The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
May 14, 2014

FACT SHEET – Building a 21st Century Infrastructure: Modernizing Infrastructure Permitting

Building a 21st century infrastructure is a critical component of President Obama’s effort to accelerate economic growth, expand opportunity, and improve the competitiveness of the American economy. 

With the Highway Trust Fund projected to run out of money before this fall, President Obama has laid out his vision for a long-term infrastructure bill that would provide certainty for our state and local partners, support millions of jobs, and position our economy for lasting growth. The President is calling on Congress to pass a robust multi-year transportation bill before funding runs out and puts hundreds of thousands of jobs at risk.

The President has also been clear that he is committed to making 2014 a year of action and that while he wants to work with Congress wherever they are willing, he will not hesitate to use his power as President to act on his own to promote American economic growth and opportunity.

That is why, as part of its commitment to ensuring America has a first-class transportation infrastructure, the Administration is taking action to modernize the federal infrastructure permitting process, cutting through red tape and getting more timely decisions, while protecting our communities and the environment.  For projects that are approved, this means states, local and tribal governments, and private developers will be able to start construction sooner, create jobs earlier, and fix our nation’s infrastructure faster. 

Over the past 3 years, federal agencies have worked to expedite the review and permitting of over 50 major infrastructure projects, including bridges, transit, railways, waterways, roads, and renewable energy projects, and over 30 of those projects have completed the permitting process.  For example, federal agencies completed the permitting and review for the Tappan Zee Bridge in 1.5 years for a process that normally takes 3-5 years. 

Today, the Administration is releasing a comprehensive plan to accelerate and expand permitting reform government-wide.  The Administration’s plan adopts the best practices learned from the initial focus projects and calls on federal agencies to apply those practices going forward.  By turning best practice into common practice, we can improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the federal permitting and review of all major infrastructure projects.  These reforms include:   

  • Improving Interagency Coordination to Increase Decision Making Speed.  Major infrastructure projects often require multiple permits and reviews from federal agencies and bureaus responsible for ensuring projects are built safely.  To improve interagency coordination, the Administration will institutionalize best practices, including:

    • Requiring early coordination with the identification of a lead agency for each project.
    • Requiring a single coordinated project plan across all federal agencies.
    • Strengthening dispute resolution mechanisms to quickly resolve conflicts and make sure that interagency disputes do not hold back valid projects or quick decision making.

  • Synchronizing Reviews.  Federal agencies will also be moving from separate, consecutive reviews to synchronized, simultaneous reviews.  For example, the U.S. Coast Guard, the Army Corps of Engineers, and the Department of Transportation have launched a new partnership to synchronize their reviews for transportation projects.  By developing one environmental analysis that satisfies all three agencies, project timelines can be significantly reduced. 

  • Driving Accountability and Transparency through the Online Permitting Dashboard.  The Administration’s Federal Infrastructure Projects Permitting Dashboard supports coordination and synchronization of projects among federal agencies, and can also help create a more predictable process for project applicants.  The Administration is expanding the Dashboard to include additional projects, as well as new capabilities to track project schedules and metrics, increasing overall accountability and transparency.  As a first step, today we are adding 11 more Dashboard projects.  Each project will have a lead agency, a coordinated project plan across all federal agencies, and public tracking of progress to ensure milestones are met.  The Administration’s goal is for all major infrastructure projects to be included on the Dashboard to institutionalize and broaden the reach of this tool.

  • Launching an Interagency Permitting Center to Institutionalize Reform.  The Administration is standing up an interagency infrastructure permitting improvement center dedicated to implementing these reforms across agencies, as well as looking for new ways to modernize infrastructure permitting and reviews.  The President’s 2015 Budget includes funding for the center and the expansion of the Permitting Dashboard.

This effort to modernize infrastructure permitting is part of the Administration’s broader commitment to increase investment in U.S. infrastructure, as well as the President’s Management Agenda, which is dedicated to driving efficiency within government, spurring economic growth, and unlocking the full potential of the federal workforce. The Administration has also recently released the GROW AMERICA Act, a four-year, $302 billion transportation plan to modernize our nation’s roads, bridges, and public transportation, spur economic growth, and allow states and localities to make sound multi-year investments.  The GROW AMERICA Act includes reforms to further accelerate the approval and delivery of projects.  Together these efforts will help create the transportation infrastructure we need for the 21st century.

