The White House
Office of the Press Secretary
On Sunday, December 30, 2012, the President signed into law:
H.R. 5949, the "FISA Amendments Act Reauthorization Act of 2012," which provides a five-year extension of Title VII of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act.
The White House
Office of the Press Secretary
Dear Mr. Speaker: (Dear Mr. President:)
Due to the deteriorating security situation in the Central African Republic and the potential threat to U.S. citizens, U.S. embassy personnel and several private U.S. citizens were evacuated from Bangui, Central African Republic on December 27, 2012. In addition, at approximately 5:20 p.m. Eastern Standard Time on December 27, a stand-by response and evacuation force of approximately 50 U.S. military personnel from U.S. Africa Command deployed to Chad to support the evacuation of U.S. embassy personnel and U.S. citizens from the Central African Republic. Although equipped for combat, this stand-by security force was deployed solely for the purpose of protecting U.S. citizens and property, if necessary, until the U.S. embassy personnel and private U.S. citizens have been safely evacuated from the Central African Republic.
This action has been directed consistent with my responsibility to protect U.S. citizens both at home and abroad, and in furtherance of U.S. national security and foreign policy interests, pursuant to my constitutional authority to conduct U.S. foreign relations and as Commander in Chief and Chief Executive.
I am providing this report as part of my efforts to keep the Congress fully informed, consistent with the War Powers Resolution (Public Law 93-148). I appreciate the support of the Congress in this action.
Sincerely,
BARACK OBAMA
The White House
Office of the Press Secretary
NOTICE
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WAIVER FROM RESCISSION OF UNOBLIGATED FUNDS UNDER THE AMERICAN RECOVERY AND REINVESTMENT ACT OF 2009
Consistent with the authority provided to me under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5), as amended by section 1306 of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (Public Law 111-203), I have determined that it is not in the best interest of the Nation to rescind after December 31, 2012, the unobligated amounts made available in Division A of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act with respect to the accounts with the following Treasury Account Fund Symbol codes and names, not to exceed the amounts stated:
Department of Defense: 97-0501 -- Military Construction, Defense-wide, $104 million;
Department of Energy: 89-0209 -- Title 17 Innovative Technology Loan Guarantee Program, $96 million;
Social Security Administration: 28X8704 -- Limitation on Administrative Expenses, $148 million; and
Small Business Administration: 73-4268 -- Surety Bond Guarantees Revolving Fund, $15 million.
My determination is based on the following consideration:
The retention of these unobligated balances will allow the executive agencies to continue to execute projects vital to the national interest in a fiscally responsible manner.
Therefore, in accordance with section 1306 of Public Law 111-203, I am waiving the requirements for repayment for the stated amounts of unobligated funds made available in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act with respect to the accounts described above.
In accordance with section 1603(b) of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, as added by section 1306 of Public Law 111-203, all amounts that are rescinded pursuant to section 1603(b) shall be returned to the General Fund of the Treasury where such amounts shall be dedicated for the sole purpose of deficit reduction and prohibited from use as an offset for other spending increases or revenue reductions.
This notice shall be published in the Federal Register.
