Obama Care: Apr 10, 2013

Wednesday, April 10, 2013

US must do better in preparing professionals to help fight cyber attacks

By James Gabberty, professor of information systems, Pace University, New York City - 02/15/13 04:00 PM ET

While dozens of U.S. banks are in the midst of reviewing their information security policies after falling victim to recent successful network intrusions resulting from cyber-attacks, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post and even Twitter have joined the ranks of other high-value companies to have been targeted by hackers, most notably from China and Iran. It should come as no surprise to anyone following U.S. Internet vulnerabilities that China has been named as principal culprit behind a massive, sustained cyber-espionage campaign that threatens the nation’s economic competitiveness, according to a report released today by The National Intelligence Estimate.

While U.S. officials debate over what new measures, if any, to put in place to protect our economic interests, firms - both public and private – should consider what they can do to thwart these attacks from re-occurring, or to at least minimize the collective threat they pose to American business.

The plain and simple truth of the matter is that qualified information security practitioners are few and in high demand, especially as current and planned regulatory initiatives such as Sarbanes-Oxley and Dodd-Frank further constraining their availability.

Even from the perspective of the U.S. military, information security workers represent much more than basic levers of economic growth - they are a crucial component of the nascent effort to defend the nation’s information assets and our digital infrastructure. And we are losing the battle.

Given the mutual dependency of our economic and military infrastructure on the continuous availability and flow of confidential and high integrity data, one solution to solving the perpetual network probes and vulnerability scanning challenging U.S. companies is to retrain IT workers in the short term until long-term measures are put in place to protect our information infrastructure. But how can this be accomplished? After all, it takes years of technical training to produce computer and network programmers that can assist in combatting attacks from abroad. This may be true, but it is not the only way to protect U.S. economic interests.

One proven method is to train current IT workers by the thousands with the right mix of technical and managerial know-how that can be achieved in months, not years. Fortunately, the kind of training that these workers need already exists and is available through specialized training and professional credentialing agencies that specialize in information security, strategy and governance.

While the majority of network breaches are caused by social engineering – that is, leveraging the end user as an attack vector though which unauthorized access is gained to sensitive computing assets such as communication and database servers – some other protective measures are available now and should be implemented immediately to effectively curb future exploits that can threaten even the most protected computer enclaves.

Although social engineering points to a failure at the top of the organization to link information security with corporate strategy (as well as a lack of end user training that could effectuate a first line of defense against would-be attackers), more frequent reviews of corporate strategies needs to be done, with special attention paid to ensuring that the firm’s information security strategies are aligned with business strategies.

Furthermore, sensible sharing of current attack vectors used by untrustworthy state actors from abroad against our economic assets, as witnessed by our intelligence community, needs to take place. All too often, many U.S. businesses are simply unaware as to how to best keep their firms from falling victim to common methods used by foreign actors to steal sensitive intellectual property. Less than one year ago, for example, Dupont scientist Tse Chao pleaded guilty in federal court to stealing the color white, or more specifically, the secret recipe for the firm’s Titanium Dioxide that is used to make products white, as in paint, toothpaste, and even Oreo cookie filling! You can be sure that Dupont has revised its security strategy, but what are other firms, especially those that have not yet been victimized, doing to forestall becoming victims themselves?

Infected USB drives, for example, sprinkled in corporate parking lots and commuter trains floors is a common attack methodology used by adversaries to gain access to computer networks with miniscule effort, since the workers themselves are culpable of spotting them, picking them up, and inserting them into their computers when they arrive at work. How many of us have ‘gotten the memo’ about this simple attack technique? If nothing else, security awareness training for all computer users both inside and outside the firm is absolutely necessary and can help stop nefarious activities from succeeding.

Computer worms and scripted malware, on the other hand, don’t necessarily involve human interaction and often rely on that leveraging previously reconnoitered network servers that are misconfigured or run outdated operating systems, or even unstable software that is vulnerable to getting inside corporate networks. Locating IP addresses (the addressing scheme the Internet uses to relay information) of misconfigured devices is a trivial task, since one can simply search online search to learn how to perform ‘penetration testing’ , and since most laptop and tablet users don’t know how to configure their devices and user accounts properly before plugging into the Internet, it becomes even easier to hack into systems. Perhaps more worrisome is the trend of smartphones that connect to corporate servers; these devices have paltry security features and are increasingly being used as a gateway to internal networks by hackers. Phone hacking, as famous Hollywood types have become aware, is commonplace. [hint: turn off Bluetooth unless you are using it!]

The path to train the kind of IT worker that is urgently needed today is not found in traditional academic degree programs, but instead is found in the professional credentialing agencies that specialize in identifying and developing solutions against the kinds of attacks we are witnessing daily. Of course, the traditional academic programs of study are necessary to provide deeper insight into the IT function, but the quicker path to securing America’s national economic interests is through professional information security training and credentialing associations.

Although there are literally hundreds of information security certification programs available, several in particular provide the kind of critical training that can transform interested students into ‘cyber warriors’ to stave off most of the attacks coming out of Asia. A good idea is to spend some time reviewing which certifications are in high demand (easily obtained through trade magazines) and determining which for-profit agencies offer the biggest return on training dollar. The overall objective here, of course, is to bring about a highly skilled IT workforce that possessed, for example, a thorough understanding of proper incident handling techniques so when breaches do occur, they can quickly be identified, contained, and eradicated, not to mention the payoff that firms acquire when reviewing recent unsuccessful hacking attempts and adjusting the firm’s overall security strategy.

