“At a time when women are increasingly the breadwinners in our households, paying them less makes it harder for families to cover the necessities like child care or health care, just to pay the bills. It makes it harder for a family to save, harder for families to retire. It means local businesses have customers with less money to spend. So it’s not good for our communities. It’s not good for our families. It’s not good for our businesses. What kind of example does paying women less set for our sons and daughters?”

–President Obama, January 29, 2016

On June 14th, 2016, at the first-ever United State of Women Summit, President Obama announced a new Equal Pay Pledge signed by 28 of America’s leading businesses committed to closing the gender pay gap. In his remarks, he called on more businesses to step up and pledge themselves to gender equality. Today, on Women’s Equality Day, we’re happy to announce that an additional 29 businesses have signed on to the pledge.

In 2016, the typical woman still earns only 79 cents for every dollar a typical man earns. That number decreases to 64 cents for African American women, 59 cents for Native American women, and 54 cents for Latinas. These pay gaps don’t just affect each individual paycheck; over the course of their careers, women miss out on overtime pay, contributions to retirement, their 401(k), and social security. Pay gaps may start small, but they compound and grow when hiring and promotion practices are left unexamined.

The fact that influential companies are taking up the President’s challenge and taking the Equal Pay Pledge is one of many signs of momentum built by a growing movement for equal pay. But we know that the movement doesn’t stop at a pledge. We know we are strongest when we work together to find new paths forward with leadership from across sectors. That’s why, today, we are excited to announce that a group of White House Equal Pay Pledge employers have formed an independent business consortium, Employers for Pay Equity—to help private industry players share best practices and develop better hiring, promotion, and pay policies.

The consortium released the following mission statement:

“The Employers for Pay Equity consortium is comprised of companies that understand the importance of diversity and inclusion, including ensuring that all individuals are compensated equitably for equal work and experience and have an equal opportunity to contribute and advance in the workplace. We are committed to collaborating to eliminate the national pay and leadership gaps for women and ethnic minorities. Toward that end, we have come together to share best practices in compensation, hiring, promotion, and career development as well as develop strategies to support other companies’ efforts in this regard. By doing so, we believe we can have a positive effect on our workforces that, in turn, makes our companies stronger and delivers positive economic impact.”

Consortium members include:

We couldn’t be prouder of these leading businesses and the work they’re doing to improve the lives of women and others who experience gaps in pay.

We know that there’s more work still to do to close the pay gap, including passing equal pay legislation, but today, on the 96th anniversary of the ratification of the 19th amendment, we remember that one of our greatest strengths as a nation is our capacity to become a more perfect union, and we celebrate the steps, large and small, which bring us closer to our goals.

Every year, on World Refugee Day, communities across the globe honor the courage and resilience of refugees and celebrate their contributions to the communities where they have started life anew.  

As the President highlighted in his World Refugee Day statement, this year’s commemoration comes at an especially challenging time.  More people are fleeing persecution and being displaced by violence than at any time on record. That’s why the President has challenged his team – and world leaders – to do even more in response to today’s unprecedented challenge.   

At the White House, we are honored to work alongside a deeply committed team that is focused on strengthening our response to the needs of refugees around the world. Our colleagues at the Departments of State and Homeland Security are working hard to meet the President’s goal of admitting 85,000 refugees this year, including at least 10,000 Syrian refugees, and to prepare to resettle even more refugees next year, a process that involves extensive reviews and security screenings.  And the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is providing resettled refugees with critical resources to fully integrate and maximize their potential once they arrive.

We are also preparing for the President’s Leaders’ Summit on Refugees, which will take place later this year on the margins of the 71st session of the UN General Assembly.  At this global gathering, President Obama and other world leaders are seeking to generate broader and deeper commitments to increase humanitarian aid for refugees, provide refugees in more countries with new resettlement opportunities, and help more children go to school and allow adults to work and support themselves and their families.  

But today, we took time to host a very special meeting at the White House that allowed us to hear from resettled refugees, heads of refugee resettlement organizations, and state and local officials.  It was inspiring to learn about the tremendous work taking place across the country to welcome and integrate refugees into their communities.  It was heartening to hear the stories of everyday Americans who are stepping up by volunteering at local refugee-serving organizations, donating to international humanitarian organizations offering assistance abroad, and lending a hand to refugees starting their lives here in the United States.  The resettled refugees in the group –who hailed from Burma, Colombia, Sierra Leon, Syria, and Vietnam – were the real guests of honor. They shared their moving stories of perseverance in their journeys to the United States and their hopes for what the future will hold.  

Across the Administration, many others commemorated World Refugee Day.  

Last week, Deputy National Security Advisor Avril Haines spoke at an event where she shared the story of a young boy from Syria who wrote to President Obama about the significant hardships he and his family have faced and his hopes for his new life as a resettled refugee in the Boston area.

And today, White House staff met with refugees in Washington for a Refugee and Migrant Leadership Academy, hosted by Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Services, one of the major refugee resettlement agencies. 

Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson will deliver  and swear in new citizens at a naturalization ceremony for 20 candidates, many of them former refugees or asylees, at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park.  Secretary Johnson also shared the story of a young boy, Jaafar, who he met in Turkey.  

Jaafar is a 9 year old refugee. Hear Secretary Jeh Johnson tell his story ⟶ #RefugeesWelcomehttps://t.co/L8hEatfeUq

— Homeland Security (@DHSgov) June 20, 2016

Deputy Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Director León Rodríguez also participated in a special naturalization ceremony at the Holocaust Museum in Washington, DC.  

Success of US long built on innovative spirit, determination, & energy of those like Yasir Dhanoon. #RefugeesWelcomehttps://t.co/msq1mwAXyo

— Antony Blinken (@ABlinken) June 20, 2016

And later today, Secretary of State John Kerry will meet with interfaith leaders, refugees who have been resettled to the United States, and representatives from refugee resettlement organizations.  He will also give remarks as a part of an interfaith iftar at the ADAMS center, a mosque located in Sterling, Virginia, which has a strong history and record of working with interfaith partners to support the resettlement of refugees.

Finally, several the U.S. Mission to the United Nations and the HHS, and USCIS lifted up stories of resettled refugees who are making contributions to their communities through media campaigns.

With all that is going on in the world, it is more important than ever that we honor our unique tradition as a nation with a deep history of welcoming immigrants and refugees by recognizing and helping those that we can. Today is an occasion for us to recognize the importance of providing refuge to those uprooted by violence and persecution. It is a day to honor their contributions to our nation. It is a day to thank communities who are doing their part to welcome refugees. It is also a day to recommit ourselves to this important work. 

On this World Refugee Day we honor our nation’s legacy by focusing on doing our utmost to welcome refugees, expand their opportunities to succeed, and support refugee protection efforts all over the world. 

Amy Pope is Deputy Assistant to the President and Deputy Homeland Security Advisor. 

We heard from the group about what they are seeing in their communities, including specific heart-wrenching stories of members of their congregations whose lives have been devastated by usurious loans. We heard their recommendations for action to address the abuses in payday lending that are visiting hardship upon their communities.

What emerged was a common, powerful theme: that we have a moral obligation as a country to do something to stop payday lenders from preying on consumers by trapping them in an endless cycle of debt.

These leaders reflected the views of their communities. For example, a recent survey reported that 77 percent of American Christians and 85 percent of Evangelical Christians think predatory lending is sinful. Ninety-four percent of Christians believe that lenders should only extend loans at reasonable interest rates based on an ability to repay. In an example of a faith community in action, leaders in Garland, Texas drove predatory lending from their community after many were ensnared in payday debt traps. And coalitions of religious organizations such as Faith for Just Lending are making their voices heard across the country.

Providing stronger protections in areas such as payday lending are precisely why the President worked with Congress to create a new, independent agency focused solely on consumer protection as part of financial reform, and to ensure it had the authority to address abuses in this space. Last March, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) took steps toward a rulemaking to curb abusive practices involving payday loans and other short-term lending.

Yet even as there is widespread agreement across a diverse array of faith communities that something needs to be done to address payday lending abuses, too often these reasonable efforts face stiff resistance from the special interests supported by the payday loan industry. So, today was an important reaffirmation that diverse religious leaders and thousands like them are making clear why the independent CFPB has such strong moral grounds for addressing abuses in payday lending. We are grateful to these religious leaders for their commitment to serve their communities and look forward to working with them in the days ahead.

But the benefits of this new economy aren’t available to all Americans, and the consequences of that divide are severe. Nearly 1 in 3 families struggle to afford diapers for their babies. In some cases, moms and dads stretch the time between diaper changes to make their limited resources last. 

This can lead to serious health problems for babies and parents. Young children can end up hospitalized with problems like urinary tract or staph infections. Imagine the stress of not being able to afford the basics that your baby needs – not a small matter for struggling parents and caregivers. When families can’t afford a healthy number of diapers for their babies, they’re faced with a choice between buying diapers and paying for food, rent, or utilities like heat. That’s a choice that no family should have to make. In the worst case, over time these kinds of stressors can contribute to the incidence of abuse and neglect of young children.

