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Office of the Press Secretary

Statement by the Press Secretary on Statement by the Press Secretary on H.R. 1068, H.R. 2754, H.R. 2901, H.R. 3608, H.R. 3979, H.R. 4030, H.R. 4681, H.R. 5462, H.R. 5771, and S. 2673

On Friday, December 19, 2014, the President signed into law:

H.R. 1068, which consolidates and restates National Park Service and related programs statutes of the United States as Title 54, United States Code;

H.R. 2754, the "Collectible Coin Protection Act," which expands current law to provide additional protections to collectors as to the genuineness of political items such as buttons and posters and numismatic items such as coins and commemorative medals;

H.R. 2901, the "Senator Paul Simon Water for the World Act of 2014," which amends Foreign Assistance Act provisions concerning U.S. government assistance for water, sanitation, and hygiene projects;

H.R. 3608, the "Grand Portage Band Per Capita Adjustment Act," which amends the Act of October 19, 1973, to provide a tax exemption for certain funds paid by the State of Minnesota to the Grand Portage Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians;

H.R. 3979, the "Carl Levin and Howard P. 'Buck' McKeon National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2015," which authorizes fiscal year 2015 appropriations for Department of Defense programs and military construction, Department of Energy national security programs, and Department of Transportation maritime security programs; authorizes recruitment and retention bonuses, special payments, and other authorities relating to the U.S. Armed Forces; authorizes training and equipping the moderate Syrian opposition and Iraqi forces; makes other modifications to national security, foreign affairs, and other related programs; and contains various natural resources and other authorities;

H.R. 4030, which designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 18640 NW 2nd Avenue in Miami, Florida, as the Father Richard Marquess-Barry Post Office Building;

H.R. 4681, the "Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2015," which authorizes fiscal year 2015 appropriations for U.S. intelligence-related activities and establishes and provides other authorities concerning U.S. intelligence and counter-terrorism activities;

H.R. 5462, which limits the Transportation Security Administration's air passenger security service fee to $11.20 per round trip;

H.R. 5771, which temporarily extends several expired tax provisions related to individuals, business, and energy through December 31, 2014; and exempts from taxation Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) accounts set up for the benefit of persons with disabilities to assist in maintaining health, independence, and quality of life; and

S. 2673, the "United States-Israel Strategic Partnership Act of 2014," which enhances the strategic partnership between the United States and Israel, and for other purposes.

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

Statement by the President on Executive Order “Blocking Property of Certain Persons and Prohibiting Certain Transactions with Respect to the Crimea Region of Ukraine”

 Today, I issued an Executive Order taking further steps with respect to the situation in Ukraine.  The E.O. prohibits the export of goods, technology, or services to Crimea and prohibits the import of goods, technology, or services from Crimea, as well as new investments in Crimea.  The E.O. also authorizes the Secretary of the Treasury to impose sanctions on individuals and entities operating in Crimea.  The E.O. is intended to provide clarity to U.S. corporations doing business in the region and reaffirm that the United States will not accept Russia’s occupation and attempted annexation of Crimea.  I again call on Russia to end its occupation and attempted annexation of Crimea, cease its support to separatists in eastern Ukraine, and fulfill its commitments under the Minsk agreements.  My Administration will continue to work closely with allies and partners in Europe and internationally to respond to events in Ukraine and to support Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, as well its democratic development and reform efforts.  We will continue to review and calibrate our sanctions, in close coordination with our international partners, to respond to Russia's actions.

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

Letter---Blocking Property Of Certain Persons And Prohibiting Certain Transactions With Respect To The Crimea Region Of Ukraine

Dear Mr. Speaker: (Mr. President:)
 
Pursuant to the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.) (IEEPA), I hereby report that I have issued an Executive Order (the "order") that takes additional steps to address the Russian occupation of the Crimea region of Ukraine.  These steps have been taken with respect to the national emergency declared in Executive Order 13660 of March 6, 2014, expanded in scope by Executive Order 13661 of March 16, 2014, and further expanded in scope by Executive Order 13662 of March 20, 2014.
 
