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Office of the Press Secretary
NOMINATION SENT TO THE SENATE:
Sylvia Mathews Burwell, of West Virginia, to be Secretary of Health and Human Services, vice Kathleen Sebelius.
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Office of the Press Secretary
Since I met Bill in Moscow in 2005, I have admired his skill and precision. Since I took office, I have relied on him for candid advice and sensitive diplomatic missions – he has been a skilled advisor, consummate diplomat, and inspiration to generations of public servants. Given his vital role on our leading priorities, earlier this year I asked him to delay his retirement, and I’m grateful to him and Lisa for doing so. The country is stronger for Bill’s service.
Click HERE for a photo of President Barack Obama meeting with William "Bill" Burns, Deputy Secretary of State, for lunch in the Oval Office Private Dining Room, Feb. 18, 2014. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)
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Office of the Press Secretary
President Barack Obama today announced the designation of a Presidential Delegation to the Holy See to attend the Canonization Mass of Pope John XXIII and Pope John Paul II at the Vatican on April 27, 2014.
The Honorable John Podesta, Counselor to the President, will lead the delegation.
Members of the Presidential Delegation:
The Honorable Xavier Becerra (CA-34), Chairman of the House Democratic Caucus
The Honorable Katie Beirne Fallon, Assistant to the President and Director of Legislative Affairs
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Office of the Press Secretary
Today, as part of their Joining Forces initiative, First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden are hosting Former First Lady Rosalynn Carter, Senator Elizabeth Dole, and military and veteran caregivers from across the nation to announce commitments that will strengthen the support provided to the friends and loved ones caring for our wounded warriors. The event will be live streamed at http://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov//live.
A fact sheet with information about today’s commitments can be found here.
These commitments follow the release of a RAND Corporation report commissioned by the Elizabeth Dole Foundation that calls attention to the challenges faced by America’s military and veteran caregivers. The report estimates that 5.5 million Americans care for service members and veterans, including 1.1 million caring for someone who served after September 11, 2001. These caregivers provide a tremendous service for our nation, often while enduring their own emotional, physical, and financial hardships.
The following op-ed by First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden appeared this morning on the website of Military Spouse Magazine.
http://militaryspouse.com/articles/joining-forces-op-ed/?pageNum=1
On June 7, 2012, Linda Mills received a phone call that changed her life forever: Linda’s husband, Army Staff Sergeant Andrew Mills, had been seriously injured when an IED exploded in Afghanistan.
Almost immediately, Linda quit her job to become Andrew’s full-time caregiver. In the weeks and months after the explosion, Andrew underwent more than 30 surgeries. The two of them moved from North Carolina to Virginia, so that Andrew can rehab at a state-of-the-art military hospital. And every single day, Linda has stood by her husband’s side, helping with physical therapy, assisting with daily personal care, and managing the family’s legal and financial responsibilities.
Today, after two years in her new role as a caregiver, Linda considers herself not just a military spouse, but a nurse, an advocate, a scheduler, and a coach. And as she often says, even a tragedy can lead to a new beginning – in a few weeks’ time, she and Andrew will welcome their first child into the world.
And Linda’s story of commitment and resilience isn’t unusual. There are an estimated 5.5 million military caregivers in our country, including 1.1 million who support our newest generation of post-9/11 veterans. According to a study commissioned by the Elizabeth Dole Foundation, many of these caregivers don’t have much of a support network for themselves, and over time, the physical, logistical, and emotional demands of caregiving can take a serious toll. In fact, caregivers report more strains on their relationships at work and at home than non-caregivers. Often, their own health suffers, and they are at higher risk for depression. There are financial consequences too: military caregivers wind up missing as many as three or four days of work a month – and that means lost income as well.
The burden that these women and men bear for our country is real – and they shouldn’t have to shoulder it all alone.
That’s why, three years ago, the two of us started our Joining Forces initiative. We wanted to show our appreciation for the incredible families across America who do so much for our country. And we wanted to show our support not just with words, but with real, concrete action.
