That agreement was reached after the President walked away from an earlier offer at the G20 meeting in Seoul, Korea. What our Korean counterparts put on the table wasn't good enough for you then, and the President chose to take more time to get the agreement right. The result of that bold decision was an agreement that won wide acclaim on announcement, and we're eager to work with its supporters on both sides of the aisle in Congress to advance it as quickly as possible.

Many are asking whether two other pending trade agreements - those with Colombia and Panama - should move forward with the Korea deal. A story posted on the Politico website Friday caused some confusion about our position on that question, but it is exactly the same as it has been. While the President has not yet discussed a timeline for moving the Colombia agreement or the Panama agreement, he has said consistently that he wants his Trade Representative, Ron Kirk, to resolve outstanding issues with these agreements. The USTR office is working to do so for the express purpose of moving each agreement forward at the right time for Congress's consideration. 

This is a solid promise. The President's determination to get the Korea deal right resulted in a landmark achievement with significant support, and we'll seek the same on other trade pacts. We intend to conclude the best deals possible for American workers and businesses - agreements that are responsible and responsive to Americans' concerns, and that can soon bring home the jobs and economic prosperity that come when trade is done right. That's been our commitment from the start, and it's our commitment today. We look forward to working with the new Congress to fulfill it.

The President signed a disaster declaration in Alabama on May 3 and another in Tennessee on May 4, opening affected areas up for Federal funding assistance. For those affected by the recent floods, assistance may be available by calling 1-800-621-FEMA (3362) or by visiting www.DisasterAssistance.gov. You can also access this information by visiting www.m.fema.gov from your mobile device.

Despite simultaneous response efforts in the wake of the BP Oil Spill in the Gulf Coast, FEMA representatives are on the ground working directly with state and local officials. Earlier this week FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate visited Nashville, where he met with Governor Bredesen and local officials to discuss federal support for the response. This afternoon Governor Bredesen described the federal response:

I have to say that FEMA and the White House have been absolutely supportive. Very quickly FEMA was on the ground here before the raindrops started falling…The President was on the phone to me before the sun came up practically on Monday morning. Slightly after it came up, other people from the White House had called and checked in with us and helped…I’ve never seen this kind of a response to things that have happened. We’ve had our share of tornadoes and those kinds of things… I’m very, very pleased with the response we’ve gotten from the administration.

At the request of the President, Administrator Fugate returned to travel throughout Tennessee today and tomorrow to survey the damage and receive on the ground briefings on the response effort. Administrator Fugate explained that the response and recovery work is a team effort between federal, state, and local agencies as well as with nongovernment volunteer partners such as the Red Cross.

Joe Becker, the Senior Vice President for Disaster Relief, gave a sense of how the Red Cross is providing comforts to those affected and reiterated the need for partnerships in the response:

I can tell you from the Red Cross perspective, we have volunteers here from 37 states who have fanned out across the state of Tennessee and are still meeting those immediate emergency needs in many places – shelter, food, supplies that people need to clean up and just immediate comfort items.

But let’s be clear here. This is going to be a long slog. This is going to be for weeks and weeks with various communities in different states. It’s going to take a team effort of government, of nongovernment, and of people helping people.

You can lend a hand to those affected by flooding and tornados in Tennessee and across the region by donating to the Red Cross at http://www.redcross.org/ or texting “RedCross” to 90999 and a $10 donation will be added to your bill.

Robert Gibbs is White House Press Secretary

Concurrently, command center operations were stood up immediately in the Gulf Coast to begin also addressing the environmental impact of the incident.

The morning after the explosion, Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar deployed Deputy Secretary David J. Hayes down to the gulf to assist with coordination and response to the incident.

The Administration immediately began holding regular calls with BP leadership and numerous senior-level meetings have been held between the administration and BP to discuss BP's response effort and federal oversight and support.

The National Response Team (NRT), an organization of 16 federal departments and agencies responsible for coordinating emergency preparedness and response to oil and hazardous substance pollution incidents was quickly activated and a coordinated group of federal partners-including the United States Coast Guard, Departments of Homeland Security, Commerce, Interior and the Environmental Protection Agency-immediately began directing and overseeing BP's response.

The President immediately began actively monitoring the incident and consulting on the response. The President has been in contact with all the governors of the states that may be affected and ordered that the administration use every single available resource at our disposal.

The Department of Defense is fully integrated into the DHS-led team and fully supportive of all response activities. Navy assets have been involved since day #1, and the Coast Guard and Department of Defense continue to work closely together, anticipating requirements, identifying response options, and rapidly providing response support.

The Secretary of Defense has approved a request for two C-130 aircraft with Modular Aerial Spray Systems (MASS), which are currently en route to the affected area. The Coast Guard has requested assistance from the Department of Defense for these aircraft.

These aircraft dispense the same dispersant chemical being used by BP and the federal responders. Each system is capable of covering up to 250 acres per flight with three flights per aircraft per day.

