The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
May 15, 2014

Statement by NSC Spokesperson Caitlin Hayden on the Sentencing of Meriam Yahya Ibrahim Ishag in Sudan

Today in Sudan, Meriam Yahya Ibrahim Ishag was sentenced to be flogged for adultery and to be hanged to death for apostasy because she married a Christian man.  We strongly condemn this sentence and urge the Government of Sudan to meet its obligations under international human rights law.  We call on the Government of Sudan to respect Ms. Ishag’s right to freedom of religion, a universal human right enshrined in Sudan’s own 2005 Constitution as well as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. 

Since 1999, Sudan has been designated as a Country of Particular Concern for its ongoing, egregious, and systematic violations of religious freedom.  We continue to urge Sudan to fulfill its constitutional promise of religious freedom, and to respect the fundamental freedoms and universal human rights of all its people.

President Obama Speaks at 9/11 Museum Dedication

May 15, 2014 | 9:19 | Public Domain

President Obama delivers remarks at the dedication of the National September 11 Memorial & Museum at Ground Zero.

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Remarks by the President at 9/11 Museum Dedication

New York, New York

10:12 A.M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT:  Mayor Bloomberg, Governor Cuomo, honored guests, families of the fallen.

In those awful moments after the South Tower was hit, some of the injured huddled in the wreckage of the 78th floor.  The fires were spreading.  The air was filled with smoke.  It was dark, and they could barely see.  It seemed as if there was no way out.

And then there came a voice -- clear, calm, saying he had found the stairs.  A young man in his 20s, strong, emerged from the smoke, and over his nose and his mouth he wore a red handkerchief.

He called for fire extinguishers to fight back the flames.  He tended to the wounded.  He led those survivors down the stairs to safety, and carried a woman on his shoulders down 17 flights. Then he went back.  Back up all those flights.  Then back down again, bringing more wounded to safety.  Until that moment when the tower fell.

They didn’t know his name.  They didn’t know where he came from.  But they knew their lives had been saved by the man in the red bandana.             

Again, Mayor Bloomberg; distinguished guests; Mayor de Blasio; Governors Christie and Cuomo; to the families and survivors of that day; to all those who responded with such courage -- on behalf of Michelle and myself and the American people, it is an honor for us to join in your memories.  To remember and to reflect.  But above all, to reaffirm the true spirit of 9/11 -- love, compassion, sacrifice -- and to enshrine it forever in the heart of our nation.

Michelle and I just had the opportunity to join with others on a visit with some of the survivors and families -- men and women who inspire us all.  And we had a chance to visit some of the exhibits.  And I think all who come here will find it to be a profound and moving experience. 

I want to express our deep gratitude to everybody who was involved in this great undertaking -- for bringing us to this day, for giving us this sacred place of healing and of hope.

Here, at this memorial, this museum, we come together.  We stand in the footprints of two mighty towers, graced by the rush of eternal waters.  We look into the faces of nearly 3,000 innocent souls -- men and women and children of every race, every creed, and every corner of the world.  We can touch their names and hear their voices and glimpse the small items that speak to the beauty of their lives.  A wedding ring.  A dusty helmet.  A shining badge.       

Here we tell their story, so that generations yet unborn will never forget.  Of coworkers who led others to safety.  Passengers who stormed a cockpit.  Our men and women in uniform who rushed into an inferno.  Our first responders who charged up those stairs.  A generation of servicemembers -- our 9/11 Generation -- who have served with honor in more than a decade of war.  A nation that stands tall and united and unafraid -- because no act of terror can match the strength or the character of our country.  Like the great wall and bedrock that embrace us today, nothing can ever break us; nothing can change who we are as Americans.

On that September morning, Alison Crowther lost her son Welles.  Months later, she was reading the newspaper -- an article about those final minutes in the towers.  Survivors recounted how a young man wearing a red handkerchief had led them to safety.  And in that moment, Alison knew.  Ever since he was a boy, her son had always carried a red handkerchief.  Her son Welles was the man in the red bandana. 

Welles was just 24 years old, with a broad smile and a bright future.  He worked in the South Tower, on the 104th floor. He had a big laugh, a joy of life, and dreams of seeing the world.  He worked in finance, but he had also been a volunteer firefighter.  And after the planes hit, he put on that bandana and spent his final moments saving others.

Three years ago this month, after our SEALs made sure that justice was done, I came to Ground Zero.  And among the families here that day was Alison Crowther.  And she told me about Welles and his fearless spirit, and she showed me a handkerchief like the one he wore that morning. 

