The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
March 09, 2012

President Obama to Announce New Efforts to Support Manufacturing Innovation, Encourage Insourcing

Administration Proposes New National Network to Support Manufacturing, Takes Immediate Action to Create a Pilot Manufacturing Institute

On Friday, President Obama will continue to highlight the successful trend of insourcing – companies from around the world bringing jobs back and making new investments here in the United States – at the Rolls-Royce Crosspointe jet engine disc manufacturing facility in Prince George County, Virginia. The President’s Blueprint for An Economy Built to Last lays out a number of ways we can encourage insourcing, support investment in our manufacturing sector, and create good jobs here in the United States, and today’s announcements build on those efforts.

The President will announce a new proposal for a National Network for Manufacturing Innovation, to build a network of up to fifteen Institutes for Manufacturing Innovation around the country, serving as regional hubs of manufacturing excellence that will help to make our manufacturers more competitive and encourage investment in the United States. The President’s Budget proposes a $1 billion investment to create this new National Network for Manufacturing Innovation.

The President will also announce that the Administration will take immediate steps to launch a pilot institute for manufacturing innovation as part of its We Can’t Wait efforts. The pilot institute will be funded from $45 million of existing resources from the Departments of Defense, Energy, and Commerce and the National Science Foundation, and will be selected from a competitive application process.

The Rolls-Royce Crosspointe jet engine disc manufacturing facility the President will visit is an example of how insourcing means companies from around the world are creating new, good paying jobs here at home. The company is planning to add 140 new jobs at Crosspointe and more than 100 additional jobs in Indiana manufacturing components for commercial aircraft engines. Crosspointe is a center of advanced manufacturing and innovation that demonstrates collaboration can spur American jobs and competitiveness.

BACKGROUND ON TODAY’S ANNOUNCEMENTS:

Over the past two years, the U.S. manufacturing sector has added more than 400,000 jobs, the first period of sustained job growth since the 1990s. The President’s proposals to revitalize American manufacturing build on that momentum and recognize that a growing and vibrant manufacturing sector is central to our ability to innovate, to export, and to create good-paying American jobs. Over the previous decade manufacturing production and investment stalled, and we lost ground to our competitors. To create an economy that is built to last, we must ensure that the next generation of products are not only invented here, but manufactured here as well.

To meet this challenge the President will announce a new $1 billion proposal, the National Network for Manufacturing Innovation. The President’s proposal will catalyze a network of up to fifteen Institutes for Manufacturing Innovation around the country. The Institutes will bring together industry, universities and community colleges, federal agencies, and our states to accelerate innovation by investing in industrially-relevant manufacturing technologies with broad applications to bridge the gap between basic research and product development, provide shared assets to help companies – particularly small manufacturers – access cutting-edge capabilities and equipment, and create an unparalleled environment to educate and train students and workers in advanced manufacturing skills. Each Institute will serve as a regional hub of manufacturing excellence, providing the innovation infrastructure to support regional manufacturing hubs and ensuring that our manufacturing sector is a key pillar in an economy that is built to last. This model has been successfully deployed in other countries and represents a gap in the U.S. manufacturing innovation infrastructure that the President’s proposal will address.

The Institutes will each have a well-defined technology focus to address industrially-relevant manufacturing challenges on a large scale and to provide the capabilities and facilities required to reduce the cost and risk of commercializing new technologies. While the Institutes would be competitively selected, several areas of innovation illustrate the opportunities that this proposal could help to realize:

  • Developing lightweight materials, such as low-cost carbon fiber composites (CFC's), that will improve fuel efficiency, performance, and corrosion resistance of the next generation of automobiles, aircraft, ships and trains.
  • Refining standards, materials, and equipment for “3-D printing”(also known as additive manufacturing) to enable low-cost, small batch production using digital designs that can be transmitted from designers located anywhere.
  • Creating a smart manufacturing infrastructure and approaches that lets operators make real-time use of “big data” flows from fully-instrumented plants in order to improve productivity, optimize supply chains, and improve energy, water, and materials use.

