Acting Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs Mike Hammer

You can watch the briefing by clicking HERE. To read the transcript, CLICK HERE.

Luis Miranda is Director of Hispanic Media for the White House

In addition to discussing his visit, the Vice President talked about the DREAM Act, immigration reform, and what it meant to him to visit the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe – one of the most visited Roman Catholic sites in the world and the most holy Roman Catholic site in Mexico.  

Both Telemundo and Univision will air larger portions of the interview on their Sunday shows Enfoque and Al Punto so tune in, but here are clips of the interviews they have already run.

Take a look at the Vice President’s comments to Jose Diaz Balart from Telmundo: On the DREAM Act| On his visit to the Basilica

To see the Vice President’s interview with CNN en Español: Click Here

For an excerpt of the Vice President’s comments to Maria Elena Salinas from Univisión: Click Here

To read more about the Vice President’s trip to Mexico and Honduras Click Here, and for a blog post on his visit to the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe Click Here. See a slideshow of the Vice President's triphere.

And don’t forget to tune in on Sunday!

Luis Miranda is White House Director of Hispanic Media

President Barack Obama meets with Cabinet members and senior administration officials to determine next steps in the ongoing effort to stop the BP oil spill, contain its spread, and help affected communities, in the Roosevelt Room of the White House, May 14, 2010, including Council of Environmental Quality Chair Nancy H. Sutley at the end of the table and Director of Intergovernmental Affairs Cecilia Munoz to the right of then Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel.(Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

As we kick-off Hispanic Heritage Month this week, we’d be remiss to not look within the walls of the White House at the many talented and impressive Latinas serving the President and the American people.  They come from many backgrounds and work across many fields, but they all have one thing in common – an inspiring commitment and dedication to giving back to the community and to strengthening our nation through their many talents.

Take a moment and learn more about some of these highly accomplished women, including the highest ranking Latina in the White House, Cecilia Muñoz, Deputy Assistant to the President and Director of Intergovernmental Affairs. In today’s post we also feature Nancy Sutley, Chair of the White House Council on Environmental Quality; Teresa Chaurand, Special Assistant to the President for Presidential Personnel; Victoria Espinel, Intellectual Property Enforcement Coordinator; Stephanie Valencia, Deputy Director of the Office of Public Engagement; Felicia Escobar, Senior Policy Advisor for Immigration at the Domestic Policy Council; and Alejandra Campoverdi, Deputy Director of Hispanic Media.

Cecilia Muñoz serves as Deputy Assistant to the President and Director of Intergovernmental Affairs where she oversees the Obama Administration’s relationships with state and local governments, as well as the governments of tribes and territories.  Prior to joining the Obama Administration, Cecilia served as Senior Vice President for the Office of Research, Advocacy, and Legislation at the National Council of La Raza (NCLR), the nation’s largest Latino civil rights organization. She supervised NCLR’s policy staff covering a variety of issues of importance to Latinos, including civil rights, employment, poverty, farmworker issues, education, health, housing and immigration. Her particular area of expertise is immigration policy, which she covered at NCLR for twenty years. Ms. Muñoz is the daughter of immigrants from Bolivia and was born in Detroit, Michigan. She received her undergraduate degree from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor and her master’s degree from the University of California at Berkeley. In June 2000, she was awarded a MacArthur Foundation fellowship in recognition of her work on immigration and civil rights. In 2007, she served as the Towsley Foundation Policymaker in Residence at the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy at the University of Michigan. She has received numerous other awards and recognitions from various sources, including the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, and a variety of local non-profit organizations. 

