The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
February 04, 2013

Press Gaggle by Press Secretary Jay Carney, 2/4/2013

Aboard Air Force One
En Route Minneapolis, Minnesota

11:58 A.M. EST
 
MR. CARNEY:  I had something at the top here -- oh, I meant to bring back my scarf, Margaret.  It was not -- I'm a Redskins fan.  It was a scarf, actually, I got at the Vancouver Winter Olympics when I was traveling with the Vice President, a purchase of which I am fond.
 
Q    It was too red.
 
MR. CARNEY:  Yes, I wasn't really --  
 
Q    Was it 49er colors?
 
MR. CARNEY:  No, I was -- I like both teams, but I'm a Redskins fan.  My son is sort of also a Redskins fan and kind of decided to go wholeheartedly in support of the Ravens.  So I was happy for Baltimore.  Great town.  And San Francisco has won a lot of Super Bowls.
 
Q    Did the President -- did you talk about it with the President today?

MR. CARNEY:  What's that?
 
Q    The outcome?  Did you talk about it with the President?
 
MR. CARNEY:  He said -- actually, I'm echoing what he said  -- he said, very happy for Baltimore.  It was a very close, good game.  It didn’t look like it was going to be that close.  Lots of novel aspects to it, including the 109 return -- 108-yard kickoff return and the power outage.  But he said he enjoyed it, said it was a good game. 
 
Q    What did he think of the power outage?  Did he comment on it?
 
MR. CARNEY:  Based on the conversation I had with him, the initial response I think that we all had was I hope everyone is okay, it was not a security issue.  And then once that became clear, it was just impatience to get the game going again.
 
Before I take your questions, let me just remind you that today the Senate is expected to take up a bill to reauthorize and strengthen the Violence Against Women Act.  This bill was introduced by Senator Leahy and a bipartisan group of cosponsors.
 
If there is one issue Congress should be able to agree on it is protecting women from violence.  When three women a day are killed as a result of domestic violence, and one in five have been raped in their lifetimes, we should be long past debate on the need for the Violence Against Women Act.  We urge Congress to pass this critical bill without delay, and then to send it to the President's desk for his signature.
 
Now to your questions. 
 
Q    Jay, do you know when the President is going to send his budget, given that it looks like he's going to miss today's deadline?
 
MR. CARNEY:  I don’t have an update on the President's budget.  I mean, I saw a tweet from the Speaker's office.  The President has put forward consistently budgets that achieve what the American people overwhelmingly support, which is balanced deficit reduction, deficit reduction combined with investments in areas of our economy that would help the economy grow and create jobs.  What he hasn't done is submit a highly partisan budget that has no support among the American public.  That, unfortunately, is what House Republicans have consistently passed in the last couple of years. 
 
So hopefully we’ll be able to change that dynamic.  Republicans will agree with the President that we need to continue to reduce the deficit in a balanced way.  As you know, the President signed into law nearly $2.5 trillion in deficit reduction, combining spending cuts with revenues and the interest saved from that reduction.  And he's eager to do more.
 
Q    Does he want to submit the budget before or after the State of the Union?
 
MR. CARNEY:  I don’t have a date for you for when that will happen.
 
Q    Is there a reason why he can't make the deadline?
 
MR. CARNEY:  I don’t have anything more for you on it.  The President -- there’s a couple of things to be aware of here that might encourage you to focus on substance over deadlines and things like that. 
 
He has a proposal that the Speaker of the House -- a budget proposal that the Speaker of the House is welcome to take up today or tomorrow, as he might wish, which represents balanced deficit reduction; would achieve, combined with all the deficit reduction signed into law already, achieve the $4 trillion magical target that would put us on a fiscally sustainable path for the rest of the decade.  The President submitted, prior to that, a budget proposal that had within it both the principles of balance and very specific spending cuts and revenue increases that would achieve the balanced deficit reduction we need. 
 
So the President hopes that he will be able to work together with Congress to achieve what's necessary here, which is removing the cloud of crisis, as he said yesterday, from the process of dealing with our finances in Washington; making responsible decisions based on compromise, based on balance, reflecting the will of the American people and the approach they want Washington to take, and ensuring that Washington doesn't inflict wounds on the economy at a time when the economy is poised to grow and create jobs, as it is this year.
 
Q    Jay, on today's event -- not all Democrats are totally behind the President's initiatives.  Would he be willing to jettison aspects of his proposal, such as the assault weapons ban, to gain broader support?  As time passes support is likely to dissipate in any case.
 
MR. CARNEY:  I think you're getting ahead of a process that's still in its relatively early stages.  The President supports, as he long has, the reinstatement of the assault weapons ban.  He also strongly supports limits on capacity of ammunition clips, supports and strongly urges Congress to pass a universal background check system.  I think if you look at public opinion on that issue in particular -- and speaking of the Super Bowl, as we were earlier, there was an ad that related to this issue about past NRA support for universal background checks.  And this is something we ought to be able to get done.
 
The President has made clear that he recognizes these are hard.  All of these things are.  If they weren't hard, they would have been done in the past.  But we need to press forward.  And he supports all aspects of the proposals that he outlined a couple weeks ago. 
 
Q    Can you also address the reports of a separate Oval Office being constructed elsewhere on the White House property?  There was a discussion of an entire facility, the chance of moving there to do the President's work while there’s a renovation taking place.  Can you confirm that, talk at all about that?
 
MR. CARNEY:  Renovations and building on the White House grounds is something that's handled by the GSA and I would refer you to them.
 
Q    You know, they haven't actually answered any questions.  That’s why we have been asking you guys for a year. 
 
MR. CARNEY:  -- question about construction and renovation.
 
Q    Are there any security reasons why you couldn’t answer those questions?  Or is it just a matter of not --
 
MR. CARNEY:  I'm just not in a position to answer those questions.  I don't have any information to impart about it.  There's been an ongoing process that we've all seen of renovation and stuff on the grounds.  But I'm just -- I would refer you to GSA. 
 
Q    On that front, would you preemptively make a commitment to ongoing open access between the press and the press office regardless of the construction?

MR. CARNEY:  I think there’s no question that we will maintain that commitment.
 
