The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

Presidential Nominations Sent to the Senate

NOMINATIONS SENT TO THE SENATE:

Ernest W. Dubester, of Virginia, to be a Member of the Federal Labor Relations Authority for a term of five years expiring July 29, 2017. (Reappointment)

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)

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

Readout of the President’s Call with President-elect Park Geun-hye of the Republic of Korea

The President spoke by telephone last evening with Park Geun-hye, the President-elect of the Republic of Korea, to extend his congratulations on her victory in Wednesday’s Presidential election in Korea. Both sides reaffirmed the importance of the U.S.-ROK alliance as a linchpin of peace and security on the Korean Peninsula and in the Asia Pacific region. They agreed on the need for continued close cooperation on a range of regional and global security issues, including North Korea. The President said he looks forward to working with her to continue strengthening economic ties and enhancing bilateral security cooperation, which they agreed are important priorities.

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

Statement by the Press Secretary

The President’s main priority is to ensure that taxes don’t go up on 98 percent of Americans and 97 percent of small businesses in just a few short days. The President will work with Congress to get this done and we are hopeful that we will be able to find a bipartisan solution quickly that protects the middle class and our economy.

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

Statement by the Press Secretary on H.R. 2467, H.R. 2838, H.R. 3319, H.R. 4014, H.R. 4367, S. 1998, and S. 3542

On Thursday, December 20, 2012, the President signed into law:

H.R. 2467, the "Bridgeport Indian Colony Land Trust, Health, and Economic Development Act of 2012," which transfers approximately 39 acres of Federal land in Mono County, California, currently managed by the Bureau of Land Management, into trust status for the benefit of the Bridgeport Indian Colony;

H.R. 2838, the "Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Act of 2012," which authorizes FY 2013 and FY 2014 appropriations and amends laws related to the Coast Guard; authorizes FY 2013 appropriations and amends laws related to the Maritime Administration; and amends various other maritime-related provisions of law;

H.R. 3319, which amends current law to allow the Pascua Yaqui Tribe to determine the requirements for tribal membership;

H.R. 4014, which provides that legal privileges related to information are not waived: when information is submitted to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) in the course of any supervisory or regulatory process; nor when information is transferred by the CFPB to other Federal agencies;

H.R. 4367, which eliminates the requirement that automated teller machine (ATM) operators post notice of a service fee on or at the ATM equipment, while retaining the requirement that such a notice be posted on the ATM screen or by a paper notice issued from the ATM;

S. 1998, the "DHS Audit Requirement Target Act of 2012" or the "DART Act," which requires the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to: ensure that DHS consolidated financial statements are ready in a timely manner and in preparation for an audit as part of preparing required performance and accountability reports; and submit a report to the DHS Secretary and the Office of Management and Budget on its plans to obtain an unqualified opinion on the full set of financial statements; and

S. 3542, the "No-Hassle Flying Act of 2012," authorizes the Department of Homeland Security's Transportation Security Administration to determine whether checked baggage on flights originating at foreign airports that has been screened in accordance with an aviation security preclearance agreement must be re-screened in the United States by an explosives detection system before continuing on any additional flights.

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

President Obama Announces More Key Administration Posts

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

• Ernie DuBester – Member, Federal Labor Relations Authority
• Carol Waller Pope – Member, Federal Labor Relations Authority, and upon appointment to be designated Chair

The President also announced his intent to appoint the following individuals to key Administration posts:

• Ruth David – Member, National Science Board, National Science Foundation
• Maria T. Zuber – Member, National Science Board, National Science Foundation
 Laura Skandera Trombley  – Member, J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board

President Obama said, “I am confident that these outstanding individuals will greatly serve the American people in their new roles and 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:

