The White House
Office of the Vice President
Monday, January 28, 2013
In the morning, the Vice President will attend the Presidential Daily Briefing in the Oval Office.
In the afternoon, the President and the Vice President will meet for lunch in the Private Dining Room.
The White House
Office of the Press Secretary
On January 27th, International Holocaust Remembrance Day, we honor the memories of the 6 million Jews and millions of other innocent victims whose lives were tragically taken during the Holocaust over sixty years ago. Those who experienced the horrors of the cattle cars, ghettos, and concentration camps have witnessed humanity at its very worst and know too well the pain of losing loved ones to senseless violence.
But while this is a time for mourning and reflection, it is also the time for action. On this day, we recall the courage, spirit, and determination of those who heroically resisted the Nazis, exemplifying the very best of humanity. And like these courageous individuals, we must commit ourselves to resisting hate and persecution in all its forms. The United States, along with the international community, resolves to stand in the way of any tyrant or dictator who commits crimes against humanity, and stay true to the principle of “Never Again.”
By remaining vigilant against those who seek to perpetrate violence and murder, we honor those we lost during one of the darkest periods in human history. And we keep their memory alive for generations to come.
The White House
Office of the Press Secretary
The White House
Office of the Press Secretary
The President and French President Hollande spoke today to continue their ongoing consultations on shared security concerns, including Mali, Algeria, Libya, and Syria. On Mali, the President expressed his support for France’s leadership of the international community’s efforts to deny terrorists a safehaven in Mali. President Hollande thanked President Obama for the significant support provided by the United States to this effort. The two leaders emphasized the need to rapidly establish the African-led International Support Mission in Mali, as well as the importance of the Interim Government of Mali establishing a political roadmap that will lead to elections and restoration of democratic governance. President Obama and President Hollande condemned last week’s terrorist act in Algeria and affirmed their mutual commitment to countering terrorism more broadly in North Africa. They noted the importance of sustained assistance to Libya as it works to build effective security sector institutions. The two leaders also discussed the situation in Syria, expressing their strong concern about the humanitarian crisis affecting not just Syria but also neighboring countries and reiterating their commitment to assisting the Syrian people achieve political transition to a post-Asad Syria.
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 honored that these talented individuals have decided to join this Administration and serve our country. 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. Gerald L. Early, Nominee for Member, National Council on the Humanities
Dr. Gerald L. Early is Director of the Center for Humanities, Merle Kling Professor of Modern Letters, and a Professor of English at Washington University in Saint Louis. Since 1982, he has held various positions at Washington University, including Professor of English, African and Afro-American Studies, and Director of the American Culture Studies Program. Dr. Early serves on the Board of Advisory Editors of Oxford Companion to African-American Literature and is a Member of the Board of Trustees of the Missouri Historical Society and the Advisory Board of The Antioch Review. He is the author of One Nation Under a Groove: Motown and American Culture and The Culture of Bruising: Essays on Prizefighting, Literature, and Modern American Culture, which won the 1994 National Book Critics Award. Dr. Early received a B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania, and an M.A. and Ph.D. from Cornell University.
Dr. Patricia Nelson Limerick, Nominee for Member, National Council on the Humanities
Dr. Patricia Nelson Limerick is Chair of the Board and Faculty Director of the Center of the American West at the University of Colorado, Boulder, where she is also a Professor of History and Environmental Studies. Previously, she was an Assistant Professor at Harvard University from 1980 to 1984. Dr. Limerick is President of the Society of American Historians. She served as Vice President for Teaching of the American Historical Association from 2010 to 2011, and as President of the American Studies Association in 1996 and the Western History Association in 2000. Dr. Limerick has received numerous awards and honors, including the Bonfils-Stanton Prize in the Arts and Humanities in 2012, the Hazel Barnes Prize in 2001, as well as the MacArthur Fellowship in 1995. Dr. Limerick received a B.A. from the University of California, Santa Cruz, and a Ph.D. from Yale University.
Shelly C. Lowe, Nominee for Member, National Council on the Humanities
Shelly C. Lowe is the Executive Director of the Harvard University Native American Program, a position she has held since 2009. From 2007 to 2009, she was the Assistant Dean for Native American Affairs at the Yale College Dean’s Office and Director of the Native American Cultural Center at Yale University. Previously, she served as the Graduate Education Program Facilitator for the American Indian Studies Program at The University of Arizona. Ms. Lowe served on the Board of Trustees for the National Museum of the American Indian from 2007 to 2009, and was Vice President of the National Indian Education Association from 2001 to 2002. Ms. Lowe received a B.A. and an M.A. from the University of Arizona.
Dr. Daniel I. Okimoto, Nominee for Member, National Council on the Humanities
Dr. Daniel I. Okimoto is a Professor Emeritus of Political Science at Stanford University, having served as a professor from 1977 to 2009. In addition, he is a Senior Fellow Emeritus at Stanford’s Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies, and a Director Emeritus of the Shorenstein Asia Pacific Research Center, which he co-founded in 1976. He serves as the Chairman of the Board of Councilors for the United States Japan Council. Previously, Dr. Okimoto was the Vice-Chairman of the Japan Committee of the National Research Council at the National Academy of Sciences, and was a Member of the Advisory Council of the Department of Politics at Princeton University. Dr. Okimoto received a B.A. from Princeton University, an M.A. from Harvard University, and a Ph. D. from the University of Michigan.