Q    Yesterday, Robert Gibbs said that Chuck Hagel was unimpressive and appeared unprepared.  Does the White House agree with that assessment, or how would you react to it?  And also, has the President reached out to Hagel since the confirmation hearing to talk with him about how he performed?
 
Q    I think the broader point that Robert made -- and it was correct -- is that focusing on this hearing, which was dominated by a rehashing of a debate between Republicans about the Iraq war, misses the overall import of this, which is that Senator Hagel is an enormously qualified, decorated war veteran and two-term Republican senator who will be an excellent Secretary of Defense. 
 
And regardless of reviews of the hearing, both of how Senator Hagel did and how Republican critics comported themselves, the fact is since that hearing, the number of senators who have announced their firm support for Senator Hagel has increased.  And that includes a Republican just yesterday I believe who announced his support. 
 
So we remain confident that Senator Hagel will be confirmed, and confident that he will be an excellent Secretary of Defense.
 
Q    But reacting to the comment itself, what is the White House's reaction to those two specific comments that he was unimpressive and unready --
 
MR. CARNEY:  Again, I think you would have to look at everything that Robert said.  And he made clear that -- I think he pointed to an example of Tim Geithner in the early days of his administration, and, as you know, Tim just left with reviews of his performance that were pretty uniformly positive and deserved. And the issue here is how will an individual do the job, and there’s no question in the President’s mind that Senator Hagel will do the job well. 
 
And look, broadly speaking, the President feels, we feel Senator Hagel did fine and he answered the questions that were asked of him.  The fact of the matter is, as you saw if you watched the hearings, there were exponentially more questions about a war that is over and that the President ended than there were about a war that is ongoing and involves, still, 66,000 American men and women in uniform in Afghanistan.  And I think that reflects an interest in refighting old battles, relitigating debates that were had five years ago -- a debate that was actually the focus of the 2008 campaign and on which I think the American people were quite divisive -- decisive, rather, in their opinion.
 
Q    And has the President reached out to Hagel since it?  Have they spoken?
 
MR. CARNEY:  I don’t have any phone calls of the President to -- or conversations of the President to relay.  I know that members of the team are in regular conversation with Senator Hagel.
 
Q    Just to follow on something that Mark asked on the assault weapons ban -- I get that the President obviously supports reinstating the ban, and I get that he has acknowledged that it’s going to be difficult, but there is a certain point where you have to deal with reality.  And Senator Reid and several other Democrats -- including Senator Feinstein, who is pushing for an assault weapons ban -- have said this -- either they can't support this at this point, they're not making their public opinion known, or they acknowledge it's very unlikely that it's going to pass.  At what point do you make a decision to put Democrats out there and have to take up a tough vote, or look to do something else that maybe has a better chance of passing, like universal background checks?
 
MR. CARNEY:  I appreciate the question.  And, again, the President recognizes, and we all recognize, that all the components of this are difficult and face challenges, some perhaps even more than others.  But the President's support is firm and clear.  And we're certainly not going to preemptively alter the President's set of proposals before there is even -- there are even votes scheduled or this debate has been fully joined.
 
So I think it's just premature to start writing off the chances of any piece of this package.  The fact is there is -- for every piece of it, there is, at least by most public opinion polls, majority support.  And we need to have this conversation. The President made clear when he talked about this on several occasions that that conversation should be, and is taking place, not just in the usual corners of the country but all around the country.  And that’s very important, because this is a problem that affects the entire country in different ways and that the entire country needs to express itself on.
 
Q    Jay, have Reid and Obama talked about the prospects for Democratic votes on an assault weapons ban? 
 
MR. CARNEY:  Has who?
 
Q    Have Reid and Obama talked about the prospects for Democratic votes?
 
MR. CARNEY:  I don’t know the context of their conversations about this issue.
 
Q    Jay, to what extent is the President personally talking to any members of Congress about these gun proposals in the week since he announced them?  And secondly, on terms of the timetable, how quickly does he want them to act, and how -- does he feel like they're acting too slowly right now to get this legislation through, to start considering it?
 
MR. CARNEY:  Well, I think he made his presentation with the Vice President two weeks ago -- is that correct?  So I wouldn’t accuse anyone of moving too slowly at this point.  It was just two weeks ago. 
 
The fact of the matter is we have two Senators on board Air Force One today and the President will be speaking with them, and he has had conversations with lawmakers and other stakeholders in this discussion, and will continue to have those conversations.
 
Q    Who’s aboard Air Force One?
 
MR. CARNEY:  Senators Franken and Klobuchar.
 
Q    Is anyone else aboard Air Force One who would also be worth noting besides the people we saw board the plane?
 
MR. CARNEY:  I'll take a scan of the aircraft and let you know. 
 
Q    Any advocates -- any gun-rights advocates -- anything like that?  Or vice versa?
 
MR. CARNEY:  Again, I don’t -- I saw the two Senators on my way back here.  I'll check and see if there’s anybody else.
 
Q    Are they supporting the full legislative package?
 
MR. CARNEY:  I certainly won't speak for them.
 
Q    Can you preview what the President is doing tomorrow on immigration, the representatives who will be at the White House tomorrow?
 
MR. CARNEY:  I can speak to that.  
 
Q    What the agenda is --
 
MR. CARNEY:  Sure.  I mean, well, just to give you a broader overview that I think demonstrates -- or answers the question that some of you have had about our capacity to keep pressing on both the immigration issue and the gun violence issue, as well as the issue of economy and jobs and deficit reduction, and I can tell you that with regards to immigration reform, the President and his team will continue to highlight the importance of comprehensive immigration reform this week, meeting with key stakeholders, CEOs and law enforcement officials to discuss the benefits from an economic and a security perspective while also underscoring the historic progress that has been made when it comes to securing our nation's borders. 
 
Secretary Napolitano will also travel to inspect border security operations and meet with law enforcement officials in California and Texas.
 
On Tuesday, the President will hold meetings at the White House with labor leaders and progressive leaders as well as, separately, a number of CEOs from across industries to discuss his commitment to getting a bipartisan bill passed in 2013 and how immigration reform fits within his broader agenda for economic growth and competiveness. 
 
And just to provide a little more detail, on Monday and Tuesday, Homeland Security Secretary Napolitano will travel to San Diego and El Paso to tour border security operations on the Southwest border, meet with state and local stakeholders and discuss the department's ongoing efforts to secure the border while facilitating lawful travel and trade.  This trip follows many similar trips the Secretary has made, as you know, including a recent trip to Arizona in December.
 
