Executive Order - Strengthening Protections Against Trafficking In Persons In Federal Contracts

EXECUTIVE ORDER

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STRENGTHENING PROTECTIONS AGAINST TRAFFICKING
IN PERSONS IN FEDERAL CONTRACTS

By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including the Federal Property and Administrative Services Act (40 U.S.C. 101 et seq.) and the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000, as amended (TVPA) (Public Law 106-386, Division A), and in order to strengthen protections against trafficking in persons in Federal contracting, it is hereby ordered as follows:

Section 1. Policy. More than 20 million men, women, and children throughout the world are victims of severe forms of trafficking in persons ("trafficking" or "trafficking in persons") -- defined in section 103 of the TVPA, 22 U.S.C. 7102(8), to include sex trafficking in which a commercial sex act is induced by force, fraud, or coercion, or in which the person induced to perform such act has not attained 18 years of age, or the recruitment, harboring, transportation, provision, or obtaining of a person for labor or services, through the use of force, fraud, or coercion, for the purpose of subjection to involuntary servitude, peonage, debt bondage, or slavery.

The United States has long had a zero-tolerance policy regarding Government employees and contractor personnel engaging in any form of this criminal behavior. As the largest single purchaser of goods and services in the world, the United States Government bears a responsibility to ensure that taxpayer dollars do not contribute to trafficking in persons. By providing our Government workforce with additional tools and training to apply and enforce existing policy, and by providing additional clarity to Government contractors and subcontractors on the steps necessary to fully comply with that policy, this order will help to protect vulnerable individuals as contractors and subcontractors perform vital services and manufacture the goods procured by the United States.

In addition, the improved safeguards provided by this order to strengthen compliance with anti-trafficking laws will promote economy and efficiency in Government procurement. These safeguards, which have been largely modeled on successful practices in the private sector, will increase stability, productivity, and certainty in Federal contracting by avoiding the disruption and disarray caused by the use of trafficked labor and resulting investigative and enforcement actions.

Sec. 2. Anti-Trafficking Provisions. (a) Within 180 days of the date of this order, the Federal Acquisition Regulatory (FAR) Council, in consultation with the Secretary of State, the Attorney General, the Secretary of Labor, the Secretary of Homeland Security, the Administrator for the United States Agency for International Development, and the heads of such other executive departments and agencies (agencies) as the FAR Council determines to be appropriate, shall take steps necessary to amend the Federal Acquisition Regulation to:

(1) strengthen the efficacy of the Government's zero-tolerance policy on trafficking in persons by Federal contractors and subcontractors in solicitations, contracts, and subcontracts for supplies or services (including construction and commercial items), by:

(A) expressly prohibiting Federal contractors, contractor employees, subcontractors, and subcontractor employees from engaging in any of the following types of trafficking-related activities:

(i) using misleading or fraudulent recruitment practices during the recruitment of employees, such as failing to disclose basic information or making material misrepresentations regarding the key terms and conditions of employment, including wages and fringe benefits, the location of work, living conditions and housing (if employer provided or arranged), any significant costs to be charged to the employee, and, if applicable, the hazardous nature of the work;

(ii) charging employees recruitment fees;

(iii) destroying, concealing, confiscating, or otherwise denying access by an employee to the employee's identity documents, such as passports or drivers' licenses; and

(iv) for portions of contracts and subcontracts:

(I) performed outside the United States, failing to pay return transportation costs upon the end of employment, for an employee who is not a national of the country in which the work is taking place and who was brought into that country for the purpose of working on a U.S. Government contract or subcontract;

(II) not covered by subsection (a)(1)(A)(iv)(I) of this section, failing to pay return transportation costs upon the end of employment, for an employee who is not a national of the country in which the work is taking place and who was brought into that country for the purpose of working on a U.S. Government contract or subcontract, if the payment of such costs is required under existing temporary worker programs or pursuant to a written agreement with the employee; provided, however

(III) that the requirements of subsections (a)(1)(A)(iv)(I) and (II) shall not apply to:

(aa) an employee who is legally permitted to remain in the country of employment and who chooses to do so; or
(bb) an employee who is a victim of trafficking and is seeking victim services or legal redress in the country of employment, or an employee who is a witness in a trafficking-related enforcement action;

(v) other specific activities that the FAR Council identifies as directly supporting or promoting trafficking in persons, the procurement of commercial sex acts, or the use of forced labor in the performance of the contract or subcontract;

(B) requiring contractors and their subcontractors, by contract clause, to agree to cooperate fully in providing reasonable access to allow contracting agencies and other responsible enforcement agencies to conduct audits, investigations, or other actions to ascertain compliance with the TVPA, this order, or any other applicable law or regulation establishing restrictions on trafficking in persons, the procurement of commercial sex acts, or the use of forced labor; and

(C) requiring contracting officers to notify, in accordance with agency procedures, the agency's Inspector General, the agency official responsible for initiating suspension or debarment actions, and law enforcement, if appropriate, if they become aware of any activities that would justify termination under section 106(g) of the TVPA, 22 U.S.C. 7104(g), or are inconsistent with the requirements of this order or any other applicable law or regulation establishing restrictions on trafficking in persons, the procurement of commercial sex acts, or the use of forced labor, and further requiring that the agency official responsible for initiating suspension and debarment actions consider whether suspension or debarment is necessary in order to protect the Government's interest;

(2) except as provided in subsection (a)(3) of this section, ensure that provisions in solicitations and clauses in contracts and subcontracts, where the estimated value of the supplies acquired or services required to be performed outside the United States exceeds $500,000, include the following requirements pertaining to the portion of the contract or subcontract performed outside the United States:

(A) that each such contractor and subcontractor maintain a compliance plan during the performance of the contract or subcontract that is appropriate for the size and complexity of the contract or subcontract and the nature and scope of the activities performed, including the risk that the contract or subcontract will involve services or supplies susceptible to trafficking. The compliance plan shall be provided to the contracting officer upon request, and relevant contents of the plan shall be posted no later than the initiation of contract performance at the workplace and on the contractor or subcontractor's website (if one is maintained), and shall, at a minimum, include:

(i) an awareness program to inform employees about:

(I) the policy of ensuring that employees do not engage in trafficking in persons or related activities, including those specified in subsection (a)(1)(A) of this section, the procurement of commercial sex acts, or the use of forced labor; and

(II) the actions that will be taken against employees for violation of such policy;

(ii) a process for employees to report, without fear of retaliation, any activity that would justify termination under section 106(g) of the TVPA, or is inconsistent with the requirements of this order, or any other applicable law or regulation establishing restrictions on trafficking in persons, the procurement of commercial sex acts, or the use of forced labor;

(iii) a recruitment and wage plan that only permits the use of recruitment companies with trained employees, prohibits charging recruitment fees to the employee, and ensures that wages meet applicable host country legal requirements or explains any variance;

(iv) a housing plan, if the contractor or subcontractor intends to provide or arrange housing, that ensures that the housing meets host country housing and safety standards or explains any variance; and

(v) procedures to prevent subcontractors at any tier from engaging in trafficking in persons, including those trafficking-related activities described in subsection (a)(1)(A) of this section, and to monitor, detect, and terminate any subcontractors or subcontractor employees that have engaged in such activities; and

(B) that each such contractor and subcontractor shall certify, prior to receiving an award and annually thereafter during the term of the contract or subcontract, that:

(i) it has the compliance plan referred to in subsection (a)(2)(A) of this section in place to prevent trafficking-related activities described in section 106(g) of the TVPA and this order; and

(ii) either, to the best of its knowledge and belief, neither it nor any of its subcontractors has engaged in any such activities; or, if abuses have been found, the contractor or subcontractor has taken the appropriate remedial and referral actions;

(3) specify that the requirements in subsections (a)(2)(A) and (B) of this section shall not apply with respect to contracts or subcontracts for commercially available off-the-shelf items.

