Fact Sheet: The Obama Administration’s Comprehensive Efforts to Promote Gender Equality and Empower Women and Girls Worldwide

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

“When women succeed, nations are more safe, more secure, and more prosperous.  Over the last year, we’ve seen women and girls inspiring communities and entire countries to stand up for freedom and justice, and I’m proud of my Administration’s efforts to promote gender equality worldwide.” --President Barack Obama, March 8, 2013

President Obama has made promoting gender equality and advancing the status of women and girls central to our national security strategy and foreign policy, including by leading through example at home.  The Administration will continue to prioritize these efforts in the coming years, in collaboration with stakeholders throughout the world, recognizing that our journey is far from complete and that securing equal rights and opportunity for women and girls is not only the right thing to do, but the smart thing to do.

Highlights of the Obama Administration’s record to empower women and girls worldwide include:

Building Capacity and Enhancing Coordination and Accountability across the U.S. Government

Strengthening our leadership and coordination to enhance our impact abroad:  On January 30, 2013, President Obama signed a Presidential Memorandum directing that the Secretary of State designate a Coordinator at the Ambassador at Large level, reporting directly to the Secretary of State, to lead the Office of Global Women’s Issues and to provide advice and assistance on issues related to promoting gender equality and advancing the status of women and girls internationally.  In this Memorandum, President Obama also recognized the accomplishments and leadership of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)’s Senior Coordinator for Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment, and established an interagency working group led by the White House National Security Staff.

Bolstering agency policies, staffing, and training:  Agencies have issued policy and operational guidance, including at the Department of State, the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC), and USAID, to ensure a comprehensive approach on gender equality and women’s empowerment.  From the Department of Justice to the Department of Defense, the Administration has expanded training and created new positions, including on the National Security Staff, to advance these policies.

Holding ourselves accountable and monitoring our progress:  The MCC and its partners in compact countries have made significant progress in integrating gender equality into projects that support poverty reduction through growth.  In March 2011, the MCC released guidelines for gender integration that make MCC’s Gender Policy fully operational, and MCC will  continue to work to improve both global policy and practice.  The Department of State and USAID are also launching new efforts to strengthen the evidence base on the importance of promoting gender equality, including by improving data collection and strengthening metrics.

Increasing Women’s Roles in Conflict Prevention and Security Decision-making

Empowering women as equal partners in preventing conflict and building peace: On December 19, 2011, the Obama Administration released Executive Order 13595 and the U.S. National Action Plan on Women, Peace, and Security to support women’s voices and perspectives in decision-making in countries threatened and affected by war, violence, and insecurity.  Agencies such as the Department of State, USAID, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have begun to realize the goals of the National Action Plan through the development of detailed implementation plans.  And on January 24, 2013, the Department of Defense announced its intent to remove gender-based barriers to service and fully integrate women into all occupational specialties. 

Expanding Economic Opportunity for Women  

Launching new initiatives to bolster women’s economic empowerment:  The Administration has launched several signature regional programs to strengthen women’s entrepreneurship and help spur economic growth worldwide, including the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Women and the Economy initiative, and the Women’s Entrepreneurship in the Americas (WEAmericas) initiative.

Empowering women farmers to advance food security:  In 2009, the Administration launched the Feed the Future initiative to advance food security worldwide, with a priority focus on women agricultural producers as critical drivers of economic growth in developing countries.  The New Alliance for Food Security and Nutrition, launched at the Camp David G-8 Summit, invests in smallholder farmers, particularly women, who play a critical role in transforming agriculture and building thriving economies.

Leveraging U.S. trade and investment programs to support women in emerging markets:  The United States Trade Representative is helping countries empower women to participate in the global economy, for example through the establishment of Women’s Economic Empowerment Working Groups in South and Central Asia, and along with the Departments of Commerce and State, through the African Women Entrepreneurs Program (AWEP).  The Department of Commerce is also working to support women-owned businesses in emerging markets including Iraq and Afghanistan, and in 2012 led a roundtable with women entrepreneurs in Saudi Arabia as part of an ongoing conversation around business growth and competitiveness.

Promoting access to financial services for women:  OPIC works to expand economic opportunities for women, including through extensive support for microfinance and by providing incentives for banks to lend to female entrepreneurs, from Cambodia to Egypt to Turkey.  The Treasury Department is also supporting the G20 Global Partnership on Financial Inclusion to document barriers faced by women entrepreneurs, and supports innovative lending models for women in Latin America and the Caribbean through the Inter-American Development Bank.

 Expanding employment opportunities for women and strengthening protections for women workers:  The Department of Transportation is working to promote opportunities for women in transportation sectors abroad, for example through an APEC Women in Transportation initiative, and in Iraq through mentoring women in the Ministry of Transportation and the Civil Aviation Authority.  The Department of Labor is funding efforts to expand legal protection for domestic workers, and also supports the International Labor Organization and International Finance Corporation’s Better Work program, which protects worker rights and improves working conditions in the apparel industry worldwide.

Launching a Comprehensive Strategy to Prevent and Respond to Gender-Based Violence

Launching an executive order and U.S. strategy to address gender-based violence:  On August 10, 2012, President Obama issued Executive Order 13623 directing departments and agencies to implement the first ever United States Strategy to Prevent and Respond to Gender-based Violence Globally.  The Department of State and USAID have led the United States’ work to prevent and respond to gender-based violence by ensuring that this issue is integrated in diplomacy and development efforts.  The Executive Order creates an interagency working group to establish a coordinated, government-wide approach to this issue.

Addressing the needs of marginalized women:  Agencies have also worked to ensure our approach to gender-based violence addresses the needs of women and girls from particularly marginalized groups, including lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) persons, refugees and other conflict and disaster-affected women and girls, and women and girls with disabilities. 

Combating Trafficking in Persons

 Taking new steps to end modern slavery:  On September 25, 2012, President Obama announced unprecedented government action to combat one of the greatest human rights abuses of our time—human trafficking — which affects more than 20 million people around the world, many of them women and children.  In response to this challenge, the President signed  Executive Order 13627 to strengthen the U.S. Government’s zero-tolerance policy on trafficking in government contracting, and launched several new initiatives to identify and assist survivors, increase resources, plan for future action, and grow public-private partnerships.    

Promoting the Health of Women and Families

Promoting gender integration across all global health efforts:  President Obama has placed women, girls, and gender equality at the heart of his global health agenda, including through the Global Health Initiative (GHI).  The President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) has ensured a comprehensive approach to gender issues in HIV prevention, treatment, and care.  Over the last three years, PEPFAR has provided post-exposure prophylaxis to almost 85,000 survivors of sexual violence as part of post-rape care.

Advancing women’s reproductive and maternal health:  USAID advances and supports voluntary family planning programs in more than 45 countries across the globe.  This past year, USAID's family planning programs reached more than 84 million women and averted 21 million unintended pregnancies, preventing 15,000 maternal deaths and saving the lives of more than 230,000 infants.  The U.S. Government has also restored funding to the UN Population Fund (UNFPA), the largest multilateral provider of family planning and reproductive health information and services with programs in 150 countries.  UNFPA’s programs support maternal health care services and gender-based violence prevention and response including for refugees, disaster victims, and those in emergency situations.  Since 2009, the U.S. Government has provided nearly $165 million in core funding to UNFPA.

