Sunday, March 17, 2013

Remarks by Dr. Jill Biden at Wounded Warriors Reception at Winfield House

The White House

Office of the Vice President

Hello, everyone! Thank you, Marjorie, for hosting us here today and for your ongoing collaboration as we support our service men and women and their families.

As Second Lady, and as a military mom, I have been honored to spend time with our troops, and our recovering service members—and I am so inspired by the strength and resilience of both British and American military families and veterans.  Major Peter Norton, thank you for your service.

I know a spirit of service is deeply ingrained in all of you … that the warrior mentality doesn’t leave you when you return from war – or when you separate from the military. 

Over the past few days, I have visited with Wounded Warriors and medical staff at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center … and spent the day with soldiers and their families at a US Army base in Germany.

With each visit, I am reminded that our service members and their families have done so much for us … and we can all do something in return.

That spirit is what fuels the Joining Forces initiative the First Lady and I started to support and honor our troops and military families.

And I am very pleased to not only visit with some of the heroes that make the British military so strong, but also all the organizations here that support them.

I know that over the past 10 years, you have all worked so hard to improve the lives of the men and women who have sacrificed so much.  It is your dedication and support that has made all the difference for so many veterans and their families.

You are truly Joining Forces. 

The bonds that British and American troops share are unbreakable. You have served alongside one another every step of the way. Over 250,000 British troops have served alongside Americans in Iraq and Afghanistan. You are brothers and sisters in combat, but also in healing. 

In 2010, a soldier named Brian attended a holiday gathering Joe and I hosted in our home. Brian was newly injured at the time, and he and his young family were adjusting to his new normal – walking on prosthetics … separating from the military … and caring for a newborn while healing from amputations and internal injuries sustained during a blast in Iraq. 

Almost a year later, I was visiting wounded warriors at Walter Reed hospital when I met another young soldier who had just been injured in Afghanistan. 

He told me that he had been struggling to adjust to losing his legs, and to the long healing process ahead of him. 

But he said he was feeling much better because a fellow injured soldier had reached out to him and was mentoring him.  That soldier was Brian. 

Just a year after being injured, Brian was thriving. He gave other wounded warriors confidence that they too would once again be whole. 

I use Brian as an example of that same inner strength we have seen in you as many of you have pursued physical challenges beyond what you ever imagined you could accomplish after your injuries.

Not only do you inspire countless other recovering warriors, you inspire me … my husband Joe … President Barack Obama … First Lady Michelle Obama … and all Americans.

To our heroes and your families, thank you for your sacrifice and service, and to our British partners and friends, thank you for your ongoing commitment to our service men and women. 

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Message -- National Emergency with respect to Côte d’Ivoire

Message -- National Emergency with respect to Côte d’Ivoire | The White House Skip to main content | Skip to footer site map The White House. President Barack Obama The White House Emblem Get Email UpdatesContact Us Go to homepage. The White House Blog Photos & Videos Photo Galleries Video Performances Live Streams Podcasts 2012: A Year in Photos

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For Immediate Release February 04, 2013 Message -- National Emergency with respect to Côte d’Ivoire

TO THE CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES:

Section 202(d) of the National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 1622(d)) provides for the automatic termination of a national emergency, unless, within 90 days prior to the anniversary date of its declaration, the President publishes in the Federal Register and transmits to the Congress a notice stating that the emergency is to continue in effect beyond the anniversary date. In accordance with this provision, I have sent to the Federal Register for publication the enclosed notice stating that the national emergency declared in Executive Order 13396 of February 7, 2006, with respect to the situation in or in relation to Côte d'Ivoire is to continue in effect beyond February 7, 2013.

The situation in or in relation to Côte d'Ivoire, which has been addressed by the United Nations Security Council in Resolution 1572 of November 15, 2004, and subsequent resolutions, has resulted in the massacre of large numbers of civilians, widespread human rights abuses, significant political violence and unrest, and fatal attacks against international peacekeeping forces. Since the inauguration of President Alassane Ouattara in May 2011, the Government of Côte d'Ivoire has made progress in advancing democratic freedoms and economic development. While the Government of Côte d'Ivoire and its people continue to make progress towards peace and prosperity, the situation in or in relation to Côte d'Ivoire continues to pose an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States. For these reasons, I have determined that it is necessary to continue the national emergency and related measures blocking the property of certain persons contributing to the conflict in Côte d'Ivoire.