Ernie DuBester, Nominee for Member, Federal Labor Relations Authority
Ernie DuBester currently serves as a Member on the Federal Labor Relations Authority, a position he has held since 2009.  Previously, Mr. DuBester served as a Mediator at the National Mediation Board from 2005 to 2009.  From 2001 to 2005, Mr. DuBester was a Professor and Chair of the Dispute Resolution Program at George Mason University School of Law.  During that period, he also worked as an Arbitrator of labor and employment matters, which included the handling of Federal sector cases.  From 1997 to 2001, Mr. DuBester taught graduate courses in collective bargaining and arbitration at Catholic University School of Law.  From 1993 to 2001, Mr. DuBester was a Member of the National Mediation Board, serving as Chairman multiple times.  Mr. DuBester served as Legislative Counsel at the AFL-CIO from 1984 to 1993, and he worked at the law firm of Highsaw and Mahoney from 1981 to 1984.  From 1975 to 1981, he served as Counsel to the National Labor Relations Board.  Mr. DuBester received a B.A. from Boston College, a J.D. from the Columbus School of Law at Catholic University of America, and an LL.M. in Labor Law from the Georgetown University Law Center. 

Carol Waller Pope, Nominee for Member, Federal Labor Relations Authority, and upon appointment to be designated Chair
Carol Waller Pope is currently Chairman of the Federal Labor Relations Authority (FLRA), a position she has held since 2009.  She was first appointed as a Member of the FLRA in 2000.  Prior to her appointment, Ms. Pope worked in the Office of the General Counsel of the FLRA from 1980 to 2000, first as an Attorney in the Boston Regional Office, then as Executive Assistant to the General Counsel, and finally as Assistant General Counsel.  Earlier in her career, she served as an Attorney Advisor in the Employee Benefits Division of the Office of the Solicitor at the Department of Labor.  Ms. Pope is the recipient of distinguished achievement and leadership awards from the American Bar Association and the Federal Labor and Employment Law Section.  She received a B.A. from Simmons College and a J.D. from Northeastern University School of Law.

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

Dr. Ruth David, Appointee for Member, National Science Board, National Science Foundation
Dr. Ruth David is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Analytic Services Inc., a position she has held since 1998.  In this role, she initiated the corporation’s ANSER Institute for Homeland Security and later its Applied Systems Thinking Institute.  From 1995 to 1998, Dr. David was Deputy Director for Science and Technology at the Central Intelligence Agency.  Previously, she worked at Sandia National Laboratories.  Dr. David is a Member of the National Academy of Engineering, a Senior Fellow of the Defense Science Board, and a Member of the Homeland Security Advisory Council.  Her numerous accolades include the CIA’s Distinguished Intelligence Medal and the National Security Agency Director’s Distinguished Service Medal.  In 2010, she was inducted into the Women in Technology International Hall of Fame.  Dr. David received a B.S. from Wichita State University, and an M.S. and Ph.D. from Stanford University.

Dr. Maria T. Zuber, Appointee for Member, National Science Board, National Science Foundation
Dr. Maria T. Zuber is the E.A. Griswold Professor of Geophysics and incoming Vice President for Research at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.  In addition, she serves as the Principal Investigator of NASA’s Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory Mission.  Dr. Zuber is the first woman to lead a science department at MIT and the first to lead a NASA planetary mission.  She is a member of the National Academy of Sciences, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and the American Geophysical Union, where she served as President of the Planetary Sciences Section.  She received the MIT James R. Killian Jr. Faculty Achievement Award, the NASA Distinguished Public Service Medal, the Geological Society of America G.K. Gilbert Award, and the American Astronautical Society Carl Sagan Memorial Award.  Dr. Zuber received a B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania, and an Sc.M. and Ph.D. from Brown University.

Dr. Laura Skandera Trombley, Appointee for Member, J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board
Dr. Laura Skandera Trombley is the President of Pitzer College, a position she has held since 2002.  Previously, she was Dean of the Faculty and Vice President for Academic Affairs at Coe College.  Dr. Trombley served as an Assistant Provost at S.U.N.Y. Potsdam from 1990 to 1997.  She taught at the University of Eichstäett in Eichstäett, Germany from 1985 to 1988.  Dr. Trombley is a member of the Chronicle of Higher Education/New York Times Higher Education Cabinet and the Council of Presidents of the Association of Governing Boards.  Dr. Trombley received a B.A. and an M.A from Pepperdine University, and a Ph.D. from the University of Southern California.