Engaging men and boys as allies to promote women’s health and rights:  Agencies across the U.S. Government are focused on engaging men and boys as allies in promoting gender equality, for example through the Peace Corps’ programs working with men and boys.

Expanding the use of clean cookstoves to protect the health of women and families:  In September 2010, Secretary Clinton launched the Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves, a public-private partnership that will help 100 million homes adopt cleaner stoves and fuels by 2020, thereby reducing the deadly risks for women and girls associated with traditional cookstoves.

Expanding Education Opportunities and Promoting Leadership for Women and Girls

Promoting leadership of women and girls:  The Department of State and USAID have launched new efforts to promote women’s leadership and political participation, including in countries in transition.  The Department of State launched the Women in Public Service Project in 2011, and USAID has dedicated over $30 million in funding to support women’s leadership in a range of sectors.  Peace Corps Volunteers around the world organize and lead GLOW (Girls Leading Our World) Camps to empower young women with leadership skills.

Harnessing technology and STEM education to promote women’s empowerment:  The Department of State and USAID are expanding efforts to empower women with technology, including through the GSMA mWomen program designed to close the gender gap in mobile technology.  Agencies including the Department of Education are also supporting global efforts to advance women’s participation in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields.

Expanding training for women in law enforcement fields:  The Departments of State, Homeland Security, and Justice are working to provide training to women law enforcement personnel from dozens of countries, including through the International Law Enforcement Academies.

Leading New Global Efforts to Advance Gender Equality and Strengthening Multilateral Organizations  

Leveraging U.S. leadership in multilateral forums:  The United States is leading new efforts in a range of multilateral forums to advance women’s empowerment, from brokering new commitments from the G20 to the G-8 and NATO to our financial contributions and robust monitoring of UN agencies’ policies and programs to advance gender equality.  And as the largest shareholder at the World Bank, the United States works with the Bank to continue and strengthen its efforts to address gender issues throughout its work.  

Building a new multilateral partnership on women’s political and economic participation:  At the UN General Assembly in September 2012, the United States launched the Equal Futures Partnership, a new network of countries making national commitments to expand women’s political participation and economic opportunity, in response to President Obama’s challenge.  

President Obama hosts the 3rd Annual White House Science Fair and celebrate the student winners of a broad range of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) competitions from across the country.

President Obama speaks to the American people about the act of terror at the Boston Marathon that wounded dozens and killed three innocent people on Monday, and says that through it all, Boston’s spirit remains undaunted and Americans have proven they refuse to be terrorized.

President Obama commends the response from the state and local police and federal investigators after law enforcement makes an arrest in the Boston Marathon bombings.

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Fact Sheet: The Equal Futures Partnership—From Promise To Progress

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

The Promise of Equal Futures

In response to President Obama’s challenge to other heads of state to break down barriers to women’s political and economic participation, on September 24, 2012, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton launched the Equal Futures Partnership on behalf of the United States along with 12 other founding members (Australia, Benin, Bangladesh, Denmark, Finland, Indonesia, Jordan, the Netherlands, Peru, Senegal, and Tunisia; as well as the European Union).  Each founding member made national commitments to policy, legal, and regulatory reforms to promote two mutually reinforcing goals: expanded economic opportunity for women and increased political and civic participation by women at local, state and national levels.  Multilateral stakeholders including UN Women and the World Bank and leading businesses and non-profit institutions also pledged support for the partnership.

Moving from Promise to Progress

Following the launch of the initiative, Equal Futures members have worked to identify priorities for action through consultations with civil society and other stakeholders and by establishing coordinating bodies or steering committees to develop and oversee the implementation of Equal Futures commitments.  Going forward, Equal Futures countries will report on progress within the Partnership, and evaluate and strengthen commitments to ensure real impact.

Highlights from progress on U.S. commitments:

As a founding member of the Equal Futures Partnership, the United States made commitments in four key areas, and has achieved significant progress in each of these areas.  Highlights include: 

Opening Doors to Quality Education and High-Paying Career Opportunities in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math: Federal agencies and private partners have made great progress on connecting young women to high-quality science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM)-related resources.  In just seven months, over 20,000 students interacted with 500 women mentors via Harvey Mudd and Piazza’s online platform WitsOn, while the National Science Foundation, Office of Personnel Management, and non-profit partners joined forces to train Federal scientists and engineers on serving as a resource for girls interested in STEM.  

Promoting Civic Education and Public Leadership for Girls: The Administration has advanced new efforts to promote girls’ leadership and civic education, including sponsoring an “app challenge,” hosting a conference on girls’ leadership and civic education at the White House with the Department of Education and the Rutgers Center for American Women and Politics (CAWP), and advising on the development of a new initiative, Teach a Girl to Lead (TAG) – featuring online resources and a national speakers’ bureau.

Breaking the Cycle of Violence and Ensuring Economic Security for Survivors of Violence: To ensure that women who are victims of domestic violence are getting the support and tools they need to achieve economic independence, the Administration is now providing training on employment rights to lawyers and consumer advocates, working with state domestic violence coalitions and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) to ensure that victims know about employment protections under federal law, and expanding research on domestic violence to include information about economic abuse.

Expanding Support for Women Entrepreneurs: The Administration has strengthened support for women entrepreneurs at all stages of life with the launch of an online training course in April 2013 targeting women aged 50 and above and an expansion of a targeted youth entrepreneurship program in January 2013.

Highlights from other founding member progress reports:

Australia: Australia is working to improve women’s representation and leadership in male-dominated industries and is finalizing a toolkit for employers in male-dominated industries, which outlines effective mechanisms and strategies for recruiting and retaining women.  Australia is also committed to meeting the gender balance target of 40 percent women on Government boards by 2015.  In November 2012, Commonwealth, state, and territory governments agreed to establish the National Centre of Excellence (NCE) to reduce violence against women and their children beginning in early 2013. 

Bangladesh: Bangladesh has drafted its National Action Plan to implement its Women Development Policy 2011, and will finalize the plan through a wide consultation process involving all the stakeholders.  In addition, Bangladesh is now finalizing new rules and procedural guidance for enforcement of the Domestic Violence Prevention and Protection Act at the district and sub-district level.

Benin: Benin has committed to addressing laws, policies, and regulations that restrict women’s participation in the economy and in public life.  To advance these efforts, the Executive has proposed a national multi-sector mechanism to promote women’s empowerment and gender equality.  Benin is also making progress in developing a program of action to advance women’s participation in the 2013 elections. 

Denmark: In December 2012, Denmark passed a new bill on increasing the number of women on company boards and in management positions.  Denmark’s new efforts to expand training for municipalities and front line staff on violence against women and in the family have seen over 4,000 professionals trained in one-day courses.  Denmark also launched its National Strategy on Honor-Related Conflicts, to cover the period from 2012-2015.

