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The White House

Office of the Vice President

For Immediate Release

September 29, 2010

Readout of Vice President Biden's Calls with Iraqi Leaders

Earlier today, the Vice President spoke with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and, separately, with Vice President Adil Abd al-Mahdi. Both conversations addressed the status of Iraqi negotiations on the formation of a new government. The Vice President urged the two leaders to expedite efforts to form an inclusive and legitimate government that is responsive to the needs of the Iraqi people.

A Living-Room Discussion with Middle Class Families

Posted by Jared Bernstein on September 28, 2010 at 06:52 PM EST

Yesterday, Vice President Biden visited the home of Bob and Lorie Cochran in Manchester, New Hampshire for a discussion on the economy and other issues that are important to middle class families. The Cochrans were kind enough to host a small group of their neighbors and other families from Manchester. You might have seen the President leading similar discussions over the last few weeks – it’s all about hearing directly from the American people about how things are going on Main Street and the concerns they’re facing as they sit around their kitchen tables. We’ve been calling these events “backyard discussions,” but the weather didn’t cooperate yesterday. It started raining as soon as we arrived in New Hampshire, so we all had to move inside to the Cochrans’ living room.

Vice President Joe Biden attends a Middle Class Task Force event at the home of Lorie and Robert Cochran in Manchester, New Hampshire, September 27, 2010. (Official White House Photo by David Lienemann)

Fortunately, the grim weather didn’t put a damper on our conversation. After some brief opening remarks by the Vice President, we launched right into a great discussion, with the audience asking about the steps we’re taking to create jobs and get our economy moving again. The Vice President took the opportunity to discuss our agenda for creating jobs, including more tax cuts for small businesses that want to expand and hire, infrastructure investment to build on the momentum of the Recovery Act, preserving tax cuts for the middle class, making college more affordable, and reducing health care costs while protecting health care consumers.

As you’d expect in a political season in a highly politically engaged state, other questioners asked about the upcoming midterm elections. And on that subject, Vice President Biden stressed the stark choice voters will face on November 2: will we continue moving forward, building on our economic progress, making sure that insurance companies and banks are playing by the new rules of the road, and pursuing a policy agenda focused on the prosperity of the middle class? Or will we hit reverse and go back to the failed, discredited economic policies set that got us into this mess? Will we rescind and repeal the progress we’ve made to end abuses by insurance companies and big banks, stop rebuilding America’s vital infrastructure, and go back to slashing taxes for millionaires and billionaires with no regard for the fiscal consequences?

From where we stand, the choice is clear. Vice President Biden ended the conversation by stressing just how high the stakes are, and how important it is that every American citizen stays engaged in this debate in the weeks ahead. From what I could tell as I looked on from the kitchen, no one disagreed.

Jared Bernstein is Chief Economic Advisor to the Vice President

See more about Economy

The White House

Office of the Vice President

For Immediate Release

September 28, 2010

Readout Of Vice President Biden's Call with Iraqiyya Leader Ayad Allawi

Earlier today, the Vice President spoke with Dr. Ayad Allawi, former Iraqi Prime Minister and leader of the Iraqiyya coalition. The two discussed the status of Iraqi negotiations on the formation of a new government. The Vice President said the U.S. government shares the goal of the Iraqi people for an inclusive government that reflects the results of the election. The Vice President reiterated the fact that the United States is not backing specific candidates. He said that all four winning coalitions should have the opportunity to play a role in the new government and expressed support for Iraqi consideration of power-sharing arrangements in accordance with the constitution. The Vice President urged Dr. Allawi, as he is urging all Iraqi leaders, to expedite efforts to form an inclusive and legitimate government responsive to the needs of the Iraqi people.

Senior Citizens and the Affordable Care Act (Audio Only)

September 23, 2010 | 41:44 | Public Domain

Vice President Joe Biden and Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius will host a conference call with senior citizens from across the country to discuss the benefits of the Affordable Care Act for senior citizens.

Download mp4 (199MB) | mp3 (38MB)

Sixteen Years of the Violence Against Women Act

Lynn Rosenthal

September 23, 2010
05:56 PM EST

Ed. Note: For more information, visit the Department of Health and Human Services violence against women website and the Department of Justice Office on Violence Against Women.

Vice President Joe Biden Speaks at Violence Against Women Event

Vice President Joe Biden speaks during a reception at the Naval Observatory Residence marking the 16th Anniversary of the Violence Against Women Act, in Washington, DC September 22, 2010. (Official White House Photo by David Lienemann)

Last night, more than a hundred advocates and college students from around the country gathered at the home of Vice President Biden to mark the 16th anniversary of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA). The Vice President spoke passionately about his ongoing commitment to ending violence against women and girls and the next steps we must take to change societal attitudes about violence.

Written and championed by then-Senator Biden, VAWA focused on improving the criminal justice response to domestic violence, stalking, and sexual assault. Since 1994, VAWA has sent 4 billion dollars to states and local communities to develop specialized law enforcement units, provide services to victims, improve prosecution of these crimes, and train professionals about domestic violence and sexual assault. In many ways, VAWA has been successful. Since the passage of the Act, domestic violence has dropped by 58%.
In spite of all this progress, we still have much work to do. Three women still die every day at the hands of husbands or boyfriends. Domestic violence causes two million injuries a year and untold amounts of human suffering. Domestic violence shelters are still full, hotlines are ringing, and for every victim who has come forward, many more are suffering alone.