The Diaper Disparity

These choices become even more pressing because the lowest-income quintile of families with infants pay 14 percent of their income for diapers alone – an average of $936 for diapers per child each year, while many higher income families pay less than half that amount. These struggling families may not have access to transportation to the big box store, the credit or capital to buy in bulk at cheaper prices, or the access to internet or ability to receive packages required for online subscription services. The technology that makes life easier for so many of us just doesn’t provide the necessary supports for these families. 

There is also no federal assistance for purchasing diapers, unlike other essentials like food or health insurance. Programs like WIC, SNAP, Medicaid help provide parents with nutritious foods and the supports they and their babies need to stay healthy, and the President’s budget has called for $10 million to test effective ways to get diapers to families in need and document the health improvements that result. But unless Congress acts, we don’t have a program to help struggling families buy diapers for their children. So, we’re getting creative and using every tool we have to help solve this problem. 

How We're Taking Action

Tomorrow, the President is traveling to Texas to participate in SXSW, where he’ll talk about how we can use technology to solve the issues facing Americans today. Ahead of his trip, the White House is highlighting a cross-sector strategy to expand access to affordable diapers for America’s poorest families. Online retailers, diaper manufacturers and non-profits are partnering to expand access to diapers for families in need.

As a result of these efforts, Covenant House – a youth homeless shelter – will be able to double the number of diapers that they can order with the same amount of money – and they'll cut the shipping time down from one week to two days. The mothers and children in their care will benefit from the added reliability, and the organization’s resources will be able to stretch to other priority areas like job training, daycare and skills courses. 

By calling these companies and non-profits to the table, we are breaking down the barriers to access and harnessing the tools of the new economy so that they can benefit all families. When you have a baby, diapers are a necessity. They are not optional. Addressing the high cost of diapers for low-income families can help to take one more burden off those families as they strive to reach the middle class, and give the next generation the great start in life that all kids deserve. 

We want every child to grow, thrive, and reach their full potential. We can make that possible by harnessing the tools of this new economy to serve all Americans, because no family should have to choose between keeping their babies healthy and keeping the lights or heat on.

How You Can Get Involved:

• Spread the word using #DiaperGap
• Find a diaper bank near you
• Sign up to become a diaper distributor
• Learn more about today’s announcement

We can never say it often or loudly enough: Immigrants and refugees revitalize and renew America…Immigrants are the teachers who inspire our children, and they’re the doctors who keep us healthy. They’re the engineers who design our skylines, and the artists and the entertainers who touch our hearts. Immigrants are soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines, Coast Guardsmen who protect us, often risking their lives for an America that isn’t even their own yet…We celebrate this history, this heritage, as an immigrant nation.

In the spirit of these core American values, President Obama established the White House Task Force on New Americans to strengthen federal immigrant and refugee integration efforts and promote the best practices that state and local governments are using to help immigrants and their native-born neighbors succeed together. As Task Force co-chairs, we are heartened by what we have already achieved together with state and local governments as well as business, community, faith, and philanthropic leaders.

To build on these efforts, the Task Force is launching a series of White House Regional Convenings on New Americans – with the inaugural convening taking place in Los Angeles today. This will be the first in a number of events aimed at strengthening and supporting local immigrant and refugee integration efforts.

These convenings will be organized in partnership with Building Welcoming Communities Campaign cities and counties, local leaders, and federal agencies, and aim to: (1) Strengthen the federal regional infrastructure supporting welcoming and integration efforts; (2) Highlight best practices; and (3) Broaden and deepen multisector partnerships at the local level to advance civic, economic, and linguistic integration efforts.

Today’s initiative was highlighted as a key 2016 effort in the Task Force’s One-Year Progress Report, which was submitted to the President in December 2015. This report provided an update on the recommendations issued in the Task Force’s Strategic Action Plan in April 2015. It also builds on White House convenings held in Washington, DC in July 2014 and October 2015.

President Obama, along with the many Americans engaged in this effort, feels strongly that advancing the cherished American ideals of citizenship, and the pride and responsibility that comes with being a U.S. citizen, is central to our strength as a nation. These Regional Convenings will further the mission of the “Stand Stronger” Citizenship Awareness Campaign, an initiative launched last Fall that encourages eligible lawful permanent residents to learn more about the naturalization process so they can solidify their roots and tap into the incredible opportunities that await new American citizens.

The Department of Homeland Security estimates that there are approximately 13.3 million lawful permanent residents living in the United States, and 8.8 million of them are eligible to apply for citizenship. We know that becoming a naturalized citizen bring tangible and intangible benefits to each new American, to the communities in which they live, and to the rest of the country.   

To address the barriers to becoming a citizen, USCIS also developed a series of initiatives  to improve customer service, highlight the importance of citizenship, and support aspiring citizens. These initiatives include new online citizenship preparation resources, the ability to pay the naturalization fee with a credit card, a citizenship public education and awareness campaign, and new and ongoing outreach and engagement with local governments.

Immigrants and refugees contribute to our country’s social and cultural fabric. They are critical to our country’s continued prosperity. The Task Force will continue to do everything possible to welcome them into our nation and work with cities and counties to build welcoming communities where everyone can thrive.   

For more information on the Task Force, visit https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/new-americans.

For more information on the Administration’s Citizenship Awareness Campaign, visit www.committocitizenship.org and www.uscis.gov/us-citizenship.

Check out a Roadmap guide to learn about ideas and resources to help build welcoming communities.

León Rodríguez is Director of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).

Along with other key provisions of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), Medicaid expansion is part of the reason why, for the first time ever, more than 90 percent of Americans are insured and have the financial security and peace of mind that comes from being able to access quality, affordable health care when you need it. The ACA provides the opportunity and resources for states to extend coverage to all non-elderly adults with income below 133 percent of the Federal poverty level (currently $32,253 for a family of four). By the end of 2015, 30 states and the District of Columbia had expanded their Medicaid programs. And so far this year, Governors in South Dakota, Virginia, and Wyoming are including this option in their budget submissions.

Just this week, Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards took swift action to give hundreds of thousands more low-income Louisianans access to Medicaid coverage starting on July 1, 2016. This additional coverage will result in an estimated 22,000 more people receiving all needed care each year, 230 fewer deaths a year, and 27,400 fewer people having trouble paying their bills because of medical expenses. It will also have significant economic benefits for the state, including an estimated $200 million reduction in uncompensated care costs.

Expanding Medicaid in Louisiana will have national significance as well. With Louisiana becoming the 31st state, plus the District of Columbia, to expand Medicaid, more than 50 percent of those estimated to gain coverage from Medicaid expansion live in states that have done so – 4.4 million people.

As this progress shows, state officials across the nation know that Medicaid expansion is a great deal for their states – a win for both the health of their residents and the vibrancy of their economies. In fact, a recent study comparing two states that expanded Medicaid to one that did not found that the expansion states saw an increase in residents with chronic conditions getting regular medical care, and a decrease in residents skipping medications because of cost or having trouble paying medical bills. In the 19 states that have yet to expand Medicaid, more than 4 million people could gain coverage, states could realize major savings in other parts of their budgets, and over $4 billion in uncompensated care costs could be avoided. And with expansion comes sustained Federal support: the Federal government covers 100 percent of the costs of newly eligible individuals’ coverage through calendar year 2016, phasing down to 90 percent in 2020 and beyond.

To help finish the job and seize these benefits in the years ahead, President Obama is proposing an extra incentive to states that have not yet expanded their Medicaid programs. Specifically, his Fiscal Year 2017 Budget will include a legislative proposal to provide any state that takes up the Medicaid option the same three years of full Federal support and gradual phase down that those states that expanded in 2014 received, no matter when the state takes up the option. This common-sense proposal makes the expansion as good a deal for states that expand now as it is for the states that have already done so. It is further evidence of the Administration’s willingness to work with states to build on recent progress in improving health coverage and making Medicaid affordable to states and taxpayers alike. We hope Congress will act to provide this extra incentive to states that haven’t yet expanded, encouraging them not to miss out on the benefits other states are already enjoying.

Our progress on Medicaid expansion is real and meaningful, and more work needs to be done for those who fall into the expansion gap. Medicaid expansion is working for Americans across this nation, but the job isn't over so long as families and workers in 19 states can't access affordable health insurance. State officials in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Kansas, Maine, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming should expand Medicaid as soon as possible to help their citizens and their economies.

One year ago, the President established the Task Force to develop a coordinated federal strategy to better integrate and welcome new Americans into communities and support state and local efforts to do the same. As President Obama stated in his presidential memorandum establishing this interagency effort, “By focusing on the civic, economic, and linguistic integration of new Americans, we can help immigrants and refugees in the United States contribute fully to our economy and their communities.”

Today, we are pleased to share the Task Force’s One-Year Progress Report on implementing its robust federal immigrant and refugee integration strategy. The report highlights Task Force actions and accomplishments on the 16 core goals and 48 recommendations identified in its April 2015 Strategic Action Plan.  