And today, as we saw on our tour, one of his red handkerchiefs is on display in this museum.  And from this day forward, all those who come here will have a chance to know the sacrifice of a young man who -- like so many -- gave his life so others might live.

Those we lost live on in us.  In the families who love them still.  In the friends who remember them always.  And in a nation that will honor them, now and forever. 

And today it is my honor to introduce two women forever bound by that day, united in their determination to keep alive the true spirit of 9/11 -- Welles Crowther’s mother Alison, and one of those he saved, Ling Young.  (Applause.)

END          
10:21 A.M. EDT

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The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
May 15, 2014

Presidential Proclamation -- 60th Anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education

60TH ANNIVERSARY OF BROWN V. BOARD OF EDUCATION

- - - - - - -

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

A PROCLAMATION

May 17, 1954, marked a turning point in America's journey toward a more perfect Union. On that day, the Supreme Court handed down a unanimous decision in Brown v. Board of Education, outlawing racial segregation in our Nation's schools. Brown overturned the doctrine of "separate but equal," which the Court had established in the 1896 case of Plessy v. Ferguson. For more than half a century, Plessy gave constitutional backing to discrimination, and civil rights organizations like the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People faced an uphill battle as they sought equality, opportunity, and justice under the law.

Brown v. Board of Education shifted the legal and moral compass of our Nation. It declared that education "must be made available to all on equal terms" and demanded that America's promise exclude no one. Yet the Supreme Court alone could not destroy segregation. Brown had unlocked the schoolhouse doors, but even years later, African-American children braved mobs as they walked to school, while U.S. Marshals kept the peace. From lunch counters and city streets to buses and ballot boxes, American citizens struggled to realize their basic rights. A decade after the Court's ruling, Brown's moral guidance was translated into the enforcement measures of the Civil Rights Act and the Voting Rights Act.

Thanks to the men and women who fought for equality in the courtroom, the legislature, and the hearts and minds of the American people, we have confined legalized segregation to the dustbin of history. Yet today, the hope and promise of Brown remains unfulfilled. In the years to come, we must continue striving toward equal opportunities for all our children, from access to advanced classes to participation in the same extracurricular activities. Because when children learn and play together, they grow, build, and thrive together.

On the 60th Anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education, let us heed the words of Justice Thurgood Marshall, who so ably argued the case against segregation, "None of us got where we are solely by pulling ourselves up by our bootstraps. We got here because somebody...bent down and helped us pick up our boots." Let us march together, meet our obligations to one another, and remember that progress has never come easily -- but even in the face of impossible odds, those who love their country can change it.

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 May 17, 2014, as the 60th Anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education. I call upon all Americans to observe this day with programs, ceremonies, and activities that celebrate this landmark decision and advance the causes of equality and opportunity for all.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this fifteenth day of May, in the year of our Lord two thousand fourteen, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-eighth.

BARACK OBAMA

President Obama Speaks at 9/11 Museum Dedication: "A Sacred Place of Healing and of Hope"

David Hudson
David Hudson
May 15, 2014
04:01 PM EDT
President Barack Obama delivers remarks during the National September 11 Memorial & Museum dedication ceremony in New York, N.Y., May 15, 2014.

President Barack Obama delivers remarks during the National September 11 Memorial & Museum dedication ceremony in New York, N.Y., May 15, 2014. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

This morning, the National September 11 Memorial & Museum at Ground Zero opened its doors to the families of those who lost their lives in the 2001 attacks, as well as the first responders and recovery workers that helped save the lives of others that day.

At today's dedication of the memorial, following remarks by former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, President Obama spoke about the importance of the memorial, explaining that its construction was a "great undertaking," and that the site is now a "sacred place of healing and of hope."

Here, at this memorial, this museum, we come together.  We stand in the footprints of two mighty towers, graced by the rush of eternal waters.  We look into the faces of nearly 3,000 innocent souls -- men and women and children of every race, every creed, and every corner of the world.  We can touch their names and hear their voices and glimpse the small items that speak to the beauty of their lives.  A wedding ring.  A dusty helmet.  A shining badge.

Here we tell their story, so that generations yet unborn will never forget.  Of coworkers who led others to safety.  Passengers who stormed a cockpit.  Our men and women in uniform who rushed into an inferno.  Our first responders who charged up those stairs.  A generation of servicemembers -- our 9/11 Generation -- who have served with honor in more than a decade of war.  A nation that stands tall and united and unafraid -- because no act of terror can match the strength or the character of our country.  Like the great wall and bedrock that embrace us today, nothing can ever break us; nothing can change who we are as Americans. 