(b) Not later than 1 year after the date of this order, the member agencies of the President's Interagency Task Force to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons (PITF), established pursuant to section 105 of the TVPA, 22 U.S.C. 7103, shall jointly establish a process for evaluating and identifying, for Federal contracts and subcontracts performed substantially within the United States, whether there are industries or sectors with a history (or where there is current evidence) of trafficking-related or forced labor activities described in section 106(g) of the TVPA, in subsection (a)(1)(A) of this section, or any other applicable law or regulation establishing restrictions on trafficking in persons, the procurement of commercial sex acts, or the use of forced labor. Where the PITF has identified such industries or sectors, it shall notify agencies of these designations, and individual agencies shall, in consultation with the Office of Federal Procurement Policy of the Office of Management and Budget, adopt and publish appropriate safeguards, guidance, and compliance assistance to prevent trafficking and forced labor in Federal contracting in these identified areas.

Sec. 3. Guidance and Training. (a) The Administrator for Federal Procurement Policy shall:

(1) in consultation with appropriate management councils, such as the Chief Acquisition Officers Council, provide guidance to agencies on developing appropriate internal procedures and controls for awarding and administering Federal contracts to improve monitoring of and compliance with actions to prevent trafficking in persons, consistent with section 106 of the TVPA, including the development of methods to track the number of trafficking violations reported and remedies applied; and

(2) in consultation with the Federal Acquisition Institute and appropriate management councils, such as the Chief Acquisition Officers Council:

(A) develop methods to track the number of Federal employees trained; and

(B) implement training requirements to ensure that the Federal acquisition workforce is trained on the policies and responsibilities for combating trafficking, including on:

(i) applicable laws, regulations, and policies; and

(ii) internal controls and oversight procedures implemented by the agency, including enforcement procedures available to the agency to investigate, manage, and mitigate contractor and subcontractor trafficking violations.

(b) The member agencies of PITF shall jointly facilitate the sharing of information that may be used by acquisition, program, and other offices within agencies to evaluate where the risk of trafficking in persons may be heightened based on the nature of the work to be performed, the place of performance, and any other relevant considerations.

Sec. 4. Effective Date. This order shall become effective immediately and shall apply to solicitations issued on or after the effective date for the action taken by the FAR Council under subsection 2(a) of this order.

Sec. 5. General Provisions. (a) Nothing in this order shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:

(1) the authority granted by law to an executive department, agency, or the head thereof; or

(2) the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.

(b) This order shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations.

(c) This order is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.

BARACK OBAMA

Press Briefing by Press Secretary Jay Carney, 09/24/2012

James S. Brady Press Briefing Room

11:44 A.M. EDT

MR. CARNEY:  Good Monday morning, everyone.  Thanks for being here.  I have no announcements at the top of this briefing, so I will go straight to the Associated Press.

Q    Thanks, Jay.  The President will be heading up to New York for the U.N. General Assembly meetings.  How does he intend to frame the U.S. response to some of the hot spots in the world right now, whether it be Syria, the unrest in the Middle East, the issue with the potential concern of Israel confronting Iran? What does he hope to accomplish in his speech?

MR. CARNEY:  Well, I appreciate the question.  The United Nations General Assembly always provides an opportunity for the President to put the international situation in context and to put forward a vision of U.S. leadership, and that's what he will do tomorrow.

I would expect the President to address the recent unrest in the Muslim world and the broader context of the democratic transitions in the Arab world.  As he has in recent days, the President will make it clear that we reject the views in the video that has caused offense in the Muslim world, while also underscoring that violence is never acceptable -- a message that has been echoed by the leaders he has personally reached out to in places like Egypt, Libya and Yemen.  He will also send a clear message that the United States will never retreat from the world. The United States will bring justice to those who harm Americans and the United States will stand strongly for our democratic values abroad.

With respect to Iran, we have consistently framed that issue around Iran's profound failure to meet its international obligations with respect to its nuclear program.  Therefore, the United Nations General Assembly present -- the UNGA presents another opportunity for him to underscore that Iran must not be allowed to develop a nuclear weapon. 

Q    Does he see this, though, as a couple days of do no harm, or is this a real opportunity for him to make progress on these issues?

MR. CARNEY:  No, I think it is a real opportunity.  The President always looks forward to the opportunity to address the General Assembly.  As you recall from last year, he gave a very important speech where he made clear the United States' positions with regard to the Middle East peace process. 

And it's a real moment for the United States to assert its values and its leadership role, to make clear where we stand in the midst of this remarkable period of transformation in the Arab world; how U.S. leadership, combined with the leadership of other nations, is helping the peoples of that region to overcome decades of tyranny and move towards democratic forms of government that are more responsive to their aspirations, that respect the rights of women and minorities. 

And he will also address, as I just mentioned, the most recent unrest, the fact that the United States government condemns and finds reprehensible the content of the video -- the anti-Muslim video -- but that the United States government was not responsible for it, and it is absolutely our position that there is never justification for the kinds of violence -- for any violence in response to a video.  He'll make that clear as well.

Q    There are some reports that the White House is intending on providing an executive order on cyber security.  Could you discuss that?  Are we going -- expecting any movements there, and could you tell us anything about the standards that might be set for it?

MR. CARNEY:  I don't have anything for you on that.  The President takes the issue of cyber security very seriously.  He had hoped that Congress would act legislatively on it, but I have no preview to give you of next steps.

Q    Any discussions of -- with Congress during a lame duck session?

MR. CARNEY:  One would hope that action could be taken and progress could be made with Congress, but I have nothing specific for you on that.

Dan.

Q    Thank you, Jay.  In the 60 Minutes interview yesterday, the President, in talking about whether he felt any pressure from Israel on Iran, he said that, I'm going to block that out -- any noise -- he says, "I am going to block that out, any noise that's out there."  Who represents that noise that the President was referring to?

MR. CARNEY:  The President was making clear that his commitment and this country’s commitment to Israel and Israel’s security is as strong as ever and unbreakable in nature. 

There’s obviously a lot of noise around this issue at times. His point was clearly that his objective is to take every step possible to enhance Israel’s security as part of our strong relationship with Israel.  It is demonstrated by the unprecedented level of cooperation this administration has had with Israel on matters of defense and security.  That's a fact testified to not just by the President and representatives of his, but by the Defense Minister of Israel, Ehud Barak, and others in the Israeli government.

He is also quite clear that he is absolutely committed to preventing Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon.  And he has marshaled a consensus internationally that has never existed before behind a policy that pursues a diplomatic track with Iran as we attempt to compel Iran to give up its nuclear weapons ambitions on the one hand, and then a track that through punitive sanctions puts enormous economic and political pressure on Iran and isolates Tehran further and further from the world, making it clear that the price of refusing to abide by its nuclear -- by its international obligations with regards to its nuclear program is very high.

As he has said, the President believes that the window of opportunity for a diplomatic resolution to this matter will not remain open indefinitely, and he retains all options on the table for keeping that commitment to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon.

Q    In that same interview, he was talking about the Arab Spring and support for the democratic reforms that took place there, but went on to say while that was the right thing to do, he knew there would be “bumps in the road.”  What’s happening now, is it not bigger than just a bump in the road?

MR. CARNEY:  The President was making clear that in this historic transformation that's taking place in the region, progress will not always come in a straight line, that there will be challenges in the region and in individual countries as they make that transition from decades of autocracy and tyranny to what we all hope will be governments that are more responsive to their people’s aspirations, that are more democratic, and to economies that are more robust and prosperous and therefore more beneficial to millions and millions of residents of the region.

But this transformation will not happen overnight, and it will encounter challenges along the way, as we’ve seen.  And certainly the unrest in recent weeks represents one of these periods of challenge that the countries in the region must overcome.  I would point out that in Libya, there was a rather remarkable demonstration the other day against the militias that are trying to hijack the democratic transition in that country.  Average citizens in Libya, in Benghazi, protesting against the militias that they hold responsible for the unrest, they hold responsible for the murder of four American personnel.  And I think that’s certainly a sign that the transition continues, even as it meets challenges.

Q    But I’m sure you’ve heard Republicans jumping on the term -- the words that he used, as “bumps in the road,” sort of minimizing the vast challenges that exist in the region.

MR. CARNEY:  The President, as you know, is not minimizing what we all recognize as historic transformations taking place.  And the President is certainly not minimizing the challenges that those transformations are facing, as these countries in the region that have experienced or are experiencing democratic transitions move forward with them, move forward to systems of government that are hopefully more responsive to their people’s aspirations -- more democratic, fairer and better for their people.

I understand that Republicans in this case are searching for reeds to grab onto, but I think the President’s views on these matters are very clear and very strong.