BARACK OBAMA
The White House
Office of the Press Secretary
On Friday, December 28, 2012, the President signed into law:
H.J. Res. 122, which establishes Friday, January 4, 2013, as the date for the counting by Congress of the electoral votes for President and Vice President cast by the electors in December 2012;
H.R. 3477, which designates the facility of the United States Postal Service in Crosby, Texas, as the Army First Sergeant David McNerney Post Office Building;
H.R. 3783, the "Countering Iran in the Western Hemisphere Act of 2012," which develops a strategy to counter Iran's growing presence and activity in the Western Hemisphere;
H.R. 3870, which designates the facility of the United States Postal Service in Rose Bud, Arkansas, as the "Nicky 'Nick' Daniel Bacon Post Office";
H.R. 3912, which designates the facility of the United States Postal Service in Mastic Beach, New York, as the "Brigadier General Nathaniel Woodhull Post Office Building";
H.R. 5738, which designates the facility of the United States Postal Service in Macomb, Michigan, as the "Lance Cpl. Anthony A. DiLisio Clinton-Macomb Carrier Annex";
H.R. 5837, which designates the facility of the United States Postal Service in Baldwinsville, New York, as the "Corporal Kyle Schneider Post Office Building";
H.R. 5954, which designates the facility of the United States Postal Service in Ellwood City, Pennsylvania, as the "Sergeant Leslie H. Sabo, Jr. Post Office Building";
H.R. 6116, which authorizes the U.S. Supreme Court, at its discretion, to review all final judgments rendered by the Virgin Islands Supreme Court;
H.R. 6223, which establishes that: the period of continuous residence and physical presence in the United States required for an alien to be eligible for U.S. citizenship is not broken by absence from the United States due to employment by a Chief of Mission or the Armed Forces as a translator or interpreter or in a security-related position; and no portion of that time would have to be spent in Iraq or Afghanistan;
S. 285, which makes Sopuruchi Chukwueke eligible for adjustment of status to that of lawful permanent resident;
S. 1379, the "D.C. Courts and Public Defender Service Act of 2011," which authorizes the Superior Court of the District of Columbia to delay judicial deadlines in the event of natural disasters; and modifies other authorities of the District of Columbia Courts;
S. 2170, the "Hatch Act Modernization Act of 2012," which modifies penalties under the Hatch Act to provide for a range of possible disciplinary actions in addition to removal for Federal employees; provides explicitly that various provisions of the Hatch Act that are applicable to State and local governments are in the same way applicable to the District of Columbia; and applies the prohibition against State and local employees being candidates for elective office only to employees whose salary is paid completely by Federal loans or grants;
S. 2367, the "21st Century Language Act of 2012," which strikes the word "lunatic" and the phrase "committee of estates of lunatics" from the rules of construction of the U.S. Code and from certain banking law provisions, respectively;
S. 3193, the "Barona Band of Mission Indians Land Transfer Clarification Act of 2012," which amends the Native American Technical Corrections Act of 2004 to revise the description of the land to be held in trust for the Barona Band of Mission Indians of California;
S. 3311, which designates the United States courthouse in Billings, Montana, as the "James F. Battin United States Courthouse";
S. 3315, the "GAO Mandates Revision Act of 2012," which modifies or eliminates several current law requirements for Government Accountability Office reports, reviews, and audits;
S. 3564, the "Public Interest Declassification Board Reauthorization Act of 2012," which reauthorizes the Public Interest Declassification Board for two years through December 31, 2014;
S. 3642, the "Theft of Trade Secrets Clarification Act of 2012," which makes it a Federal crime for an individual or an organization to steal, attempt to steal, or conspire to steal a trade secret related to a product or service used in or intended for use in interstate or foreign commerce; and
S. 3687, which reauthorizes the Lake Pontchartrain Basin Restoration Program through FY 2017, conveys the McKinney Lake National Fish Hatchery, modifies a provision of the Lacey Act with regard to a Texas Water District, and designates or re designates specified Federal buildings.
The White House
Office of the Press Secretary
Over the last four years, Lisa Jackson has shown an unwavering commitment to the health of our families and our children. Under her leadership, the EPA has taken sensible and important steps to protect the air we breathe and the water we drink, including implementing the first national standard for harmful mercury pollution, taking important action to combat climate change under the Clean Air Act, and playing a key role in establishing historic fuel economy standards that will save the average American family thousands of dollars at the pump, while also slashing carbon pollution. Lisa has been an important part of my team, and I want to thank her for her service in my Administration and her tireless efforts to benefit the American people. I wish her all the best wherever her future takes her.
