The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
July 08, 2014

Message to the Congress -- Regarding the Democratic Republic of the Congo

TO THE CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES:

Pursuant to the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.) (IEEPA), I hereby report that I have issued an Executive Order (the "order") taking additional steps with respect to the national emergency declared in Executive Order 13413 of October 27, 2006 (E.O. 13413).

In E.O. 13413, it was determined that the situation in or in relation to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, which has been marked by widespread violence and atrocities that continue to threaten regional stability and was addressed by the United Nations Security Council in Resolution 1596 of April 18, 2005, Resolution 1649 of December 21, 2005, and Resolution 1698 of July 31, 2006, constitutes an unusual and extraordinary threat to the foreign policy of the United States.  To address that threat, E.O. 13413 blocks the property and interests in property of persons listed in the Annex to E.O. 13413 or determined by the Secretary of the Treasury, in consultation with the Secretary of State, to meet criteria specified in E.O. 13413.

In view of multiple additional United Nations Security Council Resolutions including, most recently, Resolution 2136 of January 30, 2014, I am issuing the order to take additional steps to deal with the national emergency declared in E.O. 13413, and to address the continuation of activities that threaten the peace, security, or stability of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the surrounding region, including operations by armed groups, widespread violence and atrocities, human rights abuses, recruitment and use of child soldiers, attacks on peacekeepers, obstruction of humanitarian operations, and exploitation of natural resources to finance persons engaged in these activities.

The order amends the designation criteria specified in E.O. 13413.  As amended by the order, E.O. 13413 provides for the designation of persons determined by the Secretary of the

Treasury, in consultation with the Secretary of State:

  • to be a political or military leader of a foreign armed group operating in the Democratic Republic of the Congo that impedes the disarmament, demobilization, voluntary repatriation, resettlement, or reintegration of combatants; 
  • to be a political or military leader of a Congolese armed group that impedes the disarmament, demobilization, voluntary repatriation, resettlement, or reintegration of combatants;
  • to be responsible for or complicit in, or to have engaged in, directly or indirectly, any of the following in or in relation to the Democratic Republic of the Congo:

o actions or policies that threaten the peace, security, or stability of the Democratic Republic of the Congo;

o actions or policies that undermine democratic processes or institutions in the Democratic Republic of the Congo;

o the targeting of women, children, or any civilians through the commission of acts of violence (including killing, maiming, torture, or rape or other sexual violence), abduction, forced displacement, or attacks on schools, hospitals, religious sites, or locations where civilians are seeking refuge, or through conduct that would constitute a serious abuse or violation of human rights or a violation of international humanitarian law;

o the use or recruitment of children by armed groups or armed forces in the context of the conflict in the

Democratic Republic of the Congo;

 o the obstruction of the delivery or distribution of, or access to, humanitarian assistance;

 o attacks against United Nations missions, international security presences, or other peacekeeping operations; or  o support to persons, including armed groups, involved in activities that threaten the peace, security, or stability of the Democratic Republic of the Congo or that undermine democratic processes or institutions in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, through the illicit trade in natural resources of the Democratic Republic of the Congo;

  • except where intended for the authorized support of humanitarian activities or the authorized use by or support of peacekeeping, international, or government forces, to have directly or indirectly supplied, sold, or transferred to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, or been the recipient in the territory of the Democratic Republic of the Congo of, arms and related materiel, including military aircraft and equipment, or advice, training, or assistance, including financing and financial assistance, related to military activities;
  • to be a leader of (i) an entity, including any armed group, that has, or whose members have, engaged in any of the activities described above or (ii) an entity whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to E.O. 13413;
  • to have materially assisted, sponsored, or provided financial, material, logistical, or technological support for, or goods or services in support of (i) any of the activities described above or (ii) any person whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to E.O. 13413; or
  • to be owned or controlled by, or to have acted or purported to act for or on behalf of, directly or indirectly, any person whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to E.O. 13413.

