Obama Care: May 14, 2013

Tuesday, May 14, 2013

Statement by the Press Secretary on the visit of Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah of Brunei Darussalam to the White House

Statement by the Press Secretary on the visit of Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah of Brunei Darussalam to the White House | The White House Skip to main content | Skip to footer site map The White House. President Barack Obama Get Email Updates Contact 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 March 06, 2013 Statement by the Press Secretary on the visit of Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah of Brunei Darussalam to the White House

President Obama will welcome His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah of Brunei Darussalam to the White House on Tuesday, March 12, 2013. The United States and Brunei have strong bilateral relations and have a shared interest in working together to ensure the continued peace, stability and prosperity of the Asia Pacific region. The President looks forward to discussing preparations for the East Asia Summit and U.S.-ASEAN Summit, which will be held in Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei in October, and to consulting with His Majesty on a broad range of strategic and economic issues of mutual concern.

The Sultan’s visit underscores the strategic importance the President places on the Asia Pacific region and to substantive engagement with our friends and partners in the region. It highlights the President’s commitment to participating fully in the region’s multilateral forums in order to foster cooperation, maintain stability and promote economic growth. The visit also provides an opportunity for the two leaders to continue progress on the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP).

Blog posts on this issue March 09, 2013 5:45 AM ESTWeekly Address: End the Sequester to Keep Growing the Economy

In his weekly address, President Obama says that businesses have created jobs every month for three years straight – nearly 6.4 million altogether, and have added 246,000 new jobs in February. We must keep this momentum going, and that’s why the President recently met with Republican leaders to discuss how we can replace the harmful, arbitrary budget cuts, called the “sequester,” with balanced deficit reduction.

March 08, 2013 6:33 PM ESTFirst Lady Michelle Obama and Secretary of State John Kerry Present International Women of Courage Awards

Mrs. Obama and Sec. Kerry celebrate International Women's Day by honoring nine extraordinary women.

March 08, 2013 5:55 PM ESTEmpowering All Women to Reach Their Full Potential

President Obama has made promoting gender equality and advancing the status of women and girls central to our foreign policy and national security strategy, including by leading by example at home.

En español Accessibility Copyright Information Privacy Policy Contact USA.gov Developers Apply for a Job

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Health Law Covers Breast Pumps, But Not All Moms Get The Best

Under the Affordable Care Act, insurance plans are required to give new mothers equipment and services to enable them to breast feed. What that means in practical terms for most moms is that insurers have to cover the cost of a breast pump – either a rental or a new one.

What the law doesn't say, however, is what kind of pump has to be provided. It is left to the insurance companies, following doctors’ recommendations, to decide whether to cover the cost of an electric or a manual pump.

Megan Lopez works full-time as a customer service representative at the OnPoint Credit Union in Portland, Ore.. She has a nine-month old baby whom she hopes to nurse for at least a year. She had been using a borrowed electric pump, but she had to return that when her friend had another child.

So she was pleased recently to learn about the breastfeeding support in the health law.

"I was excited. Because I said this is perfect. I can get a new breast pump and I need one, because I have to give mine back," Lopez said.

Megan Lopez has a nine-month old and works full time (Photo by Kristian Foden-Vencil/OPB).

But when she contacted her insurer, Kaiser Permanente, her initial enthusiasm was quickly tempered. (Kaiser Health News is not affiliated with the insurer Kaiser Permanente.)

The Kaiser representative told her that the plan would provide a manual pump. “And I said: 'Really?' Because that's not even possible if you're working full-time,” Lopez recalls. “So I just said: 'Okay, whatever, I'm not going to get that, because it's not really going to work for me.' So I was pretty bummed out."

She says electric pumps are high powered and supposed to simulate a nursing child, whereas she finds manual pumps weak and clumsy.

But, she says, the main problem is the time it takes at work to express milk for her baby.

"It already takes my whole break to pump as it is with an electric pump on both breasts,” Lopez says. “So to do a hand pump and do it on each side, I couldn't even imagine. It'd be inconvenient."

A high-end, electric double-breast pump can cost $300, whereas an inexpensive manual one can be as little as $35.

Dr. Kim Luft, a pediatrician with Kaiser Permanente, says manual pumps meet the basic needs of most moms, but the insurer would cover an electric pump if it were a medical necessity. She also suggested that Lopez and others can work with their employers to find time to use the manual pump.

