The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
August 02, 2012

Presidential Nominations Sent to the Senate

NOMINATIONS SENT TO THE SENATE:
                
John Hardy Isakson, of Georgia, to be a Representative of the United States of America to the Sixty-seventh Session of the General Assembly of the United Nations.

Patrick J. Leahy, of Vermont, to be a Representative of the United States of America to the Sixty-seventh Session of the General Assembly of the United Nations.
                
Kevin K. Washburn, of New Mexico, to be an Assistant Secretary of the Interior, vice Larry J. Echo Hawk, resigned.

Jenny R. Yang, of the District of Columbia, to be a Member of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission for a term expiring July 1, 2017, vice Stuart Ishimaru, resigned.

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
August 02, 2012

President Obama Announces More Key Administration Posts

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

• Kevin K. Washburn – Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs, Department of the Interior
• Jenny R. Yang – Commissioner, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission

President Obama said, “These individuals have demonstrated knowledge and dedication throughout their careers. I am grateful they have chosen to take on these important roles, and I look forward to working with them in the months and years to come.”

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

Kevin K. Washburn, Nominee for Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs, Department of the Interior
Kevin K. Washburn is Dean of the University of New Mexico School of Law, a position he has held since June 2009. Prior to that, he served as the Rosenstiel Distinguished Professor of Law at the University of Arizona James E. Rogers College of Law from 2008 to 2009 and as an Associate Professor of Law at the University of Minnesota Law School from 2002 to 2008. From 2007 to 2008, Mr. Washburn was the Oneida Indian Nation Visiting Professor at Harvard Law School. Previously, he served as General Counsel for the National Indian Gaming Commission from 2000 to 2002, and as an Assistant United States Attorney in Albuquerque, New Mexico, from 1997 to 2000.  Mr. Washburn was a trial attorney in the Indian Resources Section of the U.S. Department of Justice from 1994 to 1997.  Mr. Washburn is a member of the Chickasaw Nation of Oklahoma.  He earned a B.A. from the University of Oklahoma and a J.D. from Yale Law School. 

Jenny R. Yang, Nominee for Commissioner, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
Jenny R. Yang is a partner at the law firm Cohen Milstein Sellers & Toll PLLC, where she has worked in the Civil Rights and Employment Practice Group since 2003.  Previously, Ms. Yang served in the Employment Litigation Section in the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice from 1998 to 2003, first as a trial attorney, and then as a senior trial attorney.  From 1997 to 1998, Ms. Yang was a New York University Community Service Fund attorney fellow at the National Employment Law Project, and from 1996 to 1997, she served as a judicial law clerk for Judge Edmund V. Ludwig of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.  Ms. Yang is Vice Chair of the Board of Directors for the Asian Pacific American Legal Resource Center and a former Co-Chair of the National Governing Board for the National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum.  She received a B.A. in Government from Cornell University and a J.D. from New York University School of Law.

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
August 02, 2012

Remarks by the President at Campaign Event -- Rollins College, Winter Park, FL

Rollins College
Winter Park, Florida

2:50 P.M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT:  Hello, Orlando!  (Applause.)  Thank you.

AUDIENCE:  Four more years!  Four more years!  Four more years!  Four more years!

THE PRESIDENT:  Now, first of all, anybody who’s got a seat, feel free to use the seat.  (Applause.)  Go ahead, sit down, you guys, make yourselves comfortable.  Those of you who don’t have a seat, make sure to bend your knees -- (laughter.)

AUDIENCE MEMBER:  We love you, Obama!

THE PRESIDENT:  I love you back.  (Applause.)  It’s great to see you.  It’s great to be back in Orlando.

First of all, can everybody please give Sonia a big round of applause for that great introduction?  (Applause.)  I want to thank Darren Soto, State Representative, for our pre-program.  And I want to thank all the neighborhood team leaders for the great job you guys are doing.  (Applause.) 

AUDIENCE:  Happy birthday!

THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you.  It’s true that I’m going to be  -- what am I going to be?  (Laughter.)

AUDIENCE:  Fifty-one!

THE PRESIDENT:  I’m going to be 51 on Saturday -- (applause) -- 51.  But Michelle says I look 50.  (Laughter.)  So that’s not bad.

AUDIENCE:  (Sings "Happy Birthday.")  (Applause.)

THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you.  (Applause.)  Now, if I had known you guys were going to sing, we would have had a cake.  (Laughter.)  And then I would have blown out the candle, I would have made a wish -- (laughter) -- that probably would have had to do with electoral votes.  (Laughter and applause.)  Win in Florida wouldn’t be a bad birthday present.  (Applause.)

But before we talk about politics, let me say, how about our Olympic athletes in London?  (Applause.)

THE PRESIDENT:  USA!  USA!  USA!

THE PRESIDENT:  USA.  Yesterday I had a chance to talk to Michael Phelps -- (applause) -- and then I spoke to the Fab Five, these gymnasts -- (applause.)  And let me just say -- I was saying this to some folks in Ohio yesterday -- I understand how to swim and how to run, although I don’t swim and run like these folks do.  (Laughter.)  But this whole gymnastics thing, I don’t get that.  (Laughter.)  I don’t understand how you’re standing on a little beam, and then you flip around a bunch of times without breaking your neck.  (Laughter.)  It’s unbelievable.  It’s unbelievable.

