The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
April 05, 2012

Readout from the President’s Film Screening of To Kill A Mockingbird at the White House

This evening, the President hosted a film screening of To Kill a Mockingbird in the Family Theater at The White House to commemorate its 50th anniversary. The President welcomed guests including local students from Washington-Lee High School, Mary Badham Wilt, the actress who played Scout, and Veronique Peck, widow of Gregory Peck who played Atticus Finch. The President also acknowledged the American Film Institute for their commitment to the fine arts and NBC Universal and USA Network for their efforts to commemorate this important film. The President thanked Wilt for “bringing the character of Scout to life” and Veronique Peck and her family for coming to the White House in support of the late Gregory Peck who would have been 96 years old today.  The President described Harper Lee’s novel as a timeless American classic and one of his favorite books.

The White House

Office of the Vice President

For Immediate Release
April 05, 2012

Readout of Vice President Biden’s Meeting with Prime Minister Thaçi of Kosovo

Vice President Biden welcomed Republic of Kosovo Prime Minister Hashim Thaçi to the White House today as part of the United States’ ongoing commitment to peace and stability for Kosovo and for the entire Balkan region.  The Vice President congratulated Prime Minister Thaçi on the recent progress in the European Union-facilitated Dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia, as well as the start of the EU’s feasibility study on next steps toward Kosovo’s European integration.  The United States strongly supports the Dialogue and looks forward to the full implementation of agreements reached between Kosovo and Serbia, which will benefit the people of both countries.  Vice President Biden reiterated our support for Kosovo’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.  Prime Minister Thaçi reaffirmed to the Vice President his commitment to help build a region based upon good neighborly relations and to carry out further needed democratic and economic reforms.

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
April 05, 2012

Statement by the Press Secretary on H.R. 3606

On Thursday, April 5, 2012, the President signed into law:

H.R. 3606, the "Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act," which provides for Federal securities law exemptions intended to ease access to capital and investments for emerging growth companies and through crowdfunding.

The White House

Office of the Vice President

For Immediate Release
April 04, 2012

Readout of the President and Vice President's Meeting with Kurdistan Regional Government President Masoud Barzani

This afternoon, President Obama joined a meeting between Vice President Biden and Masoud Barzani, President of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, at the White House. President Obama and Vice President Biden reaffirmed that the United States is committed to our close and historic relationship with Kurdistan and the Kurdish people, in the context of our strategic partnership with a federal, democratic and unified Iraq. President Obama and Vice President Biden also encouraged President Barzani’s continued engagement in the Iraqi political process, under the auspices of Iraq’s constitution. Before this meeting, Vice President Biden hosted President Barzani and his delegation for a working lunch. The two leaders discussed a range of issues related to Iraq and the region and steps the U.S. would take to expand services offered at Consulate Irbil. They also expressed support for continued high-level consultations between U.S. officials and representatives of the Kurdistan Regional Government. 

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
April 04, 2012

Readout of the President’s Call with Baylor University’s Women’s Basketball Coach Kim Mulkey

Today, President Obama called Coach Kim Mulkey to congratulate her and the Baylor University women’s basketball team on their historic 40-0 season and 2012 NCAA championship victory.  The President told Coach Mulkey that her team was a great pick as he had the Lady Bears picked to win the championship from the beginning of the tournament.  President Obama told Coach Mulkey that he looked forward to seeing her and the team at the White House later this year.

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
April 04, 2012

White House Hosts Forum on Women and the Economy

WASHINGTON, DC – On Friday, April 6, President Obama will deliver remarks at the White House Forum on Women and the Economy to highlight ways the Administration has helped create economic security for women and recognizes that women are key to economic growth and competitiveness. As part of the Forum, the White House will release a report on women and the economy which will examine the ways in which the Administration has worked to ensure women's economic security and create jobs for women, through all stages of life. From access to affordable education for young women to supporting women at work and at home, to ensuring security for women in retirement, the Administration is committed, across all agencies and departments, to do everything it can to create an economy built to last for America's women.

White House Forum on Women and the Economy Details:

On Friday, Chair of the White House Council on Women and Girls Valerie Jarrett will deliver opening remarks and introduce a panel, moderated by Mika Brzezinski of MSNBC’s Morning Joe with Senior Administration Officials, private sector and academic leaders participating. Following the opening panel, the President will deliver remarks to an audience of entrepreneurs, academics, stakeholders, business leaders. Following the President’s remarks, Senior Administration Officials including Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius, Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis, Attorney General Eric Holder, as well as the Director of the Domestic Policy Council Cecilia Munoz, Executive Director of the White House Council on Women and Girls Tina Tchen and Katharine Abraham, Member of the Council of Economic Advisors,  will lead a series of breakout sessions on a range of topics including: Women at Work, Education, Health , Women’s Entrepreneurship, and Violence Against Women and Girls.