Even more alarming, young women between the ages of 16-24 have the highest rates of relationship violence, and one in five women will be sexually assaulted while they are in college. Vice President Biden pointed out that we must focus on changing attitudes of our young people so that violence against women is not acceptable. He also noted that we must reach young people with the new technologies—like texting and other online media—that they use to communicate. The Vice President is committed to working with teens and college students to meet this challenge and he applauded those who have already joined this effort and were gathered at his home last night.

Check back on this blog for photos, video, and interviews from the event!

Lynn Rosenthal is the White House Advisor on Violence Against Women

Joint Statement by Vice President Biden and Deputy Prime Minister Clegg on Pakistan

The UK and U.S. are committed to ensuring the most effective possible international response to Pakistan’s ongoing flood disaster. We recognize the enormous scale of the devastation and Pakistan’s continuing humanitarian and recovery needs.

We welcome the international contributions that have been made so far, including £134 million (approximately $209 million) from the UK and $345 million (approximately £222 million) from the U.S., and we recognize also the generosity of individual citizens in these and other countries. However, there is more to be done. To meet the targets of the UN’s humanitarian appeal and the upcoming World Bank Damage and Needs Assessment, we encourage the international community to respond fully, rapidly and with effective coordination and leadership. We encourage partners to meet in full pledges made at the 2009 Tokyo Donors meeting in addition to new pledges that are related to the floods.

The U.S. and the UK affirm their commitment to sustained long-term post-flood reconstruction in Pakistan, beyond the immediate humanitarian needs. We encourage other members of the international community to remain engaged as well. Stability in Pakistan, underpinned by economic and democratic development, is vital for the stability of the region and for security in the wider world.

On behalf of our two countries we pledge our unshakeable support for the people of Pakistan in the wake of this natural disaster. But our support does not end here. We reaffirm our commitment to enhancing our respective strategic partnerships with Pakistan, on the basis of shared interests and mutual respect.

We recognize also the role that the international community has in helping Pakistan to address a range of challenges across development, security, and governance. We look to the Friends of Democratic Pakistan Ministerial meeting in October to mobilize further political support on these agendas.

The White House

Office of the Vice President

For Immediate Release

September 23, 2010

Readout of Vice President Biden's Meeting with British Deputy Prime Minister Nicholas Clegg

Vice President Biden welcomed British Deputy Prime Minister Clegg today to the White House where the two leaders engaged in wide-ranging discussion over lunch. They discussed the floods and ongoing humanitarian crisis in Pakistan and pledged both our countries’ enduring support for the Pakistani people. The Vice President thanked the Deputy Prime Minister for the outstanding contribution that British forces had made in Sangin, and the two leaders discussed progress and next steps in Afghanistan. The Vice President and Deputy Prime Minister reviewed the strong defense ties between our countries, including the preparations for the upcoming NATO Summit in Lisbon, and welcomed the unanimous vote of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in favor of the U.S.-UK Defense Trade Cooperation Treaty earlier this week. They discussed efforts by each country to strengthen our economies, including ways to help working families and to draw from each government’s experiences and best practices.

The White House

Office of the Vice President

For Immediate Release

September 21, 2010

Readout of Vice President Biden’s meeting with Prime Minister Papandreou of Greece

The Vice President met today with Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou as part of the Administration’s frequent consultations with our European allies on our shared agenda and in recognition of the historic relationship between the United States and Greece. The Vice President expressed strong support for Greece’s economic and political reforms and applauded the Prime Minister’s bold leadership. He expressed his appreciation for the Prime Minister’s efforts to advance the integration of the countries of Southeast Europe into Euro-Atlantic structures, and he emphasized the need for leaders in Athens and Skopje to quickly agree upon a mutually acceptable solution to resolve their differences over the name issue.

The two leaders discussed the recent decision by the International Court of Justice on Kosovo’s declaration of independence and how to move forward so that the people of Serbia and Kosovo are able to become fully a part of a Europe whole and free and at peace. The Vice President and the Prime Minister discussed the situation in Cyprus and expressed their full support for the Cypriot-led process, under the good offices of the UN, towards a just and lasting settlement that reunifies Cyprus as a bi-zonal and bi-communal federation. The Vice President applauded efforts by Greece and Turkey to strengthen their relations.

The Vice President and Prime Minister also discussed the Middle East. The two leaders emphasized their support for the direct talks between Israel and the Palestinians, and the need for both sides to continue the process until they reach an agreement on two states. The Vice President reiterated the need for Iran to comply fully and unconditionally with UN Security Council resolutions related to its nuclear program and to engage constructively in discussions with the P5+1.

Investing in University Research

September 21, 2010 | 25:46 | Public Domain

Vice President Joe Biden hosts a roundtable discussion with university presidents to discuss investments in university research made through the Recovery Act.

Download mp4 (246MB) | mp3 (24MB)

The White House

Office of the Vice President

For Immediate Release

September 20, 2010

Statement from Vice President Biden on Government Accountability Office's Latest Report on Recovery Act Implementation

“We appreciate the Government Accountability Office’s continued oversight of the Recovery Act and are pleased to hear that they once again find the program is meeting our unprecedented standards for accountability and transparency. As the GAO notes, the Recovery Act has played a critical role in providing health care assistance for the hardest-hit among us, kept hundreds of thousands of teachers in America’s classrooms during tough economic times and, from infrastructure to innovation, is supporting job-creating projects in every corner of the country.

“As we work to reverse a decade’s worth of failed economic policies and rebuild our economy on a new foundation that strengthens the middle class, we continue to deliver on Recovery Act programs on-time and, in many cases, under-budget. We are constantly looking for ways to improve Recovery Act implementation and appreciate some of the new recommendations the GAO has made today. As we have with previous reports, we have asked agencies to look at how they can act on the new guidance to strengthen management of Recovery Act programs even further.”