The White House

Office of the Vice President

For Immediate Release
February 17, 2012

Statement from Vice President Biden on the Spectrum Agreement to Safeguard First Responder Communications

After 9/11, we pledged that our cops, firefighters and EMTs would have the technology they need to stay safe and do their jobs. Part of that promise included deploying a nationwide, interoperable broadband network for our first responders. Today we made good on that overdue promise.  First responders put their lives on the line to protect us every day, and the least we can do is ensure that they have the dedicated bandwidth they need to communicate with each other.  It’s going to save lives and help keep our neighborhoods safe.

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
February 16, 2012

Statement by the President

Leaders of both parties have done the right thing for our families and for our economy by reaching an agreement that will prevent a tax hike on 160 million working Americans.  I urge Congress to pass this agreement so that the payroll tax cut we put in place last year will not expire at the end of this month.  The typical American family will still see an extra $40 in every paycheck, keeping nearly $1,000 of their hard-earned money this year.  And millions of Americans who are out pounding the pavement looking for new work to support their families will still be able to depend on the vital lifeline of unemployment insurance.

I thank the many Americans who lent their voices to this debate in recent months.  You made all the difference.  This is real money that will make a real difference in people’s lives.  It includes important reforms that I proposed in the American Jobs Act to help discourage businesses from laying off workers and to connect workers with jobs.  It includes a critical element in the plan I outlined in the State of the Union to out-innovate the rest of the world by unleashing mobile broadband, investing in innovation, and building a nationwide public safety network. It will mean a stronger economy and hundreds of thousands of new jobs.  And as soon as Congress sends this bipartisan agreement to my desk, I will sign it into law right away.  But this must be only the start of what we do together this year.  There’s much more the American people need and expect from us – to help our businesses keep creating jobs, to help restore security for middle class families, and to leave an economy that’s built to last.

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
February 16, 2012

Presidential Nominations Sent to the Senate

NOMINATIONS SENT TO THE SENATE:

Elissa F. Cadish, of Nevada, to be United States District Judge for the District of Nevada, vice Philip M. Pro, retired.

Paul William Grimm, of Maryland, to be United States District Judge for the District of Maryland, vice Benson Everett Legg, retiring.

Jill A. Pryor, of Georgia, to be United States Circuit Judge for the Eleventh Circuit, vice Stanley F. Birch, Jr., retired.

Mark E. Walker, of Florida, to be United States District Judge for the Northern District of Florida, vice Stephan P. Mickle, retired.

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
February 16, 2012

President Obama Announces More Key Administration Posts

WASHINGTON – Today, President Barack Obama announced his intent to nominate the following individuals to key Administration posts:
 

  • Erica L. Groshen – Commissioner of Labor Statistics, Department of Labor
  • Jeffrey D. Levine – Ambassador to the Republic of Estonia, Department of State
  • Peter Mahurin – Member, Board of Directors of the Tennessee Valley Authority
  • Major General John Peabody – President, Mississippi River Commission

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:
 
Dr. Erica L. Groshen, Nominee for Commissioner of Labor Statistics, Department of Labor
Dr. Erica L. Groshen is Vice President and Economist in the Regional Analysis Function of the Research and Statistics Group at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, a position she has held since 2010.  Dr. Groshen joined the Federal Reserve Bank of New York in 1994 and has held a number of positions prior to her current role, including Vice President and Director of Regional Affairs in the Communications Group (2006 - 2010); Assistant Vice President in the Microeconomic and Regional Studies Function (2000 - 2006); Head of Domestic Research (1997 - 1999); and Head of International Research (1994 -1997).  From 1999 to 2000, she was also a Visiting Economist at the Bank for International Settlements in Basel, Switzerland.  From 1993 to 1994, she was a Visiting Assistant Professor of Economics at Barnard College at Columbia University.  Dr. Groshen began her career at the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland, where she served as an Economic Advisor from 1991 to 1993 and as an Economist from 1986 to 1991.  She is a Member of the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Data Users’ Advisory Committee and serves on the editorial board of Industrial Relations: A Journal of Economy and Society.  Dr. Groshen earned her B.S. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and her M.A. and Ph.D. from Harvard University.
 