"If she's having an issue of not having enough time at work, then seeing if she could talk to her employer about the Oregon law that allows time for breast feeding, so she could get the time she needed," Luft says.

Lopez has no problem with her employer, OnPoint.

But Lopez says she doesn't want to take extra time and leave her work for others.

OnPoint issued a statement affirming its support for nursing mothers and noting that it is committed to making it easy and comfortable to pump during the work day. For example, OnPoint says it provides a private dedicated break room and up to 30-minute breaks for nursing mothers -- which it says is consistent with wage and hour laws.

Luft says essentially it comes down to money.

"We have limited resources and we have to be good stewards with those resources so that people's premiums … don't go high,” she explains. “But we're still giving everyone the basic medical care that they need, and it's a balancing act. And it's hard."

Judy Waxman, vice president for health and reproductive rights at the National Women’s Law Center, says the problem is that the law isn’t specific about what insurers need to cover.

"We are looking to the agency to clarify what it actually means so that women will be able to get the kinds of equipment that they actually need and will work for them," she says.

Mayra Alvarez is the director of public health policy at Office of Health Reform in the Department of Health and Human Services. She said the health law allows plans “reasonable strategies to manage their costs” for breast pumps, but doctors have the final say about what equipment new mothers should get.

"Health plans must cover what doctors find to be medically appropriate for his or her patient," she says.

This story is part of a collaboration that includes Oregon Public Broadcasting, NPR and Kaiser Health News.

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GOP lawmaker: Reid told me nothing would be done before election

Shorty after Sen. Jerry Moran (R-Kansas) was elected, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) told Moran that the Senate would not do anything until after the 2012 presidential election.

"I was standing on the Senate floor and I was approached by Sen. Reid," Moran said during a speech Thursday hosted by the Ripon Society. "I knew Sen. Reid from my days in the House. Sen. Reid had a locker just a few down from me in the House gym, and we’d see each other each morning for a long number of years. And Sen. Reid that day, in a casual conversation, asked me, ‘Jerry, how do you like the Senate?’ My response was that I’m very grateful for the opportunity that I’ve been given. But Leader, we’re not doing anything. Sen. Reid’s response was, ‘Jerry, you need to understand that we’re not going to do anything until after the election.’"

Moran recounted the story while he was explaining what prompted him to take a job as chairman of National Republican Senatorial Committee.

"When you get elected to public office, and there are very few elections that are easy and most of us are motivated by the desire to do something, and to be told at that stage —almost two years before the next election— that nothing was going to be done, was an eye-opening experience to me and was very troublesome," Moran said.

"And so my interest in serving in the NRSC capacity really revolves around a desire to see the Senate function, to have regular order, to have the opportunity for Americans to see their Senators have a debate, to have votes occur and to have the country see the Senate move in the direction it ought to go."

Reid's office did not respond to a request for comment.

Moran was appointed chairman of the NRSC in late 2012 and immediately named Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Rob Portman (R-Ohio) as vice chairmen.

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Notice -- Continuation of the National Emergency with Respect to the Situation in Zimbabwe

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

NOTICE

- - - - - - -

CONTINUATION OF THE NATIONAL EMERGENCY WITH RESPECT TO

THE SITUATION IN ZIMBABWE

On March 6, 2003, by Executive Order 13288, the President declared a national emergency and blocked the property of persons undermining democratic processes or institutions in Zimbabwe, pursuant to the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701-1706). He took this action to deal with the unusual and extraordinary threat to the foreign policy of the United States constituted by the actions and policies of certain members of the Government of Zimbabwe and other persons to undermine Zimbabwe's democratic processes or institutions. These actions and policies had contributed to the deliberate breakdown in the rule of law in Zimbabwe, to politically motivated violence and intimidation in that country, and to political and economic instability in the southern African region.

On November 22, 2005, the President issued Executive Order 13391 to take additional steps with respect to the national emergency declared in Executive Order 13288 by ordering the blocking of the property of additional persons undermining democratic processes or institutions in Zimbabwe.

On July 25, 2008, the President issued Executive Order 13469, which expanded the scope of the national emergency declared in Executive Order 13288 and ordered the blocking of the property of additional persons undermining democratic processes or institutions in Zimbabwe.

The actions and policies of these persons continue to pose an unusual and extraordinary threat to the foreign policy of the United States. For this reason, the national emergency declared on March 6, 2003, and the measures adopted on that date, on November 22, 2005, and on July 25, 2008, to deal with that emergency, must continue in effect beyond March 6, 2013. 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 declared in Executive Order 13288.