The new National Network for Manufacturing Innovation will work to leverage new investment from industry, state and local government, and the research community. This initiative will be a collaboration between Commerce’s National Institute of Standards and Technology, the National Science Foundation, the Department of Defense, and the Department of Energy.

The President also announced the launch of a pilot institute with an initial federal investment of $45 million from the Department of Defense, Department of Energy, Department of Commerce, and the National Science Foundation. The pilot will demonstrate the type the collaboration planned for the National Network for Manufacturing Innovation. The pilot will be selected through a competitive process that uses existing resources and fits within the agencies’ statutory missions, using current funding and authorities, while addressing key challenges faced by the U.S. manufacturing sector.

The pilot institute will address a focused technology area to reduce the risk and cost of commercializing and scaling-up new manufacturing products and processes. At least $30 million in total funding from the Departments of Defense, Energy and Commerce will support investments in advanced manufacturing equipment and research activities, $5 million in funding from NSF will support basic research in advanced manufacturing and the workforce development component of the pilot, in part under the NSF Advanced Technological Education program, and $10 million in funding from the Department of Defense will support scaling-up production of technologies developed from the pilot institute in support of critical national defense needs. This approach reflects a unique degree of inter-agency coordination around a shared goal to promote the President’s manufacturing agenda without need for Congressional action.

Crosspointe demonstrates the potential for supporting U.S. manufacturing through this type of collaboration model. Later this summer, the Commonwealth Center for Advanced Manufacturing (CCAM) will open its doors, an applied research center developed in partnership between eight companies including Rolls-Royce, the state of Virginia, three leading Virginia universities, and an investment from Commerce’s Economic Development Administration. CCAM, like the proposed Institutes, bridges the gap from basic research to product development and supports the skills needed for an advanced manufacturing workforce.

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
March 09, 2012

Statement by the President on the One Year Anniversary of 3/11 in Japan

As we mark one year since the catastrophic earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear disasters in Japan, Michelle and I join all Americans in honoring the memory of the 19,000 victims lost or missing.  We continue to be inspired by the Japanese people, who faced unimaginable loss with extraordinary fortitude.  Their resilience and determination to rebuild stronger than before is an example for us all.

Since the first moments of the disaster, the United States mobilized to help our friends in Japan.  At the peak of Operation Tomodachi—our single, largest bilateral military operation with Japan ever—the Department of Defense had 24,000 personnel, 190 aircraft, and 24 Navy ships supporting humanitarian assistance and disaster relief efforts.  One year later, we remain committed to assist the people of Japan to rebuild.  This effort, led by the Japanese government, has benefitted from the compassion of the American people, who in difficult economic times have given generously to help.  Today, U.S. experts continue to support Japan’s ongoing efforts to deal with the challenges associated with Fukushima, and the TOMODACHI public-private partnership is investing in the next generation to strengthen cultural and economic ties.  We are grateful for the contributions of Americans, civilian and military, who have joined with people from around the world to support Japan’s recovery.

No one can forget the tragic images of disaster in the immediate aftermath of the earthquake and tsunami, or the heartbreak of friends who lost homes, belongings, and, most importantly, loved ones.  Even as it works to rebuild its devastated northeastern region, Japan has never wavered from its steadfast commitment to help other countries around the world.  So on this day when our thoughts and prayers are with the Japanese people in remembrance of the hardship faced one year ago, let us also celebrate the recovery underway in Japan and pay tribute to Japan’s unflagging dedication to bettering the lives of others throughout the world.  The friendship and alliance between our two nations is unshakeable and, going forward, the people of Japan will continue to have an enduring partner in the United States.

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
March 08, 2012

Fact Sheet on the U.S.-Ghana Development and Economic Relationship

Ghana’s democratic and economic development successes exemplify the integral relationship between democracy, good governance, and development.  Ghana also exemplifies many of the positive economic trends in Sub-Saharan Africa.  Africa is home to some of the fastest-growing economies in the world, including Ghana, offering enormous potential for enhanced trade and investment by U.S. companies.