Among accomplishments to date, the Task Force has:

• Spearheaded the Building Welcoming Communities Campaign to encourage local immigrant and refugee integration efforts, with 48 cities and counties already joined in the effort, and organized a White House Building Welcoming Communities convening for participating cities and counties;
• Launched two initiatives: the “Stand Stronger” Citizenship Awareness campaign with a video message from President Obama and in partnership with local communities, as well as a complementary campaign at U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to promote awareness of the rights, responsibilities, and importance of United States citizenship;
• Named Presidential Ambassadors for Citizenship and Naturalization to harness the stories of prominent new Americans and U.S.-born individuals with immigrant roots to promote naturalization, bolster integration initiatives, and increase awareness of the rich contributions of new Americans;
• Dedicated 150 Welcoming Communities AmeriCorps members to nearly 100 communities through partnerships with the YMCA, Catholic Charities, and eight refugee resettlement organizations to assist local communities with integration efforts;
• Launched the Small Business Administration’s “Made It In America” website to promote immigrant entrepreneurship and piloted new “SBA 101” classes for immigrant and refugee entrepreneurs;
• Expanded access to linguistic integration and education by creating and disseminating best practices and hosting webinars, regional convenings, and other activities to connect new Americans with education systems; and
• Supported five communities seeking to build networks to strengthen integration through adult education providers.

Immigrants and refugees have always been a source of America’s strength. By extending a welcoming hand, the United States has continually tapped new sources of economic and cultural vitality. We can and must continue to reunite families; welcome students, workers, and entrepreneurs who seek to contribute to our economy; and remain a beacon of hope for vulnerable refugees, while ensuring the highest vigilance for our nation’s security. As President Obama has said, we were founded upon a belief in human dignity, and we must never forget what makes us exceptional. At the heart of that is our ability, generation after generation, to welcome newcomers and help them learn and live by the values we share as Americans. 

Learn about the Task Force's Accomplishments in 2015:

• Building welcoming communities
• Civic integration
• Economic integration
• Linguistic integration.
• Strategic Action Plan: Strengthening Communities by Welcoming All Residents: A Federal Strategic Action Plan on Immigrant and Refugee Integration
• One-Year Progress Report
• One-Year Progress Report Blog – Chinese 
• One-Year Progress Report Blog – Korean 
• One-Year Progress Report Blog – Vietnamese 
• One-Year Progress Report Blog – Tagalog 

As we prepare to celebrate the holidays with family and friends, too many families are struggling with food insecurity. A new report today from the White House Council of Economic Advisers finds that while SNAP is highly effective at reducing food insecurity, benefit levels are often inadequate to sustain families through the end of the month — causing children to go hungry and endangering their health, educational performance, and life chances.  

SNAP Benefits are Critical to our Nation’s Health, Educational, and Economic Outcomes

SNAP isn’t just an anti-poverty program. It’s also an effective and efficient health intervention for low-income families. SNAP’s positive impact on children begins even before birth and lasts well beyond childhood years, improving health, education, and economic outcomes.  Research that studied the early implementation of the Food Stamp Program shows that when disadvantaged children have access to food stamps before birth and during early childhood, their likelihood of being obese as adults decreased significantly and their likelihood of graduating from high school increased significantly.

But Current SNAP Benefit Levels are Often Inadequate 

While SNAP allows families to put more food on the table, current benefit levels may be inadequate for many households. New research shows that toward the end of the month, benefits often run out, leaving many families without adequate access to nutritious food. In fact, families that receive SNAP see their caloric intake decline between 10 and 25 percent over the course of a month as their benefits are exhausted.

That’s right. Families in America - even those receiving SNAP – still often run out of food at the end of the month. And when they do, the consequences are severe. New research has linked this decreased ability to put food on the table at the end of each month to high-cost consequences, including: 

• Increased hospital admissions due to low blood sugar among low-income adults (a 27 percent increase between the first and last week of the month);
• Increased disciplinary actions experienced by schoolchildren in SNAP households (an 11 percent increase between the first and last week of the month); and
• Diminished student performance on standardized tests, with performance improving only gradually again after the next month’s benefits are received.

     

Learn More and Join the Conversation

The Obama Administration has taken a number of steps to address food insecurity through enhancements to our nation’s nutrition supports—including a temporary expansion of SNAP benefits through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 and new policies that expand food assistance during the summer for low-income households with children. Today’s report shows that SNAP benefits are inadequate for many families—with major short- and long-term consequences. As we prepare to celebrate the holidays, we must work together to build upon the progress we’ve already made, and ensure all families have access to the nutrition they need to thrive.

Learn more about the SNAP program in the report, Long-Term Benefits of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. 

Read the Report

As Secretary Arne Duncan said earlier this week, No Child Left Behind has long been broken. Since the beginning of his time in office, President Obama has joined educators and families calling on Congress to fix this outdated law. 

To help you understand just how ESSA improves on the one-size-fits-all mandates on our schools, and fits right in with President Obama’s policies, check out this side-by-side comparison: 

I also want to take this opportunity to answer some of the most common questions we’ve been hearing from you on how ESSA can help American families, students, and schools:

Does this bill ensure high standards?

Yes. The bill affirms the path taken by 48 states and the District of Columbia to hold all students to challenging academic content standards that will prepare them to graduate from high school prepared for success in college and the workforce. 

Does this bill move towards a smarter, more balanced approach to testing?

Yes. As President Obama has called for, the bill encourages a smarter approach to testing by moving away from a sole focus on standardized tests to drive decisions around the quality of schools. It also does so by allowing for the use of multiple measures of student learning and progress, along with other indicators of student success to make school accountability decisions. It also includes provisions consistent with the Administration’s principles around reducing the amount of classroom time spent on standardized testing, including support for state efforts to audit and streamline their current assessment systems. At the same time, the bill maintains important statewide assessments to ensure that teachers and parents can mark the progress and performance of their children every year, from third to eighth grade and once in high school.

Does the bill create rigorous accountability for all students?

Yes. Consistent with the Administration’s proposals and policies, the bill builds on the federal-state partnerships in place in over 40 states to require meaningful goals for the progress of all students, and to ensure that every student subgroup makes gains toward college and career-readiness. States must set ambitious targets to close student achievement and graduation rate gaps among subgroups of students in order to meet their goals. In schools where too many students consistently fail to reach the goals and other indicators set by the state, school districts will ensure they receive tailored interventions and supports proportionate to the needs of those schools and the students they serve. 

Does the bill have competitive programs to spur innovative, replicate high quality charter schools and encourage support systems for vulnerable communities?

Yes. The bill contains competitive programs modeled after many the Administration has created and supported for years. These include a program to develop, refine, and replicate innovative and ambitious reforms to close the achievement gap in America’s schools, similar to the Administration’s existing Investing in Innovation (i3) program; to leverage resources to address the significant challenges faced by students and families living in high-poverty communities through the Promise Neighborhoods effort, supporting a full continuum of services from early learning through college; and to expand support for high-performing public charter schools for high-need students. 

Does the bill include harmful portability provisions?

No. The bill rejects so-called “portability” provisions in the original House-passed bill that would have allowed states to shift federal funds away from the schools that need them most.

Does the bill contain additional preschool slots?

Yes. The bill expands access to high-quality, state-funded preschool for children from low- and moderate-income families, building from the Administration’s Preschool Development Grants program. This is a major win for our youngest children and for American families.

One year ago today, President Obama announced a series of actions consistent with current laws to reform as much of our broken immigration system as possible. These actions are improving accountability in our immigration system, strengthening our national security and our economy, and building on our past efforts to enforce immigration laws with common sense and compassion. In an address to the nation, the President reminded us that:

Our tradition of welcoming immigrants from around the world has given us a tremendous advantage over other nations. It’s kept us youthful, dynamic, and entrepreneurial. It has shaped our character as a people with limitless possibilities.

President Obama

The President’s immigration executive actions lives up to this tradition. And according to the Council of Economic Advisors, the President’s executive actions, if fully implemented, would boost our economic output by up to $250 billion and raise average annual wages for U.S.-born workers by 0.4 percent, or $220 in today’s dollars, over the next ten years.

Administrations of both parties have taken executive action on immigration issues for the past half century. Last November, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued new guidelines for allowing immigrants who are longstanding members of our communities -- including immigrants who were brought here as children and the parents of U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents -- to request deferred action on a case-by-case basis.

Deferred action is a well-established feature of the immigration system that has been recognized by the Supreme Court and Congress.  It is a form of temporary relief that helps DHS focus its limited enforcement resources on the highest priorities for removal, like convicted criminals and recent border crossers. Though the new deferred action policies announced last year have been put on hold in the courts, we will continue to fight to implement them. That is why the Department of Justice has filed a petition seeking review from the Supreme Court of the United States to allow these policies to move forward.