European Union: The EU has been active in women's empowerment through programs like Spring Forward for Women financial assistance for North Africa adopted in October 2012, outreach with the High Level Conference on Women's Leadership in the Sahel region in April 2013, and financial support to the deployment of independent human rights observers from civil society organizations in Mali. All 15 EU Common Security and Defense Policy missions and operations now have gender and/or human rights advisors as part of their teams.  The EU increased funding for programs to address violence against women in Albania, Mexico and Timor-Leste, and announced EUR 3.7 million in funding to support its Member States' activities to raise awareness of violence against women and a further EUR 11.4 million for NGOs and others working with victims. 

Finland: Finland’s commitment to mainstreaming gender equality in its democracy and citizen participation policies, with a focus on ensuring women, including in immigrant communities, equal opportunities to participate, is proceeding on schedule.  A report will be submitted to Parliament in early 2014, with a chapter on these efforts.  Finland’s review of the impact of tax policies and income transfers on economic equality will take place throughout 2013 and serve as the basis for the gender impact assessment of tax policy reforms.  On gender sensitivity in education and training, a working group submitted a strategy to the Minister of Education in December 2012, and recommendations are being discussed between different ministries.

Indonesia: Indonesia established and is implementing a memorandum of understanding to advance women’s participation in national and local elections and is launching a gender mainstreaming strategy to advance women in decision-making positions in the executive branch.  Indonesia is also committing to additional specific policy reforms to advance women’s economic empowerment, including clarifying and strengthening the definition of female-headed households and formalizing the definition of women-owned businesses.

Jordan: The Jordanian National Commission for Women along with its partners prepared a Jordanian National Action Plan to implement Jordan’s commitments towards the Equal Futures Partnership, which will be launched soon.  Jordan continues to make progress on women’s leadership, from raising the number of female judges to 142 of 928, or 15 percent, of the judiciary to electing 18 women to parliament in January 2013.  In addition, the Jordanian National Commission for Women developed and sent to parliament a list of proposed policies and legislative reforms required for 2013 to expand gender equality.

The Netherlands: To meet the commitment of encouraging employers to increase their present ratio from nine percent of women on boards of directors and supervisory boards to 30 percent, the Netherlands has started the “Talent to the Top” initiative.  The Netherlands also strengthened programs to engage young people in preventing violence against women.  Internationally, the Netherlands established the Women on the Frontline initiative to strengthen the financial and organizational management of women’s organizations in the Middle East and North Africa.  This initiative is open for other partners to join.

Peru: To advance greater political participation of women, in November 2012, the Executive Branch presented the initiative of the Ministry of Women and Vulnerable Populations to Congress signed as Bill No. 1779/2012-PE.  This bill would require alternating between men and women candidates on ballots as a mechanism to ensure the effective implementation of the gender quota in political parties, which currently stands at 30 percent.  At the moment, this bill is under debate in the Congress.  To advance women’s economic empowerment, the Ministry of Development and Social Inclusion’s program JUNTOS is playing a central role in Peru’s financial inclusion strategy, including for rural women.  Users of JUNTOS (including approximately 650,000 mothers) already have savings accounts at the Banco de la Nación and a significant percentage of them also have a debit card that allows them to make financial transactions.

Senegal: Senegal has made progress in implementing a comprehensive program to operationalize its gender parity law on women’s political participation in advance of local elections in 2014.  This has included a capacity building workshop for new members of parliament and election monitoring training with a gender perspective.  In addition, Senegal enacted programs to promote women’s voices in media at the local level, particularly in rural communities.

Tunisia: Tunisia has reaffirmed its commitment to finalizing a constitution that respects universal human rights including the fundamental rights of women, as well as comprehensive national policies to encourage women’s participation in public life.  In addition, Tunisia continues to make progress in reactivating its National Strategy on violence against women and in advancing economic opportunity for women, calling at the December 2012 Forum for the Future event for a Regional Women’s Enterprise Fund and for the creation of a regional network of shelters and a research center on violence.  In addition, the Government’s “National Employment Strategy 2013-2017” has incorporated a number of policy reforms aimed at women’s economic empowerment.

Welcoming New Members

Belgium, Croatia, Latvia, Morocco, New Zealand, Sierra Leone, Thailand, and Timor-Leste have joined the Partnership since September, and have begun developing commitments.  Mexico and Italy have also delivered letters of intent to join.  All new members will share progress on their commitments by September 2013.

Highlights from new member commitments include:

Belgium will strengthen women’s participation in legislative bodies and politics, and will support efforts to ensure women’s participation on corporate boards as well as protect leave for caretakers and flexible work policies, and will monitor and evaluate its efforts on all these fronts.

Croatia has developed a national action plan for Equal Futures to promote women’s political participation, strengthen the social and economic position of rural women, advance female businesses and women in the labor market, and support international efforts to empower women.

Latvia is committing to reducing labor market segregation, expanding efforts to improve women’s health care, including sexual and reproductive health by 2014, and building the capacity of law enforcement to address human trafficking. 

Morocco will speed up and strengthen its program of institutional and legal reform and strengthen implementation of the government’s plan on gender equality, and in particular redouble its focus on gender-based violence.

New Zealand will launch a “commitment to action” through which private and public sector partners agree to increase gender diversity in leadership, and in 2013, will focus on effective pathways for female leadership talent within the workplace.

Sierra Leone is committing to assessing and reforming laws, policies, and regulations that restrict women’s participation in the formal economy, and in particular, will review and reform its land policy to ensure gender equality.  In addition, Sierra Leone will focus on implementing its National Action Plan on gender-based violence, and implementing a 30 percent quota for women in governance at all levels. 

Thailand will build on ongoing and comprehensive efforts to promote gender equality across political, social, and economic spheres by promoting new efforts to address gender bias and attitudes as a root cause of inequality in society.

Timor-Leste will focus on women’s participation in local government, as well as expanding women’s economic empowerment by transitioning women from micro to small and medium enterprises.  In addition, Timor-Leste will focus on gender-based violence as a key barrier to women’s political and economic participation.

Support from the World Bank and the Private Sector

To advance the goals of the Equal Futures Partnership, we are collaborating with multilateral stakeholders and the private sector to help countries strengthen and implement their efforts.

The World Bank, host of the second high-level Equal Futures meeting, will continue to work with Equal Futures partners to identify opportunities for collaboration to promote women’s rights in each country and support implementation of country commitments, through technical assistance and provision of loans where appropriate.  To support the scaling up of Equal Futures activities, the World Bank will help synthesize lessons from the partnership, and disseminate them in a flagship report on Voice, Agency and Participation.  Together with UN Women, the World Bank will also create and disseminate knowledge around the Equal Futures themes.

In response to President Obama’s call to action, several leading U.S. businesses, academic institutions, and non-profit organizations have also made commitments to advance women and girls’ economic and political empowerment at home and abroad.  They are dedicating themselves to launching new and innovative programs to support women and girls in STEM fields, connecting women entrepreneurs to markets and supply chains, and supporting research to advance girls’ leadership.

By September 2013, we plan to establish a dialogue with the private sector to strategically align Equal Futures country commitments and private sector resources and expertise.

New commitments from the private sector include:

Equipping 100,000 girls to build mobile learning capacity: HTC Founder and Chairwoman Cher Wang commits to donating 100,000 tablets to school girls in the Asia Pacific region to augment their classroom learning experience, particularly on STEM subjects, with a comprehensive and collaborative mobile learning platform containing digital textbooks, open-source and proprietary content.  