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

Presidential Message -- African Growth and Opportunity Act

TO THE CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES:

In accordance with section 502(f)(2) of the Trade Act of 1974, as amended (the "1974 Act") (19 U.S.C. 2462(f)(2)), I am providing notification of my intent to terminate the designation of the Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis (St. Kitts and Nevis) as a beneficiary developing country under the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) program. Section 502(e) of the 1974 Act (19 U.S.C. 2462(e)) provides that if the President determines that a beneficiary developing country has become a "high-income" country, as defined by the official statistics of the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (i.e., the World Bank), then the President shall terminate the designation of such country as a beneficiary developing country for purposes of the GSP, effective on January 1 of the second year following the year in which such determination is made.

Pursuant to section 502(e) of the 1974 Act, I have determined that it is appropriate to terminate the designation of St. Kitts and Nevis as a beneficiary developing country under the GSP program because it has become a high-income country as defined by the World Bank. Accordingly, St. Kitts and Nevis' eligibility for trade benefits under the GSP program will end on January 1, 2014.

BARACK OBAMA

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

Readout of Assistant to the President John Brennan's Call with President Hadi of Yemen

Assistant to the President John Brennan called President Abdo Rabu Mansour Hadi of Yemen this morning to convey the United States’ support for President Hadi’s steadfast resolve to continue on the path of political transition.  Mr. Brennan extended President Obama’s congratulations to President Hadi for the decrees issued yesterday to further restructure the Yemeni armed forces, advancing the goal of a unified, professional military that serves the Yemeni people.  He also commended Yemen’s ongoing preparations for an inclusive National Dialogue, the critical next step in the political transition.  They discussed the importance of international support for Yemen’s economic development and the need to sustain close cooperation against al-Qa’ida.  Mr. Brennan reiterated President Obama’s appreciation for the strong partnership between our two nations and reaffirmed the United States’ commitment to supporting Yemen during its historic transition. 

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

National Strategy for Information Sharing and Safeguarding

Below is a link to the President’s plan for how the Federal Government will responsibly share and safeguard information that enhances national security and protects the safety of the American people. You can read the plan “National Strategy for Information Sharing and Safeguarding” here: http://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/sites/default/files/docs/2012sharingstrategy_1.pdf  National security depends on our ability to share the right information, with the right people, at the right time.  Anchored on the 2010 National Security Strategy, the NSISS provides guidance for more effective integration and implementation of policies, processes, standards, and technologies that promote secure and responsible national security information sharing.

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

President Obama Signs Massachusetts Disaster Declaration

The President today declared a major disaster exists in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and ordered Federal aid to supplement commonwealth and local recovery efforts in the area affected by Hurricane Sandy during the period of October 27 to November 8, 2012.

Federal funding is available to commonwealth and eligible local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations on a cost-sharing basis for emergency work and the repair or replacement of facilities damaged by Hurricane Sandy in Barnstable, Bristol, Dukes, Nantucket, Plymouth, and Suffolk Counties.

Federal funding is also available on a cost-sharing basis for hazard mitigation measures statewide.

W. Craig Fugate, Administrator, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Department of Homeland Security, named James N. Russo as the Federal Coordinating Officer for federal recovery operations in the affected area. 

FEMA said additional designations may be made at a later date if requested by the commonwealth and warranted by the results of further damage assessments.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION MEDIA SHOULD CONTACT:  FEMA NEWS DESK AT (202) 646-3272 OR FEMA-NEWS-DESK@DHS.GOV

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

Statement by President on the Presidential Election in the Republic of Korea

I congratulate President-elect Park Geun-hye on her success in the election held on Wednesday. I look forward to working closely with the Park Administration to further enhance our extensive cooperation with the Republic of Korea on a wide range of important bilateral, regional and global issues. The U.S.-ROK alliance serves as a linchpin of peace and security in the Asia Pacific and our two nations share a global partnership with deep economic, security, and people-to-people ties. I also wish to reiterate my admiration for all that President Lee has done to strengthen U.S.-ROK relations and promote a Global Korea.