Q    Any bilats added to the President’s schedule in New York?

MR. CARNEY:  The President looks forward very much to participating at the United Nation General Assembly.  He’ll be there later today through tomorrow.  He will speak, as you know, tomorrow morning to the General Assembly in remarks that I previewed just a moment ago. 

The President has, just in the last few weeks, had extensive consultations with foreign leaders, including the leaders of Egypt, Israel, Yemen, Turkey, Libya, and those consultations will continue -- not just with leaders in the region but with leaders around the world.  It is part of the job of being President that that be the case, and he will certainly encounter many leaders tonight in New York as well as tomorrow.

Ann.

Q    The complaint this morning about the line “bump in the road” is not that it’s minimizing the Arab Spring, but it’s minimizing the death of -- violent death of the U.S. Ambassador, three others.  And what -- when he said “bump in the road,” did he mean not to draw a parallel or not to define that event in Benghazi?

MR. CARNEY:  I appreciate the question, Ann, because that assertion is both desperate and offensive.  The President was referring to the transformations in the region, to this process that has -- only began less than two years ago, as we saw in Tunisia, and continues to this day with remarkable transformations occurring in countries around the region.  And obviously in these countries there are huge challenges, huge obstacles to the kinds of change that the people in these countries are demanding, to the kinds of governments that are democratic in nature and responsive to the interests of average citizens in these countries.

That was the context of the President’s comments.  And again, I think I would say what I said to Dan, which is that there is a certain rather desperate attempt to grasp at words and phrases here to find political advantage, and in this case that’s profoundly offensive.

Q    President Ahmadinejad told reporters in New York this morning that he does not worry about the threat of an attack, especially by Israel, because “we have defensive means at our disposal,” “we are ready to defend ourselves.”  Do you think President Obama has not made it clear that he still has a military option?  Has he been too vague about that?

MR. CARNEY:  Oh, I don’t think he’s been vague at all.  He’s been exceptionally clear.

Q    Doesn’t sound like President Ahmadinejad got the message.

MR. CARNEY:  Well, President Ahmadinejad says foolish, offensive and sometimes unintelligible things with great regularity.  What he should focus on is the failure of his government, of Iran, to abide by its international obligations, to abide by United Nations Security Council resolutions.

That has resulted -- that failure has resulted, because of the President’s leadership, in unprecedented pressure being applied to Tehran, being applied to Ahmadinejad’s government that has resulted in diplomatic isolation as well as extreme economic consequences for Iran.  And that pressure continues.

As you know, we, with our international partners, are regularly taking steps to increase pressure through punitive sanctions and other means on Tehran, as we continue to -- with the effort to try to compel Iran to make that choice to give up its nuclear weapons ambitions, to abide by its international obligations, and to, through doing that, have an opportunity to rejoin the community of nations.

Thus far, Iran has failed to do that, and so the pressure will continue.  And let me be very clear, as the President has been -- every option available, and that includes the military option, remains on the table when it comes to keeping the President’s commitment to Iran not acquiring a nuclear weapon.

Q    Quickly on the bilaterals, you mentioned that he would see leaders tonight -- that’s a party.  Are you suggesting tonight’s event -- that he will have any substantive talks with other leaders?

MR. CARNEY:  I’m not previewing any conversations he may or may not have.  I’m not giving any details on encounters or conversations that he’s yet to have.  All I’m saying is that he looks forward to it.  He will see a number of leaders, I’m sure, tonight; he will see more tomorrow.  He is giving remarks at the General Assembly tomorrow.  And broadly speaking, he is intensively engaged, as he has been since he took the oath of office, in matters of foreign affairs and national security.  And just in the last several weeks, as you know, because we’ve read them out, the President has been intensively engaged with leaders in the region, including the leaders of Israel, Egypt, Libya, Yemen, Turkey and others.  And that will continue.  It is part of the job and a part of the job he takes extremely seriously.

Q    Would you please let us know if he does have any chats?

MR. CARNEY:  I’ll apprise you as I can.

Wendell, and then Kristen.

Q    In light of that, what do you make of the Republican complaint that the President has time to tape The View and no time for Prime Minister Netanyahu?

MR. CARNEY:  Well, as you know, Wendell, Prime Minister Netanyahu is not in New York in the days the President is in New York, and the President is not in New York in the days when Prime Minister Netanyahu will be in New York.  The President just recently had a conversation with Prime Minister Netanyahu that lasted more than an hour, I believe, and that was just one in countless conversations that they’ve had. 

As you know, the President has met with and spent time on the phone with Prime Minister Netanyahu more than with any leader since he took office.  And that is a reflective of the importance of and the closeness of the relationship between the United States and Israel, the importance of and the priority that the President places on America’s support for Israel’s security, as demonstrated by the unprecedented level of assistance that this administration has provided Israel for its security, the unprecedented level of cooperation between our militaries and intelligence communities in the effort to enhance Israel’s security.

And that cooperation and deep partnership continues every day.  And the President had a very constructive conversation with Prime Minister Netanyahu recently and I’m sure he will in the future.  Secretary Clinton will be meeting with Prime Minister Netanyahu in New York, and I’m sure, as I said, the President will be speaking with the Prime Minister as he does with some regularity.

Q    On this comment about the “noise,” does the President think Prime Minister Netanyahu is involving himself in U.S. domestic politics?

MR. CARNEY:  No, I would point you to what the Prime Minister himself said when he appeared on American television I think a week ago Sunday.  And he said, A, that he’s not interested in involving himself in American politics and, B, that he knows that President Obama is firmly committed to preventing Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon.  That’s the President’s policy, and it’s a policy that’s backed up with the most comprehensive international consensus that’s ever existed against Iran, with the most punitive sanctions that have ever been imposed on a nation against Iran, with a degree of isolation that is unprecedented with regards to Iran, and with the firm commitment that every option available to him remains on the table in dealing with this challenge.

Yes, Kristen.

Q    Jay, I just want to try one more follow-up on the bilateral meetings.  What is the justification for the President not having sideline discussions with these world leaders?

MR. CARNEY:  First of all, I’m not going to preview every minute-by-minute of the President’s schedule when he’s in New York.  Secondly, the President just in recent weeks has had intensive consultations with leaders in the region, with the leaders of Turkey, of Egypt, of Israel, of Yemen, of Libya, of Afghanistan.  And that process will continue.

It is a simple fact that when you’re President of the United States, your responsibility as Commander-in-Chief never ends, and you are constantly engaged in matter of foreign affairs and national security.  And that's what this President is doing.  He looks forward to being able to present his case to the United Nations to make clear what the United States stands for, what its views are, what his views are in response to the recent unrest in the Muslim world, what American values are and how we project them, and why we support the democratic transitions in these countries in the region and why it is so important that the international community support those democratic transitions.

Q    I understand that he has ongoing discussions with these world leaders, but given that he’s missing an opportunity to sit down and talk with them, how does it not send a message that he’s more concerned about not doing any harm in the weeks leading up to the election than actually --

MR. CARNEY:  I encourage you to await the President’s speech --

Q    -- addressing these pressing problems?

MR. CARNEY:  I thank you for the question, and I think that if you wait to hear the President’s speech you will find it to be very bold and forthright about what his views are and what the United States -- the interests of the United States are with regards to this region and the unrest that's currently taking place within the broader context of the so-called Arab Spring.

These are profound changes that are happening in the region and in the world, and the United States has led under President Obama and will continue to lead because it must lead.  And we cannot, as the President will say, we cannot retreat from the world.  We must engage, and we must promote our values.  We must absolutely defend our interests.  We must hold to account and bring to justice those who kill Americans or would kill Americans, and that is the President’s commitment with regards to those who killed four Americans in Benghazi.  You will hear some very clear things from the President tomorrow.  And I urge you to wait for those remarks.

Q    And, Jay, just one more on comments that President Obama made over the weekend.  He said, “My biggest disappointment is that we haven’t changed the tone in Washington as much as I would have liked.”  Does the President think that he can change the tone in Washington if he’s granted another four years, or is he waving the white flag at his Republican --

MR. CARNEY:  He’s absolutely convinced that with the insistence of the American people that the tone can change, that together we can bring about that change in Washington.  As he made clear, it requires the voices of average Americans across the country making clear to their elected officials in Washington that they will not tolerate the kinds of partisan gridlock that is often waged and engaged in for the sake of small-bore political advantage at the expense of the interests of average Americans across the country.

