The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
July 19, 2013

Presidential Nominations Sent to the Senate

NOMINATIONS SENT TO THE SENATE ON JULY 18, 2013:

Nisha Desai Biswal, of the District of Columbia, to be Assistant Secretary of State for South Asian Affairs, vice Robert Orris Blake, Jr.

Timothy M. Broas, of Maryland, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

Scott S. Dahl, of Virginia, to be Inspector General, Department of Labor, vice Gordon S. Heddell, resigned.

Julia Frifield, of New Jersey, to be an Assistant Secretary of State (Legislative Affairs), vice David S. Adams, resigned.

Martha L. Minow, of Massachusetts, to be a Member of the Board of Directors of the Legal Services Corporation for a term expiring July 13, 2014.  (Reappointment)

Joseph Pius Pietrzyk, of Ohio, to be a Member of the Board of Directors of the Legal Services Corporation for a term expiring July 13, 2014.  (Reappointment)

Carolyn Hessler Radelet, of Virginia, to be Director of the Peace Corps, vice Aaron S. Williams, resigned.

Elizabeth M. Robinson, of Washington, to be Under Secretary of Energy, vice Kristina M. Johnson, resigned.

Frank A. Rose, of Massachusetts, to be an Assistant Secretary of State (Verification and Compliance), vice Rose Eilene Gottemoeller.

Adam M. Scheinman, of Virginia, a Career Member of the Senior Executive Service, to be Special Representative of the President for Nuclear Nonproliferation, with the rank of Ambassador.

Jessica Garfola Wright, of Pennsylvania, to be Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness, vice Erin C. Conaton, resigned.              

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
July 18, 2013

Readout of the President's Call with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu

President Obama and Prime Minister Netanyahu spoke by phone today as part of their regular consultations.  The two leaders discussed regional issues including recent developments in Egypt, Iran, and Syria.  The President encouraged Prime Minister Netanyahu to continue to work with Secretary Kerry to resume negotiations with the Palestinians as soon as possible.  The leaders affirmed the importance of continued close coordination between the United States and Israel on a range of security issues.

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
July 18, 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:

  • Beth Robinson – Under Secretary, Department of Energy
  • Jessica Garfola Wright – Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness, Department of Defense
  • Nisha Desai Biswal – Assistant Secretary for South Asian Affairs, Department of State
  • Julia Frifield – Assistant Secretary for Legislative Affairs, Department of State
  • Frank A. Rose – Assistant Secretary for Verification and Compliance, Department of State
  • Scott S. Dahl – Inspector General, Department of Labor
  • Tim Broas – Ambassador to the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Department of State
  • Adam M. Scheinman – Special Representative of the President for Nuclear Nonproliferation, with the rank of Ambassador, Department of State

President Obama said, “It gives me great confidence that such dedicated and capable individuals have agreed to join this Administration to serve the American people.  I look forward to working with them in the months and years to come.”

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

Dr. Beth Robinson, Nominee for Under Secretary, Department of Energy
Dr. Beth Robinson is the Chief Financial Officer at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, a position she has held since 2009.  Prior to this, she served as the Assistant Director for Budget at the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) from 2005 to 2009.  From 2003 to 2005, Dr. Robinson was the Deputy Director of the Congressional Budget Office.  She held various positions at OMB from 1998 to 2003, including Deputy Assistant Director for Budget Review and Concepts.  Previously, from 1995 to 1998, Dr. Robinson was a Principal Minority Staff Member for the U.S. House Committee on Science, and from 1994 to 1995, she was a Professional Staff Member for the U.S. House Committee on Science, Space and Technology.  She served as Project Director for the U.S. Congress Office of Technology Assessment from 1989 to 1994 and as a Legislative Assistant and Congressional Science Fellow for Congressman Richard Gephardt from 1988 to 1999.  Dr. Robinson received a B.S. in Physics from Reed College and a Ph.D. in Geophysics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute.

Jessica Garfola Wright, Nominee for Under Secretary for Personnel and Readiness, Department of Defense
Jessica Garfola Wright is Acting Under Secretary for Personnel and Readiness and Assistant Secretary for Reserve Affairs at the Department of Defense.  From 2010 to 2012, she served as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Manpower and Personnel at the Department of Defense.  From 2004 to 2010, she served as the Adjutant General of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and Commander of the Pennsylvania National Guard.  From 2000 to 2004, she was Deputy Adjutant General for the Army, and from 1998 to 2000, she served as State Army Aviation Officer for the Pennsylvania National Guard.  She began her military career in 1975 and retired as a Major General from the Pennsylvania National Guard in 2010.  She received a B.A. from Alderson and Broaddus College and a M.A. from Webster University.