This notice shall be published in the Federal Register and transmitted to the Congress.

BARACK OBAMA

Hanging Out with First Lady Michelle Obama

Mrs. Obama joins a virtual conversation about Let’s Move!, her initiative to ensure our nation’s kids grow up healthy and reach their full potential.

The Open Government Partnership publishes the text of the President's directive extending whistleblower protections to the intelligence and national security communities, as requested by the community.

The Department of Labor celebrates its centennial anniversary and looks forward to continuing its important work on behalf on America's workers.

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Weekly Address: Congress Must Compromise to Stop the Impact of the Sequester

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Office of the Press Secretary

Hi, everybody. On Friday, I met with leaders of both parties in Congress to try and find a way forward in light of the severe budget cuts – known in Washington as “the sequester” – that have already started to inflict pain on communities across the country.

These cuts are not smart. They will hurt our economy and cost us jobs. And Congress can turn them off at any time – as soon as both sides are willing to compromise.

As a nation, we’ve already fought back from the worst economic crisis of our lifetimes, and we’ll get through this, too. But at a time when our businesses are finally gaining some traction, hiring new workers, bringing jobs back to America – the last thing Washington should do is to get in their way. That’s what these cuts to education, research, and defense will do. It’s unnecessary. And at a time when too many of our friends and neighbors are still looking for work, it’s inexcusable.

Now, it’s important to understand that, while not everyone will feel the pain of these cuts right away, the pain will be real. Many middle-class families will have their lives disrupted in a significant way.

Beginning this week, businesses that work with the military will have to lay folks off. Communities near military bases will take a serious blow. Hundreds of thousands of Americans who serve their country – Border Patrol agents, FBI agents, civilians who work for the Defense Department – will see their wages cut and their hours reduced.

This will cause a ripple effect across the economy. Businesses will suffer because customers will have less money to spend. The longer these cuts remain in place, the greater the damage. Economists estimate they could eventually cost us more than 750,000 jobs and slow our economy by over one-half of one percent.

Here’s the thing: none of this is necessary. It’s happening because Republicans in Congress chose this outcome over closing a single wasteful tax loophole that helps reduce the deficit. Just this week, they decided that protecting special interest tax breaks for the well-off and well-connected is more important than protecting our military and middle-class families from these cuts.

I still believe we can and must replace these cuts with a balanced approach – one that combines smart spending cuts with entitlement reform and changes to our tax code that make it more fair for families and businesses without raising anyone’s tax rates. That’s how we can reduce our deficit without laying off workers, or forcing parents and students to pay the price. I don’t think that’s too much to ask. It’s the kind of approach I’ve proposed for two years now. A majority of the American people agree with me on this approach – including a majority of Republicans. We just need Republicans in Congress to catch up with their own party and the rest of the country.

Now, I know there are Republicans in Congress who would actually rather see tax loopholes closed than let these cuts go through. And I know there are Democrats who’d rather do smart entitlement reform than let these cuts go through. There’s a caucus of common sense. And I’m going to keep reaching out to them to fix this for good.

Because the American people are weary of perpetual partisanship and brinksmanship. This is America, and in America, we don’t careen from one manufactured crisis to another. We make smart choices. We plan. We prioritize. So I’m going to push through this paralysis and keep fighting for the real challenges facing middle-class families. I’m going to keep pushing for high-quality preschool for every family that wants it, and make sure the minimum wage becomes a wage you can live on. I’m going to keep pushing to fix our immigration system, repair our transportation system, and keep our children safe from gun violence.

That’s the work you elected me to do. That’s what I’m focused on every single day. Thanks.

###

Mrs. Obama joins a virtual conversation about Let’s Move!, her initiative to ensure our nation’s kids grow up healthy and reach their full potential.

The Department of Labor celebrates its centennial anniversary and looks forward to continuing its important work on behalf on America's workers.

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Presidential Proclamation -- National Consumer Protection Week, 2013

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

A PROCLAMATION

Over 4 years ago, widespread abuses in America's financial system nearly brought our economy to its knees. Millions saw their life savings erode, businesses shuttered their doors, and families were devastated by job loss and foreclosure. This crisis cast a harsh light on the breakdown in oversight that led to an epidemic of irresponsibility, and it highlighted the need for common-sense regulations to protect the vast majority of Americans from the reckless actions of a few. During National Consumer Protection Week, we remember those lessons, and we recognize that our shared prosperity depends on empowering all Americans to make sound decisions for themselves and their families.