And you’ve heard the President talk about how he hopes that if he is reelected, elected officials in Washington, in Congress will begin to move forward on some of these very important issues that have divided us, but to which there are fairly clear bipartisan solutions, if there’s a willingness to compromise.  And you’ve seen, and has been reported widely, when Republican leaders in Washington decided, in some cases on the day of his inauguration, that their agenda would be driven by a desire to defeat him, when the leader of Republicans in the Senate said that his number-one objective as leader of the Republican Party in the Senate was to defeat the President -- if he’s reelected, that agenda, that priority is taken away because he will no longer be a candidate for office, he will be serving his second term.  And that presents an opportunity for Democrats and Republicans to come together, to set aside maximalist positions, and deal with some of these difficult issues that have challenged us in these last several years.

I would also point out that even with the kind of lack of tonal change in Washington, and even with the kinds of disagreements we’ve had, this President with this Congress has been able to accomplish significant things, including extension of the payroll tax cut, including a measure by Congress ensuring that 7 million American students won’t have their loan rates doubled, including a number of issues that are very important to the American economy and the American people.  And the opportunity for greater cooperation exists, we hope, after this election.

Q    Jay, in the 60 Minutes interview the President also said that Israel was “one of our closest allies in the region,” and I guess the Middle East. Who is our closest ally?

MR. CARNEY:  I think you’ve heard the President say numerous times that Israel is our closest ally in the region.  We have an unshakeable bond with Israel.  We have a commitment to Israel and to Israel’s security that is profound and unique.  And that is demonstrated by the policies of this administration as well as the policies of the President’s predecessors. 

And as I just said in answer to some other questions, President Obama has taken action to assist Israel with its security that is unprecedented.  The depth of our cooperation, the amount of our assistance has never been greater.  And you’ve heard Israeli leaders verify that.

The President’s commitment to preventing Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon is categorical and clear.  He, upon taking office, took an approach that changed the dynamic of this situation, a dynamic, which, prior to him taking office, had much of the world divided on the issue.  He has through his efforts unified the international community in pressuring Iran and viewing Iran as the problem.  And the result has been an unprecedented regime of sanctions, as well as isolation that this President believes needs to be pursued because the surest way to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon is if Iran itself decides to forego nuclear weapons in a verifiable way.

Q    And I know you said the President has gotten readouts, has had consultations with leaders throughout the region.  But isn’t there something different between having a phone conversation and meeting and talking with someone in person?

MR. CARNEY:  Well, again, the President will see a number of leaders tonight and tomorrow.  But I would make the point that he does not wait for the annual meeting in New York to have meetings with or consultations with foreign leaders.  He has a fairly robust schedule of meetings with and conversations with foreign leaders.  The ones I just mentioned have had to do with the recent unrest in the Arab world.  But those kinds of consultations continue all the time, including in earlier parts of this year and continuing to this day -- regular consultations with leaders in Europe over the situation in the eurozone, as well as with leaders in different parts of the world over different issues.  And that continues and will continue going forward.

Q    Jay, I’m guessing the reason you’re getting so many questions about the absence of bilats is that last year the President had 13 bilateral meetings with key foreign leaders during his U.N. visit; this year, you can’t tell us of any.  So what is different about last year and this year?

MR. CARNEY:  Well, Mark, I would simply say that this President looks forward to speaking tomorrow, will lay out clearly what his views are on the recent unrest in the Muslim world, on the United States’ role in the region, the U.S.’s absolute commitment to holding accountable and bringing to justice those who killed Americans, his firm belief that while the video was offensive and disgusting and was the product of -- was the work of a handful of individuals and in no way represented the views of the United States government or the American people, violence and reaction to it is unjustified. 

He will discuss broadly the American role in the transformations taking place in the region.  And he will continue, as President, as he has over these past several weeks, and he will going forward, his intensive consultations with leaders in the region over the current period of unrest in the Muslim world.  The fact of the matter is the President does not wait for an annual meeting to have consultations with or meetings with foreign leaders, and they will continue.

Q    But the U.N. meeting has always lent itself to a number of bilats, but not this year?

MR. CARNEY:  Well, I have no meetings to announce to you, Mark.  I mean, the President’s schedule includes the reception this evening.  It includes his speech tomorrow.  Beyond that I don't have details for you.  But again, I think it’s fairly clear, based on the President’s engagement with foreign leaders just in the last several weeks, that he is intensively engaged in matters of national security and foreign policy as he has been throughout his presidency.

Q    He is the host of that reception tonight?

MR. CARNEY:  I believe that's the case, yes.

Q    Are you leaving the door open to him having bilats and saying we just don't have any on schedule?

MR. CARNEY:  We have no bilats scheduled.  I just don't want to -- I can't give you a minute-by-minute account of the President’s schedule since it hasn’t happened yet.

Q    May we follow on Mark?

MR. CARNEY:  Sure.

Q    If Ahmadinejad or Chavez, any others come up to the President if they're invited tonight, will the President speak to them?

MR. CARNEY:  Connie, I just -- that kind of thing has happened in the past.  I can't anticipate who he’ll run into.

Karen -- I mean Kate, sorry.

Q    That's okay.  Does the U.S. have any apprehension about Netanyahu’s visit to the U.N. later this week?  I mean, is there a concern that possible Israeli actions on Iran or what Netanyahu said recently could further add to the turmoil and the tension in Egypt and Libya, other countries in the Middle East?

MR. CARNEY:  I would just point you to the Prime Minister’s appearances on American television a week ago Sunday, refer you to the remarks I just made.  This President will continue to work with Prime Minister Netanyahu, with the Israeli government on their shared objective of preventing Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon.  And I don't anticipate any other issues with that beyond the importance of this objective and the fact that Iran has thus far stubbornly refused to abide by its international obligations.

Prime Minister Netanyahu will be meeting with Secretary Clinton, and I’m sure that they will go over the same subjects in terms of our shared commitment to this objective, and the same subjects with regards to U.S. support for Israel’s security that the President and Prime Minister Netanyahu discussed in their lengthy phone conversation just recently.

Q    So there’s no concern that any remarks he could make could be incendiary to -- and cause more riots and tension in parts of the Middle East?

MR. CARNEY:  I think that's purely speculative, and the answer is no.

Q    And just one quick question.  Do you know -- why didn't the President say that Israel is the closest ally in --

MR. CARNEY:  The President has said this -- this was a lengthy interview.  The President has made clear again and again and again that Israel is our closest ally in the region, that we have a unique relationship with Israel, bonds with Israel that are unlike our bonds with any other nation.  We have an unshakeable commitment to Israel’s security, and we have proven that commitment -- this administration has -- with unprecedented assistance to Israel’s security.

Q    So he misspoke in the interview?

MR. CARNEY:  The President, again, has made clear on numerous occasions that Israel is our closest ally in the region.

Bill.

Q    Jay, on Friday, Governor Romney released his tax returns for 2011 and a summary of the last 10 years.  Does that resolve the tax return issue for President Obama?

MR. CARNEY:  Well, that's a question I think best directed to the campaign.

Q    You’ve spoken of it here, though, in terms of the President believes that as a candidate that Governor Romney has an obligation to the American people to be forthcoming. 

MR. CARNEY:  Well, I think I would say, Bill, as I have in the past, the President believes that the tradition of candidates releasing their entire returns, many years of them, is a useful and valuable one for the American people.  It's certainly one that he has abided by.  I have noted that it began I guess just coincidentally with Governor Romney of Michigan back in 1968 and it's a process this President think is important, even if it might be uncomfortable.  But when you run for President, you should be an open book, and that’s his view.

Q    So therefore, he did not meet the test --

MR. CARNEY:  I think the campaign has spoken to this.  But the President's view hasn't changed, which is that it is an important part of the process of running for President to demonstrate, by the release of your complete returns for many years, an openness to the American people about who you are and your financial past, and that that’s a useful tradition that has been abided by, by most major party candidates since it was begun in 1968. 

April.

Q    Jay, could you detail anything about the President and the CGI?