US-China Women-LEAD: Hyatt Hotels will partner with the China Women’s University, the All-China Women’s Federation, the U.S. Department of State, and the University of Chicago to support Chinese and American female college students’ leadership development in August 2013.

Growing existing Equal Futures commitments supporting women and girls in STEM: New private and non-profit partners have teamed up with previous Equal Futures collaborators to help meet the U.S. goal of opening doors to women in science and engineering, with Chegg and non-profit Techbridge signing on to Causecast’s GIT Inspired! (Girls in Technology) campaign, and the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, Teachers Without Borders, the Global Earthquake Model (GEM) Foundation, and the Earthquake Engineering Research Institute (EERI) bolstering access to open educational resources (OER) and the efforts of the U.S. Geological Survey to educate girls about earthquake science in high-risk areas across the globe.

Joining the Equal Futures Partnership

We welcome additional countries and stakeholders joining the Equal Futures Partnership.  Government representatives and other interested stakeholders may email EqualFutures@state.gov for more information.  The next meeting of the Equal Futures Partnership will be in September on the margins of the UN General Assembly. 

President Obama hosts the 3rd Annual White House Science Fair and celebrate the student winners of a broad range of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) competitions from across the country.

President Obama speaks to the American people about the act of terror at the Boston Marathon that wounded dozens and killed three innocent people on Monday, and says that through it all, Boston’s spirit remains undaunted and Americans have proven they refuse to be terrorized.

President Obama commends the response from the state and local police and federal investigators after law enforcement makes an arrest in the Boston Marathon bombings.

view all related blog posts

View the original article here

Fact Sheet: States Answer the First Lady’s Call to Put America’s Heroes Back to Work

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For Immediate Release April 17, 2013 Fact Sheet: States Answer the First Lady’s Call to Put America’s Heroes Back to Work

As part of their Joining Forces initiative, on February 25th First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden addressed the National Governor’s Association and issued a call to action – building on President Obama’s June 2012 announcement of the Military Credentialing and Licensing Task Force – that by the end of 2015, all 50 states will have taken legislative or executive action to help our troops get the credentials they need to successfully transition to the civilian labor market. In less than two months 13 states have answered the First Lady’s call and passed legislation that fast-tracks the ability for service members and veterans to earn civilian credentials and licenses, and 8 states have passed legislation that expedites professional licenses or certifications for military spouses when they move to a new state.

Today, the First Lady will join Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley as he signs into law the Veterans Full Employment Act of 2013. This comprehensive bill, developed in consultation with the Department of Defense, includes a number of Best Practices outlined in the Administration’s report: The Fast Track to Civilian Employment: Streamlining Credentialing and Licensing for Service Members, Veterans, and Their Spouses.

 

Maryland: Setting a National Standard for Military Credentialing and Licensing Policy

Maryland’s Veterans Full Employment Act of 2013 sets a national standard for state legislation, streamlining the ability for service members, veterans, and their spouses to obtain over 70 civilian credentials and licenses.

Supporting separating service members and veterans who seek to qualify for occupational licenses and certification based on their military education, training, and experience, including licenses in Emergency Medical Services and Advanced Medical Occupations.

The bill requires state licensing units to accept education, training, or service completed by a military member toward the qualifications to receive a license or certification.

Supporting separating service members and veterans who seek to obtain academic credit for their military education, training, and experience..

The bill requires the state’s public universities to implement policies that award academic credit for military training, coursework, and education, thus reducing the time to degree as well as the cost of earning a degree or certificate.

Supporting separating service members and military spouses who seek to transfer a current license by endorsement or obtain a temporary license when separating in a state other than the state that approved the current license.

The bill requires state licensing units to expedite licensing for military spouses, service members, and recently-discharged veterans.

Translating Military Experience into Civilian Employment

The United States has the most highly trained military in the world, comprised of men and women who have broad skill sets because of their military education and experience.  The members of our Armed Forces and their families make great sacrifices, and when their service is concluded, we owe it to our veterans and their families to help them accomplish a successful transition to the civilian labor market. That is why over the past year and a half, the President has taken significant action to create a “career-ready military” and streamline the transition process.

Too often the talented men and women who have served our country face barriers that make it difficult to find jobs that take advantage of their military skill sets. Many service members and veterans are required to repeat education or training in order to receive industry certifications and state occupational licenses, even though much, and in some cases, all, of their military training and experience overlaps with credential requirements. Additionally, frequent moves, and the resulting need to search for new employment, can be a significant problem for military spouses, especially when getting a job in a new state requires obtaining an occupational license. Leveraging the skills of our military veterans and their families will build a stronger workforce and a more competitive economy.

As of March 2013, roughly 783,000 veterans were unemployed and looking for work, including 207,000 post-9/11 veterans.  As we drawdown from the war in Afghanistan, one million service members are expected to leave the armed forces over the next several years. 

To ensure service members leave the military with the ability to transfer their education and training to the civilian job market, President Obama created the Military Credentialing and Licensing Task Force in June of 2012.

As its initial action, the Task Force forged partnerships with the five largest manufacturing credentialing bodies to provide opportunities for service members to gain industry-recognized, nationally-portable certifications for high-demand manufacturing jobs -- including welding, machining, maintenance, and logistics -- almost all of which have median   hourly wages above the national average. These partnerships are currently being implemented at military bases across the country.

In February, the Administration expanded its efforts to assist states in translating military training and experience into credit towards professional licensure. The objectives of this initiative are to accelerate states’ occupational licensing processes and to streamline approaches for assessing the equivalency of military training and experience for academic credit as well as in specific occupations, including

Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) and ParamedicsLicensed Practical Nurses (LPNs)Physician Assistants (PAs)Commercial Driver’s Licenses for Bus and Truck Driver’s License (CDLs)

Making Military Spouses’ Licenses Portable

There are currently more than 860,000 military spouses, about 95 percent of whom are female. Over the past six years, the labor force participation rate for military spouses has been approximately 55 percent, with an unemployment rate of 9.7 percent. Military spouses experience a number of unique employment challenges. According to analysis from the Treasury Department, military spouses are ten times more likely to have moved across state lines in the last year compared to their civilian counterparts: Taking an average for the years 2007 through 2012, 15.4 percent of military spouses moved across state lines each year, compared to just 1.1 percent of civilian spouses.

While many of the common occupations among military spouses are not licensed, some of the most popular professions, including teaching and nursing, do require licensure.  As occupational licenses carry state-specific conditions and processes, many spouses face lengthy re-employment delays when they move between states. Because of the delay, and expense involved in re-licensure, many spouses are unable to work in their chosen profession. This dilemma can affect the financial stability of military families, discourage service members from staying in the military, and reduce hiring potential if spouses must remain out of the workforce because of these delays.

States Step Up to Answer the First Lady’s Call-to-Action

Since the First Lady’s NGA remarks on February 25th, 13 states have stepped-up to answer her call-to-action by passing legislation that streamlines the ability for service members and veterans to obtain civilian certification and licensure.  Eight states have passed legislation that expedites professional licenses or certifications for military spouses when they move to a new state.  These states include:

Arizona: On April 11th, the Governor signed into law a bill that adopts the Military Skills Test Waiver for Commercial Driver’s Licenses and eases the professional licensing requirements military applicants seeking LPN licensure. In her signing letter, the Governor encouraged all state agencies to examine their licensing rules to identify opportunities where service member training can be credited toward existing professional licensure requirements.  The state has already passed spousal licensing legislation. 