My Administration is ramping up consumer protection throughout the economy. Last year, we established a new unit to combat fraud and investigate the abusive lending and mortgage packaging that led to the housing crisis. We launched the "Know Before You Owe" campaign to help students and their parents make smart decisions about paying for college. We cracked down on unscrupulous lenders and credit card companies that charge hidden fees. And we did away with the practice of adding pages of misleading fine print to important financial agreements.

We are also committed to helping consumers avoid scams, protect their personal information, and make good financial decisions. That is why agencies across the Federal Government joined with consumer advocates to launch www.NCPW.gov, an online resource that provides practical advice for managing finances and safeguarding against identity theft.

As the driving force behind our economy, consumers deserve clear rules, fair treatment, and full disclosure. Whether opening credit cards, buying cars, applying for mortgages, or taking out student loans, all Americans should have access to complete, concise information. This week, we resolve to strengthen consumer rights and build a more transparent, efficient, effective marketplace.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim March 3 through March 9, 2013, as National Consumer Protection Week. I call upon government officials, industry leaders, and advocates across the Nation to share information about consumer protection and provide our citizens with information about their rights as consumers.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this first day of March, in the year of our Lord two thousand thirteen, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-seventh.

BARACK OBAMA

Mrs. Obama joins a virtual conversation about Let’s Move!, her initiative to ensure our nation’s kids grow up healthy and reach their full potential.

The Department of Labor celebrates its centennial anniversary and looks forward to continuing its important work on behalf on America's workers.

view all related blog posts

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120,000 Petition Signatories Urge National Geographic Channel To Denounce Boy Scouts Anti-Gay Policy

Today, GLAAD delivered 120,000 Change.org petition signatures to the National Geographic Channel urging the television network to denounce the anti-gay policy of the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) before tonight’s premiere of Are You Tougher Than A Boy Scout? Gay Eagle Scout Will Oliver helped deliver the petitions and pointed out that National Geographic has a nondiscrimination policy that protects sexual orientation, so it’s hypocritical to not call out the Boy Scouts:

OLIVER: By failing to acknowledge the Boy Scouts’ discriminatory policy, National Geographic Channel is turning a cold shoulder to gay and allied viewers. Silence implies apathy towards all the Scouts and leaders who have been forced to hide who they are. Over 120,000 people have spoken — not to demand that the show be canceled — but to ask that National Geographic Channel reaffirm its core belief in non-discrimination.

According to the BSA’s internal documents, the partnership with National Geographic is part of a plan to make Scouting look “cool” with youth. Oliver believes that Scouting is cool, but is urging the the network to air the following disclaimer before the show airs:

The current membership policy of the Boy Scouts of America goes against the policy of National Geographic Channel and the National Geographic Society. National Geographic Channel is an equal opportunity employer and does not support discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.

Oliver and GLAAD are meeting with NatGeo executives today, and hopefully a disclaimer like this airs with the show:

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Remarks by the First Lady Launching Let's Move! Active Schools -- Chicago, Illinois

Remarks by the First Lady Launching Let's Move! Active Schools -- Chicago, Illinois | The White House Skip to main content | Skip to footer site map The White House. President Barack Obama Get Email Updates Contact 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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2012: A Year in Photos

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For Immediate Release February 28, 2013 Remarks by the First Lady Launching Let's Move! Active Schools -- Chicago, Illinois McCormick Place
Chicago, Illinois

11:41 A.M. CST

MRS. OBAMA: Thank you. (Applause.) Thank you so much. I am thrilled to be here today as we launch Let’s Move Active Schools –- this unprecedented effort to bring physical education back to America’s schools.

And I want to start by recognizing Secretary Duncan, Mayor Emanuel, Jim Gavin, Allyson Felix. I want to thank you all for your extraordinary leadership and for taking the time to join us here today.

I also want to thank the Alliance for a Healthier Generation and the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance, who are working with the President’s Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition to launch this new effort. (Applause.) Absolutely. Yay. Well done.