Background:

Modernizing Infrastructure Permitting

As major infrastructure projects are proposed, federal, state, local, and tribal entities work to consider and minimize potential impacts on safety and security, and environmental and community resources such as air, water, land, and historical and cultural resources.  For the majority of projects, these environmental review and permitting requirements are accomplished effectively and efficiently. However, for particularly large and complex infrastructure projects, multiple permits and approvals can lead inefficiencies and delay.

To begin addressing this challenge, the President issued a Presidential Memorandum on August 31, 2011 and an Executive Order on March 22, 2012 to add more transparency, accountability, and certainty into the permitting and review processes for major infrastructure projects.  Since then, federal agencies have worked to expedite the review and permitting of over 50 major projects, including bridges, transit, railways, waterways, roads, and renewable energy projects; over 30 of those projects have now completed the permitting process.  Progress on these projects is tracked publically through the Administration's online Federal Infrastructure Projects Permitting Dashboard.

Building off this work on specific projects, agencies have identified a set of best practices for efficient review and permitting, ranging from expanding information technology (IT) tools to synchronizing reviews for improving collaboration.  On May 17, 2013, the President issued a Presidential Memorandum charging an interagency Steering Committee with developing a plan to put these best practices to work in a systematic and permanent way across the government.  The Steering Committee is comprised of 12 agencies including the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (ACHP), Department of Agriculture (USDA), Department of the Army (USACE), Department of Commerce represented by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Department of Defense (DOD), Department of Energy (DOE), Department of Homeland Security represented by the U.S Coast Guard (Coast Guard), Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Department of the Interior (DOI), Department of Transportation (DOT), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Morris K. Udall and Stewart L. Udall Foundation (Udall) as well as the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ).    

An Implementation Plan to Guide Further Reforms

Today, the Administration’s Steering Committee on permitting issued an Implementation Plan, which identifies four over-arching strategies, 15 specific reforms, and nearly 100 near-term and long-term milestones to institutionalize and drive these reforms across Federal agencies.  The full plan will be available HERE following the President’s remarks.

The strategies are:

  • Strategy 1: Institutionalize Interagency Coordination and Transparency by formalizing interagency coordination, including: early identification of a lead agency; synchronizing separate federal review and permitting processes and decisions; standardizing the use of the Permitting Dashboard; and identifying best practices for early engagement with state, local, and tribal governments.

    Implementation of key reforms is underway.  For example, for the proposed Great Northern Transmission Line (GNTL), the Department of Energy initiated monthly meetings with other Federal agencies, Minnesota Power, and non-federal agencies to ensure early coordination, and Minnesota Power has held several public meetings.  Through these early coordination meetings, the company was able to narrow down potential corridors to two routes in their application which address agency concerns and will facilitate a more efficient review process.  Similarly, the Lynwood Link Extension project north of Seattle, WA and Federal Way Extension Light Rail Transit in South King County, WA have been working closely with state, local, and tribal governments and all involved federal agencies on the projects’ permitting and reviews to identify issues early in the process and avoid unnecessary delay.  These three projects, as well as eight others, were added to the Permitting Dashboard today.

  • Strategy 2:  Improve Project Planning, Siting, and Application Quality by developing tools to assist project applicants in planning for a major infrastructure project and support effective and timely decision-making by agency staff once the federal process begins.  For example, agencies are expanding access to data and map-based IT tools so that applicants have information about potential sensitive areas, such as the location of an endangered species- in advance of selecting a site.

  • Strategy 3: Improve Permitting Reviews and Mitigation by supporting agency staff in effectively implementing existing regulations, policies, and guidance, as well as identifying barriers. This strategy also includes policies to facilitate advance planning for the mitigation of project impacts and landscape- or watershed-level approaches to mitigation, where appropriate, as well as changes to cost-recovery authority for specific agencies as proposed in the President’s FY 2015 Budget. 

