President Obama: "Russia Is Once Again Isolating Itself from the International Community"

David Hudson
David Hudson
July 29, 2014
06:58 PM EDT

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This afternoon, President Obama spoke on the South Lawn about the situation in Ukraine, in the wake of the shoot-down of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 nearly two weeks ago.

"In the Netherlands, Malaysia, Australia, and countries around the world," he said, "families are still in shock over the sudden and tragic loss of nearly 300 loved ones senselessly killed when their civilian airliner was shot down over territory controlled by Russian-backed separatists in Ukraine."

Noting that those families and their nations are America's friends and allies, the President made clear that the U.S. "continues to do everything in our power to help bring home their loved ones, support the international investigation, and make sure justice is done."

President Obama then explained that Russia, along with its proxies in Ukraine, are neither cooperating with the investigation, nor pursuing a diplomatic solution to the conflict in Ukraine:

Related Topics: Europe and Eurasia, Foreign Policy

What You Might Have Missed This Week:

Garrett Brinker
July 18, 2014
06:20 PM EDT

This week, President Obama addressed the crash of Flight MH17, talked about investing in our country's infrastructure, and continued to take important steps to respond to a changing climate -- and the First Lady hosted the Kids' State Dinner, featuring 54 delicious recipes from around the country.

Check out what else you may have missed in this week's wrap up.

President Obama on the Crash of Flight MH17

Today, President Obama delivered a statement to the press in the wake of the tragic crash of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17:

Yesterday, Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 took off from Amsterdam and was shot down over Ukraine near the Russian border. Nearly 300 innocent lives were taken -- men, women, children, infants -- who had nothing to do with the crisis in Ukraine. Their deaths are an outrage of unspeakable proportions.

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President Obama noted that this was "a global tragedy -- an Asian airliner was destroyed in European skies, filled with citizens from many countries." And as a result, there now needs to be a credible, international investigation into exactly what happened.

Related Topics: Grab Bag, Colorado, Delaware, Texas

President Obama Speaks on Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17, Russia and Ukraine, and the Situation in Gaza

David Hudson
David Hudson
July 18, 2014
01:58 PM EDT

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Today, President Obama delivered a statement to the press in the wake of the tragic crash of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 yesterday:

Yesterday, Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 took off from Amsterdam and was shot down over Ukraine near the Russian border.  Nearly 300 innocent lives were taken -- men, women, children, infants -- who had nothing to do with the crisis in Ukraine.  Their deaths are an outrage of unspeakable proportions.

We know at least one American citizen, Quinn Lucas Schansman, was killed.  Our thoughts and prayers are with his family for this terrible loss.

Yesterday, I spoke with the leaders of Ukraine, Malaysia, and the Netherlands.  I told them that our thoughts and prayers are with all the families and that the American people stand with them during this difficult time.  Later today, I’ll be speaking to Prime Minister Abbott of Australia, which also suffered a terrible loss.

By far, the country that lost the most people on board the plane was the Netherlands.  From the days of our founding, the Dutch have been close friends and stalwart allies of the United States of America.  And today, I want the Dutch people to know that we stand with you, shoulder to shoulder, in our grief and in our absolute determination to get to the bottom of what happened.

Related Topics: Middle East and North Africa, Europe and Eurasia, South and Central Asia, Foreign Policy

President Obama Responds to Malaysia Airlines Flight 17

Bernadette Meehan
July 17, 2014
06:48 PM EDT

Update at 10:38 p.m. ET: The Press Secretary released a statement on Malaysian Airlines Flight 17.

President Obama calls to President Poroshenko of Ukraine aboard Air Force One

President Obama calls to President Poroshenko of Ukraine aboard Air Force One to discuss the tragic crash of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17. July 17, 2014. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

This afternoon, aboard Air Force One, President Obama placed separate telephone calls to President Poroshenko of Ukraine and Prime Minister Najib of Malaysia to discuss the tragic crash of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17.

Here's a readout of the President’s call with President Poroshenko of Ukraine:

President Obama spoke with Ukrainian President Poroshenko this afternoon to discuss the tragic crash of flight Malaysian Airlines 17. President Poroshenko welcomed the assistance of international investigators to ensure a thorough and transparent investigation of the crash site. President Obama assured him that U.S. experts will offer all possible assistance immediately. The Presidents emphasized that all evidence from the crash site must remain in place on the territory of Ukraine until international investigators are able to examine all aspects of the tragedy.