Georgia: On April 8th, the Governor signed into law a bill that streamlines the ability for veterans to earn licenses in the construction trades. The state has already signed the Military Skills Test Waiver for the Commercial Driver’s License.  The bill also allows licensing boards to endorse certain military spousal licenses from other states.  Occupations include Electrical Contractor Class I and Journeyman Plumber.

Idaho: On April 1st, the Governor signed into law a bill that expedites licenses for qualified spouses of members of the military.

Indiana: On April 2nd, the Governor signed into law a bill that streamlines the ability for veterans to earn emergency medical services licenses. The state has already signed the Military Skills Test Waiver for the Commercial Driver’s License and passed spousal licensing legislation.  The state has already passed spousal licensing legislation.

Kansas: The state legislature passed a bill that broadly streamlines the ability for veterans to earn state licenses, including licenses for emergency medical services and nursing. The state has already signed the Military Skills Test Waiver for the Commercial Driver’s License and passed spousal licensing legislation.

Kentucky: On March 19th, the Governor signed into law a bill that streamlines the ability for veterans to earn emergency medical services licenses and Commercial Driver’s Licenses.  The state has already passed spousal licensing legislation.

Maryland: Today, the Governor signed into law a bill that broadly streamlines the ability for veterans to earn state licenses, including licenses for emergency medical services and nursing. The bill also enables service members and veterans to translate military training, education, and experience into academic credit. The state has already signed the Military Skills Test Waiver for the Commercial Driver’s License.  For military spouses, the bill also requires licensing units to expedite licensing, including certificates for educators/teachers issued by the Maryland State Department of Education.

Mississippi: On March 18th, the Governor signed into law a bill that broadly streamlines the ability for veterans to earn state licenses, including Commercial Driver’s Licenses and licenses for emergency medical services and nursing.  The bill also streamlines the process for military spouses who seek to transfer their licenses from other states when they move to Mississippi. For military spouses, the bill covers all occupational and educational professions.

Montana: On March 20th, the Governor signed into law a bill that provides members of the Reserve the ability to extend their licensing deadline while serving on active duty.  The state has already passed spousal licensing legislation.

New Mexico: On March 26th, the Governor signed into law a bill that broadly streamlines the ability for veterans to earn state licenses, including licenses for emergency medical services and nursing.  The bill also streamlines the process for military spouses who seek to transfer their licenses from other states when they move to New Mexico. For military spouses, the bill covers all regulated occupations, with the exception of attorneys and teachers.

 North Dakota: The Governor signed into law a bill that grants a teaching license to an applicant who holds a regular teaching license or certification in another state, provided the individual meets certain requirements. 

South Dakota: On March 16th, the Governor signed into law a bill that broadly streamlines the ability for veterans to earn state licenses, including licenses for nursing. The state has already signed the Military Skills Test Waiver for the Commercial Driver’s License.  The bill also streamlines the process for military spouses who seek to transfer their licenses from other states when they move to South Dakota. For military spouses, the bill covers all occupations covered under Title 36, including teachers.

Tennessee: The state legislature passed a bill that broadly streamlines the ability for veterans to earn state licenses, including Commercial Driver’s Licenses and licenses for emergency medical services and nursing.  The state has already passed spousal licensing legislation.

Utah: On March 26th, the Governor signed into law a bill that broadly streamlines the ability for veterans to earn state licenses, including Commercial Driver’s Licenses and licenses for emergency medical services and nursing.  The state has already passed spousal licensing legislation.

Wyoming: On March 13th, the Governor signed into law a bill that broadly streamlines the ability for veterans to earn state licenses, including Commercial Driver’s Licenses and licenses for emergency medical services and nursing. The bill also streamlines the process for military spouses who seek to transfer their licenses from other states when they move to Wyoming.  For military spouses, the bill covers all occupations, except attorneys and professions with prescriptive drug authority.

Blog posts on this issue April 18, 2013 12:29 PM EDTIn the Face of Evil, Boston Has Shown that Americans Will Lift Up What Is Good

President Obama speaks at in interfaith service dedicated to those who were gravely wounded or killed at the Boston Marathon bombing.

April 18, 2013 10:15 AM EDTWatch Live: President Obama Addresses Healing Service in Boston

President Obama will deliver remarks this morning at Healing Our City: An Interfaith Service which is dedicated to those who were gravely wounded or killed in Monday’s bombing near the finish line of the Boston Marathon.

April 18, 2013 9:57 AM EDTCourage, Strength, Resilience: Women Fight AIDS

The Kaiser Foundation hosts an event for the launch of EMPOWERED, Alicia Keys' new campaign to help end the HIV/AIDs epidemic.

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Fact Sheet: BRAIN Initiative

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For Immediate Release April 02, 2013 Fact Sheet: BRAIN Initiative “If we want to make the best products, we also have to invest in the best ideas... Every dollar we invested to map the human genome returned $140 to our economy... Today, our scientists are mapping the human brain to unlock the answers to Alzheimer’s… Now is not the time to gut these job-creating investments in science and innovation. Now is the time to reach a level of research and development not seen since the height of the Space Race.”

- President Barack Obama, 2013 State of the Union

In his State of the Union address, the President laid out his vision for creating jobs and building a growing, thriving middle class by making a historic investment in research and development.

Today, at a White House event, the President unveiled a bold new research initiative designed to revolutionize our understanding of the human brain. Launched with approximately $100 million in the President’s Fiscal Year 2014 Budget, the BRAIN (Brain Research through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies) Initiative ultimately aims to help researchers find new ways to treat, cure, and even prevent brain disorders, such as Alzheimer’s disease, epilepsy, and traumatic brain injury.

The BRAIN Initiative will accelerate the development and application of new technologies that will enable researchers to produce dynamic pictures of the brain that show how individual brain cells and complex neural circuits interact at the speed of thought.  These technologies will open new doors to explore how the brain records, processes, uses, stores, and retrieves vast quantities of information, and shed light on the complex links between brain function and behavior.

This initiative is one of the Administration’s “Grand Challenges” – ambitious but achievable goals that require advances in science and technology.  In his remarks today, the President called on companies, research universities, foundations, and philanthropists to join with him in identifying and pursuing the Grand Challenges of the 21st century.

The BRAIN Initiative includes:

Key investments to jumpstart the effort: The National Institutes of Health, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, and the National Science Foundation will support approximately $100 million in research beginning in FY 2014.

Strong academic leadership: The National Institutes of Health will establish a high-level working group co-chaired by Dr. Cornelia “Cori” Bargmann (The Rockefeller University) and Dr. William Newsome (Stanford University) to define detailed scientific goals for the NIH’s investment, and to develop a multi-year scientific plan for achieving these goals, including timetables, milestones, and cost estimates.

Public-private partnerships: Federal research agencies will partner with companies, foundations, and private research institutions that are also investing in relevant neuroscience research, such as the Allen Institute, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Kavli Foundation, and the Salk Institute for Biological Studies.