On Wednesday, following her trip, Secretary Napolitano, Assistant Attorney General Tony West and Director of Domestic Policy Council Cecilia Muñoz will meet with law enforcement officials from across the country to discuss the President's common-sense immigration reform proposal, and to underscore the unprecedented financial and human investment this administration has made in securing our borders and making borders communities safer.
 
So immigration reform will obviously be at the top of the agenda in his meeting with both progressive and labor leaders and CEOs tomorrow.
 
Q    Can you say which CEOs are going to be --
 
MR. CARNEY:  Sorry, I don’t have a manifest.
 
Q    On foreign policy, the Vice President obviously had a series of meetings in Munich over the weekend and I just wanted to follow up on those.  Does the President feel that the Vice President’s overture toward Iran and the response from Iran through the foreign minister have moved the ball at all, and why?
 
MR. CARNEY:  I think I’d say a couple of things, which is that, as you know, the P5-plus-1 has proposed concrete dates and a venue ever since early December.  After these initial proposals were not agreed to by Iran, the P5-plus-1's latest proposal is the week of February 25 in Kazakhstan.  It is certainly good to hear that Foreign Minister Salehi finally confirmed this date and location.  We hope the negotiating team from Iran will also confirm their participation.
 
It is time for Iran to come back to the negotiating table as soon as possible so that we can start dealing with substance again, and make concrete progress regarding the international community’s concerns and the nature of the Iranian nuclear program.
 
Q    On Syria, as well -- does the President have any concerns about the opposition leader's outreach that seems to go against what the U.S. is looking for?  And has the President himself had any communication with the Syrian opposition leader? Or just Vice President Biden -- is Vice President Biden the highest official to have that conversation at this point?
 
MR. CARNEY:  I’ll have to check on the second question.  Certainly, Vice President Biden, as you know; Secretary Clinton and others.  But I would take issue with the first.  During the meeting in Munich, the Vice President commended Syrian Opposition Coalition President al-Khatib recent statements expressing openness under certain circumstances to the possibility of negotiations to bring the Syrian people the leadership they deserve.
 
Now, the U.S. position is clear.  It is also the position of the Syrian people.  We support a political resolution to the crisis in Syria.  And as the Syrian people have made clear, Bashar al-Assad has lost all legitimacy to enable a political solution and a democratic transition that meets the aspiration of the Syrian people. 
 
So we will support the Syrian people as they determine which other members of the regime they can work with to facilitate a political transition that leads to a democratic, inclusive and unified Syria, that will protect the rule of law for all citizens and will hold those who have committed atrocities against the Syrian people to account. 
 
The broader point here is support the need for and the efforts towards a political solution.  We have been clear, I think the opposition has been clear, and the Syrian people have been clear that that transition cannot include Assad because he has rendered himself wholly illegitimate in the eyes of the people.
 
Q    The opposition has already put some preconditions on the table that seem to -- that Assad's regime has said they don’t want to deal with.  So how realistic at this point do you think those talks are coming to fruition?
 
MR. CARNEY:  Well, again, the point here isn't about Assad’s participation in Syria’s future because there cannot be such participation.  I think the idea that the Assad regime is united and cohesive is belied by what we've seen over weeks and months in terms of defections and other problems that they’ve had as the opposition has gained momentum and won territory in its efforts. 
 
So the fact is there has to be a political solution that cannot include, ultimately, Assad.  And we support the Syrian people's efforts as they determine which members of the regime they can work with to facilitate that transition to a more democratic future for the country.
 
Q    Jay, there’s a report this morning in The New York Times about cyber security and a legal review of the administration that showed broad powers for the President to have a preemptive strike, and I’m wondering if you have any comments on that.
 
MR. CARNEY:  Well, I’m certainly not in a position to discuss details of classified discussions or documents.  As you know, from early in the administration the President has worked to advance U.S. capabilities to defend against cyber threats, which, in May 2009, he described as, “one of the most serious economic and national security challenges we face as a nation.” 
 
Since then, the President has established principles and process for governing cyber operations by the U.S. government in a manner consistent with the U.S. Constitution as well as other applicable laws and policies of the United States and international law.  And that policy employs a whole-of-government approach to cyber activities.  But I certainly -- I can't comment on specifics about classified --
 
Q    Broadly speaking, does the President of the United States have the power to strike preemptively if the U.S. finds evidence of plans for a major cyber attack?
 
MR. CARNEY:  I would have to take that question because I’m not in a position to answer.
 
Q    Thanks, Jay.
 
MR. CARNEY:  That’s it? 
 
Q    Actually I have one more -- on skeet shooting.  Why did the White House --
 
MR. CARNEY:  I was wondering.  (Laughter.)
 
Q    Why did the White House decide to release the skeet shooting photo two days before this trip, particularly when the press corps had requested any photos of skeet shooting days earlier?  And will you now release a list of friends or family or guests with whom the President has skeet shot, since you do that with golf partners?  Thank you. 
 
MR. CARNEY:  Let me say this.  I thought the question was going to be, why did we wait five days.  The fact is the President was asked a question -- did not volunteer, but was asked a question -- about whether or not he had ever shot a weapon.  He answered with the truth, which is that he has enjoyed shooting competitively with friends at Camp David on multiple occasions.  I think it's fair to say that we believed that would have been answer enough. 
 
And when I said from the podium that as a rule we don’t treat his private time at Camp David with friends and family as matters for public consumption, that's the truth, as you know.  But there were persistent questions about this, so we decided to release a photo of the President shooting at Camp David.  The timing of that I think is explained by what I just said.
 
Q    Does he shoot skeet or trap when he shoots?
 
MR. CARNEY:  I'm not an expert, and I don't think he would claim to be either.  What I can tell you is that he has enjoyed competing with friends up there at Camp David.  As you probably know, the President likes competition of all kinds.
 
Q    Is he good?
 
MR. CARNEY:  I think he has gotten better.  But here's the thing to understand -- the President has made clear he grew up in Hawaii; he spent time in his life in California and Chicago and Cambridge.  I mean, this is not -- he never pretended to, or suggested that he had grown up as a hunter, or engaging in sports activities with weapons.  He simply said that he had -- and this is the truth -- that he had enjoyed shooting at Camp David.  That's a fact.
 