Furthermore, insight into common attack methods, malware analysis capabilities, network defense-in-depth techniques, and sound information security governance and policy frameworks that can boost the defensive postures of all firms and is also a necessary component of responding to the threats from network-based attacks. We simply cannot wait for a reversal in declining enrollment trends in the computing sciences to turn the tide against IT-leveraged international corporate espionage and should be doing everything we possibly can to keep our secrets protected.

While no one doubts that corporate information security policy starts at the top, the NIEs report makes it abundantly clear that current information security policies are proving ineffective. Too much trust is placed on lower-level technicians to ward off attacks on the firm. To stay ahead of so-called ‘script kiddies’ trying to hack into a company’s network is one thing, to keep away nation states hell bent on gaining access is another. This fact, coupled with the relatively miniscule amount of proven cyber warriors available today ultimately limits the ability of most firms to simply keep up with the ever-morphing catalog of millions of computer worms and viruses that grow by the thousands each day, hence the call for more certified IT security practitioners.

To protect against the potential devastation that the nefarious activities by hackers everywhere pose to all of us, it is vital stay in lockstep with the protocols being used by the most sophisticated malware purposefully designed to evade the most cleverly configured intrusion prevention & intrusion detection systems currently used throughout U.S. companies, but we are falling short. The ugly truth is that the bad guys, whoever they are, are outperforming our ability to defend our vital infrastructure and this is one race that our society cannot afford to lose.

The threats that loom over our digital infrastructure will undoubtedly multiply, causing risk to increase to untenable levels, the levels that are often associated with calamitous security breaches. So, at least for the foreseeable future, professional certifications will help to stem the tide of ever-mounting encroachment attempts, at least until academia eventually figures out a way to speed up its sometimes outmoded approach to teaching practical ways to stay abreast of a changing technological landscape.

Gabberty is a professor of information systems at Pace University in New York City and teaches graduate-level courses in systems analysis & design, telecommunications and information security. He is an alumnus of MIT and NYU’s Polytechnic Institute and has served as an expert witness in telecommunication and information security at the federal and state levels.

View Comments

View the original article here

Wealthy Professional Boxer Refuses To Fight In U.S. Because He’d Have To Pay Taxes

Manny Pacquiao, the Filipino boxing champion who regularly pulls in guaranteed purses north of $20 million a fight, is now refusing to hold his next bout in Las Vegas because the United States insists on taxing the income of people who make money inside its borders.

The fight, Pacquiao’s fifth against rival Juan Manuel Marquez, would guarantee him a $25 million purse if it’s fought in Las Vegas. But American taxes would eat a significant chunk of that, while fighting it in either Singapore or Macau wouldn’t tax his earnings, the fight’s promoter said. That’s a major concern for Pacquaio, who needs to hoard as much money as he can before his career ends, his manager told Yahoo:

“We were talking only this morning about where and when and against who he would fight next,” Koncz told Yahoo! Sports. “One thing we agreed on is that the taxes make Vegas a no-go. You’re a fighter up there risking your life in the ring, so you have to maximize what you are going to get out of it.
“I know, Manny knows, that he only has a certain number of fights left, maybe one, maybe three. We don’t know. So that means the priorities change a little bit at this point.”

Pacquiao isn’t the only professional athlete to complain about American taxes recently. Professional golfer Phil Mickelson, who made more than $40 million last year, threatened to move from California and even give up golf because of high tax rates in his home state. Anti-tax groups have trumpeted both Mickelson and Pacquiao as examples of high taxes hurting the U.S., even if the rich are still paying historically low tax rates amid budget cuts to programs that benefit people who don’t have the luxury of making millions of dollars to hit a golf ball or box for a living.

These athletes, of course, have the right to perform their craft wherever someone will pay them to do it. But it’s hard to feel sympathy for Pacquiao, who would still clear $15 million — an amount that would take the average American household 284 years to equal — if the fight were held in the United States.

View the original article here

Missouri Gay Teen Wins Right To Bring Boyfriend To Prom

This spring, a gay Missouri teen who challenged his school’s policy barring same-sex dates will get to bring his boyfriend to the prom.

Stacy Dawson found out he could not bring his boyfriend because of a single line in the school handbook stating, “high school students will be permitted to invite one guest, girls invite boys and boys invite girls.”

“I’m doing this for anyone to bring anyone they want to prom,” Dawson told LGBTQ Nation before the ban was reversed. “I hope that my school and the school board members understand it’s a wrong policy. [...] It isn’t fair that a school can randomly disregard students’ rights because it doesn’t agree with who you want to take to prom.”

Just one day after the Southern Poverty Law Center threatened a lawsuit on Dawson’s behalf, the school quickly removed its ban.

SPLC’s letter to Scott County Central High makes the strong case for the ban was unconstitutional. The letter cites Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School District, where the Supreme Court determined students do not “shed their constitutional rights to freedom of speech or expression at the schoolhouse gates.” And a second federal case in Mississippi, McMillen v. Itawamba County School District, decided a student expressing “her identity through attending prom with a same-sex date” was “the type of speech that falls squarely within the purview of the First Amendment.”

However, the fight against same-sex discrimination at proms carries on elsewhere, as an anti-gay Indiana group faces major backlash for proposing a gay-free prom.