This month, we’re celebrating our third anniversary of Joining Forces and taking pride in the progress we have made with help from individuals across the country who’ve stepped up to answer our call. In just three years, hundreds of thousands of veterans and military spouses have been hired or trained by businesses nationwide; all but a few states have streamlined their professional licensing requirements to better meet the needs of veterans and military spouses; and so many schools, faith communities, community groups, and neighbors have found countless ways to make a difference for our military families.
But this month isn’t just about celebrating everything we’ve achieved – it’s about challenging ourselves to do even more for our military families. And that means reaching out to more and more of our military caregivers. We are thrilled to work with Senator Elizabeth Dole and Mrs. Rosalynn Carter to bring together leaders from across the country to make commitments on behalf of these courageous women and men. For instance, the Military Officers’ Association of America, USAA Bank, and the American Bar Association are working together to launch a new website to provide caregivers with legal and financial assistance. Easter Seals is expanding its caregiver training, so that thousands more caregivers can get the skills and resources they need to help their loved ones. And the Chamber of Commerce is expanding its Hiring Our Heroes program to help caregivers get more flexibility in the workplace, so that they can more easily balance their caregiving responsibilities with the demands of their jobs.
Plus, we know how important it is for caregivers to be able to connect with their peers so they can lean on – and learn from – someone who’s stood in their shoes. So we’re proud to announce that the Department of Defense is creating in-person caregiver peer forums at every military installation that serves wounded warriors and their caregivers around the world. They will also be creating online tools, so that caregivers who aren’t able to attend an in-person forum can connect to their peers as well. And on top of all that, the Elizabeth Dole Foundation, the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors, and many other organizations are committing to train 10,000 caregiving peer mentors – a commitment that will reach 50,000 caregivers nationwide.
All of these new commitments are a big deal, but they’re really just the tip of the iceberg. Because they all come on top of the tremendous caregiver support offered by the military and the Department of Veterans Affairs. Four years ago, President Obama signed the Caregivers and Veterans Omnibus Health Services Act, and since then, thousands of caregivers have received travel reimbursements and financial stipends of up to about $2,300 a month. Thousands more have received comprehensive caregiver training, health insurance through the VA, and mental health care and counseling. And through this law, caregivers are eligible for up to 30 days a year of respite care, which means they can relax and re-energize – or just find some time to clean the house and buy some groceries.
So we want to encourage all eligible caregivers to take advantage of these benefits and connect with a host of other resources by visiting http://www.caregiver.va.gov and MilitaryOneSource.mil.
In the end, that’s really what Joining Forces is all about – connecting military families with the resources available to them, and rallying our country to do even more. So we’ll be asking everyone across America – whether you’re a business owner, a faith leader, or simply a neighbor down the street – to ask yourself what more you can do to help these families that have done so much for us.
And most of all, we want all of our military spouses and caregivers – like Linda Mills and millions of others – to know how awed we are by their strength, determination and service to this country. We’re going to do everything we can to keep rallying people all across this country to step up in ways that make a real difference for them and them families. And we’re going to keep working until we have served them as well as they have served us.
Michelle Obama is First Lady of the U.S., and Dr. Jill Biden is Second Lady of the U.S.
The White House
Office of the Press Secretary
President Obama spoke today with Chancellor Merkel about the concerning situation in eastern Ukraine, where pro-Russian separatists, apparently with support from Moscow, continue an orchestrated campaign of incitement and sabotage to undermine and destabilize the Ukrainian state. The leaders again called for Russia to move its troops back from the border region. They also discussed issues relating to the forthcoming meeting of the Ukrainian, Russian, and U.S. foreign ministers and EU High Representative. The two leaders commended the Ukrainian government’s efforts to move forward on constitutional reform, decentralization, and democratic elections and emphasized the importance of the international community’s strong financial support for Ukraine. The President underscored the need for the United States, European Union, and other global partners to be prepared to meet further Russian escalation with additional sanctions. The President and the Chancellor look forward to continuing their discussion during her forthcoming visit to Washington.