Q    Has he ever shot a weapon before being President?
 
MR. CARNEY:  I'm not sure of the answer to that question.  I know that he has shot weapons not just at Camp David. 
 
Q    Does he personally own any firearms?
 
MR. CARNEY:  Not that I'm aware of, no.
 
Q    What does that mean?  You know he has shot weapons elsewhere?
 
MR. CARNEY:  I'm just saying this is not -- I don't know in terms of the timing, but I know that he has not --
 
Q    He has -- so skeet shooting at Camp David is not his only experience?
 
MR. CARNEY:  It's not the only time he has shot a weapon.
 
Q    So when were the other times?
 
MR. CARNEY:  I don't have any details on that for you.
 
Q    Could you find out?
 
MR. CARNEY:  Again, the issue here is whether or not the President, in fact, as should have been apparent when he said it, had gone shooting at Camp David.  So we released the photo to demonstrate that.  But I don't have an accounting of all the times that he has shot a weapon for you.
 
Q    Do you know whether he has fired a handgun at a shooting range or something like that, for sport?
 
MR. CARNEY:  I don't have any more for you it, guys.
 
Q    Thank you.
 
END
12:25 P.M. EST

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
February 04, 2013

Message -- National Emergency with respect to Côte d’Ivoire

TO THE CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES:

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 declared in Executive Order 13396 of February 7, 2006, with respect to the situation in or in relation to Côte d'Ivoire is to continue in effect beyond February 7, 2013.

The situation in or in relation to Côte d'Ivoire, which has been addressed by the United Nations Security Council in Resolution 1572 of November 15, 2004, and subsequent resolutions, has resulted in the massacre of large numbers of civilians, widespread human rights abuses, significant political violence and unrest, and fatal attacks against international peacekeeping forces. Since the inauguration of President Alassane Ouattara in May 2011, the Government of Côte d'Ivoire has made progress in advancing democratic freedoms and economic development. While the Government of Côte d'Ivoire and its people continue to make progress towards peace and prosperity, the situation in or in relation to Côte d'Ivoire continues to pose an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States. For these reasons, I have determined that it is necessary to continue the national emergency and related measures blocking the property of certain persons contributing to the conflict in Côte d'Ivoire.

BARACK OBAMA

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
February 04, 2013

Remarks by the President on Preventing Gun Violence in Minneapolis, MN

Special Operations Center
Minneapolis Police Department
Minneapolis, Minnesota

1:46 P.M. CST

THE PRESIDENT:  Hello, everybody.  Please have a seat.  Have a seat. 

Well, it is good to be back in Minnesota.  (Applause.)  It is good to be back.  Although I was commenting that they don't really have winter in Washington, D.C.  (Laughter.)  So I’ve gotten soft over these last four years.  When I was in Chicago, this was nothing.  Now it’s something.  (Laughter.)  But I’m grateful for all of you being here today.  I want to thank Chief Harteau and the entire Minneapolis Police Department for having me here today. 

There are a number of other people that I just want to acknowledge here.  First of all, a wonderful man and one of America’s greatest public servants is here -- Walter Mondale, former Vice President.  (Applause.)  Your outstanding Governor, Mark Dayton, is here.  (Applause.)  Two great Mayors -- Mayor R.T. Rybak of Minneapolis, and Mayor Chris Coleman of St. Paul.  (Applause.)  And your outstanding congressional delegation -- Senator Amy Klobuchar -- (applause) -- Senator Al Franken --  (applause) -- Representative Keith Ellison -- (applause) -- and Representative Betty McCullough.  (Applause.) 

And I should acknowledge my outstanding Attorney General -- what’s your name again?  (Laughter.)  He does a great job every single day, and I could not be prouder of Eric Holder for his leadership on this issue in particular.  (Applause.)

Now, I just had a chance to sit down with some local police officers but also community leaders, as well as folks who themselves had been victims or whose families had been victims of gun violence, to hear their ideas about how we can protect our kids and address the broader epidemic of gun violence in this country.  Because if we’re serious about preventing the kinds of tragedies that happened in Newtown, or the tragedies that happen every day in places like Chicago or Philadelphia or Minneapolis, then law enforcement and other community leaders must have a seat at the table. 

All the folks standing here behind me today, they’re the ones on the front line of this fight.  They see the awful consequences -- the lives lost, the families shattered.  They know what works, they know what doesn’t work, and they know how to get things done without regard for politics.

So we've had a very productive discussion.  And one of the things that struck me was that even though those who were sitting around that table represented very different communities, from big cities to small towns, they all believe it’s time to take some basic, common-sense steps to reduce gun violence.  We may not be able to prevent every massacre or random shooting.  No law or set of laws can keep our children completely safe.  But if there’s even one thing we can do, if there's just one life we can save, we've got an obligation to try.

That’s been the philosophy here in Minneapolis.  A few years back, you suffered a spike in violent crime involving young people.  So this city came together.  You launched a series of youth initiatives that have reduced the number of young people injured by guns by 40 percent -- 40 percent.  So when it comes to protecting our children from gun violence, you’ve shown that progress is possible.  We've still got to deal with the 60 percent that remains, but that 40 percent means lives saved -- parents whose hearts aren't broken, communities that aren't terrorized and afraid.  

We don’t have to agree on everything to agree it’s time to do something.  (Applause.)  That's my main message here today.

And each of us has a role to play.  A few weeks ago, I took action on my own to strengthen background checks, to help schools get more resource officers if they want them, and to direct the Centers for Disease Control to study the causes of violence.  Because for a long time, even looking at the evidence was considered somehow tough politics.  And so Congress had taken the approach that, we don't want to know.  Well, that's never the answer to a problem -- is not wanting to know what is going on. 

So we've been able to take some steps through administrative action.  But while these steps are important, real and lasting change also requires Congress to do its part and to do it soon, not to wait.  The good news is that we’re starting to see a consensus emerge about the action Congress needs to take. 