And of course, I want to thank Nike and their CEO Mark Parker for their groundbreaking investments and passionate engagement to make all of this possible. And I also want to recognize Child Obesity 180, GenYouth, and Kaiser Permanente. Thank you all, thank you so much for your tremendous support. This is a groundbreaking, earth-shattering, awesomely-inspiring day. (Applause.)

And finally, I want to thank all of you. All of you, yes -- our educators, administrators, community leaders and parents who work hard every day on behalf of our children. You all know better than anyone else just how critical physical activity is for our children’s health and well-being. And you also know that today, we are nowhere near giving our kids the opportunities they need to be active.

Only one in three of our kids is active every day -- just one in three of our kids. And as Secretary Duncan said, that’s not just bad for their bodies, it’s also bad for their minds, because being less active can actually hurt kids’ academic performance as well.

The other thing we know is that it hasn’t always been this way. Just think back to what things were like when all of us old people were kids. Now, I grew up just a few miles from where we are today, over on the South Side. You guys know my background -- my family certainly wasn’t rich. Our neighborhood was just barely working-class. I attended public schools all through kindergarten all the way up through high school.

But my brother Craig and I, we had countless opportunities to be active every single day. We played freeze tag on the playground before school. I jumped double-dutch -- still can, actually -- at recess. We played softball. My brother played on hoops at a high school, basketball, every day after school.

And during the summer, we were regulars at the Chicago Park District day camp, where the highlight of that summer experience was a big Olympics competition at the end of the summer where we got medals and ribbons. It was amazing.

Back then, being active was a way of life. We were up and moving every single day, throughout the entire day. And the activities we did didn’t just teach us how to shoot or catch or sprint. Basketball helped my brother develop the discipline and focus that put him on the path to college –- a path that I would later follow.

Now, for me, playing sports taught me how to be part of a team, taught me how to be aggressive, how to compete and win -– which were important lessons for a young girl, especially back then. So for me and my brother and for so many other young people, being active was important –- not just for our health, but for our success in school and in life.

But times have changed. Our kids spend about half their waking hours in school. But today, due to budget cuts and limited resources, many schools simply can’t afford the activities we all took for granted when we were growing up. And I know that with each passing year, it feels like it’s just getting harder to find the time, and the money, and the will to help our kids be active.

But just because it’s hard doesn’t mean we should stop trying –- it means we should try harder. It means that all of us –- not just educators, but businesses and non-profits and ordinary citizens –- we all need to dig a little deeper, start getting even more creative.

And that’s what Let’s Move Active Schools is all about. It’s about all of us coming together to once again make being active a way of life for our kids. And it’s about showing our kids that being active is fun. How about a little fun? Because when kids have early, positive experiences with physical activity, that sets them on the course for life, shaping their habits not just when they’re young, but as adults, as well. And once we’ve gotten our kids excited about being active, then we need to give them opportunities to be active every day, throughout the day.

Now fortunately, it really doesn’t take much to get our kids moving. See, that’s the thing. It doesn’t take much. You don’t need to invest tens of thousands of dollars in new sports leagues or fancy equipment. You don’t need to find hours each day for recess and gym if that’s not possible. Quality physical education comes in all different forms, and it doesn’t have to cost a fortune.

But what it does take is leadership. That’s why we want to do everything we can to help leaders like all of you find solutions that work for your students and your communities. Because we know what you all are capable of.

Teachers in Elk Grove Village in Illinois start off every day with 20 minutes of kickboxing or cardio activities. They have regular “brain breaks” where kids get up and they're moving throughout the day.

In Natick, Massachusetts, parents came together and organized a physical activity program that meets in the morning before classes event get started, and teachers support, and also report, that kids in this program are more confident, they're showing that they are more attentive in class, and they're have better academic performance.

So whether it’s organizing dance flashmobs between classes, or an afterschool running club, or finding ways to incorporate physical activity into lessons throughout the day, the possibilities here are truly endless. And the need is truly urgent. And that’s something that I really want to emphasize today.

You see, this is about so much more than keeping our kids physically active. And it’s about more than making sure that they do well in school. I mean, this is about giving our kids the structure and support they need to thrive in every single aspect of their lives. It’s about giving them something to strive for, something to hope for, somewhere to belong. And physical activity is a critical part of that broader effort.

I often ask myself -- I ask myself this all the time -- where would I have been without all those activities that kept me safe and busy and off the streets? Where would my brother have been without the confidence and focus he learned playing basketball? Where would all of us be without the adults in our lives who pushed us, and nurtured us –- the folks who gave us opportunities to learn and grow and fulfill every one of our God-given potential?