View the original article here

Statement by the President on Senator Lautenberg

Statement by the President on Senator Lautenberg | 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

A unique view of 2012

Briefing Room Your Weekly Address Speeches & Remarks Press Briefings Statements & Releases White House Schedule Presidential Actions Executive Orders Presidential Memoranda Proclamations Legislation Pending Legislation Signed Legislation Vetoed Legislation Nominations & Appointments Disclosures Visitor Access Records Financial Disclosures 2012 Annual Report to Congress 2011 Annual Report to Congress 2010 Annual Report to Congress on White House Staff A Commitment to Transparency

Browse White House visitor logs

Issues Civil Rights It Gets Better Defense End of Iraq War Disabilities Economy Jobs Reform and Fiscal Responsibility Strengthening the Middle Class A Plan for Refinancing Support for Business Education Energy & Environment Ethics Foreign Policy Health Care Homeland Security Immigration Immigration Reform Taxes Tax Receipt The Buffett Rule Rural Urban Policy Veterans Joining Forces Technology Seniors & Social Security Service Snapshots Creating Jobs Health Care Small Business PreK-12 Education Women Violence Prevention Now Is The Time

To do something about gun violence

Immigration Reform

Creating an Immigration System for the 21st Century

The Administration We the People

Create and Sign Petitions Now

President Barack Obama Vice President Joe Biden First Lady Michelle Obama Dr. Jill Biden The Cabinet 2010 Video Reports White House Staff Chief of Staff Denis McDonough Deputy Chief of Staff Rob Nabors Deputy Chief of Staff Alyssa Mastromonaco Counselor to the President Peter Rouse Senior Advisor Valerie Jarrett Executive Office of the President Other Advisory Boards About the White House White House On the Go

Download our mobile apps

2012: A Year in Photos

A unique view of 2012

Inside the White House Interactive Tour West Wing Tour Video Series Décor and Art Holidays Presidents First Ladies The Oval Office The Vice President's Residence & Office Eisenhower Executive Office Building Camp David Air Force One White House Fellows President’s Commission About the Fellowship Current Class Staff Bios News and Newsletters White House Internships About Program Presidential Department Descriptions Selection Process Internship Timeline & FAQs Tours & Events 2013 Easter Egg Roll Kitchen Garden Tours Mobile Apps Our Government The Executive Branch The Legislative Branch The Judicial Branch The Constitution Federal Agencies & Commissions Elections & Voting State & Local Government Resources /* Maximize height of menu features. */if(typeof(jQuery)!='undefined')jQuery.each($('#topnav'),function(i,v){var o=$(v),oh=o.height(),sh=o.siblings().height();if(oh Home • Briefing Room • Statements & Releases The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release February 14, 2013 Statement by the President on Senator Lautenberg

Frank is a steadfast champion of the people of New Jersey. Throughout his time in the Senate, Frank has fought tirelessly for workers, veterans, members of our military and their families, and immigrants, and he continues to make extraordinary contributions to our nation’s safety, and the health and welfare of our citizens. His service in World War II is a testament to his character and deep commitment to public service. I look forward to working with Frank on critical issues before us these next two years, and Michelle and I wish him and Bonnie all the best.

Blog posts on this issue February 15, 2013 6:41 PM ESTPresident Obama Welcomes Italian President Napolitano

The two leaders discussed the world economy and President Obama's plan to pursue a U.S.-European Union free trade agreement, which was mentioned in his State of the Union address earlier this week.

February 15, 2013 6:32 PM ESTWeekly Wrap Up: “We Don’t Give Up”

Here’s a quick glimpse at what happened this week on WhiteHouse.gov.

February 15, 2013 4:45 PM ESTOpen For Questions: The State of the Union and Immigration Reform

Cecilia Muñoz, Director of the White House Domestic Policy Council, answers questions from the public about immigration reform and President Obama's State of the Union Address in an “Open for Questions” session moderated by Elianne Ramos from LATISM.

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

View the original article here

Press Gaggle By Principal Deputy Press Secretary Josh Earnest aboard Air Force One en route Decatur, Georgia, 2/14/2013

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

Aboard Air Force One
En Route Decatur, Georgia

10:35 A.M. EST

MR. EARNEST: Good morning, everybody. And Happy Valentine's Day. I'm glad you're on board for our trip to Decatur, Georgia today. Rest assured you can -- we'll be back in plenty of time for you to do something nice for your valentines this evening.

So let me begin with a brief opening statement, and then we'll open it up to questions.

As I mentioned, we're headed to Georgia this morning where the President will discuss one of the initiatives that he unveiled in the State of the Union that will expand economic opportunity for the middle class and everyone working hard to get there -- high-quality preschool education for every child in America.

Studies show that for every dollar we invest in a quality preschool program, we’ll save more than 7 dollars because of the impact that a good early childhood education program has for our youngest students, including on things like graduation rates, teen pregnancy rates, and even violent crime rates. The OECD estimates that the United States ranks 28th out of 38 for our share of children that are enrolled in high-quality preschool programs.

So the point is that these programs have a profound impact on the lives of our children, and yet we're not doing enough on it. States like Georgia and Oklahoma, which are states that are run by Republican governors -- and routinely vote for Republican presidential candidates, by the way -- have made important investments in these kinds of programs. So there is no reason this should get bogged down in partisan politics. And the President will call on members in his remarks today -- members of Congress in both parties -- to act quickly on this.

With that, we’ll open it up for a few questions.

Q All right, Josh, moving straight to a political question -- it sounds like the Republicans are planning a full-scale filibuster of Senator Hagel. Does the President still stand by his nomination? And how do you intend to move on?

MR. EARNEST: The President stands strongly behind Senator Hagel. The President believes that Senator Hagel would do a wonderful job in a very important role, which is leading the Department of Defense at a challenging time for our country.

Currently, we have 66,000 men and women in uniform who are deployed in Afghanistan. The President talked in his State of the Union address earlier this week about the important transition that’s underway there to bring those troops home. We need our new Secretary of Defense in place to be a part of that process.

We obviously have some looming questions about the impact of the sequester on the Department of Defense budget. The outgoing Secretary of Defense, Leon Panetta, has commented about the terrible impact that the sequester would have on our military readiness.

Next week, there is a defense ministerial meeting in Brussels where the U.S. will meet with our allies who are currently making important contributions to the effort in Afghanistan to talk about the transition that’s underway in Afghanistan. We need our new Defense Secretary to be there.