The vast majority of Americans -- including a majority of gun owners -- support requiring criminal background checks for anyone trying to buy a gun.  (Applause.)  So right now, Democrats and Republicans in the Senate are working on a bill that would ban anyone from selling a gun to somebody legally prohibited from owning one.  That’s common sense.  There’s no reason we can’t get that done.  That is not a liberal idea or a conservative idea; it's not a Democratic or Republican idea -- that is a smart idea. We want to keep those guns out of hands of folks who shouldn’t have them.

Senators from both parties have also come together and proposed a bill that would crack down on people who buy guns only to turn them around and sell them to criminals.  It’s a bill that would keep more guns off the street and out of the hands of people with the intent of doing harm.  (Applause.) 

And, by the way, in addition to reducing violence on the streets, it would also make life a lot easier and a lot safer for the people standing behind me here today.  (Applause.) 

We shouldn’t stop there.  We should restore the ban on military-style assault weapons and a 10-round limit for magazines.  (Applause.)  And that deserves a vote in Congress -- because weapons of war have no place on our streets, or in our schools, or threatening our law enforcement officers.  Our law enforcement officers should never be out-gunned on the streets.  (Applause.) 

But we also know that if we're going to solve the problem of gun violence, then we've got to look at root causes as well.  That means we should make it easier for young people to get access to mental health treatment.  (Applause.)  We should help communities like this one keep more cops on the beat.  (Applause.)  And since Congress hasn't confirmed a director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms in six years, they should confirm your U.S. Attorney from Minnesota, Todd Jones, who is here today and who I've nominated for this post.  (Applause.)

These are common-sense measures supported by Democrats, Republicans and independents, and many of them are responsible gun owners.  And we’re seeing members of Congress from both parties put aside their differences and work together to make many of them a reality. 

But if there’s one thing that I’ve learned over the last four years, it’s that you can’t count on anything in Washington until it’s done.  And nothing is done yet.  There’s been a lot of talk, a lot of conversation, a lot of publicity, but we haven't actually taken concrete steps yet. 

Last week, the Senate held its first hearing since Newtown on the need to address gun violence and the best way to move forward, and the first people to offer testimony were Gabby Giffords and her husband, Mark Kelly.  They talked about how a complex problem like this has no single solution, but if we still had a 10-round limit on magazines, for example, the gunman who shot Gabby may never have been able to inflict 33 gunshot wounds in 15 seconds.  Fifteen seconds, 33 rounds fired.  Some of the six people who lost their lives that day in Tucson might still be with us. 

Now, changing the status quo is never easy.  This will be no exception.  The only way we can reduce gun violence in this country is if the American people decide it’s important.  If you decide it’s important.  If parents and teachers, police officers and pastors, hunters and sportsmen, Americans of every background stand up and say this time it’s got to be different -- we’ve suffered too much pain to stand by and do nothing. 

And by the way, it’s really important for us to engage with folks who don’t agree with us on everything, because we hope that we can find some areas where we do agree.  And we have to recognize that there are going to be regional differences and geographic differences.  The experience that people have of guns in an urban neighborhood may not be the same as in a rural community. 

But we know, for example, from polling that universal background checks are universally supported just about, by gun owners.  The majority of gun owners, overwhelming majority of gun owners think that’s a good idea.  So if we’ve got lobbyists in Washington claiming to speak for gun owners saying something different, we need to go to the source and reach out to people directly.  We can’t allow those filters to get in the way of common sense. 

That’s why I need everybody who’s listening to keep the pressure on your member of Congress to do the right thing.  Ask them if they support common-sense reforms like requiring universal background checks, or restoring the ban on military-style assault weapons and high-capacity magazines.  Tell them there’s no legislation to eliminate all guns; there’s no legislation being proposed to subvert the Second Amendment.  Tell them specifically what we’re talking about -- things that the majority of Americans, when they’re asked, support. 

And tell them now is the time for action.  That we’re not going to wait until the next Newtown or the next Aurora.  We’re not going to wait until after we lose more innocent Americans on street corners all across the country.  We’re not going to wait until somebody else’s father or son are murdered.
 
Some of the officers here today know what it’s like to look into the eyes of a parent or a grandparent, a brother or a sister who has just lost a loved one to an act of violence; to see the pain and the heartbreak from wondering why this precious life, this piece of your heart was in the wrong place at the wrong time.  It changes you.  You’re not the same afterwards. 

And obviously whatever that experience is like is nothing compared to the experience that those families are actually going through.  And it makes you realize that if there’s even one thing we can do to keep our children and our community safe, if there’s just one step we can take to prevent more families from feeling what they feel after they’ve lost a loved one, we’ve got an obligation to take that step.  We’ve got an obligation to give our police officers and our communities the tools they need to make some of the same progress that’s been made here in Minneapolis. 

There won’t be perfect solutions.  We’re not going to save every life.  But we can make a difference.  And that’s our responsibility as Americans.  And that’s what I’ll do every single day as long I’ve got the honor of serving as your President.   

So thank you.  God bless you.  God bless these United States of America.  (Applause.)  Thank you.  (Applause.)

END 
2:02 P.M. CST

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
February 04, 2013

Remarks to the Press by the Vice President and French President Hollande

Presidential Palace
Paris, France

3:00 P.M. (Local)

PRESIDENT HOLLANDE:  (In progress as translated) -- this President here. 

France will continue its mission allowing Mali to regain its territorial integrity, and then leave the African troops to deal with it.  And tomorrow, it will be an operation for -- a peacekeeping operation.

We also talked about Syria.  I noted that we shared the same views.  We are noting that the situation is worsening day after day with a number of civilian casualties.  And what should be the settlement of that crisis is in a deadlock.  We consider that Bashar al-Assad should go, and we are doing our utmost for a transition conditional solution to be found.  So this is the reason why we have been supporting the Syrian National Coalition, like the United States. 

We also talked about Iran.  And here again, we regret to note that, notwithstanding all of the efforts, Iran is still rejecting transparency and compliance with its international obligations.  There is yet another appointment that’s been taken very soon for negotiations to resume.  So until the end, we will exert pressure for the negotiations to succeed. 

We also share the same willingness to revive the peace process in the Middle East.  Now that the elections in Israel are behind us, the Palestinian authorities are willing to commit themselves, we shall make sure that both the United States and Europe can support the revival of negotiations that can lead to a two-state solution. 