In the meantime, we are moving forward on the other components of our executive actions:

• We have implemented new enforcement priorities and have strengthened our engagement with local law enforcement so that we can better focus our limited resources on those who are threats to our national security, public safety, and border security. Today, over 99% percent of individuals removed by ICE falls into DHS’s new top enforcement priorities, which are focused on those that pose the greatest danger to our safety and security.
• DHS also ended the Secure Communities Program and replaced it with the Priority Enforcement Program, or PEP. PEP is a common sense, more effective program that works with local law enforcement and communities to tailor the program to local jurisdictions needs in order to keep communities safe, while preserving community trust. Today, the vast majority of local law enforcement agencies are now working with DHS to keep criminals off the streets and keep our communities safe.
• We have also taken steps to modernize and streamline our legal immigration system. Thus far, DHS has moved forward on three rules and three policy guidance memoranda – two of these have already been finalized and applications are being received.
• Additionally, the newly established White House Task Force on New Americans, has released their strategic plan with 48 recommendations. This Task Force is taking tangible steps to help build welcoming communities to better integration immigrants and refugees and is raising awareness about the rights and responsibility of U.S. citizenship and new government tools and resources through the “Stand Stronger” Citizenship Campaign.

The results of these actions are real and impact members of our communities every day. Today, a high school student is less afraid of coming out of the shadows to apply for and attend college. A father is less afraid that a minor traffic stop could result in his deportation. And, a worker is less afraid she will be targeted by indiscriminate raids. Over 30,000 spouses of high-skilled workers on their path to green cards are able to work -- contributing to their families, local communities, and our nation at large.

We have and will continue to reform our immigration system, to make our communities stronger and more secure. But ultimately, it is up to Congress to pass comprehensive immigration reform to fix the system once and for all. We are not only a nation of laws; we are also a nation of immigrants. We must continue to live up to this tradition and the President has reiterated this throughout the past year. 

To learn more about our progress over the last year, take a look here.

From the Vietnamese who sought safety after the fall of Saigon to the Soviet Jews who came to America near the fall of the Soviet Union– America has continued to be a place of refuge. And critical each time has been the strong partnership between the American people and their government – the willingness of Americans to welcome newcomers into their communities as the government dedicates the resources necessary to assist refugees in the integration process.

On Sunday, President Obama will travel to Turkey and later to Asia to meet with world leaders for the G-20 summit, the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation Meeting, and the East Asia Summit to promote strong, sustainable and balanced growth and to address urgent global challenges. These summits come at a unique time, when the world faces the worst refugee crisis since the end of World War II. Sixty million people globally have been displaced from their homes, including 12 million Syrians. While countries around the world work to take in as many refugees as possible, the U.S. Government is doing what we can to live up to America’s best tradition as a land of second chances and a beacon of hope. The President will visit a refugee center in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, at the end of his trip to demonstrate our focus and commitment to this issue around the world. The need is enormous, but we are determined to answer the call.

That’s where the American people – and “Welcome Weekend” – are making a difference. An inspiring interfaith coalition has organized “Welcome Weekend” to support congregations and communities to come together and help refugees who have come to the United States get back on their feet, become integrated in new communities, and begin on the road to a normal life once again. Everyday Americans are invaluable partners in welcoming refugees into our communities by hosting a family for dinner, introducing refugees to their new neighbors, or helping them find employment or housing opportunities. You can join in efforts with your local community and engage in innovative work to promote refugee integration. You can even share your efforts and spread the word using #RefugeesWelcome.

Check out www.aidrefugees.gov to learn more about how you can help today. 

Help Now

This is a time when Americans of all faiths and beliefs are answering the call to be part of the response. Let’s remember – refugee families aren’t so different from our own and their aspirations for their children are the same. Their communities have been torn apart, their neighbors murdered, and their lives turned upside down. They’ve come here looking for a new life, and there’s no other country better equipped to offer them that opportunity than ours.

Amy Pope is Deputy Assistant to the President for Homeland Security.

Now, we need your help finding workers, employers, and organizers from across the country to join this conversation.

Our economy has come a long way from the economic crisis we faced when President Obama took office. American businesses have created 13 million jobs over the past 65 months, the longest consecutive streak of job growth on record. But we have more work to do to help middle-class wages grow and adapt to the changing nature of work in the 21st century. The Summit on Worker Voice will provide a historic opportunity to bring together a diverse group of leaders – including workers, employers, unions, organizers, and other advocates and experts – to explore ways to ensure that hardworking Americans are both driving our nation’s economic resurgence and also sharing in the benefits of the growth that they are helping to create. 

We know that many of you are doing great work across the country to prove this time-tested principle – that as employers, workers, and communities, we thrive when we stand together and support each other. We need the voices of hardworking Americans who stand up for better conditions in their workplaces. We need the voice of forward-thinking employers who are rejecting the old “us v. them” approach to their employees, instead finding win-win solutions by listening to them. We need the voices of tech innovators building new tools to allow workers to join together to make their voices heard.

You know, we don’t have all the answers here in Washington. We will be more successful in creating shared prosperity if we put our heads together to find new ways to help workers raise their voices together. That’s why we’re pleased to announce that we’ll be accepting nominations for people from across the country to attend the Summit in Washington, D.C. on October 7. Attendees will have the opportunity to participate in the conversation with senior leaders from business, unions, and government who share their commitment to fairer, more productive, and more prosperous workplaces. And we will be counting on attendees to learn from each other too, and to take those lessons back to their communities to make even more of a difference.

We’re looking for nominees who are making a difference for worker voice in their communities. Do you know someone who is bringing coworkers together to discuss common workplace issues, or who is inspiring workers to speak up? Do you know an employer who has taken great lengths to listen to their employees and learn what really matters to them? If so, nominate them to attend the Summit on Worker Voice.

There are limited spaces for attending the Summit at the White House, but there will be many other opportunities for joining the conversation. We’ll continue to provide updates on the blog about how you can join in.

President Barack Obama says goodbye to students after a visit to the Yeadon Regional Head Start Center in Yeadon, Pa., Nov. 8, 2011. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

Today, the Department of Health and Human Services announced important new changes to the Head Start program that build on this Administration’s efforts to improve services for our country’s youngest children.

From the first days of the Administration, Head Start has been at the heart of the President’s early learning agenda. This Administration has more than doubled the number of infants and toddlers in Early Head Start. Recently, the President requested an additional $1.5 billion increase in the Head Start program – the largest proposed funding increase for the program since the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act – to help ensure every Head Start child can benefit from a full school day and year of high-quality services.

Today’s step is the next in this effort, strengthening Head Start program’s Performance Standards for the next generation of children and families it will serve.

We know more today than we ever have about what our children need to be successful later in life. We know that the first five years of a child’s life are critical to shaping a child’s foundation for learning, healthy development, well-being, and later school success. We know that a child’s learning begins at birth, and takes shape as they are nurtured, challenged, and engaged in high-quality environments and relationships with parents, family and caregivers.

Armed with that knowledge, we have brought the best evidence and research to bear in revising and strengthening Head Start’s Performance Standards. The performance standards are the foundation for Head Start – they set forth the requirements all local grantees must meet to support the cognitive, social, emotional, and healthy development of children from birth to age 5. In place since 1975, these performance standards have experienced revision periodically but have not undergone any change since 1998. Our children and families deserve nothing less than the highest quality standards.

Based on the outcomes in our best Head Start programs, and high-quality state-supported preschool programs, we know that the current minimum standards in Head Start are insufficient to yield the strong, lasting outcomes that prepare children for success in school and life.That is why we have proposed changes to ensure that all Head Start children receive access to a full school day and year of services.

We believe the changes announced today will lead to more positive outcomes for Head Start children and promote greater success in school and beyond. In today’s announcement, we set high standards for curriculum, staff development, and program duration – all based on research and effective practice. We retain the focus on family engagement and comprehensive health and nutrition service for all Head Start children. We clarify that Head Start programs are prohibited from engaging in suspension or expulsion of children, and, most significantly, this announcement ensures that all Head Start children receive more than double the amount of exposure to high-quality instruction and services compared to current program minimums.

For more than 50 years, Head Start has made a difference in the lives of America’s children and families. Whether it’s the 20 children and families supported by Head Start’s services on the Havasupai reservation from the floor of the Grand Canyon, or the nearly 20,000 children served in Chicago’s neighborhoods, our Administration could not be more proud of the work Head Start does to strengthen and support our nation’s greatest and most valuable resource: our children.

We are excited to announce these changes and believe that these new standards will better support the healthy development, safety, and early learning of Head Start children for years to come.

See more:

• This Day in History: The Creation of Head Start

President Barack Obama signs the "Fair Pay and Safe Workplace" executive order in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building South Court Auditorium, July 31, 2014. The President is joined on stage by Labor Secretary Thomas Perez as well as employers who support fair labor practices, workers who have seen firsthand the effects of workplace violations, and advocates who have worked to improve fair pay and safety standards. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

Every business owner knows the importance of working with reliable, stand-up business partners who can deliver on-time and on-budget and follow the law. That last part is important, because a contractor who doesn’t follow the law isn’t living up to his or her obligations to you and may endanger your own workers and operations.

The same is true for the federal government, which contracts with many thousands of private businesses that employ almost one in five American workers.  