Jeffrey D. Levine, Nominee for Ambassador to the Republic of Estonia, Department of State
Jeffrey D. Levine, a career member of the Senior Foreign Service, has served as the State Department’s Office Director of Recruitment, Examination and Employment since September 2010.  Prior to this position, he was Deputy Chief of Mission and Chargé d’affaires at the U.S. Embassy in Budapest, Hungary from 2007 to 2010.  From 2003 to 2006, he served as Deputy Chief of Mission in Sofia, Bulgaria.  Other overseas positions include: Management Counselor in Brasilia, Brazil (1999-2002); Management Officer in Nicosia, Cyprus (1995-1998); Consular/General Services Officer in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (1988-1990); and Consular/Political Officer in Lima, Peru (1985-1987).  In Washington, Mr. Levine served as Special Assistant in the Office of the Under Secretary for Management (1994-1995), Hungary Desk Officer in the Office of Eastern European Affairs (1993-1994), and Watch Officer in the State Operations Center (1992-1993). He holds a Bachelor’s Degree from Humboldt State University and a Master’s Degree from National Defense University.
 
Peter Mahurin, Nominee for Member, Board of Directors of the Tennessee Valley Authority
Peter Mahurin is Chairman of Hilliard Lyons Financial Services, a position he has held since 2008.  Mr. Mahurin has worked for Hilliard Lyons since 1968 in various capacities.  In addition to his work at Hilliard Lyons, Mr. Mahurin serves as a board member for Houchens Industries, Albany Bancorp, Cecelia Bancorp, Gray Construction, Jackson Financial, and the Governors Scholars of Kentucky.  Prior to his time at Hilliard Lyons, Mr. Mahurin was a high school math and science teacher.  Mr. Mahurin earned a B.A. in Chemistry from Western Kentucky University.   
 
Major General John Peabody, Nominee for President, Mississippi River Commission
Major General John Peabody is Commander and Division Engineer of the Mississippi Valley Division of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.  Major General Peabody directs all U.S. Army Corps of Engineers water resources development in the Mississippi River basin, an area of over 370,000 square miles including all or parts of 12 states.  He entered military service in 1980 upon commissioning as a second lieutenant in the Corps of Engineers, and has spent most of his career as a combat engineer, with operational deployments to Somalia, Kuwait, and Iraq.  Major General Peabody is a graduate of the United States Military Academy, the Command and General Staff College, and the Army War College with a master's degree in Strategic Studies.  He also received an M.P.A from Harvard University and studied as an Olmsted Scholar at El Colegio de Mexico, Mexico City.

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
February 16, 2012

President Obama Nominates Three to Serve on the US District Court

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, President Obama nominated Judge Elissa F. Cadish, Judge Paul William Grimm and Judge Mark E. Walker to serve on the United States District Court.

“Throughout their careers, these nominees have displayed unwavering commitment to justice and integrity,” said President Obama.  “Their records of public service are distinguished and impressive and I am confident that they will serve the American people well from the United States District Court bench.  I am honored to nominate them today.”

Judge Elissa F. Cadish: Nominee for the United States District Court for the District of Nevada
Judge Elissa F. Cadish has been a district court judge on the Eighth Judicial District Court of Nevada, based in Las Vegas, since 2007.  Previously, she spent twelve years at the law firm of Hale Lane Peek Dennison & Howard, beginning as an associate in 1995 and becoming a shareholder in 2000.  From 1991 to 1995, Judge Cadish worked as an associate at the law firm of Jolley Urga Wirth & Woodbury.  She began her legal career as a law clerk to the Honorable Philip M. Pro of the United States District Court for the District of Nevada.   Judge Cadish received her J.D. in 1989 from the University of Virginia School of Law and her B.A. magna cum laude in 1986 from the University of Pennsylvania. 

Judge Paul William Grimm: Nominee for the United States District Court for the District of Maryland
Judge Paul William Grimm has been a United States Magistrate Judge for the District of Maryland since 1997 and has served as the Chief United States Magistrate Judge since 2006.  Previously, Judge Grimm spent approximately thirteen years in private practice handling primarily commercial litigation.  During this time, Judge Grimm also served as Commissioner for the Maryland Home Improvement Commission.  From 1981 to 1984, Judge Grimm served as Chief of Litigation and Administration for the Maryland Department of Licensing and Regulation.  He is also a former Assistant State’s Attorney for Baltimore County, having served in that position from 1980 to 1981.  Judge Grimm began his career as a member of the Judge Advocate General’s Corps with the United States Army, later serving for more than twenty years in the same position with the Army Reserve.  He received his J.D. magna cum laude in 1976 from the University of New Mexico School of Law and his B.A. summa cum laude in 1973 from the University of California at Davis.

