The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
November 07, 2013

Statement by the President on Senate Passage of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act of 2013

For more than two centuries, the story of our nation has been the story of more citizens realizing the rights and freedoms that are our birthright as Americans.  Today, a bipartisan majority in the Senate took another important step in this journey by passing the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, which would help end the injustice of our fellow Americans being denied a job or fired just because they are lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender.  Just as no one in the United States can lose their job simply because of their race, gender, religion or a disability, no one should ever lose their job simply because of who they are or who they love.    

Today’s victory is a tribute to all those who fought for this progress ever since a similar bill was introduced after the Stonewall riots more than three decades ago.  In particular, I thank Majority Leader Reid, Chairman Harkin, Senators Merkley and Collins for their leadership, and Senator Kirk for speaking so eloquently in support of this legislation.  Now it’s up to the House of Representatives.  This bill has the overwhelming support of the American people, including a majority of Republican voters, as well as many corporations, small businesses and faith communities.  They recognize that our country will be more just and more prosperous when we harness the God-given talents of every individual.

One party in one house of Congress should not stand in the way of millions of Americans who want to go to work each day and simply be judged by the job they do.  Now is the time to end this kind of discrimination in the workplace, not enable it.  I urge the House Republican leadership to bring this bill to the floor for a vote and send it to my desk so I can sign it into law.  On that day, our nation will take another historic step toward fulfilling the founding ideals that define us as Americans.

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
November 06, 2013

President Obama Announces More Key Administration Posts

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

  • Colleen Bradley Bell – Ambassador to Hungary, Department of State
  • Madelyn Creedon – Principal Deputy Administrator, National Nuclear Security Administration, Department of Energy
  • Janice Schneider – Assistant Secretary for Land and Minerals Management, Department of the Interior
  • Joseph William Westphal – Ambassador to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Department of State
  • Ellen D. Williams – Director of the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy, Department of Energy 

President Obama said, “I am grateful these accomplished individuals have agreed to join this Administration, and I’m confident they will serve ably in these important roles. 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:

Colleen Bradley Bell, Nominee for Ambassador to Hungary, Department of State

Colleen Bradley Bell is a Producer for Bell-Phillip Television Productions, Inc., a position she has held since 2012.  Prior to this position, Ms. Bell was the Director of Special Projects and an Associate Producer and Script Supervisor at Bell-Phillip Television.  She served as General Trustee for the Board of Trustees of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts from 2012 to 2013.  Ms. Bell served as a Member of the Advisory Committee on the Arts for the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts from 2010 to 2012, and was designated Chairman of the Committee in 2011.  Ms. Bell currently serves as the Vice-Chairman of the Children’s Institute, and a Trustee on the Boards of Directors of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and the Los Angeles Music Center.  She is a founding member of the Natural Resources Defense Council’s Leadership Council and also serves on the advisory board of the UCLA Rape Treatment Center.  Ms. Bell received a B.A. from Sweet Briar College.

Madelyn Creedon, Nominee for Principal Deputy Administrator, National Nuclear Security Administration, Department of Energy

Madelyn Creedon is the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Global Strategic Affairs, a position she has held since 2011.  From 2001 to 2011, Ms. Creedon was counsel for the Democratic staff on the U.S. Senate Committee on Armed Services and was responsible for the Subcommittee on Strategic Forces as well as threat reduction and nuclear nonproliferation issues.  From 2000 to 2001, she served as the Deputy Administrator for Defense Programs at the National Nuclear Security Administration, and from 1997 to 2000 she was counsel on the Senate Committee on Armed Services.  Ms. Creedon was the Associate Deputy Secretary of Energy from 1995 to 1997 and served as the General Counsel for the Defense Base Closure and Realignment Commission from 1994 to 1995.  From 1990 to 1994, Ms. Creedon was counsel for the Senate Committee on Armed Services. Prior to this, from 1980 to 1990, she was a trial attorney and Acting Assistant General Counsel for Special Litigation in the Office of the General Counsel at the Department of Energy.  Ms. Creedon received a B.A. from the University of Evansville and a J.D. from St. Louis University School of Law.

Janice Schneider, Nominee for Assistant Secretary for Land and Minerals Management, Department of Interior

Janice Schneider is a partner in the Environment, Land and Resources Department of Latham & Watkins LLP, a position she has held since 2005.  She is co-chair of Latham & Watkins’ Energy and Infrastructure Project Siting and Defense Practice as well as local department chair of the Environment, Land & Resources Department.  Previously, Ms. Schneider was a senior associate with Latham & Watkins LLP from 2001 to 2004.  From 2000 to 2001, she was Counselor to the Deputy Secretary of the Interior.  Ms. Schneider was a trial attorney in the Environment and Natural Resources Division of the U.S. Department of Justice from 1998 through 1999, and again in 2001.  From 1993 to 1998, Ms. Schneider was an Attorney-Advisor with the U.S. Department of the Interior in the Office of the Solicitor.  Ms. Schneider received a B.S. from the University of Miami and a J.D. with a Certificate in Environmental and Natural Resources Law from the Northwestern School of Law of Lewis and Clark College.