So we could not be more proud of them.  And obviously, it’s a reminder that even when we’ve got our differences, we come together when it’s about presenting ourselves to the rest of the world -- that we are Americans first.  (Applause.)  And we are so grateful for them and the classy way that they’re representing us.

Now, unless you’ve been able to hide your television set somewhere or your cable is broke -- (laughter) -- you are aware that there’s a pretty intense campaign going on right now.

AUDIENCE:  Yes!

THE PRESIDENT:  And the reason for that is because the choice that we face this November could not be bigger -- could not be more significant.  In some ways, it’s more important than 2008.  This is not just a choice between two candidates or two political parties.  This is a choice about two fundamentally different visions for America -- (applause) -- two fundamentally different paths for our future. 

And here’s the good news -- you choose the direction.  You are the tie-breaker.  You will decide -- you will decide the direction that we go in not just -- when you walk into that voting booth, it won’t just be for next year or the year after that.  You’ll be making decisions that will have an impact on our kids and our grandkids for years to come, for decades to come.  (Applause.) 

Now, four years ago, we came together -– as Democrats, but also independents and some Republicans -– to restore that basic bargain that built this country, what made us an economic superpower, what made us the most prosperous economy that the world has ever known.  And it is a simple bargain, it’s a simple deal, a simple credo.  It says that if you work hard, your work should be rewarded.  (Applause.)  It’s a deal that says if you put in enough effort, you should be able to find a job that pays the bills.  You should be able to afford a job -- you should be able to afford a home that you call your own.  You should be able to count on health care if you get sick, and retire with dignity and respect.  (Applause.)  And most of all, you should be able to give your kids an education that allows them to dream even bigger than you did and do even better than you ever imagined.  (Applause.)

It’s a simple idea.  It’s the basic American promise.  And we knew that restoring it wasn’t going to be easy -– we knew it would take more than one year, or one term, or even one President.  After all, we had gone through a decade of sluggish job growth and jobs being shifted overseas, and going from surpluses to deficits, all culminating in a financial crisis on Wall Street.  So we understood it was going to take some time to deal with challenges that didn’t happen overnight.  And that was even before the middle class was hammered by the worst economic crisis of our lifetimes -– a crisis that robbed too many of our friends and neighbors of jobs and their homes and their savings  -- and pushed the American Dream even further out of reach for too many working families.

But, you know what, over the last three and a half years, I have taken strength from you, the American people.  (Applause.)  Because I've seen your resilience, I've seen folks get knocked down and get right back up.  You are tougher than tough times.  And that is the reason why we've been able to see 4.5 million jobs created.  (Applause.)  That's why we've been able to see the housing market just barely, slowly start to tick back up.  That's the reason that we've seen the auto industry come all the way back.  (Applause.)  It's because of you. 

See, there’s one thing that the crisis did not change.  It did not change who we are.  It has not changed our fundamental character.  It hasn’t changed what made us great.  It hasn’t changed how we came together in 2008 –- it’s only made us more determined to make sure that America is doing right by everyone, that our prosperity is broadly based and broadly shared.  And we’re here to build an economy in which work pays off, so that no matter who you are, or what you look like, or where you come from, what your last name is, here in America, you can make it if you try.  (Applause.)  That's what we're fighting for.  (Applause.) 

That’s what this campaign is about, Florida.  That’s why I’m running for a second term as President of the United States of America.  (Applause.)

AUDIENCE:  Four more years!  Four more years!  Four more years!  Four more years! 

THE PRESIDENT:  Now, there are no quick fixes or easy solutions to our challenges.  But let me say this.  We know what we need to do.  There are no challenges that are not within our power to solve.  We've got the capacity to meet any challenge.  We have the best workers in the world.  We've got the best entrepreneurs in the world.  We've got the best scientists, the best researchers, the best colleges, the best universities.  (Applause.)  We're a young nation -- we're still a young nation and we've got the greatest diversity of talent and ingenuity that comes from every corner of the globe.  Nobody knows that better than Florida.  (Applause.)  So no matter what the naysayers tell us, no matter how dark the other side tries to paint the situation, there is not another country on Earth that would not gladly trade places with the United States of America.  (Applause.)  

So I want you all to understand, we can solve our problems  -- and we've made significant strides on a whole range of areas. But what’s standing in our way still is our politics.  What's standing in our way is a group of folks in Washington with some uncompromising views, folks who believe that the only way we can get back on track is to go back to the same top-down economics that got us into this mess in the first place.

AUDIENCE:  Booo --

THE PRESIDENT:  What do I mean by top-down economics?  Their basic theory -- Mr. Romney, his friends in Congress, they basically believe that if we just give more tax cuts, on top of the Bush tax cuts, to the wealthiest Americans, and we get rid of regulations that we've placed on Wall Street banks, for example, to make sure we don't have another crisis, or on the health care industry to make sure that they don't discriminate against you because you've got a preexisting condition -- the idea is that somehow, if we cut taxes for folks at the top and get rid of regulations, this will lead to more jobs and more prosperity for everybody. 