I have delegated to the Secretary of the Treasury, in consultation with the Secretary of State, the authority to take such actions, including the promulgation of rules and regulations, and to employ all powers granted to the President by IEEPA and the United Nations Participation Act as may be necessary to carry out the purposes of the order.  All agencies of the United States Government are directed to take all appropriate measures within their authority to carry out the provisions of the order.

I am enclosing a copy of the Executive Order I have issued. 

BARACK OBAMA

 

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
July 08, 2014

President Obama Signs New York Disaster Declaration

Today, the President declared a major disaster in the State of New York and ordered federal aid to supplement state and local recovery efforts in the area affected by the severe storms and flooding during the period of May 13-22, 2014.

Federal funding also 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 flooding in the counties of Allegany, Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Delaware, Herkimer, Lewis, Livingston, Ontario, Otsego, Steuben, and Yates.

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 Steven S. Ward 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
July 08, 2014

Letter from the President -- Regarding Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Request to Address the Increase in Child and Adult Migration from Central America in the Rio Grande Valley Areas of the Southwest Border; and Wildfire Suppression

Dear Mr. Speaker:

On June 30, I provided an update on my Administration's efforts in addressing the urgent humanitarian situation on both sides of the Southwest border with an aggressive, unified, and coordinated Federal response.  Today, I ask the Congress to consider the enclosed emergency supplemental appropriations request for Fiscal Year (FY) 2014 that includes $3.7 billion to comprehensively address this urgent humanitarian situation.

This funding would support a sustained border security surge through enhanced domestic enforcement, including air surveillance; expenses related to the repatriation and reintegration of migrants; associated transportation costs; additional immigration judge teams, immigration prosecutors, and immigration litigation attorneys to ensure cases are processed fairly and as quickly as possible; funding to address the root causes of migration; public diplomacy and international information programs; the operational costs of responding to the significant rise in apprehensions of unaccompanied children and adults traveling with children; and expenses associated with the appropriate care for those apprehended, consistent with Federal law, and the necessary medical response.

I am also requesting $615 million for emergency wildfire suppression activities for FY 2014, and a new discretionary cap adjustment for wildfire suppression operations starting in FY 2015.  This funding would provide for the necessary expenses for wildfire suppression and rehabilitation activities this fiscal year so we can fight fires without having to resort to damaging transfers from our wildfire treatment and protection activities.  Too often in recent years, this cycle of transfers has undermined our efforts to prepare for and reduce the severity of wildfires, which is both fiscally imprudent and self-defeating.

My request includes language to support a discretionary cap adjustment to allow the Federal Government to respond to severe, complex, and threatening fires or a severe fire season in the same way as we fund other natural disasters such as hurricanes or earthquakes.  This approach would provide funding certainty in future years for firefighting costs, free up resources to invest in areas that will promote long-term forest health and reduce fire risk, and maintain fiscal responsibility by addressing wildfire disaster needs through agreed-upon funding mechanisms.    

My Administration requests that the funding described above be designated as emergency requirements pursuant to section 251(b)(2)(A) of the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985, as amended, (BBEDCA).  In addition, my Administration requests that a new cap adjustment for wildfire suppression operations be added to section 251(b)(2) of BBEDCA.

I urge the Congress to act expeditiously in considering this important request, the details of which are set forth in the enclosed letter from the Acting Director of the Office of Management and Budget.

Finally, separate from this request, my Administration will continue to work with the Congress -- following up on my letter to congressional leadership on June 30, 2014 -- to ensure that we have the legal authorities to maximize the impact of our efforts, including providing the Secretary of Homeland Security additional authority to exercise discretion in processing the return and removal of unaccompanied minor children from non-contiguous countries like Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador, and increasing penalties for those who smuggle vulnerable migrants, like children.

