The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

Executive Order -- Reestablishment of Advisory Group

EXECUTIVE ORDER

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REESTABLISHMENT OF ADVISORY GROUP

By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including section 4001 of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (Public Law 111-148), 42 U.S.C. 300u-10, it is hereby ordered as follows:

Section 1. Reestablishing the Advisory Group on Prevention, Health Promotion, and Integrative and Public Health. The Advisory Group on Prevention, Health Promotion, and Integrative and Public Health (Advisory Group), as set forth under the provisions of Executive Order 13544 of June 10, 2010, and continued by section 2 of Executive Order 13591 of November 23, 2011, is hereby reestablished and shall terminate on September 30, 2013, unless extended by the President. The same members who were serving on the Advisory Group on September 30, 2012, are hereby reappointed to the Advisory Group as reestablished by this order, as if the Advisory Group had continued without termination through the date of this Executive Order.

Sec. 2. General Provisions. (a) Nothing in this order shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:

(1) the authority granted by law to an executive department, agency, or the head thereof; or

(2) the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.

(b) This order is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.

BARACK OBAMA

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

Statement by the Press Secretary on H.R. 915, H.R. 6063, H.R. 6634

On Friday, December 7, 2012, the President signed into law:

H.R. 915, the “Jaime Zapata Border Enforcement Security Task Force Act,” which establishes in statute the Department of Homeland Security’s Border Enforcement Security Task Force (BEST), which is comprised of multi-agency units established to address and reduce security threats and violence on the Nation’s southern and northern borders and at selected seaports;

H.R. 6063, the “Child Protection Act of 2012,” which makes changes to the Criminal Code related to child pornography and protection of child witnesses and Department of Justice programs related to prevention and interdiction of child exploitation and child pornography on the Internet; and

H.R. 6634, which delays, until April 15, 2013, the requirement in the STOCK Act that financial disclosure forms of certain employees of the Executive and Legislative Branches be made available on official websites. 

The Obama Family Flips the Switch on the National Christmas Tree

The lighting of the National Christmas Tree (December 6, 2012)

President Barack Obama, First Lady Michelle Obama, daughters Sasha and Malia, and Marian Robinson participate in the lighting of the National Christmas Tree on the Ellipse in Washington, D.C., Dec. 6, 2012. (Official White House Photo by Lawrence Jackson)

Last night, President Obama, First Lady Michelle Obama, and their daughters, Malia and Sasha, made their way to the Ellipse, just south of the White House, where they helped to light the National Christmas Tree.

"We’ve been lighting the National Christmas Tree for 90 years now," the President said. "In times of war and peace, triumph and tragedy, we’ve always come together to rejoice in the Christmas miracle."

The President used the occasion to describe another Christmas tree -- one he saw in a Staten Island neighborhood, devastated by Hurricane Sandy.

"This evening, in Midland Beach, New York, on a street lined with houses and businesses devastated by the storm, a great big Christmas tree shines out of the darkness," he said. "Just a couple of weeks ago, as impacted families were still seeking some sense of getting back to normal, one local nursery donated the tree, another chipped in for the lights and a star, and 70-year-old Tom Killeen and his longtime buddies from the area planted it at the end of the street, overlooking the town beach. As Tom says, the tree has one message: 'It’s Christmas time, not disaster time.' "

Related Topics: Additional Issues, New York

West Wing Week: 12/07/12 or "I Have To Pinch Myself"

December 06, 2012 | 7:11 | Public Domain

This week, the President visited a toy factory, hosted Kennedy Center Honorees, held the 2012 White House Tribal Nations Conference, welcomed the Prime Minister of Bulgaria, answered questions live on twitter, spoke on National Security achievements, visited a family who had written the White House, and lit the National Christmas Tree. That's November 30th to December 6th or "I Have to Pinch Myself."

Download mp4 (331MB)

West Wing Week: 12/07/12 or "I Have To Pinch Myself"

Welcome to the West Wing Week, your guide to everything that's happening at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. This week, the President visited a toy factory, hosted Kennedy Center Honorees, held the 2012 White House Tribal Nations Conference, welcomed the Prime Minister of Bulgaria, answered questions live on twitter, spoke on National Security achievements, visited a family who had written the White House, and lit the National Christmas Tree. That's November 30th to December 6th or "I Have to Pinch Myself."