That's their theory.  That’s the path that they’re proposing.  It's not that complicated.  That’s where they will take us if they win, I guarantee you.  The centerpiece of Mr. Romney's economic plan is a new, $5 trillion tax cut.  That's the heart of his economic plan.  Now, we know that this tax cut would probably be going to the wealthiest 1 percent of all households  -- we knew that.  But just yesterday, an independent, non-partisan organization, they dug into the numbers.  They investigated, what would it mean to give this Romney plan a try. And by the way, this is an organization that’s headed by an economist who worked for President Bush.  All right?  So this was not my opinion.  This was not our team's opinion.  This is something that was looked at by a non-partisan group. 

Here’s what they found.  They found that folks making more than $3 million a year, the top one-tenth of 1 percent, would get a tax cut under Mr. Romney’s plan of almost a quarter of a million dollars -- 

AUDIENCE:  Booo --

THE PRESIDENT:  -- $250,000 would go to folks who are making $3 million a year or more.  That’s the average, that’s the typical. 

Now, Mr. Romney claims that he’s going to get this tax cut and he’s going to bring down the deficit.  So then the question is, who do you think gets the bill for these $250,000 tax cuts?

AUDIENCE:  We do!

THE PRESIDENT:  This is a smart crowd.  (Laughter.)  You do.

This analysis also found that if Governor Romney wants to keep his word and pay for his plan so that he does not increase the deficit even more, the average middle-class family with children would be stuck with a tax increase of more than $2,000. 
AUDIENCE:  Booo --

THE PRESIDENT:  So I want everybody to understand here -- he’s not asking you to pay an extra $2,000 to reduce our deficit; he’s not asking you to pay an additional $2,000 to help care for our seniors; he’s not asking to pay an additional $2,000 in order to rebuild America or to fight a war.  He’s asking you to pay more so that people like him can pay less.

AUDIENCE:  Booo --

THE PRESIDENT:  So that people like me pay less. 

Look, in order to afford one $250,000 tax cut for somebody like Mr. Romney, 125 families -- like many of yours -- would have to pay an additional $2,000 in taxes.  And that’s not a one-time thing; this would be each and every year. 

AUDIENCE:  Booo --

THE PRESIDENT:  Now, I just want you to know this study was released yesterday.  So his campaign was asked about it, well, what do you think?  Well, first they said, well, this is a liberal organization -- despite the fact that it’s headed by an economist who worked for George Bush.  Then they said that the study failed to fully take into account the massive economic boom that would come from cutting taxes on the wealthiest Americans in the biggest corporations -- because we all know how well that worked out the last time we tried it.  (Applause.)

Look, Orlando, we know better.  They have tried to sell us this trickle-down tax cut fairy dust before.  (Laughter.)  And guess what -- it didn’t work then; it will not work now.  It’s not a plan to create jobs.  It is not a plan to reduce the deficit.  It is not a plan to build our middle class.  It is not a plan to move our economy forward.  It takes us backwards to a place we don’t need to be. 

We do not need more tax cuts for folks who have done very, very well.  We need more tax cuts for working Americans.  We need tax cuts for families who are trying to raise your children and keep your children healthy and send them to college and put roofs over their heads.  (Applause.)

We don’t need more tax cuts for companies that are shipping jobs overseas; we need tax cuts for companies that are investing here in Florida and in the United States of America -- (applause) -- hiring American workers, sending products around the world stamped with those proud words:  Made in America.  (Applause.)  

That’s what we’re fighting for.  That’s the choice in this election.  And that’s why I’m running again for President of the United States of America.  (Applause.)

AUDIENCE:  Four more years!  Four more years!  Four more years!

THE PRESIDENT:  So, listen, when it comes to taxes and reducing the deficit, I’ve got a different plan for America.  Four years ago I promised to cut middle-class taxes; that’s exactly what I did.  (Applause.)  By a total of about $3,600 for the typical family.  Now, I want to keep income taxes exactly where they are on the first $250,000 of everybody’s income tax.  So if you’re a family that makes under $250,000 a year, like 98 percent of American families do, you won’t see your income taxes increase by a single dime next year.  (Applause.)

On the other hand, if you’re fortunate enough to be in the other 2 percent of Americans, like I am, all we’re asking is that we contribute a little bit more so that we can pay down our debt and so that we can still invest things -- in things like education and infrastructure -- (applause) -- and basic science and advanced manufacturing -- all those things that help us grow as an economy.  (Applause.)

And look, I’m going to make sure government does its part.  We’re going to have to cut away spending that we don’t need.  We’ve made enormous progress in making government more efficient and streamlining it, but we can do more.  We’ve cut a trillion dollars already.  We can do more.  But I’m not going to pay for a massive new tax cut for folks who don’t need it by gutting the investments that have always kept us at the forefront and have kept our middle class strong.  (Applause.)

