The White House
Office of the Press Secretary
On Wednesday, March 4, 2015, the President signed into law:
H.R. 240, which makes appropriations for the Department of Homeland Security for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2015, and for other purposes.
The White House
Office of the Vice President
WASHINGTON, DC---Today, Vice President Biden announced the appointment of Caroline "Carrie" Bettinger-López as the new White House Advisor on Violence Against Women. Ms. Bettinger-López is a leading advocate for gender-based equality and human rights, who has worked at local, national, and international levels to bring an end to violence against women. She is the second person to serve as the White House Advisor on Violence Against Women—a position created under the Obama Administration specifically to advise the President and Vice President on domestic violence and sexual assault issues. She is replacing Lynn Rosenthal, who left earlier this year to become the Vice President of Strategic Partnerships at the National Domestic Violence Hotline.
“Throughout her career, Carrie has made clear that the most basic of human rights is freedom from violence,” Vice President Biden said. “I am honored that she will be joining my staff to continue the work we began with the Violence Against Women Act, and I know she will be a strong voice for women everywhere who continue to suffer from sexual assault and domestic violence in the worst prison on earth – the four walls of their own home.”
As a litigator and an advocate, Ms. Bettinger-López has fought for the protection of victims of domestic violence and the provision of remedies for violations of survivors’ rights. Prior to her legal career, Ms. Bettinger-López engaged in social services advocacy and youth education centered on women and girls’ empowerment, as well as anti-violence programming.
Most recently, Ms. Bettinger-López is the founder and Director of the Human Rights Clinic at the University of Miami School of Law, where she served as an Associate Professor of Clinical Legal Education. Her scholarship included a focus on violence against women, gender and race discrimination, and immigrant rights.
In her new role as White House Advisor on Violence Against Women, Ms. Bettinger-López will serve as an Advisor to the President and Vice President on domestic violence and sexual assault issues; be a liaison to the domestic violence and sexual assault advocacy communities; collaborate with federal agencies on the implementation of VAWA programs and the coordination of federal efforts to address violence against women and girls both domestically and globally; and, drive the development of new initiatives and policies to combat domestic violence and sexual assault with key public and private stakeholders.
Ms. Bettinger-Lopez will continue to lead the Administration’s efforts to putting an end to violence against women. Among many important steps forward, the Administration has led efforts to combat campus sexual assault, worked to prevent domestic violence homicides, and fought to extend protections to women of color and LGBT Americans who have been victims of violence.
The White House
Office of the Press Secretary
President Obama will welcome Prime Minister (Taoiseach) Enda Kenny of Ireland to the White House on Tuesday, March 17, to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day and to discuss issues of mutual concern. The United States and Ireland enjoy a strong relationship; deep cultural, historic, and people-to-people bonds; and a shared commitment to advancing peace, security, and prosperity in the world. In the morning, the Vice President will host the Taoiseach for breakfast at the Naval Observatory, and the President and Vice President will meet with the Taoiseach in the Oval Office. That evening, the President will host a reception to celebrate his seventh St. Patrick’s Day at the White House. During the reception, the President and Taoiseach will participate in the annual Shamrock ceremony started by President Truman. Also on March 17, the Vice President will meet with First Minister Peter Robinson and deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness of Northern Ireland at the White House to discuss the recent Stormont House agreement and progress being made toward building a peaceful and prosperous future for the people of Northern Ireland.
The White House
Office of the Press Secretary
Every day, the men and women of the Department of Homeland Security work to secure our borders, respond to disasters, guard our coasts, protect our cybersecurity, and keep our ports and airports safe. They’re law enforcement professionals and brave patriots who do a remarkable job, and deserve our gratitude and respect. Today, after far too long, Congress finally voted to fully fund their mission. To make sure the Americans who protect our country and our people have the resources they need to get the job done, I will sign this bill into law as soon as I receive it.
The White House
Office of the Press Secretary
Vice President Biden traveled to Guatemala March 2-3 for two days of meetings with the Presidents of Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, and Inter-American Development Bank President Luis Alberto Moreno, to advance implementation of the “Plan of the Alliance for Prosperity in the Northern Triangle” announced last November in Washington, DC. The Vice President was accompanied by State Department Counselor Thomas A. Shannon, Assistant Attorney General Leslie Caldwell, Under Secretary of Commerce Stefan Selig, USAID Associate Administrator Mark Feierstein, Southcom Commander General John Kelly, and Inter-American Development Bank U.S. Executive Director Mark Lopes.
This week's meetings provided an opportunity for the leaders to discuss steps to stimulate economic growth, reduce inequality, promote educational opportunities, target criminal networks responsible for human trafficking, and help create governance and institutions that are transparent and accountable.
During working group meetings on March 3, Northern Triangle leaders committed in a Joint Statement to specific actions to advance implementation of the Alliance for Prosperity, in cooperation with the United States and the Inter-American Development Bank.
Specific commitments made by the leaders included the following:
- The United States and Northern Triangle governments agreed to hold a regional security dialogue in May 2015;
- The Northern Triangle governments agreed to expand centers in high-crime neighborhoods for at-risk youth to acquire job and life skills and participate in recreational activities in a safe environment;
- They agreed to create independent governmental auditing mechanisms by the end of 2015 to help combat corruption;
- Honduras will introduce a plan for police service reform by June 2015;
- Honduras will recruit, train, and deploy an additional 6,000 police over the next three years;
- El Salvador will present a bill criminalizing bulk cash smuggling by June 2015;
- Guatemala will introduce legislation to transition from an inquisitorial to an accusatorial judicial system by December 2015;
- The Northern Triangle countries agreed to diversify their energy matrix in 2015, to include promoting the completion of a gas pipeline from Mexico to Central America;
- They agreed to promote an integrated, efficient energy market by modifying the regulations governing the regional electricity market by 2016;
- The leaders agreed to hold advisory meetings by Summer 2015 to promote private investment;
- Guatemala and Honduras agreed to implement their recently announced Customs Union by December 2015;
- The Northern Triangle governments agreed to establish a government “single window” for foreign investors by December 2015;
- They agreed to develop public investment plans for the areas of greatest economic need by April 2015;
- They agreed to develop education investment plans focusing on pre-school, secondary, and vocational schools by the end of 2016;
- The Northern Triangle leaders agreed to develop specific strategies for women’s economic empowerment by 2016;
- Guatemala will create specialized anti-money laundering, asset forfeiture, and cybercrime units by June 2015;
- The three Northern Triangle countries agreed to develop a plan to professionalize civil services beginning in 2015;
- They committed to strengthen their tax base through better tax administration, more robust tax authorities, and tax code simplification.
Foreign Ministers from the three countries also agreed to present a detailed implementation roadmap for the Alliance for Prosperity at the Inter-American Development Bank in Washington on March 16, 2015. The leaders also agreed to meet during the first half of 2015 with private sector and civil society stakeholders to receive feedback on the roadmap.
In addition to the President’s Fiscal Year 2016 budget request which included $1 billion for Central America, the Vice President announced that the Administration would work with Congress to increase assistance to the region in Fiscal Year 2015.
The White House
Office of the Press Secretary
President Obama today spoke about Ukraine with his counterparts from France, Germany, Italy, and the United Kingdom as well as European Council President Tusk. They reaffirmed their support for a peaceful resolution of the conflict in eastern Ukraine as expressed in the Implementation Plan agreed to on February 12 and the Minsk agreements signed in September 2014. They condemned the attack on Debaltseve by Russia and the separatists it backs that immediately followed and violated the February 12 Minsk Implementation Plan. The leaders called on all parties to cease all military action, cooperate with the OSCE so that its monitors can verify a full pull back of heavy weapons, and complete the exchange of all prisoners. They emphasized their support for the OSCE and the need for its monitors to have full and unfettered access to the entire area of conflict, and they discussed ways to strengthen OSCE monitoring activities. The leaders expressed their hope for the successful and complete implementation of the Minsk agreements and agreed that the easing of current sanctions would be linked to the full implementation of these agreements. They also affirmed their determination to act quickly and in unison to impose significant additional costs, if serious violations of the Minsk agreements occur or if Russian-backed separatists seek to gain new territory. The leaders welcomed the Ukrainian parliament’s passage of an ambitious package of reforms and reiterated their commitment to work alongside international partners to provide Ukraine with the financial assistance it needs to stabilize its economy. They also discussed the continuing violence in Libya and the terrorist threat from ISIL and agreed on the need to consult further on ways to address this threat and support a political resolution of the conflict in Libya.
A photograph of President Obama speaking with the leaders can be found HERE.
The White House
Office of the Press Secretary
WASHINGTON, DC – Today, President Barack Obama announced his intent to nominate the following individuals to key Administration posts:
President Obama also announced his intent to appoint the following individual to a key Administration post:
President Obama said, “I am confident that these experienced and hardworking individuals will help us tackle the important challenges facing America, and I am grateful for their service. I look forward to working with them.”
President Obama announced his intent to nominate the following individuals to key Administration posts:
John Conger, Nominee for Principal Deputy Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller), Department of Defense
John Conger is currently the Assistant Deputy Under Secretary for Installations and Environment at the Department of Defense, a position he has held since 2009. Mr. Conger has concurrently performed the duties of Assistant Secretary of Defense for Energy, Installations and Environment since December 2014, and served as Acting Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Installations and Environment from 2012 to 2014. Prior to this, Mr. Conger worked in the Office of Rep. Chet Edwards as his Legislative Director from 2001 to 2009, and concurrently as his Associate Appropriations Committee Staff from 2007 to 2009. From 2000 to 2001 he was a Professional Staff Member on the House International Relations Committee. Mr. Conger served as a Legislative Assistant for Rep. Sam Gejdenson from 1999 to 2000, and as a Legislative Assistant for Rep. Jane Harman from 1997 to 1999. Mr. Conger worked at Adroit Systems as a Legislative Affairs Analyst from 1995 to 1997 and as an Airborne Reconnaissance Systems Analyst from 1993 to 1995. He was a Research Assistant at the MIT Space Power and Propulsion Laboratory from 1991 to 1993. Mr. Conger received a B.S. and M.S. from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and an M.A. from The George Washington University.
Gregory T. Delawie, Nominee for Ambassador to the Republic of Kosovo, Department of State
Gregory T. Delawie, a career member of the Foreign Service, Class of Minister-Counselor, currently serves as Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Bureau of Arms Control, Verification and Compliance in the Department of State, a position he has held since 2012. Previously, Mr. Delawie served as Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Berlin, Germany from 2009 to 2012, Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Bureau of Political-Military Affairs from 2008 to 2009, Office Director in the Bilateral Trade Affairs Office of the Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs from 2007 to 2008, and Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Zagreb, Croatia from 2004 to 2007. Mr. Delawie was Office Director in the Policy Coordination Office of the Bureau of Human Resources from 2001 to 2003, Mid-Level Career Development Officer in the Bureau of Human Resources from 2000 to 2001, Economic Counselor at the U.S. Embassy in Rome, Italy from 1996 to 2000, and Deputy Division Chief of the Developed Country Trade Division in the Bilateral Trade Affairs Office of the Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs from 1994 to 1996. He also served at U.S. missions in Ankara, Turkey and Frankfurt, Germany, and in the Regional Political-Economic Affairs Office of the Bureau of European and Canadian Affairs, the State Department Operations Center, and the Aviation Policy Office of the Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs. Mr. Delawie received a A.B. from Harvard College.
Peter Levine, Nominee for Deputy Chief Management Officer, Department of Defense
Peter Levine most recently served as Staff Director of the Senate Armed Services Committee, a position he held from 2013 to January 2015. From 1996 to 2012 he served as General Counsel and Minority Counsel of the Senate Armed Services Committee. Mr. Levine was Counsel for Senator Carl Levin from 1995 to 1996, and Counsel on the Senate Committee on Governmental Affairs Subcommittee on Oversight of Government Management from 1987 to 1994. From 1983 to 1987 he was an Associate at Crowell and Moring. Mr. Levine received an A.B. from Harvard College and a J.D. from Harvard Law School.
Vanessa Allen Sutherland, Nominee for Chairperson and Member, Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board
Vanessa Allen Sutherland serves as the Chief Counsel for the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration at the Department of Transportation, a position she has held since 2011. Prior to this, she served as Senior Counsel to Altria Client Services from 2008 to 2011. From 2004 to 2008, Ms. Sutherland served as Counsel to Philip Morris USA. From 1998 to 2004, she held multiple roles at Digex, Inc., MCI (WORLDCOM) Subsidiary, including Vice President, Deputy General Counsel, Senior Corporate Counsel, and Corporate Counsel. From 1997 to 1998, Ms. Sutherland was a Legal Associate at MCI Telecommunications Corporation. In 1996, Ms. Sutherland was a Law Clerk at the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation and from 1994 to 1995, she was a Law Clerk at Fulbright & Jaworski, LLP. Ms. Sutherland received a B.A. from Drew University and a J.D. and M.B.A. from American University.
President Obama announced his intent to appoint the following individual to a key Administration post:
Dr. Robert Teranishi, Appointee for Member, Board of Directors of the National Board for Education Sciences
Dr. Robert Teranishi is a Professor of Social Science and Comparative Education, the Morgan and Helen Chu Endowed Chair in Asian American Studies, and Co-Director of the Institute for Immigration, Globalization, and Education at the University of California, Los Angeles positions he has held since 2013. Since 2004, he has concurrently served as a Senior Faculty Fellow at the Steinhardt Institute for Higher Education Policy at New York University (NYU). From 2002 to 2014, he was an Assistant Professor and then an Associate Professor of Higher Education in the Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development at NYU. From 2011 to 2013, Dr. Teranishi served as a Member of the Equity and Excellence Commission at the Department of Education. From 2010 to 2012, he was a strategic planning and restructuring consultant for the Educational Opportunity and Scholarship division of the Ford Foundation. Dr. Teranishi was a senior research associate at NYU’s Alliance for International Higher Education Policy Studies from 2002 to 2005 and from 2001 to 2002, he was the National Institute of Mental Health Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Pennsylvania’s W.E.B. DuBois Collective Research Institute. Dr. Teranishi received a B.A. from the University of California, Santa Cruz and an M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of California, Los Angeles.
The White House
Office of the Press Secretary
TO THE CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES:
Section 202(d) of the National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 1622(d)) provides for the automatic termination of a national emergency unless, within 90 days prior to the anniversary date of its declaration, the President publishes in the Federal Register and transmits to the Congress a notice stating that the emergency is to continue in effect beyond the anniversary date. In accordance with this provision, I have sent to the Federal Register for publication the enclosed notice stating that the national emergency declared in Executive Order 13288 of March 6, 2003, with respect to the actions and policies of certain members of the Government of Zimbabwe and other persons to undermine Zimbabwe's democratic processes or institutions is to continue in effect beyond March 6, 2015.
The threat constituted by the actions and policies of certain members of the Government of Zimbabwe and other persons to undermine Zimbabwe's democratic processes or institutions has not been resolved. These actions and policies continue to pose an unusual and extraordinary threat to the foreign policy of the United States. For these reasons, I have determined that it is necessary to continue this national emergency and to maintain in force the sanctions to respond to this threat.
BARACK OBAMA
The White House
Office of the Press Secretary
NOTICE
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CONTINUATION OF THE NATIONAL EMERGENCY WITH RESPECT TO ZIMBABWE
On March 6, 2003, by Executive Order 13288, the President declared a national emergency and blocked the property of certain persons, pursuant to the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701-1706), to deal with the unusual and extraordinary threat to the foreign policy of the United States constituted by the actions and policies of certain members of the Government of Zimbabwe and other persons to undermine Zimbabwe's democratic processes or institutions. These actions and policies had contributed to the deliberate breakdown in the rule of law in Zimbabwe, to politically motivated violence and intimidation in that country, and to political and economic instability in the southern African region.
On November 22, 2005, the President issued Executive Order 13391 to take additional steps with respect to the national emergency declared in Executive Order 13288 by ordering the blocking of the property of certain persons who undermine democratic processes or institutions in Zimbabwe.
On July 25, 2008, the President issued Executive Order 13469, which expanded the scope of the national emergency declared in Executive Order 13288 and authorized the blocking of the property of certain persons determined to have engaged in actions or policies to undermine democratic processes or institutions in Zimbabwe, to commit acts of violence and other human rights abuses against political opponents, and to engage in public corruption.
The actions and policies of these persons continue to pose an unusual and extraordinary threat to the foreign policy of the United States. For this reason, the national emergency declared on March 6, 2003, and the measures adopted on that date, on November 22, 2005, and on July 25, 2008, to deal with that emergency, must continue in effect beyond March 6, 2015. Therefore, in accordance with section 202(d) of the National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 1622(d)), I am continuing for 1 year the national emergency declared in Executive Order 13288.
This notice shall be published in the Federal Register and transmitted to the Congress.
BARACK OBAMA
The White House
Office of the Press Secretary
NOTICE
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CONTINUATION OF THE NATIONAL EMERGENCY WITH RESPECT TO UKRAINE
On March 6, 2014, by Executive Order 13660, I declared a national emergency pursuant to the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701-1706) to deal with the unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States constituted by the actions and policies of persons that undermine democratic processes and institutions in Ukraine; threaten its peace, security, stability, sovereignty, and territorial integrity; and contribute to the misappropriation of its assets.
On March 16, 2014, I issued Executive Order 13661, which expanded the scope of the national emergency declared in Executive Order 13660, and found that the actions and policies of the Government of the Russian Federation with respect to Ukraine undermine democratic processes and institutions in Ukraine; threaten its peace, security, stability, sovereignty, and territorial integrity; and contribute to the misappropriation of its assets.
On March 20, 2014, I issued Executive Order 13662, which further expanded the scope of the national emergency declared in Executive Order 13660, as expanded in scope in Executive Order 13661, and found that the actions and policies of the Government of the Russian Federation, including its purported annexation of Crimea and its use of force in Ukraine, continue to undermine democratic processes and institutions in Ukraine; threaten its peace, security, stability, sovereignty, and territorial integrity; and contribute to the misappropriation of its assets.
On December 19, 2014, I issued Executive Order 13685, to take additional steps to address the Russian occupation of the Crimea region of Ukraine.
The actions and policies addressed in these Executive Orders continue to pose an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States. For this reason, the national emergency declared on March 6, 2014, and the measures adopted on that date, on March 16, 2014, on March 20, 2014, and December 19, 2014, to deal with that emergency, must continue in effect beyond March 6, 2015. Therefore, in accordance with section 202(d) of the National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 1622(d)), I am continuing for 1 year the national emergency declared in Executive Order 13660.
This notice shall be published in the Federal Register and transmitted to the Congress.
BARACK OBAMA