MR. CARNEY:  I don’t know if we've read out any or provided any details yet previewing the President's speech at the Clinton Global Initiative.  He looks forward to giving those remarks.  He thinks that the work of the Global Initiative -- President Clinton's Global Initiative is very important.  And I'm sure we'll have more details for you as we get closer to it.

Q    And let me ask you this as well.  Do you think poverty, especially as the U.S. Census Bureau has come out with American poverty issues -- 1 in every 6 Americans are in poverty -- do you think he's going to address issues of global poverty at the CGI?

MR. CARNEY:  I don’t want to preview his remarks at this time.  I can tell you that the broader issue is one that is of great significance and that the President views as very important, because it's all about global economic growth and improving the plight of people in poverty around the world is an important objective because it increases stability, improves the lives of people around the world, and it's very much a focus of his foreign policy.

Q    And what's the campaign and the White House response -- basically the White House -- on the fact that Mitt Romney will be addressing the CGI as well this year?

MR. CARNEY:  I think there is a tradition, at least since the CGI has been up and running, for this to be the case.  I believe Senator McCain spoke to CGI four years ago.  And the President thinks that’s perfectly appropriate

Q    Jay, to get back to the topic du jour for a moment -- the President does seem to understand, though, that some of the "noise," as he put it, is being caused by the fact that he's not meeting Netanyahu.  Is that a safe assumption on our part?

MR. CARNEY:  Safe assumption that the "noise" is --

Q    Yes, that he understands that?

MR. CARNEY:  I think the President is a consumer of the news that you produce, as we've discussed.  He's aware of trends in the news.  I think his focus is on the importance of the relationship that the United States has with Israel, the importance of his commitment and the United States' commitment to Israel's security, the importance of the shared goal that he and Prime Minister Netanyahu have of preventing Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon, and the steps that we are taking with our international partners to meet that commitment and ensure that Iran does not acquire a nuclear weapon.

That’s the essence of what he is focused on, with regards to these issues -- with the U.S.-Israeli relationship, and, in particular, the challenge faced by Iran's persistent refusal to abide by its international obligations.

Chris.

Q    Jay, over the weekend the Congressional Black Caucus held as part of its annual dinner a forum on the issue of same-sex marriage.  Views reportedly differed, but there was a lot of opposition to the President's support for marriage equality.  Even the Reverend Jesse Jackson said he supports same-sex marriage and (inaudible) understand why the issue had gained providence.  How would you evaluate the continued support of the black community to the President as a result of his support for marriage equality?

MR. CARNEY:  The President said at the time and firmly believes that people have different views on this issue, and he respects that.  He has made clear that his support for the right of every American to decide who he or she loves and the right to marriage is a matter of civil marriage, and that religious institutions -- churches and -- have their own sacraments and decide what they are.  And he respects differing views on this.
He expressed his opinion and he has taken positions on different matters of policy, but he certainly respects the views of others.

Q    The President has talked about his support for marriage equality in subsequent speeches, but would you expect the President to make his case for support for marriage equality if he were to address a venue specifically for the black community?

MR. CARNEY:  Well, that’s a couple of ifs and bits of speculation there.  The President has been very clear about his position.  He had a number of conversations at the time when he made his views public, and I'm sure, given the opportunity, he will express his views in the future. 

Victoria.  Yes.

Q    The President said in the 60 Minutes interview that if Mitt Romney wanted to start a war he should say so.  Does he actually think that Mitt Romney does want to start a war?  Was he simply exasperated, or was he being provocative?

MR. CARNEY:  I think he was saying what he has said in the past, which is that while there has been a lot of rhetorical criticism from Republicans, including Governor Romney, about the President's approach on Iran, there is no substantive difference that we can discern.  And if the distinction then is a willingness or desire to go to war, then that should be clearly stated, because otherwise, the things that have been called for by critics -- punitive sanctions, diplomatic and political isolation -- the kinds of actions that this President has taken and has led on in his effort to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon, are the same that his critics say should be taken.

So I think that if there is -- if the issue is what the distinction is -- if the distinction is a willingness to go to war, then it should be clearly stated. 

Q    Is part of the reluctance to meet, say, with President Morsi, that it might just not look good to meet with an Islamist President at this point in the election cycle?

MR. CARNEY:  The President spoke with President Morsi of Egypt at length very recently.  I read out in considerable detail that phone conversation, and I am sure that President Obama will continue to have consultations with the Egyptian leader going forward. 

He made clear in that conversation that he expects the government of Egypt and the governments of other regions in the  -- other countries in the region to abide by their obligations to provide security to diplomatic facilities that they host.  And that’s a conversation he had with other leaders in the region.

So I think he was -- we were very clear about the fact that he had this extensive conversation with the Egyptian President, the contents of that conversation.  And I'm sure there will be more consultations going forward.

Steve, then Donovan.

Q    Given that the U.N. speech is coming 40-odd days before the election, how much of it should be viewed as a sort of accounting and a justification of the foreign policy that the President's achieved over the last four years?  And in that sense, is this year's speech perhaps more aimed as much of a domestic audience than the normal kind of foreign audience that you would expect him to speak?

MR. CARNEY:  This is not a campaign speech.  This is a speech in which the President will make clear his views, the administration’s positions and America’s role with regards to a lot of transformation that's happening in the world, and that will be the focus of his remarks.

Donovan.

Q    Thanks, Jay.  At the risk of asking the same question a number of times, on Mark’s question, I’m not sure that we actually got an answer.  He gave you some stats that last year the President has 13 bilats during the General Assembly, and this year there is zero.  What is the specific reason?

MR. CARNEY:  Look, the President -- I can tell you again that the President has had extensive conversations with leaders in the region where there has been unrest of late.  He will continue to have those conversations.  He will see leaders from a variety of regions tonight at a reception in New York as part of the General Assembly meeting, and will deliver very important remarks tomorrow at UNGA.  And his consultations and meetings with foreign leaders will continue going forward as they -- with the same kind of intensity that we’ve seen of late as dictated and required by events in the world and by this President’s commitment to U.S. national security interests.

Q    Is his scheduled too packed this year?

MR. CARNEY:  The President has obviously got a busy schedule.  He has a busy schedule all the time.  It is a fact that he has in recent weeks been intensively engaged in matters of foreign affairs.  And that's part of being President.

Q    Here at home, how soon is the President going to sign the CR?  And also now that Congress has left, and given the drought this summer, how anxious is the White House to get a farm bill?

MR. CARNEY:  Well, as we’ve said, a comprehensive farm bill is something that Congress should have acted on and did not, and that is unfortunate.  I don't have a -- as for the CR, I don't have a timing for you.  We can get back to you on that.

Q    Jay.

MR. CARNEY:  Yes, Goyal.

Q    Thank you.  Two questions.  One, personally, how does the President feel about the United Nations itself as an organization as far as Human Rights Council and other issues are concerned?  And second, if he’s meeting with President Zardari -- Pakistan is also burning because of this anti-Islam -- or Muslim --

MR. CARNEY:  I have no scheduling announcements to make in terms of encounters with foreign leaders.

Look, the President believes that the United Nations can act effectively, but does not always act effectively.  It did act effectively and it has acted effectively in terms of isolating Iran, taking aggressive action to hold Iran accountable for its failure to live up to its international obligations.  It acted effectively in response to the imminent threat to citizens in Libya.  It has failed to act, the Security Council, because of vetoes by Russia and China in response to the heinous actions of President Assad in Syria. 

So the President’s views are case-by-case and very clear about when the United Nations has come together, when the United Nations Security Council has acted appropriately, and when it has not.  I mean, beyond that, I don't have a broader assessment for you.

Q    And second, since the Prime Minister of India, Dr. Manmohan Singh, is not coming this year in New York at the U.N., has the President spoken with him?  Because India has recently passed the opening of the doors for the foreign conference, including hundreds of American companies go to India.

MR. CARNEY:  We don't have any other foreign leader conversations to read out to you. 

Q    Thanks, Jay.

MR. CARNEY:  Yes, in the back.

Q    Thank you, Jay.  Two questions.  First is, Romney has released a new ad on China, and the Obama campaign reacts to that.  Do you think this might sour future U.S.-China relations?

MR. CARNEY:  The ad by Governor Romney?