Maintaining our highest ethical standards:  Pioneering research often has the potential to raise new ethical challenges. To ensure this new effort proceeds in ways that continue to adhere to our highest standards of research protections, the President will direct his Commission for the Study of Bioethical Issues to explore the ethical, legal, and societal implications raised by this research initiative and other recent advances in neuroscience. 

Background

In the last decade alone, scientists have made a number of landmark discoveries that now create the opportunity to unlock the mysteries of the brain, including the sequencing of the human genome, the development of new tools for mapping neuronal connections, the increasing resolution of imaging technologies, and the explosion of nanoscience. These breakthroughs have paved the way for unprecedented collaboration and discovery across scientific fields. For instance, by combining advanced genetic and optical techniques, scientists can now use pulses of light to determine how specific cell activities in the brain affect behavior. In addition, through the integration of neuroscience and physics, researchers can now use high-resolution imaging technologies to observe how the brain is structurally and functionally connected in living humans.  

While these technological innovations have contributed substantially to our expanding knowledge of the brain, significant breakthroughs in how we treat neurological and psychiatric disease will require a new generation of tools to enable researchers to record signals from brain cells in much greater numbers and at even faster speeds. This cannot currently be achieved, but great promise for developing such technologies lies at the intersections of nanoscience, imaging, engineering, informatics, and other rapidly emerging fields of science and engineering.

Key Investments to Launch this Effort

To make the most of these opportunities, the National Institutes of Health, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, and the National Science Foundation are launching this effort with funding in the President’s FY 2014 budget.

National Institutes of Health:  The NIH Blueprint for Neuroscience Research—an initiative that pools resources and expertise from across 15 NIH Institutes and Centers—will be a leading NIH contributor to the implementation of this initiative in FY 2014.  The Blueprint program will contribute funding for the initiative, given that the Blueprint funds are specifically devoted to projects that support the development of new tools, training opportunities, and other resources. In total, NIH intends to allocate approximately $40 million in FY 2014.

Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency:  In FY 2014, DARPA plans to invest $50 million in a set of programs with the goal of understanding the dynamic functions of the brain and demonstrating breakthrough applications based on these insights.  DARPA aims to develop a new set of tools to capture and process dynamic neural and synaptic activities.  DARPA is interested in applications—such as a new generation of information processing systems and restoration mechanisms—that dramatically improve the way we diagnose and treat warfighters suffering from post-traumatic stress, brain injury, and memory loss.  DARPA will engage a broad range of experts to explore the ethical, legal, and societal issues raised by advances in neurotechnology.

National Science Foundation:  The National Science Foundation will play an important role in the BRAIN Initiative because of its ability to support research that spans biology, the physical sciences, engineering, computer science, and the social and behavioral sciences.  The National Science Foundation intends to support approximately $20 million in FY 2014 in research that will advance this initiative, such as the development of molecular-scale probes that can sense and record the activity of neural networks; advances in “Big Data” that are necessary to analyze the huge amounts of information that will be generated, and increased understanding of how thoughts, emotions, actions, and memories are represented in the brain.

Private Sector Partners

Key private sector partners have made important commitments to support the BRAIN Initiative, including:

The Allen Institute for Brain Science:  The Allen Institute, a nonprofit medical research organization, is a leader in large-scale brain research and public sharing of data and tools. In March 2012, the Allen Institute for Brain Science embarked upon a ten-year project to understand the neural code: how brain activity leads to perception, decision making, and ultimately action. The Allen Institute’s expansion, with a $300M investment from philanthropist Paul G. Allen in the first four years, was based on the recent unprecedented advances in technologies for recording the brain’s activity and mapping its interconnections.  More than $60M annually will be spent to support Allen Institute projects related to the BRAIN Initiative.

Howard Hughes Medical Institute:  HHMI is the Nation’s largest nongovernmental funder of basic biomedical research and has a long history of supporting basic neuroscience research.  HHMI’s Janelia Farm Research Campus in Virginia was opened in 2006 with the goal of developing new imaging technologies and understanding how information is stored and processed in neural networks. It will spend at least $30 million annually to support projects related to this initiative. 

Kavli Foundation:  The Kavli Foundation anticipates supporting activities that are related to this project with approximately $4 million dollars per year over the next ten years.  This figure includes a portion of the expected annual income from the endowments of existing Kavli Institutes and endowment gifts to establish new Kavli Institutes over the coming decade. This figure also includes the Foundation's continuing commitment to supporting project meetings and selected other activities.

Salk Institute for Biological Studies:  The Salk Institute, under its Dynamic Brain Initiative, will dedicate over $28 million to work across traditional boundaries of neuroscience, producing a sophisticated understanding of the brain, from individual genes to neuronal circuits to behavior. To truly understand how the brain operates in both healthy and diseased states, scientists will map out the brain's neural networks and unravel how they interrelate. To stave off or reverse diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, scientists will explore the changes that occur in the brain as we age, laying the groundwork for prevention and treatment of age-related neurological diseases.

Blog posts on this issue April 02, 2013 10:39 AM EDTOpen for Questions: The BRAIN Initiative

Have questions about the BRAIN (Brain Research through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies) Initiative? Administration officials will answer during a session of "Open for Questions."

April 02, 2013 10:15 AM EDTBRAIN Initiative Challenges Researchers to Unlock Mysteries of Human Mind

President Obama unveils the “BRAIN” Initiative—a bold new research effort to revolutionize our understanding of the human mind and uncover new ways to treat, prevent, and cure brain disorders like Alzheimer’s, schizophrenia, autism, epilepsy, and traumatic brain injury.

April 01, 2013 6:44 PM EDTBe Healthy, Be Active, Be You: The 2013 White House Easter Egg Roll

The First Family hosted more than 30,000 visitors for the 135th annual Egg Roll, the largest public event held at the White House each year.

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FACT SHEET: President Obama’s Blueprint for a Clean and Secure Energy Future

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The United States is on the path to a cleaner and more secure energy future. Since President Obama took office, responsible oil and gas production has increased each year, while oil imports have fallen to a 20 year low; renewable electricity generation from wind, solar, and geothermal sources has doubled; And our emissions of the dangerous carbon pollution that threatens our planet have fallen to their lowest level in nearly two decades. In short, the President’s approach is working. It’s a winning strategy for the economy, energy security, and the environment.

But even with this progress, there is more work to do. Rising gas prices serve as a reminder that we are still too reliant on oil, which comes at a cost to American families and businesses. While there’s no overnight solution to address rising gas prices in the short term, President Obama today reiterated his commitment to a sustained, all-of-the-above energy strategy and urged Congress to take up common-sense proposals that will further reduce our dependence on oil, better protect consumers from spikes in gas prices, and reduce pollution.

Background: The Energy Security Trust

The Obama Administration is calling on Congress to establish a new Energy Security Trust, which is designed to invest in breakthrough research that will make the technologies of the future cheaper and better – technologies that will protect American families from spikes in gas prices and allow us to run our cars and trucks on electricity or homegrown fuels.

The Energy Security Trust, which builds on a proposal supported by a broad bipartisan coalition including retired military leaders, will provide a reliable stream of funding for critical, breakthrough research focused on developing cost-effective transportation alternatives.

