yeah, that SUCKS!

This morning, when the President gave his opening remarks at the Tribal Nations Conference, the day looked very different.  By 5:02 EST when he was scheduled to give closing remarks, it was clear that all Americans were rightly concerned with the tragedy in Texas, and the President took his time to give his thoughts and prayers:

Now, I have to say, though, that beyond that, I plan to make some broader remarks about the challenges that lay ahead for Native Americans, as well as collaboration with our administration, but as some of you might have heard, there has been a tragic shooting at the Fort Hood Army base in Texas.  We don’t yet know all the details at this moment; we will share them as we get them.  What we do know is that a number of American soldiers have been killed, and even more have been wounded in a horrific outburst of violence.

My immediate thoughts and prayers are with the wounded and with the families of the fallen, and with those who live and serve at Fort Hood.  These are men and women who have made the selfless and courageous decision to risk and at times give their lives to protect the rest of us on a daily basis.  It’s difficult enough when we lose these brave Americans in battles overseas.  It is horrifying that they should come under fire at an Army base on American soil.

I’ve spoken to Secretary Gates and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Mike Mullen, and I will continue to receive a constant stream of updates as new information comes in.  We are working with the Pentagon, the FBI, and the Department of Homeland Security, all to ensure that Fort Hood is secure, and we will continue to support the community with the full resources of the federal government.

In the meantime, I would ask all Americans to keep the men and women of Fort Hood in your thoughts and prayers.  We will make sure that we get answers to every single question about this horrible incident.  And I want all of you to know that as Commander-in-Chief, there’s no greater honor but also no greater responsibility for me than to make sure that the extraordinary men and women in uniform are properly cared for and that their safety and security when they are at home is provided for.

So we are going to stay on this.  But I hope in the meantime that all of you recognize the scope of this tragedy, and keep everybody in their thoughts and prayers.

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In President Obama’s address to the Muslim world delivered from Cairo in June, he called for the creation of an online network so "a teenager in Kansas can communicate instantly with a teenager in Cairo."

Yesterday, teenagers from Washington, DC and Amman did exactly that.

Photo credit: Leslie Williams, Dept of Education, 11/4/2009

Dr. Waleed Al-Ma’ani, the Jordanian Minister of Education and I moderated a discussion by a dozen students from Bell Multicultural Early College High School in Washington and their counterparts in Jordan via videoconference.

Before this dialogue, the students were asked to identify a common challenge facing students in America and Jordan. The American and Jordanian students chose climate change. They corresponded before the event, writing questions to ask each other and sharing their research. The students from both countries were well-prepared and thoughtful in speaking to climate change and encouraging to each other when it was their turn to speak.

I was impressed by how quickly the students recognized the challenges climate change is presenting both countries and their individual lives.

At the end of the discussion, the students asked each other how they could keep up the dialogue. They talked about setting up a Facebook group for themselves and they made plans for a second videoconference in June. They’re also talking about a joint project to set up recycling programs or public awareness campaigns about climate change at their schools.

It was tremendously exciting for me to see the President’s vision becoming real. It was clear that the last statement from America to Jordan summarized the students’ feelings about the event: "You all are amazing."

President Obama said in Cairo that "all of us share common aspirations – to live in peace and security; to get an education and to work with dignity; to love our families, our communities, and our God." Students from both countries showed that we all believe that education can change lives.

Photo credit: Leslie Williams, Dept of Education, 11/4/2009

Arne Duncan is Secretary of Education

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At 4:45 EST today the White House and Deputy Assistant to the President on Economic Policy Jared Bernstein welcome Senator Sherrod Brown of Ohio for a live video chat. They’ll be answering the questions the Senator gets most from Ohioans on health insurance reform, as well as questions taken live from our Facebook chat application.