President Obama Lights the National Christmas Tree

December 06, 2012 | Public Domain

President Obama speaks before the lighting of the National Christmas Tree on the Ellipse.

Download mp4 (428MB) | mp3 (11MB)

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

Remarks by the President at the National Christmas Tree Lighting

Washington, D.C.

6:30 P.M. EST

THE PRESIDENT:  Merry Christmas, everybody!  (Applause.)   Michelle told me to be brief because she wants to hear music.  (Laughter.) 

Thank you, Secretary Salazar, for that generous introduction and for your dedication to protecting our natural resources.  I want to thank Neil Mulholland and the whole National Park Foundation and the National Park Service team for helping to put on this beautiful production.

Let’s give a big hand to Neil Patrick Harris -- (applause) -- and this evening’s performers for putting on a fantastic show.  And I want to also thank all of you for joining us to celebrate this great American tradition.

As has been mentioned, we’ve been lighting the National Christmas Tree for 90 years now.  In times of war and peace, triumph and tragedy, we’ve always come together to rejoice in the Christmas miracle.  But our tree has been having a hard time recently -- this is our third one in as many years.  Our longstanding tree was lost in a storm, and then its replacement didn’t take hold.  It just goes to show, nobody’s job is safe here in Washington.  (Laughter.)  But I feel good about this one.  It was planted just days before Hurricane Sandy, and it made it through the storm in one piece. 

Now, we know that some of our neighbors to the north saw a more ruthless and destructive Sandy.  And this holiday season is especially difficult for families who lost everything in the storm.  But it’s also a time for us to be grateful for the heroism and perseverance of ordinary men and women in the storm’s path who’ve showed us that Americans will always be stronger than the challenges that we face.  And as I did before Thanksgiving, I can’t help but tell a story of their enduring holiday spirit. 

This evening, in Midland Beach, New York, on a street lined with houses and businesses devastated by the storm, a great big Christmas tree shines out of the darkness.  Just a couple of weeks ago, as impacted families were still seeking some sense of getting back to normal, one local nursery donated the tree, another chipped in for the lights and a star, and 70-year-old Tom Killeen and his longtime buddies from the area planted it at the end of the street, overlooking the town beach.  As Tom says, the tree has one message: “It’s Christmas time, not disaster time.” 

And Tom is right.  For centuries, the message of Christmas -- of peace and goodwill to all -- has guided millions of people around the world through good times but also through bad times.  This year is no different.  It’s a chance for all of us to open our hearts to the least fortunate among us.  It’s a chance to remember what Christ taught us -- that it is truly more blessed to give than to receive, and that the simplest gifts bring the greatest joy.  And it’s a chance to count our blessings and give thanks to those outstanding service members who bravely defend them. 

For Americans of all backgrounds and beliefs, may this holiday season remind us of the spirit of brotherhood and generosity that unites us as citizens.  And may every tree from Midland Beach to this Ellipse and all across the country shine as a beacon of hope for all Americans.

So on behalf of Michelle, Malia, Sasha, Grandma and Bo, I’d like to wish each and every one of you a very Merry Christmas and a peaceful and joyful holiday season.

God bless you, and God bless America.  (Applause.)

(Christmas carols are sung.)

THE PRESIDENT:  Well, everybody, I just want to say, can we give a huge round of applause to these outstanding performers?  (Applause.)  To our outstanding choir.  (Applause.) 

Neil, are we going out with a song?

MR. HARRIS:  Sure, let’s sing one.  You start it.

THE PRESIDENT:  No, no, no -- (laughter) -- I just wasn’t sure.  I know this program is taped so we can always edit this out.  (Laughter.)  Was there something else that we were supposed to be singing?  Santa Clause Is Coming To Town -- that's what I thought.  Let’s hit it!

(Everyone sings “Santa Clause Is Coming To Town.)

END             
6:45 P.M. EST

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

Readout of the President’s Phone Call with Egyptian President Morsi

President Obama called President Morsi today to express his deep concern about the deaths and injuries of protesters in Egypt.  The President emphasized that all political leaders in Egypt should make clear to their supporters that violence is unacceptable.  He welcomed President Morsi’s call for a dialogue with the opposition but stressed that such a dialogue should occur without preconditions.  The President noted that the United States has also urged opposition leaders to join in this dialogue without preconditions.  He reiterated the United States’ continued support for the Egyptian people and their transition to a democracy that respects the rights of all Egyptians.  The President underscored that it is essential for Egyptian leaders across the political spectrum to put aside their differences and come together to agree on a path that will move Egypt forward. 

