The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
August 26, 2011

Readout of the President's Call with IMF Managing Director Lagarde

The President spoke to International Monetary Fund Managing Director Christine Lagarde today to discuss the global economic situation and recent developments in financial markets.  As this was their first conversation since her appointment as Managing Director on June 28, the President congratulated Madame Lagarde on her new role and reinforced the importance of close cooperation between the United States and the IMF.  The President and the Managing Director agreed on the need for policies that foster growth and job creation in the near term, while securing medium-term fiscal consolidation.  They also concurred on the importance of rebalancing global demand towards emerging markets.

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
August 26, 2011

Statement by the President on the Attack on the United Nations in Abuja, Nigeria

I strongly condemn today’s horrific and cowardly attack on the United Nations headquarters building in Abuja, Nigeria, which killed and wounded many innocent civilians from Nigeria and around the world.  I extend the deepest sympathies of the American people to the victims and their families, colleagues, and friends, whom we will keep in our thoughts and prayers.

The people who serve the United Nations do so with a simple purpose: to try to improve the lives of their neighbors and promote the values on which the UN was founded -- dignity, freedom, security, and peace.  The UN has been working in partnership with the people of Nigeria for more than five decades.  An attack on Nigerian and international public servants demonstrates the bankruptcy of the ideology that led to this heinous action. 

The United States strongly supports the work of the United Nations and its lasting bond with the people of Nigeria, a bond that will only emerge stronger in the wake of this murderous act.

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
August 26, 2011

Statement by the President on the Attack in Mexico

I strongly condemn the barbaric and reprehensible attack in Monterrey, Mexico yesterday.  On behalf of the American people, our thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families at this difficult time. 

The people of Mexico and their government are engaged in a brave fight to disrupt violent transnational criminal organizations that threaten both Mexico and the United States. The United States is and will remain a partner in this fight.  We share with Mexico responsibility for meeting this challenge and we are committed to continuing our unprecedented cooperation in confronting these criminal organizations.

President Obama on Hurricane Irene: Take this Storm Seriously

Nikki Sutton
Nikki Sutton
August 26, 2011
12:08 PM EST

Watch the President's full remarks on Hurricane Irene here.

UPDATE:  President Obama has signed Emergency Declarations for the following states: North Carolina, New York, Virginia, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Jersey, New Hampshire, Rhode Island , Maryland, Delaware, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.

This morning, President Obama was briefed once again by DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano, FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate, and senior White House officials about preparations being made for Hurricane Irene. Following the briefing, the President urged Americans in the projected path of the hurricane to take precautions now:

Don’t delay.  We all hope for the best, but we have to be prepared for the worst.  All of us have to take this storm seriously.  You need to listen to your state and local officials, and if you are given an evacuation order, please follow it.  Just to underscore this point:  We ordered an aircraft carrier group out to sea to avoid this storm yesterday. So if you’re in the way of this hurricane, you should be preparing now.

Visit Ready.gov or Listo.gov for resources on how you can prepare your families, home, and businesses for a hurricane. You can get the latest updates on the progression of Hurricane Irene at Hurricanes.gov.

Related Topics: Homeland Security, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, New York, North Carolina, Rhode Island, Virginia

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
August 26, 2011

Statement by the President on Preparations for Hurricane Irene

Fisher House at Blue Heron Farm, Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts

11:28 A.M. EDT

        THE PRESIDENT:  Good morning, everybody.  I want to say a few words about Hurricane Irene, urge Americans to take it seriously, and provide an overview of our ongoing federal preparations for what's likely to be an extremely dangerous and costly storm.

        I’ve just convened a conference call with senior members of my emergency response team and directed them to make sure that we are bringing all federal resources to bear and deploying them properly to cope not only with the storm but also its aftermath. I’ve also spoken this morning with governors and mayors of major metropolitan areas along the Eastern Seaboard to let them know that this administration is in full support of their efforts to prepare for this storm and stands ready to fully support their response efforts.  And we will continue to stay in close contact with them.

        I cannot stress this highly enough:  If you are in the projected path of this hurricane, you have to take precautions now.  Don’t wait.  Don’t delay.  We all hope for the best, but we have to be prepared for the worst.  All of us have to take this storm seriously.  You need to listen to your state and local officials, and if you are given an evacuation order, please follow it.  Just to underscore this point:  We ordered an aircraft carrier group out to sea to avoid this storm yesterday. So if you’re in the way of this hurricane, you should be preparing now.

        If you aren’t sure how to prepare your families or your home or your business for a hurricane or any other emergency, then you can visit Ready.gov -- that's Ready.gov -- or Listo.gov.  That's Listo.gov.

        Now, since last weekend, FEMA has been deploying its Incident Management Assistance Teams to staging areas in communities up and down the coast.  FEMA has millions of liters of water, millions of meals, and tens of thousands of cots and blankets, along with other supplies, pre-positioned along the Eastern Seaboard.  And the American Red Cross has already begun preparing shelters in North Carolina and other states.

        These resources are all being coordinated with our state and local partners, and they stand ready to be deployed as necessary. But, again, if you are instructed to evacuate, please do so.  It's going to take time for first responders to begin rescue operations and to get the resources we've pre-positioned to people in need.  So the more you can do to be prepared now -- making a plan, make a supply kit, know your evacuation route, follow instructions of your local officials -- the quicker we can focus our resources after the storm on those who need help the most.