The White House
Office of the Press Secretary
With the passing of General Norman Schwarzkopf, we've lost an American original. From his decorated service in Vietnam to the historic liberation of Kuwait and his leadership of United States Central Command, General Schwarzkopf stood tall for the country and Army he loved. Our prayers are with the Schwarzkopf family, who tonight can know that his legacy will endure in a nation that is more secure because of his patriotic service.
The White House
Office of the Press Secretary
Michelle and I extend our warm thoughts and best wishes to all those celebrating Kwanzaa this holiday season. Today marks the first day of the week-long celebration of African-American history and culture through the seven principles of Kwanzaa: unity, self determination, collective work and responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity, and faith.
To many, Kwanzaa serves as a time of reflection--taking lessons learned from our past and looking forward to a more promising tomorrow. It reminds us that though there is much to be thankful for we must recommit ourselves to building a country where all Americans have the opportunity to achieve their dreams.
As families across America light the Kinara today in the spirit of unity, our family extends our prayers and well wishes during this season.
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The White House
Office of the Press Secretary
The United States condemns in the strongest terms the renewed violence in Kenya’s Tana River region, which left over 39 dead and dozens injured on Friday, including many women and children. This latest incident represents a disturbing escalation of the tragic violence witnessed by these communities in August and September. We send our deepest sympathy to the families that have lost loved ones in the violence.
We urge the Kenyan government, the Kenyan police, and leaders from the Orma and Pokomo communities to bring an end to this deadly cycle of conflict, intensify efforts to establish a durable peace in the Tana delta, and hold to account the perpetrators of these heinous acts. With historic elections approaching in March, peace and stability are essential to Kenya's continued progress. The United States urges the people of Kenya to assert their rights through peaceful means, as provided for in Kenya’s constitution, so that all Kenyans may realize a secure, democratic, and prosperous future.
The White House
Office of the Press Secretary
Today, President Barack Obama announced his intent to appoint the following individuals to key Administration posts:
President Obama said, “These dedicated and accomplished individuals will be valued additions to my Administration as we tackle the important challenges facing America. I look forward to working with them in the months and years ahead.”
President Obama announced his intent to appoint the following individuals to key Administration posts:
L. Preston Bryant, Jr., Appointee for Chair, National Capital Planning Commission
L. Preston Bryant, Jr. is Chair of the National Capital Planning Commission, having been appointed by President Obama in 2009. Additionally, he is Senior Vice President for Infrastructure and Economic Development in the Richmond office of McGuireWoods Consulting. From 2006 to 2010, he served as Virginia’s Secretary of Natural Resources, and from 1996 to 2006, he served in the Virginia House of Delegates. Prior to his service in the House of Delegates, he was a Partner at Hurt & Proffitt, Inc., from 1996 to 2005. Mr. Bryant received a B.A. from Randolph-Macon College, an M.A. from the University of Richmond, and an M.A. from the University of London.
Dr. Mohamed A. El-Erian, Appointee for Chair, President’s Global Development Council
Dr. Mohamed A. El-Erian is the Chief Executive Officer and Co-Chief Investment Officer of Pacific Investment Management Company LLC (PIMCO), positions he has held since 2007. Dr. El-Erian joined PIMCO in 1999 as a senior member of the portfolio management and investment strategy group. In 2006, he joined Harvard Management Company as President and CEO, before returning to PIMCO in 2007. Previously, he was a Managing Director at Salomon Smith Barney/Citigroup in London and worked at the International Monetary Fund for 15 years, serving as Deputy Director from 1995 to 1997. He is a board member of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and the National Bureau for Economic Research, Chairs the Microsoft Investment Advisory Committee, and is a Member of the Investor Advisory Committee on Financial Markets at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. Dr. El-Erian received a B.A. and an M.A. from Cambridge University, and an M.Phil and Ph.D. from Oxford University.