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

President Obama Announces Another Key Administration Post

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

  • Michael W. Hail – Member, Board of Trustees of the Harry S Truman Scholarship Foundation

 

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

Dr. Michael W. Hail, Nominee for Member, Board of Trustees of the Harry S Truman Scholarship Foundation
Dr. Michael W. Hail is a Professor of Government at Morehead State University, a position he has held since 2007.  He also serves as the Assistant Dean of the School of Public Affairs, and has held additional positions at Morehead State University since 2000.  Dr. Hail is the Associate Director of the Institute for Federalism and Intergovernmental Relations at the University of Kentucky, a position he has held since 2004.  From 1992 to 1999, he held various teaching positions at the University of Delaware, the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, and the University of Kentucky.  He also serves on the editorial board of Publius: The Journal of Federalism.  Dr. Hail received an A.B. from Centre College of Kentucky, an M.A. from Eastern Kentucky University, and a Ph.D. from the University of Delaware.

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

President Obama Announces More Key Administration Posts

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

  • Timothy Hyungrock Haahs – Member, Board of Directors of the National Institute of Building Sciences
  • Morton H. Halperin – Member, Board of Directors of the Millennium Challenge Corporation

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

  • David Christiani – Member, National Cancer Advisory Board
  • Judy E. Garber – Member, National Cancer Advisory Board
  • Liz Jaffee – Member, National Cancer Advisory Board
  • Beth Karlan – Member, National Cancer Advisory Board
  • Mack Roach III – Member, National Cancer Advisory Board
  • Charles Sawyers – Member, National Cancer Advisory Board

President Obama said, “I am grateful these accomplished men and women have agreed to join this Administration, and I’m confident they will serve ably in these important roles. I look forward to working with them in the coming months and years.”

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

Timothy Hyungrock Haahs, Nominee for Member, Board of Directors of the National Institute of Building Sciences
Timothy Hyungrock Haahs is President and CEO of Timothy Haahs & Associates, an engineering and architectural design firm which he founded in 1994.  Additionally, he serves on the Advisory Committee for the Philadelphia Urban Land Institute and the Board of Directors of the International Parking Institute.  Mr. Haahs is a member of the American Institute of Architects and a fellow of the American Society of Civil Engineers.  In 2010, Mr. Haahs presented to the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific on the global challenge of traffic and parking, infrastructure, and sustainable development.  In 2011, he was named the American Society of Civil Engineer’s Philadelphia Engineer of the Year and received the Korean-American Scientists and Engineers Association’s Entrepreneur of the Year award.  Mr. Haahs received a B.S. and an M.S. from the University of Pennsylvania.

Dr. Morton H. Halperin, Nominee for Member, Board of Directors of the Millennium Challenge Corporation
Dr. Morton H. Halperin is a Senior Advisor for the Open Society Foundations.  From 2002 to 2008, he held several positions with the Open Society Institute, including Director of U.S. Advocacy (2005-2008).  Over the course of his career, Dr. Halperin has held several leadership positions in the Federal government, including Director of the Policy Planning Staff at the Department of State (1998-2001) and Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Democracy at the National Security Council (1994-1996). In addition, Dr. Halperin has held leadership positions with organizations such as the Center for American Progress, the Council on Foreign Relations, and the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.  He received a B.A. from Columbia, and an M.A. and Ph.D. from Yale University. 

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

Dr. David Christiani, Appointee for Member, National Cancer Advisory Board
Dr. David Christiani is the Elkan Blout Professor of Environmental Genetics at the Harvard School of Public Health, a position he has held since 2009.  In addition, Dr. Christiani has been a physician at the Pulmonary and Critical Care Unit of Massachusetts General Hospital since 2000, and Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School since 1996.  He is a recipient of the 2007 Robert S. Kehoe Award for Scientific Achievement from the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine and the 2004 Harriet Hardy Award from the New England College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine.  Dr. Christiani received a B.S. from Fairfield University, an M.D. from Tufts University, and an M.S. and M.P.H. from Harvard University.