A Growing Trading Partner

  • Ghana’s Gross Domestic Product grew by at least 13.5 percent in 2011 and will sustain a growth rate of at least 8 percent in 2012, according to the International Monetary Fund.
  • Two-way total trade between the United States and Ghana was valued at $1.9 billion in 2011, a 56 percent increase over 2010.  U.S. exports to Ghana were valued at $1.2 billion, up from $963 million in 2010, and over the past five years exports of U.S. goods and services have increased over 186%.
  • U.S. companies are among Ghana’s largest and highest profile partners, and U.S. companies are increasingly helping to build Ghana’s infrastructure, while adhering to strong environmental and social standards, and ensuring better development outcomes.
  • Over the last twelve months, including new contracts signed this week, the U.S. has provided crucial assistance that has made $1.47 billion in U.S. exports possible.  A few recent examples include:  Miami-based Belstar is implementing a $250 million project providing medical equipment, services and infrastructure to benefit up to 100 hospitals throughout Ghana.  The project will make a significant impact on Ghana’s ability to meet its growing need for modern health care infrastructure.  The project is expected to generate $147 million in U.S. exports through initial procurements, with an expected total procurement amount of $253 million.
  • In the past year and a half, companies such as General Electric and IBM have set up offices in Ghana, and others are expected to soon follow.  U.S. companies are involved in a wide range of sectors from oil to cocoa processing, and Ghana now has three direct flights from the U.S., on American carriers.

Partners for Growth

  • The United States continues to support Ghana's economic development and reform efforts through bilateral and regional assistance programs.
  • Ghana recently completed its five-year, $547 million compact with the Millennium Challenge Corporation to improve agricultural production, transportation and rural development.
  • U.S. development initiatives seek to partner with Ghana to hasten the day when foreign assistance is no longer needed.  This includes shared work to build on accomplishments to date and address the remaining constraints to economic growth through the Partnership for Growth.

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
March 08, 2012

Statement by the President on International Women’s Day

On International Women’s Day, the United States celebrates the many achievements and milestones in the ongoing struggle for gender equality around the world, and reaffirms our commitment to accelerating progress.  We are committed to a future in which our daughters and sons have equal opportunities to thrive, because when women succeed, communities and countries succeed. With this promise in mind, we are launching new initiatives on women’s political participation and economic empowerment, combating violence against women, promoting women’s roles and perspectives in conflict prevention and peace-building, and supporting the work of UN Women and other key partners.

Experience shows that true democracy cannot be built without the full and equal participation of half our population. Women’s economic empowerment is essential for economic recovery and growth worldwide. Successful transitions in the Middle East and North Africa will depend on women’s ability to shape their countries’ futures. From Egypt to Yemen and beyond, over the last year we have seen women lead local and national efforts to protest corruption, demand accountability, and establish new institutions.

The United States also recognizes the need to elevate the perspectives of particularly marginalized women worldwide, including refugees and displaced persons, ethnic and religious minorities and women with disabilities. On this day, and every day, we stand with the women and men who bravely champion dignity, freedom, and opportunity for all.

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
March 08, 2012

Statement by the Press Secretary on H.R. 347

On Thursday, March 8, 2012, the President signed into law:

H.R. 347, the “Federal Restricted Buildings and Grounds Improvement Act of 2011,” which makes it a Federal crime to enter or remain knowingly in any restricted area of the White House, the Vice President’s official residence, or their respective grounds without lawful authority. 

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
March 08, 2012

Readout of President Obama’s Video Conference with President Karzai

Earlier today, the President held a video conference with President Karzai of Afghanistan, as a part of their regular consultations.  President Karzai updated the President on the security situation in Afghanistan, which has calmed since the events of recent weeks.  The two Presidents discussed a range of issues of mutual interest, including U.S.-Afghan Strategic Partnership negotiations, Afghan-led reconciliation, and regional matters.  The leaders noted progress toward concluding a Strategic Partnership that reinforces Afghan sovereignty while addressing the practical requirements of transition.  President Karzai updated the President on developments toward Afghan-led reconciliation talks.  Finally, the President and President Karzai agreed that it is in both our interests to continue a partnership that is based on mutual respect, and agreed to stay in close touch in the lead up to the NATO Summit in Chicago.