It does not send a favorable signal for Republicans in the United States Senate to delay a vote on the President's nominee -- a nominee who is a member of their own party -- to be the Secretary of Defense. It's difficult to explain to our allies exactly why that’s happening. It also sends a signal to our men and women in uniform who are currently deployed around the globe and who are currently serving on the front lines in Afghanistan and are taking fire today. They need a new Secretary of Defense.

So we urge Republicans in the Senate to drop their delay. Here's why this delay is critically important: There is a clear majority in the United States Senate for Senator Hagel's confirmation. These delaying tactics are unconscionable and they should end right away.

Q Do you have any kind of a strategy to have -- to avoid the delay or to get over this delay? Is there anything else that you guys can do?

MR. EARNEST: Well, obviously, we're in regular consultation with the senators on Capitol Hill about this. We've made -- the views about this unconscionable delay that I've mentioned have been made clear and are well-known by Republican senators who are -- who have put this delay in place.

One point that I do want to make about our cooperation with the Senate -- there are a number of legitimate questions; the Senate has a legitimate goal in advising and consenting on the President’s nominees. But this goes -- this is separate from that. We have worked in close coordination with the Senate on this nomination. We provided 20 member and staff briefings; 10 different congressional hearings on Benghazi in particular have been held; 6 different witness interviews; 40 inquiries that we've responded to by producing more than 10,000 pages of documents.

So our efforts to coordinate with the Senate on these issues is evident, to put it mildly. And that’s why we are calling on the Republicans in the Senate to end their delay right away.

Q Josh, will the President make calls from Air Force One today or from the road today to some of these senators to try to move their objections? We asked, also, Jay earlier about whether the White House would provide additional details. Some of these senators seem to want sort of more granularity about who the President called on the day of the attacks or whatever. Is he making calls? Are you providing that additional information? And will Panetta stay on as long as it takes to get the next Secretary of Defense confirmed?

MR. EARNEST: I don’t at this point have any calls to read out to you. In terms of providing additional information, I just ran through a pretty extensive litany of -- the extent to which we have gone to try to provide information to the senators who are interested in some of these issues.

In terms of Secretary Panetta's status, it's my understanding that he will continue to have the -- hold the office of Secretary of Defense until Senator Hagel is confirmed.

Q Will he travel to Brussels if it were to come to that?

MR. EARNEST: For his travel schedule, I'd refer you to the Department of Defense. But that doesn’t change -- even if he goes -- Secretary Panetta has represented the United States ably as Secretary of Defense. You heard the President talk about that a little bit during his going-away ceremony last week.

What we need is we need our new Secretary of Defense to be in place at this very critical time where we're consulting with our allies about the drawdown in Afghanistan. There is no substitute for that, and there is no good reason why he should not be there.

Q Josh, last night, the White House said that the President is opposed to this idea in the House to extend the federal pay limit, but stopped short of saying he would veto it. Does that mean that he wouldn’t support it -- he would sign it if it were passed, he just wouldn’t enjoy signing it? And how does that square with his plan to give a 1 percent increase to federal pay?

MR. EARNEST: I'm going to have to take that question. I'm not familiar with all of the details of that. But I will get back to you on that today.

Q Is the White House on board with the evolving Senate Democratic plan to avert the sequester?

MR. EARNEST: Well, I understand that Senate Democrats will be making a presentation later today about their plan for dealing with the sequester. Based on the reports that I have seen, it appears that Senate Democrats have tailored their approach to fall in line with the President's favored approach, which means that it has balance; which means that there will be some increased revenues as well as some additional spending cuts to buy down the sequester; to do, as the President suggested in the briefing room just last week, that we should get a little room for Congress to go through its regular order to deal with the deficit. And hopefully, with the time and space to go through that regular order -- to pass budgets and do the other hearings and appropriations hearings and the things that they’re involved with, that we can finally resolve this standoff.

This is really important. We saw, just a couple of weeks ago with the release of the GDP numbers, the terrible impact that planning for the sequester is already having on our economy. It would be bad for our economy for the sequester to go into effect. It would be bad for our military readiness for the sequester to go into effect.

We can’t afford any more self-inflicted wounds. We have to deal with this problem. The Senate has put forward -- or will put forward today -- what I understand, based on reports -- will be a balanced approach. That is a positive sign. And we hope that Congress will act in bipartisan fashion, as is required, to make sure that the sequester does not go into effect, both because of the consequences it would have on our economy, but also because of the consequences it would have on our military readiness.

Q Josh, American Airlines and U.S. Airlines are announcing a merger today. It would reduce the number of legacy airlines really down to three. Is the administration concerned at all about competition and what this will mean for prices for the consumer?

MR. EARNEST: Jim, I appreciate the question. As you know, the Department of Justice has a regular process for reviewing these kinds of private commercial transactions. It’s my understanding that those reviews typically involve -- include the impact that these deals would have on consumers. So I don’t want to say anything that would get ahead of that reviewing process. So I don’t have an immediate reaction. You can check with the Department of Defense to see if they have anything -- I mean, the Department of Justice, to see if they have anything on this.

Q Just to follow up on that -- I understand that this a DOJ problem. But the President repeatedly said, even in his State of the Union and yesterday again, that he is there fighting for the American public. From that point of view, would you see him fighting against this in any way because of the -- there’s been experts saying it’s going to raise prices for the American public?

MR. EARNEST: Well, that exact question is, as I mentioned, is something that is typically included in Department of Justice reviews like this. So it’s not appropriate for me to make that assessment from here based on what outside experts are saying. There’s an official Department of Justice process for reviewing these kinds of things, and I’ll let them conduct their review.