Sincerely,

 BARACK OBAMA

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
July 08, 2014

FACT SHEET: Emergency Supplemental Request to Address the Increase in Child and Adult Migration from Central America in the Rio Grande Valley Areas of the Southwest Border

While overall rates of apprehensions across our Southwest border remain at near historic lows, apprehensions and processing of children and individuals from Central America crossing the border in the Rio Grande Valley have continued at high rates.  The Administration continues to address this urgent humanitarian situation with a whole-of government response which includes efforts by the Departments of Homeland Security (DHS) and Justice (DOJ) to deploy additional enforcement resources -- including immigration judges, Immigration and Customs Enforcement attorneys, and asylum officers -- to focus on individuals and adults traveling with children from Central America and entering without authorization across the Southwest border.  Part of this surge includes detention of adults traveling with children, as well as expanded use of the Alternatives to Detention program, to avoid a more significant humanitarian situation.  DHS is working to secure additional space that satisfies applicable legal and humanitarian standards for detention of adults with children.  This surge of resources means that cases are processed fairly and as quickly as possible, ensuring the protection of asylum seekers and refugees while enabling the prompt removal of individuals who do not qualify for asylum or other forms of relief from removal.  Finally, to attack the criminal organizations and smuggling rings that are exploiting these individuals, agencies are surging law enforcement task forces in cooperation with our international partners, with a focus on stepped-up interdiction and prosecution.

Under the President’s direction, the Administration also continues to work closely with our Mexican and Central American partners to address the root causes of this problem, stem the flow of adults and unaccompanied children into the United States, and expand capacity to receive and reintegrate repatriated migrants.  Following the Vice President’s June 20 meeting with leaders from El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Mexico, to discuss our shared responsibility for promoting security, these countries committed to working together and with the United States to address the immediate humanitarian situation as well as the long-term challenges.  Secretary Kerry met with leaders from El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras on July 1st in Panama, and in his remarks highlighted some of the challenges driving migration, the importance of applying the law and combating misinformation, and working together with Central American partners to address these challenges.  We are working with our Central American partners, nongovernmental organizations, and other influential voices to send a clear message to potential migrants so that they understand the significant dangers of this journey and to make clear that they are not eligible for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals process or earned citizenship provisions that are part of comprehensive immigration reform pending in the Congress.  As part of this effort, we have also committed foreign assistance resources to improve capacity of these countries to receive and reintegrate returned individuals and address the underlying security and economic issues that cause migration. 

While the Administration is working across all of these channels, we are eager to work with the Congress to ensure that sufficient resources and authorities exist to continue our efforts.  That is why today the President is requesting a $3.7 billion supplemental appropriation focused on:

  • Deterrence, including increased detainment and removal of adults with children and increased immigration court capacity to speed cases
  • Enforcement, including enhanced interdiction and prosecution of criminal networks, increased surveillance, and expanded collaborative law enforcement task force efforts
  • Foreign Cooperation, including improved repatriation and reintegration, stepped-up public information campaigns, and efforts to address the root causes of migration
  • Capacity, including increased detainment, care, and transportation of unaccompanied children

The supplemental appropriation broken down below would fund activities at the Departments of, Homeland Security (DHS), Justice (DOJ), State and other International Programs, and Health and Human Services (HHS). 

The Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement - $1.1 billion

This proposal would provide the Department of Homeland Security a total of $1.1 billion for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).  Of this total:

  • $116 million would pay for transportation costs associated with the significant rise in apprehensions of unaccompanied children;
  • $109 million would provide for immigration and customs enforcement efforts, including expanding the Border Enforcement Security Task Force program, doubling the size of vetted units in El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras, and expanding investigatory activities by ICE Homeland Security Investigations; and
  • $879 million would pay for detention and removal of apprehended undocumented adults traveling with children, expansion of alternatives to detention programs for these individuals, and additional prosecution capacity for adults with children who cross the border unlawfully.