The order prohibits new investment by United States persons in the Crimea region of Ukraine; the importation of goods, services, or technology into the United States from the Crimea region of Ukraine; and the exportation, reexportation, sale, or supply of goods, services, or technology from the United States or by a United States person to the Crimea region of Ukraine.  It also prohibits the facilitation of any such transactions.  The order also blocks the property and interests in property of any person determined by the Secretary of the Treasury, in consultation with the Secretary of State:
 
• to operate in the Crimea region of Ukraine; 

• to be a leader of an entity operating in the Crimea region of Ukraine; 

• to be owned or controlled by, or to have acted or purported to act for or on behalf of, directly or indirectly, any person whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to the order; or

• to have materially assisted, sponsored, or provided financial, material, or technological support for, or goods or services to or in support of, any person whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to the order.
 
In addition, the order suspends entry into the United States of any alien determined to meet one or more of the above criteria.
 
I have delegated to the Secretary of the Treasury the authority, in consultation with the Secretary of State, to take such actions, including the promulgation of rules and regulations, and to employ all powers granted to the President by IEEPA, as may be necessary to carry out the purposes of the order.  All agencies of the United States Government are directed to take all appropriate measures within their authority to carry out the provisions of the order.
 
I am enclosing a copy of the Executive Order I have issued.

Sincerely, 
 
BARACK OBAMA
 

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

Executive Order ---Blocking Property Of Certain Persons And Prohibiting Certain Transactions With Respect To The Crimea Region Of Ukraine

EXECUTIVE ORDER 
 
- - - - - - -
 
BLOCKING PROPERTY OF CERTAIN PERSONS AND PROHIBITING CERTAIN
TRANSACTIONS WITH RESPECT TO THE CRIMEA REGION OF UKRAINE

By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.) (IEEPA), the National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 1601 et seq.), section 212(f) of the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952 (8 U.S.C. 1182(f)), and section 301 of title 3, United States Code,
 
I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, in order to take additional steps to address the Russian occupation of the Crimea region of Ukraine, and with respect to the national emergency declared in Executive Order 13660 of March 6, 2014, and expanded by Executive Order 13661 of March 16, 2014, and Executive Order 13662 of March 20, 2014, hereby order:

Section 1.  (a)  The following are prohibited:
 
(i) new investment in the Crimea region of Ukraine by a United States person, wherever located; 
 
(ii) the importation into the United States, directly or indirectly, of any goods, services, or technology from the
Crimea region of Ukraine; 
 
(iii) the exportation, reexportation, sale, or supply, directly or indirectly, from the United States, or by a United States person, wherever located, of any goods, services, or technology to the Crimea region of Ukraine; and
 
(iv) any approval, financing, facilitation, or guarantee by a United States person, wherever located, of a transaction by a foreign person where the transaction by that foreign person would be prohibited by this section if performed by a United States person or within the United States.
 
(b)  The prohibitions in subsection (a) of this section apply except to the extent provided by statutes, or in regulations, orders, directives, or licenses that may be issued pursuant to this order, and notwithstanding any contract entered into or any license or permit granted prior to the effective date of this order. 

Sec. 2.  (a)  All property and interests in property that are in the United States, that hereafter come within the United States, or that are or hereafter come within the possession or control of any United States person (including any foreign branch) of the following persons are blocked and may not be transferred, paid, exported, withdrawn, or otherwise dealt in:  any person determined by the Secretary of the Treasury, in consultation with the Secretary of State:
 
(i) to operate in the Crimea region of Ukraine;
 
(ii) to be a leader of an entity operating in the Crimea region of Ukraine; 
 
(iii) to be owned or controlled by, or to have acted or purported to act for or on behalf of, directly or indirectly, any person whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to this order; or
 
(iv) to have materially assisted, sponsored, or provided financial, material, or technological support for, or goods or services to or in support of, any person whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to this order. 
(b)  The prohibitions in subsection (a) of this section apply except to the extent provided by statutes, or in regulations, orders, directives, or licenses that may be issued pursuant to this order, and notwithstanding any contract entered into or any license or permit granted prior to the effective date of this order.
 
