We Can’t Wait: Obama Administration Announces Two California Transportation Projects to Be Expedited

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, as part of his We Can’t Wait initiative, President Obama announced that two nationally and regionally significant surface transportation projects in California will be expedited to put Americans to work building a 21st century infrastructure and providing California with more transportation choices.  These projects will improve local and regional connectivity, providing for the safe and efficient movement of people, goods and services. Early, intensive coordination among agencies is expected to save up to 6 months on project schedules.

As part of a Presidential Executive Order issued in March of this year, the Office of Management and Budget is charged with overseeing a government-wide effort to make the permitting and review process for infrastructure projects more efficient and effective, saving time while driving better outcomes for local communities.  The Administration’s efforts to continuously add more transparency, accountability, and certainty into the permitting and review process will enable project developers and private investors to more efficiently modernize our nation’s infrastructure.   Additional expedited infrastructure projects will be announced in the coming weeks.

“Investments in infrastructure are putting people back to work in California by building and modernizing our transportation systems,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. “This is good news for the local economy, and it’s one more sign of President Obama’s commitment to help communities across the country move forward with these critical projects as quickly and efficiently as possible.”

California High Speed Rail – Central Valley Construction
State: California
Coordinating Agency: Department of Transportation, Federal Railroad Administration
Target date for completing Federal permit and review decisions: October 2013

The Fresno to Bakersfield section of the California High Speed Train (HST) System extends approximately 114 miles in California's Central Valley and is a portion of Phase 1 of the HST system.  Stations are planned at Fresno and Bakersfield, and a third Kings/Tulare Regional Station is being considered near Hanford. 

The high-speed train project will support job creation in a region that is currently experiencing some of the nation’s highest unemployment rates. Once operating, projections estimate 4,500 boardings daily in Fresno and 5,100 in Bakersfield, with travel time between Fresno and Bakersfield estimated at 37 minutes.

Early, intensive coordination for project environmental reviews has supported a project schedule that is projected to save up to 6 months, enabling the project to meet funding deadlines and an aggressive construction schedule.

San Francisco Downtown Ferry Terminal
State: California
Coordinating Agency: Department of Transportation, Federal Transit Administration
Target date for completing Federal permit and review decisions: July 2014

The Downtown San Francisco Ferry Terminal expansion project will improve waterside and landside facilities at the city's busy Ferry Terminal.  The project, managed by the San Francisco Bay Area Water Emergency Transportation Authority, will expedite boarding for more than 10,000 daily passengers, provide better access to jobs and entertainment centers downtown, and improve connections to area pedestrian, bicycle, and transit facilities.  Ferry Terminal improvements will also expand the region's ability to provide vital transportation services in the event of an emergency.

The project is funded in part by the Federal Transit Administration (FTA), which is using new project management tools to engage other Federal agencies in order to improve the efficiency of environmental reviews and to facilitate greater interagency collaboration in the process. These innovations, in addition to leveraging lessons learned from prior projects, are projected to shave several months off the project schedule.

President Obama Announces More Key Administration Posts

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

• Sylvia M. Becker – Member, Foreign Claims Settlement Commission of the United States
• Bibiana Boerio – Director of the Mint, Department of the Treasury
• Robert F. Godec – Ambassador to the Republic of Kenya, Department of State
• Keith Kelly – Assistant Secretary for Veterans’ Employment and Training, Department of Labor
• Beth J. Rosenberg – Member, Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board
• Cheryl Saban – Representative of the United States to the Sixty-seventh Session of the General Assembly of the United Nations,
• Frederick Vollrath – Assistant Secretary of Defense for Readiness and Force Management, Department of Defense
• Tony West – Associate Attorney General, Department of Justice
• Joe Eldridge – Member, Board of Directors of the United States Institute of Peace
• George E. Moose – Member, Board of Directors of the United States Institute of Peace

President Obama said, “Our nation will be greatly served by the talent and expertise these men and women bring to their new roles.  I am grateful they have agreed to serve in this Administration, and I look forward to working with them in the months and years ahead.”

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

Sylvia M. Becker, Nominee for Member, Foreign Claims Settlement Commission of the United States
Sylvia M. Becker is a Partner at Kaye Scholer, LLP.  She joined the firm in 1988 as an Associate and was named Partner in 1999.  In 1990, Ms. Becker was awarded a Robert Bosch Foundation Fellowship, during which she worked at the German Foreign Ministry and at German trial and appellate courts responsible for intellectual property and competition cases.  From 1987 to 1988, she was a Women’s Law and Public Policy Fellow and served at the Women’s Legal Defense Fund, now known as the National Partnership for Women and Families.  Ms. Becker received a B.S.F.S. and a J.D./M.S.F.S. joint degree in Law and International Affairs from Georgetown University.

