tuesday to seek bipartisan support for his economic stimulus plan, visiting Republicans on Capitol Hill and suggesting that he was open to some limited revisions that would address their demands for more tax cuts.

In a session with House Republicans, Mr. Obama said he would not compromise on a central element of his plan that has drawn particular Republican opposition: his campaign promise for a middle-class tax credit that would also go to low-wage workers who earn too little to pay income taxes but are subject to payroll taxes for Social Security and Medicare.

President Obama Chats About His Meetings

President Obama Delivers Remarks on Economy, Stimulus Package

Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Veterans Affairs Deputy Secretary Named

W. Scott Gould, a former naval reservist who served in the Iraq war as an intelligence officer, is President Obama's nominee to become deputy secretary at the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Signing of the Lilly Ledbetter Act

Surrounded by leaders like House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and with the new law’s namesake, Lilly Ledbetter, at his side, President Obama signed into law the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act -- a powerful tool to fight discrimination.

President Obama Declares Emergencies in Arkansas and Kentucky

Last night, President Obama declared federal emergencies caused by winter storms in two states, answering requests for aid from Arkansas Governor Mike Beebe and Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear. (with picture of signing)

Shameful

President Obama said it was "the height of irresponsibility" for financial corporations to have doled out $18 billion in bonuses to their employees in a year when many banks shed jobs and turned to the government for funds.

Vice President Joe Biden: “Time to put middle class front and center”

The President today signed an executive order creating a Middle Class Task Force and asked his right hand man, Vice President Joe Biden, to lead it.

About the Task Force

Key posts at the Office of Management and Budget announced

President-elect Barack Obama announced the following key posts at the Office of Management and Budget (OMB): Jeffrey Liebman, Executive Associate Director; Steve Kosiak, Associate Director for Defense and International Affairs; Robert Gordon, Associate Director for Education, Income Maintenance and Labor; Xavier de Souza Briggs, Associate Director for General Government Programs; Preeta Bansal, OMB General Counsel and Senior Policy Advisor; and Kenneth Baer, Associate Director for Communications and Strategic Planning.

President-elect Obama said, “We are fortunate to have this distinguished group of individuals serving in these key posts, and with Peter Orszag I am confident that this team will be well-equipped to tackle the challenges ahead. The Office of Management and Budget in my administration will not only design, manage and implement our budget, it will focus on cutting waste and making sure that our government is serving the American people effectively and efficiently. I look forward to working with them in the months and years ahead.”

Tonight at the White House: Cocktail Hour

President Barack Obama is reinstating cocktail hour at the White House. While former President George Bush was famously a non-drinker, Obama is using libations as part of his effort to build congressional support for the nearly $900 billion economic stimulus package working its way through Congress this week. A vote is expected in the U.S. House today.

This evening, Obama will host two dozen key members of the House and Senate at the White House for drinks, White House aides told the Associated Press. The guest list includes six House members from each party, and five Senate members from each party.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and House Minority Leader John Boehner are expected to attend. Senate Democratic Leaders Harry Reid, Richard Durbin, Chuck Schumer, Patty Murray, Robert Byrd, and Robert Menendez are all invited as well.

The meeting is the president’s latest bipartisan effort to build support for the bill, which he said today he is
"confident” will be approved. Obama also traveled to Capitol Hill on Tuesday to huddle with House Republicans to build support for the package.

The White House has a new special counsel for ethics and government reform.

President Barack Obama named Norman Eisen as his lead ethics adviser, and to help advance his overall government reform agenda.

Eisen was the co-founder of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington(CREW), a government watchdog group.

He was one of 31 people President Obama named to the general counsel's office today.

Others include Harvard lawyer Daniel Meltzer to be principal deputy White House counsel to the President and deputy assistant to the President, Mary DeRosa to be deputy counsel to the President for national security affairs and legal adviser to the National Security Council and Neal Wolin to be deputy counsel to the President for economic policy and deputy assistant to the President.

CEOs at the White House

Iconic American companies like IBM, Jet Blue, and Honeywell sent their leadership to meet with the President this morning to discuss how they can get the economy moving again.

Obama begins reversing Bush climate policies

U.S. President Barack Obama began reversing the climate policies of the Bush administration on Monday, clearing the way for new rules to force automakers to produce more fuel-efficient and less polluting cars.

The president told the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to reconsider immediately a request by California to impose its own strict limits on vehicle carbon dioxide emissions, blamed for contributing to global warming.

Sec. Geithner tightens the reins

In one of his first acts as Secretary of the Treasury, Timothy Geithner today announced new rules that will make it harder for banks to lobby for a share of money set aside by the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act.