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Office of the Press Secretary
NOMINATIONS SENT TO THE SENATE:
William D. Adams, of Maine, to be Chairperson of the National Endowment for the Humanities for a term of four years, vice James A. Leach, resigned.
Robert M. Speer, of Virginia, to be an Assistant Secretary of the Army, vice Mary Sally Matiella, resigned.
Jonathan Nicholas Stivers, of the District of Columbia, to be an Assistant Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development, vice Nisha Desai Biswal, resigned.
Ramin Toloui, of Iowa, to be a Deputy Under Secretary of the Treasury, vice Charles Collyns, resigned.
Alice G. Wells, of Washington, 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 Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.
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Office of the Press Secretary
This afternoon aboard Air Force One, the President called Franklin Regional Senior High School Principal Ron Suvak to express his deepest sympathies for the senseless act that took place on campus yesterday. The President also expressed his gratitude for Mr. Suvak’s leadership as well as the heroic actions by students, faculty and staff as they responded to yesterday’s attack and provided critical aid and support to the victims. The President pledged the full support from the federal government, including resources from the FBI. The President asked Principal Suvak to inform him and his team of any resources that could be provided and told him not to hesitate to reach out to help the community heal after this devastating incident.
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Office of the Press Secretary
Today, the President declared a major disaster in the State of Maryland and ordered federal aid to supplement state and local recovery efforts in the area affected by a snowstorm during the period of February 12-13, 2014.
Federal funding is available to state and eligible local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations on a cost-sharing basis for emergency work in the counties of Baltimore, Carroll, and Howard.
In addition, federal funding is available to the state and eligible local governments on a cost-sharing basis for snow assistance for a continuous 48 hour period during or proximate to the incident period in Baltimore, Carroll, and Howard Counties.
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
WASHINGTON, DC – Today, President Barack Obama announced his intent to nominate the following individuals to key Administration posts:
President Obama also announced his intent to appoint the following individuals to key Administration posts:
President Obama said, “I am grateful that these talented and dedicated individuals have agreed to take on these important roles and devote their talents to serving the American people. I look forward to working with them in the coming months and years.”
President Obama announced his intent to nominate the following individuals to key Administration posts:
Robert M. Speer, Nominee for Assistant Secretary of the Army for Financial Management, Department of Defense
Robert M. Speer is the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army for Financial Management, a position he has held since 2009. From 2005 to 2009, Mr. Speer served as Managing Director and Federal Practice lead for Defense and Army business for PricewaterhouseCoopers Public Services. Before joining PricewaterhouseCoopers, he spent nearly 28 years in senior level Department of Defense and U.S. Army comptrollership posts, including service as Commandant of the U.S. Army Finance School in Fort Jackson, South Carolina; Comptroller of the Iraq Relief and Reconstruction Fund, and Commander of the Defense Finance & Accounting Service Operating Location in San Antonio, Texas. Mr. Speer received a B.B.A. from the University of Notre Dame, an M.B.A from Indiana University, and an M.S. from the Industrial College of the Armed Forces.
Jonathan Nicholas Stivers, Nominee for Assistant Administrator of the Bureau for Asia, United States Agency for International Development
Jonathan Nicholas Stivers is Senior Advisor to House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi, a position he has held since 2011. Mr. Stivers has also served as Senior Advisor to Leader Pelosi in the Office of the Speaker of the House of Representatives from 2007 to 2011, in the Office of the House Democratic Leader from 2003 to 2006, and in the Office of the House Democratic Whip from 2002 to 2003. Previously, from 2000 to 2001, he served as Leader Pelosi’s Senior Legislative Assistant and Press Secretary. Prior to this, he was a Floor Staff Assistant in the Office of Democratic Whip David Bonior from 1997 to 1999 and a Campaign Assistant for David Bonior for United States Congress in 1996. He received a B.S. from Michigan State University and a Masters in International Policy and Practice from The George Washington University Elliot School of International Affairs.