Q Senator Rubio said yesterday that it looks like the administration is trying to scuttle immigration reform because they won’t want to tie it to triggers on border security. Do you have a response to that?

MR. EARNEST: The only reason -- let me say it this way -- the primary reason that we are seeing immigration reform rise on the priority list is because of the President’s efforts to put it there. The President has been committed to immigration reform and fixing our broken immigration system for quite some time. It’s something that he’s campaigned on. It is something that was strongly supported by the American public. And it’s something that the President has been aggressively pushing since the opening days of his second term.

The President is committed to working in bipartisan fashion with this so-called Gang of Eight that’s emerging to deal with this issue. The reasons for that are numerous. Our broken immigration system has a bad impact on our economy. What we need to do is we need to level the playing field for both workers and employers. We need an immigration system that reflects our nation’s heritage as a nation of laws and a nation of immigrants.

The President has been committed to border security, which is a critical part of fixing our broken immigration system. The President has done a number of things to put assets and focus attention on securing our borders. He’ll continue to do that, and he’ll continue to work in bipartisan fashion to fix our broken immigration system. And that’s where we are.

Q And is tying it to border security a non-negotiable point for the administration?

MR. EARNEST: No, it’s the view of the President that border security should be part of fixing our broken immigration system. But the other thing that should be part of that is a clear path to citizenship. And that’s what we’re working on. You saw that the President convened a meeting yesterday with some of the Democratic senators who are involved in this effort. And that’s an indication that the President is engaged on this.

I should point out one other thing. The President has also been clear that this bipartisan effort needs to move promptly. Delays and bickering is not something the President will tolerate. We’re not going to let this get bogged down in the process. We need to move expeditiously to get this done. That’s what the President is counting on. And the President is interested in working with senators on both sides of the aisle, including with Senator Rubio to get this done.

Q Josh, can you talk a little bit about the minimum wage? We’ve heard some remarks from Speaker Boehner expressing reluctance to pass this. What’s the administration’s strategy? What’s its thinking about the prospects for passing a minimum wage bill?

MR. EARNEST: Well, I think the President was pretty eloquent in his statement on Tuesday, if I don’t say so myself, about why this is such a critical issue. Raising the minimum wage to $9 an hour is good for the economy. You don’t have to take my word for it. There are a whole -- there are volumes of academic studies that have been produced examining this exact issue.

Raising the minimum wage puts more money in the pockets of people who are likely to spend it. They’re going to spend it on food; they’re going to spend it on clothes for their kids. That is good for businesses large and small, and that is why the President -- that’s one reason that the President is strongly supportive of raising the minimum wage.

The other is the President believes that we need to reward hard work. And currently, if you’re the head of the household of four people and you have a full-time, minimum-wage job, you’re working 40 hours a week but making minimum wage, you’re raising your family below the poverty line. That is not right. That is not a situation that should exist in this country. The President is committed to solving it.

And because of some of the tax measures that the President has put in place that you heard Jason Furman talk about yesterday, and by raising the minimum wage, we could solve that problem. The President remains committed to standing on the side of middle-class families and those families that are scratching and clawing trying to get into the middle class. That’s something the President is going to continue to fight for.

Now, one other thing I want to point out in the minimum wage -- the last two times that we have raised the minimum wage, Republicans were instrumental in the effort to get it raised. So in the late 1990s -- I know that then-Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich was involved and supportive of the effort to raise the minimum wage. And the last minimum wage increase that we saw in 2007 was signed into law by President George W. Bush. Republicans should support it this time, too.

Q Can you also talk a little bit about the pre-K education plan? I’m wondering how we would ensure that these are high-quality pre-K programs. What will be the mechanism to make that happen?

MR. EARNEST: There’s a little bit of information in the fact sheet that we put out last night about some of the important standards that need to put in place. Because you’re right -- we don’t just need early childhood education problems, we need high-quality early childhood education programs. So the President wants to put -- include standards for curriculum. He wants to include standards for teachers to make sure they’re well-trained and highly-qualified to teach our youngest students. He wants to make sure that we have a low adult-to-child ratio in the classroom. He wants to make sure that class sizes aren’t too big. And, most importantly, he wants to make sure that we’re continually evaluating these programs to ensure they’re having the intended effect. So there are in place some high standards that the President wants to make sure that we live up to.

Q How much will it cost the federal government provide universal pre-K?

MR. EARNEST: Well, first of all, as I noted at the beginning, this is a really good investment of taxpayer dollars. That for every dollar we put into these early childhood education programs, we save more than $7 because of the impact that these programs have on the lives of our children. They have a measurable impact on everything from graduation rates to income potential to literacy rates to even violent crime rates, Teen pregnancy rates is another example. So this is a good investment of taxpayer dollars.

In terms of the specifics about how much this program would cost, that will be included in the budget that the President plans to release next month. I’d also remind you that the President committed in the State of the Union address to ensuring that proposals like this will not add to our deficit. And, again, how we’ll pay for this program will also be included in the budget released next month.

Q Can I ask you about Palm Beach this weekend? What is the President going to be doing? Is he meeting with donors of any kind? Is he staying at a private home or in a hotel? Is this -- what kind of trip is this?

MR. EARNEST: As you point out, Jim, the President is traveling to Chicago for an event to talk about the economy tomorrow morning -- or early afternoon. And then after that event, he’s traveling to Florida where he’s going to spend President’s Day weekend relaxing with some friends. There’s no work on the schedule.

Q What about the image of Palm Beach? Is he going to be -- even Marco Rubio in his response was pointing out about how middle class he is. He seemed to have the Republicans on the ropes in that way. What is the symbolism of going to Palm Beach for the weekend where so much money is, and where donors are always at?