Unfortunately, studies have shown that many of the contractors with the largest wage-and-hour and worker safety violations go on to receive new contracts. Indeed, while the vast majority of federal contractors play by the rules, every year tens of thousands of American workers are denied overtime wages, are unlawfully discriminated against in hiring or pay, have their health and safety put at risk by federal contractors who cut corners, or are otherwise denied basic workplace protections.

An analysis by the Center for American Progress examined the 28 companies with the top workplace violations between FY 2005 and FY 2009 and found that a quarter of these companies went on to have significant performance problems. This data suggests a potentially strong link between a history of labor law violations and inadequate contract performance. It also means that the overwhelming majority of contractors who do follow the law — and may be more likely to be good stewards of taxpayer dollars — are unfairly competing against the worst actors who repeatedly violate the rights of workers and put them in danger.

So to protect workers, taxpayers, and law-abiding businesses, and to make sure we’re getting what we pay for, last July, President Obama signed the Fair Pay and Safe Workplaces Executive Order. This order requires businesses wishing to do business with the federal government to disclose their labor violations from the past three years, and it gives agencies guidance on how to use this information when awarding federal contracts.

Today, the Federal Acquisition Regulatory Council is publishing proposed regulations and the Department of Labor is putting forward related guidance that would implement the Executive Order; they are both seeking public comment on how to improve them.

The proposals incorporate ideas and suggestions gathered from significant outreach to contractors and worker advocates on how best to achieve the goals set forward by the President while minimizing burden on contractors. For the vast majority of the contracting community, they will need only attest that there are no labor violations to report. For others, a significant goal of the proposed regulation is to encourage contractors who do have major labor violations to work with contracting and enforcement agency experts to come into compliance by taking steps like paying back wages.

The federal government has long been required to do business only with responsible contractors. The proposals put forward today provide a clear path for realizing that goal in order to protect taxpayer resources and, more importantly, American workers.

See more:

• Watch the President's remarks at the signing of the Executive Order
• Get more facts on the Executive Order

At last, the doctors who care for seniors and many Americans with disabilities will no longer have to worry that about the possibility of an arbitrary cut in their pay. And, Medicare’s beneficiaries won’t have to worry that this formula will jeopardize their ability to see a provider. The flawed Medicare payment system created 17 potentially deep cuts in the last 13 years – with 5 alone in 2010 (Figure 1). This law eliminates the risk of these steep cuts and ensures that doctors will be paid in full for the care they give.

Moreover, the new law helps orient Medicare’s physician payment system toward rewarding the quality of the care they give a patient rather than just the number of tests and procedures they do for a patient. The Actuaries at the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) estimate that the percent of Medicare physician payments in payment models that encourage higher quality care would more than double in four years, from 25 percent this year to 60 percent in 2019 as a result of this law. The rapid deployment of these types of alternative payment models will be an important step  toward the Administration’s goal of creating a health care system that achieves better care, smarter spending, and healthier people. In addition, the law helps doctors improve their practice by increasing Medicare’s ability to share privacy-protected data with clinicians.

The law also extends CHIP, which has provided meaningful health coverage to over eight million children. This program has helped cut the uninsured rate among children by nearly 60 percent since its start in 1997 – with more than one-quarter of that reduction since the President signed  legislation reauthorizing the program in 2009 (Figure 2). The law also continues the proven Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting Programs, protects access to care through Community Health Centers, extends the National Health Service Corps and Teaching Health Center funding, makes permanent a program to assist low-income individuals with their Medicare premiums,  and will help to better protect beneficiaries’ personal information, in addition to making progress on many  other priorities. Many of these policies were proposed in the President’s Fiscal Year 2016 Budget.

The important reforms in this legislation build on the progress we have made since the passage of the Affordable Care Act just over five years ago.  Since 2010, health care prices have risen at the slowest rate in nearly 50 years. Health care quality has improved, with an estimated 50,000 fewer patient deaths in hospitals due to avoidable harms like infections or medication errors. And, over those five years, more than 16 million Americans have gained health insurance coverage, driving the nation’s uninsured rate to its lowest level ever.

As the President said at its signing, "this is good stuff."

Friday, as part of this effort, Secretaries Vilsack and Perez announced $200 million for projects designed to identify the most effective strategies to help participants in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) improve their skills and find jobs.

These pilot projects will test a range of strategies to determine the best ways to help SNAP participants get and keep good jobs – which is the right way to help them move towards self-sufficiency and ultimately reduce SNAP program costs, rather than across the board cuts. Over 80% of SNAP recipients are seniors, children, disabled individuals, or people already working but earning such low wages they still need help affording food. Across the board cuts -- like recently proposed block grants -- means slashing already-low benefits for these recipients, or cutting some of them off of the program altogether. A better way to save money in the SNAP program is to focus on the less than 20% of recipients who are struggling to find work and help them get a good job.

In doing so, the pilots announced last week build on the Vice President’s report released last July, which included a job-driven checklist that is being embedded in our core workforce programs and is being applied to all competitive job training grants moving forward -- representing about $1 billion a year in Federal funding.

The SNAP education and training pilots awarded last week feature job-driven strategies such as intensive sector-based approaches in which training programs are developed with a group of regional employers hiring in similar occupations. The program also supports career navigation models that help workers understand the fields where available jobs are located and work-based learning.

For example, in California, the County of Fresno will pilot a comprehensive two-generation approach that includes training paired with coaching on parenting skills, nutrition and health, and financial literacy designed to ensure that the program helps both parents and their children.

Illinois will build on a small-scale program for disadvantaged workers, spreading this to seven regions and testing the results. The program uses holistic assessment to place participants in either an accelerated and integrated adult education program, a bridge program from basic skills to technical training, or directly into technical training and a work-based learning pathway.

These pilots are creating robust networks that connect community-based organizations, local workforce boards, American Job Centers, community colleges, career-technical schools, adult education providers, and other service providers.

The pilots also reflect some of the best practices that the Administration is promoting related to the President’s upskilling initiative -- which is about equipping front-line workers who are currently employed with the skills and opportunities they need for advancement, without needing to leave their jobs to go back to school. Several grantees, are developing accelerated learning and bridge programs that equip low-wage workers with technical training required for in-demand, better-paying jobs.

In January, the Administration announced commitments to promote upskilling by a coalition of business organizations and 30 leading employers. Others are ready to join and in the coming weeks, we will be convening employers, labor leaders, foundations, educators, and tech innovators, who are making new commitments to front-line workers’ training and advancement, at the White House to share best practices and develop local and national partnerships. The Administration has also proposed a $200 million American Technical Training Fund that would help to expand and scale accelerated programs for Americans to upgrade their skills for middle-class jobs in high-demand fields.

The awards announced Friday are an important step in developing and testing the most effective strategies to help low-income workers find work and progress into better-paying jobs and careers. This is vital to the work of growing the economy in a way that supports the middle class and those still working to get there.

Cecilia Muñoz is Assistant to the President and Director of the Domestic Policy Council.

Jeff Zients is the Director of the National Economic Council and Assistant to the President for Economic Policy.

I joined with other senior advisors to the President in recommending that he veto this resolution if it is passed by Congress. We did so because it would make it harder for Americans to make their voices heard in the workplace. And that’s exactly the opposite of what working families need and deserve.

Labor unions have helped to build our nation’s middle class, playing a critical role in raising Americans’ wages and putting into place the workplace protections that we all enjoy today. Standing on its own, one worker's voice may be ignored, but when workers speak collectively, they can advocate for and win meaningful improvements in the workplace.

That’s why President Obama made clear in his recent State of the Union address, as he has time and time again, that we need laws that strengthen — not weaken — unions and that give American workers greater voice. Doing so will help restore the important link between hard work and opportunity by ensuring that the benefits of the economic recovery are more broadly shared.

One important way to give workers greater voice is to make it easier for them to express their wishes about whether or not to be represented by a union. The NLRB’s rule brings union election procedures into the 21st century, allowing for electronic filing and transmission of documents, improved communications between the parties, streamlined litigation procedures, standardized processes across regions, and consolidated appeals. These common-sense improvements will get some of the paperwork and delay out of the way of elections, letting workers make their choice more freely and quickly.

S.J.Res. 8 would move us in the wrong direction. If workers want to have a union, they should be able to vote for one without unnecessary and costly delays. The Board’s rule helps level the playing field for workers so they have more of a voice in their own future. That will help us build an economy with more security for middle-class families and more opportunity for all Americans.

In panel discussions, speeches, and breakout sessions, participants in Tampa considered important issues such as:

• How to help older Americans remain healthy and independent as they age
• How to promote retirement security
• How to help prevent financial exploitation and other abuse of our most vulnerable elders

But while Tampa was an important opportunity for dialogue, it was just the beginning of the conversation. We’ll continue this work in Phoenix, Seattle, Cleveland, and Boston in the weeks and months ahead.

Please join the discussion by visiting WhiteHouseConferenceonAging.gov, where you can sign up for regular updates, watch the live webcast on our regional events, and share your comments, thoughts, and ideas through the Get Involved section.