        To sum up, all indications point to this being a historic hurricane.  Although we can’t predict with perfect certainty the impact of Irene over the next few days, the federal government has spent the better part of last week working closely with officials in communities that could be affected by this storm to see to it that we are prepared.  So now is the time for residents of these communities -- in the hours that remain -- to do the same.  And FEMA and Craig Fugate, the director of FEMA, will be keeping people closely posted in the next 24, 48 hours.

        Thank you very much.

END 11:31 A.M. EDT

Tips to Prepare for Hurricane Irene

Rachel Racusen
August 26, 2011
11:23 AM EST

Ed. Note: Cross-posted from the FEMA Blog.

We’re continuing to closely monitor Hurricane Irene as it threatens much of the East Coast, from Florida to Maine. While it’s too soon to tell exactly where Irene will make landfall or have the most significant impacts, Administrator Fugate has an update on the ways you can get prepared:

Related Topics: Homeland Security, Florida, Maine

West Wing Week: Mailbag Day, Summer Edition 2011

Ezra Mechaber
Ezra Mechaber
August 26, 2011
06:46 AM EST

This week we bring you Mailbag Day, Summer Edition 2011 where we respond to some of your emails and letters. Also this week, the President addresses the situation in Libya, monitors Hurricane Irene, and Vice President Biden travels to Asia to re-emphasize our strong economic and diplomatic ties to Asian nations. Plus, the White House experiences a little shake.

Watch West Wing Week here.

Related Topics: 2011 Asia Trip, Foreign Policy, Additional Issues

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
August 25, 2011

President Obama Signs North Carolina Emergency Declaration

The President today declared an emergency exists in the State of North Carolina and ordered federal aid to supplement state and local response efforts due to the emergency conditions resulting from Hurricane Irene beginning on August 25, 2011, and continuing.

The President's action authorizes the Department of Homeland Security, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), to coordinate all disaster relief efforts which have the purpose of alleviating the hardship and suffering caused by the emergency on the local population, and to provide appropriate assistance for required emergency measures, authorized under Title V of the Stafford Act, to save lives and to protect property and public health and safety, and to lessen or avert the threat of a catastrophe in the counties of Carteret, Craven, Currituck, Dare, Halifax, Hyde, Johnston, Jones, Nash, Northampton, Onslow, Pamlico, Perquimans, Pitt, Tyrrell, and Wilson.

Specifically, FEMA is authorized to identify, mobilize, and provide at its discretion, equipment and resources necessary to alleviate the impacts of the emergency.  Emergency protective measures, including direct federal assistance, will be provided at 75 percent federal funding. 

W. Craig Fugate, Administrator, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Department of Homeland Security, named Michael F. Byrne as the Federal Coordinating Officer for federal recovery operations in the affected area. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION MEDIA SHOULD CONTACT:  FEMA NEWS DESK AT (202) 646-3272 OR FEMA-NEWS-DESK@DHS.GOV  

A Look Back: Family Life in the White House Years

Colleen Curtis
Colleen Curtis
August 25, 2011
03:12 PM EST

When visitors tour the White House, the panels of candid photos featuring White House life on the walls of the East Wing are one of the most popular things to explore. This one is a special favorite, because it reminds people that while the President of the United States shoulders enormous responsibilities, he has an equally important role as just husband and father, and that the family living in the White House celebrates the same milestones and daily joys as families everywhere.

Related Topics: Additional Issues

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
August 25, 2011

Presidential Proclamation--Women's Equality Day

WOMEN'S EQUALITY DAY, 2011

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

A PROCLAMATION

The 19th Amendment to the United States Constitution tore down the last formal barrier to women's enfranchisement in our Nation and empowered America's women to have their voices heard in the halls of power.  This Amendment became law only after decades of work by committed trailblazers who fought to extend the right to vote to women across America.  For the women who fought for this right, voting was not the end of the journey for equality, but the beginning of a new era in the advancement of our Union.  These brave and tenacious women challenged our Nation to live up to its founding principles, and their legacy inspires us to reach ever higher in our pursuit of liberty and equality for all.

Before the Amendment took effect, women had been serving our Nation in the public realm since its earliest days.  Even before they gained the right to vote, America's women were leaders of movements, academics, and reformers, and had even served in the Congress.  Legions of brave women wrote and lectured for change.  They let their feet speak when their voices alone were not enough, protesting and marching for their fundamental right to vote in the face of heckling, jail, and abuse.  Their efforts led to enormous progress    millions upon millions of women have since used the power of the ballot to help shape our country.

Today, our Nation's daughters reap the benefits of these courageous pioneers while paving the way for generations of women to come.  But work still remains.  My Administration is committed to advancing equality for all of our people.  This year, the Council of Women and Girls released "Women in America:  Indicators of Social and Economic Well-Being," the most comprehensive report in 50 years on the status of women in our country, shedding light on issues women face in employment, crime, health, and family life.  We are working to ensure that women-owned businesses can compete in the marketplace, that women are not discriminated against in healthcare, and that we redouble our efforts to bring an end to sexual assault on college campuses.

On the 91st anniversary of this landmark in civil rights, we continue to uphold the foundational American principles that we are all equal, and that each of us deserves a chance to pursue our dreams.  We honor the heroes who have given of themselves to advance the causes of justice, opportunity, and prosperity.  As we celebrate the legacy of those who made enormous strides in the last century and before, we renew our commitment to hold true to the dreams for which they fought, and we look forward to a bright future for our Nation's daughters.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim August 26, 2011, as Women's Equality Day.  I call upon the people of the United States to celebrate the achievements of women and recommit ourselves to the goal of gender equality in this country.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty fifth day of August, in the year of our Lord two thousand eleven, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-sixth.

BARACK OBAMA