Ramin Toloui, Nominee for Deputy Under Secretary for International Finance, Department of the Treasury, and upon appointment designated Assistant Secretary for International Finance
Ramin Toloui is currently Global Co-Head of Emerging Markets Portfolio Management at PIMCO, a position he has held since 2011. He has also chaired the firm’s Asia-Pacific Portfolio Committee since 2012. Mr. Toloui joined PIMCO in 2006 as a Portfolio Manager for emerging markets, adding responsibilities for global bond portfolios in 2009. Previously, Mr. Toloui held various positions at the Department of the Treasury, including Director of the Office of the Western Hemisphere from 2003 to 2006, Senior Advisor to the Under Secretary for International Affairs from 2001 to 2003, and Deputy Director and International Economist in the Office of Central and Southeastern Europe from 1999 to 2001. Mr. Toloui received an A.B. from Harvard University and an M.Phil. from Balliol College at Oxford University.
Alice G. Wells, Nominee for Ambassador to the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, Department of State
Alice G. Wells, a career member of the Foreign Service, Class of Minister-Counselor, is currently Senior Advisor in the Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs at the Department of State. Ms. Wells served as an assessor at the Foreign Service Board of Examiners in 2013. She was Special Assistant to the President for Russia and Central Asia in the White House from 2012 to 2013 and Executive Assistant to Secretary of State Hilary Clinton from 2011 to 2012. She served as Executive Assistant to the Under Secretary for Political Affairs William J. Burns from 2009 to 2011, and previously served as Minister Counselor for Political Affairs at the U.S. Embassy in Moscow, Russia from 2006 to 2009. Ms. Wells was Director of Maghreb Affairs and Acting Director of Egypt and North African Affairs in the Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs from 2003 to 2005. She served as Senior Desk Officer for Egyptian Affairs from 2002 to 2003, Deputy Political Counselor at the U.S. Embassy in New Delhi, India from 2001 to 2003, and Deputy Political Counselor at the U.S. Embassy in Islamabad, Pakistan from 1998 to 2000. Prior to that, Ms. Wells served as a Political Officer and a Political-Military Officer at the U.S. Embassy in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, as well as a Political and Economic Officer at the U.S. Embassy in Dushanbe, Tajikistan. Ms. Wells received a B.A. from Stanford University and a joint M.A. from the University of California at Los Angeles/Rand Corporation.
President Obama announced his intent to appoint the following individuals to key Administration posts:
Rabbi Lee T. Bycel, Appointee for Member, United States Holocaust Memorial Council
Rabbi Lee T. Bycel is Rabbi of Congregation Beth Shalom in Napa, California, where he has served since 2012. He is also an Adjunct Professor of Jewish Studies and Social Justice at the University of San Francisco, a position he has held since 2013. Previously, he was Executive Director of the Redford Center, Executive Director of the Western Region of the American Jewish World Service, and Senior Advisor for Global Strategy for the International Medical Corps. From 1987 to 1997, he was Dean of the Hebrew Union College in Los Angeles, which he joined in 1982 as Associate Dean and Director of Admissions. Rabbi Bycel is Founding Chair and a member of the board of 3Generations. He is a Senior Moderator of Leadership Seminars at the Aspen Institute and a past president of the Los Angeles County Commission on Human Relations. Rabbi Bycel received a B.A. from the University of California at Berkeley, an M.A. and a Rabbinical Ordination from the Hebrew Union College – Jewish Institute of Religion, and a D.Min. from the Claremont School of Theology.
Dr. Mostafa A. El-Sayed, Appointee for Member, President’s Committee on the National Medal of Science
Dr. Mostafa A. El-Sayed is the Regents Professor and Julius Brown Chair at the Georgia Institute of Technology, a position he has held since 1994. Previously, he was a Professor with the University of California, Los Angeles Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry from 1961 to 1994. Dr. El-Sayed is a member of the National Academy of Science and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. He is a fellow of the American Physical Society, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and the American Chemical Society. Dr. El-Sayed received a B.Sc. from Ain Shams University Faculty of Science in Cairo, Egypt and a Ph.D. from Florida State University.