Dr. Katherine H. Tachau, Nominee for Member, National Council on the Humanities
Dr. Katherine H. Tachau is a Professor of History at the University of Iowa, where she has taught since 1985. Previously, she taught at Pomona College from 1982 to 1985 and Montana State University from 1981 to 1982. From 1979 to 1981, she was a researcher at the Institute for Medieval Greek and Latin Philology at Copenhagen University in Denmark. Dr. Tachau has published extensively on medieval philosophy, science, and art; and has received the John Nicholas Brown Prize from the Medieval Academy of America. In addition, she received the Regents Award for Faculty Excellence at the University of Iowa in 2009, and she has been awarded fellowships from the Stanford Humanities Center, the National Humanities Center, the Guggenheim Foundation, and the National Endowment for the Humanities. Dr. Tachau received a B.A. in Spanish and Medieval Studies from Oberlin College, and an M.A. and a Ph.D. in History from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
President Obama announced his intent to appoint the following individuals to key Administration posts:
Chester Alonzo Finn, Appointee for Member, National Council on Disability
Chester Alonzo Finn is a Special Assistant in the New York State Office for People With Developmental Disabilities, a position he has held since 1997. He was first appointed to the National Council on Disability by President Obama in 2010. In 2008, Mr. Finn, who is blind and developmentally disabled, co-founded the Community Empowerment Programs Incorporated, which provides community services and educational programing for people with disabilities. He served as President and Chairman of the National Self Advocates Becoming Empowered from 2002 to 2006 and then again from 2009 to 2011. In 1995, he received the New York State Self Advocate of the Year Award. Mr. Finn received an A.A. from Genessee Community College.
Captain Jonathan F. Kuniholm, USMC (Ret), Appointee for Member, National Council on Disability
Captain Jonathan F. Kuniholm is the President and Founder of the Open Prosthetics Project, and the Founder of StumpworX, Inc., a prosthetic arm manufacturing company. Captain Kuniholm served in the United States Marine Corps from 1997 to 2006. He served as a combat engineer officer and platoon commander for the 1st Marine Division in Operation Iraqi Freedom II. In 2006, he was honorably discharged after being wounded in combat and losing his right forearm. He is a Member of the Board of the Given Limb Foundation, and is an advisor and past Chair of the Board of Able Flight. In 2009, he received the DESIGNsmith award from North Carolina State University, and received a fellowship from the National Science Foundation’s Integrative Graduate Education and Research Traineeship Program in 2003. Mr. Kuniholm received an A.B. from Dartmouth College, and a B.S., M.S., and M.I.D. from North Carolina State University.
Jeff Rosen, Appointee for Member, National Council on Disability
Jeff Rosen is the General Counsel to ZVRS, a company that provides video interpreting services and products to facilitate communication between deaf and non-deaf speakers. Prior to joining ZVRS, Mr. Rosen served as the General Counsel and Vice President of Government Relations of Snap!VRS from 2007 until 2011. Previously, he served as the General Counsel and Director of Policy for the National Council on Disability from 2000 to 2007. He was an attorney at the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission from 1987 to 2000. Mr. Rosen is Treasurer of the United States International Council on Disabilities, a Member of the National Association of the Deaf Employment Task Force, and serves as an advisor to the World Federation of the Deaf. He was a Member and Officer of the American Bar Association’s Disabled Attorney’s section from 1987 to 1990, and served on the Board of DeafPride, including as its President from 1987 to 2000. Mr. Rosen received a B.A. and a J.D. from the University of Washington.
Lynnae M. Ruttledge Appointee for Member, National Council on Disability
Lynnae M. Ruttledge is a disability policy advisor to Daughters of Charity, Technology Research Into Disability, an international research institute. Ms. Ruttledge served as Commissioner of the Rehabilitation Services Administration with the U.S. Department of Education from 2010 to 2012. From 2005 to 2009, Ms. Ruttledge served as the Director for Statewide Programs for the Washington Department of Social and Health Services, Division of Vocational Rehabilitation. Previously, Ms. Ruttledge held various positions at the Oregon Department of Human Services, Office of Vocational Rehabilitation Services, starting in the mental health division in 1986 and ultimately serving as a grants administrator before leaving in 2005. Ms. Ruttledge began her career as a public school teacher in Michigan. In 2007, she received the Washington Governor’s Award for Leadership in Management. Ms. Ruttledge received a B.S. from Northern Michigan University.
