Notice -- Continuation of the National Emergency with Respect to Weapons of Mass Destruction

NOTICE

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CONTINUATION OF THE NATIONAL EMERGENCY WITH RESPECT TO WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION

On November 14, 1994, by Executive Order 12938, the President declared a national emergency with respect to the unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security, foreign policy, and economy of the United States posed by the proliferation of nuclear, biological, and chemical weapons (weapons of mass destruction) and the means of delivering such weapons.  On July 28, 1998, the President issued Executive Order 13094 amending Executive Order 12938 to respond more effectively to the worldwide threat of weapons of mass destruction proliferation activities.  On June 28, 2005, the President issued Executive Order 13382 which, inter alia, further amended Executive Order 12938 to improve our ability to combat proliferation.  The proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and the means of delivering them continues to pose an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security, foreign policy, and economy of the United States; therefore, the national emergency first declared on November 14, 1994, and extended in each subsequent year, must continue.  In accordance with section 202(d) of the National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 1622(d)), I am continuing for 1 year the national emergency declared in Executive Order 12938, as amended.

This notice shall be published in the Federal Register and transmitted to the Congress.

BARACK OBAMA

THE WHITE HOUSE,
November 9, 2011.

White House Hosts African American Policy in Action Leadership Conference

White House Releases New Policy Report Outlining the Obama Administration Achievements in the African American Community

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Wednesday, November 8, the White House held an African American Policy in Action Leadership Conference, bringing community leaders from across the country together with a broad range of White House and Cabinet officials for an in-depth series of interactive workshops and substantive conversations on the Administration’s efforts and achievements in the African American community.  Participants including community leaders, professors, faith leaders, civil rights leaders, and elected officials, have the opportunity to interact with Administration officials on pressing issues that directly impact African Americans. Discussion topics include strengthening the economy through the American Jobs Act, job training, access to capital for growing businesses, reforming our nation’s education system, protecting civil rights, community development initiatives, and strategies targeting poverty.

At the conference, the White House released a new policy report outlining how the President's policies directly impact the African American community. A copy of the policy report is available HERE or on  www.whitehouse.gov/africanamericans.

When President Obama took office, the economy was shedding nearly 800,000 jobs each month and millions of families were unable to make ends meet. African Americans were hit especially hard by the recession, struggling with significant economic losses, including near-record high levels of unemployment and low incomes compared to the national average. Since day one, the President has fought to restore the strength to the middle class, protect the interests of the low-income families, and allow those hardest hit by the economy to have access to the American Dream.

Portions of the conference are open to pre-credentialed media. The conference is live streamed on Whitehouse.gov/live.

AFRICAN AMERICAN POLICY IN ACTION LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE--AGENDA
Date: November 9th, 2011
Time: 9:00-4:30PM ET

Agenda

9:00-9:15AM     Welcome:  Michael Strautmanis, Deputy Assistant to President Obama and Heather Foster, Director of African American Outreach

9:15-9:30AM     Opening Remarks:   Valerie Jarrett, Senior Advisor to President Obama

9:30-10:30AM            Panel Session One: Economic Security, Job Creation, and the African American Community
Panelists
Danielle Gray, Deputy Director, National Economic Council
Rebecca Blank Acting Deputy, Department of Commerce
Seth Harris, Deputy Secretary, Department of Labor
Don Graves, President’s Council on Jobs and Competitiveness
Undersecretary Martha Kanter, Department of Education

10:50-12:00PM           Panel Session Two: The President’s Domestic policy agenda and the African American community
Panelists
Melody Barnes, Domestic Policy Council
Secretary Tom Vilsack, Department of Agriculture
Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, Health and Human Services
Acting Deputy Secretary, Estelle Richman, Housing and Urban Development
Administrator Lisa Jackson, Environmental Protection Agency
                                               