    For example, a number of agencies have recently expanded their use of programmatic environmental analyses, improving efficiency by leveraging a single analysis for multiple projects, and improving environmental outcomes by making it possible to plan for nearby projects with a better understanding of how they fit within a single landscape. For example, in 2012, the Department of the Interior released a Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement to provide a single blueprint for utility-scale solar energy permitting in six states.  Additionally, on April 10, 2014, the Secretary of the Interior issued a Department-wide landscape-scale mitigation strategy to encourage infrastructure development while protecting natural and cultural resources.  As part of the strategy, Interior will work closely with states, tribes, other federal agencies, and other stakeholders to identify regional conservation priorities that can benefit from coordinated landscape-scale mitigation.

  • Strategy 4: Drive Continued Improvement by establishing a team dedicated to implementation of the reforms across agencies, further analyzing agency processes, identifying additional reforms, and developing reliable metrics to track timeframes and outcomes for communities and the environment.

    To support these efforts, the President’s FY 2015 Budget includes funding to establish an Interagency Infrastructure Permitting Improvement Center (IIPIC) to be housed at the Department of Transportation.  The IIPIC will report to the interagency Steering Committee chaired by OMB in coordination with CEQ to ensure a government-wide perspective.  The Budget also includes funds to expand the Permitting Dashboard to track schedules for more major infrastructure projects, improving transparency and accountability.

    Additionally, the Administration established a Cross-Agency Priority (CAP) Goal on infrastructure permitting to drive progress, ensure transparency, and promote interagency coordination.  As a CAP Goal, this effort will receive regular, senior-level reviews, and progress will be tracked publicly on Performance.gov.

Building on Past Success:  Examples of Expedited Projects

The Implementation Plan builds on lessons learned from projects that the Administration has successfully expedited in recent years, at the President’s direction.  Some examples include: 

Replacement of the Tappan Zee Bridge will improve mobility, reduce congestion, and make travel safer on one of the east coast’s busiest routes.  This critical Hudson River crossing north of New York City carries approximately 138,000 vehicles per day between Westchester and Rockland counties, approximately 20 miles north of New York City.  The current bridge is nearly 60 years old and traffic volumes on the bridge have increased by about 30 percent since 1990.  Using the process established under the Presidential Memorandum in 2011, federal agencies completed the permitting and review in 1.5 years for a process that might otherwise take 3-5 years.  A number of key strategies contributed to agencies successfully working together to cut up to three years off the project.  These strategies included:  development of a coordinated timeline; use of concurrent, rather than sequential review – with a particular focus on increased coordination between the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT), the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG), and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE); identification of aggressive targets; and increased transparency and accountability.

Other examples of infrastructure project permitting reviews that that have been accelerated under this initiative include:

The Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority's Little Italy – University Circle Rapid Station project involves the relocation of an existing station at E 120th Street and construction of a new rail transit station along with the rehabilitation of two transit track bridges at Mayfield Road. The project will integrate the station with the dense, high employment areas of Little Italy neighborhood and University Hospitals. The project replaces an obsolete station with a new, energy efficient building, while focusing on reusing existing community resources. The Department of Transportation worked closely with the Greater Cleveland Transit Authority to develop a streamlined and focused environmental assessment in line with the Council on Environmental Quality's guidance.

The Kennebec Bridge Replacement project replaces an 80 year-old moveable bridge at the end of its service life connecting Richmond and Dresden in Maine.  The new bridge will eliminate the need for a movable span, and will provide reliable access and regional mobility for both highway and marine traffic.  Through early and frequent collaboration, open dialogue to quickly resolve disputes, and negotiating and maintaining a project schedule across all Federal agencies involved, the agencies cut up to a year off the anticipated timeline for the permitting and review of the bridge.

Additional examples of projects can be found on the Administration's Permitting Dashboard.

Investing in a 21st Century Transportation Infrastructure

Transportation is a critical engine of the nation’s economy.  Investments in the national transportation network over the country’s history, and especially the last half-century, have been instrumental in developing the world’s largest economy and most mobile society.  The President proposes increasing infrastructure investment in order to create jobs, grow our economy, attract private investment, facilitate American exports, reduce commute times and increase access to jobs, make our roads and bridges safer, cut red tape, and increase the return on investment of transportation infrastructure for American taxpayers.  Just weeks ago, the Administration submitted to Congress the GROW AMERICA Act, a four-year proposal designed to achieve those objectives.  