And by the way, Florida, just like we tried their way, what I’m talking about we’ve tried, too.  All I’m asking is that we go back to the rates that were paid by wealthy individuals under Bill Clinton.  And if you remember, that’s when our economy created nearly 23 million new jobs -- (applause) -- we created the biggest budget surplus in history.

And here’s the kicker:  It was good for everybody.  People at the top, they did well, because if a construction worker has a job and he’s got some money in his pocket, then he might go out and buy that new appliance.  And if that small business just opened a restaurant and now everybody in the community has a little extra money to spend, that restaurant will do better.  And if you’ve got a job and you’re feeling pretty good, got some money in your pocket, you might decide to get rid of that old beater and buy a new car.  And then those businesses hire more people -- and you get what’s called a virtuous cycle.

So, Florida, if you believe their plan will make us better  --

AUDIENCE:  No!

THE PRESIDENT:  -- if you believe that it’s okay to pay for a big tax cut for folks who don’t need it --

AUDIENCE:  No!

THE PRESIDENT:  -- and asking you to pay for it, and cutting our investments in education, and voucherizing Medicare, and making a whole other range of changes that will impose greater hardship on the middle class -- if you think we should set our sights lower like that, settle for something less, then go ahead and send these folks to Washington.

AUDIENCE:  No!

THE PRESIDENT:  Obviously, that was a rhetorical question.  (Laughter.)  But let me ask you this:  Wouldn’t we be better off if we keep fighting for the things that have always made us strong?  (Applause.)  Making sure our young people can afford to get a higher education.  (Applause.)  Wouldn’t we be better off if we’re developing new sources of American energy because we’ve put the money into the research to develop them?  Wouldn’t we be better off if we were investing in things like advanced manufacturing to sell goods around the rest of the world made right here in Florida with American workers?  (Applause.)

Five years or 10 years or 20 years from now, won’t we be better off if we’ve made these smart, sometimes tough decisions, understanding that we grow this economy not from the top down, but from the middle out and from the bottom up -- (applause) -- creating an economy where everybody gets a fair shot and everybody is doing their fair share and everybody is playing by the same set of rules.

Won’t we be better off if we’ve got the courage to keep working and fighting and moving forward?  That’s what I believe. That’s why I’m running for President.  (Applause.)

Listen, Florida -- Orlando, I want you to know my hair may be grayer than it was four years ago -- (laughter) -- I may be turning 51, but my determination to do right by you, to fight for you, to think about you every single day -- (applause) -- that determination is stronger than ever.  My faith in you is stronger than ever.  (Applause.)  I still believe in you.  And if you still believe in me, if you’re willing to stand with me, if you’re willing to organize with me, if you’re willing to make some phone calls for me, if you’re willing to register some voters for me, if you’re going out there and voting with me, I promise you, we will finish what we started and we will remind the world just why it is that the United States of America is the greatest nation on Earth.

God bless you, everybody.  God bless the United States of America.

END 
3:15 P.M. EDT

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
August 02, 2012

Presidential Nominations Sent to the Senate

NOMINATIONS SENT TO THE SENATE:

Eric Kenneth Fanning, of the District of Columbia, to be Under Secretary of the Air Force, vice Erin C. Conaton, resigned.

Christopher J. Meade, of New York, to be General Counsel for the Department of the Treasury, vice George Wheeler Madison, resigned.

William J. Mielke, of Wisconsin, to be Member of the Advisory Board of the Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation, vice George D. Milidrag.

Iqbal Paroo, of Florida, to be a Member of the Board of Directors of the African Development Foundation for a term expiring September 22, 2017, vice Julius E. Coles, term expired.

Arthur H. Sulzer, of Pennsylvania, to be a Member of the Advisory Board of the Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation, vice Charles E. Dorkey III.

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
August 02, 2012

Presidential Nomination Sent to the Senate

NOMINATION SENT TO THE SENATE:

Pamela Ki Mai Chen, of New York, to be United States District Judge for the Eastern District of New York, vice Raymond J. Dearie, retired.

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
August 02, 2012

President Obama Announces Presidential Delegation to Kingston, Jamaica to Attend the Celebration Marking the Fiftieth Independence Anniversary of Jamaica

President Barack Obama today announced the designation of a Presidential Delegation to Kingston, Jamaica to attend the Celebration marking the Fiftieth Independence Anniversary of Jamaica on August 6, 2012. 

The Honorable General Colin L. Powell, USA (Retired), Former U.S. Secretary of State, will lead the delegation.

Members of the Presidential Delegation:

The Honorable Pamela Bridgewater, U.S. Ambassador to Jamaica

The Honorable Yvette D. Clarke, U.S. House of Representatives, New York

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
August 02, 2012

President Obama Nominates Pamela Chen to Serve on the US District Court

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, President Obama nominated Pamela Ki Mai Chen to serve on the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York.

“I am proud to nominate this outstanding candidate to serve on the United States District Court bench,” said President Obama.  “Pamela Chen has a long and distinguished record of service, and I am confident she will serve on the federal bench with distinction.”