Additionally, in direct support of the Coast Guard under an existing pollution clean-up and salvage operations agreement, the Navy is providing a variety of oil pollution control equipment. The Navy has sent thousands of feet of inflatable oil boom with mooring equipment, several skimming systems, related support gear, and personnel to support oil spill response efforts. Naval Air Station Pensacola is serving as a staging facility for Coast Guard contractor-provided equipment.

To prepare for the possible spreading of the oil slick across the Gulf Coast and in support of the 2nd Unified command Center in Mobile, Ala., Department of Defense is airlifting additional boom materials to Mobile later today. The booms are currently located on four tractor trailers to expedite transportation on the receiving end.

Early on, the President directed responding agencies to not only devote every resource to respond to this incident but to also determine its cause. Earlier this week, Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano and Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar laid out the next steps for the investigation.

The President has also dispatched Secretary Napolitano, Secretary Salazar, EPA Administrator Jackson, Assistant to the President for Energy and Climate Change Policy Carol Browner and NOAA Administrator Jane Lubchenco to the Gulf Coast to ensure all is being done to respond to this oil spill.

Secretary Napolitano announced that this incident is a spill of national significance, the Department of Interior has announced that they will be sending SWAT teams to the Gulf to inspect all platforms and rigs, and the EPA is conducting air monitoring activities to gather information on the impact of the controlled burn on air quality.

As part of the designation of the BP Oil Spill as a Spill of National Significance, Secretary Napolitano has announced that U.S. Coast Guard Commandant Admiral Thad Allen will serve as the National Incident Commander for the administration's continued, coordinated response—providing additional authority and oversight in leveraging every available resource to respond to the BP oil spill and minimize the associated environmental risks.

As National Incident Commander, Admiral Allen will continue to work closely with Coast Guard Rear Admiral Mary Landry, the federal on-scene coordinator, and the Departments of Homeland Security, Defense, Interior and Commerce, the Environmental Protection Agency and other federal departments and agencies as appropriate—as well as BP, the responsible party in the spill—to ensure the efficient continued deployment and coordination of vital response assets, personnel and equipment that were activated immediately after the spill began.

To keep the public informed about the latest, validated environmental air and water sampling results, EPA has launched a dedicated website at www.epa.gov/bpspill, which will also provide information on the broader federal response.

In response to the BP oil spill, the Secretary of Defense is authorizing under title 32 the mobilization of the Louisiana National Guard to help in the ongoing efforts to assist local communities in the cleanup and removal of oil and to protect critical habitats from contamination. As the responsible party in this incident, the government will hold BP accountable for the costs of the deployment.

The Minerals Management Service remains in contact with all oil and gas operators in the sheen area. Two platforms have stopped production and one has been evacuated as a safety measure. Approximately 6.2 million cubic feet of natural gas is shut-in—less than one-tenth of a percent of daily gas production in the Gulf of Mexico.
As the nation’s leading scientific resource for oil spills, NOAA has been on the scene of the BP spill from the start, providing coordinated scientific weather and biological response services to federal, state and local organizations. NOAA spill specialists are advising the U.S. Coast Guard on cleanup options as well as advising all affected federal, state and local partners on sensitive marine resources at risk in this area of the Gulf of Mexico.

Rapid response teams are staged to deploy to shorelines affected by oil to evaluate and determine an appropriate clean-up effort to minimize the impact to the environment.

A volunteer program has been established and a toll-free number—(866)-448-5816—set up for people to call to learn about volunteer opportunities in all areas and what training is required.

By the Numbers to Date:

• Personnel were quickly deployed and nearly 2,000 are currently responding to protect the shoreline and wildlife—hundreds more than yesterday.
• Approximately 75 response vessels have been responding on site, including skimmers, tugs, barges, and recovery vessels to assist in containment and cleanup efforts—in addition to dozens of aircraft, remotely operated vehicles, and multiple mobile offshore drilling units.
• More than 275,000 feet of boom (barrier) have been deployed to contain the spill—an increase of nearly 60,000 feet since yesterday. An additional 316,470 feet is available.
• More than 1 million gallons of an oil-water mix have been recovered—an increase of approximately 150,000 gallons since yesterday.
• Nearly 143,000 gallons of dispersant have been deployed—an increase of more than 3,500 gallons since yesterday. An additional 68,300 gallons are available.
• Six staging areas (Biloxi, Miss., Pensacola, Fla., Venice, La., Pascagoula, Miss. and Theodore, Ala., and Port Sulphur, La.) were set up to protect sensitive shorelines.

Robert Gibbs is White House Press Secretary

The response to the BP Oil Spill began as an emergency search and rescue mission by the U.S. Coast Guard and other partners on April 20. Concurrently, command center operations were stood up immediately in the Gulf Coast to begin also addressing the environmental impact of the incident.

The morning after the explosion, Secretary Salazar deployed Deputy Secretary Hayes down to the gulf to assist with coordination and response to the incident.

The Administration immediately began holding regular calls with BP leadership and numerous senior-level meetings have been held between the administration and BP to discuss BP’s response effort and federal oversight and support.