The 2015 White House Conference on Aging aims to highlight the contributions of today’s older adults — and inform tomorrow’s aging policy and programs. We hope it will be a broad-based, national conversation, and we need your input to make that happen. 

Jenny Lay-Flurrie is an example of someone who is not only able to accommodate her disability in the workplace, but was able to turn a disability into an asset. Jenny nearly walked away from a promotion when she felt that her deafness and inability to use a mobile phone would end her budding career at an internet company. Luckily, Jenny’s boss had no intention of letting so much talent walk away so easily and encouraged her to advocate for what she needed. Jenny got top-of-the-line hearing aids and worked with her boss to create a culture of awareness within the company about deafness and hearing loss. Jenny continued to take on bigger roles at that company and several other companies, before becoming a Senior Director at Microsoft, where she leads the Trusted Experiences Team (TExT), which focuses on accessibility, privacy, and online safety. Her disability is a benefit to Microsoft, giving the company insight on customers with disabilities around the world, which helps create better products for consumers.

In an increasingly global economy, we simply cannot afford to leave talent on the table. Individuals with disabilities possess the skills and talent to support themselves through meaningful employment and to make important contributions within America’s workplaces. The President is committed both to increasing opportunities for individuals with disabilities and supporting employers in their efforts to increase disability inclusion.

In July 2010, President Obama issued Executive Order 13548, Increasing Federal Employment of Individuals with Disabilities, and committed to increase the number of individuals with disabilities in the Federal workforce. Today, people with disabilities are being hired into the Federal Government at a higher percentage than at any time in the previous seventeen years. This success has led to more people with disabilities in Federal service in 33 years. Additionally, private businesses and employers like Jenny’s former boss are demonstrating that hiring employees with disabilities makes good business sense.

Today, 56.7 million Americans, or 19% of the population, live with disabilities. However, nearly 70% of people with disabilities have been left out of the American workforce. As we approach the 25th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), it is clear that more work must be done to ensure that people like Jenny have equal opportunities to succeed. Together, we can work to build a more inclusive America where people with disabilities benefit from work and help play a role in America’s success.

Over the past several months, we have been preparing for the 2015 White House Conference on Aging along with the Conference’s Executive Director, Nora Super, by establishing a Conference website, and participating in a number of listening sessions and meetings across the country.

This will include regional forums, the first of which will be in Tampa, FL on February 19. Subsequent forums will be held in Phoenix, AZ on March 31; Seattle, WA on April 9; Cleveland, OH on April 27; and Boston, MA on May 28.

Each will allow us to hear directly from the public on issues such as ensuring retirement security, promoting healthy aging, providing long-term services and support, and protecting older Americans from financial exploitation, abuse, and neglect. They will also help us to reach older Americans and their caregivers, advocates, and other stakeholders where they live.

The regional forums are co-sponsored by AARP and being planned in coordination with the Leadership Council of Aging Organizations, a coalition of more than 70 of the nation’s leading organizations serving older Americans. While participation is by invitation, all of the events will be live webcast to engage as many people as possible.

This Administration is committed to aging issues, and the 2015 White House Conference on Aging is an opportunity to look ahead to the issues that will help shape the landscape for older Americans for the next decade. We are dedicated to promoting policies that benefit elderly – and ultimately all – Americans. 

As we prepare for the 2015 White House Conference, we want your voice to be part of the conversation. Go to http://www.whitehouseconferenceonaging.gov/ to learn more about the Conference, to sign up for updates on its events and activities, and to tell us your thoughts and stories.

The President has been clear that he can’t fix the immigration system entirely on his own; whatever action he takes will not be a substitute for long-lasting solutions that only comprehensive immigration legislation can provide.

Here are the five things that you should know about the President’s initiatives impacting undocumented immigrants in the United States.

1. You must meet strict requirements to qualify for relief from deportation.

Eligible immigrants will have the opportunity to request temporary relief from deportation if they come forward and pass criminal and national security background checks and pay a fee. They will also be eligible for work authorization and must start paying their fair share of taxes. To qualify, individuals must show that they are:

• A parent of a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident as of the date of the announcement (regardless of the age of the child), have been in the United States for at least five years (starting on January 1, 2010), are not an enforcement priority, and present no other factors that would make a grant of deferred action inappropriate, or
   
• An individual who arrived in the U.S. before turning 16 years old and has been continuously present for at least five years (starting on January 1, 2010) regardless of how old they are today, and present no other factors that would make a grant of deferred action inappropriate.

2. You cannot apply for several months.

The U.S. government—and specifically USCIS—will not begin accepting applications until early to mid-2015, depending on the program.  But while the government is not accepting applications now, if you believe you are eligible for one or more of the initiatives, you can prepare by gathering documents that establish your identity, relationship to a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident (if applying on that basis) and show that you have continuously lived in the United States for at least five years. To receive updates when new information is available, subscribe to this page.

3. Recent border crossers will be a priority for deportation.

You must have been in the United States for at least five years to qualify for these programs. These executive actions will not benefit immigrants who recently crossed the border, who may cross the border in the future, or who help those who cross in the future, but rather immigrants who have been living in the United States for years.  By refocusing our border security, the President’s actions have increased the chances that anyone attempting to cross the border illegally today will be caught and then sent back. 

4. If you commit fraud, you will not qualify.

USCIS will carefully review each case. As with other immigration requests, knowingly misrepresenting or failing to disclose facts will subject applicants to potential criminal prosecution or removal from the United States—so it is critical to provide truthful and accurate information and documentation.

5. Beware of immigration scams.

Many people offer help with immigration services. Unfortunately, not all are authorized to do so. While many of these unauthorized practitioners mean well, all too many of them are out to rip you off. So please be mindful of scams and potential fraud out there. Learn tips on how to avoid them here.

Make sure you remain informed and know when the application process starts and visit www.uscis.gov will be the authoritative source of information about eligibility and you can subscribe to get updates here http://www.uscis.gov/immigrationaction.

Harjit Singh Sodhi, Senior Advisor Valerie Jarrett, Judy Shepard, and Louvon Harris attend an event at the White House commemorating the fifth anniversary of the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act.

Five years ago, on October 28, 2009, President Obama signed into law the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act. This landmark civil rights legislation was named after Matthew Shepard, a 21-year-old student at the University of Wyoming who was gay, and James Byrd Jr., a 49-year-old African-American man living in Jasper, Texas. Both were brutally murdered in acts of unspeakable intolerance and hate.

The Shepard-Byrd Act, named in their honor, expanded federal hate crimes protections to include sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, and disability. The act also removed unnecessary hurdles to prosecuting hate crimes committed because of race, color, or national origin. It also gave the Justice Department new tools for prosecuting criminals and directed new resources to law enforcement agencies so they could better serve their communities. And it has made it possible for more Americans to live freely and openly, reinforcing our nation’s sacred commitment to equality for all.

We were honored to have Matthew’s parents, Judy and Dennis Shepard, and James Byrd Jr.’s sister, Louvon Harris, join us at the White House today to recognize the fifth anniversary of the Shepard-Byrd Act. We were also honored to be joined by Rana Singh Sodhi, the brother of Balbir Singh Sodhi, a peace-loving member of the Sikh faith, believed to be the first murder victim of post-9/11 backlash. This event was an opportunity to recognize how the Shepard-Byrd Act has improved our ability to address hate crimes, and the tremendous amount of work that remains.

To continue that work, we announced new initiatives to strengthen our hate crime prevention efforts. We launched a new Interagency Initiative on Hate Crimes coordinated by the White House Domestic Policy Council that will promote cross-agency collaboration and will address prevention of violent hate crimes, as well as effective responses to hate crimes. The Department of Justice also announced several actions to strengthen and improve the federal government’s ability to prevent and respond to hate crimes, including a new series of trainings on the Shepard-Byrd Act around the country for state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies and community leaders.

In the past five fiscal years (2009-2013), the Department of Justice has charged 201 defendants on federal hate crimes or hate crimes-related charges, including the Shepard-Byrd Act and other federal hate crimes provisions -- an increase of almost 50% from the prior five fiscal years (2004-2008). The Department also convicted almost 50% more defendants on federal hate crimes or hate crimes-related charges, compared to the prior five fiscal years. Today’s announcements will help us continue to aggressively investigate and prosecute hate crimes nationwide.

The Shepard-Byrd Act is an important reminder that we can and must all come together across differences to combat hate violence in our country. Today, we celebrated people who responded to hate and terror by standing up for justice, working with law enforcement and other community members across different races, religions, disability, gender, and sexual orientation to say that this is not who we are as a community or as a country. They remind us of the courage and kindness that represent the greatness of the American spirit, and remind us to recommit ourselves to continuing to work together to create a country that reflects our founding ideals of justice and equality. 

To qualify for federal student aid, the law requires that most for-profit programs and certificate programs at private non-profit and public institutions prepare students for "gainful employment in a recognized occupation." The new rules are part of President Obama’s commitment to help reduce the burden faced by student loan borrowers and make postsecondary education more affordable and accessible to American families.