Pamela Ki Mai Chen:  Nominee for the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York
Pamela Ki Mai Chen has been an Assistant United States Attorney in the Eastern District of New York since 1998, with the exception of a four-month period in 2008 when she served as Deputy Commissioner for Enforcement for the New York State Division of Human Rights.  During her time at the United States Attorney’s Office, Chen has held many supervisory positions, including Chief of the Civil Rights Section and Deputy Chief of the Public Integrity Section.  From 1991 to 1998, Chen was a trial attorney in the Special Litigation Section of the Civil Rights Division at the United States Department of Justice.  She began her legal career in Washington, D.C., at the criminal defense firm of Asbill, Junkin, Myers & Buffone from 1989 to 1991, and at the law firm of Arnold & Porter from 1986 to 1989.  Chen received her J.D. in 1986 from the Georgetown University Law Center and her B.A. in 1983 from the University of Michigan.

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
August 02, 2012

President Obama Signs Montana Disaster Declaration

The President today declared a major disaster exists in the State of Montana and ordered Federal aid to supplement state, tribal, and local recovery efforts in the area affected by a wildfire during the period of June 25 to July 10, 2012. 

Federal funding is available to state, tribal, and eligible local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations on a cost-sharing basis for emergency work and the repair or replacement of facilities damaged by the wildfire in Powder River and Rosebud Counties and the Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation.

Federal funding is also available on a cost-sharing basis for hazard mitigation measures for all counties and Tribes within the State of Montana.

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

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
August 02, 2012

President Obama Signs Maryland Disaster Declaration

The President today declared a major disaster exists in the State of Maryland and ordered Federal aid to supplement state and local recovery efforts in the area affected by severe storms and straight-line winds during the period of June 29 to July 8, 2012.

Federal funding is available to state and eligible local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations on a cost-sharing basis for emergency work and the repair or replacement of facilities damaged by the severe storms and straight-line winds in the counties of Calvert, Charles, Kent, Montgomery, and St. Mary’s and the Independent City of Baltimore.

Federal funding is also available on a cost-sharing basis for hazard mitigation measures statewide.

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

FEMA said additional designations may be made at a later date if requested by the state and warranted by the results of further damage assessments.

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
August 02, 2012

Gaggle aboard Air Force One en route Orlando, FL, 8/2/2012

Aboard Air Force One
En Route Orlando, Florida   

12:36 P.M. EDT

MR. CARNEY:  Good afternoon, everyone.  Welcome aboard Air Force One as we make our way to Florida.  I have no announcements to make at the top.  But Jen does, so I'll turn it over to Jen.

MS. PSAKI:  So a couple things we just wanted to highlight  -- one, as you all saw in your inboxes, we have a new ad out called, "Stretch," that's running in eight states.  It highlights the devastating impact Mitt Romney's tax plan would have on middle-class families.  The President will talk about that again today in Florida and Virginia, as he did yesterday.

We also put out a new video, starring Internet sensation, Stephanie Cutter, that includes -- in the link to the video you'll see a tax cut calculator.  Anyone can go there -- any American can go there, enter their information, and they'll see how the tax cut plans of President Obama and Mitt Romney line up. If you're a millionaire or billionaire, it's probably not looking good for you in our plan, but otherwise, you're great under our plan.  So we encourage people to go there.

Last thing to highlight is we put out state-by-state reports today, as well, highlighting the impact of the tax plan.  Since we're going to Florida and Virginia today, I just wanted to highlight for you that in Florida, there are 2.4 million families making less than $200,000 a year, who would be impacted by Mitt Romney's tax plan, in the Tax Policy Center report that went out yesterday.  In Virginia, that's 1.2 million.  Again, that would be an increase of -- a $2,000 tax increase for those families.

Last thing -- a big announcement day, sorry -- is Mitt Romney, as you know, is traveling to Colorado today.  If you've spent any time reading the papers in Iowa and some other Midwestern states, you may have seen a focus on this wind tax credit, which is something that has been debated in Congress. Welcoming Mitt Romney there is a story in The Denver Post about how three out of four Republicans in the delegation are for the tax credit; he is, of course, against it.  And it also talks about a local company called Bestas Vestas that will stand to lose 1,700 jobs.  So I thought I'd highlight that for you, too.

But with that, we'll take your questions.

Q    Jay, today Kofi Annan quit his role in Syria.  Is there any reaction from the President?  And you seemed concerned that this might further sideline any peace efforts in that region.

MR. CARNEY:  Well, first, the President is grateful for Kofi Annan's willingness to serve in this capacity and for the efforts he made to achieve peace in Syria and a peaceful transition from the Assad regime. 

I think that Kofi Annan's resignation highlights two things -- one, the fact that President Assad, despite his promise to abide by Kofi Annan's plan, continues to brutally murder his own people, to use heavy weapons in assaults on civilian population centers, to call on his military leaders to kill the Syrian people in his name.  It is disgusting and only highlights the absolute requirement that, for the future of the Syrian people, Assad must step aside.