GROW AMERICA ACT – Before this fall, the Highway Trust Fund – which funds a significant portion of the construction and repair of our surface transportation system – will be insolvent and just a few weeks later the authorities that establish our surface transportation programs will expire.  Without action, many states and communities may be forced to slow or stop work on critical transportation projects that our nation depends upon to move people, energy, and freight every day, putting jobs at risk and slowing investment in our future.  The Generating Renewal, Opportunity, and Work with Accelerated Mobility, Efficiency, and Rebuilding of Infrastructure and Communities throughout America Act, or GROW AMERICA Act, is a $302 billion, four year transportation reauthorization proposal that provides increased and stable funding for our nation’s highways, bridges, transit, and rail systems. The Administration’s proposal is funded by supplementing current revenues with $150 billion in one-time transition revenue from pro-growth business tax reform.  This will prevent Trust Fund insolvency for four years and increase investments to meet the transportation priorities and economic needs of communities across the country.  The proposal also includes a series of legislative proposals to improve project delivery and the federal permitting and regulatory review process

Building on Past Accomplishments – The President’s proposal builds on a series of major accomplishments in infrastructure over the past five years. Since the President took office, American workers have improved over 350,000 miles of U.S. roads and repaired or replaced over 20,000 bridges. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act was the most significant transportation public works program since the New Deal, providing $48 billion to more than 15,000 projects across the country. Earlier this year, the President announced $600 million in competitive TIGER grants to fund innovative transportation projects around the country.  Notably, the President’s FY 2015 Budget proposes a new America Fast Forward (AFF) bonds program that would build upon and expand a successful program created in the Recovery Act to attract private capital for infrastructure investments.

Leveraging Private Sector Investment – In addition to the need for smart public investment in our shared transportation system, the Administration is committed to leveraging private sector investment to further expand infrastructure investment.  The GROW AMERICA Act proposes a range of measures to attract more investment in infrastructure, including expanding financing options under the TIFIA Program, which leverages federal dollars by facilitating private participation in transportation projects and encouraging innovative mechanisms that help advance projects more quickly.  As part of the FY 2015 Budget, the Administration has also proposed a National Infrastructure Bank, as well as changes to tax rules to encourage greater private investment. 

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
May 13, 2014

Statement by the Press Secretary on the Central African Republic

In late 2012, armed groups began a rebellion that sparked a period of devastating instability, lawlessness, and anarchy in the Central African Republic (CAR) that led to the overthrow of its government in early 2013.  Escalating violence and human rights abuses set the stage for the eruption of sectarian conflict by December 2013.  Communities that have lived together peacefully for generations are being torn apart along sectarian lines.  More than 2.5 million of the country’s 4.6 million people need humanitarian assistance.  Approximately one million people have been displaced.  Growing attacks perpetrated by both Muslim and Christian militias have brought CAR to a crisis of disastrous proportions.   

That is why today President Obama issued a new Executive Order declaring a national emergency and authorizing the imposition of sanctions to deal with the threat posed by the situation in the CAR.  The Executive Order also imposes sanctions on five individuals – sending a powerful message that impunity will not be tolerated and that those who threaten the stability of the CAR will face consequences.  Today's actions follows the UN Security Council's unanimous vote in January to establish a sanctions regime against those responsible for instability and atrocities in the CAR, and the listing of three individuals by the UN Security Council CAR Sanctions Committee on May 9.

The United States continues to work with the international community, regional partners, and CAR’s transitional authorities to help set the country on a path toward recovery.  We strongly support the African Union, French, and European Union forces who have been working to reestablish security for the people of the CAR, and the UN peacekeepers who will continue their heroic work.  We stand with the courageous individuals who continue to call for peace and reconciliation.  We will continue to provide support to the Transitional Government as it works to restore governance and pave the way for a return to an elected government, and to deliver humanitarian assistance to those affected by the conflict.  We urge all parties to end the violence, to ensure justice and accountability for perpetrators of human rights abuses, and to work together to forge a brighter and more prosperous future for all Central Africans.

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
May 13, 2014

Letter -- Blocking Property of Certain Persons Contributing to the Conflict in the Central African Republic

Dear Mr. Speaker: (Mr. President:)

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") declaring a national emergency with respect to the unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States posed by the situation in and in relation to the Central African Republic.

The United Nations Security Council addressed this situation in Resolutions 2121, 2127, and 2134, and has required that Member States impose certain targeted measures on persons determined to be contributing to the situation. The order strengthens the United States ability to implement these measures.