Watch the chat via WhiteHouse.gov/live 
Watch, discuss, and engage via Facebook

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(First Lady Michelle Obama congratulates an award recipient during the President’s Committee on Arts and Humanities Coming Up Taller event in the State Dining Room of the White House, Nov. 4, 2009. Official White House Photo by Samantha Appleton)

Yesterday afternoon in the historic State Dining Room, First Lady Michelle Obama, honorary chair of the President’s Committee on Arts and Humanities, presented 15 programs from around the world with the Coming Up Taller Award. Given to arts and humanities organizations that reach underserved youth, the award is a reminder of the meaningful role cultural activities play in the lives of our children. This year’s recipients include the Shakespeare Remix program in New York, where inner-city teens adapt and perform Shakespearean texts to reflect their own lives, and the Harmony Project in Los Angeles, which provides free music instruction to at-risk children.

Speaking to a crowd of teachers, program workers, and students, the First Lady highlighted the positive impact these programs have in the lives of children around the world:

Because of you, teens in Arizona are publishing their own magazine, and children in central and south Los Angeles are learning to play instruments and performing in orchestras.  Because of the work that you do, students in New York City are mastering Shakespeare.  And in my hometown of Chicago, there are students learning traditional Mexican art forms.  There are young people in Egypt who are learning basket weaving and storytelling, calligraphy and photography. 

And you’re not just connecting young people with music, dance, poetry and drama.  But because of your work, you’re connecting people, these young people to mentoring, to tutoring, to social services, and college counseling. You don’t just show them the power of their imagination, but you show them the power of discipline and hard work and of teamwork, as well. 

And these young people don’t just become accomplished singers and painters and authors.  They also become better students, they become better leaders, and they become better citizens, enriching not just themselves but their communities, teaching younger children the skills that they’ve learned, beautifying neighborhoods with murals and lifting their communities with their performances.

Ultimately, each of your programs is using achievement in the arts as a bridge to achievement in life.  And you see all this every day, each and every one of you working so hard.  You see this in your students as they become more confident and more engaged and more willing to take risks and to take responsibility for their futures.  You see it when their academic performance improves, when you see improving attitudes and higher GPAs.  And you see young people who never saw themselves as college material, you see them getting those acceptance letters and you see them going on to pursue their degrees.  So we all know in this room the power of the arts to change young people’s lives.  

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All day today we will be live streaming the White House Tribal Nations Conference at the Department of the Interior, including opening and closing remarks from the President and discussions ranging from jobs to energy to housing to health care.  As part of President Obama’s sustained outreach to the American people, this conference will provide leaders from the 564 federally recognized tribes the opportunity to interact directly with the President and representatives from the highest levels of his Administration.  Each federally recognized tribe has been invited to send one representative to the conference.

Watch all day at WhiteHouse.gov/live.

UPDATE: During the President’s opening remarks, he discussed the Memorandum he was about to sign:

And that’s why representatives of multiple agencies are here today — because if we’re going to address the needs of Native Americans in a comprehensive way, then we’ve got to mount a comprehensive response.

A major step toward living up to that responsibility is the presidential memorandum that I’ll be signing at this desk in just a few moments.  In the final years of his administration, President Clinton issued an executive order establishing regular and meaningful consultation and collaboration between your nations and the federal government.  But over the past nine years, only a few agencies have made an effort to implement that executive order — and it’s time for that to change.  (Applause.) 

The memorandum I’ll sign directs every Cabinet agency to give me a detailed plan within 90 days of how — the full implementation of that executive order and how we’re going to improve tribal consultation.  (Applause.)  After all, there are challenges we can only solve by working together, and we face a serious set of issues right now. 

He also discussed how tribes face the same kinds of challenges all of America faces, and how he plans to address those challenges.  In closing, he made clear that he is an ally:

So there’s a lot of work to be done today.  But before we get at it, I want to close with this.  I know you’ve heard this song from Washington before.  I know you’ve often heard grand promises that sound good but rarely materialize.  And each time, you’re told this time will be different.  But over the last few years, I’ve had a chance to speak with Native American leaders across the country about the challenges you face, and those conversations have been deeply important to me.