Nisha Desai Biswal, Nominee for Assistant Secretary for South Asian Affairs, Department of State
Nisha Desai Biswal is Assistant Administrator for Asia at the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), a position she has held since September 2010.  From 2005 to 2010, Ms. Biswal was the Majority Clerk for the State Department and Foreign Operations Subcommittee on the Committee on Appropriations in the U.S. House of Representatives.  From 2002 to 2005, she served as the Policy and Advocacy Director at InterAction.  Previously, she served on the professional staff of the U.S. House of Representatives International Relations Committee from 1999 to 2002.  She served at USAID from 1995 to 1999 in a number of capacities including: Special Assistant to the Administrator, Chief of Staff in the Management Bureau, and in the Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance and the Office of Transition Initiatives.  Ms. Biswal worked at the American Red Cross from 1993 to 1995 in the Washington D.C. headquarters and as an overseas delegate in Armenia, Georgia, and Azerbaijan.  She is also a member of the Congressional-Executive Commission on the People’s Republic of China since March 2011. Ms. Biswal received a B.A. from the University of Virginia. 

Julia Frifield, Nominee for Assistant Secretary for Legislative Affairs, Department of State
Julia Frifield is Chief of Staff to U.S. Senator Barbara Mikulski, a position she has held since 2004.  She served as Senator Mikulski’s Legislative Director from 1999 to 2004 and Legislative Assistant from 1995 to 1999.  Previously, Ms. Frifield was a Legislative Assistant for U.S. Senator Harris Wofford from 1992 to 1995.  From 1989 to 1992, Ms. Frifield worked for U.S. Senator Bill Bradley, first as a Legislative Correspondent and then as Special Assistant.  Ms. Frifield received a B.A. from Smith College and an M.A. from Cambridge University.

Frank A. Rose, Nominee for Assistant Secretary for Verification and Compliance, Department of State
Frank A. Rose is Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Space and Defense Policy.  From 2007 to 2009, Mr. Rose served as a professional staff member of the U.S. House of Representatives, Committee on Armed Services.  From 2005 to 2007, he was a professional staff member of the U.S. House of Representatives, Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence.  Mr. Rose has also served at the Department of Defense both as a Policy Advisor in the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Policy from 2001 to 2005, and as a Special Assistant to the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Strategy and Threat Reduction from 1999 to 2001.  Mr. Rose was a National Security Analyst from 1996 to 1998 at the Science Applications International Corporation.  From 1994 to 1996, he served as a Legislative Correspondent in the Office of then U.S. Senator John Kerry.  He received a B.A. from American University and a Masters in War Studies at the University of London, King’s College.

Scott S. Dahl, Nominee for Inspector General, Department of Labor
Scott S. Dahl is currently the Inspector General at the Smithsonian Institution, a position he has held since January 2012.  He has also been an adjunct professor at Georgetown University Law Center since 1992.  Mr. Dahl served as Deputy Inspector General for the U.S. Department of Commerce from October 2010 until January 2012 and Deputy Inspector General for the Office of the Director of National Intelligence from 2007 until 2010.  Previously, he worked at the U.S. Department of Justice for more than 15 years, including as Senior Counsel to the Inspector General, a prosecutor in the Public Integrity Section of the Criminal Division, and trial attorney for the Civil Fraud Section in the Civil Division.  Before joining government, Mr. Dahl was an associate at the D.C. law firm of Arnold & Porter.  During his government service, Mr. Dahl received the National Intelligence Superior Service Medal and the Attorney General’s Distinguished Service Award.  Mr. Dahl received a B.A. from the University of Texas at Austin and a J.D. from the University of Texas School of Law. 

