The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
August 24, 2012

President Obama Announces Presidential Delegation to the Opening Ceremony of the 2012 Paralympic Games

WASHINGTON, DC – President Barack Obama today announced the designation of a Presidential Delegation to London, United Kingdom to attend the Opening Ceremony of the Paralympic Games on August 29, 2012.

U.S. Army General Martin E. Dempsey, 18th Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, will lead the delegation.

Members of the Presidential Delegation:

The Honorable Louis B. Susman, Ambassador of the United States to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

The Honorable Lisa P. Jackson, Administrator, Environmental Protection Agency

Mr. Kareem A. Dale, Special Assistant to the President for Disability Policy, The White House

Ms. Jean Driscoll, U.S. two-time Olympic silver medalist, five-time Paralympic gold medalist, three-time Paralympic silver medalist, and four-time Paralympic bronze medalist

Ms. Sharon Hedrick, U.S. two-time Olympic gold medalist, six-time Paralympic gold medalist, four-time Paralympic silver medalist, and two-time Paralympic bronze medalist

Mr. Larry T. Hughes, U.S. Paralympic gold medalist

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
August 23, 2012

Readout of the President’s Discussion with Acting Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn

The President and Acting Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn spoke today.  President Obama conveyed his condolences on behalf of the American people to the people of Ethiopia for the country’s loss.  President Obama also noted that Prime Minister Meles made significant contributions to Ethiopia’s development and to peace and security in the region.  President Obama underscored the commitment of the United States to continuing in our partnership with Ethiopia, and urged Acting Prime Minister Hailemariam to use his leadership to enhance the Ethiopian government’s support for development, democracy, human rights and regional security.

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
August 23, 2012

White House Launches Presidential Innovation Fellows Program

WASHINGTON, DC – US Chief Technology Officer Todd Park announced the first class of “Presidential Innovation Fellows” today. Selected from an applicant pool of nearly 700 innovators from across the country, the 18  “Fellows” have agreed to spend six months in Washington to work on five high-impact projects aimed at supporting entrepreneurs, small businesses and the economy, while significantly improving how the Federal Government serves the American people.

“The Presidential Innovation Fellows program leverages the ingenuity of leading problem solvers from across America together with federal innovators to tackle projects that aim to fuel job creation, save taxpayers money and improve the lives of Americans in tangible ways,” Park said. “These private sector innovators bring their entrepreneurial expertise to the table that has helped jump-start high-tech companies, increase efficiency and public engagement, and redefine how technology is used in business."

The five projects were selected because they are tough but tractable challenges whose solutions could provide immediate benefits and cost-savings to American citizens, entrepreneurs and businesses. The first class of 18 Presidential Innovation Fellows were chosen on the basis of individuals’ skill sets and their relevance to the chosen challenges, as well as using cross-sector teams of innovators who can rapidly prototype and test solutions in an iterative way until success is achieved.

The five projects, and the Fellows who will be working on each, are:

Blue Button for America will spread the ability for millions of Americans to easily and securely download their own health information electronically, all while fueling the emergence of time and money saving products and businesses.

• Henry Wei, MD – Practicing doctor and informatics expert, New York, NY
• Ryan Panchadsaram – Founder of Pipette, San Francisco, CA
• Matt McCall – Information systems expert, Baltimore, MD

RFP-EZ aims to develop an online marketplace that will make it easier for the government to do business with small high-growth tech companies, and enabling the government to buy better, lower-cost tech solutions from the full range of American businesses. 

• Clay Johnson – Best-selling author, open government technologist and entrepreneur, Washington, DC
• Jed Wood – Interaction designer, web developer, and entrepreneur, Chicago, IL
• Adam Becker – Web developer and co-founder of civic engagement startup GovHub, Oakland, CA

MyGov will create a prototype of a streamlined online system enabling citizens to easily access the information and services from across the Federal Government.

• Kara DeFrias – User experience writer from TurboTax San Diego, CA
• Phil Ashlock – Open government program manager and co-founder of Civic Commons, Brooklyn, NY
• Danny Chapman – Award-winning website designer, Riverside, RI
• Greg Gershman – Software engineer and serial entrepreneur Baltimore, MD
• Ben Balter – Software engineer, Washington, DC

The 20% Initiative will work to transition “the last mile” of international development assistance payments from cash to electronic methods – lowering administrative costs, promoting financial inclusion, and reducing theft, fraud, and violence.