Nancy Sutley is the Chair of the White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ). In her role as Chair, she serves as the principal environmental policy adviser to the President. Prior to her appointment, Sutley was the Deputy Mayor for Energy and Environment for the city of Los Angeles, California. She represented Los Angeles on the Board of Directors for the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California and served on the California State Water Resources Control Board from 2003- 2005. Sutley also worked for California Governor Gray Davis as Energy Advisor, managing state and federal regulations, legislative affairs, finances and press relations. She served as Deputy Secretary for policy and intergovernmental relations in the California EPA from 1999-2003. She advised on water and air pollution policy, and established budget and legislative priorities. During the administration of President William J. Clinton, Sutley worked for the EPA as a Senior Policy Advisor to the Regional Administrator in San Francisco and special assistant to the Administrator in Washington, D.C.  Sutley received her Bachelors degree from Cornell University and her Master in Public Policy from Harvard University.

Teresa Chaurand serves as Special Assistant to the President in the Office of White House Presidential Personnel. She leads the Priority Placement Team which manages Presidential Personnel's relationships with various constituencies, including the Hispanic community.  Before joining the Obama Administration, Teresa served as the owner and Senior Partner of Vista Communications. Her clients included the National Council of La Raza, the Hispanic Association on Corporate Responsibility, the Black and Veatch Corporation, the state of Missouri, the Missouri Department of Tourism, the City of Kansas City, Missouri, EITAS – Developmental Disability Services of Jackson County, Missouri, the Kansas City Royals and Kansas City Chiefs. Her expertise is in the area of government and community relations, stakeholder involvement, marketing and talent recruitment. Prior to owning her business, Teresa served as sales manager and account representative for three top rated radio stations in Kansas City and Washington, D.C.  and was also a producer for talk radio programs in Kansas City. She holds a B.A. in Mass Communications from the University of Missouri-Kansas City.  

Victoria A. Espinel serves in the Executive Office of the President as the first ever U.S. Intellectual Property Enforcement Coordinator. She was nominated by President Barack Obama to serve as the Intellectual Property Enforcement Coordinator in September 2009 and was confirmed by the Senate in December 2009. Ms. Espinel is charged with developing and implementing the Administration’s overall strategy for enforcement of intellectual property. Prior to her appointment, Ms. Espinel was a professor at the George Mason University School of Law, teaching intellectual property and international trade law. While at George Mason, she acted as an advisor on intellectual property issues to the staff of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Senate Finance Committee, House Judiciary Committee and House Ways and Means Committee. In 2009, Ms. Espinel founded Bridging the Innovation Divide, a not-for-profit foundation focused on addressing the "innovation divide" and empowering all Americans to obtain the full benefit of their creativity and ingenuity. In 2001, Ms. Espinel joined the Office of the US Trade Representative as the senior counsel for intellectual property issues. In 2005, Ms. Espinel was asked to serve as the first Assistant United States Trade Representative for Intellectual Property and Innovation at the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, creating the office of Intellectual Property and Innovation at USTR and serving as the chief U.S. trade negotiator for intellectual property and innovation. While at USTR, she testified on numerous occasions before the House Judiciary Committee and the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. Ms. Espinel holds an LLM from the London School of Economics, a JD from Georgetown University Law School and a BS in Foreign Service from Georgetown University's School of Foreign Service.

President Barack Obama talks with, from left, Senior Advisor Valerie Jarrett; Cecilia Muñoz, Director of Intergovernmental Affairs; Mark Zuckerman, Deputy Director of the Domestic Policy Council; and Felicia Escobar, Senior Policy Advisor with the Domestic Policy Council, on the Colonnade of the White House, May 3, 2011. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

Stephanie Valencia is Deputy Director of the White House Office of Public Engagement.  Stephanie joined the White House in January 2009 and has led the Administration’s outreach to the Latino community, as well as to diverse communities on immigration and housing issues. Prior to joining the Administration Stephanie served on the Obama-Biden Presidential Transition Team and was Deputy Latino Vote Director on the Obama Campaign.  Stephanie also served as Press Secretary to United States Senator Ken Salazar (D-CO), serving as his spokeswoman and media advisor. Stephanie also worked in the House of Representatives as Special Assistant and Press Secretary to the Vice Chair of the Democratic Caucus, Congressman John B. Larson from Connecticut, and served as Press Secretary to Congresswoman Linda Sanchez. Stephanie started her career as a Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute Fellow and is a graduate of Boston College. She is originally from Las Cruces, New Mexico and she and her husband Oscar Ramirez reside in Silver Spring. 