Bibiana Boerio, Nominee for Director of the Mint, Department of the Treasury
Bibiana Boerio served as Special Advisor to the President and CEO of the Detroit Regional Chamber of Commerce from March 2011 to February 2012. From 2008 to 2010, Ms. Boerio was the Chief of Staff for Congressman Joe Sestak. Previously, Ms. Boerio worked at Ford Motor Company for over 30 years, including as Managing Director for Jaguar Cars, Ltd. from 2004 to 2007, Director of Finance and Strategy for Ford International Operations from 2003 to 2004, and Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer for Ford Motor Credit Company from 2000 to 2003. She received a B.S. from Seton Hill College and an M.B.A. from the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Business.

Ambassador Robert F. Godec, Nominee for Ambassador to the Republic of Kenya, Department of State
Ambassador Robert F. Godec, a career member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Minister-Counselor, is currently Chargé d'affaires at the United States Embassy in Nairobi, Kenya.  From 2009 to 2012, he was Principal Deputy Coordinator for Counterterrorism at the Department of State, and from 2006 to 2009, he served as the U.S. Ambassador to Tunisia.  Ambassador Godec served as a Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs from 2005 to 2006 and as Deputy Coordinator for Iraq from 2004 to 2005.  Ambassador Godec’s overseas posts include: Acting Deputy Chief of Mission (2002), Minister Counselor for Economic Affairs at the U.S. Embassy in Pretoria, South Africa (1999-2002), and Economic Counselor at the U.S. Embassy in Nairobi, Kenya (1996 -1999).  Additional posts in Washington include: Assistant Office Director for Thailand and Burma in the Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs (1994-1996), and Director for Southeast Asian Affairs at the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (1992-1994).  Ambassador Godec received a B.A. from the University of Virginia and an M.A. from Yale University. 

Keith Kelly, Nominee for Assistant Secretary for Veterans’ Employment and Training, Department of Labor
Keith Kelly is the Commissioner of the Montana Department of Labor and Industry (DLI), a position he has held since January 2005.  Mr. Kelly previously worked at DLI as the Administrator for the Unemployment Insurance Division from 2002 to 2004.  From 2001 to 2002, Mr. Kelly was President of Kelly & Associates, LLC.  From 1997 to 2001, Mr. Kelly served as Administrator of the Farm Service Agency and Executive Vice President of the Commodity Credit Corporation at the United States Department of Agriculture.  He was Director of the Arizona Department of Agriculture from 1990 to 1997, and Director of the Montana Department of Agriculture from 1983 to 1989.  Mr. Kelly served as Chair and Vice Chair of the Veterans Affairs Committee of the National Association of State Workforce Agencies from 2009 to 2010.  He was awarded a Bronze Star and the Combat Infantryman’s Badge for his service with the Army’s 101st Airborne Division.  Mr. Kelly received a B.S. in Agriculture Business and an M.S. in Economics and Agriculture Economics from Montana State University.

Dr. Beth J. Rosenberg, Nominee for Member, Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board
Dr. Beth J. Rosenberg is an Assistant Professor in the Public Health Program at Tufts University School of Medicine, a position she has held since 1996.  Since 2005, she has researched the safety systems and health and safety conditions at former nuclear weapons production sites.  From 2000 to 2008, Dr. Rosenberg served as a member of the Massachusetts Toxics Use Reduction Scientific Advisory Board.  Dr. Rosenberg received a B.A. in Anthropology from Wellesley College, an M.P.H. in Health Law from Boston University School of Public Health, and a Sc.D. in Work Environment Policy from the University of Massachusetts Lowell.

Cheryl  Saban, Nominee for Representative of the United States of America to the Sixty-seventh Session of the General Assembly of the United Nations
Cheryl Saban is an author, philanthropist, and advocate for women and children.   As an author, her work focuses predominantly on family, women's empowerment, and healthcare.  In 2009, she founded the non-profit organization Women’s Self Worth Foundation.  Ms. Saban serves on the boards of The Saban Research Institute, Girls Inc., and Children’s Hospital Los Angeles.  She is a member of the American Psychological Association.  Previously, she served on the Board of Overseers at the Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California (2008-2011), the Board of Directors of the Los Angeles Universal Preschool (2004-2007), and as a Commissioner for the City of Los Angeles Commission for Children, Youth, and Their Families (2002-2003).  She received a B.A., M.A., and Ph.D. from California Coast University. 