Dr. Joseph William Westphal, Nominee for Ambassador to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Department of State

Dr. Joseph William Westphal is Under Secretary of the Army at the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD), a position he has held since 2009.  Previously, from 2007 to 2009, while on leave from the University of Maine, Dr. Westphal served in a number of positions at The New School University in New York City, including Senior Vice President for Research, Director of the Tishman Environment and Design Center and Provost.  Dr. Westphal was Professor of Political Science at the University of Maine from 2002 to 2009 and Chancellor of the University of Maine System from 2002 to 2006.  From 2001 to 2002, Dr. Westphal was Senior Policy Counselor at Patton Boggs, LLP in Washington D.C.  Previously, he served as the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works at the Department of Defense from 1998 to 2001, and from 1997 to 1998 Dr. Westphal was Senior Policy Advisor in the Office of Water at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.  In addition, he was Executive Director of the Congressional Sunbelt Caucus and Budget Analyst for the U.S. House Committee on the Budget.  Dr. Westphal received a B.A. from Adelphi University, an M.A. from Oklahoma State University, and a Ph.D. from the University of Missouri-Columbia.

Dr. Ellen D. Williams, Nominee for Director of the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy, Department of Energy

Dr. Ellen D. Williams is the Chief Scientist for BP, a position she has held since 2010.  She is currently on a leave of absence from the University of Maryland where she has served as a Distinguished University Professor in the Department of Physics and the Institute for Physical Science and Technology since 2000.  Dr. Williams has served as a Professor in the Department of Physics at the University of Maryland since 1991.  She founded the University of Maryland Materials Research Science and Engineering Center and served as its Director from 1996 through 2009.  Dr. Williams received a B.S. in Chemistry from Michigan State University and a Ph.D. in Chemistry from the California Institute of Technology.

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
November 06, 2013

President Obama Announces Another Key Administration Post

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, President Obama announced his intent to nominate the following individual to a key Administration post:

  • Joseph P. Mohorovic – Commissioner, Consumer Product Safety Commission 

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

Joseph P. Mohorovic, Nominee for Commissioner, Consumer Product Safety Commission  

Joseph P. Mohorovic is Senior Vice President of Strategic Management of Intertek’s North America Consumer Goods division, a position he has held since 2007.  From 2002 to 2006, he worked for the Consumer Product Safety Commission, first as a Senior Policy Advisor to the Chairman, and then as Chief of Staff and Director in the Office of International Programs and Intergovernmental Affairs.  From 1999 to 2002, he served in the New Mexico State Legislature.  Earlier in his career, Mr. Mohorovic was Chief of Staff in the New Mexico Senate, Finance Director for Governor Gary Johnson’s re-election campaign, and a staff member of the Republican Party of New Mexico.  Mr. Mohorovic received a B.A. from the University of Texas at Austin and an M.B.A. from the Robert O. Anderson School of Business Management at the University of New Mexico.

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
November 06, 2013

Readout of the President's Meeting With Senators on the Affordable Care Act

Today, the President and Vice President met with over a dozen Senate Democrats to discuss the progress that’s been made to extend health care coverage to more Americans and to hear their input on existing challenges with implementation of the Affordable Care Act. During the meeting, the President discussed ongoing efforts to fix HealthCare.gov and improve the experience of Americans looking to enroll in coverage.   The President emphasized that he shared the Senators’ commitment to ensuring that Americans who want to enroll in health insurance through the Marketplaces are able to do so in time for insurance coverage to start as early as January 1st, and throughout the open enrollment period which goes through March 31.  He also discussed ongoing efforts to ramp up communication and education outreach to consumers who have received or might receive letters about how their individual market plans might be affected.  In addition, the President also reiterated that the Administration is working to protect the privacy and security of consumers and to ensure that online Marketplace applications are protected by stringent security standards, with ongoing testing to help safeguard personal information.

The President also asked the Senators for input on how implementation of the law is impacting their constituents, and expressed appreciation for their ongoing help to ensure the law works best for families and businesses and all Americans can take advantage of the benefits of the law.

Senators who attended the meeting were:

• Senator Mark Begich
• Senator Cory Booker
• Senator Chris Coons
• Senator Dick Durbin
• Senator Al Franken
• Senator Kay Hagan
• Senator Mary Landrieu
• Senator Jeff Merkley
• Senator Mark Pryor
• Senator Jack Reed
• Senator Jeanne Shaheen
• Senator Brian Schatz
• Senator Mark Udall
• Senator Tom Udall
• Senator Mark Warner
• Senator Michael Bennet

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
November 05, 2013

Statement by the Press Secretary

This evening, the President telephoned Virginia Governor-elect Terry McAuliffe, New York Mayor-elect Bill De Blasio and Boston Mayor-elect Martin Walsh.  He congratulated each of them on their election victories and vowed to work with them in the months ahead to expand economic opportunity for middle class families in their communities.