Q    I mean, the overall China bashing --

MR. CARNEY:  Well, I think I got this question fairly recently.  The President believes that we have an extremely important, broad relationship with China, and there are significant, vast areas of cooperation and there are areas of disagreement.  The President makes clear and has made clear since he took office that when there are clear indications of unfair trade practices that harm American workers or harm American companies, his administration will take action.  That was true with imports of Chinese tires and it’s been true of, I believe, eight actions taken up at the World Trade Organization. 

And that’s the President’s commitment, that he believes that if we have a trading relationship that’s fair, that allows for fair competition by American companies and American workers, that that’s beneficial for both countries and it’s certainly beneficial for the American economy and American workers.  And that’s his approach.

But it does not mean that we cannot continue to cooperate with China, as we have on a variety of issues.  Our relationship is very complex, it is very broad, and it is very deep.  And the President is committed to all aspects of it, and he is committed to making clear, through the actions that he’s taken and in his conversations with Chinese leaders, where we disagree and where we need to remedy inequities that have existed in the past that have put American workers and American companies at a disadvantage.

Q    Second question -- does President pay attention to recent China-Japan dispute over Diaoyu Island?

MR. CARNEY:  Yes, I addressed this in I think my last televised briefing and I would refer you to those comments.

Thank you very much.

END
12:32 P.M. EDT

Fact Sheet: the Equal Futures Partnership and United States Commitments to Expand Women’s Political and Economic Participation

While the world has made significant strides in expanding opportunity for women and girls, continued inequalities remain, particularly in the areas of women’s political participation and economic opportunity. Growing bodies of evidence show that women’s political and economic empowerment are critical to fostering international peace and security, growing vibrant market economies, and supporting open and accountable governance. Recognizing these urgent concerns, President Obama issued a challenge at the United Nations General Assembly in September 2011 to address key barriers in these areas.

In response, the United States has come together with 12 other founding partner countries to launch the Equal Futures Partnership with the support of key multilateral partners including UN Women and the World Bank, as well as leading businesses and non-profit organizations.  Building on existing priorities of the Administration, the United States and its private sector collaborators are announcing new initiatives in response to the President’s call to action. 

OPENING DOORS TO QUALITY EDUCATION AND HIGH-PAYING CAREER OPPORTUNITIES IN SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING AND MATH

Women employed in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields earn on average 33 percent more than their non-STEM counterparts, but they represent only one-quarter of all workers in these sectors. As one way to address this disparity, the Administration intends to take new steps to expand workplace flexibility policies at select science and technology (S&T) agencies. Additionally, the U.S, in collaboration with private and non-profit stakeholders, is announcing a number of new steps, including:
                                                                                                  
Improving data collection and dissemination: The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) intend to compile data on women’s participation in selected Federal S&T programs, including to identify any disparities.
           
Building the skilled mentor pool: The Department of Energy will expand women in STEM mentoring efforts to office sites across the country, the National Science Foundation (NSF) will connect its scientists with opportunities to mentor girls, and the Environmental Protection Agency will work with organizations to encourage STEM mentoring for college women.

Harvey Mudd College and Piazza who launch WitsOn, a 6-week online program connecting students with leading female mentors from industry and academia  Additionally, Causecast, a technology firm offering online tools for corporate volunteering, will launch GIT Inspired!, a campaign supporting girls in technology.

Encouraging research-based STEM teaching: Discovery Education will announce the development of S☥EM POWER!, a program dedicated to tapping into girls’ passions, interests, and capabilities, while empowering them with the tools to succeed in STEM fields.

Broadening access to online/mobile STEM skills training: Connect2Compete, a nonprofit launched by the Federal Communications Commission, will expand outreach efforts to include specific collaboration with women & girl-serving groups. NASA and the U.S Geological Survey will each pursue new efforts to include natural disaster data in educational materials to highlight real world applications of STEM – an essential link for women and girls.

Finally, Creative Commons and the Open CourseWare Consortium will establish a task force to investigate the impact of STEM-related open educational resources on girls.

PROMOTING CIVIC EDUCATION AND PUBLIC LEADERSHIP FOR GIRLS

In the U.S, women are underrepresented at every level of government, from city halls to Congress.  To inspire girls to serve as leaders in our democracy, the Administration and private and non-profit sector leaders are announcing the following:

Promoting civic education and highlighting women in public leadership as role models: The White House and the Department of Education, working with the Center for American Women and Politics (CAWP), a unit of the Eagleton Institute of Politics at Rutgers University, will further the Obama Administration’s efforts to support civic education opportunities for women and girls. CAWP will launch a new initiative featuring a speakers’ bureau of women elected and appointed officials, as well as online educational resources to help young people learn more about government and the roles women play as public leaders.  As part of its broader efforts to expand civic learning opportunities, the Administration intends to host a conference on civic education highlighting efforts like CAWP’s that promote civic engagement and will provide advice to CAWP as they establish this new project. 

Encouraging the development of digital tools that promote public leadership and civic education for girls:  The White House Council on Women and Girls is launching an app challenge to spur the development of web and mobile phone-based applications that inspire girls to serve as leaders in our democracy. 

Spurring research on girls and leadership: Dove plans to launch a new study on girls’ perceptions of leadership, building on its campaign to build girls’ self-esteem. 

BREAKING THE CYCLE OF VIOLENCE AND ENSURING ECONOMIC SECURITY FOR SURVIVORS OF VIOLENCE

Domestic violence has been estimated to cost our nation $8 billion a year in lost productivity and health care costs alone, and some studies have suggested that the full economic impact is much higher. Domestic violence and other forms of abuse can also stand in the way of women achieving economic independence. To address these challenges, the Administration announces the following efforts:

Ensuring fair workplaces for victims of abuse: As many as one-third of domestic violence survivors report losing their jobs as a result of domestic violence. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission's (EEOC) will coordinate with its field offices to provide training to state and territorial domestic violence coalitions on the application of federal employment discrimination laws to victims of domestic violence. 

Increasing financial capability for victims of abuse: The Departments of Treasury, HHS and Justice are working on collaborative efforts to assist victims with credit counseling, consumer rights, asset building and financial education.

New data on domestic violence and economic dependence: The Departments of Treasury and Justice will collaborate on a research agenda to examine the economic effects of violence in women’s lives and improve data collection in this area.

Breaking the cycle of violence by reaching young women: Bringing the public and private sectors together to intervene early in domestic violence can help young women secure a better future. To that end, we applaud the work of Mary Kay Inc., which will contribute 1 million dollars as the lead sponsor of loveisrespect.org’s “text for help” service – the nation’s first such program, designed to help young people with healthy dating and relationships.   Since September 2011, loveisrespect.org has responded to more than 30,000 texts and online requests for help.

EXPANDING SUPPORT FOR WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS

Investing in women entrepreneurs is an essential part of the President’s plan to create an economy built to last. Between 1997 and 2007, women-owned companies in the U.S grew at nearly twice the rate of all privately held U.S firms, adding roughly 500,000 jobs. Yet, many women entrepreneurs have difficulty accessing the tools, financing, and networks they need to start and grow their own businesses. The Administration is announcing new steps to further support women entrepreneurs, including:

Expanding entrepreneurship training opportunities for women veterans, youth, and women aged 50+:  In 2013, the Small Business Administration (SBA) intends to expand Operation Boots to Business to offer over 40,000 transitioning women service members the opportunity to access knowledge, tools, and resources needed to evaluate and succeed in entrepreneurship as they transition back into the civilian workforce. Additionally, Start Young   - a partnership between SBA and the Department of Labor, will provide young adults with fundamental knowledge about small business opportunities and resources available to promote economic self-sufficiency - will expand the number of cities in which it operates in. Finally, the Encore Entrepreneurship partnership between the SBA and AARP will give women the tools to start new ventures in midlife and beyond through targeted training materials that take into account their different financial needs and opportunities.

Promoting  women in innovation:  The Small Business Innovation and Research and Small Business Technology Transfer programs at SBA represent approximately $2.5 billion in federal funding of R&D specifically targeted to small businesses. Following a convening of key stakeholders later this year, Federal agencies will set goals to meaningfully increase the participation of women-owned small businesses and women principal investigators in these programs.