Judge Mark E. Walker: Nominee for the United States District Court for the Northern District of Florida
Judge Mark E. Walker has been a Florida Circuit Judge in Tallahassee since 2009.  Previously, he spent ten years in private practice, specializing in civil litigation and criminal defense.  From 1997 to 1999, Judge Walker served as an Assistant Public Defender for Florida’s Second Judicial Circuit.  Judge Walker began his legal career with three clerkships.  From 1996 to 1997, he clerked for the Honorable Robert L. Hinkle of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Florida; from 1994 to 1996, he clerked for the Honorable Stephen H. Grimes of the Florida Supreme Court; and from 1993 to 1994, he clerked for the Honorable Emmett Ripley Cox of the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit.  Judge Walker received his J.D. with high honors in 1992 from the University of Florida and his B.A. in 1989 from the University of Florida, graduating first in his class.

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
February 16, 2012

President Obama Nominates Jill A. Pryor to Serve on the US Court of Appeals

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, President Obama nominated Jill A. Pryor to serve on the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit.

“Jill A. Pryor has displayed exceptional dedication to the legal profession through her work and I am honored to nominate her to serve the American people as a judge on the United States Court of Appeals,” President Obama said. "She will be a diligent, judicious and esteemed addition to the Eleventh Circuit bench."

Jill A. Pryor:  Nominee for the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit
Jill A. Pryor is a partner at the law firm of Bondurant, Mixson & Elmore, LLP, in Atlanta, Georgia, where she specializes in complex business litigation at both the trial and appellate levels.

Pryor was born and raised in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.  She received her B.A. in 1985 from the College of William & Mary, graduating Phi Beta Kappa.  She then attended Yale Law School, where she served on the editorial board of the Yale Law Journal and obtained her J.D. in 1988.  After graduating from law school, Pryor clerked for the Honorable J.L. Edmondson of the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit.  She joined Bondurant, Mixson & Elmore as an associate in 1989, becoming a partner at the firm in 1997.  She represents both plaintiffs and defendants in the areas of business torts, corporate governance and shareholder disputes, class actions, trade secrets, intellectual property, fraud, and the Georgia and federal RICO laws.

Throughout her career, Pryor has been actively involved in the Atlanta legal community.  She currently serves on the State Bar of Georgia Board of Governors and on the Board of Directors for the Georgia Legal Services Program.  She has also served as President of the Georgia Association for Women Lawyers and as Chair of the State Bar of Georgia’s Appellate Practice Section.  Additionally, Pryor was formerly a member of the Lawyers Advisory Committee of the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit as well as a member of the Executive Committee of the American Bar Association’s Council of Appellate Lawyers.

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
February 16, 2012

President Obama Announces Presidential Delegation to the Holy See to Attend a Ceremony Elevating Two American Archbishops to Cardinals

President Barack Obama today announced the designation of a Presidential Delegation to the Holy See to attend the consistory at which two American Archbishops will be elevated to Cardinals.  On February 18, Pope Benedict XVI will elevate Archbishop Timothy M. Dolan of New York and Archbishop Edwin F. O’Brien of Baltimore to the College of Cardinals.

The Honorable Miguel H. Díaz, U.S. Ambassador to the Holy See, will lead the delegation.

Member of the Presidential Delegation:

Mr. Kenneth F. Hackett, President Emeritus, Catholic Relief Services

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
February 16, 2012

President Obama Calls on Congress to Partner on Government Reform

Obama Administration Sends Congress the Consolidating and Reforming Government Act of 2012

WASHINGTON, DC – This afternoon, the Obama Administration sent Congress the Consolidating and Reforming Government Act of 2012, which would reinstate the authority Presidents held for decades to reorganize and consolidate the Federal government.  To guarantee that government reorganization will always result in a more efficient government, the President’s proposal adds a new requirement that any reorganization plan must save money or reduce the size of government.  As President Obama first announced last month, the Administration’s proposal would allow the President to put forward, for expedited consideration by Congress, plans to consolidate and reform the Federal government for the 21st century, making it leaner, smarter and more consumer friendly.

President Obama said, “To support an economy that’s built to last, we need a government that’s built for the 21st Century. We cannot allow redundant bureaucracy and unnecessary red tape to stand in the way of creating good jobs here at home, providing critical services for America’s families, and exporting America’s goods and services around the world. That’s why today I am calling on Congress to join me in reforming our government by passing the Consolidating and Reforming Government Act.” 

