Presidential Nominations Sent to the Senate

NOMINATIONS SENT TO THE SENATE:
 
John Owen Brennan, of Virginia, to be Director of the Central Intelligence Agency, vice David H. Petraeus, resigned.
               
Charles Timothy Hagel, of Nebraska, to be Secretary of Defense, vice Leon E. Panetta.
 
John Forbes Kerry, of Massachusetts, to be Secretary of State, vice Hillary Rodham Clinton.
               
Jacob J. Lew, of New York, to be Secretary of the Treasury, vice Timothy F. Geithner.
 
Jacob J. Lew, of New York, to be United States Governor of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development; to be United States Governor of the International Monetary Fund for a term of five years; United States Governor of the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development for a term of five years; United States Governor of the Inter-American Development Bank for a term of five years, vice Timothy F. Geithner.
 
Sylvia M. Becker, of the District of Columbia, to be a Member of the Foreign Claims Settlement Commission of the United States for the term expiring September 30, 2013, vice Ralph E. Martinez, term expired.
 
Sylvia M. Becker, of the District of Columbia, to be a Member of the Foreign Claims Settlement Commission of the United States for the term expiring September 30, 2016.  (Reappointment)
 
Robert F. Cohen, Jr., of West Virginia, to be a Member of the Federal Mine Safety and Health Review Commission for a term of six  years expiring August 30, 2018.  (Reappointment)
 
Richard J. Engler, of New Jersey, to be a Member of the Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board for a term of five years, vice William E. Wright, term expired.
               
Alan F. Estevez, of the District of Columbia, to be a Principal Deputy Under Secretary of Defense, vice Frank Kendall III.
                                                                                              
Christopher J. Meade, of New York, to be General Counsel for the Department of the Treasury, vice George Wheeler Madison, resigned.
 
David Medine, of Maryland, to be Chairman and Member of the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board for a term expiring January 29, 2018.  (New Position)
 
Carol Waller Pope, of the District of Columbia, to be a Member of the Federal Labor Relations Authority for a term of five years
expiring July 1, 2014.  (Reappointment)
               
William B. Schultz, of the District of Columbia, to be General Counsel of the Department of Health and Human Services, vice Daniel Meron.
               
Jeffrey Shell, of California, to be a Member of the Broadcasting Board of Governors for a term expiring August 13, 2015, vice Walter Isaacson, term expired.
               
Jeffrey Shell, of California, to be Chairman of the Broadcasting Board of Governors, vice Walter Isaacson, resigned.
 
Frederick Vollrath, of Virginia, to be an Assistant Secretary of Defense.  (New Position)
               
Derek Anthony West, of California, to be Associate Attorney General, vice Thomas John Perrelli, resigned.
 
Jenny R. Yang, of the District of Columbia, to be a Member of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission for a term expiring July 1, 2017, vice Stuart Ishimaru, resigned.
 

Statement by the President on Roe v. Wade Anniversary

On the 40th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, we reaffirm its historic commitment to protect the health and reproductive freedom of women across this country and stand by its guiding principle: that government should not intrude on our most private family matters, and women should be able to make their own choices about their bodies and their health care. Today and every day, my Administration continues our efforts to reduce unintended pregnancies, support maternal and child health, and minimize the need for abortion. On this anniversary, we recommit ourselves to supporting women and families in the choices they make and redouble our efforts to promote safe and healthy communities.

Statement by the Press Secretary

The President has made clear that Congress has only two options: pay the bills they have racked up, or fail to do so and put our nation into default.  We are encouraged that there are signs that Congressional Republicans may back off their insistence on holding our economy hostage to extract drastic cuts in Medicare, education and programs middle class families depend on. Congress must pay its bills and pass a clean debt limit increase without further delay. And as he has said, the President remains committed to further reducing the deficit in a balanced way.

Statement by the Press Secretary on the Visit of President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud of Somalia to the White House

This morning, President Obama joined a meeting between Assistant to the President and Deputy National Security Advisor Denis McDonough and Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud in the Roosevelt Room.  Following the meeting, the Somali President met with Secretary of State Clinton, who announced formal U.S. recognition of his government as the Government of Somalia.  This is the first time the United States has recognized a Somali government since 1991. 

The President congratulated Hassan Sheikh on his election last September and the establishment of the first permanent, representative government in Somalia in two decades.  The President noted the impressive security and political gains over the past year in Somalia.  He acknowledged the many challenges facing Somalia but expressed optimism about Somalia’s future, and reaffirmed his commitment to work in partnership with the new Somali government to promote peace and security, improve fiscal management, and increase the provision of social services.  The President urged President Hassan Sheikh to seize this unique opportunity to turn the page on two decades of civil strife in Somalia by building on the recent progress and working closely with regional and international partners to improve the lives of all Somalis. A photo of the meeting can be found here.