And a readout of President Obama’s call with Prime Minister Najib of Malaysia:

President Obama called Malaysian Prime Minister Najib today to express condolences to the people of Malaysia for the terrible loss of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 in Ukraine, as well as all the families who lost loved ones in this tragic event. The President told the Prime Minister that United States has offered immediate assistance to support a prompt international investigation. President Obama reaffirmed the strength of the friendship between the United States and Malaysia and underscored that the United States stands ready to provide any assistance or support necessary.

Bernadette Meehan is Deputy Spokesperson of the National Security Council.

Related Topics: Defense, Europe and Eurasia, Foreign Policy

West Wing Week 05/02/14 or, "Old Seoul"

Adam Garber
Adam Garber
May 02, 2014
02:30 PM EDT

This week the President wrapped up a four country trip to Asia before honoring the Teachers of the Year and speaking on the minimum wage, and the VP announced a series of actions to help address sexual assault.

Related Topics: 2014 Asia Trip, Education, Foreign Policy, Grab Bag, Inside the White House

President Obama at YSEALI Town Hall: "Young People Like You Have to Be the Ones Who Lead Us Forward"

David Hudson
David Hudson
April 28, 2014
12:36 PM EDT

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Yesterday, while visiting Malaysia, President Obama participated in the Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative (YSEALI) Town Hall, hosted by the University of Malaya.

During the town hall, the President answered questions from the youth in attendance, and from young people who asked questions online and through social media.

"These trips are usually all business for me," said the President, "but every once in a while I want to have some fun, so I try to hold an event like this where I get to hear directly from young people like you -- because I firmly believe that you will shape the future of your countries and the future of this region."

Related Topics: 2014 Asia Trip, Hawaii

Announcing President Obama’s New Ambassadors for Global Entrepreneurship

Secretary Penny Pritzker
Secretary Penny Pritzker
April 10, 2014
12:15 PM EDT

At the Global Entrepreneurship Summit in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia last October, President Obama announced that we would bring together a group of America’s best and brightest innovators to champion entrepreneurship both here at home and overseas. Together, these individuals would use their networks and platforms to stimulate a start-up culture in the United States and all over the globe. I am honored to chair this new group, the Presidential Ambassadors for Global Entrepreneurship (PAGE).

President Barack Obama drops by the first meeting of the Presidential Ambassadors for Global Entrepreneurship, with Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker, in the Roosevelt Room of the White House

President Barack Obama drops by the first meeting of the Presidential Ambassadors for Global Entrepreneurship, with Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker, in the Roosevelt Room of the White House, April 7, 2014. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

Related Topics: Global Economy, Economy, Foreign Policy, New York

President Obama Hosts First-Ever White House Student Film Festival

Posted by Jorge Neri on March 06, 2014 at 04:28 PM EDT

On Friday, President Obama hosted the first ever White House Student Film Festival, demonstrating the Administration’s commitment to bringing America’s classrooms into the 21st century with high-speed internet and cutting-edge educational technology. The President recently set a goal of providing 99% of America’s students with these technologies, through placements in schools and libraries, by the year 2018.

At the film festival, the President recognized 16 of the nearly 2,500 films submitted by K-12 students in response to the White House’s call for videos showcasing the positive role technology plays in education.

Seventeen-year old Kira Bursky’s short film was one of the 16 selected by the White House to be featured at the festival. Her video, titled “Hello From Malaysia”, chronicles how Aiman, a young immigrant from Malaysia, uses technology both to share her culture and build connections with her new classmates.

Aiman’s journey to learn English, work hard in school, and build a new American life, reminds us of the immigration stories of individuals all across the country, including the struggles many immigrants face each day.

People from all around the world are drawn to the United States by a belief in the power of opportunity. Throughout the White House, there are similar stories of staffers and their families who through hard work and sacrifice came to the United States to pursue their version of the American dream. In fact, last year, the White House chronicled these immigrant stories, in this video.     

Aiman’s journey, reminded me of the story of my own childhood growing up in Chicago’s Little Village surrounded by hard-working immigrant families. Although every immigrant’s story is fiercely unique, one aspect holds true within us all: the power of an immigrant family to overcome adversity is strong.