In January, the President announced that, if Congress reinstates the authority to reorganize government, his first action would be to make it easier for America’s job creators to access the services they need to grow and export. The President laid out a plan to bring together six agencies focused on business and trade and a handful of other related programs into a single more efficient and effective department with a laser-like focus on promoting American business and competitiveness, while saving taxpayers $3 billion dollars.

If Congress passes legislation providing consolidation authority, the Administration will continue to engage with America’s business owners, lawmakers, agencies and other stakeholders to develop a detailed reorganization proposal that will makes it easier for America’s businesses to succeed and provides a better value for taxpayers. The Administration will also develop additional proposals to make programs more effective and eliminate duplication, overlap and excess overhead in other areas across the government, improving services for America’s families and businesses and saving billions more in taxpayer dollars.

Read the legislation HERE.

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
February 16, 2012

Fact Sheet: President Obama’s Budget Expands, Simplifies Small Business Health Care Tax Credits

The Affordable Care Act includes a Small Business Health Care Tax Credit to help small businesses afford the cost of covering their workers.  For tax year 2011 alone, the existing tax credit will benefit an estimated 360,000 small employers who provide health insurance to two million workers.

In his fiscal year 2013 Budget, President Obama has called for expanding and simplifying the Small Business Health Care Tax Credit. If the President’s proposal is enacted, the tax credit would benefit nearly half a million employers who provide insurance to four million workers. Over the next ten years, the proposal would provide an additional $14 billion in tax credits. For a particular business, these changes could mean a tax cut of tens of thousands of dollars. The President has proposed to: 

• Allow Small Businesses with Up to 50 Workers to Qualify for the Credit: Currently the tax credit is only available to employers with fewer than 25 full-time workers.  (Part-time workers are counted proportionally based on the hours they work.)  The President’s Budget doubles this ceiling to 50.  It also doubles – from 10 full-time workers to 20 – the maximum size for a firm to receive the maximum credit matching rate (which is currently 35% and increases to 50% in 2014).

• Adopt a More Generous Phase-Out Schedule.  The tax credit phases out based on both the average wage paid by the employer and the number of workers it employs.  The President’s Budget makes the phase-out schedule more generous and permits every otherwise eligible firm that falls within the limits for size (50 full-time workers) and average wage ($50,000 per full-time worker) to receive the credit.

• Simplify the Credit by Streamlining the Rules. The President’s Budget eliminates two requirements for claiming the credit:

o “Uniformity Requirement.”  The Budget eliminates the requirement that employers claiming the credit determine that they contribute the same percentage of the cost of each employee’s health insurance. This will make the credit less dependent on the specific practices of the employer and easier to claim.  Employers would still be required to contribute at least 50% of the premium, ensuring a substantial commitment to their employees’ health coverage.

o Cap Based on State Average Premiums.  The Budget eliminates the cap that limits eligible employer contributions to the amount an employer would have contributed if it offered the plan with the average premium in the state – another requirement that can be complicated to calculate and which is unnecessary given other incentives to control premiums.

Together, eliminating these requirements will significantly simplify the process of claiming the credit.

Examples of How the Budget Proposal Affects Various Businesses


Example 1: Budget Makes Small Business with 30 Full-Time Employees Eligible

Business Profile:
• Full-Time Employees: 30
• Wages: Average $25,000 per employee
• Employer Premium Contribution Per Employee: $5,000

Tax Credit in 2012:
• Under Current Law: Not Eligible
• Under Budget Proposal: $35,000

Tax Credit in 2014:
• Under Current Law: Not Eligible
• Under Budget Proposal: $50,000


Example 2: Budget More than Doubles Credit for Small Business with 15 Full-Time Employees

Business Profile:
• Full-Time Employees: 15
• Wages: Average $35,000 per employee
• Employer Premium Contribution Per Employee: $6,000

Tax Credit in 2012:
• Under Current Law: Up to $8,400
• Under Budget Proposal: $18,900

Tax Credit in 2014:
• Under Current Law: Up to $12,000
• Under Budget Proposal: $27,000

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
February 15, 2012

President Obama Travels to Master Lock Company in Milwaukee, Wisconsin to Discuss the Importance of American Manufacturing, Highlight Insourcing and New Investments in Improving the Skills of American Workers

President Obama Will Highlight Insourcing Success Story, Call on Other Companies to Bring Jobs Back Home

Today, the President will travel to Master Lock Company in Milwaukee, Wisconsin to discuss his Blueprint for an America Built to Last, which invests in American manufacturing by encouraging companies to create manufacturing jobs in the United States while removing deductions for shipping jobs overseas and encouraging insourcing.  For a fact sheet on the President’s blueprint to support American manufacturing jobs, discourage outsourcing, and encourage insourcing, click HERE.

