The White House

Office of the Vice President

For Immediate Release
February 16, 2011

Readout of the Vice President's Meeting with Prime Minister Gruevski of Macedonia

The Vice President met today with Macedonian Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski to further the Administration’s efforts to promote peace, stability, and prosperity in Europe.  The two leaders discussed the political and economic relationship between the United States and Macedonia, and the Vice President noted the importance the United States attaches to rule of law, freedom of independent media, and good inter-ethnic relations in Macedonia.  The Vice President thanked the Prime Minister for Macedonia’s contributions to the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan, where it is one of the highest per capita troop contributors.  The Vice President expressed the hope that Macedonia and Greece resolve together the longstanding "name issue" so that Macedonia can move forward on seeking NATO membership and fulfilling its Euro-Atlantic aspirations.

Spending Time with Our Military & Their Families

Dr. Jill Biden
Dr. Jill Biden
February 16, 2011
05:10 PM EST

One of the great honors that the Vice President and I have had over the last two years has been being able to spend time with our service members and their families who shoulder so much of the burden for our country.  I wanted to share some photos from two great visits we had recently.

previous photo
play
next photo

Last week the Vice President was at Fort Campbell for an arrival ceremony to welcome home members of the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, returning from Afghanistan.  He also made a point to meet with families of the returning soldiers to thank them for their sacrifice, and took some time for the Fort Campbell Falcons high school football who have family members serving in the military.

For my part, I was at Fort Stewart in Georgia earlier this week, where I heard from teachers, parents and school administrators about some issues they face in educating military children.  While no doubt challenging, the elementary school was doing a great job and they have found some innovative ways to keep parents involved in their children's education during a deployment.  One teacher told me she sets up parent-teacher conferences over the internet, so she can update them on their children's progress in the classroom.

Related Topics: Veterans, Georgia, Kentucky

The White House

Office of the Vice President

For Immediate Release
February 16, 2011

Vice President Biden, Dr. Jill Biden to Travel to Finland, Russia and Moldova

Vice President Joe Biden and Dr. Jill Biden will travel to Finland, Russia, and Moldova during the week of March 7, 2011. In each country, the Vice President will meet with key leaders to discuss the full range of bilateral and regional issues.  In Helsinki, he looks forward to consulting with our Finnish partners on our shared regional and global priorities.  In Moscow, he will seek to build on the reset in U.S.-Russian relations, with a focus on ways to further the prosperity of our two countries.  In Chisinau, he will signal our support for ongoing democratic and economic reforms and for Moldova's aspirations for European integration.

Additional details about the Vice President and Dr. Biden's trip will be released at a later date.

The White House

Office of the Vice President

For Immediate Release
February 13, 2011

Readout of Vice President Biden's Call to Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki

As part of his outreach to U.S. allies and partners, the Vice President spoke with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki today to consult on developments in Egypt.  Both leaders welcomed the peaceful change in Egypt and commended the Egyptian army for respecting the wishes of the Egyptian people.  The Vice President also congratulated the Prime Minister on the recent approval by the Council of Representatives of several key ministers, including the Minister of Electricity.  The Vice President commended the Prime Minister for his role in consolidating Iraq's democratic progress, and encouraged the prompt completion of the final steps for government formation, including the appointment of security ministers and the establishment of the National Council for Higher Policies.

Weekly Wrap Up: Rebuilding America's Infrastructure for the 21st Century

Posted by Kori Schulman on February 11, 2011 at 07:09 PM EST

A quick look at the week of February 7, 2011:

President Obama Meets Workers in Michigan

President Barack Obama greets the employees during a stop at Donkers candy store and restaurant in Marquette, Mich., February 10, 2011. (Official White House Photo by Samantha Appleton)

Quote: "America has always used the building of our infrastructure networks to take our economy forward and to build out American industry. The Wireless Initiative is going to bring that to the 21st Century. It's going to take it to the next level, because that's the American way."--Austan Goolsbee, chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers, explaining the National Wireless Initiative on the White Board.

Advise the Advisor: Your direct line to senior staff at the White House kicks off with a new video with Senior Advisor David Plouffe.

Open for Suggestions: The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau wants to hear from you. Check out the new ConsumerFinance.gov, share your suggestions for the bureau and watch video responses.