Alice Wong, Appointee for Member, National Council on Disability
Alice Wong is a Staff Research Associate for the National Center for Personal Assistance Services at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), which conducts research and training to support the care of people with disabilities. She is President of the San Francisco In-Home Supportive Services Public Authority Governing Body, and is a Board Member of Asians and Pacific Islanders with Disabilities of California. Ms. Wong served as Vice Chair of the Chancellor’s Advisory Committee on Disability Issues at UCSF from 2006 to 2009. She received the Mayor’s Disability Council Beacon Award in 2010, the 2010 Chancellor’s Disability Service Award, and the 2007 Martin Luther King, Jr. Award at UCSF for leadership on behalf of the disability community. Ms. Wong received a B.A. from Indiana University and an M.S. from the University of California, San Francisco.
The White House
Office of the Press Secretary
The President and Senior Administration Officials met this morning with leaders of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus to discuss the need to make things fairer for and grow the middle class by fixing our broken immigration system so everyone plays by the same rules. The President thanked the Members for their long standing leadership on the issue, and reiterated that this is a top legislative priority.
The President was pleased to hear from CHC members and noted that they share the same vision, including that any legislation must include a path to earned citizenship. The President further noted that there is no excuse for stalling or delay. The President made it clear he will continue to lead on this issue, and that he looks forward to working with the Congressional Hispanic Caucus and other key Members of Congress in a bipartisan process to move this debate forward at the earliest possible opportunity.
The President will be traveling to Nevada on Tuesday to redouble the Administration's efforts to work with Congress to fix the broken immigration system this year.
The White House
Office of the Press Secretary
WASHINGTON, DC – Today, President Barack Obama announced the following individuals will serve in key White House posts:
• Denis McDonough – White House Chief of Staff
• Rob Nabors – Assistant to the President and Deputy White House Chief of Staff for Policy
• Antony Blinken – Assistant to the President and Deputy National Security Advisor
• Danielle Gray – Assistant to the President and Cabinet Secretary
• Katy Kale – Assistant to the President for Management and Administration
• Lisa Monaco – Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism and Deputy National Security Advisor
• Jennifer Palmieri – Assistant to the President and Communications Director
• Dan Pfeiffer – Assistant to the President and Senior Advisor
• Miguel Rodriguez –Assistant to the President and Director of Legislative Affairs
• David Simas – Assistant to the President and Deputy Senior Advisor for Communications and Strategy
President Obama said, “The challenges we face as a country, from rebuilding middle class security to strengthening our national security are complicated, and require thoughtful, comprehensive solutions. That’s why I am proud to announce a team with the deep expertise necessary to move our country forward. From growing the economy and shrinking our deficits, to keeping our country safe and addressing the dangers of climate change, these are people who will not rest until we get the job done. Led by Denis, this team is an extraordinary group of talented individuals with whom I will be honored to work.”
The White House
Office of the Press Secretary
WASHINGTON, DC — The White House today announced the departure of Chris Lu, Assistant to the President and Cabinet Secretary.
President Obama said, “Chris Lu is one of my longest-serving and closest advisors, first crafting my legislative agenda in the Senate, then leading my Presidential transition, and most recently, managing my relations with the Cabinet. Through his dedication and tireless efforts, Chris has overseen one of the most stable and effective Cabinets in history – a Cabinet that has produced extraordinary accomplishments over the past four years. For that reason, I have asked Chris to consider other opportunities to serve in my Administration, and after he enjoys some time off, I hope he will consider those opportunities. I know I speak on behalf of the entire Cabinet in thanking Chris for his friendship and exceptional service to our nation.”
The White House
Office of the Press Secretary
In my State of the Union last year, I urged Congress to take steps to fix the way they do business. Specifically, I asked them to address the fact that a simple majority is no longer enough to pass anything – even routine business – through the Senate. And today, I am pleased that a bipartisan group of Senators has agreed to take action.
Too often over the past four years, a single Senator or a handful of Senators has been able to unilaterally block or delay bipartisan legislation for the sole purpose of making a political point. At a time when we face critical decisions on a whole range of issues – from preventing further gun violence, to reforming our broken immigration system, to getting our fiscal house in order and creating good paying jobs – we cannot afford unnecessary obstruction. And I am hopeful that today’s bipartisan agreement will pave the way for the Senate to take meaningful action in the days and weeks ahead.
I also want to thank leaders in Congress for changing the Senate rules in an effort to resurrect the longstanding tradition of considering consensus district court judicial nominations on a more routine basis. After being approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee, my judicial nominees have waited more than three times longer to receive confirmation votes than those of my predecessor, even though the overwhelming majority of my nominees have been confirmed with little, if any, dissent. These months of unnecessary delay have threatened our judiciary. Today’s reforms are a positive step towards a fairer and more efficient system of considering district court nominees, and I urge the Senate to treat all of my judicial nominees in the same spirit.
The White House
Office of the Press Secretary
NOMINATIONS SENT TO THE SENATE:
Nicholas Christopher Geale, of Virginia, to be a Member of the National Mediation Board for a term expiring July 1, 2013, vice Elizabeth Dougherty, resigned.
Byron Todd Jones, of Minnesota, to be Director, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. (New Position)
Marietta S. Robinson, of Michigan, to be a Commissioner of the Consumer Product Safety Commission for a term of seven years from October 27, 2010, vice Thomas Hill Moore, term expired.