White House Announces New Steps to Cut Red Tape, Eliminate Unnecessary Regulations

Changes Expected to Help Save Businesses and Consumers Nearly $6 Billion

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, as part of the Obama Administration’s unprecedented government-wide regulatory review, the White House announced five final rules that will save nearly $6 billion in the next five years by eliminating outdated requirements and unjustified costs. To ensure that the federal government continues this important work, the President also signed a new Executive Order today, making it a continuing obligation of our government to scrutinize rules on the books to see if they really make sense.

Today’s announcements mark an important milestone in the ambitious regulatory “lookback” that President Obama ordered in 2011 to cut through unnecessary red tape while promoting economic growth and protecting public health, safety, welfare, and our environment.

The President’s Council of Economic Advisers (CEA) also issued a report today on the “lookback” progress to date, noting that agencies have identified over 500 reforms, just a small fraction of which will save more than $10 billion over the next five years.

“Smart rules can save lives and keep us safe, but there are some regulations that don’t make sense and cost too much,” said President Obama. “We will remain vigilant when it comes to eliminating regulations that are not necessary or that impose unnecessary burdens on America’s families and businesses.”

“By streamlining some rules and eliminating others,” said Cass Sunstein, Administrator of the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, “we can save billions of dollars in unnecessary costs while continuing to protect the health and safety of the American people.”

Continuing the Administration’s aggressive efforts to deliver a regulatory system that increases benefits to the American people while slashing costs, the new Executive Order signed by the President today directs agencies to promote priority-setting, by emphasizing reforms that produce significant quantifiable savings and by seeking comments from the American people on rules in need of review. To promote accountability, the Order requires agencies to provide the public with regular reports on their past efforts and their future plans -- with details and deadlines. These steps build on, and institutionalize, the President’s Executive Order of January 18, 2011, which first called for the regulatory lookback. These historic reforms were also recommended by the President’s Jobs Council.

Since that time, agencies have made significant progress, as detailed in the CEA report released today. Among the 500 areas identified for reform are five major regulatory reforms that were finalized by agencies today:

• Increasing State and Local Flexibility in Adopting Street Sign and Other Traffic Control Rules. It can be important to update street signs and other traffic control requirements, but national requirements can also impose significant costs.  On the basis of public comments and recent analysis, the Department of Transportation is revising dozens of requirements to increase flexibility for States and local highway agencies and to reduce unnecessary impacts. Specifically, DOT is finalizing a rule that would extend compliance dates on traffic control devices, potentially savings millions of dollars in the process.

• Eliminating Unnecessary Regulatory Costs for the Railroad Industry, Consumers. The Department of Transportation is finalizing a rule to eliminate unnecessary regulation of the railroad industry, saving up to $335 million in the near future. The law requires railroads to install positive train control systems, a technology that can control train movements under emergency circumstances, on tracks that carry passengers and toxic materials.  By updating the current regulation to exempt those tracks that will not have passengers or toxic materials by 2015, DOT is saving up to $775 million over the next 20 years and avoiding the risk that unnecessary costs will be passed on to consumers while continuing to protect public safety.

• Eliminating Red Tape and Saving Doctors, Hospitals $5 Billion. The Department of Health and Human Services is finalizing two rules to remove unnecessary regulatory and reporting requirements now imposed on hospitals and other healthcare providers, saving more than $5 billion over the next five years. One of the rules updates the requirements for hospitals that treat Medicare and Medicaid patients -- the Medicare Conditions of Participation. For example, this rule eliminates outdated hospital management requirements as well as various unnecessary reporting requirements. As a result, total savings are expected to exceed $900 million per year. The second set of reforms addresses regulatory requirements for providers other than hospitals and could save up to $200 million in the first year. Examples of these reforms include updating obsolete e-prescribing technical requirements to meet current standards and eliminating other out-of-date and overly prescriptive requirements for healthcare providers. The combined reforms in both rules are expected to save doctors and hospitals more than $5 billion over the next five years while reducing regulatory burdens so that providers can operate more efficiently for their patients.  

• Getting Rid of Outdated Regulatory Burdens for Gas Stations. The Environmental Protection Agency is eliminating the obligation for many states to require air pollution vapor recovery systems at local gas stations. This measure was imposed in 1990, before new vehicles were required to have built-in air pollution control technologies.  Since the use of technology for modern vehicles is so widespread, EPA is finalizing a rule to eliminate the obligation for many states to require air pollution vapor recovery systems at local gas stations. The anticipated five-year savings are over $300 million.