Felicia Escobar is Senior Policy Advisor for Immigration at the White House Domestic Policy Council.  In this role, Felicia develops the President’s strategy for building a 21^st century immigration system. This work involves coordinating efforts across the Executive branch to strengthen the current system and working toward passage of meaningful, comprehensive immigration reform legislation. Felicia previously served on U.S. Senator Ken Salazar’s legislative team, working with him to develop his legislative agenda on a host of issues including labor, civil rights, judicial nominations and immigration. Felicia advised Senator Salazar during the comprehensive immigration reform debates of 2006 and 2007 in which Senator Salazar was a key member of the bipartisan group pressing for reform. Prior to this, Felicia was Associate Director of the Senate Democratic Steering and Outreach Committee. In this role, Felicia helped cultivate relationships between Democratic Leader Tom Daschle and key stakeholder groups, including Latino, immigration and education advocacy groups. Felicia started her career as a State Policy Analyst working for the National Council of La Raza. She represented NCLR and its network of affiliates in the Texas State Legislature, testifying before legislative committees to advocate for education, immigrant access to benefits, and hate crimes legislation. Felicia is a native of San Antonio, TX.  She received an undergraduate degree from Yale University, a Masters in Public Policy from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government and her J.D. from UCLA School of Law.

Alejandra Campoverdi is Deputy Director of Hispanic Media at the White House where she implements the White House’s historic efforts to engage Hispanic media nationally, working to promote the President’s agenda on television, radio, and internet-based outlets across the country. Prior to her current position, she was Special Assistant to former White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy Mona Sutphen. Alejandra joined Obama for America upon earning her Masters in Public Policy from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government, where she was Senior Editor of Interviews for the Harvard Journal of Hispanic Policy. She was previously at The California Endowment (TCE), a private statewide health foundation whose mission is to expand access to healthcare for underserved communities. While at TCE, Alejandra worked on the Agricultural Worker Health Initiative, which focused on the development and implementation of programs and strategies to improve the health and living conditions of California’s agricultural workers and their families, as well as grantmaking to underserved communities in Central and Northern California. A Los Angeles native, Alejandra graduated cum laude from the University of Southern California, with a B.A. in Communications from the Annenberg School for Communication & Journalism.

 UPDATED:

Zulima Espinel serves as Special Assistant to the President and Associate Counsel. Ms. Espinel was appointed by President Obama to that post in April 2010.  Prior to joining the White House Counsel’s Office, Ms. Espinel worked for the United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary, serving as Senior Counsel for National Security from 2009-2010 and as Counsel from 2007-2009.  Ms. Espinel was an Assistant United States Attorney for the District of Columbia from 2003-2007.  Ms. Espinel received her Juris Doctor from Georgetown University Law Center in 2001. She graduated with honors from Barnard College in 1998.

In his State of the Union address, the President made it clear that the most important contest we face today is not between Democrats and Republicans, but rather America’s contest with competitors across the globe for the jobs and industries of the future. During the call, the Administration officials also introduced the report “Winning the Future: President Obama’s Agenda and the Hispanic Community,” which can be found on the new site whitehouse.gov/hispanic.

Luis Miranda is White House Director of Hispanic Media

Download the DREAM Act fact sheet.

THE DREAM ACT: GOOD FOR OUR ECONOMY, GOOD FOR OUR SECURITY, GOOD FOR OUR NATION

The DREAM Act is common-sense legislation drafted by both Republicans and Democrats that would give students who grew up in the United States a chance to contribute to our country’s well-being by serving in the U.S. armed forces or pursuing a higher education. It’s good for our economy, our security, and our nation. That’s why the DREAM Act has long enjoyed bipartisan support. It’s limited, targeted legislation that will allow only the best and brightest young people to earn their legal status after a rigorous and lengthy process, and applies to those brought to the United States as minors through no fault of their own by their parents, and who know no other home.