I get it.  I’m on your side.  I understand what it means to be an outsider.  I was born to a teenage mother.  My father left when I was two years old, leaving her — my mother and my grandparents to raise me.  We didn’t have much.  We moved around a lot.  So even though our experiences are different, I understand what it means to be on the outside looking in.  I know what it means to feel ignored and forgotten, and what it means to struggle.  So you will not be forgotten as long as I’m in this White House.  (Applause.)  All right.  Thank you.  Thank you.  Thank you.

Together, working together, we’re going to make sure that the First Americans, along with all Americans, get the opportunities they deserve.  So with that, if I’m not mistaken, I am in a position now to start signing this memorandum, and then we’re going to do a little Q&A.  So get everything set up — how many pens do you want me to use?  Eight pens.  (Laughter.)  I don’t know who’s getting the pens, but –

(The memorandum is signed.)

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Earlier today, President Obama and Secretary of Education Arne Duncan visited Wright Middle School in Madison, Wisconsin to spotlight one of the most exciting and innovative initiatives in education reform history: the Race to the Top Award. Designed to reward schools that take initiative to improve, the award provides grants—there is $4 billion on the table—to districts that demonstrate a commitment to advancement and higher standards.  As he almost always does, he took some time to talk directly to the kids there about how invaluable education has been to both him and the First Lady: "So that’s the reason why we are spending a lot of time talking to folks like you, because we want all of you to understand that there’s nothing more important than what you’re doing right here at this school." \

(Students at Wright Middle School in Madison, Wis., listen as President Barack Obama speaks about strengthening America’s education system during a visit to the school, Nov. 4, 2009. Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

During his more formal remarks, the President discussed how the Race to the Top Award will make schools accountable to parents and students:

There’s always excuses for why these schools can’t perform.  But part of what we want is an environment in which everybody agrees — from the governor to the school superintendent, teachers, principals, and most importantly parents and students — that there’s no excuse for mediocrity.  And we will take drastic steps when schools aren’t working.  (Applause.)

So these are the kinds of vigorous strategies that are necessary to turn around our most troubled schools:  transforming our lowest-performing schools; using timely information to improve the way we teach our children;  outstanding teachers and principals in our classrooms and our schools that are getting the support they need; higher standards and better assessments that prepare our kids for life beyond a classroom.  These are the challenges, the four challenges that states have to take up if they want to win a Race to the Top award.

And these are the four challenges that our country has to meet for our children to outcompete workers around the world, for our economy to grow and to prosper, and for America to lead in the 21st century.

(President Barack Obama speaks about strengthening America’s education system while addressing students at Wright Middle School in Madison, Wis., Nov. 4, 2009. Official White House Photo by Chuck Kennedy)

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Cross-posted from the Department of State’s blog.

On October 19, Secretary Clinton, accompanied by Ambassador Rice and myself, released the Obama Administration’s new comprehensive strategy to confront the serious and urgent situation in Sudan. As mentioned in my past blog post, the strategy focuses on three major areas: ending the conflict in Darfur, implementing the North-South Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA), and ensuring that Sudan does not become a safe haven for terrorists.

This approach involves engaging with all stakeholders, in and out of Sudan, and calls for addressing the myriad set of issues facing Sudan in a coordinated and comprehensive way, based on verifiable progress on the ground.

Today, we continue this engagement and conversation in a new and unique way.

The Sudan advocacy community is extremely active and deeply committed to raising critical awareness about the situation in Sudan. The Obama Administration is eager to continue an active dialogue with the advocacy community, and as such the White House and the State Department are partnering with the Save Darfur Coalition and STAND to launch “Ask U.S.”