BARACK OBAMA

Extending Middle Class Tax Cuts

Blog posts on this issue February 05, 2013 3:00 PM ESTPresident Obama Makes a Statement on the Sequester

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U.S. Senate to mull bill banning 'pay for delay' pharmaceutical deals

WASHINGTON, Feb 5 (Reuters) - Key Democratic and Republican senators reintroduced legislation on Tuesday that would make it illegal for brand-name pharmaceutical companies to pay generic drug makers to keep their cheaper medicines off the market.

Such deals, in which brand-name drug companies resolve patent litigation with potentially infringing generic firms by reaching a settlement that delays a generic version of a drug in exchange for a payment, have angered U.S. and European antitrust enforcers for years.

The bill is sponsored by Senator Amy Klobuchar, a Democrat from Minnesota and the new chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee's antitrust panel, and by Senator Chuck Grassley, a Republican from Iowa.

"I have long supported efforts to crack down on this behavior and the recent rise in pay-for-delay agreements underscores the need for legislation to help make sure people have access to the drugs they need at a price they can afford," Klobuchar said in a statement.

Similar bills, including one in 2010, have failed in part because of opposition from the drug industry, both branded and generic. It was not immediately known if a companion bill would be introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives.

The Federal Trade Commission said in January that brand name drug firms reached agreements with generic manufacturers 40 times in the latest fiscal year, delaying the arrival of cheaper drugs to pharmacists' shelves. That was up from 28 the previous year and the highest since the FTC started tracking them.

The FTC has thus far had mixed success in fighting the pay-for-delay deals in court, but the issue could be coming to a head.

Most recently, the U.S. Supreme Court agreed to hear an appeal by the FTC, which had challenged annual payments of $31 million to $42 million by then-owner Solvay Pharmaceuticals Inc to stop generic versions of AndroGel, a treatment for the underproduction of testosterone, until 2015. AndroGel is now a product of AbbVie.

In Brussels in late January, EU antitrust regulators stepped up their fight against drug companies suspected of blocking cheap generic medicines, charging Johnson & Johnson and Novartis over the painkiller fentanyl.

The European antitrust watchdog said it believed the two had agreed on a "pay-for-delay" deal on generic versions of the drug, hurting Dutch consumers and healthcare providers.


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The next step in strategic arms control

By Stephen A. Cheney and Terri S. Lodge, American Security Project - 02/05/13 03:30 PM ET

Last week, Sen. Hagel’s confirmation hearing sparked a heated debate over the future of the U.S. nuclear arsenal. Some still define our arsenal by the rigid paradigm of the Cold War, a paradigm that is out of touch with today’s dynamic, multipolar security environment.

This week, the two-year anniversary of the entry into force of the last U.S.-Russia nuclear agreement - the New START Treaty - invites us to examine further steps to bring our nuclear deterrent into the 21st century.

We must update our strategy by eliminating excessive nuclear capabilities, maintaining a safe, secure, and usable deterrent force, and investing in defense capabilities that effectively address 21st century challenges.

President Ronald Reagan laid the foundation for the post-Cold War arsenal. “We're not just discussing limits on a further increase of nuclear weapons; we seek, instead, to reduce their number,” he said in his second inaugural address.

His successors built on his call for nuclear reductions. President George H.W. Bush oversaw a fifty percent reduction to the U.S. nuclear stockpile. Another fifty percent reduction was implemented under President George W. Bush. These reductions allowed the U.S. to eliminate unnecessary nuclear capabilities while maintaining a credible nuclear deterrent.

Despite this progress, the U.S. nuclear arsenal is still weighed down by unnecessary, excessive weapons. Two years after New START, the U.S. still has close to 2,000 deployed strategic nuclear weapons, plus thousands of warheads in reserve, and Russia is in a similar situation.