Our country will reap enormous benefits when the DREAM Act is finally enacted:

• The DREAM Act will contribute to our military’s recruitment efforts and readiness.Secretary of Defense Gates has written to DREAM Act sponsors citing the rich precedent of non-citizens serving in the U.S. military and stating that “the DREAM Act represents an opportunity to expand [the recruiting] pool, to the advantage of military recruiting and readiness.”  The DREAM Act is also a part of the Department of Defense's 2010-2012 Strategic Planto assist the military in its recruiting efforts.
• The DREAM Act will make our country more competitive in the global economy.  Secretary of Education Arne Duncan has stated that passing the DREAM Act will allow “these young people to live up to their fullest potential and contribute to the economic growth of our country.”  In particular, the DREAM Act will play an important part in the nation’s efforts to have the highest proportion of college graduates in the world by 2020,” something vital for America to remain competitive in today’s global economy.
• The DREAM Act will have important economic benefits.  According to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, the DREAM Act in its current form will cut the deficit by $1.4 billion and increase government revenues by $2.3 billion over the next 10 years. According to a recent UCLA study, students that would be impacted by the DREAM Act could add between $1.4 to $3.6 trillion in taxable income to our economy over the course of careers, depending on how many ultimately gain legal status. This income is substantially higher than the income they would earn if they were unable to attend and complete a college education. In fact, research indicates that the average college graduate earned nearly 60 percent more than a high-school graduate. We have much to gain from doing right by these young people.  
• The DREAM Act will allow our immigration and border security experts to focus on those who pose a serious threat to our nation’s security.  Secretary Napolitano believes this targeted legislation provides a firm but fair way to deal with innocent children brought to the U.S. at a young age so that the Department of Homeland Security can dedicate their enforcement resources to detaining and deporting criminals and those who pose a threat to our country. 

Myths vs. Facts: DREAM Act

As the public debate on the DREAM Act moves forward, it is vital that the facts on this important legislation remain clear. The Dream Act is good for our economy, our security, and our nation. And the lenghty and rigorous process the DREAM Act establishes will ensure that our nation is enriched with only the most promising young people who have already grown up in America. In fact, according to a recent analysis by the Migration Policy Institute, just 38 percent of all potential beneficiaries will successfully complete the DREAM Act’s rigorous process and earn permanent immigration status.

Myth: Opponents claim the DREAM Act is “amnesty.”

Fact: The Dream Act requires responsibility and accountability of young people who apply to adjust their status under the DREAM Act, creating a lenghty and rigorous process.

• Young people must meet several requirements in order to qualify for the conditional status it will provide them.  These requirements include entering the country when they were under 16 years old, proving they have continuously lived in the U.S. for at least 5 years and graduated from a U.S. high school or obtained a GED; demonstrating their good moral character; proving they have not committed any crimes that would make them inadmissible to the country. Only then can they obtain a conditional status for a limited period of time. 
• After their six year conditional status, these same individuals will need to meet additional requirements to move on to the next phase of this process.  Specifically, they must have attended college or served in the U.S. military for at least 2 years, and once again, pass criminal background checks, and demonstrate good moral character. If young people are unable to fulfillthese requirements, they will lose their legal status and be subject to deportation.
• Only applies to individuals who entered the U.S. as children.  According to DREAM Act’s provisions, beneficiaries must have entered the United States when they were under 16 years old.  
• DREAM Act applicants will be responsible for paying fees to cover the costs of USCIS processing their applications.According to Section 286(m) of Immigration and Nationality Act provisions, the cost of having U.S. Customs and Immigration Services process DREAM Act applications will be covered by the application fees.
• DREAM Act applicants would be subject to rigorous criminal background checks and reviews.  All criminal grounds of inadmissibility and removability that apply to other aliens seeking lawful permanent resident status would apply and bar criminal aliens from gaining conditional or unconditional LPR status under the DREAM Act.  Additionally, decisions to grant status are discretionary, and any alien with a criminal record not automatically barred by these provisions would only be granted status when and if the Secretary exercises her discretion favorably.