“Ask U.S.” is an effort to reach out to the advocacy communities and to solicit questions on the U.S. Sudan policy from activists deeply and passionately engaged on this critical issue. As part of the “Ask U.S.” campaign, the Save Darfur Coalition and STAND will collect questions from their members over the course of this week and weekend. Next Tuesday, November 10, leaders from these organizations will come to the White House and, in a live streamed video event, will pose selected questions to myself and Samantha Power, NSC Senior Director for Multilateral Affairs.

I would like to invite you to join the conversation and to watch the live stream at 3:00 p.m. EST, Tuesday, November 10. Through the State Department page on Facebook you can watch as members of the advocacy community have their questions posed to us, and I also encourage you to participate by inviting your friends and family on Facebook to join in the chat as this conversation unfolds.

We look forward to opening up this dialogue, listening and learning and ultimately building ways that we can work together to support the Sudanese people in their quest for peace, security and prosperity.

The advocacy community has had a major impact by raising awareness about the situation in Sudan. By maintaining an open conversation and working together, we can make a real difference with real progress for the Sudanese people. We hope you will join us.

Major General (Ret) Scott Gration serves as the President’s Special Envoy to Sudan.

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Ed Note: Watch an Evening of Classical Music live at 7:00 PM EST on WhiteHouse.gov/live or watch and discuss it with other classical music fans on Facebook.

The greatest joy that this job affords – and there are many – is the chance to throw open the doors and invite Americans into the White House and expose them to the talents of their fellow Americans. One of the ways that the First Lady has been doing is this is through the White House Music Series. This series was conceived as a way to celebrate the arts, demonstrate the importance of arts education and encourage young people who believe in their talent to create a future for themselves in the arts community be it as a hobby or as a profession.

We kicked off the series by celebrating the uniquely American art form of jazz. Our next event in the series was the day-long celebration of country music, followed by our Fiesta Latina, which showcased Hispanic musical heritage. Through student workshops and evening concerts, each event enlivens the White House with the sounds of music from dawn till dusk.

Music’s ability to inspire has never been more visible to me than during these events. When I see young students play with the masters of their craft, when two musicians jam together for the first time and manage to perfectly complement each other, when young and old learn from each other – that’s when true harmony happens.

So I hope you’ll join us today for the Classical Music Concert and watch our latest installment of the White House Music Series. The performance will feature the best and brightest of their fields: violinist Joshua Bell, classical guitarist Sharon Isbin, pianist Awadagin Pratt and Alisa Weilerstein on the cello. These acclaimed artists will be performing solo and together playing music by Bach, Ravel, Paganini, and Mendelssohn among others. It’s a performance not to be missed and I do hope you’ll join us at www.WhiteHouse.gov/live.

Desirée Rogers is the White House Social Secretary.

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It’s no secret that institutions of all stripes focus their communications on certain messages day to day. We thought it would all be a little more open and transparent if we went ahead and published what our focus will be for the day, along with any related articles, documents, or reports.  Today we publish our second batch.

Supporting article: "Republicans want to make the insurance industry more like the credit card industry," Ezra Klein, Washington Post, 11/3/09

Supporting article: "Boehner’s Health Care Bill At Odds With Pre-Existing GOP Positions," Huffington Post, 11/3/09

Talking Points: House Republican Health Care "Plan": Putting Families at Risk  

After months of offering nothing but obstruction and roadblocks, House Republicans have now put together a hastily-constructed, last-minute "plan" for health reform. But the reality is that their plan would put families at risk by giving insurance companies more power to discriminate against patients while accumulating record profits.
The bottom line is that under the House Republican plan, millions of Americans would lose the coverage and security they currently have.
There is a lot of empty GOP rhetoric out there about this plan, so let’s look at the reality of what they’re offering American families:

RHETORIC: The House Republican health care plan expands coverage to those who cannot get insurance now.

REALITY: The Republicans’ bill leaves affordable health insurance out of reach for millions of Americans. 