Related Topics: Additional Issues, New York, New York

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
May 15, 2014

Statement by the Press Secretary on Net Neutrality

The President has made clear since he was a candidate that he strongly supports net neutrality and an open Internet.  As he has said, the Internet’s incredible equality – of data, content, and access to the consumer – is what has powered extraordinary economic growth and made it possible for once-tiny sites like eBay or Amazon to compete with brick and mortar behemoths.

The FCC is an independent agency, and we will carefully review their proposal. The FCC’s efforts were dealt a real challenge by the Court of Appeals in January, but Chairman Wheeler has said his goal is to preserve an open Internet, and we are pleased to see that he is keeping all options on the table. We will be watching closely as the process moves forward in hopes that the final rule stays true to the spirit of net neutrality.

The President is looking at every way to protect a free and open Internet, and will consider any option that might make sense.

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
May 15, 2014

Presidential Nominations Sent to the Senate

 

NOMINATIONS SENT TO THE SENATE:

Robert S. Adler, of the District of Columbia, to be a Commissioner of the Consumer Product Safety Commission for a term of seven years from October 27, 2014.  (Reappointment)

Victor M. Mendez, of Arizona, to be Deputy Secretary of Transportation, vice John D. Porcari, resigned.

Theodore G. Osius III, of Maryland, a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Minister-Counselor, to be Ambassador       Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.

Joan A. Polaschik, of Virginia, a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Counselor, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria.

Peter M. Rogoff, of Virginia, to be Under Secretary of Transportation for Policy, vice Polly Ellen Trottenberg, resigned.

The President and Vice President’s 2013 Financial Disclosure Forms

Jay Carney
May 15, 2014
03:00 PM EDT

Today, the President and Vice President released their 2013 financial disclosure reports.

The Ethics in Government Act of 1978 requires high-level federal officials to publicly disclose their personal financial interests. The public filing system serves to prevent financial conflicts of interest by providing for a systematic review of the finances of government officials. Those finances are set forth in annual disclosures which are reviewed and certified by ethics officials. Neither the President nor the Vice President have any conflicts of interest, and their reports have been reviewed and certified by the independent Office of Government Ethics. We are continuing this Administration's practice of posting these forms online here in the interests of transparency:

View the President's 2013 financial disclosure report (pdf)

View the Vice President's 2013 financial disclosure report (pdf)

White House staff are also completing their forms and we anticipate they will be available here next month, also in electronic form.

For more information:

Jay Carney is the White House Press Secretary.
Related Topics: Ethics

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
May 15, 2014

Gaggle en route Andrews Air Force Base from New York by Press Secretary Jay Carney

Aboard Air Force One
En Route Andrews Air Force Base

11:33 A.M. EDT

MR. CARNEY:  Good morning, ladies and gentlemen.  Thanks for joining us aboard Air Force One as we make our way from New York City to Washington, D.C. to Joint Base Andrews.  I don't have any announcements, so why don't we see if you have any questions.

Q    Jay, do you have further color on the President’s day today, anything he saw, any remarks he made that weren’t public, anything that we could flesh out --

MR. CARNEY:  The President and the First Lady spent some time touring the museum and it is, I think, for everyone and was for them a powerful reminder of the events of September 11, 2001 -- exceptionally well done in the presentation and in the focus on the human tragedy, the heroics of individuals, and the exceptionalism of each person who was lost.  There’s an exhibit that provides information about and photographs of every person who perished on that day and it's very powerful.  I know the President and First Lady felt that it was very powerful.

Q    Jay, separate from the Nabors’s review, the Republican Party is calling for an independent investigation into the VA issue.  Is the White House open to that?

MR. CARNEY:  Are you talking about the letter from the chairman?

Q    Yes.

MR. CARNEY:  I addressed this yesterday.  We're reviewing the letter, but I don't have any announcements beyond the one we made regarding Rob Nabors’s temporary assignment to assist Secretary Shinseki in the review that's being conducted of VHA procedures.  And so at this point, we're focused on making sure that procedures are in place that will ensure that our veterans are getting the health care that they deserve.

Q    This morning, Secretary Shinseki testified before Congress that he’s “mad as hell” about what happened.  Is the President also mad as hell?