How are certain programs leaving borrowers with the burden of student loan debt?

Too often, students at career colleges -- including thousands of veterans -- are charged excessive costs, but don't get the education they paid for. Instead, students in many of these programs are provided with poor quality training, often for low-wage jobs or in occupations where there are simply no job opportunities. They frequently find themselves with large amounts of debt and, too often, end up in default. In many cases, students are drawn into these programs with confusing or misleading information. The situation for students at for-profit institutions is particularly troubling:

• Students who attend a two-year for-profit institution costs a student four times as much as attending a community college.
• Eighty-eight percent of associate degree graduates from for-profit institutions had student debt, while only 40 percent of associate degree recipients from community colleges had any student debt.
• Students at for-profit institutions represent only about 11 percent of the total higher education population but receive 19 percent of all federal loans and make up 44 percent of all loan defaulters.

How will the new rule help improve outcomes for students?

The Department of Education estimates that about 1,400 programs serving 840,000 students -- of whom 99 percent are at for-profit institutions -- would not pass the new accountability standards. All programs will have the opportunity to make immediate changes that could help them avoid sanctions, but if these programs do not improve, they will ultimately become ineligible for federal student aid -- which often makes up nearly 90 percent of the revenue at for-profit institutions.

How will the final rule improve accountability and transparency?

The rule also provides useful information for all students and consumers by requiring institutions to provide important information about their programs, like what their former students are earning, their success at graduating, and the amount of debt they accumulated.

Does the new rule only apply to for-profit colleges?

The final rule apply to all sectors of higher education. In order to receive federal student aid, the law requires that most for-profit programs, regardless of credential level, and most non-degree programs at non-profit and public institutions, including community colleges, prepare students for "gainful employment in a recognized occupation." The new rule sets the standards for “gainful employment” programs to remain eligible to accept federal student aid.

So, to maintain federal student aid eligibility, gainful employment programs will be required to meet minimum standards for debt vs. earnings for their graduates. A program would be considered to lead to gainful employment if the estimated annual loan payment of a typical graduate does not exceed 20 percent of his or her discretionary income or 8 percent of his or her total earnings. Programs that exceed these levels would be at risk of losing their ability to participate in taxpayer-funded federal student aid programs.

How many institutions will be affected by the new rules?

The new rule is significantly stronger than the 2011 regulation, and followed an extensive rulemaking process that involved public hearings, negotiations and nearly 95,000 public comments. The new rule is tougher than the Department of Education’s 2011 rules because they set a higher passing requirement and lay out a shorter path to ineligibility for the poorest-performing programs. In 2012, the Department estimated that 193 programs would not have passed the previous regulations; with respect to these new rules, based on available data, the Department estimates that about 1,400 programs would not pass the accountability metric.

When do the new regulations go into effect?

The rule announced today will become effective on July 1, 2015. Institutions will have the opportunity to make immediate changes that will improve their programs and avoid ineligibility. The first several years will include a transition period that will take into account any immediate steps by institutions to reduce costs and debt.

Stay informed on the Obama Administration’s commitment to college affordability by signing up for White House education updates here. 

The return on our dollar is highest when we invest in our youngest children, and we have recent research showing that sufficiently scaled Pre-K programs in cities like Boston and Tulsa are having a significant, positive impact on children’s literacy, language development, and math skills. Still, only approximately 28% of America’s 4-year-olds were enrolled in state preschool programs in the 2012-2013 school year. The high cost of private preschool programs and insufficient funding for public preschool in many communities narrows options for families, especially those in low-income communities.

In his 2013 State of the Union address, President Obama called on Congress to expand access to high-quality preschool education to every child in America. Last January, he challenged more Americans to join this effort — and governors, mayors, school superintendents, corporate and community leaders, foundations, and policymakers have responded.

More than 30 states and the District of Columbia increased funding for preschool in the 2013-2014 fiscal year, and 10 of these states increased funding by more than 20%. This school year, 11,500 more low-income children in California will enjoy high-quality preschool thanks to the leadership of Governor Jerry Brown and Senate President pro Tem Darrell Steinberg. The State of Michigan also increased funding for Pre-K by $65 million for the second year in a row, adding more than 10,000 additional seats for 4-year-olds in state Pre-K for the 2014-2015 school year, and more than doubling overall funding for Pre-K in Michigan. Alabama, Connecticut, and Maine, as well as other states and dozens of cities across the country, like San Antonio, New York, Cleveland, and Seattle, have also established new preschool programs or are pushing forward with major expansions.

As we celebrate the expansion of high-quality preschool in states and cities across the country, President Obama continues to call on leadership in Congress to renew our federal commitment to our youngest children, and to the future of our country by partnering with states to provide high-quality Pre-K to every American child. There truly is no better investment in the economic security of our families and our communities than making sure our youngest citizens are ready to succeed in school and in life.

Over this decade, nearly 8 in 10 new jobs will require some postsecondary education or training beyond high school. And of the 30 fastest growing occupations, half require a college degree. At the same time, college graduates earn an average of 77 percent more per hour than a high school graduate. President Obama set forth a goal early in his first term to guide our work in education – to lead the world with the highest proportion of college graduates by 2020. 

And yesterday, I had the privilege of joining Secretary Duncan in meeting with community college leaders who have made new commitments to ensure student success, because, in order to make progress on our goal to be first in the world, we need to embrace some of the foundational challenges to college enrollment, persistence, and completion. 

Our nation’s community colleges are the engines of our higher education system. As the largest part of America’s higher education system, these institutions provide the education and training to prepare our 21st century workforce and are an ideal place to raise the knowledge and skills of our workforce – and to meet the academic needs of a diverse population of learners, from recent high school graduates to adults seeking new skills.  

Following yesterday’s meeting, today we are announcing several developments in our efforts to expand college opportunity for all:

• The White House announces second College Opportunity Summit: The Administration is announcing that the White House will host another College Opportunity Summit on December 4, 2014. The goal of this conference will build on the work launched in the first College Opportunity Summit last January, while launching initiatives in new areas. This year’s summit will focus on building sustainable collaborations in communities with strong K-12 and higher education partnerships to encourage college going, and supporting colleges to work together to dramatically improve persistence and increase college completion, especially for first-generation, low-income, and underrepresented students.
• New community college partners working to expand college opportunity: The Administration is announcing 14 new commitments by community colleges to expand college opportunity by strengthening college readiness for academically underprepared students, building on the more than 100 colleges and universities and 40 nonprofit organizations who made commitments in January.
• New commitments from the field to strengthen college readiness: The Department of Education’s Institute for Education Studies (IES) is launching a new Center for the Analysis of Postsecondary Readiness (CAPR) led by the Community College Research Center (CCRC) at Teachers College, Columbia University and the social policy research organization MDRC that will work to strengthen the research, evaluation, and support of college-readiness efforts across the nation. In addition, Khan Academy is announcing new commitments that will focus on technology-based solutions customized to improve student success in developmental math. Lastly, the Great Lakes Higher Education Guaranty Corporation will commit $5 million, partnering with MDRC, the Ohio Board of Regents, and City University of New York (CUNY) to replicate CUNY’s successful Accelerated Study in Associate Programs (ASAP) to support as many as 2,000 community college students in Ohio to help more students graduate sooner. 
• Continued progress on ongoing college opportunity commitments: In addition to new commitments, we continue to make progress on our previously announced efforts to expand access to college for all students, including efforts to improve the effectiveness of college advising and enhance support for school counselors, and increasing efforts to boost student achievement in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) and to broaden participation in STEM fields to women, underrepresented groups, and students from low-income or underserved communities. 

These efforts have inspired engagement and supported the progress of education leaders who are taking collective action in their schools, on college campuses, and in their communities to do all they can to help more low-income students prepare to enter and succeed in college.

For more information, read our fact sheet here.

Just yesterday, the Medicare Trustees released their annual report finding that, since their report last year, the life of the Medicare Trust Fund has been extended by four additional years to 2030. When this Administration first took office, the Trust Fund was projected to go bankrupt more than a dozen years sooner, in 2017. The Trustees also project that – for the second year in a row – Part B premiums will not increase, allowing seniors to keep more of their Social Security cost-of-living increase.

Thanks in part to the Affordable Care Act, we have improved the affordability of the program, while at the same time helping Medicare work better for seniors. For example, we are closing the prescription drug coverage gap or “donut hole” to make medications more affordable for Medicare beneficiaries. Just today, we learned that 8.2 million seniors and people with disabilities saved $11.5 billion since 2010 – over $1,000 on average for people hitting the donut hole. Additionally, Medicare now provides coverage without cost-sharing for many preventive benefits to help keep older Americans healthy. The Affordable Care Act also responds to older Americans’ desire to remain independent in their communities by creating incentives for states to provide the services and supports that help people remain at home as they age.