Dr. Judy E. Garber, Appointee for Member, National Cancer Advisory Board
Dr. Judy E. Garber is the Director of the Center for Cancer Genetics and Prevention at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, a position she has held since 2010.  She has been a Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School since 2011.  Dr. Garber has served as Associate Physician at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital since 1988.  She is the immediate past President of the American Association for Cancer Research and serves on its Board of Directors.  In addition, she is a member of the Scientific Advisory Board of the Breast Cancer Research Foundation and a Fellow of the American Society of Clinical Oncology.  From 2007 to 2012, Dr. Garber served on the Board of Scientific Counselors of the National Cancer Institute.  She received a B.A. from the University of Virginia and an M.D. and M.P.H. from Yale University School of Medicine.

Dr. Liz Jaffee, Appointee for Member, National Cancer Advisory Board
Dr. Liz Jaffee is Co-Director of the Gastrointestinal Cancers Program in the Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins University.  She has been a member of the Johns Hopkins faculty since 1992.  Dr. Jaffee has been Associate Director for Translational Research and the Co-Director of the Skip Viragh Pancreatic Cancer Center since 2010. She is the Deputy Director of the Institute for Clinical and Translational Research at Johns Hopkins and serves on the National Cancer Institute’s Experimental Therapeutics Program Panel on Investigational Drugs Committee.  She served as a member of the National Cancer Institute’s Rapid Access to Investigational Drugs Committee from 2006 to 2011, the National Cancer Institute’s Board of Scientific Counselors from 2005 to 2010, and the National Institutes of Health Experimental Immunology Study Section from 1996 to 2000.  Dr. Jaffee received a B.A. from Brandeis University and an M.D. from New York Medical College.

Dr. Beth Karlan, Appointee for Member, National Cancer Advisory Board
Dr. Beth Karlan is the Board of Governors’ Endowed Chair in Gynecologic Oncology at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, a position she has held since 1995.  She has been Associate Director of Women’s Cancer Programs at the Samuel Oschin Comprehensive Cancer Institute since 2010 and Editor-in-Chief of Gynecologic Oncology since 2008.  In addition, she has served as Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California at Los Angeles since 2001 and as the Director of the Division of Gynecologic Oncology at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center since 1995.  She is a member of the Board of Directors of the Conquer Cancer Foundation.  She served as President of the Society of Gynecologic Oncologists in 2005 and Chair of the Department of Defense Ovarian Cancer Research Program Integration Panel in 2002.  Dr. Karlan received a B.A. from Harvard College and an M.D. from Harvard Medical School.

Dr. Mack Roach III, Appointee for Member, National Cancer Advisory Board
Dr. Mack Roach III currently serves as a Professor of Radiation Oncology and Urology at the University of California at San Francisco (UCSF), a position he has held since 2000.  In addition, Dr. Roach has served as the Chair of the Department of Radiation Oncology at UCSF since 2007.  His previous positions at UCSF’s Department of Radiation Oncology include Associate Professor in Residence from 1994 to 2000 and Assistant Professor in Residence from 1990 to 1994.  He served on the National Cancer Institute Board of Scientific Advisors and currently serves on the National Comprehensive Cancer Guidelines Committee for Prostate Cancer.  In 2008, he joined the Board of Directors for the California Division of the American Cancer Society.  Dr. Roach is a Fellow of the American College of Radiology.  He is a recipient of the American Cancer Society Career Development Award, the UCSF Health Net Wellness Award, and the First Community Service Award.  Dr. Roach received a B.S. from Morehouse College and an M.D. from Stanford University. 

Dr. Charles Sawyers, Appointee for Member, National Cancer Advisory Board
Dr. Charles Sawyers is the Chair of the Human Oncology and Pathogenesis Program at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, a position he has held since 2006.  In addition, he has served as Professor of Medicine at Weill-Cornell Medical College and as an Investigator at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute since 2008.  Dr. Sawyers has served as the Professor of Cell and Developmental Biology at Weill-Cornell Medical College since 2011.  He was the Associate Chief of the Division of Hematology-Oncology at the University of California at Los Angeles School of Medicine from 1996 to 2006.  Dr. Sawyers received the Stanley J. Korsmeyer Award from the American Society for Clinical Investigation in 2011 and the Lasker-DeBakey Clinical Medical Research Award in 2009.  He received an A.B. from Princeton University and an M.D. from Johns Hopkins School of Medicine.