Secondly, Annan's resignation highlights the failure at the United Nations Security Council of Russia and China to support resolutions -- meaningful resolutions against Assad that would have held Assad accountable for his failure to abide by his commitments under the Annan plan.  Those vetoes, as we've said repeatedly, were highly regrettable, and place both Russia and China on the wrong side of history and on the wrong side of the Syrian people.  Very unfortunate.

We continue to work with our international partners, including the "Friends of Syria," to provide humanitarian aid to the Syrian people.  In fact, today I have for you -- I think we put this out already, but as you know, the President approved an additional $12 million in U.S. humanitarian assistance to support those most affected by the crisis in Syria.  That brings the commitment so far from the United States to over $76 million in humanitarian assistance.  

Additionally, as you know, we continue to work with our partners in assisting the opposition form itself and unify, and to provide non-lethal assistance to the opposition.

Q    -- consider arming rebels?  

MR. CARNEY:  Our position has not changed.  We provide non-lethal assistance to the opposition.  We don't believe that adding to the number of weapons in Syria is what's needed to help bring about a peaceful transition.

Q    Jay, given reports that the opposition is, in some cases, executing prisoners, is there concern about providing assistance to people who may turn out to be war criminals?

MR. CARNEY:  Well, we strongly condemn summary executions by either side in Syria.  And I have obviously seen those reports and we condemn actions like that.  As I just said, the reason why we -- our position is that we will not supply lethal assistance to the opposition is we do not believe that adding more weapons into Syria will help bring about the peaceful transition that Syria needs. 

We believe strongly that once Assad leaves, Syria's opportunity for a peaceful transition can move forward, that the key element here is Assad's departure from power.  It is important to note that it is the Assad regime and Assad's forces that have perpetrated the overwhelming amount of violence in Syria, that are responsible for the overwhelming number of civilian casualties.  And that is why we so strongly, and have for so long, believed that Assad must go.

Q    Jay, what's the administration's view of the cohesiveness of the rebel force?  Are they acting in unison?  Is there a leadership group within it?  Are they so disparate that it makes it difficult for the administration to determine who they can count on there?

MR. CARNEY:  Well, we have spent, as I've said in the past, time studying the opposition, working with the opposition.  I would note that there has been progress by the opposition in unifying itself.  I would note that some leaders of the opposition, military leaders, have made clear their position that they are fighting for a Syria that is inclusive, that recognizes the rights of all Syrians.  And we would certainly support that position.  That's what we believe the Syrian people deserve and that's what we believe those peaceful demonstrators who first came out against Assad were demanding.

Q    Jay, there was also a report in Reuters, confirmed by NBC, that the President had signed a finding.  The White House has not commented on that.  But in the past you've shot down some of those reports; in this case, you're not.  Should we read anything into that?

MR. CARNEY:  I'm not sure that we've commented one way or the other on intelligence matters.  We don't do that.  And I would not have any comment on that report.  I would point to you -- point out what I just said in answer to another question, that our position has not changed when it comes to the kinds of support that we provide and assistance that we provide to the Syrian opposition. 

Q    Congress is going to release a report, maybe later this week, about more on the Solyndra affair -- I don’t know if you saw a report today about that, reporting that I think some White House analyst thought it not wise to move forward with the restructuring but rather cut your losses earlier, and that Jack Lew, when he was head of the Office of Management and Budget, despite some of that advice from internal White House advisors, decided to go ahead and go forward with it.  Do you have any comment about that?

MR. CARNEY:  Well, I did see these reports, and what it points out is, yet again, proof positive that none of the accusations that the Republicans have made about this particular loan have turned out to be true -- that this was a merit-based decision. 

And the President firmly believes that it is the right decision to invest in clean energy technologies in this country, because if we do not, we will cede those industries to China and India and Europe and elsewhere.  The President is not willing to do that -- because those industries will be essential to the economic growth of the United States in the 21st century and to the energy security of the United States in the 21st century.

I think some Republicans have conceded, have acknowledged that the Solyndra investigation is about politics.  It’s now gone on for 18 months, if I’m not mistaken -- 18 months.  Congress began looking at this loan in February of 2010, and everything disclosed in the 215,000 pages of documents, the 14 committee staff briefings, the 5 congressional hearings, the 72,000 pages from Solyndra investors, and committee interviews with George Kaiser affirm what we have said since day one, that this was a merit-based decision.

With regards to the comment about the Office of Management and Budget, I mean, as you know, because your paper covered it, as did all papers -- this was all explored both in newspapers and in a congressional hearing nine months ago.  At the time, then-OMB Deputy Director Jeff Zients said in his testimony the OMB’s career staff worked closely with the Department of Energy to understand the specifics of the proposal before making a cost determination, and ultimately determined that DOE’s approach was reasonable and reflected the information as it was understood at the time.

And I can point you to, and will gladly read for the record, 18 independent news sources, including the Wall Street Journal, Politifact, The Washington Post, San Jose Mercury News, New York Times, Los Angeles Times, The Hill, et cetera, et cetera -- concluded that, to quote this, "The emails do not offer evidence that would support Republican allegations that politics influenced the Department of Energy’s decision."  That’s a quote from the Wall Street Journal in November of 2011.