Then we also discussed the economy.  Both the American administration and the French presidency have the same approach.  We want our public accounts to be improved, rebalanced.  We all inherited debts from the previous majorities.  But beyond sorting out the debt and reducing the deficit, we both want to support growth.  And I do not forget that the first international meeting I attended was the G8, and on that occasion, Barack Obama was hosting the foreign leaders, and he kept telling us that growth should be at the heart of our decisions.  Fiscal seriousness and growth are not incompatible, and both the United States and France can prove it.

The last topic we discussed at a great length is climate.  The duty that we have to bring to the next generations a planet that shall not be facing major disasters.  So we have to make sure that in the context of the climate conference, we have to reach some tangible results. 

This is what I can say about our meeting today.  The French Minister for Foreign Affairs will soon be traveling to the U.S. in order to meet his counterpart, Mr. John Kerry.  And there will be elsewhere -- many exchanges between myself and President Obama to discuss the many topics I just mentioned.

But the visit today of Mr. Joe Biden, Vice President of the United States, yet again an opportunity for us to say how strong the friendship between our two countries is.

VICE PRESIDENT BIDEN:  Mr. President, it is always a great pleasure -- and I mean that literally, a pleasure -- to visit France.  And it was particularly nice to get a chance to have such a leisurely but informative lunch with you.  Your hospitality is unmatched in the world, and I want to thank you for that.

And without saying -- it went without saying today that our agenda, our mutual agenda is global.  It is not confined to any single issue or any single part of the world.  It spans the globe.

And as the President indicated, we discussed an array of issues starting and including Mali and North Africa more broadly.  And let me say again on behalf of the President, the people of the United States, we applaud your decisiveness and I might add the incredible competence and capability of your French military forces.

I often tell the story -- I’ve been in and out of Afghanistan and Iraq an awful lot, several dozen times; and I remember the first time I was in a forward operating base up in the hills above the Kunar Valley, the mountains.  And I asked early on in the campaign, before I was Vice President -- I asked my -- the six Americans who I was standing with who they enjoyed standing most together with.  And one young man said, “the Tricolors, the French.”  And “they know how to shoot straight” was his expression.  You have a brave and competent -- and I say to the Minister of Defense -- competent military.  And your decisive action is not only in the interest of France, but quite frankly the United States and everyone.

The President shared his insights of his recent trip to Bamako and to Timbuktu, and we agreed on the need to as quickly as reasonably possible establish -- the establishment of an African-led international mission to Mali, and to as quickly as is prudent transition that mission to the United Nations.

We also support the political process that France is leading to restore a democratic government in Mali.  The President indicated as well that we discussed the importance of working with our regional partners to counter terrorism across North Africa and beyond.  We spent no little time discussing how terrorist organizations metastasized and why additional strategies will be necessary going into the future to deal with this new threat.

I emphasized the importance of working with the new government of Libya and building an -- effective security institutions, as well as I commended France once again on its leading role.

On Syria, as the President mentioned, we discussed what more can be done to address the situation and also briefly discussed the humanitarian crisis affecting Syria and its neighbors.  We both fully support the Syrian opposition coalition, the legitimate representative of the Syrian people.  And I recounted my meetings on Saturday in Germany with President al-Khatib, as well as a long meeting I had with the U.N.-Arab League Joint Special Representative Mr. Brahimi.  And I filled the President in on the detail of those discussions.

Our conversation also ventured into Afghanistan where we have stood together in a stalwart way.  We reviewed our strategic vision, how to secure and stabilize Afghanistan. 

President Hollande and I also reminded one another of the firm commitments of all NATO leaders in Chicago to both sustain NATO’s mission in Afghan post-2014 and to remain in incredibly close contact as to how to proceed.

And finally, we did discuss -- we also discussed Iran.  I complimented the President and his predecessor on the strong stand that France has taken to make it clear to Iran that we mean business.  These are the most consequential sanctions in no small part because of France’s leadership that have been imposed in the, oh, 40 years that I’ve been involved in international affairs.  And they are -- and this next phase which kicks in now, this month is -- must be followed through.

We are prepared, the President asked me about the statement made in Munich, and I just pointed out, I reiterated what has been our position:  When and if the Supreme Leader and the Iranians are prepared to discuss the essence of what is at the core of this -- of these embargos, we’re prepared to discuss.  We never -- and we’re prepared to meet with them individually after consultation with our partners the P5-plus-1, or as we say in Europe, the E3-plus-3.  And we did discuss that.  But we also share the view that there has been no real evidence of any movement thus far by the Iranians.

But as I said, we discussed economic issues as well, and I think the President summed it up very clearly.  The President -- President Obama believes there is nothing inconsistent with dealing with putting our long-term debt in perspective and bringing it under control and generating economic growth.  They should not be inconsistent.  We know they’re not inconsistent objectives.  And we're hopeful that Europe and the entire EU will be more inclined to share your view, Mr. President. 

And we also pointed out that too many families -- too many families in France, the United States, Europe as a whole, are still suffering from underemployment as well as unemployment.  And again, we must speak to that.

I was impressed in the discussion we had relative to climate change -- and I mean this sincerely, Mr. President -- I could have been sitting in a private meeting with President Obama.  He would have not said it in French, he’d say it in English, but you said the same thing.  The President pointed out that there is an obligation here that extends way beyond these administrations.  There is a need -- there is a need to set out a vision for the young people in both our countries that we understand -- we understand.  It’s a rallying cry that can be a call for a united effort and support in both our countries to deal with global warming.

The President is committed to do that.  And as I pointed out to the Foreign Minister, he is going to have an interlocutor in John Kerry.  There is no one in my country who has been, over the period of time he’s been in the Senate, more concerned with or knowledgeable about the issues relating to global warming.  And so the President is -- President Obama is committed as well.

With regard to the -- back to the economy for just a moment.  As I said in Europe -- I mean, excuse me, in Munich, Europe is our largest economic partner.  Over $600 billion in annual trade and $5 trillion -- $5 trillion in overall commercial relationships, creating literally millions of jobs on both sides of the Atlantic.  So the United States has a profound interest -- a profound interest in Europe’s success, in Europe securing the foundations of its monetary union.  It’s overwhelmingly in our naked self-interest.

As you can see, we had a very full discussion of a number of issues.  And I fear that both of our delegations were probably thankful that the dessert had come, because I'm afraid we could have gone on much longer.  But I found it extremely helpful. 