MR. EARNEST: The President is going to enjoy the President’s Day weekend with some friends, and I don’t think -- as we’ve discussed, the President of the United States is the President of the United States 24 hours a day, and will fulfill his responsibilities as President even while he’s getting some well-deserved downtime with some friends this weekend. I don’t think the American people will begrudge him that.

Q Josh, you pointed to the potential for improved graduation rates from this early childhood program the President is proposing. Yet, Georgia still has one of the lowest high school graduation rates in the country, and it’s had this program that the President is touting for more than 15 years. Would the administration look for deficiencies in that program as it comes up with its own standards?

MR. EARNEST: Well, suffice it to say the President is committed to ensuring that we incorporate best practices in these high-quality early childhood education programs. I’m not familiar with the specific details of the Georgia program. All I know is it’s something that they’ve spent a lot of time investing in and making a priority.

Q Well, they only have a 60 percent enrollment rate.

MR. EARNEST: Well, that certainly will be -- one of the reasons that the President is so committed to this program is because he believes that every child should have access to a program like this. So that’s certainly one of the things that we would want to improve upon.

But what’s important right now is demonstrating the political will to make smart investments. And, again, these investments are smart not just because they make a lot of financial sense for the country, but also because, as the President pointed out, we have no higher priority than making sure that we’re investing in and taking care of our kids. And ensuring that the youngest students in this country have access to high-quality educational programs is a top presidential priority. And this is the way that we can do something really important about that.

Q On Iran, there’s a report out this morning that Iran has sought to acquire tens of thousands of specialized magnets that are used in the nuclear process. Is that something the U.S. has been tracking? And if it is true, does that speed up the timetable for action to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon?

MR. EARNEST: Thanks for your question, Josh. If you’ll indulge me, I’m going to actually read you an answer we have here:

We are well aware of Iran’s aggressive efforts in violation of its U.N. Security Council Resolution obligation to obtain sensitive materials for its uranium-enrichment program. But I’m not in a position at this time to comment on any specific transaction. The unprecedented international sanctions put in place against Iran are not only designed to crystallize the choice for the Iranian regime regarding its nuclear program, but also to deter and disrupt Iranian procurement of components to support its nuclear program.

The international restrictions have choked the supply of critical components for Iran’s nuclear program so that Iran today falls far short of the goals it set for itself and its nuclear program only a few years ago. We hope that the Iranian regime will make the strategic decision to come to the P5-plus-1 talks on February 26th in Kazakhstan prepared to discuss substance, so that there can be progress in addressing the international community’s concerns about the nature of the Iranian nuclear program. We -- the United States certainly remains ready to do so.

Q Any prospect for bilateral talks with Iran at this point?

MR. EARNEST: Nothing that I’m prepared to report at this time.

Anybody else? We’ll see you on the ground, guys. Thank you.

END
10:56 A.M. EST

The two leaders discussed the world economy and President Obama's plan to pursue a U.S.-European Union free trade agreement, which was mentioned in his State of the Union address earlier this week.

Here’s a quick glimpse at what happened this week on WhiteHouse.gov.

view all related blog posts

View the original article here

Statement by the Press Secretary on the Visit by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe of Japan

Statement by the Press Secretary on the Visit by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe of Japan | 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

A unique view of 2012

Browse White House visitor logs

To do something about gun violence

Immigration Reform

Creating an Immigration System for the 21st Century

The Administration We the People

Create and Sign Petitions Now

Download our mobile apps

2012: A Year in Photos

A unique view of 2012

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release February 15, 2013 Statement by the Press Secretary on the Visit by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe of Japan

President Obama will welcome the Prime Minister Shinzo Abe of Japan to the White House on Friday, February 22, 2013. The President looks forward to in-depth discussions with Prime Minister Abe on a range of bilateral, regional and global issues, including the U.S.-Japan Security Alliance, economic and trade issues, and deepening bilateral cooperation.

Blog posts on this issue February 15, 2013 6:41 PM ESTPresident Obama Welcomes Italian President Napolitano

The two leaders discussed the world economy and President Obama's plan to pursue a U.S.-European Union free trade agreement, which was mentioned in his State of the Union address earlier this week.

February 15, 2013 6:32 PM ESTWeekly Wrap Up: “We Don’t Give Up”

Here’s a quick glimpse at what happened this week on WhiteHouse.gov.

February 15, 2013 4:45 PM ESTOpen For Questions: The State of the Union and Immigration Reform

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

View the original article here

Egg bill is good for farmers, consumers and for egg-laying hens

Let me correct all of the misinformation that Rick Berman, executive director of the Center for Consumer Freedom, spread here recently on the Congress Blog about legislation providing a national standard for egg production in the U.S.

Mr. Berman says legislation would “hurt egg farmers and consumers.” If that were true, why would United Egg Producers (which represents farmers who produce 90 percent of the eggs in the U.S.) support such legislation? If that were true, why would the legislation be supported by the Consumer Federation of America and the National Consumers League? Furthermore, in a national poll, voters support such legislation by a margin of 4 to 1.

Mr. Berman goes on to say that such legislation would have the “consequence of scrambling the marketplace.” In fact, the legislation would have the exact opposite affect – avoiding a patchwork quilt of 50 differing state laws on how eggs are produced – with a single national standard that all egg farmers could follow.

He goes on to quote “scientists have declared the modern cage egg production systems used in the U.S. to be humane and ethical.” In fact, the national standard being proposed is a cage system …just larger with some enrichments such as a nest box and perches – supported by the American Veterinary Medical Association, Temple Grandin, American Association of Avian Pathologists and many more animal welfare experts. The national standard we are proposing also has the support of the Humane Society of the United States.