No Elimination of Discrimination Based on Pre-existing Conditions: Nowhere does the bill make it illegal for insurance companies to deny coverage based on pre-existing conditions. As a result, consumers will never be fully protected and guaranteed coverage options.

High-Risk Pools Will Not Provide Americans with Access to Affordable Coverage: The Republican bill states that it improves access through high-risk pools, but according to the bill, those states that currently do not have high-risk pools never need to develop them, and those states that have high-risk pools could close them.

Democrats Ensure No American Remains Uninsured Due to A Pre-existing Condition As a Bridge to REAL Health Insurance Reform. The President and House Democrats support affordable access to a high-risk pool nationwide for individuals with pre-existing conditions as a bridge to real insurance reform in 2013.

RHETORIC: The House Republican health care "plan" lets families and businesses buy health insurance across state lines.

REALITY: Unlike the House Leadership bill, the Republicans’ bill takes us backwards rather than forwards. 

In the Absence of Insurance Reform, This Policy will Undermine Patients’ Protections: This proposal, which would allow insurance to be sold across state lines in the absence of any broader reforms to prevent discrimination in the individual marketplace, would undermine patients’ protections and drive up premiums. Under this policy, states would have a further incentive to gut consumer protections, which would create a devastating race to the bottom.

Insurers Can "Cherry Pick" Healthy Individuals: Without any additional protections, insurers would be allowed to cherry pick healthy enrollees by marketing strategies, benefit design, and targeting those states with the least consumer protections. That would drive up premiums for everyone else trying to buy insurance in the state.

RHETORIC: The House Republicans’ bill allows individuals, small businesses, and trade associations to pool together to acquire health insurance at lower prices, the same way large corporations and labor unions do today.

REALITY: So-called "Association Health Plans" will reduce choices for small businesses and leave consumers vulnerable to fraud and abuse.

Association Health Plans are Exempt from State Consumer Protections: Association Health Plans (AHPs) allow small businesses from different states to pool together to buy health insurance that is exempt from consumer protections secured by many state laws. They undermine states’ comprehensive tools to prevent, identify and shut down fraudulent plans.

AHPs Allow Insurers to Cherry Pick Healthy Workers: By avoiding state consumer protections, AHPs make it easier for insurance companies to "cherry pick" healthy individuals and firms, leaving out those who are older or sicker, raising premiums for everyone else.

RHETORIC: The House Republican bill gives states the incentives through bonus payments to create their own reforms that lower health care costs and increase coverage.

REALITY: The Republican bill provides neither the means for cost containment nor the support that states need to get at cost drivers and increase the affordability of health care. It includes: 

NO policies to promote quality health care and efficiency of health care in private or public health insurance.
NO premium assistance for middle-income families that struggle to pay for health insurance.
NO increased support or options for states to build the platforms to improve the delivery system.

RHETORIC: The House Republican bill ends junk lawsuits that contribute to higher health care costs.

REALITY: The Republican bill offers new no ideas. The bill caps the amount of damages a person injured can receive and will preempt state consumer protection laws.

President Obama and House Democrats support a range of ideas on how to put patient safety first and let doctors focus on practicing medicine. That’s why President Obama issued a Presidential Memorandum on September 17th directing the HHS Secretary to move forward with an initiative to give states and health systems the opportunity to apply for medical liability demonstration projects. House Democrats have also included a voluntary state incentive grants program in their bill to encourage states to develop alternatives to traditional malpractice litigation. 

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On October 2, The President proclaimed October “National Energy Awareness Month,” a month to recognize the contributions of individuals, organizations, and companies committed to taking charge and creating an American clean energy future.

So what was the Obama Administration up to during Energy Awareness Month?

October 5: The President Signs an Executive Order on Federal Sustainability which directs the Federal government to lead by example, practice what we preach and help build a clean energy economy through how we operate—a personnel of more than 1.8 million in the Federal government and military. The Order asks each agency to create a 2020 greenhouse gas emissions reduction target. The full text on the order can be found here.

