The White House

Office of the Vice President

For Immediate Release
April 16, 2015

Statement by the Vice President on Holocaust Remembrance Day

Today on Holocaust Remembrance Day, we honor the memories of those who died in the Holocaust and pay tribute to those who survived.

Yom HaShoah reminds us of our never-ending obligation to teach our children about the Holocaust so that the memory of these terrible events can never be extinguished. This winter, I took my granddaughter to Dachau, just as I had taken each of my own children as they came of age. Young people need to understand what happened. They need to feel a sense of personal duty to carry forward the mission of making sure it never happens again.

Too often “never again” has been used in lament—as a statement of regret over responses that were insufficient or came too late. These words must inspire reflection and, more importantly, action. We must continue to derive strength and courage from them and recommit ourselves to the work of making sure these atrocities can never be repeated. We must actively fight the scourge of bigotry and anti-Semitism wherever it occurs. 

Finally, the survivors we honor today have made extraordinary contributions to the fabric of life in the United States and around the world--and many are still in need. They deserve our admiration and our care.

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
April 16, 2015

President Obama Announces More Key Administration Posts

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, President Barack Obama announced his intent to nominate the following individuals to key Administration posts:

  • Adam J. Szubin – Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Crimes, Department of the Treasury
  • Jeffrey J. Hawkins, Jr. – Ambassador to the Central African Republic, Department of State

President Obama also announced his intent to appoint the following individual to a key Administration post:

  • Victoria Esser –  Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs, Department of the Treasury

President Obama said, “I am honored that these talented individuals have decided to serve our country.  They bring their years of experience and expertise to this Administration, and I look forward to working with them.”

President Obama announced his intent to nominate the following individuals to key Administration posts:


Adam J. Szubin, Nominee for Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Crimes, Department of the Treasury
Adam J. Szubin serves as the Director of the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) in the Office of Terrorism and Financial Intelligence at the Department of the Treasury, a position he has held since 2006.  Concurrently, he serves as the Acting Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Crimes at Treasury, a position to which he was designated in February 2015.  Prior to his time at OFAC, he served as the Senior Advisor to the Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Crimes from 2004 to 2006.  From 2003 to 2004, he was Counsel to the Deputy Attorney General at the Department of Justice.  Previously, from 2000 to 2003, he was a Trial Attorney in the Federal Programs Branch of the Civil Division at the Department of Justice.  Mr. Szubin was a Judicial Clerk for Hon. Ronald L. Gilman of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit from 1999 to 2000.  Mr. Szubin received a A.B. from Harvard College and a J.D. from Harvard Law School.
 
Jeffrey J. Hawkins, Jr., Nominee for Ambassador to the Central African Republic, Department of State
Jeffrey J. Hawkins, Jr., a career member of the Foreign Service, class of Counselor, currently serves as Consul General at the U.S. Consulate in Lagos, Nigeria, a position he has held since 2012.  Mr. Hawkins served as Director of the Department of State’s Office of South and Central Asian Affairs in the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor from 2010 to 2012.  He was Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Luanda, Angola from 2008 to 2010, Consul at the American Presence Post in Lille, France from 2006 to 2008, and Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei from 2004 to 2006.  Prior to that, Mr. Hawkins served as Political and Economic Chief at the U.S. Embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan from 2003 to 2004 and Desk Officer for Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan in the Department’s Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs from 2002 to 2003.  His earlier assignments with the Department of State include posts in Cote d’Ivoire, India, and Pakistan.  Before joining the Foreign Service in 1994, Mr. Hawkins was a Desk Officer with the International Trade Administration at the Department of Commerce.  Mr. Hawkins also served in the U.S. Navy Reserve from 2002 to 2010.  Mr. Hawkins received a B.A. from the University of California, Berkeley and an M.A. from the University of California, Los Angeles. 
 

President Obama announced his intent to appoint the following individual to a key Administration post:

Victoria Esser, Appointee for Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs, Department of the Treasury
Victoria Esser is Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Office of Public Affairs at the Treasury Department, a position she has held since 2013.  Since December 2014, she has also served as the Acting Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs at Treasury.  From 2011 to 2013, she served as the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Digital Strategy in the Bureau of Public Affairs at the Department of State.  Ms. Esser held various positions at The Glover Park Group from 2004 to 2011, first as Vice President, then as Senior Vice President, and finally as a Managing Director.  Prior to that, from 2000 to 2004, Ms. Esser worked at Robinson, Lerer & Montgomery, where she last served as a Vice President.  Ms. Esser began her career working in Paris, France as Assistant Manager at the Centre International Des Enterprises à Succursale from 1994 to 1996.  Ms. Esser received a B.A. from Colby College and an M.A. from The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University.