The President’s proposal sets aside $2 billion over 10 years and will support research into a range of cost-effective technologies – like advanced vehicles that run on electricity, homegrown biofuels, fuel cells, and domestically produced natural gas. The mandatory funds would be set aside from royalty revenues generated by oil and gas development in Federal waters of the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS), already included in the administration’s five year plan. These revenues are projected to increase over the next several years based on a combination of leasing, production, and price trends, with additional revenues potentially generated as a result of reforms being proposed in the FY 2014 Budget. The Trust is paid for within the context of the overall budget.

Paired with other Administration policies, including our historic new fuel economy standards, the Trust would help solidify America’s position as a world leader in advanced transportation technology.

For example, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has released a new report that underscores the progress we have made to improve fuel economy, save American families money at the pump, and reduce carbon pollution that contributes to climate change. According to the report, from 2007 to 2012, EPA estimates that CO2 emissions have decreased by 13 percent and fuel economy values have increased by 16 percent. In addition, compared to five years ago, consumers have twice as many hybrid and diesel vehicle choices, a growing set of plug-in electric vehicle options, and a six-fold increase in the number of car models with combined city/highway fuel economy of 30 mpg or higher.

The Energy Security Trust builds on this historic progress, continuing to increase momentum towards to a cleaner, more efficient fleet that is good for consumers, increases energy independence, and cuts carbon pollution.

Producing More American Energy

President Obama is committed to an “all-of-the-above” approach that develops all American energy sources in a safe and responsible way and builds a clean and secure energy future. That’s why the President’s plan:

? Challenges Americans to double renewable electricity generation again by 2020. In order to double generation from wind, solar, and geothermal sources by 2020, relative to 2012 levels, the President called on Congress to make the renewable energy Production Tax Credit permanent and refundable, which will provide incentive and certainty for investments in new clean energy. Instead of continuing century-old subsidies to oil companies, the President believes that we need to invest in the energy of the future. During the President’s first term, clean energy tax incentives attracted billions of dollars in private investment in almost 50,000 clean energy projects, creating tens of thousands of jobs. Permanent extension keeps the momentum building, while creating new jobs in clean energy.

? Directs the Interior Department to make energy project permitting more robust. Last year, the President set a goal to permit 10,000 megawatts of renewables on public lands – a goal the Interior Department achieved. But there is more work to do. That is why the Department is continuing to take steps to enable responsible development of American energy on public lands. In support of this work, the President’s Budget will increase funding for energy programs of the Bureau of Land Management by roughly 20 percent. A significant share of these resources will support better permitting processes for oil and gas, renewable energy, and infrastructure, including the transition to an electronic, streamlined system for oil and gas permits that will significantly reduce the time for approval of new drilling projects. The Department will also propose more diligent development of oil and gas leases through shorter primary lease terms, stricter enforcement of lease terms, and monetary incentives to get leases into production.

? Commits to safer production and cleaner electricity from natural gas. Our domestic natural gas resources are reducing energy costs across the economy – for manufacturers investing in new facilities and families benefiting from lower heating costs. This abundant, nearly 100-year resource can support new jobs and growth, but there are steps we should take to make this growth safe and responsible. The President’s budget will invest more than $40 million in research to ensure safe and responsible natural gas production. And as part of a $375 million investment in cleaner energy from fossil fuels, the President’s budget includes significant funding for clean coal technology and a new $25 million prize for the first, natural gas combined cycle power plant to integrate carbon capture and storage.

? Supports a responsible nuclear waste strategy. Under President Obama’s direction, the Energy Department created a Blue Ribbon Commission on America’s Nuclear Future to recommend how to manage the challenges associated with nuclear waste storage and disposal. After careful consideration of the Commission’s input, the Administration has issued a strategy for action in response to the recommendations and looks forward to working with Congress on implementing policies that ensure that our Nation can continue to rely on carbon-free nuclear power.

Investing in Energy Security

During the President’s first term, the United States cut foreign oil imports by more than 3.6 million barrels per day, more than under any other President. To ensure that we continue on a path towards greater energy security, the President’s plan:

? Sets a goal to cut net oil imports in half by the end of the decade. Increased production of domestic oil, natural gas, and biofuels, and improvements in the fuel economy of our cars and trucks allowed the United States to cut imports of oil by almost one-third since 2008. To build on this progress, the President will direct new policies and investments to set us on a course to cut net oil imports in half by the end of the decade, relative to 2008 levels.

? Commits to partnering with the private sector to adopt natural gas and other alternative fuels in the Nation’s trucking fleet. Private sector investments are building natural gas fueling infrastructure across the United States just as natural gas vehicle research is making the technology more economically and environmentally effective. The President is committed to accelerating the growth of this domestically abundant fuel and other alternative fuels in the transportation sector in a way that benefits our planet, our economy, and our energy security: putting in place new incentives for medium- and heavy-duty trucks that run on natural gas or other alternative fuels, providing a credit for 50 percent of the incremental cost of a dedicated alternative-fuel truck for a five-year period; supporting research to ensure the safe and responsible use of natural gas; and funding to support a select number of deployment communities: real-world laboratories that leverage limited federal resources to develop different models to deploy advanced vehicles at scale.

Making Energy Go Farther Across the Economy

Cutting the amount of energy we waste in our cars and trucks, in our homes, buildings, and in our factories, will make us a stronger, more resilient, and more competitive economy. Improvements in energy efficiency are critical to building a clean and secure energy future. To advance this priority, the President’s plan:

? Establishes a new goal to double American energy productivity by 2030. The President has set a goal to cut our economy’s energy waste in half over the next twenty years. More specifically, the Administration will take action aimed at doubling the economic output per unit of energy consumed in the United States by 2030, relative to 2010 levels. This includes a new Energy Efficiency Race to the Top challenge; building on the success of existing partnerships with the public and private sectors to promote energy efficiency; and continuing investments in technologies that improve energy productivity and cut waste.

? Challenges States to Cut Energy Waste and Support Energy Efficiency and Modernize the Grid. Modeled after a successful Administration approach in education reform designed to promote forward-leaning policies at the State-level, the Budget includes $200 million in one-time funding for Race to the Top performance based awards to support State governments that implement effective policies to cut energy waste and modernize the grid. Key opportunities for States include: modernizing utility regulations to encourage cost-effective investments in efficiency like combined heat and power, clean distributed generation, and demand response resources; enhancing customer access to data; investments that improve the reliability, security and resilience of the grid; and enhancing the sharing of information regarding grid conditions.

? Commits to build on the success of existing partnerships with the public and private sector to use energy wisely. Over the next four years, the President is committed to accelerating progress on energy productivity including through the Better Buildings Challenge, improving energy data access for consumers through the "Green Button" initiative, and making appliances even more efficient - saving consumers money, spurring innovation, and strengthening domestic manufacturing.

? Calls for sustained investments in technologies that promote maximum productivity of energy use and reduce waste. The President’s Budget expands applied research and development of innovative manufacturing processes and advanced industrial materials. These innovations will enable U.S. companies to cut manufacturing costs, enhance the productivity of their investments and workforce, and reduce the life-cycle energy consumption of technologies, while improving product quality and accelerating product development.