12:00-12:45PM           Working lunch with Attorney General Eric Holder

1:30-3:30PM               Afternoon Breakout sessions  
Track one:     Education Reform and Job Training            
Track two:     Economic Growth, Jobs Creation, and Business Development
Track three:  Anti-Poverty Strategies
Track four:    Prevention and Health Disparities (Let’s Move)
Track five:     Fatherhood, Prevention, and Reentry Issues
Track six:       Housing and Urban Affairs

3:45-4:15PM               Report and Action Steps: Jon Carson, Director, White House Office of Public Engagement

4:15-4:30PM               Closing Remarks by Gene Sperling, Director of the National Economic Council and Valerie Jarrett, Senior Advisor to President Obama

FACT SHEET: THE PRESIDENT’S AGENDA AND THE AFRICAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY

The President has fought consistently for policies that create opportunity for all Americans and, as result, has lifted millions out of poverty and invested in long-term reforms to grow the middle class.   This new report  highlights how the Obama Administration’s reforms and investments to reward work, improve education and increase college access and affordability, keep Americans in their homes, increase access to health care, and investments in small businesses have made a significant impact in African American Communities:

• Tax Relief for Virtually All Working Americans. The President secured the Making Work Pay tax credit in 2009 and 2010 and a payroll tax cut in 2011 that amounted to a 2 percent raise for working Americans through 2011. In addition, the President secured historic expansions in refundable tax credits Earned Income Tax Credit and Child Tax Credit for low-income families. The American Jobs Act will extend and expand tax relief for every American family next year.  The American Jobs Act will extend and expand tax relief for virtually every American family next year, including nearly 20 million African American workers.
• Subsidized Jobs for Low-Income Adults and Youth. Through the Recovery Act, 367,000 low-income youth received summer employment and over 260,000 adults and youth were placed in subsidized jobs. The American Jobs Act builds on the success of these programs by supporting summer jobs and pathways to work for unemployed Americans and youths. 
• Support for African American-Owned Small Businesses. Since the beginning of the Administration, the President has enacted 17 tax cuts for small businesses, including billions of dollars in tax credits, write-offs, and deductions for Americans who start new businesses, hire the unemployed, and provide health insurance for their employees. In addition, through the Small Business Jobs Act and other measures, the President has taken steps to expand American American-owned small businesses’ access to credit –through programs like the Community Development Financial Institutions and the New Markets Tax Credit, which provided over $4 billion in capital to predominantly African American communities. The American Jobs Act would cut payroll taxes in half for every American small business, including more than 100,000 African American owned firms.
• Reform K-12 and Early Education through Innovative, New Programs. President Obama created Race to the Top with a historic $4.35 billion investment. As a result of the initiative, over 40 states have raised standards, improved assessments, and invested in teachers to ensure that all of our children receive a high-quality education. A similar Race to the Top Early Learning Challenge has been developed to raise the quality of and increase access to critical programs that ensure our kids are entering school ready to learn. In addition to these historic investments, the President has also fought against Republican budget cuts to critical programs like Head Start. The American Jobs Act provides $30 billion for States to hire new teachers, rehire those laid off, and prevent as many as 280,000 teachers whose jobs are at risk next year from being laid off.
• Increase College Access and Affordability. Since the beginning of the Administration, the President has dramatically increased Pell Grant funding to support an additional 200,000 African American students, created the American Opportunity Tax Credit to ease college costs, and championed bold and comprehensive reform of student loans that will save taxpayers $68 billion over the next decade. Together, these represent the largest investment in higher education since the G.I. Bill. The President also secured $850 million in additional funding for Historically Black Colleges and Universities and $150 million for Predominantly Black Institutions.
• Keep Americans in Their Homes During a Housing and Economic Crisis. The Administration’s programs, both through their direct and indirect impact on the market, have helped more than 4 million families permanently modify their mortgages so they can stay in their homes. Through the Recovery Act, the President provided $1.5 billion for the Homeless Prevention and Rapid Re-Housing Program to prevent homelessness for 1 million Americans. The American Jobs Act builds on the success of these programs with the new “Project Rebuild,” which will invest in the communities hardest hit by the housing downturn.
• Create Economically-Sustainable Neighborhoods. The Administration has secured $40 million for Promise Neighborhoods and $126 million to Choice Neighborhoods that provide a continuum of services to combat the challenges facing communities most in need. The new Strong Cities, Strong Communities is helping strengthen cities and regions by increasing the capacity of local governments to execute their economic growth plans, while also delivering federal assistance tailored to the local government’s needs.
• Expand Health Care Access for Families and Workers. Within a month of taking office, the President signed the Children’s Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act into law, expanding health coverage to more than 4 million children who would otherwise go uninsured. And the historic Affordable Care Act, when fully implemented, will expand health coverage to about 34 million Americans, including as many as 7 million African Americans.
• Protect Civil Rights and Promote Criminal Justice. The President has signed major legislation like the Fair Sentencing Act and the Claims Resolution Act, and worked to expand and enforce hate crimes prosecutions, reduce unfairness in sentencing, and counter employment discrimination.