The National Response Team (NRT), an organization of 16 federal departments and agencies responsible for coordinating emergency preparedness and response to oil and hazardous substance pollution incidents was quickly activated and a coordinated group of federal partners—including the United States Coast Guard, Departments of Homeland Security, Commerce, Interior and the Environmental Protection Agency—immediately began directing and overseeing BP’s response.

The President immediately began actively monitoring the incident and consulting on the response. The President has been in contact with all the governors of the states that may be affected and ordered that the administration use every single available resource at our disposal.

The Department of Defense is fully integrated into the DHS-led team and fully supportive of all response activities. Navy assets have been involved since day #1, and DOD continues to offer and prepare to offer what is needed as the situation develops.

The Secretary of Defense has approved a request for two C-130 aircraft with Modular Aerial Spray Systems (MASS), which are currently en route to the affected area. The Coast Guard has requested assistance from the Department of Defense for these aircraft.

These aircraft dispense the same dispersant chemical being used by BP and the federal responders. Each system is capable of covering up to 250 acres per flight with three flights per aircraft per day.

Additionally, in direct support of the Coast Guard under an existing pollution clean-up and salvage operations agreement, the Navy is providing a variety of oil pollution control equipment. The Navy has sent thousands of feet of inflatable oil boom with mooring equipment, several skimming systems, related support gear, and personnel to support oil spill response efforts. Naval Air Station Pensacola is serving as a staging facility for Coast Guard contractor-provided equipment.

Early on, the President directed responding agencies to not only devote every resource to respond to this incident but to also determine its cause. Earlier this week, Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano and Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar laid out the next steps for the investigation.

The President has also dispatched Secretary Napolitano, Secretary Salazar, EPA Administrator Jackson, Assistant to the President for Energy and Climate Change Policy Carol Browner and NOAA Administrator Jane Lubchenco to the Gulf Coast to ensure all is being done to respond to this oil spill.

DHS Secretary Napolitano announced that this incident is of national significance, the Department of Interior has announced that they will be sending SWAT teams to the Gulf to inspect all platforms and rigs and the EPA is conducting air monitoring activities to gather information on the impact of the controlled burn on air quality.

By the Numbers To Date:

• Personnel were quickly deployed and 1,900 have been responding to protect the shoreline and wildlife—hundreds more than yesterday.
• Approximately 75 response vessels have been responding on site, including skimmers, tugs, barges, and recovery vessels to assist in containment and cleanup efforts—in addition to dozens of aircraft, remotely operated vehicles, and multiple mobile offshore drilling units.
• More than 217,000 feet of boom (barrier) have been deployed to contain the spill—an increase of more than 40,000 feet since yesterday. An additional 305,000 feet is available.
• 20,313 barrels (853,146 gallons) of an oil-water mix have been recovered—an increase of 90,000 gallons since yesterday.
• 139,459 gallons of dispersant have been deployed—an increase of more than 40,000 gallons since yesterday. An additional 51,000 gallons are available.
• Six staging areas (Biloxi, Miss., Pensacola, Fla. Venice, La., Pascagoula, Miss. and Theodore, Ala., and Fourchon, La.) were set up to protect sensitive shorelines—an increase of 1 since yesterday.

Robert Gibbs is White House Press Secretary

Tsunami warnings are in affect for Hawaii, N. Marianas, American Samoa, Marshall and Solomon Islands.  A tsunami advisory is in effect along the west coast of the United States and Alaska.  More information can be found at the National Weather Center's website.

FEMA continues to monitor the situation, and through Region IX in California, is in contact with the State of Hawaii, and recommends that individuals follow the advice of local officials.  FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate is monitoring the situation from FEMA Headquarters in Washington, DC and released the following statement:

FEMA and the Department of Homeland Security are closely monitoring the situation, and officials are in close contact with the State of Hawaii and the U.S. territories in the Pacific Ocean that could be impacted by a potential tsunami. FEMA stands ready to assist should a request for assistance be made, and does have pre-deployed assets in Hawaii, including food, water, generators and other resources. We urge all individuals to follow the direction provided by local officials.

Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano has been briefed and is monitoring developments from Vancouver, where she is serving as the lead of the US Delegation at the Olympics.

More information and resources (updated throughout the day):

• The National Weather Center's Tsunami.gov.
• General Information on Tsumani preparedness as well as a tool to determine if your address is in a tsunami evacuation zone.
• In Hawaii, citizens can go to  http://www.scd.state.hi.us/  for the latest news and information.  Additionally, the States of California, Washington, and Oregon have similar sites on their web pages dedicated to this.
• The State Department has collected information and resources at www.state.gov/chilequake. If you are U.S citizen looking for a loved one in Chile, please contact State's Consular Affairs Bureau on 1-888-407-4747.
• A "person finder" has also been published to help find individuals in affected area in Chile – this resource is not maintained by the US government.

Robert Gibbs is White House Press Secretary

Robert Gibbs is White House Press Secretary