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:

• Deborah Malac – Ambassador to the Republic of Liberia, Department of State
• Tommy Sowers – Assistant Secretary for Public and Intergovernmental Affairs,  Department of Veterans Affairs
• Fernando Torres-Gil – Member, National Council on Disability

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

• Lothar von Falkenhausen – Member, Cultural Property Advisory Committee
• Rear Admiral Mark F. Heinrich, USN – Member, Committee for Purchase from People Who Are Blind or Severely Disabled
• Anil Lewis – Member, Committee for Purchase from People Who Are Blind or Severely Disabled

President Obama said, “These individuals have demonstrated knowledge and dedication throughout their careers.  I am grateful they have chosen to take on these important 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:

Deborah Malac, Nominee for Ambassador to the Republic of Liberia, Department of State
Deborah Malac, a career member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Counselor, currently serves as Director of the Office of East African Affairs at the Department of State.  Prior to this role, she served as Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Addis Ababa.  Previous posts in Washington include Deputy Director of the Office of East African Affairs and Deputy Director of the Office of Agricultural, Biotechnology, and Textiles Trade Affairs.  Other overseas assignments have included service in Dakar, Senegal; Bangkok, Thailand; Pretoria, South Africa; and Yaounde, Cameroon.  Ms. Malac received a B.A. from Furman University, an M.A. from the University of Virginia, and an M.S. from the National Defense University.

Dr. Tommy Sowers, Nominee for Assistant Secretary for Public and Intergovernmental Affairs, Department of Veterans Affairs
Dr. Tommy Sowers is currently an Associate with McKinsey & Company.  Previously, he served as a senior advisor for Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, and in 2010, was the Democratic candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives in Missouri’s 8th Congressional District.  Earlier, Dr. Sowers served as a commissioned officer in the United States Army.  During his military service, he served as assistant professor at the United States Military Academy (2006-2009), Special Forces Detachment Commander (2004-2006), Brigade Adjutant in the Army’s 1st Infantry Division (2001), Combat Engineer Platoon Leader and Company Executive Officer (1999-2001).  He holds an A.B. from Duke University, and an M.Sc. and Ph.D. from the London School of Economics.

Fernando Torres-Gil, Nominee for Member, National Council on Disability
Fernando Torres-Gil is the Chair of the Social Welfare Department, the Director of the Center for Policy Research on Aging, and a Professor of Social Welfare and Public Policy at the University of California, Los Angeles, Luskin School of Public Affairs.  Mr. Torres-Gil, who is a polio survivor, was first appointed to the National Council on Disability by President Obama in March 2010.  Earlier in his career, he served as the Associate Dean of Academic Affairs at the University of California, Los Angeles Luskin School of Public Affairs and a professor of Gerontology and Public Administration at the University of Southern California.  Before serving in academia, Mr. Torres-Gil was the first Assistant Secretary for Aging in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and served as a staff director of the House of Representatives Select Committee on Aging.  From 1989 to 1992, Mr. Torres-Gil served as President of the American Society on Aging.  He is currently a member of the San Francisco Bay Area Polio Survivors, the National Academy of Social Insurance, and the Board of Directors of the AARP Foundation.  He received an A.A. from Hartnell Community College, a B.A. from San Jose State University, and an M.S.W. and Ph.D. from Brandeis University.

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

Dr. Lothar von Falkenhausen, Appointee for Member, Cultural Property Advisory Committee
Dr. Lothar von Falkenhausen is a professor of Chinese Archaeology and the Associate Director of the Cotsen Institute of Archaeology at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).  He has published widely on early Chinese ritual and music, bronze vessels and their inscriptions, regional cultures, trans-Eurasian contacts, and the history of archaeology in East Asia.  His Chinese Society in the Age of Confucius (1000-250 BC): The Archaeological Evidence received the Society for American Archaeology Book Award.  From 1999 to 2004, Dr. von Falkenhausen was co-Principal Investigator of the UCLA-Peking University joint archaeological project in the Upper Yangzi River Basin.  He is a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.  Dr. von Falkenhausen studied at Bonn University, Peking University, and Kyōto University, and holds an M.A. in East Asian Studies and a Ph.D. in Anthropology from Harvard.

Rear Admiral Mark F. Heinrich, USN, Appointee for Member, Committee for Purchase from People Who Are Blind or Severely Disabled
Rear Admiral Mark F. Heinrich, USN, is Commander of the Naval Supply Systems Command (NAVSUP) and 46th Chief of Supply Corps.  Prior to his current appointment, Rear Admiral Heinrich served as Commander of NAVSUP Global Logistics Support.  At sea, he served as Supply Officer of USS Gridley and USS Constellation, and as Assistant Supply Officer of the USS Kinkaid.  Previously, Rear Admiral Heinrich served as Director of Logistics Operations and Readiness for the Defense Logistics Agency, and Director of the United States Central Command Deployment and Distribution Operations Center at Camp Arifjan in Kuwait.  He has been recognized with two Defense Superior Service Medals, two Legions of Merit awards, and a Defense Meritorious Service medal, in addition to various other awards. Rear Admiral Heinrich has a B.S. in engineering from the United States Naval Academy and an M.S. in Petroleum Management and an M.B.A., both from the University of Kansas.