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
November 05, 2013

Statement by the President on Marriage Equality in Illinois

Tonight, I applaud the men and women of the Illinois General Assembly, a body in which I was proud to serve, for voting to legalize marriage equality in my home state. 

As President, I have always believed that gay and lesbian Americans should be treated fairly and equally under the law.  Over time, I also came to believe that same-sex couples should be able to get married like anyone else.  So tonight, Michelle and I are overjoyed for all the committed couples in Illinois whose love will now be as legal as ours – and for their friends and family who have long wanted nothing more than to see their loved ones treated fairly and equally under the law.

I also commend the members of the General Assembly for approaching this issue in a fair and open way, and for recognizing the importance of our commitment to religious freedom by engaging the religious community in this conversation.  Throughout this debate, they’ve made it clear that this is about civil marriages and civil laws, and made sure that churches and other institutions of faith are still free to make their own decisions that conform to their own teachings.

As I said in my Inaugural Address last January, our journey as a nation is not complete until our gay brothers and sisters are treated like anyone else under the law, for if we are truly created equal, then surely the love we commit to one another must be equal as well.  And tonight, I’m so proud that the men and women elected to serve the people of the great state of Illinois have chosen to take us one step further on that journey to perfect our union.

The White House

Office of the Vice President

For Immediate Release
November 04, 2013

Statement by the Vice President on Iraq’s Progress Toward 2014 Elections

The United States welcomes the passage of legislation today by the Council of Representatives (COR) to govern Iraq’s parliamentary elections.  These elections have now been set for April 30, 2014, and the law that passed today was the result of many weeks of negotiation and compromise by all of Iraq’s major political blocs.  I applaud the leadership of Prime Minister Maliki, Iraqi Kurdistan Region President Barzani, and COR Speaker Nujaifi in achieving this result.

Upcoming elections give the Iraqi people an opportunity to choose the direction of their country, and the compromises reached today demonstrate the strength of Iraq’s democratic institutions, even in the face of terrorism that seeks to heighten sectarian tension and provoke broader conflict.

As noted in the Joint Statement concluded last week following the visit of Prime Minister Maliki to Washington, the United States is prepared to work as appropriate with the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) and the Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC) to help ensure that the elections are well prepared and produce a result that reflects the will of the Iraqi people.

The United States remains committed to enhancing bilateral relations across all areas covered by the Strategic Framework Agreement, including efforts to “support and strengthen Iraq’s democracy and its democratic institutions as defined and established in the Iraqi Constitution.”  It was in this spirit that we welcomed Prime Minister Maliki’s commitment last week to holding these important elections on time.

Iraq today reminded the world that its leaders are determined to find areas of compromise and move their country forward.  We congratulate them on this important step, and look forward to further cooperation in the months ahead.

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
November 04, 2013

Statement by the Press Secretary on Senate’s Successful Procedural Vote on the Employment Non‑Discrimination Act of 2013

The President welcomes the Senate’s bipartisan first step towards final passage of S. 815, the Employment Non‑Discrimination Act of 2013.  He has long supported an inclusive ENDA, which would establish lasting and comprehensive Federal protections against employment discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity.  He thanks the lawmakers from both sides of the aisle who have stood up for America’s core values of fairness and equality, and looks forward to the Senate’s consideration of ENDA.  He also encourages lawmakers to ensure that the legislation remains true to its goals as it is considered. 

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
November 04, 2013

Statement by the Press Secretary on the President’s Meeting with Guantanamo Special Envoys

Today, President Obama met with Clifford Sloan, the State Department’s Special Envoy for Guantanamo Closure, and with Paul Lewis, the Defense Department’s Special Envoy for Guantanamo Closure. The President thanked the two Special Envoys for their important work. The President reiterated that he remains fully committed to closing the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay,  and made clear that the Special Envoys have his full support as they work to facilitate the transfer of Guantanamo detainees. The Guantanamo facility continues to drain our resources and harm our standing in the world.  As the President said in his speech at the National Defense University, we are spending almost one million dollars per detainee per year to house detainees at Guantanamo – that’s nearly $200 million dollars annually in an era of sequestration and tighter budgets.  To the greatest extent possible, the Administration will continue transferring detainees who have been cleared to go to other countries and we call again on Congress to lift the restrictions on detainee transfers, which have significantly limited our ability to responsibly reduce the detainee population and ultimately close the facility.

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
November 04, 2013

Readout of the President’s Call to Red Sox Manager John Farrell

This afternoon, President Obama spoke to Red Sox Manager John Farrell to congratulate him and the Boston Red Sox on their eighth World Championship. The President noted the great job that Farrell did in his first year managing the team, remarked on the incredible pitching performance by Koji Uehara,  and extended his congratulations to David Ortiz on being named the World Series MVP. The President said he looks forward to welcoming the Red Sox to the White House to congratulate them in person.