Sec. 3.  I hereby find that the unrestricted immigrant and nonimmigrant entry into the United States of aliens determined to meet one or more of the criteria in subsection 2(a) of this order would be detrimental to the interests of the United States, and I hereby suspend entry into the United States, as immigrants or nonimmigrants, of such persons.  Such persons shall be treated as persons covered by section 1 of Proclamation 8693 of July 24, 2011 (Suspension of Entry of Aliens Subject to United Nations Security Council Travel Bans and International
Emergency Economic Powers Act Sanctions).
 
Sec. 4.  I hereby determine that the making of donations of the type of articles specified in section 203(b)(2) of IEEPA (50 U.S.C. 1702(b)(2)) by, to, or for the benefit of any person whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to section 2 of this order would seriously impair my ability to deal with the national emergency declared in Executive Order 13660, and expanded in Executive Orders 13661 and 13662, and I hereby prohibit such donations as provided by section 2 of this order.
 
Sec. 5.  The prohibitions in section 2 of this order include but are not limited to:
 
(a) the making of any contribution or provision of funds, goods, or services by, to, or for the benefit of any person whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to this order; and 
 
(b) the receipt of any contribution or provision of funds, goods, or services from any such person.
 
Sec. 6.  (a)  Any transaction that evades or avoids, has the purpose of evading or avoiding, causes a violation of, or attempts to violate any of the prohibitions set forth in this order is prohibited. 

(b)  Any conspiracy formed to violate any of the prohibitions set forth in this order is prohibited.

Sec. 7.  Nothing in this order shall prohibit transactions for the conduct of the official business of the United States
Government by employees, grantees, or contractors thereof.
 
Sec. 8.  For the purposes of this order:
 
(a) the term "person" means an individual or entity; 
(b) the term "entity" means a partnership, association, trust, joint venture, corporation, group, subgroup, or other organization; 
 
(c) the term "United States person" means any United States citizen, permanent resident alien, entity organized under the laws of the United States or any jurisdiction within the United States (including foreign branches), or any person in the United States; and
 
(d) the term "Crimea region of Ukraine" includes the land territory in that region as well as any maritime area over which sovereignty, sovereign rights, or jurisdiction is claimed based on purported sovereignty over that land territory.
 
Sec. 9.  For those persons whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to this order who might have a constitutional presence in the United States, I find that because of the ability to transfer funds or other assets instantaneously, prior notice to such persons of measures to be taken pursuant to this order would render those measures ineffectual.  I therefore determine that for these measures to be effective in addressing the national emergency declared in Executive Order 13660 and expanded in Executive Orders 13661 and 13662, there need be no prior notice of a listing or determination made pursuant to section 2 of this order.
 
Sec. 10.  The Secretary of the Treasury, in consultation with the Secretary of State, is hereby authorized to take such actions, including the promulgation of rules and regulations, and to employ all powers granted to the President by IEEPA, as may be necessary to carry out the purposes of this order. The Secretary of the Treasury may redelegate any of these functions to other officers and agencies of the United States Government consistent with applicable law.  All agencies of the United States Government are hereby directed to take all appropriate measures within their authority to carry out the provisions of this order.
 
Sec. 11.  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. 
 
Sec. 12.  This order is effective at 3:30 p.m. eastern standard time on December 19, 2014.

BARACK OBAMA

West Wing Week 12/19/14 or, "Todos Somos Americanos"

This week, the President traveled to Fort Dix to thank our troops, took action to protect Alaska's Bristol Bay, and announced historic changes to America's relationship with Cuba. That's December 12th to December 18th or, "Todos Somos Americanos."

Related Topics: Economy, Alaska

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

President Obama Announces Presidential Delegation to the Federative Republic of Brazil to Attend the Inauguration of Her Excellency Dilma Rousseff

President Barack Obama today announced the designation of a Presidential Delegation to Brasilia to attend the Inauguration of Her Excellency Dilma Rousseff as President of the Federative Republic of Brazil on January 1, 2015.