MR. CARNEY:  He certainly is very concerned and angry about the allegations that we've seen regarding specifically the Phoenix office.  As Secretary Shinseki noted, and others have noted, we need to find out the truth -- that's why there are investigations and reviews underway.  But certainly, should it be the case that the allegations that have been made are true, that would be outrageous.

Q    -- that made the President decide that someone from the White House -- in this case, Rob Nabors -- needed to go and help? What was sort of the triggering for that decision?

MR. CARNEY:  Secretary Shinseki, in conversations with Chief of Staff Denis McDonough, requested -- or suggested that it would be helpful to have someone assist him in his efforts, and Chief of Staff McDonough agreed and the President agreed.  Rob Nabors, as you know, is one of the President’s most trusted advisors.  He’s held very senior, vital roles in the administration, in the White House -- deputy chief of staff, director of legislative affairs, deputy budget director.  And he also has held in the past, prior to the Obama administration, very senior positions on Capitol Hill.  He’s also the son of an Army veteran and brings that perspective to bear as he takes on this temporary task.

Q    What is the scope of this task?  Like how long will it last?  What are the parameters of it?

MR. CARNEY:  I don't have more detail on that.  It is temporary, but I don't have a timeline for you.  And I would refer you to the VA for procedures in terms of moving forward.

Q    What can you tell us about the latest on Boko Haram?  Is there any news on your front?

MR. CARNEY:  I don't have any specific news except to say that our team is in place assisting the Nigerian government as they take the lead in searching for the kidnapped girls.  As I noted yesterday, I believe it was, in addition to the personnel that we have provided from the State Department, the Department of Defense, the FBI and elsewhere, we have also provided assets, including manned and unmanned vehicles for surveillance flights  -- for reconnaissance flights to assist in the search -- by vehicles I mean aircraft, obviously.

Q    Jay, President Putin says that Russia will stop providing gas to Ukraine unless Ukraine pays in advance.  Does the U.S. view this as fresh evidence that Russia is trying to use energy as a weapon in the crisis with Ukraine?

MR. CARNEY:  I think the answer to that question is pretty self-evident.  We have, all along through this crisis, made clear our view that it is inappropriate to use energy as a weapon or a tool against another nation.  And that would certainly be the case in this circumstance. 

We note, as I have in the past, that there are consequences to any move that might disrupt the flow of energy supplies to and through Ukraine, but those consequences would also affect Russia fairly profoundly.

Q    Anything more the U.S. can do if Russia does cut off gas to help Ukraine through that?

MR. CARNEY:  Well, there’s a couple of “ifs” built into that question, so I’m not going to speculate.  But obviously we’re working very closely with the government of Ukraine in providing assistance and working with them on energy security matters, and we’re working closely with our range of European partners on this very subject.

Q    Jay, is there some reason the Vice President wasn’t included in today’s event?

MR. CARNEY:  You would have to -- not that I’m aware of.  You’d have to ask the Vice President’s office.  But I think it was -- the President was here, former President Clinton.  I’m not sure I understand the question. 

Q    How did the Clintons get involved -- included in the tour as opposed to other guests?

MR. CARNEY:  You would have to ask the folks at the museum. I’m not sure.  But obviously the President and First Lady were very happy to have -- to be joined by former President Clinton and former Secretary of State Clinton.

Q    They have any conversation beyond the tour?  Any meeting, sit-down or coffee beforehand, after?

MR. CARNEY:  No.  I mean, there was a lot of moving around and talking, and I don’t have a readout of everything that was said in those conversations, but there was no separate meeting.

Q    Jay, the three nominees for the Federal Reserve Board, Harry Reid is now starting to schedule votes on them.  Is the White House confident they’re going to get through?  Or have you heard anything of concern otherwise?

MR. CARNEY:  I don’t have any update on the status of the nomination process.  Obviously, the President is confident that he has put forward highly qualified nominees and believes that the Senate ought to fulfill its responsibility in this process and then confirm these highly qualified nominees. 

Q    Jay, the President mentioned the story of Welles Crowther this morning, the man with the red bandana.  Did he get a chance today to stop by the exhibit dedicated to his story?  He did?

MR. CARNEY:  Yes, he did.  On the tour that the President and the First Lady took, one of the exhibits contains one of his bandanas, one of his collection of red bandanas.  I think you saw the image of it, and that is from the museum exhibit.