The order does not target the entire country of the Central African Republic, but rather is intended to target those who threaten the peace, security, or stability of the Central African Republic or who undermine democratic processes or institutions in the Central African Republic. The order blocks the property and interests in property of persons listed in an Annex to the order. The order also provides authority for blocking the property and interests in property of any person determined by the Secretary of the Treasury, in consultation with the Secretary of State:

• 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 Central African Republic:

o actions or policies that threaten the peace, security, or stability of the Central African Republic;

o actions or policies that threaten transitional agreements or the political transition process in the Central African Republic;

o actions or policies that undermine democratic processes or institutions in the Central African Republic;

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 Central African Republic;

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 Central African Republic or that undermine democratic processes or institutions in the Central African Republic through the illicit trade in natural resources of the Central African Republic;

• 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 Central African Republic, or been the recipient in the territory of the Central African Republic 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 the order;

• 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 the order; 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 the order.

In addition, the order suspends entry into the United States of any alien determined to meet one or more of the above criteria.

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.

Sincerely,

BARACK OBAMA

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
May 13, 2014

Readout of National Security Advisor Susan E. Rice's Meeting with Syrian Opposition Coalition President Ahmad Jarba

This afternoon, President Obama joined National Security Advisor Susan Rice’s meeting with Syrian Opposition Coalition President Ahmad Jarba and the Coalition delegation.  President Obama and Ambassador Rice reaffirmed that Bashar al-Assad has lost all legitimacy to rule Syria and has no place in Syria’s future.  Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to a political solution to the conflict that includes a transition to a new governing authority.  President Obama welcomed the Coalition’s leadership and constructive approach to dialogue, and encouraged the Coalition to further its vision for an inclusive government that represents all of the people of Syria.  President Jarba thanked President Obama for U.S. non-lethal assistance, which totals $287 million and supports the Coalition, local communities inside Syria, and the moderate armed opposition.  He also thanked the United States for being the largest donor of humanitarian assistance.  The $1.7 billion committed by the United States goes to those in need inside of Syria and in neighboring countries.

The President and Ambassador Rice condemned the Assad regime’s deliberate targeting of Syrian civilians through aerial bombardments—including the use of barrel bombs—and the denial of food and humanitarian assistance to civilians located in areas under siege by the regime.  They emphasized the responsibility of the Syrian regime to provide rapid, safe, and unhindered humanitarian assistance.  The delegations also discussed the risks posed by growing extremism in Syria and agreed on the need to counter terrorist groups on all sides of the conflict.

President Obama and Ambassador Rice emphasized the illegitimacy of the regime’s plans to hold elections and underscored that the United States stands with the moderate opposition and the Syrian people in their efforts to end the conflict and facilitate a political transition.

A photograph of President Obama meeting with President Jarba is available HERE.

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
May 12, 2014

Statement by the President on the Conclusion of Indian Elections

I congratulate the people of India on concluding their national elections today.  India has set an example for the world in holding the largest democratic election in history, a vibrant demonstration of our shared values of diversity and freedom.

The United States and India have developed a strong friendship and comprehensive partnership over the last two decades, which has made our citizens safer and more prosperous and which has enhanced our ability to work together to solve global challenges.  We look forward to the formation of a new government once election results are announced and to working closely with India’s next administration to make the coming years equally transformative.

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
May 12, 2014

Statement by the President on National Small Business Week

Today marks the beginning of National Small Business Week, a time to highlight the crucial role that America’s small businesses play in our economy. Employing millions of Americans and creating nearly two out of three new jobs, America’s small businesses are the backbone of our economy. More than that, our small businesses represent what is best about America – that with hard work and ingenuity, anyone – no matter their background – can build a better future for themselves and their families. 

That’s why we have cut taxes for small businesses 18 times and we remain committed to simplifying the tax code for small businesses.  Additionally, the Small Business Administration continues to support hundreds of thousands of businesses through loans all across the nation.  But there’s more work to do, and my administration will continue to do everything we can to help our businesses grow and succeed, including taking steps to invest in our infrastructure, support access to credit to more small businesses and reform our immigration system. During National Small Business Week, we renew our commitment to helping our businesses hire more workers, sell more products and continue to grow the foundation of our American economy.