Myth: Opponents claim the DREAM Act would encourage more students to immigrate illegally, and that applicants would just use it to petition for relatives.

Fact: The DREAM Act only applies to young people already in the United States who were brought here as children, it would not apply to anyone arriving later, so it cannot act as a “magnet” encouraging others to come.  Furthermore,. DREAM Act applicants would not be able to petition for any family member until fulfilling lengthy and rigorous requirements outlined above, and even then, they would have to wait years before being able to successfully petition for parents or siblings..

• DREAM Act beneficiaries would only be able to petition for entry of their parents or sibling if they have satisfied all of the requirements under the DREAM Act.  Even then, they would be subject to the same annual caps waiting periods in order to petition for their relatives; the bottom line is that it would take many years before parents or siblings who previously entered the country illegally could obtain a green card.

Myth: Opponents claim the DREAM Act would result in taxpayers having to subsidize student loans for those students who register through the DREAM Act.

Fact: DREAM Act students would not be eligible for federal grants, period.

• An alien who adjusts to lawful permanent resident status under DREAM qualifies only for certain specified types of Federal higher education assistance.  Undocumented youth adjusting to lawful permanent resident status are only eligible for federal student loans which must be paid back, and federal work-study programs, where they must work for any benefit they receive. They would not eligible for federal grants, such as Pell Grants.   

What They’re Saying:

Editorials and experts around the country are agreeing that the DREAM Act is good for our nation, and have called on Congress to pass it:

Former Secretary of Commerce Carlos Gutierrez, a Republican, said on a conference callon November 29^th it would be a “shame” not to pass the bill in the lame duck.

Former Secretary of State Colin Powell, said“[The Republican Party] needs to take a hard look at some of the positions they’ve been taking. We can’t be anti-immigration, for example.  Immigrants are fueling this country.  Without immigrants America would be like Europe or Japan with an aging population and no young people to come in and take care of it.  We have to educate our immigrants.  The DREAM Act is one way we can do this.”

Former Illinois Republican Governor Jim Edgarvoiced his support for DREAM in an op-ed in Sunday’s Chicago Tribune, writing:  “A rational approach to comprehensive immigration reform should begin with the young people who were brought here as babies, toddlers and adolescents…A nation as kind as ours should not turn its back on them. Congress nee

ds to support the sensible, humane approach embodied in legislation known as the Dream Act.  The measure charts a rigorous path that undocumented youths must negotiate to gain legal status and qualify for citizenship, and supporting it would be both good government and good politics."

The Wall Street Journal publishedan editorial that argues: “Restrictionists dismiss the Dream Act as an amnesty that rewards people who entered the country illegally. But the bill targets individuals brought here by their parents as children. What is to be gained by holding otherwise law-abiding young people, who had no say in coming to this country, responsible for the illegal actions of others?  The Dream Act also makes legal status contingent on school achievement and military service, the type of behavior that ought to be encouraged and rewarded.”

On August 11, 2010, former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabeeexplained to NPR the economic sense of allowing undocumented children to earn their citizenship:  "When a kid comes to his country, and he's four years old and he had no choice in it – his parents came illegally. He still, because he is in this state, it's the state's responsibility - in fact, it is the state's legal mandate - to make sure that child is in school. So let's say that kid goes to school. That kid is in our school from kindergarten through the 12th grade. He graduates as valedictorian because he's a smart kid and he works his rear end off and he becomes the valedictorian of the school. The question is: Is he better off going to college and becoming a neurosurgeon or a banker or whatever he might become, and becoming a taxpayer, and in the process having to apply for and achieve citizenship, or should we make him pick tomatoes? I think it's better if he goes to college and becomes a citizen."

Education, military, religious and business leaders support the DREAM Act:  The legislation is supported by a wide range of leaders from the education, military, and businessfields, and from religious orders including the United Methodist Church, General Board of Church and Society; the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops; the evangelical movement, the Jewish community; and many others.