That’s really what we’re talking about today. We’re talking about our responsibility to do all of that for the next generation, our kids. And that’s why all of you are here today. And make no mistake about it, you all are the ones who will determine whether this new initiative is successful.

And I know you can’t do this all on your own. I know that you all are facing so many constraints and juggling so many demands already, and lots of times there just aren’t enough hours in the day to do everything that needs to done. But that’s why Nike and all these other organizations here today have stepped up. They know your challenges.

They’ve invested their energy and resources and staff to give you the tools you need to make this happen. They’re offering grant money. They’re offering training. They’re offering technical assistance. So today, anyone in any community can become a champion to bring physical education back to their school.

So if you’re an educator, especially a physical education teacher, we need you to serve as one of those champions and rally support from your community. If you’re a principal or a superintendent, we need you to spread the word about this program and support the champions in your schools, encourage them to innovate and experiment. If you’re a parent, remember, you can serve as a champion yourself. And even if you don’t, you can play a critical role at home by pushing your kids to be active.

As you've heard, our goal is ambitious -- it's to reach 50,000 schools all across this country. So we're going to need everyone on board, because the stakes simply could not be higher. You see that every day -- all of you see it in your classrooms and in your communities. I see it everywhere I go, all across the country, every time I meet with our young people.

Every single one of these kids is special. They're all special. Every child I meet has the potential to contribute something amazing; to succeed in a job, to raise a family of their own, to give back to their community and to their country. Every child has that potential. But the fact is, it’s up to us as the grown-ups in the room to help them fulfill that potential.

It’s up to us to bring out the very best in all -- do you hear me -- all of our young people. That is our moral obligation to our children. That’s how we show them that we believe in them, and that’s how we teach them to believe in themselves.

It's also our patriotic obligation to this country. It’s how we raise the next generation of workers and innovators and leaders who will continue to make America the greatest nation on earth. That’s why these companies and organizations have stepped up to support all of you in this vitally important work.

And now, we need you to commit to making this work in your schools and communities. And once you do that -- and I know you will, I can feel it -- we need you to use your platforms as education leaders to reach out to other schools and other school districts. Share ideas and best practices, give them the encouragement they need to succeed as well.

And if we all do that, if we put in the time and energy and the imagination, then I am confident that together, we'll be able to give all of our children everything they need to lead the happy, healthy lives they truly deserve.

We are so proud of you all. We are proud of this effort. We are grateful to you all for your work and your focus on our kids. Thank you so much, and God bless.

END
11:54 A.M. CST

Blog posts on this issue March 04, 2013 6:52 PM ESTHanging Out with First Lady Michelle Obama

Mrs. Obama joins a virtual conversation about Let’s Move!, her initiative to ensure our nation’s kids grow up healthy and reach their full potential.

March 04, 2013 3:52 PM ESTFulfilling our Commitment to Open Government: We Hear You

March 04, 2013 3:01 PM ESTU.S. Department of Labor Celebrates 100 Years of Helping American Workers

The Department of Labor celebrates its centennial anniversary and looks forward to continuing its important work on behalf on America's workers.

En español Accessibility Copyright Information Privacy Policy Contact USA.gov Developers Apply for a Job

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President Obama Grants Pardons

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

WASHINGTON – Today President Barack Obama granted pardons to the following seventeen individuals:

• Robert Leroy Bebee – Rockville, Maryland.
Offense: Misprision of a felony, 18 U.S.C. § 4.
Sentence: Two years probation.

• James Anthony Bordinaro – Gloucester, Massachusetts.
Offenses: Conspiracy to restrain, suppress, and eliminate competition in violation of the Sherman Act, 15 U.S.C. § 1; conspiracy to submit false statements, 18 U.S.C. § 371.
Sentence: 12 months imprisonment, three years supervised release and a $55,000 fine.

• Kelli Elisabeth Collins – Harrison, Arkansas.
Offense: Aiding and abetting a wire fraud, 18 U.S.C. §§ 1343, 2.
Sentence: Five years probation.

• Edwin Hardy Futch, Jr. – Pembroke, Georgia.
Offense: Theft from an interstate shipment, 18 U.S.C. §§ 659, 2.
Sentence: Five years probation, $2,399.72 restitution.