The Honorable Joseph R. Biden, Jr., Vice President of the United States, will lead the delegation.

Members of the Presidential Delegation:

The Honorable Liliana Ayalde, United States Ambassador to the Federative Republic of Brazil, Department of State 

The Honorable Roberta S. Jacobson, Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs

The Honorable Ricardo Zuniga, Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Western Hemisphere Affairs, National Security Council

West Wing Week 12/19/14 or, "Todos Somos Americanos

December 19, 2014 | 3:46 | Public Domain

Welcome to the West Wing Week, your guide to everything that's happening at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. This week, the President traveled to Fort Dix to thank our troops, took action to protect Alaska's Bristol Bay, and announced historic changes to America's relationship with Cuba. That's December 12th to December 18th or, "Todos Somos Americanos."

Download (125MB)

Dan Pfeiffer Joins Medium: "Breaking Down the 'Worst' Year in Washington"

Today, Senior Advisor Dan Pfeiffer joined the new publishing platform Medium -- authoring a post that reflects on the incredible amount of progress made in 2014 despite some claims that the President had "the worst year in Washington." Moving forward, he will continue to post important highlights, insights, and reflections on the President's agenda.

(For more posts from across the Administration, be sure to also follow President Obama and the White House on Medium, as well.)

In today's post, he reflects on 2014 as a year of real and meaningful progress for President Obama and the progressive agenda -- no matter what the critics have said. He goes on to note a few meaningful progress points from the year:

  1. 2014 has been the strongest year of job growth since the 1990s.

  2. America's uninsured rate dropped to near-historic lows in 2014 -- In spite of the fact that this time a year ago, politicians and the press were predicting the demise of the Affordable Care Act.

  3. The President made historic progress across the board on the central global challenge of the next century: Climate change and environmental protection.

  4. President Obama's Executive Action to fix our immigration system is the most meaningful effort in decades to make the system fairer, more transparent, and more predictable.

  5. In his six years in office, the President has reshaped the federal judiciary to include more women, minorities, gays, and lesbians, so it might resemble more closely the nation it serves.

Read the full post on Medium -- and then share it with anyone you know who might need a reminder of exactly how much got done in 2014.

A Real Festival of Lights: Hanukkah at the White House 2014/5775

On Wednesday, December 17, the President and Mrs. Obama welcomed members of the American Jewish community to the White House to celebrate Hanukkah. For the second year, they hosted two receptions in the Grand Foyer of the White House. Guests represented the breadth of the Jewish community, including leaders from a wide range of local and national Jewish organizations, religious leaders representing the various Jewish denominations, state and local elected officials, Administration officials, Members of Congress, academics, musicians, authors, and other members of the Jewish community.

The receptions featured performances from Jewish college a cappella groups and the U.S. Marine Band. The food preparation occurred under the strict rabbinical supervision of Rabbi Levi Shemtov, Lubavitch Center of Washington (Chabad), in cooperation with the Rabbinical Council of Greater Washington.

Watch on YouTube

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Office of the Press Secretary

Statement by National Security Advisor Susan E. Rice on the Selection of Avril Haines as Deputy National Security Advisor

I am thrilled to welcome Avril back to the National Security Council (NSC) to serve as my principal deputy.  Previously at the State Department, NSC and Central Intelligence Agency, Avril has been indispensable in implementing the Administration’s strategy to address the full range of threats and challenges to our national security. Anyone who has worked with Avril can only be deeply impressed by her keen intellect, her intense dedication to serving the American people, and her proven ability to get things done.  They also know what an extraordinary colleague and delightful person she is.  I could not be happier that Avril will help me lead the dedicated NSC staff as we continue to make our country safer and stronger and advance American leadership in the world.

I also wish once more to thank Tony Blinken for his extraordinary service to the NSC.  I look forward to continuing to work closely with him in his new role as Deputy Secretary of State.