Stephen R. Gephard, Appointee for United States Commissioner, Council of the North Atlantic Salmon Conservation Organization
Stephen R. Gephard is currently the Supervising Fisheries Biologist at the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) for the state of Connecticut, a position he has held since 1995. From 1986 to 1994, he served as the Senior Fisheries Biologist for DEEP working on various aspects of the Diadromous Fish Program. Mr. Gephard was also an Environmental Editor at Laurence Urdang Inc. in Essex, Connecticut in 1978 and a Fisheries Biologist in the U.S. Peace Corps in Lesotho in 1976. Mr. Gephard received a B.A. from Aurora University and an M.S. from the University of Connecticut.
Patrick C. Keliher, Appointee for United States Commissioner, Council of the North Atlantic Salmon Conservation Organization
Patrick C. Keliher is the current Commissioner of the Department of Marine Resources for the State of Maine, a position he has held since 2011. From 2007 to 2012, Mr. Keliher served as the Director of the Bureau of Sea Run Fisheries and Habitat for the Department of Marine Resources. From January to July 2011, he served as the Acting Deputy Commissioner for the Department of Marine Resources. He was also the former Executive Director of the Atlantic Salmon Commission for Maine from 2003 to 2007. Mr. Keliher was the Executive Director for the Coastal Conservation Association for Greater New England from 2001 to 2003 and the Executive Director of Coastal Conservation Association for Maine from 1996 to 2001. He has served as Vice Chairman of the Fish Passage Working Group for the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission since 2008. Mr. Keliher is a Management Board Member of the Atlantic Salmon Framework and an Agency Member of the Penobscot River Restoration Trust.
Daniel S. Morris, Appointee for United States Commissioner, Council of the North Atlantic Salmon Conservation Organization
Daniel S. Morris is currently the Deputy Regional Administrator for the National Marine Fisheries Services for the Greater Atlantic Region in Massachusetts, a position he has held since 2011. Previously, Mr. Morris was the Program Director and Senior Environmentalist Specialist at OAK Management Inc. from 2006 to 2010. Prior to that, he was the Executive Officer in the Office of Sustainable Fisheries for the National Marine Fisheries Service from 2005 to 2006. Mr. Morris served as Captain and Commanding Officer of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Ship McArthur II from 2003 to 2005. He served at the National Marine Fisheries Service as both a Special Assistant to the Regional Administrator in the Northeast Regional Office from 2001 to 2003 and as an Environmental Officer in the Habitat Conservation Division from 1999 to 2001. Mr. Morris was an Officer in the U.S. Navy from 1985 to 1991. He received a B.S. from the U.S. Naval Academy and an M.A. from Norwich University.
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Today’s vote illustrates once again that the House Republicans’ view of the economy is a top-down approach that cuts taxes for millionaires and could raise taxes on middle class families with kids by an average of at least $2,000.
If the budget the House Republicans voted for today was enacted and its deep cuts compared to what the President has proposed fell across the board, within a few years, more than 1.1 million people could lose access to job training and employment services, more than 600,000 students could lose Pell Grants that help pay for college, and approximately 170,000 children could lose access to early-childhood education. Critical investments in our roads and bridges and scientific research to cure diseases like Alzheimer’s also could see drastic cuts. And rather than expanding health coverage for all Americans and making it more affordable, the House Republican Budget would repeal the Affordable Care Act, raising health care costs on families and businesses and eliminating coverage for millions.
The President believes we need to grow the economy from the middle-out, not the top down, and expand opportunity for all hardworking Americans. Rather than once again putting forward a top-down approach, House Republicans should join the President and Democrats in taking steps that would strengthen the economy and create opportunity, like raising the minimum wage, extending emergency unemployment insurance, advancing paycheck fairness, and passing bipartisan immigration reform.