Mr. Berman suggests that egg prices could “skyrocket.” He ignores an independent economic study released last year that indicates that egg prices would likely rise less than 2 cents per dozen over a period of 18 years.

He says that such legislation would hurt small farmers. Yet farmers with fewer than 3,000 hens are specifically exempted from the proposed standard. He says that he is concerned that “consumer choice” would be lost, when in fact consumers support these enriched colony cages by a margin of 12-to-1 and consumers would continue to have their choice of eggs from cages, cage-free, and organic production systems.

Furthermore, the Congressional Budget Office said the proposed legislation last year would not carry any taxpayer cost.

That’s just some of the reasons that most egg farmers, consumer groups, animal welfare scientists support a national standard for egg production, and why we will seek to have the Egg Bill introduced again this year in Congress.

Gregory is president of the United Egg Producers.

View Comments

View the original article here

Fact Sheet President Obama’s Plan for Early Education for all Americans

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

“In states that make it a priority to educate our youngest children…studies show students grow up more likely to read and do math at grade level, graduate high school, hold a job, form more stable families of their own. We know this works. So let’s do what works and make sure none of our children start the race of life already behind.”
President Barack Obama
State of the Union, February 12, 2013

The beginning years of a child’s life are critical for building the early foundation needed for success later in school and in life. Leading economists agree that high-quality early learning programs can help level the playing field for children from lower-income families on vocabulary, social and emotional development, while helping students to stay on track and stay engaged in the early elementary grades. Children who attend these programs are more likely to do well in school, find good jobs, and succeed in their careers than those who don’t. And research has shown that taxpayers receive a high average return on investments in high-quality early childhood education, with savings in areas like improved educational outcomes, increased labor productivity, and a reduction in crime.

In his State of the Union address, President Obama called on Congress to expand access to high-quality preschool to every child in America. As part of that effort, the President will propose a series of new investments that will establish a continuum of high-quality early learning for a child – beginning at birth and continuing to age 5. By doing so, the President would invest critical resources where we know the return on our dollar is the highest: in our youngest children.

• Providing High-Quality Preschool for Every Child: The President is proposing a new federal-state partnership to provide all low- and moderate-income four-year old children with high-quality preschool, while also expanding these programs to reach additional children from middle class families and incentivizing full-day kindergarten policies. This investment – financed through a cost-sharing model with states – will help close America’s school readiness gap and ensure that children have the chance to enter kindergarten ready for success.

• Growing the Supply of Effective Early Learning Opportunities for Young Children: To expand high-quality early learning opportunities in the years before preschool, the President will call for a significant investment in a new Early Head Start-Child Care partnership. Competitive grants will support communities that expand the availability of Early Head Start and child care providers that can meet the highest standards of quality for infants and toddlers, serving children from birth through age 3.

• Extending and Expanding Evidence-Based, Voluntary Home Visiting: Voluntary home visiting programs enable nurses, social workers, and other professionals to connect families to services and educational support that will improve a child’s health, development, and ability to learn. President Obama has already committed $1.5 billion to expand home visitation to hundreds of thousands of America’s most vulnerable children and families across all 50 states. The President will pursue substantial investments to expand these important programs to reach additional families in need.

The President’s Commitment to Early Education

A zip code should never predetermine the quality of any child’s educational opportunities. Yet studies show that children from low-income families are less likely to have access to high-quality early education, and less likely to enter school prepared for success. By third grade, children from low-income families who are not reading at grade level are six times less likely to graduate from high school than students who are proficient. Often, the high costs of private preschool and lack of public programs also narrow options for middle-class families.

High-quality early childhood education provides the foundation for all children’s success in school and helps to reduce achievement gaps. Despite the individual and economic benefits of early education, our nation has lagged in its commitment to ensuring the provision of high quality public preschool in our children’s earliest years. The Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) estimates that the United States ranks 28th out of 38 countries for the share of four-year olds enrolled in early childhood education. And fewer than 3 in 10 four-year olds are enrolled in high-quality programs.

Preschool for All

• The President’s proposal will improve quality and expand access to preschool, through a cost sharing partnership with all 50 states, to extend federal funds to expand high-quality public preschool to reach all low- and moderate-income four-year olds from families at or below 200% of poverty. The U.S. Department of Education will allocate dollars to states based their share of four-year olds from low- and moderate-income families and funds would be distributed to local school districts and other partner providers to implement the program. The proposal would include an incentive for states to broaden participation in their public preschool program for additional middle-class families, which states may choose to reach and serve in a variety of ways, such as a sliding-scale arrangement.

• Funds will support states as they ensure that children are enrolled in high-quality programs. In order to access federal funding, states would be required to meet quality benchmarks that are linked to better outcomes for children, which include:

o State-level standards for early learning;
o Qualified teachers for all preschool classrooms; and
o A plan to implement comprehensive data and assessment systems.

Preschool programs across the states would meet common and consistent standards for quality across all programs, including:
o Well-trained teachers, who are paid comparably to K-12 staff;
o Small class sizes and low adult to child ratios;
o A rigorous curriculum;
o Comprehensive health and related services; and
o Effective evaluation and review of programs.

• The proposal also encourages states to expand the availability of full-day kindergarten. Only 6 out of 10 of America’s kindergarten students have access to a full day of learning. In order to ensure that our kindergartners spend the time they need in school to reach rigorous benchmarks and standards, funds under this program may also be used to expand full-day kindergarten once states have provided preschool education to low- and moderate-income four year-olds.

• Under the President’s proposal, investment in the federal Head Start program will continue to grow. The President’s plan will maintain and build on current Head Start investments, to support a greater share of infants, toddlers, and three-year olds in America’s Head Start centers, while state preschool settings will serve a greater share of four-year olds.