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
May 12, 2014

Presidential Nominations and Withdrawal sent to the Senate

NOMINATIONS SENT TO THE SENATE:
Robert Stephen Beecroft, of California, a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Minister-Counselor, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Arab Republic of Egypt.

Stuart E. Jones, of Virginia, a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Career Minister, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of Iraq.

Lisa Afua Serwah Mensah, of Maryland, to be Under Secretary of Agriculture for Rural Development, vice Dallas P. Tonsager, resigned.

WITHDRAWAL SENT TO THE SENATE:
Tommy Port Beaudreau, of Alaska, to be an Assistant Secretary of the Interior, vice Rhea S. Suh, which was sent to the Senate on January 6, 2014.

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
May 12, 2014

Letter to the Congress -- Continuation of the National Emergency with Respect to Yemen

TEXT OF A LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT
TO THE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
AND THE PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE

May 12, 2014

Dear Mr. Speaker: (Mr. President:)

Section 202(d) of the National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 1622(d)) provides for the automatic termination of a national emergency unless, within 90 days prior to the anniversary date of its declaration, the President publishes in the Federal Register and transmits to the Congress a notice stating that the emergency is to continue in effect beyond the anniversary date. In accordance with this provision, I have sent to the Federal Register for publication the enclosed notice stating that the national emergency declared in Executive Order 13611 of May 16, 2012, with respect to Yemen is to continue in effect beyond May 16, 2014.

The actions and policies of certain members of the Government of Yemen and others continue to threaten Yemen's peace, security, and stability, including by obstructing the implementation of the agreement of November 23, 2011, between the Government of Yemen and those in opposition to it, which provided for a peaceful transition of power that meets the legitimate demands and aspirations of the Yemeni people for change, and by obstructing the political process in Yemen. For this reason, I have determined that it is necessary to continue the national emergency declared in Executive Order 13611 with respect to Yemen.

Sincerely,

BARACK OBAMA

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
May 12, 2014

Notice -- Continuation of the National Emergency with Respect to Yemen

NOTICE

- - - - - - -

CONTINUATION OF THE NATIONAL EMERGENCY WITH RESPECT TO YEMEN

On May 16, 2012, by Executive Order 13611, I declared a national emergency pursuant to the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701-1706) to deal with the unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States constituted by the actions and policies of certain members of the Government of Yemen and others that threatened Yemen's peace, security, and stability, including by obstructing the implementation of the agreement of November 23, 2011, between the Government of Yemen and those in opposition to it, which provided for a peaceful transition of power that meets the legitimate demands and aspirations of the Yemeni people for change, and by obstructing the political process in Yemen.

The actions and policies of certain members of the Government of Yemen and others in threatening Yemen's peace, security, and stability continue to pose an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States. For this reason, the national emergency declared on May 16, 2012, to deal with that threat must continue in effect beyond May 16, 2014. Therefore, in accordance with section 202(d) of the National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 1622(d)), I am continuing for 1 year the national emergency declared in Executive Order 13611.

This notice shall be published in the Federal Register and transmitted to the Congress.

BARACK OBAMA

THE WHITE HOUSE,
May 12, 2014.

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
May 12, 2014

FACT SHEET: The United States and Uruguay – A Growing Bilateral Relationship

Today President Barack Obama hosted Uruguayan President Jose Mujica Cordano at the White House.  Their visit underscored the close partnership between the United States and Uruguay, founded on shared democratic values, and our desire to deepen economic ties and increase exchanges on social issues, as well as our strong cooperation in the following areas:

Economic Opportunities and Trade Facilitation

Increasing Trade and Investment: The 2005 U.S.-Uruguay Bilateral Investment Treaty and 2007 U.S.-Uruguay Trade and Investment Framework Agreement continue to benefit both nations.  Bilateral trade increased to $2.2 billion in total goods trade in 2013.  Exports of U.S. goods to Uruguay totaled $1.8 billion in 2013, an increase of 438 percent from 2003.  And imports of Uruguayan goods to the United States totaled $423 million, an increase of 65 percent since 2003.