Richard C. Blum, Appointee for Member, President’s Global Development Council
Richard C. Blum is Chairman of Blum Capital Partners, an equity investment management firm which he founded in 1975. In 1994, he co-founded Newbridge Capital, which is now part of TPG Asia. He currently serves on the Boards of Directors of CB Richard Ellis, CurrentTV, Fairmont Raffles Holdings International Ltd., and Current Media LLC. He also founded and serves as Chair of the Board of the Richard C. Blum Center for Developing Economies at the University of California at Berkeley (UC Berkeley), and the American Himalayan Foundation. Additionally, Mr. Blum is a Regent, and former Chairman, of the University of California. He is Chairman of the Advisory Board of the Haas School of Business at UC Berkeley; a Trustee at the Brookings Institution; and sits on the Board of Directors of the National Democratic Institute and The Carter Center. Mr. Blum received the Berkeley Medal in 2009 and the UCSF Medal awarded by the University of California, San Francisco, in 2012. Mr. Blum received a B.A. and an M.B.A. from the University of California at Berkeley.
Sylvia Mathews Burwell, Appointee for Member, President’s Global Development Council
Sylvia Mathews Burwell is President of the Walmart Foundation. Before assuming this role in 2012, she was President of the Global Development Program at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. She held several posts during the Clinton Administration, including Deputy Director of the Office of Management and Budget, Deputy Chief of Staff to the President, and Chief of Staff to the Secretary of the Treasury. Before her federal government service, she worked for McKinsey & Company. Ms. Burwell is a Member of the Board of the Council on Foreign Relations, the Board of MetLife, and the Aspen Strategy Group. She received an A.B. from Harvard University and a B.A. from Oxford University, where she was a Rhodes Scholar.
Dr. Esther Duflo, Appointee for Member, President’s Global Development Council
Dr. Esther Duflo is the Abdul Latif Jameel Professor of Poverty Alleviation and Development Economics at Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a founder and Director of the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab. In addition, Dr. Duflo is the Director of the development economics program at the Center for Economic Policy Research, and also serves as the editor of the American Economic Journal: Applied Economics. She co-authored Poor Economics: A Radical Rethinking of the Way to Fight Global Poverty, which won the Financial Times/Goldman Sachs Business Book of the Year Award in 2011. She was awarded a Fellowship from the MacArthur Fellows Program in 2009 and the John Bates Clark Medal in 2010. She holds an undergraduate degree from L’Ecole Normale Supérieure in Paris, a Master’s degree from EHSEES in Paris, and a Ph.D. from Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Dr. Sarah Beardsley Degnan Kambou, Appointee for Member, President’s Global Development Council
Dr. Sarah Beardsley Degnan Kambou is President of the International Center for Research on Women (ICRW), a position she has held since 2010. She joined ICRW in 2002 and held numerous leadership roles prior to becoming President, including serving as Chief Operating Officer from 2008 to 2010, and Vice President of Health and Development from 2006 to 2008. Prior to joining ICRW, Dr. Kambou spent more than a decade in sub-Saharan Africa managing programs and operations for CARE. In 1985, she co-founded the Center for International Health at the Boston University School of Public Health. In 2009, she was appointed as a Commissioner on the United States National Commission for the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization. She has been recognized with the Distinguished Alumni Award by the Boston University School of Public Health. Dr. Kambou received a B.A. from the University of Connecticut, and an M.P.H. and Ph.D. from Boston University.
Dr. James M. Manyika, Appointee for Member, President’s Global Development Council
Dr. James M. Manyika is the Director of the McKinsey Global Institute and a Senior Partner at McKinsey & Company. Prior to joining McKinsey, Dr. Manyika served on the Engineering Faculty at Oxford University and was an elected Research Fellow at Balliol College at Oxford University. In 2011, Dr. Manyika was appointed to the Innovation Advisory Board at the Department of Commerce. He is a Trustee at the Aspen Institute and the World Affairs Council of California, and serves on the Advisory Boards of the University of California at Berkeley’s School of Information and Harvard University’s Du Bois Institute for African and African American Research. Dr. Manyika was a Rhodes Scholar and received a B.S. from the University of Zimbabwe and an M.A., M.S., and D.Phil. from Oxford University.