• Karl Mehta – Serial entrepreneur and founder of PlaySpan, Fremont, CA

Open Data Initiatives will accelerate and expand Administration efforts to make government data more publicly accessible in “computer-readable” form and spur the use of those data by entrepreneurs as fuel for the creation of new products, services, and jobs.

• Ian Kalin – Navy veteran and managing director of an energy sector startup, San Francisco, CA
• Marina Martin – Web developer and business efficiency expert, Seattle, WA
• Raphael Majma – Open data researcher, Brooklyn, NY
• Nick Bramble – Director, Law & Media Program, Information Society Project at Yale Law School, New Haven, CT
• Dmitry Kachaev – Software engineer, Arlington, VA
• Nathaniel Manning – Robotics entrepreneur and member of the World Economic Forum’s Personal Data team and Google’s Data Colloquium team, San Francisco, CA

To learn more about the Presidential Innovation Fellows program, please visit: www.WhiteHouse.gov/InnovationFellows

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
August 22, 2012

President Obama Signs Oklahoma Disaster Declaration 

The President today declared a major disaster exists in the State of Oklahoma and ordered Federal aid to supplement state and local recovery efforts in the area affected by the Freedom Wildfire during the period of August 3-14, 2012.

The President's action makes federal funding available to affected individuals in Creek County.
 
Assistance can include grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses, and other programs to help individuals and business owners recover from the effects of the disaster.
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 William J. Doran III 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 state and warranted by the results of further damage assessments.
 
FEMA said that residents and business owners who sustained losses in the designated counties can begin applying for assistance tomorrow by registering online at http://www.DisasterAssistance.gov or by calling 1-800-621-FEMA(3362) or 1-800-462-7585 (TTY) for the hearing and speech impaired. The toll-free telephone numbers will operate from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. (local time) seven days a week until further notice.
 
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

For Immediate Release
August 22, 2012

Readout of the President’s Call with Prime Minister Cameron

The President and Prime Minister Cameron spoke today by telephone to continue their close consultations on a wide array of global issues.  President Obama reiterated his strong support for decisive action to address the economic crisis in Europe.  The President also conveyed his concerns about the increasingly dire humanitarian situation in Syria, and the need for more countries to contribute to the United Nations Syria humanitarian appeals.  The two leaders exchanged views on ways the international community can assist those displaced by the conflict, apply pressure on the Assad regime, and support the opposition so that the legitimate aspirations of the Syrian people can be realized.

The White House

Office of the Vice President

For Immediate Release
August 22, 2012

Statement from Vice President Joe Biden on the Passing of Spurgeon Keeny

I was saddened to hear about the recent passing of Spurgeon M. Keeny, Jr.  A distinguished nuclear arms control expert who held top positions at the U.S. Arms Control and Disarmament Agency and in the White House during five administrations, Spurgeon devoted much of his career to stopping and reversing the U.S.-Soviet nuclear arms race.  His tireless efforts laid the foundation upon which Washington and Moscow continue to reduce the threat of nuclear conflict. My thoughts and prayers are with Spurgeon's family.

The White House

Office of the First Lady

For Immediate Release
August 22, 2012

First Lady Michelle Obama Announces 125,000 Veterans & Military Spouses Hired through Joining Forces

 

Announcement meets President’s challenge one year early
 
WASHINGTON – Today, First Lady Michelle Obama traveled to Naval Station Mayport, Florida to announce that more than 2,000 businesses who have participated in her Joining Forces initiative have hired or trained more than 125,000 veterans and military spouses in the past year. Mrs. Obama also announced that these same companies have committed to build on the momentum to date and have pledged to hire or train 250,000 veterans and spouses in the coming years. The First Lady’s event at Naval Station Mayport was livestreamed by the Department of Defense to every U.S. military base around the world.
 
One year ago, the President announced a series of measures to increase veterans’ employment and he asked the First Lady and Dr. Biden to lead an effort with the private sector through Joining Forces to hire or train 100,000 veterans and military spouses by the end of 2013. Joining Forces efforts to date have exceeded the President’s challenge to the private sector with hiring milestones met more than a year early. 
 