Tim Broas, Nominee for Ambassador to the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Department of State
Tim Broas is a partner at Winston & Strawn LLP, a position he has held since 1995.  He also serves as a Member of the Board of Trustees of the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, having been appointed in December 2010.  From 1986 to 1995, he was a partner at Anderson Hibey & Blair.  Previously, Mr. Broas was an attorney at Whitman & Ransom from 1983 to 1985 and Conboy Hewitt O’Brien & Boardman from 1980 to 1983.  From 1979 to 1980, he served as a law clerk for Justice Mark Sullivan of the Supreme Court of New Jersey.  Mr. Broas received an A.B. from Boston College and a J.D. from the College of William and Mary.

Adam M. Scheinman, Nominee for Special Representative of the President for Nuclear Nonproliferation, with the rank of Ambassador, Department of State
Adam M. Scheinman is Senior Advisor for Nuclear Nonproliferation in the Bureau of International Security and Nonproliferation at the U.S. Department of State.  From 2009 to 2013, he served as Director for Nonproliferation on the White House National Security Staff.  Prior to this role, from 1999 to 2009, he held a number of positions in the Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration, including Assistant Deputy Administrator and Policy Director in the Office of Nonproliferation and International Security; Director in the Office of Export Control Policy and Cooperation in the Office of Arms Control and Nonproliferation; and Senior Advisor for Arms Control, Nonproliferation, and Outreach in the Office of Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation.  From 1995 to 1999, he served as Foreign Affairs Analyst in the Office of International Policy and Analysis Division at the Department of Energy.  From 1994 to 1995, he served as Senior Policy Analyst at the Lawyers Alliance for World Security.  From 1990 to 1994, he served as Program Coordinator at the Washington Council on Non-Proliferation.  He received a B.A. from Cornell University and an M.A. from the George Washington Elliot School of International Affairs. 

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
July 18, 2013

President Obama Announces His Intent to Nominate Carrie Hessler Radelet as Director of the Peace Corps

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, President Obama announced his intent to nominate Carolyn “Carrie” Hessler Radelet as Director of the Peace Corps:

President Obama said, “As Deputy Director of the Peace Corps, Carrie has been instrumental in recruiting and training thousands of Peace Corps volunteers who work to promote social and economic development around the world.  I’m delighted to nominate her as Director, so this program can continue to benefit from her vision and commitment.” 

President Obama announced his intent to nominate Carolyn “Carrie” Hessler Radelet as Director of the Peace Corps:

Carolyn “Carrie” Hessler Radelet, Nominee for Director of the Peace Corps
Carolyn "Carrie" Hessler Radelet is Deputy Director of the Peace Corps, a position she has held since 2010.  Previously, she worked for John Snow, Inc. as the Vice President and Director of the Washington, D.C. office from 2000 to 2010 and Director of the Boston International Group from 1996 to 2000.  Ms. Hessler Radelet served as an HIV/AIDS Advisor with the Health and Child Survival Fellows Program at the U.S. Agency for International Development in Indonesia from 1994 to 1995 and as a Technical Advisor for John Snow, Inc. in Indonesia from 1991 to 1994.  From 1989 to 1991, she served as the Acting Director of the Boston International Group with John Snow, Inc.  From 1986 to 1988, she founded and served as the Executive Director of the Special Olympics in the Republic of The Gambia, and served as a consultant with The Gambia Family Planning Association.  In addition, she served as a Public Affairs Manager at the Peace Corps Regional Office in Boston from 1984 to 1986.  Ms. Hessler Radelet served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Western Samoa from 1981 to 1983.  She received a B.A. from Boston University and an M.S. from Harvard School of Public Health. 

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
July 18, 2013

Statement from the President on the Confirmation of Gina McCarthy

Statement from the President on the Confirmation of Gina McCarthy as the Next Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency

I am pleased that today the Senate took bipartisan action to confirm Gina McCarthy as the next Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency.  With years of experience at the state and local level, Gina is a proven leader who knows how to build bipartisan support for commonsense environmental solutions that protect the health and safety of our kids while promoting economic growth.  Over the past four years, I have valued Gina’s counsel and I look forward to having her in my Cabinet as we work to slow the effects of climate change and leave a cleaner environment for future generations. 