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
March 08, 2012

Fact Sheet: We Can’t Wait: White House Launches Ethics.gov to Promote Government Accountability and Transparency

 President Obama has consistently made clear that he will strive to lead the most open, transparent, and accountable government in history. For over three years, the Administration has done much to make information about how government works more accessible to the public, and to solicit citizens’ participation in government decision-making. We have devised ambitious Open Government Plans designed to increase opportunities for public engagement. We have made a tremendous amount of information newly available on government websites.  We have even taken steps to provide more disclosure of sensitive government information. So, we are striving to lead an open and transparent government that works for the American people.

President Obama promised he would “create a centralized Internet database of lobbying reports, ethics records, and campaign finance filings in a searchable, sortable, and downloadable format.” Today, with the launch of www.Ethics.gov, he’s delivering on that promise.  In a single, user-friendly format, anyone can access and search the records of seven different databases: 

  • White House Visitor Records
  • Office of Government Ethics Travel Reports
  • Lobbying Disclosure Act Data
  • Department of Justice Foreign Agents Registration Act Data
  • Federal Election Commission Individual Contribution Reports
  • Federal Election Commission Candidate Reports
  • Federal Election Commission Committee Reports

Never before has this measure of government-verified data been available and so easily searchable in a centralized location. On www.Ethics.gov, the public will be able to find millions of White House Visitor records.  You will be able to see agency reports of payments from non-Federal sources for travel to meetings and conferences.

You’ll find records for entities registered with the Federal Election Commission.  This includes federal political action committees and party committees, campaign committees for presidential, House and Senate candidates, as well as groups or organizations who are spending money in connection with elections for federal office.

You’ll also find records for each candidate who has either registered with the Federal Election Commission or appeared on a ballot list prepared by a state elections office. This includes contributor information for each contribution of $200 or more from an individual to a federal committee.

Finally, you’ll be able to find lobbying registrations and reports filed under the Lobbying Disclosure Act.

Ethics.gov takes an important step to increase transparency and accountability.  This is good for government and good for the American people.

The President’s Record

From the day he took office, the President committed his Administration to work towards unprecedented openness in government.  On his first full day in office, President Obama signed the Memorandum on Transparency and Open Government—a document that has helped to guide the federal government as it has worked toward a new era of open government and public engagement. 

Since then, the President has redoubled his Administration’s efforts to live up to that early promise – creating Data.gov to increase public access to government information, aggressively tracking the federal government’s use of federal dollars with websites like Recovery.gov and USASpending.gov, introducing the “We the People” initiative to give all Americans an opportunity to petition the government on a range of issues affecting our nation, calling for a large-scale transformation in how agencies maintain their records, and launching an effort to cut waste and streamline government operations. 

Continuing his commitment to an open and transparent government, the President challenged nations to make all governments more open and accountable to their people.  To meet that challenge, in September 2011, the United States, with other founding nations, launched the Open Government Partnership (OGP) – a global effort to promote more transparent, effective and accountable governance in countries around the world. As part of OGP, the President unveiled the U.S. National Action Plan on Open Government, which outlines twenty-six commitments that the United States is implementing to create a more open and participatory government.

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The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
March 07, 2012

Readout of the President’s Meeting with Libyan Prime Minister ElKeib

This morning President Obama welcomed Libyan Prime Minister Abdurrahim ElKeib to the White House—the first of several meetings the Prime Minister will hold with U.S. officials this week.  During the meeting the President pledged continued support to the Libyan people and noted the contributions made by American service members and civilians to securing Libya’s freedom.  The President applauded the Prime Minister for his leadership during Libya’s democratic transition and his government’s efforts to rebuild the country.  The President encouraged the Prime Minister to continue plans to hold national elections in June and stressed the importance of transparency and engagement with Libya’s newly energized civil society as the government develops accountable institutions.  The leaders also discussed a range of security issues and increased cooperation on border management, weapons security, and regional counterterrorism concerns. The President said he looks forward to a close partnership between the United States and Libya going forward.