• Cindy Marie Griffith – Moyock, North Carolina.
Offense: Distribution of satellite cable television decryption devices, 47 U.S.C.
§ 605(e)(4), 18 U.S.C. § 2.
Sentence: Two years probation with 100 hours of community service.

• Roy Eugene Grimes, Sr. – Athens, Tennessee.
Offenses: Falsely altering a United States postal money order, 18 U.S.C. § 500; passing,
uttering, and publishing a forged and altered money order with intent to defraud,
18 U.S.C. § 500.
Sentence: 18 months probation.

• Jon Christopher Kozeliski – Decatur, Illinois.
Offense: Conspiracy to traffic counterfeit goods, 18 U.S.C. §§ 371, 2320.
Sentence: One year of probation with six months of home confinement, $10,000 fine.

• Jimmy Ray Mattison – Anderson, South Carolina.
Offenses: Conspiracy to transport and cause the transportation of altered securities in
interstate commerce, 18 U.S.C. §§ 371, 2314; transporting and causing the transportation
of altered securities in interstate commerce, 18 U.S.C. §§ 2314, 2.
Sentence: Three years probation.

• An Na Peng – Honolulu, Hawaii.
Offense: Conspiracy to defraud the Immigration and Naturalization Service,
18 U.S.C. § 371.
Sentence: Two years probation, $2,000 fine.

• Michael John Petri – Montrose, South Dakota.
Offense: Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribution of a controlled
substance (cocaine), 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a), 846.
Sentence: Five years imprisonment, three years supervised release.

• Karen Alicia Ragee – Decatur, Illinois.
Offense: Conspiracy to traffic counterfeit goods, 18 U.S.C. §§ 371, 2320.
Sentence: One year of probation with six months of home confinement, $2,500 fine.

• Jamari Salleh – Alexandria, Virginia.
Offense: False claims upon and against the United States, 18 U.S.C. §§ 287, 2.
Sentence: Four years probation, $5,000 fine, $5,900 restitution.

• Alfor Sharkey – Omaha, Nebraska.
Offense: Unauthorized acquisition of food stamps, 7 U.S.C. § 2024(b)(1).
Sentence: Three years probation with 100 hours of community service, $2,750 restitution.

• Donald Barrie Simon, Jr. – Chattanooga, Tennessee.
Offense: Aiding and abetting in the theft of an interstate shipment, 18 U.S.C. §§ 659, 2.
Sentence: Two years imprisonment, three years probation.

• Lynn Marie Stanek – Tualatin, Oregon.
Offense: Unlawful use of a communication facility to distribute cocaine,
21 U.S.C. § 843(b).
Sentence: Six months in jail, five years probation conditioned on residence in a
community treatment center for a period not to exceed one year.

• Larry Wayne Thornton – Forsyth, Georgia.
Offense: Possession of an unregistered firearm, 26 U.S.C. §§ 5861(d), 5871; possession of
a firearm without a serial number, 26 U.S.C. §§ 5861(i), 5871.
Sentence: Four years probation.

• Donna Kaye Wright – Friendship, Tennessee.
Offense: Embezzlement and misapplication of bank funds, 18 U.S.C. § 656.
Sentence: 54 days imprisonment, three years probation conditioned on performance of six hours of community service per week.

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The Department of Labor celebrates its centennial anniversary and looks forward to continuing its important work on behalf on America's workers.

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Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release February 28, 2013 Statement from the President

Today, Republicans in the Senate faced a choice about how to grow our economy and reduce our deficit. And instead of closing a single tax loophole that benefits the well-off and well-connected, they chose to cut vital services for children, seniors, our men and women in uniform and their families. They voted to let the entire burden of deficit reduction fall squarely on the middle class.

I believe we should do better. We should work together to reduce our deficit in a balanced way – by making smart spending cuts and closing special interest tax loopholes. That’s exactly the kind of plan Democrats in the Senate have proposed. But even though a majority of Senators support this approach, Republicans have refused to allow it an up-or-down vote – threatening our economy with a series of arbitrary, automatic budget cuts that will cost us jobs and slow our recovery.

Tomorrow I will bring together leaders from both parties to discuss a path forward. As a nation, we can’t keep lurching from one manufactured crisis to another. Middle-class families can’t keep paying the price for dysfunction in Washington. We can build on the over $2.5 trillion in deficit reduction we’ve already achieved, but doing so will require Republicans to compromise. That’s how our democracy works, and that’s what the American people deserve.

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