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
July 18, 2013

Statement by the Press Secretary on H.R. 251, H.R. 254, and H.R. 588

On Thursday, July 18, 2013, the President signed into law:

H.R. 251, the "South Utah Valley Electric Conveyance Act," which directs the Secretary of the Interior to convey all right, title, and interest of the United States of the fixtures and associated Federal land relating to the Strawberry Valley Electric Distribution System to the South Utah Valley Electric Service;

H.R. 254, the "Bonneville Unit Clean Hydropower Facilitation Act," which authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to facilitate the development of hydroelectric power on the Diamond Fork System of the Central Utah Project; and

H.R. 588, the "Vietnam Veterans Donor Acknowledgment Act of 2013," which extends the authority of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund, Inc., to construct a visitor center at or near the Vietnam Veterans Memorial on Federal land in the District of Columbia and authorizes the Fund to acknowledge donor contributions to the center.

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
July 18, 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:

  • Father Pius Pietrzyk – Member, Board of Directors of the Legal Services Corporation

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

Father Pius Pietrzyk, Nominee for Member, Board of Directors of the Legal Services Corporation
Father Pius Pietrzyk, OP is a Priest of the Order of Preachers.  He is currently engaged in academic studies at the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas (the Angelicum) and pastoral service at the Basilica of San Clemente in Rome, Italy.  Prior to this, from 2008 to 2011, he served as the Parochial Vicar at St. Thomas Aquinas Church in Zanesville, Ohio.  Concurrently, Father Pius has served as a Member of the Board of Directors of the Legal Services Corporation since 2010.  During the summer of 2004, he was a pro bono attorney with Immigration Services of the Catholic Charities of New York.  Previously, he was an Attorney with Sidley & Austin from 1997 to 2000.  Father Pius received a B.A. from the University of Arizona, a J.D. from the University of Chicago, and a S.T.B./M.Div and S.T.L from the Pontifical Faculty of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, DC. 

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
July 18, 2013

Statement from the President on the Confirmation of Thomas Perez

I welcome today’s confirmation of Tom Perez to serve as Secretary of Labor.  Tom has lived the American dream himself, and has dedicated his career to keeping it within reach for hardworking families across the country.  At the Department of Labor, Tom will help us continue to grow our economy, help businesses create jobs, make sure workers have the skills those jobs require, and ensure safe workplaces and economic opportunity for all.

I want to thank the Senate once again for agreeing to move forward on Tom and the other nominees who have waited far too long for the yes-or-no votes they deserve. 

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
July 17, 2013

Statement by the President and Mrs. Obama on Nelson Mandela International Day

On behalf of our family and the people of the United States, Michelle and I extend our warmest wishes and prayers to Nelson Mandela on the occasion of his 95th birthday, as well as to Graça Machel, the Mandela family, and the government and people of South Africa as they mark the fifth annual Nelson Mandela International Day.   Our family was deeply moved by our visit to Madiba’s former cell on Robben Island during our recent trip to South Africa, and we will forever draw strength and inspiration from his extraordinary example of moral courage, kindness, and humility. 

On Nelson Mandela International Day, people everywhere have the opportunity to honor Madiba through individual and collective acts of service.  Through our own lives, by heeding his example, we can honor the man who showed his own people - and the world - the path to justice, equality, and freedom.  May Nelson Mandela’s life of service to others and his unwavering commitment to equality, reconciliation, and human dignity continue to be a beacon for each future generation seeking a more just and prosperous world.

# # #

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
July 17, 2013

FACT SHEET: Middle Class Americans Saving Billions under the Health Care Law’s Medical Loss Ratio Refunds

Tomorrow, President Obama will deliver remarks to discuss how the Affordable Care Act is putting money back into the pockets of over 8.5 million Americans.  The President will be joined by families who have benefitted from a provision in the health care law that ensures insurance companies spend the majority of premium dollars on medical care and health care quality improvement, rather than on administrative costs. A broad coalition of community groups who will be working on the ground across the country to help enroll Americans in the new Health Insurance Marketplaces this fall will also attend.

One of the many parts of the health care law already benefitting middle class and working Americans is this provision that requires that insurance companies spend at least 80 percent of premium dollars on medical care and health care quality improvement, rather than on administrative costs and overhead. If they don’t, the insurance companies must provide a refund to their customers.

Recent reports show us that this policy is working – it’s holding insurance companies accountable and putting money back into the pockets of millions of middle class Americans in the form of refunds, reimbursements or reduced premiums when consumers don’t get the value out of their premium dollars.