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
March 07, 2012

Fact Sheet: All-of-the-Above Approach to American Energy

President Obama Announces $1 billion National Community Deployment Challenge to spur deployment of clean, advanced vehicles and expansion of advanced vehicle tax credit

During the State of the Union Address, the President laid out a blueprint for a new era of American energy – an economy fueled by homegrown and alternative energy sources that will be designed in America and produced by American workers. Today, the President will visit Daimler Trucks North America Mt. Holly Truck Manufacturing Plant in Mt. Holly, NC to deliver remarks on American energy.  While at the Daimler Plant, the President will tour the assembly line, see several of the alternative fuel models built there, and discuss the importance of taking a sustained, all-of-the-above approach on energy, responsibly expanding domestic production of natural gas and oil, which is currently at an eight year high, improving the efficiency of our cars and trucks, and making the long-term investments in alternatives to oil to provide American families the choices we all deserve. This strategy is a win for the economy, a win for energy security, and a win for national security.

In Mt. Holly, the President will announce a new $1 billion National Community Deployment Challenge to spur deployment of clean, advanced vehicles in communities around the country.  The President will also announce a set of incentives to help consumers and businesses purchase new, advanced cars and trucks, including increasing and expanding the current tax credit for advanced vehicles, from the $7,500 credit that currently exists up to $10,000, while allowing the credit to be applied to additional types of technologies, not currently covered. In addition, the President is announcing a new research challenge that invests in breakthrough technologies to make electric vehicles as affordable and convenient to own and operate as gasoline-powered vehicles by the end of the decade.

Today the President will also highlight Daimler’s commitment to increasing fuel economy standards and manufacturing vehicles that will increase fuel economy and reduce oil consumption. Taken together, the Obama Administration’s standards for cars and light-duty trucks span model years 2011 to 2025 and represent the first meaningful update in over three decades. Under this program, average fuel efficiency will reach a performance equivalent of 54.5 miles per gallon by 2025 and will save consumers $1.7 trillion at the pump overtime – or roughly $8,200 per vehicle and slash oil consumption by 2.2 million barrels a day by 2025. The Administration has also finalized the first-ever national fuel efficiency and greenhouse gas (GHG) emission standards for heavy-duty trucks, vans, and buses spanning model years 2014-2018, which will reduce oil consumption by over 500 million barrels, and save truck owners and operators more than $50 billion in fuel costs.

Daimler Trucks North America is a partner in the Energy Department’s SuperTruck initiative, which is focused on increasing the fuel efficiency of long haul trucks, or 18-wheelers, by 50 percent by 2015. While long-haul trucks represent only 4 percent of the on-road vehicles in America, they are responsible for almost 20 percent of the country’s on-road fuel consumption, with this class of vehicle currently consuming more than 30 billion gallons of gasoline a year. To achieve this goal, companies like Daimler are developing and improving vehicle technologies in engine efficiency, aerodynamics, waste heat recovery, and hybridization, among other approaches.  Through these types of improvements, the Energy Department estimates fuel economy increases could save long-haul truckers more than $15,000 per truck per year in fuel costs.

The President’s New Initiatives to Support Advanced Vehicles

Launching a “Race to the Top” challenge for communities to encourage advanced vehicle adoption:  The President is announcing a new $1 billion National Community Deployment Challenge to catalyze up to 10 to 15 model communities to invest in the necessary infrastructure, remove the regulatory barriers, and create the local incentives to support deployment of advanced vehicles at critical mass.  This proposal embraces a strategy similar to that outlined by Senators Merkley and Alexander in their Promoting Electric Vehicles legislation.  This proposal, however, would be ‘fuel neutral’, allowing communities to determine if electrification, natural gas, or other alternative fuels would be the best fit.  Deployment Communities would serve as real-world laboratories, leveraging limited federal resources to develop different models to deploy advanced vehicles at scale.  The program would also support the development of up to 5 regional Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) corridors where alternative fuel trucks can transport goods without using a drop of oil. 

Making advanced vehicles more affordable: The President proposes to improve the current tax credit for electric vehicles by
o Expanding eligibility for the credit to a broader range of advanced vehicle technologies;
o Increasing the amount from $7,500, making it scalable up to $10,000;
o Reforming the credit to make it available at the point-of-sale by making it transferable to the dealer or financier, allowing consumers to benefit when they purchase a vehicle rather than when they file their taxes; and
o Removing the cap on the number of vehicles per manufacturer eligible for the credit and, instead, ramping down and eventually eliminating the credit at the end of the decade.