What we knew then we still know, and this is a 18-month, costly investigation that only highlights the fact that Congress is not doing what it should do to help the American people.  Why isn’t it extending the production tax credit that Jen was talking about that has bipartisan support, has had it in the past and has it right now, that would help clean energy firms in Colorado and Iowa and elsewhere?  Why isn’t the House passing tax relief for middle-class Americans, for 98 percent of the population?  Why isn’t it passing legislation that was submitted by the President in the American Jobs Act that would put over a million Americans to work teaching our children, building our roads and protecting our people?  That’s the choice they’re making.

Q    A report today showed that initial jobless claims rose less than anticipated today.  Does that provide any sense of optimism looking ahead to tomorrow’s jobs report?

MR. CARNEY:  I have no observation to make in anticipation of tomorrow’s data release.  I would simply say that what I can be confident of is that we -- and the President believes that we absolutely need to continue to work to help the economy grow faster, to help it create more jobs.  And that will be as true tomorrow as it is today. 

We have, as you know, experienced two years of positive economic growth -- more than that.  We have experienced 4.4 million private sector jobs created, but we still have a long way to go.  And that's what I was just saying to Dave -- Congress must act to pass the American Jobs Act provisions that have not passed that would put teachers back to work, construction workers on the job, firefighters and police officers back to work, and pass this tax cut that the Senate passed that represents what we all agree on in Washington, that 98 percent of Americans ought to have their tax cut extended next year. 

That would create economic security for them.  It would prevent a $2,200 tax hike on middle-class families, and it would address some of the concerns about the economy at the end of the year.  It would help the macroeconomic picture for 2013.  And Congress could do that simply by acknowledging that Republicans and Democrats all agree on this, and that we should act on that and then debate the things that we disagree on as we move forward.

Q    Can we expect to hear from the President tomorrow after the numbers come out?

MR. CARNEY:  Oh, I would expect you will.  As he normally does, he will address that bit of news.  But I have no more for you on that.

Q    -- had a story today about a near miss, potential accident at Reagan National Airport.  I’m wondering if the White House has been briefed on what happened by the FAA, and also what concerns you might have about it --

MR. CARNEY:  Well, I certainly saw the reports, and I know that people in the White House are aware of it, but I do not have anything more for you on it.  It’s under investigation by the FAA and I would refer you to the FAA.

Q    Hey, Jen, can you preview the President's comments to the blogger conference --

Q    Can you repeat the question?

MS. PSAKI:  Ari asked about the blogger conference.  The President is speaking -- will be appearing live over satellite to their 2012 conference today from our first stop in Florida.  This is a group of women bloggers.  They reach millions of people across the country.  As you all know, people get their news from many different sources -- NPR, AP, Reuters, Washington Post -- but they also get it from blogs and online, increasingly.  And this is a group the President has addressed in the past, and it’s an opportunity for him to speak about his commitment to not just fighting for middle-class tax cuts, but fighting for affordable health care, making sure that women have a voice in the White House.  And I expect when you hear his remarks today that's what you’ll hear him talk about.

Q    Jay, Senator Lindsey Graham suggested that the fiscal cliff, the sequester and the cuts that it envisions could be resolved if the President would just call John McCain and have a discussion as to how to emerge out of this.  Does the President agree that a mere phone call can get this issue resolved with somebody like McCain?

MR. CARNEY:  Well, I certainly think the President believes that if Republican leaders were to tell him that they were ready to support the basic principle that we need to address our fiscal challenges in a balanced way, that we can move forward with a plan for deficit reduction that doesn't just cut spending, doesn't just reform entitlements, but also asks everyone to pay their fair share -- then, absolutely, we could get this done very quickly, as I’ve said repeatedly and as the President has said repeatedly.

Unfortunately, what I have seen from the Senators you mentioned is that they're calling for action to prevent cuts that the President does not support -- that no one supports -- to take action on that not by advancing a balanced deficit reduction plan.  And the reason they won’t do that, or haven’t yet, is because they would rather see those defense cuts take place than ask millionaires and billionaires to pay a little bit more.  And that is simply indefensible as a proposition.

Look, let’s go back to why the so-called sequester exists -- because of the refusal of Republicans to accept the principle that we ought to have a balanced approach to deficit reduction, and because of their willingness to play chicken with the global and American economies.  The President and the congressional negotiators agreed to the Budget Control Act, which enacted significant deficit reduction, spending cuts, and called on Congress -- assigned to Congress the task of delivering additional deficit reduction.  If Congress failed to do its job, the sequester was to kick in.  And the design of the sequester was onerous for everyone.  No one supports the cuts, and that's why no amount of planning can paper over the fact that the cuts are bad policy.  The President doesn't support them.  But the problem here is, is that Congress refuses to do its job. 

And as I just said at the top, what they need to do is abundantly clear to anyone who has paid attention to this issue, studied this issue, and that is agree to the simple principle that we have to address our fiscal challenges by implementing a balanced plan -- because if we don't, we know what the alternative looks like.  The alternative says millionaires and billionaires get tax cuts, the middle class gets stuck with the bill of solving our fiscal challenges; that seniors see their Medicare program ended as they know it and turned into a voucher program; that families who have disabled children see their benefits cut dramatically; that programs in education and innovation and investments in infrastructure all get dramatically slashed.