There is a growing consensus for a new round of nuclear reductions, beginning with bilateral, verifiable negotiations with Russia. Sen. Hagel highlighted this during his confirmation hearing, and he is not alone. And whether the U. S. and Russia negotiate a new arms control agreement sooner or later, many respected military leaders, former national security officials, and current policymakers support strategic reductions and effective investments that will strengthen our nuclear deterrent.

Some of these leaders are Republicans; some are Democrats. They may not agree on many national security issues, but they do agree that the U.S. can maintain a credible nuclear deterrent with far fewer than the 1,550 warheads allowed under the New START Treaty.

Chair of the Armed Services Committee Senator Carl Levin (D-Mich.), for example, recently noted our "over-reliance on nuclear weapons in the last 20 years."

Sen. Sam Nunn (D-Ga.), Sen. Levin’s predecessor on the Armed Service Committee, shares this view. In fact, Sen. Nunn is one of many policymakers who support divesting from nuclear weapons and investing in more effective defense capabilities.

Former Secretary of State Colin Powell argued for nuclear reductions on the grounds that maintaining unnecessary nuclear weapons at the expense of other critical defense programs doesn’t make sense.

"We have every incentive to reduce the number [of nuclear weapons],” Powell once said. “These are expensive. They take away from soldier pay. They take away from lots of things. There is no incentive to keep more than you believe you need for the security of the nation."

The strong bipartisan support for nuclear reductions shows that this is a smart strategy, not a political game. Eliminating unneeded nuclear weapons frees up resources for more relevant defense programs, making the U.S. safer.

A new round of negotiations with Russia, building on New START, is the next logical step for making nuclear reductions in a way that preserves strategic stability. U.S.-Russia relations have been tense throughout the election year, but the long history of cooperation in the nuclear area bodes well.

Vice President Joe Biden and National Security Advisor Tom Donilon traveled to Moscow this weekend, reportedly to begin new nuclear talks. This is a good sign that U.S. and Russia recognize the need to move on from Cold War thinking, even if that means working through some difficult negotiations.

This trip is just a first step, but it is a step in the right direction. A new approach to nuclear weapons can only strengthen U.S. national security, something policymakers on both sides of the aisle can proudly support.

Cheney is CEO and Lodge is director of Nuclear Security at the American Security Project, a nonpartisan research organization whose board members include Sen. Chuck Hagel and until recently included Sec. John Kerry. 

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Presidential Memorandum -- Designation of Officers of the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation to Act as Director of the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation

Presidential Memorandum -- Designation of Officers of the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation to Act as Director of the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation | The White House Skip to main content | Skip to footer site map The White House. President Barack Obama The White House Emblem Get Email UpdatesContact Us Go to homepage. The White House Blog Photos & Videos Photo Galleries Video Performances Live Streams Podcasts 2012: A Year in Photos

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For Immediate Release February 01, 2013 Presidential Memorandum -- Designation of Officers of the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation to Act as Director of the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation February 1, 2013   MEMORANDUM FOR THE DIRECTOR OF THE PENSION BENEFIT GUARANTY CORPORATION SUBJECT: Designation of Officers of the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation to Act as Director of the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation  By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including the Federal Vacancies Reform Act of 1998, 5 U.S.C. 3345 et seq. (the "Act"), it is hereby ordered that: Section 1. Order of Succession. Subject to the provisions of section 2 of this memorandum, and to the limitations set forth in the Act, the following officials of the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation, in the order listed, shall act as and perform the functions and duties of the office of Director of the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (Director) during any period in which the Director has died, resigned, or is otherwise unable to perform the functions and duties of the office of Director: (a) Chief Management Officer; (b) Chief Operating Officer; (c) Chief Financial Officer; and (d) General Counsel. Sec. 2. Exceptions. (a) No individual who is serving in an office listed in section 1 of this memorandum in an acting capacity, by virtue of so serving, shall act as the Director pursuant to this memorandum. (b) No individual listed in section 1 of this memorandum shall act as Director unless that individual is otherwise eligible to so serve under the Act. (c) Notwithstanding the provisions of this memorandum, the President retains discretion, to the extent permitted by law, to depart from this memorandum in designating an acting Director. Sec. 3. Prior Memorandum Superseded. This memorandum supersedes the President's Memorandum of December 9, 2008 (Designation of Officers of the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation to Act as Director of the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation). Sec. 4. Judicial Review. This memorandum is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person. Sec. 5. Publication. You are authorized and directed to publish this memorandum in the Federal Register.  BARACK OBAMA

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Small Caps Have Room to Run: Steven DeSanctis

The FMHR traders discuss today's top three trades, including Netflix shares trading higher; and Steven DeSanctis, BofA Merrill Lynch, offers insight on the Russell 2000's recent record highs, and whether small caps have room to run.