And, again, let me conclude, Mr. President, by saying on behalf of President Obama how much he looks forward -- how much he looks forward to working with you and France, because there’s not a single issue that affects us on the international -- in the international arena that does not -- where our interests do not intersect.  And we look forward to a very, very close relationship between our administrations.

And, again, thank you for the hospitality.  I appreciate it very, very much.  Thank you.

END
3:12 P.M. (Local)

Keeping Up the Demand for Action on Gun Violence

Maureen Tracey-Mooney
Maureen Tracey-Mooney
February 04, 2013
11:00 AM EDT

It’s been two weeks since President Obama released his plan for reducing gun violence. Since then, the President and the Vice President have continued their push for common-sense steps to protect our children and our communities by reducing gun violence. They’ve spoken with mayors, law enforcement officers, and ordinary Americans about the plan going forward. They’ve continued to meet with experts about effective steps that cities and states have taken. And they’ve kept in contact with members of Congress about how to move forward on common-sense legislation to prevent gun violence.

On January 17, the day after the President released his gun violence prevention plan, the Vice President spoke to the U.S. Conference of Mayors about the plan. Last week, the Conference officially endorsed the President and Vice President’s proposals.  

Vice President Biden Addresses Conference of Mayors

Vice President Joe Biden addresses the winter meeting of the U.S. Conference of Mayors, at the Capital Hilton, in Washington, DC, Jan. 17, 2013. (Official White House Photo by David Lienemann).

On January 24th, the Vice President participated in a “Fireside Hangout” hosted by Google, talking with Google+ users from across the country about the Administration’s plan to reduce gun violence. Catch up on that conversation now: 

On January 25th, the Vice President traveled to Richmond, Virginia to hold a roundtable discussion with experts who helped improve Virginia’s background check system after the Virginia Tech shooting. Along with Secretaries Napolitano and Sebelius, Senator Tim Kaine, and Congressman Bobby Scott, they talked about what still needs to be done to make sure that there is a criminal background check for every gun sale in America.

Related Topics: Violence Prevention, Minnesota, Virginia

Weekly Address: A Balanced Approach to Growing the Economy in 2013

Megan Slack
Megan Slack
February 02, 2013
05:45 AM EDT

In this week’s address, President Obama calls on Congress to work together on a balanced approach to reduce our deficit and promote economic growth and job creation. 

Transcript | Download mp4 | Download mp3

Related Topics: Economy

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
February 02, 2013

Weekly Address: A Balanced Approach to Growing the Economy in 2013

WASHINGTON, DC— In this week’s address, President Obama called on Congress to work together on a balanced approach to reduce our deficit and promote economic growth and job creation. Our businesses created 2.2 million jobs last year, and we just learned that our economy created more jobs over the last few months than economists originally thought.  Our economy is poised to expand in 2013 if Washington politics doesn’t get in the way, and the President called on Congress to work together to keep moving us forward.

The audio of the address and video of the address will be available online at www.whitehouse.gov at 6:00 a.m. ET, Saturday, February 2, 2013.

Remarks of President Barack Obama
Weekly Address
The White House
February 2, 2013

Hi, everybody. 

In the coming weeks, we face some important decisions about how to pay down our debt in a way that grows our economy and creates good jobs – decisions that will make a real difference in the strength and pace of our recovery. 

We began this year with economists and business leaders saying that we are poised to grow in 2013.  And there are real signs of progress:  Home prices are starting to climb again.  Car sales are at a five-year high.  Manufacturing is roaring back.  Our businesses created 2.2 million jobs last year.  And we just learned that our economy created more jobs over the last few months than economists originally thought. 

But this week, we also received the first estimate of America’s economic growth over the last few months.  And it reminded us that bad decisions in Washington can get in the way of our economic progress.   

We all agree that it’s critical to cut unnecessary spending.  But we can’t just cut our way to prosperity.  It hasn’t worked in the past, and it won’t work today.  It could slow down our recovery.  It could weaken our economy.  And it could cost us jobs – now, and in the future. 

What we need instead is a balanced approach; an approach that says let’s cut what we can’t afford but let’s make the investments we can’t afford to live without.  Investments in education and infrastructure, research and development – the things that will help America compete for the best jobs and new industries. 

Already, Republicans and Democrats have worked together to reduce our deficits by $2.5 trillion.  That’s a good start.  But to get the rest of the way, we need a balanced set of reforms. 

For example, we need to lower the cost of health care in programs like Medicare that are the biggest drivers of our deficit, without just passing the burden off to seniors.  And these reforms must go hand-in-hand with eliminating excess spending in our tax code, so that the wealthiest individuals and biggest corporations can’t take advantage of loopholes and deductions that aren’t available to most Americans. 

2013 can be a year of solid growth, more jobs, and higher wages.  But that will only happen if we put a stop to self-inflicted wounds in Washington.  Everyone in Washington needs to focus not on politics but on what’s right for the country; on what’s right for you and your families.  That’s how we’ll get our economy growing faster.  That’s how we’ll strengthen our middle class.  And that’s how we’ll build a country that rewards the effort and determination of every single American. 

Thanks.  And have a great weekend.

 

Weekly Address: A Balanced Approach to Growing the Economy in 2013

February 02, 2013 | 2:53 | Public Domain

In this week’s address, President Obama calls on Congress to work together on a balanced approach to reduce our deficit and promote economic growth and job creation.

Download mp4 (228MB) | mp3 (7MB)

Read the Transcript

Weekly Address: A Balanced Approach to Growing the Economy in 2013

WASHINGTON, DC— In this week’s address, President Obama called on Congress to work together on a balanced approach to reduce our deficit and promote economic growth and job creation. Our businesses created 2.2 million jobs last year, and we just learned that our economy created more jobs over the last few months than economists originally thought.  Our economy is poised to expand in 2013 if Washington politics doesn’t get in the way, and the President called on Congress to work together to keep moving us forward.

The audio of the address and video of the address will be available online at www.whitehouse.gov at 6:00 a.m. ET, Saturday, February 2, 2013.

Remarks of President Barack Obama
Weekly Address
The White House
February 2, 2013

Hi, everybody. 

In the coming weeks, we face some important decisions about how to pay down our debt in a way that grows our economy and creates good jobs – decisions that will make a real difference in the strength and pace of our recovery. 