Press Briefing Highlights

President Barack Obama said, "I am grateful to have these distinguished individuals joining my administration, and I have the greatest confidence that their service will meet the highest standards of this department. The American people deserve to have faith that their Justice Department will keep them safe and uphold our most basic rights. This group has the depth of experience and integrity necessary to accomplish these goals."

Obama's orders only the start of a detainee policy overhaul

The three executive orders that President Barack Obama signed on Thursday to shut the Guantanamo Bay and CIA prisons began to untangle some of the legal, diplomatic and practical knots created by the Bush administration's war on terror policies.

They marked a clear break with policies such as indefinite detention without charges or trial, which have been widely criticized as violations of U.S. and international legal principles and protections.

The executive orders also embodied what appeared to be Obama's repudiation of the Bush administration's view that the Constitution gives the president unlimited powers when it comes to the conduct of war.

"What started today was a process that the president committed to during the campaign," said White House spokesman Robert Gibbs. "That process started today with his signature. That process will go on until the issues that were outlined are appropriately determined."

Staff Finds White House in the Technological Dark Ages

Two years after launching the most technologically savvy presidential campaign in history, Obama officials ran smack into the constraints of the federal bureaucracy yesterday, encountering a jumble of disconnected phone lines, old computer software, and security regulations forbidding outside e-mail accounts. here were plenty of first-day glitches, too, as calls to many lines in the West Wing were met with a busy signal all morning and those to the main White House switchboard were greeted by a recording, redirecting callers to the presidential Web site. A number of reporters were also shut out of the White House because of lost security clearance lists.

... the vaunted new White House Web site did not offer any updated posts about President Obama's busy first day on the job, which included an inaugural prayer service, an open house with the public, and meetings with his economic and national security teams.

Nor did the site reflect the transparency Obama promised to deliver. "The President has not yet issued any executive orders," it stated hours after Obama issued executive orders to tighten ethics rules, enhance Freedom of Information Act rules and freeze the salaries of White House officials who earn more than $100,000.

The site was updated for the first time last night, when information on the executive orders was added. But there were still no pool reports or blog entries. One member of the White House new-media team came to work on Tuesday, right after the swearing-in ceremony, only to discover that it was impossible to know which programs could be updated, or even which computers could be used for which purposes. The team members, accustomed to working on Macintoshes, found computers outfitted with six-year-old versions of Microsoft software. Laptops were scarce, assigned to only a few people in the West Wing. The team was left struggling to put closed captions on online videos..."

Robert Gibbs’ First Daily Briefing as White House Press Secretary

Jan. 22, 2009 – 5:07 p.m.

Obama restates his commitment to abortion rights

President Barack Obama renewed his commitment to abortions rights on Thursday, saying the nation needs to find common ground in the contentious abortion debate so "our daughters have the same rights and opportunities as our sons."

Marking the 36th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, Obama said in a statement that the landmark Supreme Court decision legalizing abortion represented a broader principle that government should not intrude on private family matters.

"On this anniversary, we must also recommit ourselves more broadly to ensuring that our daughters have the same rights and opportunities as our sons: the chance to attain a world-class education; to have fulfilling careers in any industry; to be treated fairly and paid equally for their work and to have no limits on their dreams," Obama said. "That is what I want for women everywhere."

Obama issued the statement as elsewhere in Washington and around the country anti-abortion rights activists marched in protest of the 1973 court case that legalized abortion.

Executive Orders

January 22, 2009

Holbrooke has more than 45 years of foreign policy and diplomatic experience, including brokering a peace pact between warring factions in Bosnia that led to the 1995 Dayton peace accords.

Holbrooke, who supported Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton during the Democratic primaries, is good friends with two early supporters of Barack Obama: James Johnson, who headed Obama's vice-presidential search team, and Samantha Power, the Pulitzer Prize-winning human rights expert. And Holbrooke took pains to avoid criticism of Obama.

Holbrooke served under President Jimmy Carter as assistant secretary of state for East Asia and Pacific affairs and under President Bill Clinton as assistant secretary of state for European affairs and then U.S. ambassador to the United Nations.

Obama plans to call on seasoned negotiator to serve as a mideast envoy

President Barack Obama moved swiftly to engage on the Middle East on Wednesday, calling Israeli and Arab leaders on his first morning in office and preparing to appoint a seasoned peace negotiator and former senator, George Mitchell, as his special emissary to the region.

Obama did not announce any new initiatives, though he promised deeper American involvement in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict than was evident during the Bush administration, which steered clear of the peace effort in its early days.

In calls to leaders in Egypt, Jordan and Israel, and the president of the Palestinian Authority, Obama said he would work to solidify the cease-fire in Gaza and pledged "his commitment to active engagement in pursuit of Arab-Israeli peace from the beginning of his term," said his spokesman, Robert Gibbs.

The American effort will include help for Israel in stemming the smuggling of arms to Hamas militants, as well as aid for the Palestinian Authority in rebuilding Gaza, Obama said.

Obama is sworn in for second time

Barack Obama has been sworn in as US president for the second time in two days, because one word was given out of order during Tuesday's ceremony.

The Chief Justice of the US Supreme Court, John Roberts, administered the oath again at the White House.

The decision to repeat the oath was taken out of an abundance of caution, an official said.

According to the Associate Press, “The order went out shortly after Obama was inaugurated president, in a memorandum signed by new White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel.”

Obama Rule Halts Wolf Delisting

SILVER CITY, N.M.— President Barack Obama has issued a freeze on publication of federal regulations planned under the previous administration but not yet published in the Federal Register. This action, which will give the new administration a chance to review Bush-era policy decisions, will delay and possibly prevent the premature removal of gray wolves from the endangered species list in Montana, Idaho, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan, and portions of Washington, Oregon, Utah, North Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio.

According to Michael Robinson of the Center for Biological Diversity, the pause will afford President Obama and Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar the opportunity to rethink the previous administration’s efforts to remove wolves from the endangered species list. “Rather than remove protections from wolves in a piecemeal fashion, in the isolated locations where they have finally begun to recover from past persecution,” Robinson said, “ the Obama administration should develop and implement a national gray-wolf recovery plan that will ensure the survival of these magnificent animals.”

Obama freezes White House pay, tightens lobbying rules

President Barack Obama announced on his first day in office Wednesday that he is freezing the pay of the about a hundred White House employees who make over $100,000 a year.

The freeze would hold salaries at their current levels. It is part of a presidential memorandum being issued Wednesday when Obama attends a swearing-in for staff at the White House.

In a statement, Obama said "families are tightening their belts, and so should Washington."

Aides making above $100,00 include the high-profile jobs of White House chief of staff, national security adviser and press secretary. Other aides who work in relative anonymity also fit into that cap, if Obama follows a structure similar to the one George W. Bush set up.

"They deserve a government that truly is of, and by, the American people," Obama said.

He also announced a change in policy that will require each federal agency and department to give full attention to Freedom of Information requests and said he expects members of his administration to be responsive to such pleas.

And Obama also revealed what he called a "clean break" from existing rules spelling out when and under what circumstances administration officials could work on issues on which they lobbied governmental agencies before.

He said there would be a two-year, rather than a one-year, waiting period for government officials to be able to work on such issues and said they would "not be able to work on matters you lobbied on or White House agencies you lobbied during the last two years."

"Transparency and the rule of law will be the touchstones of this administration," Obama said in a statement to reporters.

King Abdullah II Receives Phone Call from US President Barack Obama

His Majesty King Abdullah II received a phone call today from U.S. President Barack Obama during which both leaders discussed regional developments as well as bilateral relations.

King Abdullah first congratulated President Obama on his inauguration as the Forty-Fourth President of the United States noting that he looks forward to working with the President to address regional challenges and resolve the Palestinian-Israeli conflict on the basis of a two-state solution, which His Majesty believes is the only way to ensure security and stability in the region.

His Majesty also stressed the importance of early U.S. engagement in serious and effective peace negotiations to achieve a two-state solution as soon as possible.

Transcripts: Pres. Obama Remarks at Inaugural Balls

Rough transcripts/verbates for the "Neighborhood", "Home State", "Youth", "Commander-in-Chief", "Mid-Atlantic Region," "Biden Home State," "Western-SW," "Midwest," "Southern" and "Eastern" Inaugural Balls.

Obama administration files for suspension of Guantanamo war crimes trials during review

GUANTANAMO BAY NAVAL BASE, Cuba - Military judges will consider Wednesday whether to halt the Guantanamo war crimes trials after President Barack Obama ordered prosecutors to request a 120-day suspension during a review of the system used to try suspected terrorists.

The motions, filed just hours after Obama's inauguration, will be heard in the cases of five men charged in the Sept. 11 attacks and of Canadian Omar Khadr, who is accused of killing an American soldier with a grenade in Afghanistan in 2002.

Obama has said he will close the military detention center in Cuba, where the U.S. holds about 245 men, and he had been expected to halt the widely criticized war-crimes trials created by former President George W. Bush and Congress in 2006.

The motions to suspend the trials came the day of Obama's inauguration. Before Obama was sworn in, a military judge adjourned the war crimes court until Wednesday, noting the future of the commissions was in doubt.

A National Day of Renewal and Reconciliation

A National Day of Renewal and Reconciliation

In his first official act since taking the oath of office, President Barack Obama issued a proclamation, calling on Americans to serve one another and our common purpose on this National Day of Renewal and Reconciliation. Check it out below, or read it on the WhiteHouse.gov proclamations page.

Change has come to WhiteHouse.gov

Full text of President Barack Obama inaugural address (Video)

Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Washington, D.C.

Statement of President-elect Barack Obama on Martin Luther King Day

"Today, we celebrate the life of a preacher who, more than forty-five years ago, stood on our national mall in the shadow of Lincoln and shared his dream for our nation. His was a vision that all Americans might share the freedom to make of our lives what we will; that our children might climb higher than we would.

"Dr. Martin Luther King's was a life lived in loving service to others. As we honor that legacy, it's not a day just to pause and reflect - it's a day to act. Today, ordinary citizens will gather together all across the country to participate in the more than eleven thousand service projects they've created using USAservice.org. And I ask the American people to turn today's efforts into an ongoing commitment to enriching the lives of others in their communities, their cities, and their country.

"Tomorrow, we will come together as one people on the same mall where Dr. King's dream echoes still. As we do, we recognize that here in America, our destinies are inextricably linked. We resolve that as we walk, we must walk together. And as we go forward in the work of renewing the promise of this nation, let's remember King's lesson - that our separate dreams are really one."

Obama visits wounded troops on inauguration eve

WASHINGTON (AFP) — President-elect Barack Obama visited wounded troops in a Washington military hospital Monday at the start of a day honoring community service on the eve of his historic inauguration.

Aides said Obama was touring the Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington's northwest suburbs -- where newspaper revelations of squalor and neglect became a national scandal a year ago.

En route, his motorcade sped past giant portraits of Obama and 1980s president Ronald Reagan draped over a Washington gallery, ahead of Tuesday's festivities when Obama will become America's first black commander-in-chief.

The visit was the first event of a series Monday being attended by Obama and his incoming vice president, Joseph Biden, under the banner of "Renew America Together: A Call to Service."

Obama paid several low-key visits to Walter Reed during last year's election campaign. He has vowed to transform the care of military veterans to honor what he calls the "sacred trust" owed by the nation for their service.

Obama gets hands dirty for "Day of Service"

Twenty-four hours before his before his inauguration, Barack Obama Monday laid down some paint at a homeless shelter.

The president-elect led a national day of service to honor the memory of Martin Luther King and motivate all of us to roll up our sleeves and do more to deal with America's many problems.

The Whistle Stop Tour

Following the same route that Abraham Lincoln rode 150 years ago, President Barack Obama, First Lady Michelle Obama, Vice President Joe Biden, and Dr. Jill Biden made their way to the inauguration on a whistle stop train tour that wove its way from Philadelphia through Delaware and Maryland on its way to Washington.

Obama Announces ‘Organizing for America’

In a video message to supporters, President-elect Barack Obama announced the creation of Organizing for America, which will encourage and coordinate grassroots activism built during his presidential campaign. “You’ve built the largest grass roots movement in history, and shaped the future of this country. And the movement you’ve built is too important to stop growing now,” Obama says in the video message. He continues: “Volunteers, grass roots leaders and ordinary citizens will continue to drive our organization, helping us bring about the changes we proposed during the campaign:

ARCHIVES

Phone Numbers

Remarks by the President on a New Strategy for Afghanistan and Pakistan

Readout of the President’s Meeting with King Abdullah bin Abd al-Aziz Al Saud of Saudi Arabia

American Recovery and Reinvestment Act

DTV Delay Act

Children’s Health Insurance Reauthorization Act

Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act

Amending Executive Order 13390

Executive Order: Establishment of the White House Office of Urban Affairs

Executive Order: Use of Project Labor Agreements for Federal Construction Projects

Presidential Executive Order Establishing the President's Economic Recovery Advisory Board

Executive Order - Further Amendments To Executive Order 12859,Establishment Of The Domestic Policy Council

Executive Order: Further Amendments to Executive Order 12835, Establishment of the National Economic Council

Amendments to Executive Order 13199 and Establishment of the President's Advisory Council for Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships

Cyber review underway

President and Vice President Meet with Nation's Mayors

Briefing by White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs, 2/20/2009

President Obama Selects Top Rural Health Care Advocate to Oversee Key HHS Agency

FLOTUS pool report and remarks from Dept. of Transportation Event

Remarks by the President and Vice President at meeting with nation's mayors, 2/20/09

Obama Orders Higher Energy Efficiency Standards

A National Day of Renewal and Reconciliation