We cannot do that.  It’s bad for the American people.  It’s bad for the middle class.  It’s bad for the economy.  And we do not have to do that.  All we have to do is pass legislation that is balanced, that reflects the principles of the Bowles-Simpson commission, reflects the principles of the Domenici-Rivlin commission, reflects the principles of the Gang of Six -- reflects the principles of every common-sense person who has looked at this issue -- every economist, every legislative analyst who has looked at this issue.

Q    The President is about to go speak in Florida, a state hard hit by housing boom and bust.  Is there any reaction from the President on Edward DeMarco’s refusal to do the administration’s plan to implement a principal write-down program?

MR. CARNEY:  Well, Treasury Secretary Geithner addressed this,  And look, we certainly believe that we need to take measures that assist homeowners who are underwater.  And the President has implemented a number of measures that have done that.  The President is calling on Congress to take measures that would assist homeowners and allow them to refinance at these historically low rates.  And we certainly believe that the action that Mr. DeMarco, after six months of study, refused to take should have been taken -- could be taken to further assist homeowners.

Q    Any plans to replace him?

MR. CARNEY:  I’m sorry?

Q    Any plans to replace him?

MR. CARNEY:  Well, let’s be clear.  First of all, this is a career position.  This is not – [it’s] an independent agency, one.  Two, the President nominated a highly qualified person, and because of the kind of classic obstructionism we’ve seen in Congress, that nomination did not move forward.  But I have no other personnel announcements to make.

I’m sorry.  Jen had something on that.

MS. PSAKI:  I’ll just add one thing since you referenced our trip to Florida.  While the President has taken a number of steps to help hardest-hit states like Florida help recover during the housing market -- as the housing market has struggled, let’s not forget that Mitt Romney has suggested we should just let the housing market hit bottom.  So even though we’re going there today, we know he’s going to go there soon, and this is an issue that, no question, gives people in states like Florida and Nevada and the hardest-hit states pause when they’re looking at the choice.

Go ahead.

Q    Jay, there were 19 House Democrats that voted with House Republicans yesterday to pass all the Bush tax cuts.  Is the President prepared to criticize those Democrats as he has Republicans?

MR. CARNEY:  Well, he doesn’t support that position.  He believes that we cannot afford to extend tax cuts to the wealthiest 2 percent of the American people at the cost of over a trillion dollars over 10 years. 

And it’s not just an esoteric position the President is taking.  It’s based on what we know happened when those tax cuts were passed.  When the Bush tax cuts were passed, we, the American people, were told that they would cause a huge increase in economic growth, a huge increase in job creation.  Neither happened.  In fact, we saw the slowest economic growth of any expansion in 50 years.  We saw anemic job creation.  And ultimately, we saw the worst economic and financial crisis in any of our lifetimes.  That was the legacy of those policies of the previous administration. 

Oh, and I forgot, record deficits.  President Bush came into office in January of 2001 with the largest surpluses in history, delivered to him by President Bill Clinton.  When he left office and President Obama took the oath in January of 2009, in addition to a cascading global economic calamity and a situation where we were losing jobs at the rate of 750,000 a month, President Obama was given the largest deficit in American history -- over a trillion dollars.

So we know what that approach results in.  The President’s approach is quite different.  And, again, we can debate, and we should debate, and the President will debate, no doubt, during this campaign, whether or not now is the right time to give tax cuts to the richest and wealthiest Americans.  But where there is no debate is that middle-class Americans, 98 percent of taxpaying Americans, ought to have their tax cuts extended.  There’s no disagreement between Republicans and Democrats on that.

So the only obstacle to ensuring that 98 percent of the American people don’t see their taxes rise on January 1st is the obstinate refusal of Republicans to let go of the idea that millionaires and billionaires need a tax cut.

Q    Is it just Republicans?  It’s a significant number of Democrats as well --

MR. CARNEY:  I'm saying the position of the President could not have been clearer.  And, yes, a very small fraction of Democrats may have voted here, but the overwhelming majority of Democrats support the principle that the overwhelming, in fact, the entire majority -- the entire Republican caucus, I assume, in both the House and the Senate supports, which is that we ought to extend tax cuts for the middle class.  So let’s do that.  Let’s not hold middle-class tax cuts hostage to the idea that folks making over $250,000 need a tax cut.

Q    Any Olympic calls?

MR. CARNEY:  Any other who?

Q    Olympic calls.

MR. CARNEY:  None today to report.

Q    Is he watching onboard?

MR. CARNEY:  He was in his office when I came down here, so I’m not sure.

MS. PSAKI:  We’ll be watching the women’s all-around, and Ryan Lochte’s attempt to go for a twofer gold, so -- we, being us.  And encouragement of others on the plane.  (Laughter.) 

MR. CARNEY:  That’s right.  The Olympics is definitely on on all the TV sets that I saw walking through the cabin.

END
1:05 P.M. EDT