Anil Lewis, Appointee for Member, Committee for Purchase from People Who Are Blind or Severely Disabled
Anil Lewis is currently the Director of Strategic Communications for the National Federation of the Blind.  Previously, Mr. Lewis was the President and CEO of the National Federation of the Blind of Georgia, where for eight years he developed and administered programs that provide education, training, and opportunity for blind youth and adults.  Blind since 1989, Mr. Lewis has worked throughout his career to assist people with disabilities to obtain employment; he has served as a job placement specialist for a community rehabilitation program, as the manager of the Disability Employment Initiative for Randstad Staffing, and as a counselor and advocate for the Georgia Client Assistance Program.  Mr. Lewis received a B.B.A. in Computer Information Systems and an M.P.A. in Program Evaluation and Policy Studies from Georgia State University.

President Obama to Award Medal of Honor

WASHINGTON, DC—On May 16, President Barack Obama will award Specialist Leslie H. Sabo, Jr., U.S. Army, the Medal of Honor for conspicuous gallantry.

Specialist Sabo will receive the Medal of Honor posthumously for his heroic actions in combat on May 10, 1970, while serving as a rifleman in Company B, 3d Battalion, 506th Infantry, 101st Airborne Division in Se San, Cambodia.

On that day, when he and his platoon were ambushed by a large enemy force, Specialist Sabo immediately charged the enemy position, killing several enemy soldiers.  He then assaulted an enemy flanking force, successfully drawing their fire away from friendly soldiers and ultimately forcing the enemy to retreat.  While securing a re-supply of ammunition, an enemy grenade landed nearby.  Specialist Sabo picked it up, threw it, and shielded a wounded comrade with his own body - absorbing the brunt of the blast and saving his comrade's life.  Although wounded by the grenade blast, he continued to charge the enemy's bunker.  After receiving several serious wounds from automatic weapons fire, he crawled towards the enemy emplacement and, when in position, threw a grenade into the bunker.  The resulting explosion silenced the enemy fire, but also ended Specialist Sabo’s life.  His indomitable courage and complete disregard for his own safety saved the lives of many of his platoon members. 

Specialist Sabo's widow, Rose Mary Sabo-Brown and his brother, George Sabo, will join the President at the White House to commemorate his example of selfless service and sacrifice.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

THE MEDAL OF HONOR:

The Medal of Honor is awarded to members of the Armed Forces who distinguish themselves conspicuously by gallantry above and beyond the call of duty while:

• engaged in an action against an enemy of the United States;
• engaged in military operations involving conflict with an opposing foreign force; or
• serving with friendly foreign forces engaged in an armed conflict against an opposing armed force in which the United States is not a belligerent party.

The meritorious conduct must involve great personal bravery or self-sacrifice so conspicuous as to clearly distinguish the individual above his or her comrades and must have involved risk of life. There must be incontestable proof of the performance of the meritorious conduct, and each recommendation for the award must be considered on the standard of extraordinary merit.

Message -- Continuation of the National Emergency with Respect to the Actions of the Government of Syria

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 with respect to the actions of the Government of Syria declared in Executive Order 13338 of May 11, 2004, as modified in scope and relied upon for additional steps taken in Executive Order 13399 of April 25, 2006, Executive Order 13460 of February 13, 2008, Executive Order 13572 of April 29, 2011, Executive Order 13573 of May 18, 2011, Executive Order 13582 of August 17, 2011, Executive Order 13606 of April 22, 2012, and Executive Order 13608 of May 1, 2012, is to continue in effect beyond May 11, 2012.

While the Syrian regime has reduced the number of foreign fighters bound for Iraq, the regime's own brutality and repression of its citizens who have been calling for freedom and a representative government endangers not only the Syrian people themselves, but could yield greater instability throughout the region. The Syrian regime's actions and policies, including obstructing the Lebanese government's ability to function effectively, pursuing chemical and biological weapons, and supporting terrorist organizations, continue to pose an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security, foreign policy, and economy of the United States. For these reasons, I have determined that it is necessary to continue in effect the national emergency declared with respect to this threat and to maintain in force the sanctions to address this national emergency.

In addition, the United States condemns the Asad regime's use of brutal violence and human rights abuses and calls on the Asad regime to step aside and immediately begin a transition in Syria to a political process that will forge a credible path to a future of greater freedom, democracy, opportunity, and justice. The United States will consider changes in the composition, policies, and actions of the Government of Syria in determining whether to continue or terminate this national emergency in the future.

BARACK OBAMA