We began this year with economists and business leaders saying that we are poised to grow in 2013.  And there are real signs of progress:  Home prices are starting to climb again.  Car sales are at a five-year high.  Manufacturing is roaring back.  Our businesses created 2.2 million jobs last year.  And we just learned that our economy created more jobs over the last few months than economists originally thought. 

But this week, we also received the first estimate of America’s economic growth over the last few months.  And it reminded us that bad decisions in Washington can get in the way of our economic progress.   

We all agree that it’s critical to cut unnecessary spending.  But we can’t just cut our way to prosperity.  It hasn’t worked in the past, and it won’t work today.  It could slow down our recovery.  It could weaken our economy.  And it could cost us jobs – now, and in the future. 

What we need instead is a balanced approach; an approach that says let’s cut what we can’t afford but let’s make the investments we can’t afford to live without.  Investments in education and infrastructure, research and development – the things that will help America compete for the best jobs and new industries. 

Already, Republicans and Democrats have worked together to reduce our deficits by $2.5 trillion.  That’s a good start.  But to get the rest of the way, we need a balanced set of reforms. 

For example, we need to lower the cost of health care in programs like Medicare that are the biggest drivers of our deficit, without just passing the burden off to seniors.  And these reforms must go hand-in-hand with eliminating excess spending in our tax code, so that the wealthiest individuals and biggest corporations can’t take advantage of loopholes and deductions that aren’t available to most Americans. 

2013 can be a year of solid growth, more jobs, and higher wages.  But that will only happen if we put a stop to self-inflicted wounds in Washington.  Everyone in Washington needs to focus not on politics but on what’s right for the country; on what’s right for you and your families.  That’s how we’ll get our economy growing faster.  That’s how we’ll strengthen our middle class.  And that’s how we’ll build a country that rewards the effort and determination of every single American. 

Thanks.  And have a great weekend.

 

Close Transcript

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
February 01, 2013

Statement by the President on United States Secret Service Director Mark Sullivan

I want to thank Mark Sullivan for nearly 30 years of service to our nation at the United States Secret Service, a tenure that saw the agency protect five first families including my own.  Mark started out in the Detroit Field Office before joining the Presidential Protective Division.  And since 2006, as Director, Mark has led the Agency with  incredible dedication and integrity.  The Secret Service is best known for protecting our nation’s leaders, but every day they also protect the American people.  From securing large events such as Presidential Inaugurations to safeguarding our financial system, the men and women of the agency perform their mission with professionalism and dedication.  That is a testament to Mark and his steadfast leadership, which will be missed.  Michelle and I wish him all the best.

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
February 01, 2013

President Obama Announces More Key Administration Posts

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, President Barack Obama announced his intent to nominate the following individual to a key Administration post:

• Janet L. LaBreck – Commissioner, Rehabilitation Services Administration, Department of Education

President Obama also announced his intent to appoint the following individuals to key Administration posts:

• Jonathan Safran Foer – Member, United States Holocaust Memorial Council
• Robert Listenbee, Jr. – Administrator, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, Department of Justice
• James Stock – Member, Council of Economic Advisors

President Obama said, “I am pleased to announce that these experienced and committed individuals have agreed to join this Administration, and I look forward to working with them in the months and years ahead.”

President Obama announced his intent to nominate the following individual to a key Administration post:

Janet L. LaBreck, Nominee for Commissioner, Rehabilitation Services Administration, Department of Education
Janet L. LaBreck is the Commissioner of the Massachusetts Commission for the Blind (MCB), a position she has held since 2007.  Ms. LaBreck joined the MCB in 1985 as Consumer Advocate.  She has served in a number of positions at the MCB since then, including Independent Living Coordinator, Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor, and Regional Director of Central Massachusetts.  Since 2005, she has worked as an Adjunct Professor at Assumption College, where she teaches courses in rehabilitation of the blind and case management in rehabilitation.  She was awarded an honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from the New England College of Optometry.  She received a B.A. from the University of Massachusetts and an M.Ed. from Springfield College.

President Obama announced his intent to appoint the following individuals to key Administration posts:

Jonathan Safran Foer, Appointee for Member, United States Holocaust Memorial Council
Jonathan Safran Foer is a professor in the Graduate Creative Writing Program at New York University.  He is also an author of numerous publications, including the New York Times bestsellers Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close and Everything is Illuminated, which received the National Jewish Book Award and the Guardian First Book Award.  He was a visiting professor at Yale University in 2008, and currently serves on the Board of Directors of Farm Forward.  In 2010, he was selected as one of The New Yorker’s “20 Under 40” writers to watch.  Mr. Foer received a B.A. from Princeton University.

Robert Listenbee, Jr., Appointee for Administrator, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, Department of Justice
Robert Listenbee,  Jr. is Chief of the Juvenile Unit of the Defender Association of Philadelphia, a position he has held since 1997.  He has also been a trial lawyer at the Defender Association of Philadelphia since 1986.  Previously, from 1991 to 1997, Mr. Listenbee was Assistant Chief of the Juvenile Unit.  He is a member of the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Committee of the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency, which advises the Governor of Pennsylvania on juvenile justice policy.  Mr. Listenbee serves on the policy committees of the National Legal Aid & Defender Association and the National Center for Juvenile Justice. He serves on the advisory board of the National Juvenile Defender Center and is a board member and former President of the Juvenile Defenders Association of Pennsylvania.  Mr. Listenbee received a B.A. from Harvard University and a J.D. from the Boalt Hall School of Law at the University of California, Berkeley.

Dr. James Stock, Appointee for Member, Council of Economic Advisers
Dr. James Stock is the Chief Economist for the Council of Economic Advisers (CEA), a position he has held since 2012.  Before joining CEA, he worked at Harvard University, where he has held a number of positions since 1983, including service as the Harold Hitchings Burbank Professor of Political Economy with a dual appointment in the Kennedy School of Government.  In addition, Dr. Stock chaired the Harvard Economics Department from 2006 to 2009.  He is formerly a member of the Academic Advisory Board of the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, the National Bureau of Economic Research Business Cycle Dating Committee, and the Massachusetts Governor’s Council of Economic Advisors.  He received a B.S. from Yale University and an M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley.