The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
March 08, 2015

Statement of President Barack Obama Commemorating International Women's Day

As half the planet, women make immeasurable contributions to our world. They are entrepreneurs, farmers, educators, scientists, artists, soldiers, mothers, heads of state – the list is endless. Without them, economies would collapse, political systems would deteriorate, and families and communities would fall apart. Yet in too many places, women are treated as second-class citizens. Their abilities are undervalued. And their human rights – the right to learn, to express themselves, to live free from violence, to choose whether and whom to marry – are routinely violated.

This gap between women’s inherent value and how many of them are treated every day is one of the great injustices of our time. On this International Women's Day, we recommit ourselves to closing that gap.

That means supporting girls' education. Right now, 62 million girls worldwide who should be in school aren't. Millions more are at risk of losing their access to education. This week, Michelle and I announced an initiative called "Let Girls Learn," to help dismantle the barriers – economic, political and cultural – that stand in the way of girls who want to learn.

I'm convinced that a world in which women and girls are treated as equal to men and boys is safer, more stable, and more prosperous. Beyond those tangible benefits, this is simply a matter of right and wrong. Women and girls are human beings, full and equal in rights and dignity. They deserve to be treated that way, everywhere, every day. My Administration will continue working to make that vision a reality.

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
March 07, 2015

Statement by NSC Spokesperson Bernadette Meehan on the Death of Canadian Sergeant Andrew Joseph Doiron

The United States extends its deepest condolences on the loss of Canadian Armed Forces Sergeant Andrew Joseph Doiron who was tragically killed in Iraq yesterday during a friendly fire incident.  We offer our sympathies to the people of Canada and to the family and loved ones of Sergeant Doiron.  Our thoughts are also with the three injured members of the Canadian Armed Forces as we wish them a speedy recovery.  The United States and over 60 coalition partners proudly stand with Canada and recognize the extraordinary contributions and sacrifices of the Canadian Armed Forces and of all the men and women serving the coalition campaign to degrade and ultimately destroy ISIL.

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
March 07, 2015

Statement by the Press Secretary on H.R. 431

On Saturday, March 7, 2015, the President signed into law:

H.R. 431, Provides for the award of a Congressional Gold Medal of appropriate design on behalf of the Congress to the Foot Soldiers who participated in Bloody Sunday, Turnaround Tuesday, or the final Selma to Montgomery Voting Rights March during March of 1965.

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
March 06, 2015

Statement by NSC Spokesperson Bernadette Meehan on the Special Assistant to the President and White House Coordinator for the Middle East, North Africa and the Gulf Region

Today, National Security Adviser Susan E. Rice announced that Philip Gordon, Special Assistant to the President and White House Coordinator for the Middle East, North Africa and the Gulf Region will be stepping down, and will be succeeded by Rob Malley, currently NSC Senior Director for Iran, Iraq, Syria and the Gulf States.  Dr. Malley will assume his new position on April 6, 2015. 

Ambassador Rice said, “For more than six years, Phil Gordon has been an indispensable member of the President’s foreign policy team, as Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs from 2009-13 and as Middle East Coordinator since March 2013.  At the National Security Council, Phil played a critical role on some of the most important and challenging issues facing this country, including the Iranian nuclear program; our strategic partnership with Israel; Middle East peace; Syria; Iraq; U.S. relations with the Gulf States; and the democratic transitions in Egypt and North Africa.  I thank him for his service and wish him all the best as he departs the NSC to spend some well-deserved time with his family and pursue other professional endeavors.

There could be no better successor to Phil than Rob Malley, who is already one of my most trusted advisers and ideally placed to provide a seamless transition.  One of our country’s most respected experts on the Middle East, since February 2014 Rob has played a critical role in forming our policy on Iran, Iraq, Syria, and the Gulf.  I look forward to working with him in his new role.”

Rob Malley served as Executive Assistant to National Security Advisor Sandy Berger between 1996 and 1998.  In October 1998, he was appointed Special Assistant to President Clinton for Arab-Israeli Affairs, a post he held until the end of the administration in 2001.  Between 2001 and 2014, he directed the Middle East Program at the International Crisis Group.

The White House

Office of the Vice President

For Immediate Release
March 05, 2015

Readout of the Vice President’s Call with Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk

Vice President Joe Biden spoke with Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk about the situation in eastern Ukraine and the passage of crucial economic and governance reform legislation. The Vice President expressed condolences for the loss of life in the mine accident in Donetsk Oblast and for the casualties sustained due to artillery fire along the line of contact, and regretted the refusal of Russia-backed separatists to allow Ukrainian rescue teams access to the site of the mine accident. The Vice President congratulated Prime Minister Yatsenyuk on the passage of crucial reform legislation in the Rada that will help Ukraine return to economic health and pave the way for additional front-loaded financial support from the international community. Finally, the Vice President and Prime Minister expressed their concern regarding the refusal of Russia-backed separatists to allow for unimpeded access for OSCE monitors to the territory they control, as called for in the Minsk Implementation Plan. The two leaders also expressed their concern about continued separatist attacks against Ukrainian forces and civilian areas.

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
March 05, 2015

My Brother's Keeper Task Force: One-Year Progress Report to the President

On February 27, 2014, President Barack Obama launched “My Brother’s Keeper” (MBK) and issued a powerful call to action to close opportunity gaps still faced by too many young people, and often by boys and young men of color in particular. The President’s announcement encouraged candid dialogues around the country and a greater sense of responsibility among community leaders, and young people themselves to put all youth in a position to thrive, regardless of their race, gender, or socioeconomic status. Over the course of the past year, efforts have advanced along three areas of focus based on the goals laid out in the MBK Presidential Memorandum: state and local engagement, private sector action - independent nonprofit, philanthropic and corporate action; and Public Policy review and reform. The report being released today provides an update on all three approaches over the course of a year since the MBK launch. You can find the full report HERE.

State and Local Engagement: The MBK Community Challenge
Since late September 2014, nearly 200 mayors, tribal leaders, and county executives across 43 states and the District of Columbia have accepted the MBK Community Challenge in partnership with more than 2,000 individual community-based allies. These “MBK Communities” are working with leading experts in youth and community development to design and implement cradle-to-college-and-career action plans. Within six months of accepting the Challenge, MBK Communities commit to review local public policy, host action summits, and start implementing their locally tailored action plans to address opportunity gaps. MBK Communities are provided with technical assistance to develop, implement and track plans of action from both federal agencies and independent organizations with related expertise.
 

Challenge acceptors (full list) include:

  • The nation’s five largest cities: New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston and Philadelphia.
  • Small cities and towns, including Prichard, AL, Berea, OH, Carlisle, PA, Holly Hill, SC, and Ranson, WV.
  • Cities with some of the highest African American populations, including Detroit, Birmingham and Washington, DC.
  • Cities with some of the highest Hispanic populations, including San Francisco, Dallas, Miami and Phoenix.
  • Seventeen Tribal Nations, including the Cherokee, Cheyenne River, Hoonah and Navajo tribal nations.
Private-Sector Action: Business, Philanthropy and Nonprofit Action
Foundations, businesses, and social enterprises have responded to the President’s call to action by taking steps to ensure that communities have the support they need and by providing funding and advice for aligned national initiatives. More than $300 million in grants and in-kind resources have been independently committed already to advance the mission of MBK, including  investments in safe and effective schools, mentoring programs, juvenile justice reforms, and school redesign. For example, the Council of the Great City Schools (CGCS) is coordinating the leaders of 63 of the largest urban school systems in the country in a pledge to change life outcomes by better serving students at every stage of their education; Prudential announced a commitment of $13 million to support technical assistance for MBK Communities as well as impact investments for innovative for-profit and nonprofit social purpose enterprises that eliminate barriers to financial and social mobility; and on Christmas Day 2014, the NBA launched a public service announcement and campaign in partnership with MENTOR: The National Mentoring Partnership to recruit 25,000 new mentors over the next five years.
 
Policy: The Federal Response

The MBK Task Force, an interagency working group of representatives of over ten agencies across the Federal government,  has encouraged and tracked implementation of the recommendations outlined in the initial 90-day report issued in May. Those efforts have led to greater focus on federal investments that support evidence-based interventions. For example, grant programs, like the Department of Labor’s American Apprenticeship Initiative and the National Guard Youth ChalleNGe, harness federal resources to create clearer pathways to success by helping youth build both work and life skills. Public-private partnerships like Youth Opportunity AmeriCorps, School Turnaround AmeriCorps and 21st Century Conservation Service Corps are working with the Corporation for National and Community Service to engage underserved youth in service that has the potential to transform their lives and the communities they serve. Similarly, the Departments of Education and Justice issued Correctional Education guidance to help to ensure that incarcerated youth have the full protection of existing laws and benefits. The federal government has also advanced its efforts to track quality data for boys and young men of color and their peers.

Through MBK, this Administration will continue to improve transparency and accountability to address persistent opportunity gaps at every level and improve outcomes for all young people to ensure they have the opportunity to succeed.

You can find the full report HERE - http://go.wh.gov/mADKdo

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
March 05, 2015

Statement by the President on the 45th Anniversary of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty

Forty-five years ago today the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty entered into force.  At the time that the treaty was signed, it was widely predicted that dozens of countries would develop nuclear weapons, a prospect that threatened to disrupt global stability and security.  Instead, thanks to worldwide collective efforts and commitment, the NPT has become the cornerstone of the nuclear nonproliferation regime, reinforcing international peace and security, and preventing the further spread of nuclear weapons while promoting the peaceful uses of nuclear energy.  Today, global nuclear stockpiles are at their lowest levels since the 1950s.

As I stated in Prague in 2009, reinforced in Berlin in 2013, and again reaffirmed last month in my National Security Strategy, the United States seeks the peace and security of a world without nuclear weapons.  We encourage all states to strengthen the NPT as a basis for international cooperation to achieve that shared goal.  The NPT remains essential today, and our efforts to achieve nuclear disarmament cannot succeed unless we stand together to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons and work for full compliance with the NPT.  Our commitment to non-proliferation is at the center of our efforts, along with our P5+1 partners, to reach a diplomatic agreement that prevents Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon, and ensures that Iran's nuclear program is peaceful.

The United States is meeting its NPT obligations and is committed to further strengthening the nonproliferation regime.  During my Administration, the United States has reduced the role nuclear weapons play in our security and reduced the size of our arsenal.  Earlier this year we marked the fourth anniversary of the entry into force of the New START Treaty.  Under New START and in conformity with our NPT obligations, we are reducing our strategic nuclear weapon stockpile to the lowest levels in more than a half century, and we are prepared to negotiate further reductions, while protecting our security and that of our friends and allies around the world. 

We can only realize the full benefits of the peaceful uses of nuclear energy to advance development and protect the environment if we are confident that civil nuclear energy will not be diverted for weapons.  For that, we depend on the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to promote the safe, secure uses of nuclear energy and to ensure that it remains exclusively peaceful. As we prepare for the Ninth Review Conference of the NPT, the United States stands ready to work with other NPT Parties to achieve a successful outcome that reinforces the vitality of this Treaty which is so fundamental to global security.

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
March 04, 2015

Message to Congress -- Designation of FY 2015 Funding as Overseas Contingency Operations/Global War Terrorism for DHS Appropriations Act, 2015

TO THE CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES:

In accordance with language under the heading "Coast Guard, Operating Expenses" of the Department of Homeland SecurityAppropriations Act, 2015 (the "Act"), I hereby designate for Overseas Contingency Operations/Global War on Terrorism all funding so designated by the Congress in the Act pursuant to section 251(b)(2)(A) of the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985, as amended, as outlined in the enclosed list of accounts.

The details of this action are set forth in the enclosed memorandum from the Director of the Office of Management and Budget.

BARACK OBAMA

The White House

Office of the Vice President

For Immediate Release
March 04, 2015

Readout of Vice President Biden's Call with Prime Minister Abadi of Iraq

Vice President Joe Biden spoke today with Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi. They discussed ongoing military operations in Iraq, including in Anbar and Salah ah Din provinces. The Vice President expressed his support for Prime Minister Abadi’s leadership of Iraq’s fight against ISIL. The Vice President specifically welcomed the Prime Minister’s call from the frontlines for the protection of civilians and the importance of ensuring all armed groups act under control of the state. The Vice President further commended Prime Minister Abadi and other Iraqi leaders for building a national front before launching the ongoing operation near Tikrit. He also noted the Iraqi government’s efforts to enable fighters from Salah ah Din to participate in reclaiming their own territory from ISIL and to ensure displaced populations can return to their homes after ISIL is defeated and local areas are stabilized. The Vice President and Prime Minister each reaffirmed the importance of the strategic partnership between Iraq and the United States in multiple fields under the Strategic Framework Agreement, and agreed to continue our close security cooperation as Iraqi forces increasingly take the fight to ISIL.

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
March 04, 2015

Presidential Nominations Sent to the Senate

NOMINATIONS SENT TO THE SENATE:

John Conger, of Maryland, to be a Principal Deputy Under Secretary of Defense, vice Michael J. McCord, resigned.

Gregory T. Delawie, of Virginia, a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Minister-Counselor, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of Kosovo.

Perry L. Holloway, of South Carolina, a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Minister-Counselor, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Co-operative Republic of Guyana.

Peter Levine, of Maryland, to be Deputy Chief Management Officer of the Department of Defense, vice Elizabeth A. McGrath.

Ericka M. Miller, of Virginia, to be Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary Education, Department of Education, vice Eduardo M. Ochoa.

Sunil Sabharwal, of California, to be United States Alternate Executive Director of the International Monetary Fund for a term of two years, vice Douglas A. Rediker, resigned.

Mark Sobel, of Virginia, to be United States Executive Director of the International Monetary Fund for a term of two years, vice Margrethe Lundsager, resigned.

Michael Keith Yudin, of the District of Columbia, to be Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services, Department of Education, vice Alexa E. Posny.

WITHDRAWAL SENT TO THE SENATE:

Gilberto de Jesus, of Maryland, to be Chief Counsel for Advocacy, Small Business Administration, vice Winslow Lorenzo Sargeant, which was sent to the Senate on January 8, 2015.