Building on this progress, there is new evidence to show that the Health Insurance Marketplaces that will open for business this fall will offer new, affordable insurance options to Americans who don’t currently have access to affordable options.  These new benefits and protections in the law are expanding access to quality, affordable health care choices, giving consumers a better value for their health care dollar, and cutting waste to lower costs across our health care system.

The following fact sheet details how several of the law’s provisions are benefitting middle class and working Americans, including the refunds that are a result of the new health law and new data from the state of New York showing that health care premiums for some New Yorkers are expected to be up to 50 percent cheaper when the State’s Health Insurance Marketplace opens on October 1.

PROVIDING REFUNDS FOR MILLIONS OF CONSUMERS

Under the Affordable Care Act, insurance companies are required to spend 80 to 85 percent of premium dollars on medical care and health care quality improvement, rather than on administrative costs or CEO bonuses. If they don’t, the insurance companies must provide a refund to their customers. Americans can receives these refunds in several ways: a refund check in the mail; a lump-sum reimbursement to the same account that they used to pay the premium if by credit card or debit card; a reduction in their future premiums; or their employer providing one of the above, or applying the refund in another manner that benefits its employees, such as more generous benefits.

While most insurance companies are spending premium dollars consumers pay on their health care, before the enactment of the health care law, there was no way for all Americans to make sure that their premium dollars were primarily being spent on their health care and its improvement. The health care law’s “Medical Loss Ratio” provision cracked down on the worst insurance companies that were not providing Americans the value consumers expect from their premiums.

According to a recent report from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, in 2012 8.5 million consumers received half a billion dollars in refunds – with the average consumer receiving a refund of around $100 per family.  Moreover, in 2012, 77.8 million consumers saved $3.4 billion up front on their premiums as insurance companies operated more efficiently as compared to 2011. 

And these refunds for consumers are on their way. CMS recently released new data showing the average refunds Americans are receiving in each state; this data is available HERE.

DRIVING COMPETITION THAT CREATES MORE AFFORDABLE OPTIONS

For those Americans who already have health insurance – the vast majority – the only changes you will see under the law are new benefits, better protections from insurance company abuses, and more value for every dollar you spend on health care. If you like your plan you can keep it and you don’t have to change a thing due to the health care law.

For the uninsured or those who don’t get their coverage through work, a key component of the Affordable Care Act will take effect on October 1, when the new Health Insurance Marketplace open for business, allowing millions of Americans to comparison shop for a variety of quality, affordable plans that best meet their health care needs. Preliminary data shows that the competition and transparency that these marketplaces will create for individual and group insurance will result in health care plans that are both higher quality and more affordable.

We have already seen evidence of this in states like California and Oregon and now New York, where the State just announced its health insurance plan rates for insurers seeking to offer coverage through New York’s Health Insurance Marketplace.

According to the State, not only will new insurers be entering the market to offer more choices to consumers, the premiums will be below what the Congressional Budget Office projected.  This is despite the fact that the state’s health care costs are much higher than the national average.

Additionally, a new analysis being released today by the Department of Health and Human Services shows that the preliminary premiums for plans offered to individuals in these new Marketplaces will be lower than expected. Specifically, the HHS analysis finds that that:

  • In the eleven states for which data are available, the lowest cost silver plan in the individual market in 2014 is, on average, 18 percent less expensive than the HHS estimate of the premium that was assumed by the Congressional Budget Office.
  • Similarly, the lowest cost silver plan available to small employers in 2014 in the six states with available data is estimated to be 18 percent less expensive, on average, than the average premium that small employers would be paying for a pre-ACA silver plan trended forward.
  • These preliminary rates may be lowered before health plans are offered in Marketplaces this fall.  Already, in a number of states (DC, OR, RI, VT), the rate review process plus competition are resulting in final rates that are significantly below what was proposed earlier this spring.
  • Preliminary premiums appear to be affordable even for young men –a group about which there has been concern about “rate shock.”  There are approximately 750,000 young men (ages 18-34) who will not qualify for a premium tax credit who are currently enrolled in the individual market. In Los Angeles (the county with the largest number of uninsured Americans in the nation), the lowest priced silver plan for a 25 year old costs $174 without a tax credit, $34 for someone whose  income is $17,235, and a catastrophic plan can be purchased for $117 a month. 

While further work is needed to better understand 2014 rates, these results suggest that greater competition and transparency are leading to substantial benefits for both consumers and employers in these markets.