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
April 16, 2015

Statement by the Press Secretary on H.R. 2

On Thursday, April 16, 2015, the President signed into law:

H.R. 2, the “Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015,” which permanently replaces Medicare's sustainable growth rate system for physician payments and reforms Medicare physician payment policies to encourage efficient, high-quality care; extends for two years funding for the Children's Health Insurance Program; extends numerous other expiring health provisions and the Secure Rural Schools program; and removes Social Security numbers from Medicare cards and makes other Medicare improvements.

 

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
April 16, 2015

Statement by the President on the Bipartisan Congressional Trade Priorities and Accountability Act of 2015

I am pleased that Chairman Hatch, Senator Wyden, and Chairman Ryan have introduced bipartisan legislation to help us negotiate trade agreements that are good for our economy, our businesses, and most importantly for our workers. 

My top priority in any trade negotiation is expanding opportunity for hardworking Americans.  It’s no secret that past trade deals haven’t always lived up to their promise, and that’s why I will only sign my name to an agreement that helps ordinary Americans get ahead.  At the same time, at a moment when 95 percent of our potential customers live outside our borders, we must make sure that we, and not countries like China, are writing the rules for the global economy. 

The bill put forward today would help us write those rules in a way that avoids the mistakes from our past, seizes opportunities for our future, and stays true to our values.  It would level the playing field, give our workers a fair shot, and for the first time, include strong fully enforceable protections for workers’ rights, the environment, and a free and open internet.

Our exports support more than 11 million good American jobs, and we know that companies that export pay higher wages than those that don’t. Today, we have the opportunity to open even more new markets to goods and services backed by three proud words: Made in America.  I look forward to working with Democrats and Republicans in Congress to pass this bill, seize this opportunity, and support more good American jobs with the wages and benefits hardworking families deserve.

I also welcome the introduction of Trade Adjustment Assistance legislation that will strengthen the current program to protect American workers. 

The White House

Office of the First Lady

For Immediate Release
April 16, 2015

White House Announces Deesha Dyer as Social Secretary

The White House today announced that Deesha Dyer has been promoted to Special Assistant to the President and Social Secretary.   She currently serves as Deputy Director and Deputy Social Secretary. Deesha was selected from among an abundance of well-qualified candidates for her passion and dedication to opening the doors of the White House, most notably engaging students from communities across the country.  Prior to this role, Dyer worked as Deputy Director and Hotel Program Director in the White House Office of Scheduling and Advance, the same office where she originally came to the White House as an intern in 2009. 

“Deesha shares our commitment to a White House that reflects America’s history, highlights our culture, and celebrates all Americans. Michelle and I look forward to working with her in this new role as we welcome visitors from across the country and around the world to the People’s House,” the President said.

“I am incredibly honored to continue serving the President and First Lady in my new role as White House Social Secretary,” said Deesha Dyer.  “I am constantly inspired by the openness, diversity, and traditions of this Administration and I look forward to leading the talented Social Office team as we further the goals and priorities of the President and First Lady throughout these last two exciting years in office.”

"From the day Deesha started in the Social Office nearly two years ago, she impressed me with her passion, creativity, public-mindedness and relentless competence,” said First Lady Michelle Obama.  “Since then, whether helping flawlessly execute state dinners, or going the extra mile to open the White House to people who never dreamed they would walk through these doors, Deesha has worked tirelessly to truly make the White House the "People's House."  I am thrilled that she has agreed to continue her service as our Social Secretary."

Biography of Deesha Dyer

Deesha Dyer was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and raised in both Philadelphia and Hershey, where she attended the Milton Hershey School. Dyer currently serves as Deputy Director and Deputy Social Secretary of the White House, a role which she has held for nearly 2 years. She started at the White House in 2009, at the age of 31, as an intern in the Office of Scheduling and Advance.  She was hired full-time in 2010 as Associate Director for Scheduling Correspondence and was promoted to Deputy Director and Hotel Program Director.  In her role, Deesha traveled with the President and First Lady working on press, lodging and site logistics. In 2013, she was promoted into her current position as Deputy Director and Deputy Social Secretary.