Plenty of small-cap stocks still offer attractive valuation and re-accelerating earnings, Steven DeSanctis of Bank of America Merrill Lynch said Tuesday on CNBC.

"Lots of names out there in the universe that still trade under 10 times earnings, three times cash, which generally gives you pretty good market going forward," he said.

"You also have earnings starting to re-accelerate as the U.S. economy is going to re-accelerate, and small-cap's got a nice tailwind with the U.S. housing market doing well, so I think they've got a lot more room to run."

On "Fast Money," DeSanctis said that technology was his top sector for 2013, citing attractive valuations, earnings momentum, some overseas exposure and good balance sheets.

"Health care is another group, looks attractive on a valuation basis," he added.

DeSanctis also shared which sectors appeared less favorable.

"We've gotten a little bit less defensive, so we're underweight staples and utilities. They look expensive. They perform well when the market is down or goes sideways, which we don't think is going to happen," he said. "And so I think growth over value with tech and health care is kind of our two favorite groups."

Trader disclosure: On Feb. 5, 2013, the following stocks and commodities mentioned or intended to be mentioned on CNBC's "Fast Money" were owned by the "Fast Money" traders: Joe Terranova is long VRTS; Joe Terranova is long AAPL; Joe Terranova is long MJN; Joe Terranova is long JPM; Joe Terranova is long DIS; Joe Terranova is long GS; Joe Terranova is long SWN; Joe Terranova is long XOM; Mike Murphy is long GS; Mike Murphy is long TGT; Mike Murphy is long FB; Mike Murphy is long TOL; Josh Brown is long AAPL; Josh Brown is long GLD; Josh Brown is long XLU; Josh Brown is long TLT; Josh Brown is long XLF; Josh Brown is long TGT.


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Court Holds Low Kansas School Funding Unconstitutional, Lawmakers Respond By Attacking Constitution

Just weeks after a three judge panel unanimously ruled the Kansas legislature was failing to meet its constitutionally defined responsibility to suitably fund the state’s education needs, conservative Kansas legislators responded with a proposal to limit judicial oversight of education funding. The January ruling ordered the legislature to raise education funding around $400 million to return the state’s schools to reasonable standards and called out the hypocrisy of cuts given other “priorities” pursued by the legislature at the same time:

The court said it was “illogical” for the state to argue that it could not adequately fund schools at the same time it slashed income taxes.

The ruling is the latest in a series of court victories for a group of public school districts, parents and students in Kansas who have demanded for years that the state provide more money for education.

A funding plan was devised for Kansas in 2006 through a settlement of a prior lawsuit but the groups filed suit again in 2010 when the state made an estimated $300 million in funding cuts. The state made even more cuts in 2011. There have been $511 million in cuts to the base funding between fiscal year 2009 and fiscal 2012.”

Rather than accept the decision and provide Kansan students with adequate funding, last week conservative legislators introduced a constitutional amendments intended to reduce judicial influence and Attorney General Derek Schmidt (R) appealed the ruling.

The large conservative majorities in both chambers of the Kansas legislature, have pursued an aggressive agenda under Governor Sam Brownback, including gutting arts funding, and attempting to end income taxes.

Kansas is not alone in constitutionally requiring education funding standards, with many other states including New Jersey and Washington fighting similar battles over education funding in recent years. Just yesterday, a District Judge ruled Texas’s school-finance system unconstitutional due to funding disparities between richer and poorer districts.


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Obama congratulates Ravens on winning Super Bowl

President Obama on Tuesday congratulated the Baltimore Ravens on winning the Super Bowl.