The Department of Homeland Security, Customs and Border Protection - $433 million

This proposal would provide the Department of Homeland Security a total of $433 million for Customs and Border Protection (CBP).  Of this total:

  • $364 million would pay for operational costs of responding to the significant rise in apprehensions of unaccompanied children and families, including overtime and temporary duty costs for Border Patrol agents, contract services and facility costs to care for children while in CBP custody, and medical and transportation service arrangements;
  • $29 million for CBP to expand its role in Border Enforcement Security Task Force programs, increasing information-sharing and collaboration among the participating law enforcement agencies combatting transnational crime; and
  • $39.4 million to increase air surveillance capabilities that would support 16,526 additional flight hours for border surveillance and 16 additional crews for unmanned aerial systems to improve detection and interdiction of illegal activity.

The Department of Justice - $64 million

This proposal would provide the Department of Justice a total of $64 million.  Of the total:

  • $45.4 million would be to hire approximately 40 additional immigration judge teams, including those anticipated to be hired on a temporary basis.  This funding would also expand courtroom capacity including additional video conferencing and other equipment in support of the additional immigration judge teams.  These additional resources, when combined with the FY 2015 Budget request for 35 additional teams, would provide sufficient capacity to process an additional 55,000 to 75,000 cases annually.
  • $2.5 million would be used to expand the legal orientation program that provides assistance to adults and custodians of children in the immigration court system. 
  • $15 million to provide direct legal representation services to children in immigration proceedings. 
  • $1.1 million to hire additional immigration litigation attorneys to support Federal agencies involved in detainee admission, regulation, and removal actions.

Department of State and Other International Programs - $300 million

This proposal would provide $300 million to the Department of State. Of the total:

  • $295 million would support efforts to repatriate and reintegrate migrants to Central America, to help the governments in the region better control their borders, and to address the underlying root causes driving migration, i.e. creating the economic, social, governance, and citizen security conditions to address factors that are contributing to significant increases in migration to the United States.  Beyond initial assistance, continued funding for repatriation and reintegration activities will be contingent on sustained progress and cooperation by the Central American countries.
  • $5 million would support State Department media campaigns in Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras, targeting potential migrants and their families.  The campaigns will emphasize the dangers of the journey, deliver the message that unaccompanied children are not given a permit to stay in the U.S., and highlight a shared community responsibility for the welfare of unaccompanied children.  Funds would also support youth programs to develop skills and leadership among potential migrants.

The Department of Health and Human Services - $1.8 billion

This proposal would provide an additional $1.8 billion for HHS to provide the appropriate care for unaccompanied children, consistent with Federal law, while maintaining services for refugees.  With these funds, HHS will have the resources to be able to care for the children currently projected to come into the custody of the Department of Homeland Security while putting in place more stable, cost-effective arrangements for these children going forward.  The proposal would also support the ongoing HHS medical response activities for unaccompanied children to address the surge at Border Patrol facilities.

Without supplemental funding, absent undertaking extraordinary measures, agencies will not have sufficient resources to adequately address this situation.  HHS will be unable to address the influx of children by securing sufficient shelter capacity with the number of children held at Border Patrol stations continuing to increase, for longer periods of time.  Going forward, HHS will be unable to set-up more stable, cost-effective arrangements for these children, Border Patrol agents will have to be re-assigned to child care duties from their border security work, and ICE will lack the resources needed to sufficiently expand detention and removal capacity for adults with children who cross the border illegally.  In addition, without additional funds, DOJ will be unable to keep pace with its growing caseload, leading to longer wait times for those cases already on the docket. And absent dedicated resources in Central American countries, we will not make progress on the larger drivers of this humanitarian crisis. For these reasons, supplemental resources are urgently needed to continue forward with the aggressive response that the Administration has deployed to date.