FRIDAY, APRIL 6, 2012

8:45AM-8:55AM: Chair of the White House Council on Women and Girls Valerie Jarrett delivers opening remarks

8:55AM-9:50AM: Women and the Economy Panel

  • Moderator: Mika Brzezinski of MSNBC’s Morning Joe
  • Panelists:
    • Director of the National Economic Council Gene Sperling
    • Administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration, Karen Mills
    • CEO of Deloitte Joe Echevarria
    • Princeton University Lawrence and Shirley Katzman and Lewis and Anna Ernst Professor in the Economics of Education and Professor of Economics and Public Affairs, Cecilia Rouse.

10:15AM-10:30AM: President will deliver remarks

10:45AM-11:45AM: Breakout Sessions

  • Education Breakout:
    • Moderated by Director of the Domestic Policy Council, Cecilia Munoz and President of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Shirley Ann Jackson
  • Women at Work Breakout:
    • Moderated by Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis and Katharine Abraham, Member of the Council of Economic Advisors
  • Women’s Entrepreneurship Breakout:
    • Moderated by Treasury Under Secretary for Domestic Finance Mary Miller and Executive Director of the White House Council on Women and Girls Tina Tchen
  • Healthcare Breakout:
    • Moderated by Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius and Deputy Assistant to the President on Health Policy Jeanne Lambrew
  • Violence Against Women and Girls Breakout:
    • Moderated by Attorney General Eric Holder and White House Advisor on Domestic Violence Lynn Rosenthal

12:00PM-12:30PM: Closing Plenary with Twitter Q&A #WomenEconForum

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
April 04, 2012

Statement by the Press Secretary on the Attack on the National Theater in Mogadishu, Somalia

The United States strongly condemns the outrageous attack today in Mogadishu that resulted in a tragic loss of life.  We offer our condolences to the Somali people, particularly those who lost family and loved ones.  Somalia, with the support of African Union peacekeepers, has made great strides in the past months to improve security and rebuild Mogadishu after two decades of civil strife.  Al-Shabaab’s attack on the newly reopened National Theater is another sign that it is standing in the way of Somalia’s path to peace and stability, and demonstrates why it is being rejected by the Somali people.  We remain committed to the people of Somalia and assisting them in countering al-Shabaab’s violence and in returning peace to their country.

The White House

Office of the First Lady

For Immediate Release
April 04, 2012

First Lady Michelle Obama & Dr. Jill Biden to Celebrate First Anniversary of Joining Forces

April 11th and 12th visits include White House kick off; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Shreveport, Louisiana; and Jacksonville, Florida

WASHINGTON – On April 11, 2012, First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden will kick off a two-day tour celebrating the first anniversary of Joining Forces, their initiative to recognize, honor and serve military families. Since launching Joining Forces on April 12th, 2011, significant progress has been made to rally Americans around military families. Communities, businesses, schools, faith groups, non-profit organizations and individual Americans have made substantial commitments to show military families the support that they deserve. Through collaborative efforts with Joining Forces, these groups have helped thousands of veterans and military families find jobs, improved educational opportunities for military children, supported our nation’s wounded warriors and their caregivers, and honored our nation’s fallen. The Joining Forces two-day tour will highlight examples of organizations and companies that have made significant commitments to support military families.

First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden created Joining Forces to bring Americans together to recognize, honor and take action to support veterans and military families as they serve our country and throughout their lives. The initiative aims to educate, challenge, and spark action from all sectors of society to ensure veterans and military families have the support they have earned. The initiative focuses on key priority areas – employment, education, and wellness -- while raising awareness about the service, sacrifice, and needs of America’s veterans and military families. More information is available at: www.JoiningForces.gov.

The First Lady and Dr. Biden’s Joining Forces tour schedule is below:

Wednesday, April 11, 2012

White House * 11:00 AM ET * Anniversary Celebration

First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden will kick off a celebration for military families and organization leaders that have played key roles in supporting our nation’s troops, veterans and families. Finalists of the Joining Forces Community Challenge will be the celebration’s special guests. Late last year, Mrs. Obama and Dr. Biden launched the Challenge to recognize and celebrate citizens, communities, and organizations who have demonstrated a deep commitment to service by improving the lives of military families and veterans. Hundreds of submissions were received and twenty finalists who found innovative ways to show their gratitude and support at the local level were chosen. These twenty finalists will travel from across the country to be honored at the White House. The finalists will be joined by the Challenge’s notable judges, Tom Brokaw – who will deliver opening remarks, J.R. Martinez, San Antonio Mayor Julián Castro, USO President Sloan Gibson and Deanie Dempsey, wife of General Martin Dempsey.

The Missouri Air National Guard's 571st Air Force Band “Sidewinder” will perform at the event. Last year, a fan’s video of the band performing at an airbase in Southwest Asia went viral on YouTube and garnered national attention.

University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia * 2:15 PM ET* Nurses Nationwide Join Forces to Support Veterans and Military Families

First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden will announce a major initiative by more than 150 of America’s leading nursing organizations and more than 450 nursing schools in 50 states and territories to ensure our nation’s nurses are prepared to help meet the unique health needs of service members, veterans, and their families.  Nursing leaders have committed to educating current and future nurses on how to recognize and care for those suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injury, and other combat-related issues. Collectively, this effort will reach over three million nurses in nearly every health care setting and every community in America. 