Obama called Ravens Head Coach John Harbaugh and General Manager Ozzie Newsome Tuesday afternoon to congratulate them on the Ravens' win over the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday.

Obama praised the Ravens for "an unbelievable year and for the steadiness the team displayed through the end" according to the White House.

Obama and first lady Michelle Obama were also "moved" by the story of O.J. Brigance, a former Ravens linebacker, who was diagnosed with Lou Gehrig's diseases in 2007. Brigance now uses a wheelchair and communicates through a device that translates what he is thinking. Brigance currently serves as senior adviser for player development.

Obama also said he looks forward to congratulating the team in person.

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GOP Senators Obstructing The Consumer Protection Bureau Receive Loads Of Wall Street Donations

43 Republican senators signed a letter last week saying that they would obstruct any nominee to run the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, regardless of qualifications, unless the CFPB is weakened. Republicans are essentially attempting to nullify a federal law via obstruction; Congress passed and President Obama signed a bill creating a CFPB, but the GOP is ensuring that it can’t function.

By weakening the CFPB, the GOP is doing the bidding of Wall Street’s biggest banks, which would have preferred that a regulator solely focused on consumer protection never come into being. Here are some facts and figures that Public Campaign pulled together on how much cash Wall Street has handed over to the 43 GOP’ers publicly obstructing Obama’s nominee:

The 43 Senators have received $143 million in industry cash during their time in Washington.

– Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), boosted by his 2008 presidential bid, is the top recipient of financial industry cash of those signing the letter, with $36.7 million in donations from the industry. McConnell is second with $7.4 million in donations. Sen. Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), the ranking member of the Senate Banking committee, has received $2.4 million in industry cash. [...]

The six Senators recently elected, or re-elected, in November who signed the letter — Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.), Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), Dean Heller (R-Nev.), and Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) — received nearly $7 million altogether in industry donations in the 2012 cycle. Hatch tops this list with $2 million raised from the industry for his last election.

Sen. Rob Portman (R-OH), who is one of two Republican senators that did not sign the letter, said last week that Richard Cordray, who was recess-appointed by Obama to be the first CFPB director, simply accede to the GOP’s hostage-taking and call for watering down his own agency.


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Statement by the President on the Twentieth Anniversary of the Family Medical Leave Act

Statement by the President on the Twentieth Anniversary of the Family Medical Leave Act | The White House Skip to main content | Skip to footer site map The White House. President Barack Obama The White House Emblem Get Email UpdatesContact Us Go to homepage. The White House Blog Photos & Videos Photo Galleries Video Performances Live Streams Podcasts 2012: A Year in Photos

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For Immediate Release February 05, 2013 Statement by the President on the Twentieth Anniversary of the Family Medical Leave Act

Twenty years ago today, the Family and Medical Leave Act became law, and we took a groundbreaking step forward for America’s workers and families. Before the FMLA, taking time off to care for yourself or a family member may have meant risking a job or derailing a career, especially for women, who often faced discrimination and stereotypes in the workplace. But this law helped level the playing field by extending protections to both women and men, so that more workers could meet their responsibilities to themselves and their families without jeopardizing their livelihood

Two decades later, we should take pride in the law’s success, and I am proud of the work my Administration has done to expand the FMLA’s protections to military families and airline workers.  But we also know there is still more work to do.  Not all employees are covered by the law, and oftentimes workers cannot afford to take unpaid leave.  So as we mark this anniversary, let us also recommit ourselves to the values that inspired the law and redouble our efforts on behalf of fairer workplaces and healthier, more secure families. 

Extending Middle Class Tax Cuts

Blog posts on this issue February 05, 2013 3:00 PM ESTPresident Obama Makes a Statement on the Sequester

President Obama explains that while our economy is headed in the right direction, looming automatic budget cuts will cost jobs and slow down our recovery.

February 05, 2013 12:48 PM ESTAnnouncing the State of the Union White House Social

Apply today for a chance to join the White House social media team for the State of the Union.

February 05, 2013 10:58 AM ESTAnnouncing We the People 2.0 and a White House Hackathon

We're working towards Petitions 2.0, releasing an API, and inviting a small group to join us on February 22, 2013 for the White House Open Data Day Hackathon.

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