William K. Reilly, Appointee for Member, President’s Global Development Council
William K. Reilly is a Senior Advisor to TPG, LP, a position he has held since 2008. Prior to this, Mr. Reilly was a Founding Partner of Aqua International Partners. From 1989 to 1993, he was the Administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. He served as President of the World Wildlife Fund from 1985 to 1989 and President of the Conservation Foundation from 1973 to 1989. Mr. Reilly is Chairman of the Board of ClimateWorks Foundation, and Global Water Challenge. He is Chairman and serves on the Board of Advisors of the Nicholas Institute for Environmental Policy Solutions at Duke University. In addition, Mr. Reilly is a Member of the Board of Trustees of the David and Lucile Packard Foundation. In 2010, President Obama appointed Mr. Reilly Co-Chair of the National Commission on the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill and Offshore Drilling. In 1992, he served as head of the U.S. Delegation to the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development in Rio de Janeiro. Mr. Reilly received a B.A. from Yale University, an M.S. from Columbia University, and a J.D. from Harvard Law School.
Steven Schwager, Appointee for Member, President’s Global Development Council
Steven Schwager worked at the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee for 23 years, rising to the level of Chief Executive Officer and Executive Vice President before retiring in 2012. During his tenure, Mr. Schwager held various positions including Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer. Previously, he was a Senior Business Official of the New York City Board of Education from 1983 to 1989, and from 1976 to 1983, he was the Chief Internal Auditor of the New York City Comptroller’s Office. He received a B.A. from Queens College, City University of New York.
Smita Singh, Appointee for Member, President’s Global Development Council
Smita Singh was the Special Advisor for Global Affairs and the founding Director of the Global Development Program at the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, where she worked from 2001 to 2010. From 1998 to 2001, she was a scholar at the Harvard Academy for International and Area Studies. Previously, Ms. Singh consulted for the World Bank and the United Nations Economic Commission on Africa. She was the first Program Officer for Higher Education Innovative Projects at the Commission on National and Community Service, now known as the Corporation for National and Community Service. Before joining the Commission, Ms. Singh worked at ABC News’ Nightline. She is on the governing boards of Oxfam America, Revenue Watch Institute, and the Center for Global Development, and is a Member of the Aspen Strategy Group. Ms. Singh received a B.A. from Stanford University and an A.M. from Harvard University.
Todd A. Fisher, Appointee for Member, United States Holocaust Memorial Council
Todd A. Fisher is the Global Chief Administrative Officer of the investment firm Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. (KKR), where he has worked since 1993. In addition, he oversees the firm’s real estate investment business and serves on KKR’s Management, Private Equity, and Real Estate Investment Committees. He is a Member of the Advisory Committee for the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies, and the Advisory Board of the Clinton Health Access Initiative. Mr. Fisher received a B.A. from Brown University, an M.A. from the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies, and an M.B.A. from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.
Robert A. Sherman, Appointee for Member, United States Holocaust Memorial Council
Robert A. Sherman is a Shareholder at the Boston office of the law firm Greenberg Traurig, LLP. He was a founder of the Boston office in 1999 and served as a Co-Managing Shareholder until 2008. Prior to joining Greenberg Traurig, he practiced at Eckert Seamans Cherin & Mellott, LLC from 1994 to 1999. He served as an Assistant Attorney General and Chief of the Consumer Protection Division in Boston from 1991 to 1993. Mr. Sherman serves on the Board of Trustees of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, where he is a member of the Compliance, Audit, and Risk Committees. Previously, he served on the Board of Directors of the Children’s Trust Fund. Mr. Sherman received a B.A. from the University of Rochester and a J.D. from the Boston University School of Law.