New York City * The Colbert Report

First Lady Michelle Obama will appear on The Colbert Report to discuss her Joining Forces initiative. Host Stephen Colbert has shown strong support for our troops, including bringing his show to Iraq, broadcasting special episodes to honor returning troops, performing at numerous USO events and getting a military-style hair cut to show his solidarity with those in uniform. Military families of troops deployed to Afghanistan will be a part of the audience.

Thursday, April 12, 2012

Shreveport, Louisiana * 1:15 PM CT / 2:15 PM ET * Announcing Joining Forces’ 50,000th Hire

Last August, President Obama announced a series of policies to increase veterans’ employment and asked the First Lady and Dr. Biden to lead an effort through Joining Forces to challenge the private sector to hire or train 100,000 veterans and military spouses by the end of 2013. Well on track to exceed this goal, First Lady Michelle Obama will travel to Shreveport, Louisiana, to announce the 50,000th veteran or military spouse to have been hired by a company through the Joining Forces initiative. Mrs. Obama will visit the Kansas City Southern Railway Company, which has aggressively hired veterans in the last year because of the unique skill set that they bring to the job.

Naval Air Station Jacksonville, Florida * 6:00 PM ET * Honoring Young Women from Military Families

First Lady Michelle Obama will invite young women from military families to a celebration honoring their service to our nation as members of a military family. Mrs. Obama will deliver remarks to the high school junior and senior girls and their parents and reveal surprise guests who she invited for this special occasion.

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
April 04, 2012

Statement by the Press Secretary on S. 2038

On Wednesday, April 4, 2012, the President signed into law:

S. 2038, the “Stop Trading on Congressional Knowledge Act of 2012” or the “Stock Act” which prohibits members of Congress, Executive Branch employees, Federal judges, and judicial employees from using nonpublic information derived from their official positions for personal profit; and requires financial forms of certain Federal Government employees to be made available to the public electronically.

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
April 04, 2012

FACT SHEET: The STOCK Act: Bans Members of Congress from Insider Trading

“Send me a bill that bans insider trading by members of Congress; I will sign it tomorrow.”  -- President Obama, State of the Union, January 24, 2012

In the State of the Union Address, the President laid out a blueprint for an economy where everyone gets a fair shot, everyone does their fair share, and everyone plays by the same set of rules, including those who have been elected to serve the American people. 

Today, the President signed into law the STOCK Act, a bipartisan bill that prevents Members of Congress from trading stocks based on nonpublic information they gleaned on Capitol Hill.  While this is a good first step, the President will continue to work with Congress to do even more to help fight the destructive influence of money in politics and rebuild the trust between Washington and the American people.

Details of the STOCK Act:
Answers the President’s Call to Ban Insider Trading for Members and Congressional Staff:  The STOCK Act expressly affirms that Members of Congress and staff are not exempt from the insider trading prohibitions of federal securities laws and gives House and Senate ethics committees authority to implement additional ethics rules.  The Act makes clear that Members and staff owe a duty to the citizens of the United States not to misappropriate nonpublic information to make a profit.  

Increases Transparency in Financial Disclosure Reporting:  The STOCK Act amends the Ethics in Government Act of 1978 to require a government-wide shift to electronic reporting and online availability of public financial disclosure information.  The STOCK Act provides additional transparency for Members of Congress, legislative staff and other government employees currently required to make public financial disclosures:
• Trade Reporting:  requires that Members of Congress and government employees report certain investment transactions within 45 days after a trade.   

• Online Availability: mandates that the information in public financial disclosure reports (currently made available on request) be made available on agency websites and ultimately through searchable, sortable databases. 

New Ethics Requirements:
• Expands Pension Forfeiture for Corrupt Members:  the STOCK Act requires forfeiture of federal pension if a Member of Congress commits one of several corruption offenses while serving as an elected official.  Current law forfeits a Member’s pension for conviction of offenses committed while serving in Congress.  The STOCK Act expands forfeiture to apply to misconduct by Members committed in other federal, state and local elected offices and adds further federal crimes, including insider trading, for which forfeiture will be required.

• Requires Disclosure of Terms of Mortgages:  the STOCK Act will require Members and certain high level government officials to disclose the terms of personal mortgages.

• Bans Special Access to Initial Public Offerings (IPOs):  the STOCK Act limits participation in IPOs by Members and senior government employees to purchases available to the public generally.

• Requires Report on Political Intelligence in the Financial Markets:  the STOCK Act requires GAO and CRS to produce a report on the role of political intelligence firms in the financial markets. 

• Requires Job Seekers to Disclose:  the STOCK Act requires that Members of Congress and senior federal employees file a written notification with their ethics office when starting a job negotiation to leave the government. 

Bans Bonuses for Fannie & Freddie Executives:  the STOCK Act bars senior executives at Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac from receiving bonuses during any period of conservatorship after enactment.