David S. C. Chu, Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness under George W. Bush, called for action on the DREAM Act to strengthen the military.  “If their parents are undocumented or in immigration limbo, most of these young people have no mechanism to obtain legal residency even if they have lived most of their lives here.  Yet many of these young people may wish to join the military, and have the attributes needed - education, aptitude, fitness, and moral qualifications.” [CQ Congressional Testimony; ”Immigration and the Military”; July 10, 2006]

Margaret Stock, a Lieutenant Colonel in the U.S. Army Reserve (retired); a former professor at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point; and an adjunct professor at the University of Alaska, Anchorage, said: “Potential DREAM Act beneficiaries are also likely to be a military recruiter’s dream candidates for enlistment …  In a time when qualified recruits—particularly ones with foreign language skills and foreign cultural awareness – are in short supply, enforcing deportation laws against these young people makes no sense. Americans who care about our national security should encourage Congress to pass the DREAM Act.” [Margaret D. Stock, “The DREAM Act: Tapping an Overlooked Pool of Home Grown Talent.” The Federalist Society, Washington, DC. Engage: The Journal of the Federalist Societies Practice Group, Volume 6, Issue 2, October 2005]

Bill Carr, former Acting Under Secretary of Defense for Military Personnel Policy, called DREAM “very appealing” to the military “because it would apply to the ‘cream of the crop’ of students. Mr. Carr concluded that the DREAM Act would be "good for [military] readiness." [Donna Miles, “Officials Hope to Rekindle Interest in Immigration Bill Provision.” American Forces Press Service. June 11, 2007]

Conservative military scholar Max Boot supports the DREAM Act:  “It's a substantial pool of people and I think it's crazy we are not tapping into it.”  The DREAM Act “would not only offer a welcome path toward citizenship for many promising young people but also might ease some of the recruitment problems that Army has been facing of late.” [Max Boot, “Dream a Little Dream,” Commentary Magazine, September 20, 2007]

The Center for Naval Analyses issued a report finding that immigrants in the military have high levels of performance and lower rates of attrition.  The report noted that non-citizens add valuable diversity to the armed forces and perform extremely well, often having significantly lower attrition rates than other recruits.  The report also pointed out that “much of the growth in the recruitment‐eligible population will come from immigration.”[CNA, “Non-Citizens in Today’s Military.  Final Report.” April 2005. http://www.cna.org/documents/D0011092.A2.pdf]

Senator Richard Durbin Makes a Compelling Case for DREAM: “This is the choice the DREAM Act presents to us. We can allow a generation of immigrant students with great potential and ambitions to contribute more fully to our society and national security, or we can relegate them to a future in the shadows, which would be a loss for all Americans.” [Senator Richard Durbin, Floor Statement, “DREAM Act as an amendment to the Defense authorization bill,” Friday, July 13, 2007

View Editorial Pages supporting the DREAM Act

In a ceremony in the East Room today, President Obama will sign an Executive Order to renew and enhance the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanics so that it better serves communities across the country by engaging them in the process of improving the education of Latino students, who represent 1 of every 5 students in our nation’s schools.

The new Executive Order is based on feedback gathered by the Initiative in more than 100 community conversations across the country with experts in education, community leaders from more than 30 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, and from comments from more than 10,000 Americans on how to develop real solutions to the challenges confronting the Hispanic community in education.

The signing ceremony follows a National Education Summit and Call to Action hosted by the U.S. Department of Education that began on Monday and brought together experts and community leaders from around the country on issues ranging from early childhood learning to higher education.

Watch parties are also being held nationwide. Watch at 1:50 by going to WhiteHouse.gov/live and clicking on the link on the right.