Before starting her career in government, Dyer concurrently held several private sector positions.  She was an assistant at Pennsylvania Real Estate Investment Trust from 2001 to 2010 where she served on the PREIT Charitable Board.  From 2003 to 2010, Dyer was a freelance journalist covering East Coast hip-hop culture for several media outlets, including The Philadelphia Citypaper.  Dyer has also maintained a long-standing commitment to community advocacy in several roles, including her role working with young adults at the Youth Health Empowerment Project, as creator of a hip-hop AIDS program based in Philadelphia, as a CARE advocacy volunteer and as a board member at Action AIDS.

In addition to her role at the White House, Deesha currently volunteers with the homeless community in Washington, DC, and serves as a mentor for a global empowerment program for young girls in Philadelphia. She also serves as a mentor in the First Lady’s mentee program.  At the age of 29, Dyer returned to college to obtain her associates degree in Women’s Studies from the Community College of Philadelphia.

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
April 16, 2015

Statement by the President on Holocaust Remembrance Day

Today, with heavy hearts, we remember the six million Jews and the millions of other victims of Nazi brutality who were murdered during the Holocaust.

Yom HaShoah is a day to reaffirm our responsibilities to ourselves and future generations. It is incumbent upon us to make real those timeless words, “Never forget. Never again.” Yet, even as we recognize that mankind is capable of unspeakable acts of evil, we also draw strength from the survivors, the liberators, and the righteous among nations who represented humanity at its best.

With their example to guide us, together we must firmly and forcefully condemn the anti-Semitism that is still far too common today. Together we must stand against bigotry and hatred in all their forms. And together, we can leave our children a world that is more just, more free, and more secure for all humankind.

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
April 15, 2015

Statement by NSC Spokesperson Bernadette Meehan on Deputy National Security Advisor for Strategic Communications Benjamin Rhodes’ Meeting with Representatives of the Iraqi Christian Community

Deputy National Security Advisor for Strategic Communications Ben Rhodes met today at the White House with representatives of the Iraqi Christian community.  Mr. Rhodes updated the delegation on the President’s discussion yesterday with Iraqi Prime Minister Al-Abadi and on the progress in the global campaign to counter ISIL, and heard from the delegation about the extraordinary challenges facing the Iraqi Christian community.  Mr. Rhodes reiterated the President’s commitment to help all of Iraq’s diverse communities – including Christians, Sabean-Mandaeans, Shabak, Yezidis, and other ethnic and religious minorities – and underscored our deep concern at the threat ISIL poses to these communities and to all the Iraqi people.

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
April 15, 2015

Presidential Nominations Sent to the Senate

NOMINATIONS SENT TO THE SENATE:

Wilhelmina Marie Wright, of Minnesota, to be United States District Judge for the District of Minnesota, vice Michael J. Davis, retiring.

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
April 15, 2015

Presidential Nominations Sent to the Senate

NOMINATIONS SENT TO THE SENATE:

Linda Struyk Millsaps, of North Carolina, to be a Member of the Internal Revenue Service Oversight Board for a term expiring September 14, 2018, vice Paul Jones, term expired.

Thomas Edgar Rothman, of Maryland, to be a Member of the National Council on the Arts for a term expiring September 3, 2016.  (New Position)

The White House

Office of the Vice President

For Immediate Release
April 15, 2015

Readout of the Vice President’s Call with Nigerian President-Elect Buhari

Vice President Biden spoke with Nigerian President-elect Muhammadu Buhari to congratulate him on his victory in the recent Nigerian elections and affirm that the United States stands ready to expand collaboration with Nigeria on issues of common concern, including economic and security matters. The Vice President commended President-elect Buhari for his leadership in helping to ensure the elections were conducted peacefully and urged him to continue to foster a smooth, inclusive, and peaceful transition with President Jonathan. The Vice President expressed the United States’ support for Nigeria’s efforts to counter Boko Haram, recover hostages held by the group, and protect civilian populations. The Vice President also expressed the willingness of the United States to partner more closely with Nigeria to strengthen its economy.