Quality Early Learning for Our Youngest Children

• The President will also launch a new Early Head Start-Child Care Partnership program, to support states and communities that expand the availability of Early Head Start and child care providers that can meet the highest standards of quality for infants and toddlers, serving children from birth through age 3. Funds will be awarded through Early Head Start on a competitive basis to enhance and support early learning settings; provide new, full-day, comprehensive services that meet the needs of working families; and prepare children for the transition into preschool. This strategy – combined with an expansion of publicly funded preschool education for four-year olds – will ensure a cohesive and well-aligned system of early learning for children from birth to age five.

• The President is proposing to expand the Administration’s evidence-based home visiting initiative, through which states are implementing voluntary programs that provide nurses, social workers, and other professionals to meet with at-risk families in their homes and connect them to assistance that impacts a child’s health, development, and ability to learn. These programs have been critical in improving maternal and child health outcomes in the early years, leaving long-lasting, positive impacts on parenting skills; children’s cognitive, language, and social-emotional development; and school readiness. This will help ensure that our most vulnerable Americans are on track from birth, and that later educational investments rest upon a strong foundation.

Building on Success

President Obama has committed to a comprehensive early learning agenda for America’s children that begins at birth and provides the support and services needed to set them on a path of success in school and in life:

• Race to the Top – Early Learning Challenge: The Early Learning Challenge has rewarded 14 states that have agreed to raise the bar on the quality of their early childhood education programs, establish higher standards across programs and provide critical links with health, nutrition, mental health, and family support for our neediest children.

• Head Start and Early Head Start: President Obama has made historic investments in the Head Start and Early Head Start programs to reach an additional 61,000 children. Under the President’s leadership, enrollment in Early Head Start in particular has nearly doubled. The Obama Administration has also implemented needed reform in the Head Start program by identifying lower-performing grantees and ensuring that those failing to meet new, rigorous benchmarks face new competition for continued federal funding.

• Supporting our Federal Child Care System: The President has proposed new investments to expand access and quality in the Child Care and Development Block Grant.

The two leaders discussed the world economy and President Obama's plan to pursue a U.S.-European Union free trade agreement, which was mentioned in his State of the Union address earlier this week.

Here’s a quick glimpse at what happened this week on WhiteHouse.gov.

view all related blog posts

View the original article here

Federal Health Exchange a 'Tremendous Resource'

Highlight transcript below to create clipTranscript: Print | Email Go Click text to jump within videoFri 15 Feb 13 | 12:00 PM ET Melissa Boudreault, CGI vp of state health solutions, talks to CNBC's Bertha Coombs about the Federally-built health care exchange. She believes it will be a tremendous resource to consumers, because it must meet the needs of a number of different states.

View the original article here

Readout of the President’s Meeting on Commonsense Immigration Reform

Readout of the President’s Meeting on Commonsense Immigration Reform | 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

A unique view of 2012

Browse White House visitor logs

To do something about gun violence

Immigration Reform

Creating an Immigration System for the 21st Century

The Administration We the People

Create and Sign Petitions Now

Download our mobile apps

2012: A Year in Photos

A unique view of 2012

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release February 13, 2013 Readout of the President’s Meeting on Commonsense Immigration Reform

This evening the President, joined by the Vice President and members of his senior staff, convened a meeting with Senate Democrats involved in the bipartisan effort to pass commonsense immigration reform to discuss the progress made to date on this important goal. In the meeting the President reiterated the key principles he believes must be a part of any bipartisan, commonsense effort, including continuing to strengthen border security, creating an earned path to citizenship, holding employers accountable, and streamlining legal immigration. Thanks to steps taken in recent years, the border today is more secure than any time in history, and the President made clear that building on this progress must continue to be a priority as part of reform. The President also expressed his belief that continuing to strengthen our borders and creating a path to earned citizenship that ensures everyone plays by the same set of rules are shared goals and should not be seen as mutually exclusive. The President thanked the Senators for their work to date and told them that while he was pleased with the progress, he expects the process to continue to move forward and stands ready to introduce his own legislation if Congress fails to act.

Participants in the meeting included:

Senator Dick DurbinSenator Chuck SchumerSenator Robert MenendezSenator Michael BennetCecilia Muñoz, Assistant to the President and Director of the Domestic Policy CouncilMiguel Rodriguez, Assistant to the President and Director of Legislative Affairs

Blog posts on this issue February 15, 2013 6:41 PM ESTPresident Obama Welcomes Italian President Napolitano

The two leaders discussed the world economy and President Obama's plan to pursue a U.S.-European Union free trade agreement, which was mentioned in his State of the Union address earlier this week.

February 15, 2013 6:32 PM ESTWeekly Wrap Up: “We Don’t Give Up”

Here’s a quick glimpse at what happened this week on WhiteHouse.gov.

February 15, 2013 4:45 PM ESTOpen For Questions: The State of the Union and Immigration Reform

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

View the original article here

Obama Care

Donations Are Always Welcome and Appreciated

Translate

Wednesday, April 10, 2013

US must do better in preparing professionals to help fight cyber attacks

Wealthy Professional Boxer Refuses To Fight In U.S. Because He’d Have To Pay Taxes

Missouri Gay Teen Wins Right To Bring Boyfriend To Prom

Statement by the President on Senator Lautenberg

Press Gaggle By Principal Deputy Press Secretary Josh Earnest aboard Air Force One en route Decatur, Georgia, 2/14/2013

Statement by the Press Secretary on the Visit by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe of Japan

Egg bill is good for farmers, consumers and for egg-laying hens

Fact Sheet President Obama’s Plan for Early Education for all Americans

Federal Health Exchange a 'Tremendous Resource'

Readout of the President’s Meeting on Commonsense Immigration Reform

About Me

Blog Archive