Today, there are students, workers, entrepreneurs, faith leaders, families, and many others who want to help us write the next great chapter of the American story.  Passing commonsense immigration reform will enable many to do so – it is not only good for immigrants themselves but also for our economy. In fact, according to independent experts, the bipartisan Senate bill would reduce deficits and grow the economy by more than 5% or 1.4 trillion dollars by 2023. That’s why President Obama continues to urge Congress to take action on immigration reform this year.

America’s rich tradition as a nation that welcomes immigrants is in full display in Kira Bursky’s video and we were excited to feature her and many other young filmmakers today at the White House.

Jorge Neri is Associate Director of the White House Office of Public Engagement.

 

Working in Coalition to Build a Stronger AAPI Community

Posted by Jewell Colbert on November 15, 2013 at 10:08 AM EDT

“We need to have our voices heard. We need to have a place at the table.” 

Federal leaders from Kansas and Missouri overwhelmingly heard this sentiment repeated by Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community members last Thursday, November 7, at the White House Initiative on AAPIs Regional Interagency Work Group community convening in Overland, Kansas.

Hosted at the 30-year old Filipino Cultural Center, the roundtable gathered over 40 individuals representing immigrant communities from Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Nepal, the Philippines, Pakistan, Thailand, and Vietnam.  Participants discussed critical community issues with federal representatives from the Social Security Administration (SSA), Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Small Business Administration (SBA), Department of Labor (DOL), Internal Revenue Service (IRS), and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).

According to the U.S. Census, there are 77,900 AAPIs in Kansas, and 114,400 in Missouri. Together, the AAPI population comprises a small yet significant force in our region. For many of these local AAPI leaders, our roundtable was the first time they had come together for a substantive discussion with federal government leaders.

Many of us came away from the discussion with a significant list of follow up activities, ideas, and the promise of fruitful partnerships in our region. Everyone at the table wanted to ensure that Kansas and Missouri AAPI communities and small businesses can learn more about the Affordable Care Act. SBA and HHS committed to doing more hands-on outreach and education about the health insurance marketplace in the AAPI community. USCIS discussed the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program and how to involve AAPI community leaders into its current engagements.

I have worked at SSA for over 25 years, and I have not been this inspired by a community roundtable for a long time. This roundtable motivated and moved everyone in the room to commit to working in coalition with the AAPI community for years to come.

Jewell Colbert is the Regional Communications Director of the Kansas City Region for the Social Security Administration.

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U.S. Government Co-Hosts the 4th Annual Global Entrepreneurship Summit in Malaysia

Ben Rhodes
Ben Rhodes
October 30, 2013
10:56 AM EDT

Two weeks ago, the United States government teamed up with the Government of Malaysia, which hosted the 4th Global Entrepreneurship Summit in Kuala Lumpur. President Obama hosted the first Global Entrepreneurship Summit in Washington, DC in 2010, after he announced the initiative in a speech he delivered in Cairo in 2009. In those remarks, he spoke to the importance of supporting and promoting entrepreneurs at home and overseas. Innovation and entrepreneurship are cornerstones of the U.S. economy and can serve as a way of unlocking economic potential and lifting people out of poverty all over the world. Promoting entrepreneurship globally can help build more stable societies, grow markets for American goods, and advance a fundamental American value.

This year’s summit was the largest ever and brought together over 3000 entrepreneurs, investors, academics, startup organizers, business people, and government officials from more than 100 countries. They went head-to-head in pitch competitions, participated in roundtable discussions, and learned from some of the best-known entrepreneurs in the world. President Obama delivered remarks through a video message to the Summit, and Secretary of State John Kerry and Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker represented the United States and met with several young, inspired entrepreneurs themselves. In his remarks, Secretary Kerry explained why promoting entrepreneurship is so important to the Obama Administration:

Supporting your creativity and persistence is a key component of our foreign policy agenda – which today, more than ever before, is about economic policy, too. When entrepreneurs here in Malaysia succeed, I’ll tell you something; they create economic opportunity for Malaysians, of course, but also for people all over the world, including in the United States.

Americans benefit from the success of small businesses around the world through trading and collaborating with them, and by using their goods and services. So President Obama is going to continue doing everything he can to support young people who want to turn their ideas into businesses or non-profit organizations.

Ben Rhodes is Assistant to the President and Deputy National Security Advisor for Strategic Communications and Speechwriting
Related Topics: Global Economy, Foreign Policy