Andrea Lavin Solow, Appointee for Member, United States Holocaust Memorial Council
Andrea Lavin Solow serves on the Governing Board of the American Friends of the Yitzhak Rabin Center. She is also on the boards of the World Confederation of Jewish Community Centers and the Interfaith Youth Core. She is a former member of the Women's Board of the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago and the Board of Project Interchange. She previously served as Chair of Partnership 2Gether and Vice President of the Hyde Park Jewish Community Center. Ms. Solow received a B.A. from the University of Illinois.
Dr. Michael Ashley Stein, Appointee for Member, United States Holocaust Memorial Council
Dr. Michael Ashley Stein is the Executive Director of the Harvard Law School Project on Disability and the Cabell Professor of Law at the William & Mary School of Law. He has taught at Harvard Law School, Stanford Law School, New York University School of Law, and New York University’s Department of English. Dr. Stein serves on the UNICEF Global Partnership on Children with Disabilities, and is a Founding Advisory Board Member of the Israeli Disability Research Forum. In 2012, he was recognized by The Boston Globe Magazine as one of the “12 Bostonians Changing the World,” and in 2011, as an “International Disability Rights Champion” by the Association for Higher Education and Disability Student Division. Dr. Stein received a B.A. from New York University, a J.D. from Harvard University, and a Ph.D. from Cambridge University.
The White House
Office of the Press Secretary
President Obama today named twelve eminent researchers as recipients of the National Medal of Science and eleven extraordinary inventors as recipients of the National Medal of Technology and Innovation, the highest honors bestowed by the United States Government upon scientists, engineers, and inventors. The recipients will receive their awards at a White House ceremony in early 2013.
“I am proud to honor these inspiring American innovators,” President Obama said. “They represent the ingenuity and imagination that has long made this Nation great—and they remind us of the enormous impact a few good ideas can have when these creative qualities are unleashed in an entrepreneurial environment.”
The National Medal of Science was created by statute in 1959 and is administered for the White House by the National Science Foundation. Awarded annually, the Medal recognizes individuals who have made outstanding contributions to science and engineering. A committee of Presidential appointees selects nominees on the basis of their extraordinary knowledge in and contributions to chemistry, engineering, computing, mathematics, or the biological, behavioral/social, and physical sciences.
The National Medal of Technology and Innovation was created by statute in 1980 and is administered for the White House by the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Patent and Trademark Office. The award recognizes those who have made lasting contributions to America’s competitiveness and quality of life and helped strengthen the Nation’s technological workforce. Nominees are selected by a distinguished independent committee representing the private and public sectors.
This year’s recipients are listed below.
National Medal of Science
Dr. Allen Bard, University of Texas at Austin, TX
Dr. Sallie Chisholm, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, MA
Dr. Sidney Drell, Stanford University, CA
Dr. Sandra Faber, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA
Dr. Sylvester James Gates, University of Maryland, MD
Dr. Solomon Golomb, University of Southern California, CA
Dr. John Goodenough, University of Texas at Austin, TX
Dr. M. Frederick Hawthorne, University of Missouri, MO
Dr. Leroy Hood, Institute for Systems Biology, WA
Dr. Barry Mazur, Harvard University, MA
Dr. Lucy Shapiro, Stanford University School of Medicine, CA
Dr. Anne Treisman, Princeton University, NJ
National Medal of Technology and Innovation
Dr. Frances Arnold, California Institute of Technology, CA
Dr. George Carruthers, U.S. Naval Research Lab, DC
Dr. Robert Langer, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, MA
Dr. Norman McCombs, AirSep Corporation, NY
Dr. Gholam Peyman, Arizona Retinal Specialists, AZ
Dr. Art Rosenfeld, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, CA
Dr. Jan Vilcek, NYU Langone Medical Center, NY
Team:
Dr. Samuel Blum, IBM Corporation, NY
Dr. Rangaswamy Srinivasan, IBM Corporation, NY
Dr. James Wynne, IBM Corporation, NY
Company:
Raytheon BBN Technologies, MA, *Represented by CEO, Edward Campbell
Affiliations listed are the awardees’ most recently identified employers; some awardees are now retired.