Read the full policy report HERE or go to www.whitehouse.gov/africanamericans.

Remarks by the President at African American Policy in Action Leadership Conference

South Court Auditorium

11:54 A.M. EST

Everybody please have a seat.  It is wonderful to see all of you.  I’ve got some old friends her -- (laughter) -- not old in years but been knowing you.  It is wonderful to see all of you.

I want to, first of all, thank Heather, who is doing outstanding work.  (Applause.)  Heather has my complete confidence.  She has my ear.  And so when you’re talking to her, you’re talking to me, which means she’s going to be getting a lot of phone calls, I know.  (Laughter.)  But she’s up to the task and we’re very proud of her.

I want to thank all of you who are here.  We’ve got some elected officials.  Mayor Nutter, congratulations.  (Applause.)  I know we had a little bit of election work going on yesterday.  I was in Philly yesterday, did not say anything about football during my visit.  (Laughter.)  Didn’t say anything about football games.  Mayor Mark Mallory is here.  There he is, right there, Cincinnati.  (Applause.)  We have -- I think Congressman [sic] Donna Edwards is around here.  There she is, right here.  And she’s been a great partner.  (Applause.)

And of course, we’ve got leaders from all across the country.  So many of you have worked so diligently during what has been one of the toughest times in our country’s history in order to provide opportunity, to make sure that communities were able to hang on during difficult times, and begin to rebuild again in the wake of an extraordinary financial crisis and the deepest recession we’ve seen since the Great Depression.   

Obviously, we have enormous challenges.  The unemployment rate in the African American community has always historically been higher than the norm.  And since the unemployment rate generally is high right now, it is way too high when it comes to the African American community.  Many of the challenges that existed before the crisis have been worsened with respect to opportunities for decent housing, with respect to making sure that our schools are equipped to prepare our kids for the 21st century.

So we’ve got a lot of work to do.  But the report that has been prepared that I know our teams are going to be talking about that will be released, I think is a compilation of everything we’ve done over the last three years that has not only lessened the severity of the crisis for millions of people, kept millions of folks out of poverty, made sure that millions of folks still had unemployment benefits, health care, et cetera, but also talks about the foundations that we are laying so that as the economy recovers, the African American community and communities all across the country of every stripe are going to have an opportunity to finally begin to rebuild so that we are seeing good, solid, middle-class jobs with good benefits that families who are desperate for their piece of the American Dream, that they’re going to be able to achieve it.

Now, some of these strategies are longer term -- all the good work that we’ve done, for example, in education.  The payoff is not going to be tomorrow.  It’s not going to be next year.  It’s going to be five years from now and 10 years from now as we steadily see improvement in the performance of our public schools. 

When it comes to health care, we are already seeing enormous improvements in terms of funding for preventive care, for community health clinics.  But full implementation is going to be taking place starting in 2013.  We’ll have those exchanges, and suddenly families who did not have access to health care will be in a position to get it. 