Out-Building: This week, the President puts forward plans to build up the nation's infrastructure, investing in things like high speed rail, and expanding broadband access so all of America's families will be equipped to win the future:

See more about Civil Rights, Economy, Energy and Environment, Fiscal Responsibility, Foreign Policy, Rural, Technology, Working Families, Additional Issues  

West Wing Week: "The New Electrification"

Arun Chaudhary
Arun Chaudhary
February 11, 2011
12:00 AM EST

Welcome to the West Wing Week, your guide to everything that's happening at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. This week, President Obama focused on the second part of his State of the Union goals of out-innovating, out-building, and out-competing the rest of the world, putting forward plans to build up the nation's infrastructure, investing in things like high speed rail, and expanding broadband access so all of America's families will be equipped to win the future. The Prime Minister of Canada also dropped by.

Find out more about the topics covered in this West Wing Week:

Friday, February 4th, 2011

Monday, February 7th, 2011

Tuesday, February 8th, 2011

Thursday, February 10, 2011

Arun Chaudhary is the official White House Videographer.

Related Topics: Economy, Innovations, Energy and Environment, Foreign Policy, Homeland Security, Technology, Additional Issues

West Wing Week: "The New Electrification"

February 11, 2011 | 6:23

This week, President Obama focused on the second part of his State of the Union goals of out-innovating, out-building, and out-competing the rest of the world, putting forward plans to build up the nation's infrastructure, investing in things like high speed rail, and expanding broadband access so all of America's families will be equipped to win the future. The Prime Minister of Canada also dropped by.

Download m4v

The White House

Office of the Vice President

For Immediate Release
February 09, 2011

Readout of the President and Vice President’s Meeting with Prime Minister Pahor of Slovenia

The Vice President met today with Slovene Prime Minister Borut Pahor as part of the Administration’s frequent consultations with our European allies on our shared agenda to promote peace, stability, and prosperity in Europe and beyond.  The Vice President expressed his appreciation for the Prime Minister’s leadership in the region of Southeastern Europe, and the two leaders discussed ways in which the United States and Europe could work together to advance the integration of all of Slovenia’s neighbors into Euro-Atlantic structures; in that context, the Vice President noted the United States’ and Slovenia’s shared interest in and support for Croatia’s European Union candidacy.  They also discussed trade and investment opportunities, and the Vice President welcomed the Prime Minister’s efforts to improve the investment climate in Slovenia.

 

The Vice President took the opportunity to wish the Prime Minister and all Slovenians congratulations on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the country’s independence later this year.

 

The President joined part of the meeting to acknowledge our strong bilateral relationship and to thank the Prime Minister for Slovenia’s strong support for the people of Afghanistan and its contributions to NATO’s International Security Assistance Force (ISAF).  The leaders also reviewed the current situation in Southeastern Europe.

Subscribe

Bringing High-Speed Rail to America

Posted by Tobin Marcus on February 08, 2011 at 07:52 PM EST

Ed. Note: Read more from Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood on his blog.

Download Video: mp4 (288MB) | mp3 (28MB)

Imagine the last time you took a trip between two American cities.  Maybe you had to wait in line at a crowded airport; maybe you spent hours in traffic in a car or a bus.  Or maybe you made the trip on a train that had to slow down over and over because it was running on outdated tracks.

Now think about the fact that over the next 40 years, the population of the US is projected to grow by 100 million, and consider how much that’ll increase the use of our roads, airports, and rail.  Now imagine what that same trip you took will be like if we don’t build the transportation infrastructure we need to accommodate those extra travelers.

The fact is, those folks are going to travel one way or another.  But it’s up to us whether they travel on the infrastructure of the past, or whether they travel on new 21st century transportation infrastructure that’s fast, modern, efficient, and environmentally friendly.

That’s why Vice President Biden traveled to Philadelphia today to announce a comprehensive plan to help the nation reach President Obama’s goal of giving 80 percent of Americans access to high-speed rail within 25 years.  The President is proposing to invest $53 billion over the next six years to continue construction of a national high-speed and intercity passenger rail network, which will create tens of thousands of private-sector jobs while helping to lay a new foundation for our economy.

See more about Economy, Innovations, Energy and Environment  

Building a 21st Century Infrastructure

February 08, 2011 | 30:10 | Public Domain

Vice President Joe Biden speaks about the Administration’s plan to build a 21st century infrastructure with investments in roads, bridges and high-speed rail as he visits Philadelphia’s 30th Street Station.

Download mp4 (288MB) | mp3 (28MB)