Q    Jay, the President -- the Senate banking panel passed a bill today that would get rid of Fannie and Freddie and overhaul the mortgage system.  Does the President have a view about that legislation?

MR. CARNEY:  I’ll have to take the question.  I haven’t been updated on that legislative process.

Q    Is Vladimir Putin in Europe in the upcoming trip -- is Vladimir Putin is going to the D-Day ceremony?

MR. CARNEY:  My understanding is France has appropriately invited leaders from many countries, including Russia.  I have been asked whether there’s going to be a separate meeting between President Obama and President Putin, and I would not expect that. I would not anticipate that.  The purpose of the visit to Normandy is to commemorate a turning point in the war and heroism of all those who fought in those battles.

Q    The situation between China and Vietnam -- there’s now 21 dead.  What is the White House doing, if anything, to try to help defuse it?  Have there been contacts made or discussion at high levels of the administration with either China or Vietnam? 

MR. CARNEY:  I’d refer you to the State Department for diplomatic efforts that we have been engaged in and I’m sure continue to be engaged in.  Our approach has been to call on both sides of this dispute and obviously other disputes -- similar disputes in the South China Sea to work through the issues and the disputes peacefully and diplomatically, not to use intimidation, not to use -- certainly not to engage in any action that ratchets up tension.  But I don’t have a specific readout of the diplomatic engagement that the United States has undertaken.

Q    The President hasn’t made any calls on that issue?

MR. CARNEY:  I don’t have any calls to read out on that issue, no. 

END
11:44 A.M. EDT 

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
May 15, 2014

Letter to the Congress -- Continuation of the National Emergency with Respect to Burma

TEXT OF A LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT
THE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
AND THE PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE

May 15, 2014

Dear Mr. Speaker: (Mr. President:)

Section 202(d) of the National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 1622(d)) provides for the automatic termination of a national emergency unless, within 90 days prior to the anniversary date of its declaration, the President publishes in the Federal Register and transmits to the Congress a notice stating that the emergency is to continue in effect beyond the anniversary date. In accordance with this provision, I have sent to the Federal Register for publication the enclosed notice stating that the national emergency with respect to Burma that was declared on May 20, 1997, is to continue in effect beyond May 20, 2014.

The Government of Burma has made significant progress in a number of critical areas, including the release of over 1,100 political prisoners, progress towards a nationwide ceasefire, the legalization of unions, taking steps to improve the country's labor standards, and allowing greater freedom of association and expression. In addition, Burma signed an Additional Protocol to its Comprehensive Safeguards Agreement with the International Atomic Energy Agency, a significant step towards supporting the nonproliferation of nuclear weapons.

Despite great strides that Burma has made in its reform effort, the situation in the country continues to pose an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States. The political opening remains nascent, and concerns persist regarding ongoing conflict and human rights abuses in ethnic minority areas, particularly in Rakhine State, and the continued role of the military in the country's political and economic activities. Nonetheless, the United States is committed to supporting and strengthening Burma's reform efforts to ensure that the democratic transition is sustained and irreversible. For this reason, I have determined that it is necessary to continue the national emergency with respect to Burma.

Sincerely,

BARACK OBAMA

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
May 15, 2014

Notice -- Continuation of the National Emergency with Respect to Burma

NOTICE

- - - - - - -

CONTINUATION OF THE NATIONAL EMERGENCY WITH RESPECT TO BURMA

On May 20, 1997, the President issued Executive Order 13047, certifying to the Congress under section 570(b) of the Foreign Operations, Export Financing, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 1997 (Public Law 104-208), that the Government of Burma had committed large-scale repression of the democratic opposition in Burma after September 30, 1996, thereby invoking the prohibition on new investment in Burma by United States persons contained in that section. The President also declared a national emergency pursuant to the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, 50 U.S.C. 1701-1706, to deal with the unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States constituted by the actions and policies of the Government of Burma.

Because the actions and policies of the Government of Burma continue to pose an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States, the national emergency declared on May 20, 1997, and the measures adopted to deal with the emergency in Executive Orders 13047 of May 20, 1997; 13310 of July 28, 2003; 13448 of October 18, 2007; 13464 of April 30, 2008; 13619 of July 11, 2012; and 13651 of August 6, 2013, must continue in effect beyond May 20, 2014. Therefore, 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 with respect to Burma declared in Executive Order 13047. This notice shall be published in the Federal Register and transmitted to the Congress.

BARACK OBAMA

THE WHITE HOUSE,
May 15, 2014.