UPDATE: The President has now signed the Executive Order, read it in full, or watch the video and see a photo below:

President Barack Obama looks over to Javier Garcia of Brownsville, Texas, after Garcia introduced him at the signing ceremony for the Executive Order on Educational Excellence for Hispanic Americans in the East Room of the White House, October 19, 2010. (Official White House Photo by Samantha Appleton)

Luis Miranda is White House Director of Hispanic Media

On Wednesday evening, Cecilia Muñoz, White House Director of Intergovernmental Affairs, and Mayra Alvarez, Director of Public Health Policy in the HHS Office of Health Reform will participate in a call-in radio town hall on Entravision’s Spanish-language La Tricolor radio network to talk to and take questions from the Hispanic community on the benefits of health insurance reform and the new protections that took effect last week, six months after President Obama signed the Affordable Care Act into law. Health reform is particularly important to the Hispanic community, since more than one of every three Hispanics lacks health care coverage and nearly half don’t have a regular doctor. 

The new provisions of the law that went into effect last week will hold insurance companies accountable, lower health care costs, guarantee more health care choices, and enhance the quality of health care for Hispanics and all Americans. The town hall is scheduled to begin at 6pm PT (9pm ET) on La Tricolor radio stations .  Tune in on all La Tricolor radio stations including KDLD-FM and KDLE- FM  (Los Angeles), KMXX-FM (El Centro/Yuma), KLOK-FM (Salinas/Monterey), KMIX-TV (Stockton and Modesto), KRCX-FM (Sacramento), KRNV-FM (Reno), KQRT-FM (Las Vegas), KRZY-AM (Albuquerque), KLNZ-FM (Phoenix), KYSE-FM El Paso, KBZO-FM (Lubbock), KXPK-FM (Denver) and KPVW-FM (Aspen) or listen tothe live stream here.

On September 23, critical new consumer protections in the new law – a Patient’s Bill of Rights -- began to take effect. The Patient’s Bill of Rights puts an end to some of the worst insurance company abuses, and puts consumers, not insurance companies, in control of their health care.  These new protections include:

• Ban on Discriminating Against Kids with Pre-Existing Conditions
• Ban on Insurance Companies Dropping Coverage
• Ban on Insurance Companies Limiting Coverage
• Ban on Insurance Companies Limiting Choice of Doctors
• Ban on Insurance Companies Restricting Emergency Room Care
• Guarantee You a Right to Appeal
• Covering Young Adults on Parent’s Plan  
• Covering Preventive Care With No Cost

 To get more information on these protections, click HERE or visit HealthCare.gov.

 Luis Miranda is White House Director of Hispanic Media

President Barack Obama gestures during an interview with Mario "Don Francisco" Kreutzberger for Univision’s Sabado Gigante in the Rose Garden of the White House, Sept. 21, 2010. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

En español.

This weekend two interviews with President Obama aired on Hispanic television, one on “Sábado Gigante” with Don Francisco, and another on Telemundo’s Sunday show “enfoque” with José Díaz Balart. In case you missed them, here are links to see both:

Sábado Gigante

Enfoque:

• Part 1:
  • English (4:29)
  • Spanish (3:57)
• Part 2:
  • Spanish (3:57)
• Part 3:
  • English (2:28)
  • Spanish (2:33)
     

Luis Miranda is White House Director of Hispanic Media

Join Department of Health & Human Services officials for a live webchat from the White House this Thursday at 2:30 PM ET (11:30 AM PT) to introduce CuidadoDeSalud.Gov, the first website in Spanish of its kind to help consumers take control of their health care, and to take questions from readers of some of the most important Hispanic internet websites in the country about how new changes under the Affordable Care Act affect the Latino community.

HHS officials will be joined on the chat by representatives from Univision.com’s health portal, Hola Doctor, and Dr. Aliza’s VidaYSalud.com. Consistent with the mandate in the Affordable Care Act, CuidadodeSalud.Gov is the partner site of HealthCare.gov and is the first website in Spanish to provide consumers with both public and private health coverage options tailored specifically for their needs in a single, easy-to-use tool.

Join us at 2:30 PM ET (11:30 AM PT) Thursday, at WhiteHouse.gov/live.