October 19: Vice President Biden Unveils Report Focused on Expanding Green Jobs And Energy Savings For Middle Class. Along with Secretaries Chu, Donovan, and Solis, Chair Sutley, and Administrators Mills and Jackson, Vice President Biden unveiled a report on the Recovery Through Retrofit program—a program that builds on the foundation laid in the Recovery Act to expand green job opportunities and boost energy savings by making homes more energy efficient. Since May 2009, eleven Departments and Agencies and six White House Offices have worked together and in mid-November, the group will submit an implementation plan to the Vice President.  See video of the report’s release here.

October 19: White House Launches GreenGov Challenge—A Bottom-Up Approach to Greening Government, running from Oct. 19 — 31, challenges federal and military personnel to take part in implementing the President’s Executive Order on Federal Sustainability by suggesting clean energy ideas and voting on others. This program can be found here and the video of the President’s announcement can be found here.

October 23: The President Challenges Americans to Lead the Global Economy in Clean Energy in Boston, MA. The President traveled to Boston, where workers will soon be breaking ground on a new Wind Technology Testing Center to test the world’s newest and largest wind turbine blades. He also visited research laboratories at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology working on the frontiers of solar, battery, and wind technologies. Read the President’s full remarks here.

October 27: President Obama Announces $3.4 Billion Investment to Spur Transition to Smart Energy Grid in 49 States.  While in Arcadia, Florida the President, along with Carol Browner, the Assistant to the President for Energy and Climate Change, traveled to announce a $3.4 billion investment of Recovery Act funds to modernize the electric grid.   The President spoke at Florida Power and Light’s DeSoto Next Generation Solar Energy Center and announced that the $3.4 billion will go towards projects that will create tens of thousands of jobs, benefit consumers in 49 states, and be matched by industry funding for a total public-private investment worth over $8 billion.To read more about the President’s travel see here.

From October 28 to 30, Cabinet Members and Administration officials fanned out across the country to discuss how the Smart Grid investment will create jobs, improve the reliability and efficiency of the electrical grid, and help bring clean energy sources from high-production states to those with less renewable generating capacity. 

Secretary Chu; PECO in Philadelphia, PA
Secretary Salazar; CenterPoint in Houston, TX
Secretary Solis; Nevada Energy in Las Vegas, NV
Secretary Donovan; Baltimore Gas and Electric in Baltimore, MD
Administrator Jackson; Progress Energy in Raleigh, NC
Dr. Ed Montgomery; Detroit Edison Company in Detroit, MI

October 27: Vice President Announces the Reopening of a Once-Shuttered GM Factory that will soon put people back to work building plug-in, electric hybrid vehicles.  The  Vice President announced that auto production will be returning to an old GM assembly line in Wilmington, Deleware—an example of the partnership between states and workers through the White House Council on Automotive Communities and Workers. Read more about the Vice President’s trip here. 

October 28: Federal Agencies Enter an Agreement Regarding Transmission Siting on Federal Lands, releasing a Memorandum of Understanding signed by nine Federal Departments and Agencies to make it faster and simpler to build transmission lines on Federal lands. See more on the agreement here.

October 30: Secretary Chu and Chair Sutley honor National Weatherization Day, highlighting the numerous funds already provided to homes and businesses across the nation, to protect American families from weather damages, save consumers in their utility costs, and prevent the waste of excess energy.

Three Clean Energy Economy Forums Hosted at the White House. Since late August, the White House has hosted several clean energy briefings with energy stakeholder groups on the clean energy message.  The first of such forums occurred on August 24 and brought in industry leaders and manufacturers from the Midwest. Just this month, three more forums brought hundreds of business and industry leaders to the White House to engage in discussion with senior Administration Officials on building the clean energy economy that will position us to prosper for generations to come. Videos of the forums can be found online here.   

Heather Zichal is Deputy Assistant to the President for Energy and Climate Change

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