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
July 07, 2014

Readout of the President’s Call with President Hollande of France

The President spoke today with President Hollande of France to consult about the situation in eastern Ukraine.  The leaders agreed that their preference remains a bilateral ceasefire, fully supported by Russia, and a peaceful resolution to the conflict, including the release of all hostages.  In the absence of any meaningful efforts by the separatists to engage in talks or to adhere to the ceasefire, however, the President noted that we respect the Ukrainian government’s responsibility to maintain public order in the country and to protect the population.  The leaders further agreed that Russia has a responsibility to cease its destabilizing activities, such as by no longer allowing and facilitating the transit of weapons and fighters across the border, ceasing its own military build-up near the border, and halting its ongoing direct and indirect support for violent separatists.  The Presidents decided that the United States and Europe should take further coordinated measures to impose costs on Russia if it does not take immediate steps toward de-escalation.

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
July 07, 2014

Presidential Nomination Sent to the Senate

NOMINATION SENT TO THE SENATE:

Robert Alan McDonald, of Ohio, to be Secretary of Veterans Affairs, vice Eric K. Shinseki, resigned.

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
July 07, 2014

Statement by the Press Secretary on S. 1681

On Monday, July 7, 2014, the President signed into law:

S. 1681, the "Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2014," which authorizes fiscal year 2014 appropriations for U.S. intelligence-related activities and establishes and provides other authorities concerning U.S. intelligence and counter-terrorism activities.

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
July 06, 2014

Dr. Jill Biden Arrives in Sierra Leone

Dr. Jill Biden has arrived in Freetown, Sierra Leone, her final stop on a three-country visit to Africa.

In Sierra Leone, Dr. Biden will highlight how her trip to Africa has focused on the importance of girls’ education and women’s participation in government, the economy, and civil society in accelerating economic development, improving health and educational outcomes, strengthening democratic governance, and fostering peace and security.

On Sunday, Dr. Biden will attend a reception hosted by Second Lady Khadija Sam Sumana as part of Sierra Leone’s recognition of the significance of this visit.

On Monday, Dr. Biden will meet with President Ernest Bai Koroma at the State House to discuss women’s empowerment; Sierra Leone’s participation in the Equal Futures Partnership and its efforts to promote women’s political and economic empowerment; the country’s work to crack down on corruption; and a range of other issues facing Sierra Leone today. Upon arrival at the State House, Dr. Biden will observe a female quarter guard ceremony and then walk with President Koroma to the Cotton Tree, a historic national landmark and enduring image of Freetown.

Later, Dr. Biden will visit St. Joseph’s Secondary School where she will deliver remarks on the empowerment of women and girls through education and highlight important moments from her three-country tour of Africa.

Afterwards, Dr. Biden will travel to the U.S. Embassy to meet with staff and families. While at the Embassy, she will meet with human trafficking survivors to discuss how local organizations and government officials are working to prevent trafficking and provide assistance to survivors.

Dr. Biden will then depart Sierra Leone en route Washington, DC.

The White House

Office of the Vice President

For Immediate Release
July 03, 2014

Readout of Vice President Biden's Drop-By with Visiting Delegation from Iraq’s Kurdistan Regional Government

This afternoon, Vice President Biden dropped by Deputy National Security Advisor Tony Blinken’s meeting with Fuad Hussein, Chief of Staff to Iraqi Kurdistan Regional President Masoud Barzani, and Falah Mustafa Bakir, Head of the Kurdistan Regional Government Foreign Relations Department.  Both sides agreed on the importance of forming a new government in Iraq that will pull together all communities in Iraq and can effectively counter the serious and shared threat posed by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL).  The Vice President affirmed strong U.S. support for Iraq in accordance with the Strategic Framework Agreement and emphasized the importance of the relationship between the United States and the Iraqi Kurdistan Region.  

The White House

Office of the Vice President

For Immediate Release
July 03, 2014

Readout of the Vice President's Call with Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan

Vice President Joe Biden spoke today with Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan regarding the crisis in Iraq and other regional issues. The Vice President welcomed the release of some of the Turkish citizens being held hostage by the Islamic State of Iraq and Levant (ISIL). The Vice President and Prime Minister agreed on the importance of supporting lasting security and stability in Iraq and the cooperation of all Iraq’s communities.