UPDATE: This event has now concluded, below is the full video:

Luis Miranda is Director of Hispanic Media

Today, an op-ed from President Obama is running in major Spanish-language newspapers across the country. The op-ed discusses the benefits of the Affordable Care Act for Latinos and announces the release of a new Spanish-language version of HealthCare.gov – www.CuidadoDeSalud.gov.

The op-ed is running in ImpreMedia’s print publications (including La Opinión in Los Angeles and El Diario La Prensa in New York) and online properties, all of which have a monthly reach of 9.3 million adults and monthly distribution of nearly 11 million.

As the President notes in his op-ed:

These are some of the changes that you will see under this new health care law. And to learn more, you can head to a new website accessible in Spanish: CuidadoDeSalud.gov. This website will also allow you to see - for the first time ever - all of your insurance options in one place that can be personalized for you and your family. The fact is, finding the right health insurance is one of the most important decisions we make, but all too often it is a frustrating and difficult process. This website will help change that.

For example, let's say you're a parent living in Los Angeles with your son who has asthma. If you go to CuidadoDeSalud.gov, the first thing you'll do is answer a few basic questions about your circumstances. Based on your choices, the website will give you all your health insurance options in your community in an easy-to-read format. You'll be able to get key information about benefits, premiums, and out-of-pocket costs so you can compare plans and pick the one that is right for you.

CuidadoDeSalud.gov does not collect or store any personal information. It is not selling anything to anyone. This tool will simply help give you the facts, so you can make the best decisions for you and your family.

• Read the President’s op-ed in Spanish.
• Read the President’s op-ed in English.

Luis Miranda is Director of Hispanic Media

Visite DisasterAssistance.gov hoy e infórmese. Comparta esta información con familiares, amigos y compañeros de trabajo. Estar preparado es responsabilidad de todos. 

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Latin Celebration at the White House

Tonight, the White House will be filled with the Latin Culture flavor. As part of a series of evenings celebrating music and the Hispanic Heritage Month, President Barack Obama and the First Lady will welcome several Latin performers to the White House.  Among the guests are Marc Anthony, Gloria Estefan, Tito el Bambino, Thalia and group Aventura. Jimmy Smits, Eva Longoria and George Lopez will also be at the event. Food will be served by Chef Maricel Presilla. 

The event will be broadcasted live starting at 7:15 pm EST on WhiteHouse.gov/live and Facebook. You can also follow us on our new account in Spanish on Twitter. 
 
Also and to continue the Hispanic Heritage Month Celebration, WhiteHouse.gov  has launched today an updated version of its Spanish page at WhiteHouse.gov/spanish. On this page you can find information on the health reform, press releases, and remarks by the President as well as access to our YouTube playlist of videos in Spanish or with captions in Spanish, the new account in Twitter and the blog. This page will be updated every week, so we ask you to visit it frequently. 
 
Share this information with your family, friends and co-workers and enjoy the rest of the Hispanic Heritage Month!

• Reality Check/La Realidad, Información sobre le reforma del seguro médico
• Sitio oficial de la Casa Blanca (pronto será actualizado con más información)
• Gobiernousa.gov, sitio oficial del Gobierno de los Estados Unidos
• CDC en español, información sobre salud y seguridad
• EPA en español, Información sobre salud ambiental
• Medlineplus.gov, información sobre salud
• America.gov, Información y noticias en general sobre los Estados Unidos

• Reality Check/La Realidad, Info about the Health Insurance Reform
• Sitio oficial de la Casa Blanca (Will be updated to have more info available)
• Gobiernousa.gov, Official U.S. Government Information in Spanish
• CDC en español, Health and Safety Info
• EPA en español, Environmental Health Info
• Medlineplus.gov, Health Info
• America.gov, General Info and News

• Fotos de la Jueza Sotomayor 
• Mensaje Semanal del Presidente: La Experiencia de la Jueza Sotomayor
• VIDEO: Vea el anuncio del Presidente de la nominación de la Jueza Sotomayor
• Lea el texto de las declaraciones del Presidente al nombrar a la Jueza Sotomayor