Accelerating deployment of alternative-fuel trucks: The President is proposing a new tax incentive for commercial trucks that provides a credit for 50% of the incremental cost of a dedicated alternative-fuel truck, including trucks powered by natural gas or electricity, for a five-year period.  This incentive – paired with support through programs like the Energy Department’s National Clean Fleets Partnership, which provides technical assistance to large company fleets interested in moving toward vehicles that rely on little or no oil – will not only drive down domestic demand for oil, but also drive up demand for the sorts of vehicles built at Freightliner’s Mt. Holly Plant and, in turn, spur job creation in the American manufacturing sector.

Launching ‘EV Everywhere’, a clean energy grand challenge to make electric-powered vehicles as affordable and convenient as gasoline-powered vehicles for the average American family within a decade:    This national effort is the second in a series of Clean Energy Grand Challenges designed by the Department of Energy to bring together America’s best and brightest scientists, engineers, and businesses to work together to solve the most pressing energy technology challenges of our time.  EV Everywhere will enable companies in the U.S. to produce electric vehicles at lower cost, with an improved vehicle range and an increased fast-charging ability, so average American families will be able to own and drive an electric vehicle as affordable and convenient as today’s gasoline-powered vehicles.  The savings from using lower-cost electricity instead of gasoline, roughly $100 per month for the average driver, combined with the reduction of upfront vehicle cost, will lower energy costs for American consumers and businesses.  The President’s FY13 Budget includes $650 million to advance vehicle and battery technologies at the Energy Department, including investments that support this new grand challenge.  EV Everywhere will invest in breakthrough R&D for advanced batteries, electric drivetrain technologies, lightweight vehicle structures, and fast charging technology.

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
March 07, 2012

Fact Sheet: Latest Steps to Implement the President's Export Control Reform Initiative

Today, the Administration officially opened two new national, multi-agency centers to improve how the U.S. Government administers its export control system.  This is a significant step forward in the President’s Export Control Reform Initiative of implementing common sense reforms to streamline and improve the nation’s export control system. 

• Export Enforcement Coordination Center (E2C2): Established by the President under Executive Order 13558, the E2C2 is responsible for enhanced information sharing and coordination between law enforcement and intelligence officials regarding possible violations of U.S. export controls laws.  The E2C2 is administered by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) with a leadership team comprised of officials from DHS, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Department of Commerce.  The opening of the E2C2 builds on the increased criminal penalties for export control violations and the provision of Commerce’s permanent law enforcement authorities implemented in partnership with Congress in the Comprehensive Iran Sanctions, Accountability, and Divestment Act (CISADA), further strengthening the enforcement of U.S. export controls.

• Information Triage Unit (ITU): The ITU is responsible for assembling and disseminating relevant information, including intelligence, from which to base informed decisions on proposed exports requiring a U.S. Government license.  This multi-agency screening will coordinate the reviews of separate stove-piped processes across the government to ensure that all departments and agencies have a full dataset, consistent with national security, from which to make decisions on license applications.  Such screening contributes to more timely, predictable, and consistent processes that U.S. exporters engaged in global trade have confirmed are critical to their competitiveness.  The ITU is housed at the Department of Commerce. 

In support of the E2C2 and the ITU, the Director of National Intelligence has designated the Office of the National Counterintelligence Executive as the entity responsible for coordinating export control issues involving the Intelligence Community.  This designation is another significant process improvement for more seamless and comprehensive access to intelligence that strengthens our export control system’s protection of U.S. national security.

These multi-agency centers are changing the way the Executive Branch does business by implementing a more fully coordinated and harmonized approach that facilitates secure trade.  Such an approach will better protect military critical technologies from being transferred to countries or entities of national security and proliferation concern.  It will also strengthen the U.S. defense industrial base by helping U.S. exporters to be more competitive and reliable suppliers.  These steps are improving how the U.S. Government utilizes its existing resources to ensure that our export control system meets our national security and foreign policy objectives.