International Leadership

The Administration has worked not only to strengthen our energy security at home, but also around the world. In concert with our domestic actions, we have pursued a robust international agenda that:

? Leads efforts through the Clean Energy Ministerial and other fora to promote energy efficiency and the development and deployment of clean energy. Our efforts have helped to accelerate the global dissemination of energy-efficient equipment and appliances through the Super-Efficient Equipment and Appliance Deployment (SEAD) Initiative, improved energy savings in commercial building and industry through the Global Superior Energy Performance Partnership (GSEP), and supported the large-scale deployment of renewable energy through the 21st Century Power Partnership.

? Works through the G20 and other fora toward the global phase out of inefficient fossil fuel subsidies. Inefficient subsidies exact a steep toll on our economies, our energy security, and our environment, and the United States is leading efforts internationally to accelerate progress in eliminating them.

? Promotes safe and responsible oil and natural gas development. The Administration has worked to promote safe and responsible oil and natural gas production through initiatives like the Energy Governance and Capacity Initiative, which provides technical and capacity building assistance to countries that are on the verge of becoming the world’s next generation of oil and gas producers, and the Unconventional Gas Technological Engagement Program, which works to help countries with unconventional natural gas resources to identify and develop them safely and economically and can support switching from coal to cleaner-burning natural gas.

? Updates our international capabilities to strengthen energy security. We are working with the International Energy Agency (IEA) and others to ensure that our international institutions and processes reflect changes in global energy markets.

? Supports American nuclear exports. We are providing increased support for American nuclear technology and supply chains to promote safe, secure, low-carbon nuclear power growth in countries that are pursuing nuclear energy as part of their energy mix.

President Obama discusses the need to harness American energy in order to reduce our dependence on oil and make the United States a magnet for new jobs. He highlights his all-of-the-above approach to American energy -- including a proposal to establish an Energy Security Trust, which invests in research that will help shift our cars and trucks off of oil.

In the first foreign trip of his second term in office, President Obama will meet with the new Israeli government and speak to the Israeli people, as well as meet with the Palestinian leadership and the King of Jordan.

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

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Fact Sheet: Implementation of Export Control Reform

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For Immediate Release March 08, 2013 Fact Sheet: Implementation of Export Control Reform

Today, the Administration announced two key steps to further the goals of President Obama’s Export Control Reform Initiative, which is a common sense approach to overhauling the nation’s export control system.  President Obama signed an Executive Order today to update delegated presidential authorities over the administration of certain export and import controls under the Arms Export Control Act of 1976, and yesterday the Administration notified Congress of the first in a series of changes to the U.S. Munitions List.

Executive Order

Executive Order 11958 delegated authority to control exports of defense articles and services to the Secretary of State and delegated the comparable authority to control imports to the Secretary of the Treasury.  The Department of State controls the export of defense articles and services on its U.S. Munitions List (USML); the Department of Justice controls their import pursuant to the U.S. Munitions Import List (USMIL) administered by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF).  The USMIL was previously a subset of State’s USML.  The most recent comprehensive delegation of these authorities was in Executive Order 11958 of January 18, 1977.  The President’s new Executive Order updates delegated authorities consistent with the upcoming changes to our export control lists.  It supersedes and replaces Executive Order 11958 and amends Executive Order 13222 of August 17, 2001, that pertains to the Department of Commerce-administered controls.  The new Executive Order makes the following changes:

Consolidation of All Brokering Responsibilities with the Department of State:  The Arms Export Control Act requires the registration and licensing of brokering activities for defense articles and services for both exports and imports.  A broker is a person who acts as an agent for others in negotiating or arranging contracts, purchases, sales or transfers of defense articles or services.  The Executive Order consolidates and delegates to the Secretary of State all statutory responsibility for maintaining registration and licensing requirements for brokering of defense articles and services on either the State or ATF lists which both control defense articles and services under the Arms Export Control Act.  This one-stop approach provides better clarity for the defense trade community and makes it easier for industry to comply and for the U.S. Government to enforce.

Elimination of Possible “Double Licensing” Requirements:  Today the Department of State licenses entire systems, including any accompanying spare parts, accessories, and attachments, yet many of these items will be moved to the Commerce list which may mean that an exporter would need two licenses instead of one.  The President’s delegation, via an amendment to Executive Order 13222, will allow the Department of State to authorize those accompanying items that may have moved to the Commerce list and prevent any potential double-licensing requirement.  This ensures that the prioritization of our controls, in which we facilitate secure trade with Allies and partners, does not add new red tape.  Items licensed or otherwise approved by the Secretary of State under this delegation remain subject to the jurisdiction of the Department of Commerce, including for enforcement purposes.

Congressional Notification Process:  The President has directed that the Department of Commerce establish procedures for notifying Congress of approved export licenses for a certain subset of items that are moved or that may move from the State list to the Commerce list.  A key feature of the President’s reform initiative is to enhance transparency with Congress and the public in the administration of our export control system.  This Executive Order ensures that, going forward, the Executive Branch will continue this transparency and notify Congress about export licenses for those certain items that, while no longer subject to the statutory notification requirements of the Arms Export Control Act, warrant continued transparency and notification to Congress.

Other Administrative Updates:  The Executive Order delegates to the Attorney General the functions previously assigned by Executive Order 11958 to the Secretary of the Treasury, reflecting the 2003 move of ATF to the Department of Justice from the Treasury (accommodated by Executive Order 13284).  It also makes a number of other necessary updates to ensure that the authorities to administer our export control system are current.

Changes to the U.S. Munitions List

The cornerstone of the President’s Export Control Reform Initiative is the rebuilding of the two primary export controls lists, State’s USML and the Department of Commerce’s Commerce Control List (CCL) which primarily controls dual-use items, i.e., commercial items with possible military applications, and some military items of lesser sensitivity.  By law, everything on the USML is controlled equally, whether an F-18 fighter or a bolt that has been modified for use on that F-18, and each of these items requires an individual license.  This system has created significant obstacles and delays in providing equipment to Allies and partners for interoperability with U.S. forces in places like Afghanistan, and harms the health and competitiveness of the U.S. industrial base. Rebuilding our export control lists and moving less sensitive items from the State to the Commerce list will provide us the flexibility to more efficiently equip and maintain our partner’s capabilities while allowing us to focus on preventing potential adversaries from acquiring military items that they could use against us.

The Administration notified Congress yesterday of the first in a series of changes to the USML, as required by Section 38(f) of the Arms Export Control Act.  Once the Congressional notification period concludes, these changes -- to current Department of State- administered controls on Aircraft and Gas Turbine Engines -- will be published, with an effective date of 180 days after publication.  The revised USML will enable the United States to better focus its resources on items that deserve the highest levels of export protection and on destinations of concern, while providing American companies with a streamlined export authorization process for thousands of parts and components. The remaining USML changes will be published on a rolling basis throughout 2013, and ultimately will update every category of defense articles to better meet current national security and economic challenges. These actions will improve our national security by better utilizing our export licensing and enforcement resources to focus on those items, destinations, and end-uses of greatest concern, improve interoperability with Allies and partners, and bolster the U.S. defense industrial base.  To follow developments in the President’s Export Control Reform Initiative, visit www.export.gov/ecr/.

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