Trade and Investment Council Meeting:  The United States and Uruguay convened its Trade and Investment Council Meeting on the margins of the meeting between President Obama and President Mujica.  The Council meeting is part of  the Trade and Investment Framework Agreement and focused on trade facilitation, market access for agricultural products, trade in services, intellectual property rights, small and medium business cooperation, labor cooperation, and international trade agreements and arrangements.  Both countries expressed satisfaction with improvements in customs modernization, the recent granting of Uruguayan market access to U.S. poultry and beef and of U.S. market access to Uruguayan citrus and deboned lamb.

Customs Mutual Assistance Agreement:  The United States and Uruguay will sign a Customs Mutual Assistance Agreement (CMAA) on the sidelines of President Obama and President Mujica’s meeting.  CMAAs provide the legal framework to allow for the exchange of information and evidence to assist countries in the prevention, detection, and investigation of customs offenses – including those associated with duty evasion, trafficking, proliferation, money laundering, and terrorism-related activities.  Uruguay is the 69th country to sign a CMAA with the United States. 

Global Security, Human Rights, and Social Inclusion

Peacekeeping:  Uruguay consistently deploys roughly 10 percent of its armed forces to UN peacekeeping missions, making it one of the world’s largest per capita troop contributors.  The United States applauds Uruguay’s leadership and contributions to global security, and is committed to continuing its support for Uruguayan peacekeeping deployments.  Since 2008, the United States has provided $9.6 million through the Global Peace Operations Initiative (GPOI) to expand and enhance Uruguayan peacekeeping operation training centers, as well as provide Uruguayan units pre-deployment training, communications gear, vehicles, night vision devices, aviation equipment, and patrol boats.  GPOI support has helped enable Uruguay to fulfill critical missions in the U.N. peacekeeping missions in Haiti and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.  In fiscal year 2014, the United States has committed to providing an additional $3.1 million in GPOI funds to further augment Uruguayan peacekeeping capabilities.

Social Inclusion:  Recognizing the democratic, multi-ethnic, and multi-racial nature of U.S. and Uruguayan societies, the United States and Uruguay have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to Promote Racial, Ethnic, and Social Equality.  The MOU underscores our mutual commitment to protecting and defending human rights, which are essential to preserving peace, promoting democracy and advancing prosperity around the world.  The United States and Uruguay will collaborate to promote cooperation and exchange information in areas such as increased access to education at all levels, equal protection under the law and access to the legal system, improved enforcement of domestic anti-discrimination laws and policy, and increased access to healthcare, credit, and job training.  

Education, Environment, Science, Technology, and Health Opportunities

Educational Exchange:  The United States and Uruguay are working together to expand educational opportunities for students from both our countries in support of the 100,000 Strong in the Americas initiative, which is focused on dramatically increasing study abroad in the hemisphere.  Through new and existing programs, we are working to strengthen academic partnerships and spark entrepreneurship and innovation.  We put special emphasis on building connections between Uruguayan and American youth from diverse backgrounds.  Recent visits have brought Uruguayan policy makers and evaluation specialists who are working on redesigning Uruguay’s accountability and evaluation systems.  In addition, communications deans from Uruguay’s principal universities visited to learn about how new technologies can enhance curriculums, encourage citizen journalism, and strengthen civil society.  In September 2013, and planned again for September 2014, the United States facilitated the participation of 27 U.S. universities in an educational fair in Uruguay that attracted roughly 2,000 students interested in studying in the United States.  Uruguay has committed to increase its contribution to the Fulbright scholarship program to $1.5 million in 2014, and to provide $500,000 annually going forward. 

Science and Technology Joint Consultative Meeting:  The United States and Uruguay held a Science and Technology Joint Consultative Meeting before President Obama and President Mujica’s meeting.  The Joint Consultative Meeting allowed both governments to assess opportunities for future collaboration on research exchanges, water quality mapping, wildlife research, and earth sciences.  Participants highlighted the inclusion of Uruguay in the Science Envoy Program in August 2014.  On health issues, participants discussed ongoing and potential new collaboration in public health, biomedical and behavioral health research, activities within the U.S.-Latin America Cancer Research Network, best practices to address non-communicable diseases, and the potential for U.S. National Institutes of Health to host Uruguayan post-doctoral fellows.  The United States also committed to providing funding that will triple the size of the U.S.-Uruguay Teacher Exchange Program, which brings Uruguayan teachers to the United States to improve their English teaching skills by living and working with American teachers.