ADDITIONAL PRIVATE SECTOR COMMITMENTS:

To advance the goals of the Equal Futures Partnership, we are collaborating with multilateral stakeholders and the private sector to help countries strengthen and implement their efforts. In addition to the non-governmental initiatives described above, new private sector efforts also include:

Bringing together women and technology: Intel Corporation and Ashoka are partnering to inspire entrepreneurship and promote solutions that equip girls and women around the globe with innovative technologies. This partnership includes Intel’s sponsorship of Ashoka fellows and a Changemakers competition focused on women and girls in technology.

Intel Corporation is also partnering with the State Department to launch a new study focused on the gender and technology divide. The report is the first of its kind focused on assessing the gap in technology use, particularly the Internet, between women and men.

Closing the girls’ education gap abroad: Working to close the girls’ education gap in some of the world’s most under-resourced communities, Discovery Communications is creating educational video content with, for and about girls, as well as innovative teacher training.

Helping women entrepreneurs access new markets: Goldman Sachs 10,000 Women and WEConnect International are collaborating to ensure that successful women entrepreneurs are able to access new markets for sustained business growth.  Over the coming year, Goldman Sachs 10,000 Women and WEConnect will collaborate in India to develop and implement an online access to markets training designed for graduates of the 10,000 Women program.

Expanding Private Sector Efforts: The Clinton Global Initiative will work with CGI America participants to further the Equal Futures U.S domestic priority areas of entrepreneurship and STEM education through CGI’s Commitment to Action model.

Press Gaggle by Principal Deputy Press Secretary Josh Earnest en route Wisconsin, 9/22/12

Aboard Air Force One
En Route Wisconsin

1:05 P.M. EDT

MR. EARNEST:  Good afternoon, everybody.  Thank you for joining us on this Saturday as we make our way to Wisconsin.  One thing I do want to flag for you -- and this may be in your in-boxes now -- a statement from the President on the 150th anniversary of the issuing of the Emancipation Proclamation by President Lincoln.  So it's an historic day -- it's nice to share it with all of you.

Jen, do you have something?

MS. PSAKI:  I just wanted to flag one thing.  Overnight the campaign released a new web video raising questions about what else Mitt Romney is hiding, as a follow-up to his release of one year of his tax returns yesterday.  Not only did he not meet the bar that his father set several years ago of releasing 12 years, because as his own father said, one year could be a fluke -- the same number of years the President has released -- but his release also confirmed what we already knew, which is that he pays a lower rate than most middle-class families because of a set of complex loopholes and tax shelters, and raised more questions than provided answers.

Some of those questions were:  Why were more than 65 percent of pages related to overseas investments?  Why did he have investments in a Chinese oil company?  Why did have dozens of foreign accounts and millions stashed away in tax havens like the Cayman Islands?  So those are questions that it's in his power to answer. 

And with that, we'll take your questions.

Q    Is Scott Walker going to be greeting the President on the tarmac?

MR. EARNEST:  The greeter that we have today is just a military representative.  The President is landing at the Air National Guard part of the airport, so it's just one military greeter.

MS. PSAKI:  I will note, since you mentioned Scott Walker, that yesterday Scott Walker did an interview with a Wisconsin radio station where he raised questions not only about the Romney campaign's use of Paul Ryan, but also the lack of details that the Romney/Ryan team has put out about their budget.  So I don't know if anybody will --

Q    Walker raised the lack of details, or the interviewer?

MS. PSAKI:  Walker raised the lack of details.  I'm happy to send you the --

Q    I look forward to it.

MS. PSAKI:  Okay, perfect.  So he raised that.  That was kind of interesting.  I just thought I'd point that out.

And also, I sent this to you, but I will note Hank Aaron will be at two of our events today.  We'll take Hank Aaron over Governor Walker any day of the week in our trip to Wisconsin.

Q    Jen, the President hasn’t been here since February when he went to Master Lock.  It's been -- the public polls seem to show you with a lead.  Why is he -- what's important about coming back to Wisconsin and not spend it in a state that's more of a battleground?

MS. PSAKI:  Well, we've always thought that Wisconsin would be harder for us this year than it was four years ago.  That's why we've had a ground operation on the ground here for over a year.  As you may remember, we won by 14 points four years ago.  It's only natural that when Paul Ryan, a native son, was announced, the Romney team tried to create some buzz around their potential in Wisconsin.  What we've learned over the past few weeks, despite the fact that Paul Ryan has spent an enormous amount of time here, the more people in the state learn about their plan to voucherize Medicare, their plan to extend tax cuts for the highest income while leaving the burden on the middle class, their plan to cut Pell grants, the less they like what they're hearing.

At the same time, we're going to run here just like in any battleground state, like we're five points behind, until Election Day.  And today is about energizing our supporters, reminding them of what's at stake in the election, making sure they're getting out registering their friends, getting to the polls.  So that's why the President is there today.  And he's been there -- I think I sent this to you guys -- but nine times since he was elected, so although this year has been a little shorter on visits, he has been there several times over the last few years.

Q    Can I ask about Libya?  Yesterday and overnight there were these reports of pro-American people out on the streets trying to get militias to give up their arms.  I just wonder how the administration interprets that.  Is that all, as it appears to be, upside, or is there any danger that this could lead to, even if it's pro-American, to further unrest and violence in the country?

MR. EARNEST:  Well, I think what are being called "Save Benghazi" protests overnight are something that we have watched and learned about.  It's the view of this administration that it's a pretty clear sign from the Libyan people that they're not going to trade the tyranny of a dictator for the tyranny of a mob.  It's also an indication that the Libyan people are not comfortable with the voices of a few extremists and those who advocate and perpetrate violence to drown out the voices and aspirations of the Libyan people; that they seek freedom, that they seek democracy, and that the protests that we saw are a pretty clear indication of that and it's something that we're encouraged by.

Q    Do you have any new information on the investigation?  Have you gathered any new details that would help you understand what happened with the initial attacks?

MR. EARNEST:  I don't have any new details that I can announce at this point.  We obviously are awaiting the ongoing investigation, the results of the ongoing investigation being conducted by the FBI.  In the last couple of days you saw Secretary Clinton talk about a general accountability review board, I believe it's called, being appointed to take a look at some of the issues that are at play here.  So we're going to wait for the conclusion of those reviews.  But I don't have any more to share this morning.

Q    The President and Mitt Romney had this little back-and-forth about "inside" and "outside" leadership.  Does the President really think outside campaigning is going to be an effective tool on the big problems that he's going to face if he gets a second term?

MR. EARNEST:  -- talk about this generally.  I think if you take a look at the President's record, there's some indications that we've already seen the success of that strategy.  I think by far the best example of this was the extension of the payroll tax cut that we saw about nine months ago, that there was resistance from Republicans in Congress to extending the payroll tax cut and we were at loggerheads in Congress.  This was something that was -- that could possibly have consumed the entire holiday season for members of Congress.

But what we saw was a pretty clear signal from the American people that this was the right policy.  And we saw that they used a variety of methods, including social media, to make their voices heard in Congress, and we saw that Republicans in Congress eventually dropped their opposition to that proposal, that we cut taxes for an average of about $40 a paycheck of every American -- or the average American worker.

So I think that's pretty good evidence that the President has been able to capitalize on having the support of the American people to accomplish important objectives.  And I think that's been true in a legislative context, and I think a lot of our -- the strategy of our campaign -- that I'll let Jen speak to -- is predicated on these outside voices of the American people being heard. 

Q    You did it with the payroll tax cut; you did it with the student loan rates.  But I mean on something like immigration reform, are you going to have hashtag "pass the citizenship for long-term" -- on complex legislative issues, can you really expect people to weigh in the way they did on those two issues?

MR. EARNEST:  Well, I think issues like immigration reform, issues like dealing with our deficit challenges are examples where there are strong feelings that the American people have on these issues.  There also is, despite the obstacles that Republicans in Congress have erected, there are actually a pretty healthy majority of Americans who believe that we should finally solve our immigration challenges, that we need a comprehensive solution to immigration reform, that we need a balanced approach when it comes to deficit reduction. 

This isn’t just a point of view that's held by some Americans; there's actually plenty of evidence to indicate that a majority of Americans agrees with the President not just that we need to solve these problems but agrees with the President's approach to solving them. 

And the President's leadership style -- a hallmark of the President's leadership style has been mobilizing and channeling the opinions and views and sentiments of the American people to bring change to Washington, D.C. 