The President has consistently focused on the importance of both health and financial security in retirement. He continues to work to protect and strengthen Social Security to help ensure that all older Americans can retire with dignity. And he is focused on expanding the retirement savings tools available to working Americans to ensure that they can prepare for the years ahead, including the new “starter” retirement savings account called myRA to help millions of Americans save for retirement in a simpler way.

The 2015 White House Conference on Aging is an opportunity to look ahead to the issues that will help shape the landscape for older Americans for the next decade. As we listen to aging leaders and older Americans, some of the common themes we hear include the following:

• Retirement security is a vitally important issue. Financial security in retirement provides essential peace of mind for older Americans, but requires attention during our working lives to ensure that we are well prepared for retirement.
• Long-term services and supports remain a priority. Older Americans overwhelmingly prefer to remain independent in the community as they age. They need supports to do so, including a caregiving network and well-supported workforce.
• Healthy aging will be all the more important as baby boomers age. As medical advances progress, the opportunities for older Americans to maintain their health and vitality should progress as well.
• Seniors, particularly the oldest older Americans, can be vulnerable to financial exploitation, abuse, and neglect. The Elder Justice Act was enacted as part of the Affordable Care Act, and we need to realize its vision of protecting seniors from scam artists and others seeking to take advantage of them.

We are delighted to announce that Nora Super will be leading this effort as the newly named Executive Director of the 2015 White House Conference on Aging. She brings both substantive expertise on the issues and the experience to help maximize our outreach and engagement with older Americans across the country. We also will launch WhiteHouseConferenceOnAging.gov as the official site for the conference this summer.

We intend to use the year ahead to be as creative as possible about using new technology, agencies’ regional offices, partners, and other strategies to engage directly with older Americans and stakeholders on these issues. We are looking forward not only to the Conference, but to a year of engagement and dialogue about older Americans’ issues and the opportunity to celebrate all that older Americans continue to contribute to our country.

These grants will support more than 43,000 AmeriCorps members tackling critical issues across our country, including improving education, performing disaster recovery, supporting environmental stewardship, creating economic opportunity, and supporting veterans and military families.  

For example, at this moment, AmeriCorps members are on the ground in Arkansas, Mississippi, and Kansas to help the survivors of the recent round of destructive tornadoes – just as they responded to Hurricanes Katrina and Sandy; tornadoes in Joplin, Missouri, and Moore, Oklahoma; and the mudslide in Oso, Washington. In each case, AmeriCorps members arrived early to help residents as they began to navigate the recovery process – and these volunteers often stay to serve these areas for years following a disaster.

More than half of these grants will also be used to invest in education programs from early learning through college. This funding will support volunteers who can focus on ensuring that students in danger of falling behind stay the course in their studies.

And finally, these funds will leverage an additional investment of over $520 million in matching support from the private sector, foundations, and other sources. This means that each dollar we invest in helping Americans serve is leveraging more resources and more good work around the country. These grants are critical because AmeriCorps members are force multipliers for our country, changing lives and communities in ways that make a difference for millions of Americans each year.

At the same time, national service creates new pathways and expands economic opportunity for our young people. There are countless stories of AmeriCorps members whose service led them to seek careers in public service or helped them find a vocational direction. Plus, every member who completes their term of service becomes eligible for a Segal AmeriCorps Education Award that can be used to defray college costs or pay back student loans.

Across our country every year, thousands of people experience a call to national service. AmeriCorps is a vital link to help them answer that call, serve their country, and serve their fellow Americans.

In recent years, our child welfare system has made significant strides. Today, there are almost 25% fewer children in foster care in the U.S. than there were in 2002. This reduction is a result of both fewer children entering foster care and more leaving to permanent homes by either returning to their parents after services have been provided, being adopted, or entering into a guardianship. These advances were possible because states across the country have been applying knowledge about the importance of family connections and stable, nurturing relationships, while collaborating with other child-serving systems to better meet the needs of the children in our care. Here are a few highlights of what this Administration has done to support to these efforts:

Over the last two years, the Department of Health and Human Services has  approved 17 new  projects to test innovative strategies aimed at increasing safety, permanency, and well-being of children in the foster care system and HHS is slated to approve up to 10 more by the end of this year.  Innovative approaches include safely transitioning children and youth from more institutional facilities into family settings, employing performance-based contracting so funding for providers is more closely tied to achieving better outcomes for children, and implementing new screening and assessment tools to better identify the unique needs of the children and families. 

Awarded $100 million for a 5-year Federal Permanency Innovations Initiative (PII) designed to improve permanency outcomes among foster care children who are most likely to stay in foster care the longest, such as children with serious mental health issues, older youth, and LGBT youth. One of these grantees, the University of Kansas, is using the funds to provide an intensive, in-home, evidence-based parent training program to help families of children ages 3-16 with serious emotional disturbance reunify with their families more quickly.  Another grantee, the L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center, is using these funds to train child welfare workers on gay and transgender issues, creating a curriculum that can be duplicated nationally, and linking foster youth with services that are sensitive to their sexual orientation.

Awarded $25 million in federal funds, with an additional $10 million through philanthropic partners, to provide services that more effectively meet the needs of families experiencing chronic homelessness, substance abuse, mental health issues, and child welfare involvement with housing. This initiative is designed to identify the most vulnerable families earlier and to provide the right set of targeted services such as preventing child abuse and neglect, reducing the number of foster care placements, and increasing housing and employment stability.

However, we can do better for the young people that remain in foster care. As of 2012, there were nearly 400,000 children in our nation’s foster care system on any given day and more than 23,000 youth age out of foster care each year.

For a youth who has aged out of foster care, the statistics paint a grim picture. They are more likely to face challenges with completing their education, access to health care, unemployment, homelessness, and the criminal justice system. We also know that there continues to be a disproportionate representation of African American and Native American children and youth in foster care.

The lives of children and youth should be improved, not diminished, by the foster care experience. One example of how the President has shown a way forward is through his proposal to fund a new initiative to reduce the over-prescription of psychotropic medications for foster care children. Studies have found that these children receive psychotropic medication at roughly nine times the rate of all other children served by Medicaid and nearly 25% of children in foster care may be on these medications on any given day. The President has proposed a concerted effort to increase access to timely and effective evidence-based screening, assessment, and treatment of trauma and mental health challenges. This strategy would help to reduce over-prescription of psychotropic medication as a first-line treatment strategy, improve a child’s emotional and behavioral health, and increase the likelihood that children and youth in foster care will leave to positive, permanent settings, with the skills and resources they need to be successful in life.

Building a child welfare system that responds more effectively to the traumatic impact of maltreatment and promotes social and emotional well-being is complex work. It also involves multiple fields and sectors – social services, health education, and housing, among others, both public and private. I know the President is dedicated to improving our foster care system to create better futures for the young people in our care.

To learn more about foster care, you can visit:

• www.childwelfare.gov/fostercaremonth
• www.fostermore.org
• www.fostercaremonth.org

Senator Kennedy was a giant of the Senate who devoted his entire life to serving his country. The very last time I saw him was in the hallway in the West Wing, five years ago today, as he made his way to visit with President Obama who was about to sign the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act. National service was one of the great causes of his life, one which truly exemplifies the ideals that he lived every day of his nearly 50 years in the Senate.   

The Serve America Act is the most sweeping expansion of national service in a generation. The bipartisan legislation expands AmeriCorps – which celebrates its 20th anniversary later this year – to historic levels and directs it toward tackling national priorities, investing in social innovation, and making it easier for people of all ages to participate in the ongoing process of national renewal. Senator Kennedy reminded us that “we do not have to compel citizens to serve their country. All we have to do is ask – and provide the opportunity." 

I’m proud of President Obama’s efforts to advance the role of service in addressing our national challenges – by directing his Cabinet to expand their use of national service; by creating new positions through innovative initiatives such as FEMA Corps and School Turnaround AmeriCorps; and by integrating service as a strategy into other priorities such as expanding economic opportunity through Promise Zones or rebuilding Detroit.

There is more to be done, but the President and all of us here at the White House are proud to honor the five-year anniversary of the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act and celebrate a hero’s legacy by enabling more Americans to serve.

Earlier this week, I was proud to participate in a panel discussion moderated by PolicyLink CEO Angela Glover Blackwell to showcase the Administration’s interagency cooperation, and how that cooperation is translating into better partnerships at the state and local level. The panel also featured Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, and Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx.

Our conversation focused on federal place-based programs that are currently being implemented as an effective means of expanding opportunity and lifting communities out of poverty, mainly through Administration initiatives such as Promise Zones, Choice Neighborhoods, Promise Neighborhoods, and StrikeForce.

Secretary Donovan emphasized how in the old days, Washington would swoop into communities and plan for them rather than with them. That’s why, last month, President Obama announced the first five Promise Zones. These communities put forward concrete plans about how they will work with local leaders, the philanthropic and private sectors, as well as government to help expand opportunity. The Administration will announce 15 more zones over the next three years, and through programs like this, we will pave new paths of progress so that families can get ahead and in doing so, strengthen our nation and its future.

For more information on Promise Zones, please visit www.hud.gov/promisezones. To view the conversation in its entirety, click here.