Frederick Vollrath, Nominee for Assistant Secretary of Defense for Readiness and Force Management, Department of Defense
Frederick Vollrath is Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Readiness and Force Management.  Prior to his appointment in March 2012, he had been the President of Vollrath Consulting since 2006.  Previously, from 1999 to 2006, he was Corporate Vice President of Human Resources for the Computer Sciences Corporation.  After 35 years of military service, Mr. Vollrath retired from the Army in 1998 with the rank of Lieutenant General as the Army’s Deputy Chief of Staff for Personnel, a role that he held from 1996 to 1998.  Prior to this position, he served as the U.S. Army Europe Deputy Chief of Staff for Personnel in Heidelberg, Germany (1994-1995), the Director of Enlisted Personnel Management (1989-1992), and as the Commanding General for the Personnel Information Systems Command in Alexandria, Virginia (1988-1989).  He received a B.A. from the University of Miami and an M.A. from Central Michigan University.

Tony West, Nominee for Associate Attorney General, Department of Justice
Tony West is Acting Associate Attorney General and Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Division at the United States Department of Justice.  Previously, Mr. West was a partner at the law firm of Morrison & Foerster, LLP from 2001 to 2009, and served as a state Special Assistant Attorney General in California from 1999 to 2001.  From 1994 to 1999, he was an Assistant United States Attorney for the Northern District of California, and from 1993 to 1994, he served as Special Assistant to the Deputy Attorney General at the U.S. Department of Justice.  Mr. West received a B.A. from Harvard College and a J.D. from Stanford Law School, where he was elected President of the Stanford Law Review.

Rev. Joe Eldridge, Nominee for Member, Board of Directors of the United States Institute of Peace
Rev. Joe Eldridge is University Chaplain and Adjunct Faculty in the School of International Service at American University, a position he has held since 1997.  Prior to joining American University, he helped establish the Washington D.C. office for the Lawyers Committee for Human Rights, now known as Human Rights First, serving as the office’s Director from 1991 to 1997.  Prior to his work at the office for the Lawyers Committee for Human Rights, he spent the early part of his career working on international human rights and humanitarian issues.  Rev. Eldridge received a B.A. from Tennessee Wesleyan College, an M.T.S. from Perkins School of Theology at Southern Methodist University, an M.A. from American University, and a D.Min. from Wesley Theological Seminary.

Ambassador George E. Moose, Nominee for Member, Board of Directors of the United States Institute of Peace
Ambassador George E. Moose is an adjunct professor of practice at the Elliott School of International Affairs at The George Washington University.  He has also been a Member of the Board of Directors of the United States Institute of Peace since 2007, and currently serves as the Board's Vice Chairman.  Ambassador Moose served as a career member of the Foreign Service for over 30 years.  His assignments included posts in Asia, Africa, the Caribbean, and Europe.  From 1998 to 2001, he served as Representative of the United States of America to the European Office of the United Nations, with the rank of Ambassador, in Geneva.  From 1993 to 1997, he was Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, before which he served as Alternate Representative to the United Nations Security Council from 1991 to 1992.  From 1988 to 1991, he was the United States Ambassador to Senegal, and from 1983 to 1986, he was the United States Ambassador to the Republic of Benin.  Ambassador Moose received a B.A. and an Honorary Doctorate of Laws from Grinnell College.

President Obama Nominates Robert Okun to Serve on the Superior Court of the District of Columbia

WASHINGTON, DC- Today, President Obama nominated Robert Okun to serve on the Superior Court of the District of Columbia.

“Throughout his career, Robert Okun has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to justice,” said President Obama.  “I am proud to nominate him to the Superior Court of the District of Columbia.”

Robert D. Okun:  Nominee for the Superior Court of the District of Columbia
Robert D. Okun is Chief of the Special Proceedings Division of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, which handles all post-conviction motions filed in D.C. Superior Court and the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.  He also has served as Executive Assistant U.S. Attorney for Operations, and as Special Counsel to the U.S. Attorney for Professional Development and Legal Policy, and he advises and trains Assistant U.S. Attorneys on issues involving ethics and the Rules of Professional Conduct.  Prior to his service at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Okun served as a trial attorney in the Department of Justice’s Office of Consumer Litigation and in the Fraud Section of the Civil Division, as well as in the Office of Policy and Evaluation at the Federal Trade Commission.  Okun earned his B.A. magna cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania and his J.D. cum laude from Harvard Law School.  Following law school, he served as a law clerk for the Honorable Frank E. Schwelb, then-Associate Judge of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia.

Statement by the Press Secretary on H.R. 6336

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

H.R. 6336, which directs the congressional Joint Committee on the Library to accept a statue of Frederick Douglass from the District of Columbia for placement in Emancipation Hall in the United States Capitol Visitor Center.