MS. PSAKI:  I'll just add, when Mitt Romney and his team decided to once again rip the President's remarks out of context the other day, we saw that not as an obstacle for us but as an opportunity.  And that's why the President talked about it yesterday and he'll talk about it again today -- because our belief and his belief is that this is a fundamental difference between how they would govern.  The President believes that the will of the American people, the voice of the American people is a vital and essential part of the process.  Mitt Romney seems to believe that he can wave a magic wand and tell people what they need to do within the walls of Washington, and that that's going to make change happen in this country.

So that's a fundamental difference.  The President will talk about it today in Wisconsin and I expect he'll continue to say that change comes from engaging people from outside the walls of Washington.  And that's how we're going to make things like immigration reform happen, and more investment in clean energy, and all the change that he's talked about since he came into public life.

MR. EARNEST:  I can note one other example, which is Wall Street reform.  And the reason this is a good example is because we're talking about the voices of the American people up against entrenched special interests in Washington, D.C. that are used to calling the shots.  But we had a situation where we mobilized the voices of the American people to ensure that we had, for example, a Consumer Financial Protection Bureau that would be an advocate for the voices of middle-class families. 

This is something that succeeded and has made it into law because of the strong support of middle-class families all across the country.  One of the President's priorities moving forward is making sure that we implement this law in a way that will ensure that Wall Street isn’t allowed to write their own rules again.  There are significant resources being expended on behalf of special interests to fight that effort, and the President is counting on middle-class Americans all across the country making their voice heard, and encouraging Congress to fight attempts by special interests to water down Wall Street reform.

Q    On Wall Street reform, did outside pressure at all influence the President's change in position on the Volcker Rule?

MR. EARNEST:  No.

Q    No?  So the President changed on the Volcker Rule because his advisor told him to do that, or because of the outside pressure that you're talking about?

MR. EARNEST:  The President's view on Wall Street reform all along has been putting in place the kinds of regulations that will ensure Wall Street is not allowed to write their own rules.

Q    But he shifted on the Volcker Rule, so why did he shift?

MR. EARNEST:  Well, I mean, we can relitigate announcements from a couple years ago or --

Q    You're using this as an example of like outside pressure forcing Washington to change, and I'm asking if it's ever forced the President to change.

MR. EARNEST:  Well, I think it's an interesting philosophical question that we can probably have a discussion about --

Q    But your argument --

MR. EARNEST:  The argument actually is, is whether or not the President is going to work with Americans all across the country, middle-class Americans, to fight special interests who are trying to water down Wall Street reform.  That's what the basic debate is in Washington, D.C.  The President is on the side of the American people, and the President's argument is enhanced by the strength and voices of the American people.

Q    In that debate, you seem to be suggesting that outside pressure can force Washington to change.  That's what you guys are arguing -- that was your example of tax cuts.  That was your example of payroll tax. 

MR. EARNEST:  I mean, I think Mitt Romney, for example, might -- I'll let him speak for himself -- might suggest that outside pressure would be lobbyists for Wall Street banks, lobbyists for oil companies who are looking to protect their subsidy.  The President, when he's talking about outside voices, he's talking about the voices of the American people.  Those are the interests that he's representing, and he's capitalizing on the position and interests and values of middle-class families all across the country to fight the voices of special interests that are trying to protect tax breaks for oil companies, that are trying to water down Wall Street reform.  And the President is happy to have that debate.

Q    Today Paul Ryan, campaigning down in Florida, accused the administration of appeasement toward the Castro regime.  I wondered if you guys had a reaction to that.  And also, do you still think that the anti-Castro sentiment among Cuban Americans is strong enough that it can be determinative in a state like Florida?

MS. PSAKI:  I can start.  President Obama has repeatedly renewed the trade embargo with Cuba, pressured the Castro regime to give its people more of a say in their own future, and supported democracy movements on the island.  At the same time, he's put in place common-sense, family-based reforms that allow Cuban Americans to visit their family members still living in Cuba.  Keeping these families apart would do nothing to weaken the Castro regime.  If that's what the Romney/Ryan ticket wants to do, they need to explain to the hundreds of thousands of Cuban Americans who've been reunited with their families why they want to keep them apart.

I'll say on Florida, as you know because I know you've covered this closely -- and some of you who've covered the President in 2008 may remember when he went to Little Havana and gave a speech there, in part because the younger generation of Cuban Americans are certainly changing their views on a lot of these issues.  And this is an ongoing -- and I can let Josh speak to this more specifically -- but obviously this is an issue that's continuing to be debated, continuing to be discussed in Washington.  But the demographics have changed a bit in Florida.

So it's hard to predict where that will land in November, on November 6th, but we know that over the last several years, even beyond when the President ran for the first time, the younger generation in Florida has kind of shown more movement on this issue than they had in previous decades.

MR. EARNEST:  Well, I think it's also worth pointing out that the policy that was in place for such a long time that Congressman Ryan appears to be advocating, one that doesn’t allow Cuban Americans to visit their families in Cuba, that doesn’t allow so-called family remittances -- that doesn’t allow Cuban Americans to send money to their families -- was a policy that was put in place to try to pressure the Castro regime.  But we've seen that that regime has been in place for 50 years now.  So the changes that the President is advocating and has put in place reflect his desire to make sure that Cuban Americans who have family members back in Cuba aren't the ones who bear the brunt of his policy. 

But the President does remain as committed as ever to forcing and pressuring the Castro regime to respect basic human rights, and when they haven’t the President has spoken out aggressively.  And he'll continue to ensure that that pressure is felt by the Castro regime until such time as they start to demonstrate basic respect for universal human rights.

Q    ABC News reported yesterday that Prime Minister Netanyahu dispatched an emissary to meet with Rahm Emanuel to assure him -- or reassure him that Prime Minister Netanyahu is not trying to politically undermine President Obama during an election.  Are you aware of this contact?  And isn’t it curious that the Israeli leader is speaking to a former chief of staff at the White House about a matter that's so central to the U.S.-Israeli relationship?

MR. EARNEST:  I saw the report that you're referring to, but I don't know whether or not it's true.  I can't confirm it.  As you know, President Obama and Prime Minister Netanyahu -- well, I'll say it this way -- President Obama has spoken to Prime Minister Netanyahu on more occasions and for a greater length of time than he has any other world leader.  He did it as recently as last week.  That's an indication of the strength and close coordination that's in place, particularly when it comes to security issues; that the United States is standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Prime Minister Netanyahu and Israel as they confront many of the challenges across the globe, including the challenges of holding nuclear Iran responsible for their international obligations.

And I'd just point out that when Prime Minister Netanyahu himself was asked questions about American domestic politics last Sunday, he pointed out -- well, he declined to weigh into the specifics of the election, but restated something that the President himself believes is an important tenet of our relationship, of the relationship between the U.S. and Israel, which is that there is strong bipartisan agreement that close security cooperation with Israel is a fundamental part of American foreign policy and is clearly within the interests of the United States of America, and it's something that the President has demonstrated in his leadership on this issue.

MS. PSAKI:  And he indicated in the same interview that he had no desire to get involved in presidential politics in the States and that the reason they weren’t meeting next week is because their schedules didn’t align, which is also --

Q    -- believes that -- President Obama takes the Prime Minister at his word that he's not getting involved or interfering?

MR. EARNEST:  Yes.

Q    -- if we can take a departure from this topic.  Last night before Congress left, the Senate passed a bill that would basically prevent U.S. airlines from having to pay for their carbon emissions to and from flights to Europe.  And the House has passed a similar measure.  Would the President sign such a piece of legislation if it came across his desk?

MR. EARNEST:  I have to admit I'm not aware of that one, but let me check on it and see if I can answer on that today.

Q    Since Hammerin' Hank is going to be at the fundraisers, does the President have a position on whether his home run record should stand as the real record, considering Barry Bonds is under suspicion for performance-enhancing drugs?

MR. EARNEST:  That's a good question.  I haven’t had that conversation with him about it.  But we can ask him.

Q    On the Emancipation Proclamation anniversary, any other than the written statement, or --

MR. EARNEST:  I don't think we're going to have anything beyond the written statement.

All right, thank you.

END
1:24 P.M. EDT