The First Lady also reiterated her challenge to states to pass legislation that reduces the financial and administrative strains that 100,000 military spouses incur from trying to get their state licenses or certification credentials to transfer from state to state as they move. Mrs. Obama and Dr. Jill Biden made their pitch to governors in February of this year when only 11 states had legislation on the books supporting military spouse license portability. In just six months the number of states with supportive measures in place has more than doubled to 26 states.
 
“The story of Joining Forces is of people across this country stepping up and doing everything they can to serve military families as well as they have served this country,” said First Lady Michelle Obama. “Today’s announcement is just the beginning. We’re not going to stop until all our veterans know that when they hit the job market, their skills will be rewarded. And we won’t stop until all our military spouses know that the next time their family is transferred, they won’t have to leave their profession behind.”
 
Companies are making new commitments to veteran employment every week. The following companies are new among the 2,000 businesses that are recognizing that hiring veterans is good for their bottom line:
  • NatLabs, Inc. committed to bring 400 jobs back to the U.S. from overseas starting in 2013 and hire veterans as 75 percent of their labor force. These 400 jobs in hi-tech manufacturing will be located in the Jacksonville, Florida, area.
  • Companies like, Dupont and Exelon have made commitments to have veterans constitute 10 percent of their new hires in the coming years. 
  • The Military Spouse Employment Partnership (MSEP) – consisting of more than 140 companies – is committed to hire 50,000 military spouses in the coming years. This unique partnership is coordinated by the Department of Defense and consists of companies who have pledged to hire military spouses and support their continued employment and professional development by transferring a spouse’s job with them when they move to a new military duty station. More information on MSEP can be found at: https://msepjobs.militaryonesource.mil/video/military-spouse-employment-partnership
A complete list of every company and their commitment to veteran and military spouse employment through Joining Forces can be found at www.joiningforces.gov/commitments

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
August 21, 2012

Statement by the President on the Resignation of Peace Corps Director Aaron S. Williams

From working tirelessly to improve volunteer support to his leadership in reforming and modernizing the agency, Aaron has been a champion of the thousands of remarkable Peace Corps Volunteers serving across the globe.  I know the positive change that Peace Corps Volunteers make, and under Aaron’s leadership the agency’s work has been at the forefront of this Administration’s efforts to increase global engagement.  I want to extend my thanks to him for his dedicated service and wish him and his family the best.

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
August 21, 2012

Statement by the President on the Death of Prime Minister Meles Zenawi of Ethiopia

It was with sadness that I learned of the passing of Prime Minister Meles Zenawi of Ethiopia.  Prime Minister Meles deserves recognition for his lifelong contribution to Ethiopia’s development, particularly his unyielding commitment to Ethiopia’s poor.  I met with Prime Minister Meles at the G-8 Summit in May and recall my personal admiration for his desire to lift millions of Ethiopians out of poverty through his drive for food security.  I am also grateful for Prime Minister Meles’s service for peace and security in Africa, his contributions to the African Union, and his voice for Africa on the world stage.  On behalf of the American people, I offer my condolences to Prime Minister Meles’ family and to the people of Ethiopia on this untimely loss, and confirm the U.S. Government’s commitment to our partnership with Ethiopia.  Going forward, we encourage the Government of Ethiopia to enhance its support for development, democracy, regional stability and security, human rights, and prosperity for its people.

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
August 20, 2012

Statement by the Press Secretary on Somalia’s New Federal Parliament

 

The United States welcomes today’s convening of Somalia’s New Federal Parliament. This marks an important milestone in completing the Roadmap to End the Somali Transition. We commend the people of Somalia for their hard work and unwavering commitment to a better future, and urge those remaining Somali communities that have not yet nominated their members of parliament to do so with urgency.  We also call on all communities to work to increase the participation of women in the Parliament and other leading national institutions, now and in the future, as called for in the Provisional Constitution. 
 
We look forward to Parliament expeditiously completing all remaining tasks. Parliament must now quickly adopt rules of procedure and hold elections for Speaker and then President. The United States reminds Somali leaders of their responsibility to the people of Somalia to fulfill their obligations to immediately end transition.  Any attempt to impede the political transition will not be tolerated.  All parties must work in a fair and transparent manner and will be held accountable for any failure to do so. 
 
Today’s convening of a new Parliament marks another step towards ending instability and restoring governance.   The United States will continue to work with the international community, regional stakeholders, and the people of the Somalia to promote transparency, good governance, and development to achieve a better future for the people of Somalia.