So some of these things are going to be phased in over time, and will not bear full fruit for some years to come.  But as all of you know, we’ve got a sense of urgency right now -- the fierce urgency of now -- when it comes to putting people back to work.  (Applause.)  And many of you have been engaged in pushing Congress to pass the American Jobs Act.  This is the only plan that -- out there -- that independent economists have said would put people to work right now. 

It’s been estimated that it would grow the economy by as much as an additional 2 percent of GDP; put as many as 1.9 million people back to work; would be targeted at not only getting teachers back in the classroom and construction workers on the job rebuilding America, but also targeting the long-term unemployed; allowing communities that have seen more than their fair share of foreclosures to be able to take those properties and start rebuilding them; improving our infrastructure in vital ways that will spur on economic development; summer youth programs, so that our young people can start getting on track and getting in those habits of work that are so important to instill a sense of responsibility, and a payoff for behaving responsibly.

All those things are contained in the American Jobs Act.  Now, as you know, so far the Senate has just said no -- not because these are ideas that are partisan; these are ideas that traditionally have been supported by Democrats and Republicans alike.  Their argument for why they’re passing it -- they haven’t passed them so far has been that, well, they don’t like how we’re paying for it, because we ask, for example, folks who make more than a million dollars a year to pay a little bit more in taxes in order to make sure that our economy is strong.

The American people are behind us on this.  Not just Democrats and independents, but Republicans support many of the ideas in this bill, and so we’re going to keep on pushing very hard, and we’re going to need your help to continue to mobilize communities to focus on how we can put people to work right now.

In addition, though, we also want to continue to find ways where we don’t have to wait for Congress; where are initiatives that we can take right now administratively that would make a difference in the communities that all of you represent.  And so part of the function of this gathering is for all of you to share your best ideas, your best practices.  What are things we can get implemented in the next three months?  Where are areas where you see a potential difference being made?

I’ll just give you one example.  We, on our own initiative, identified the need for small businesses, who in these difficult economic times have some cash flow problems.  We said, you know what, let’s speed up payments to them.  They’ve already done the work -- or they’re in the process of doing the work -- and the federal government likes to sit on that money until the last day.  (Laughter.)  Let’s see if we can send them that check a little bit sooner so that they can put that money back to work. 

And obviously African American businesses typically are small businesses, so this is something that can benefit folks right away, and we can start seeing a difference in our communities. 

I want to make sure that those are the kinds of ideas that all of you are providing to us, sharing with our Cabinet Secretaries, sharing with our staffs.  And what we want to do following up on the report about what we’ve already done is hopefully three months from now, six months from now, we’ll be able to go back and say, here’s some additional steps that we took based on community input.  (Applause.)

So I just want to -- so use today as an opportunity to share ideas with us.  We’re going to have breakout sessions.  Let’s do some brainstorming; we want your input, we want your ideas.  At the end of this -- the conference, I’ve asked Valerie Jarrett as well as Gene Sperling, who is my chief economic coordinator, the head of the National Economic Council, to come back and hear what ideas were proposed.

But the last point I want to make is this -- and I made this point just recently when we were dedicating the new King memorial -- we have been through tougher times before.  Our parents have been through tougher times; our grandparents have been through tougher times.  We know tough times.  And what we also know, though, is that if we are persistent, if we are unified, and we remain hopeful, then we’ll get through these tough times and better days lie ahead.

So I just want everybody to participate here in a spirit of persistence, determination and unity.  And if you maintain that spirit, then I’m confident that not only will the American -- the African American community emerge from these difficult economic times stronger than we were before, but this entire nation is going to come out more unified, better equipped to deal with the challenges of the 21st century than we were before.

So I appreciate all of you.  God bless you.  God bless America.  (Applause.)  Thank you.

END        
12:04 P.M. EST