Master Lock Company, the world's largest manufacturer of padlocks and related security products, is leading by example and bringing jobs back to the United States.  Since mid-2010, Master Lock has returned approximately 100 jobs back to Milwaukee, Wisconsin that had previously been off-shored.  Master Lock is improving productivity at their plant in Milwaukee by upgrading equipment and the company plans to continue bringing jobs back to Wisconsin. 

The President has highlighted the emerging trend of insourcing - companies bringing jobs back and making additional investments in the United States.  During the past two years, we have begun to see positive signs in American manufacturing, with the manufacturing sector adding more than 300,000 jobs since December 2009.  A link to a recent White House report on the emerging trend can be found HERE.  

The President will also reiterate his call to companies across the nation to invest in the United States, and highlight businesses that have decided to bring jobs back to the United States.  The President will discuss proposals he has put forward to support insourcing and American manufacturing, including tax incentives to encourage job growth in the United States – fully paid for by closing tax loopholes that encourage the shifting of jobs and shielding of profits overseas – efforts to open new markets for American products, and new investments in improving the skills of American workers.

“Right now we have an excellent opportunity to bring manufacturing back -- but we have to seize it,” said President Obama.  “My message to business leaders is simple:  Ask yourselves what you can do to bring jobs back to your country, and your country will do everything we can to help you succeed.”

Also today, the President will announce that, later this year, the Department of Commerce will host the first annual SelectUSA Investment Summit, bringing companies from around the world to meet with governors, mayors and local stakeholders, federal agencies, and state and local economic development organizations to discuss the benefits of investing and growing in the U.S.  The Summit will build on the Administration’s efforts to promote investment in the U.S. by providing an annual forum to attract and expand U.S. investment and address questions and issues that companies face when they choose where to invest globally.

At January’s ‘Insourcing American Jobs’ forum, the President met with manufacturers such as Ford, which will be investing $16 billion and add 12,000 jobs in the U.S. by 2015.  The President also heard from service companies such as software developer GalaxE. Solutions, which is adding hundreds of jobs in conjunction with its "Outsource to Detroit" campaign.

As the President calls on companies to do their part to bring jobs back to the United States, the ‘insourcing’ trend among businesses continues to gain steam, both in Wisconsin and across the country.

Collaborative Consulting (Wisconsin)– Collaborative Consulting, a leading information technology consulting firm, recently launched an initiative to locate new solutions development and support center in the United States, rather than abroad.  The first such center, the company announced, will be located in Wausau, Wisconsin, creating approximately 200 local jobs over the next three years.  Collaborative is considering states such as Oklahoma, Texas, Florida, and West Virginia for future sites.  The company believes that it can help upend the model of offshoring IT jobs by offering services to its clients that are price competitive, higher quality, and less burdensome than traditional firms.

Diamond Precision Products (Wisconsin)– Machine component manufacturer Diamond Precision Products recently opened a new 85,000 square foot facility in Milwaukee and has doubled their workforce in the last two years, with further plans to fill the new plant. The company’s expansion has been fueled by the fact that, in order to save on shipping and accelerate speed of delivery, the companies Diamond supplies to are increasingly choosing to contract with local suppliers, rather than buying parts from China. 

Honda (Ohio)– Earlier this month, Japanese automaker Honda Motor Company announced it will invest $98 million at its largest auto engine plant, which produce components for its new transmission technology.  The company’s engine plant in Anna, Ohio will make high-tech pulley components for Honda's new continuously variable transmission, which is aimed at improving fuel efficiency.  This announcement builds on other recent large-scale investments by the company -- since the beginning of 2011, Honda has committed to nearly $800 million in new U.S. investments and more than 1,200 new jobs across manufacturing operations in states such as Ohio, Alabama, and Indiana

Caterpillar (Texas)–Later this year, iconic heavy equipment manufacturer Caterpillar is expected to begin production of excavators at a new 850,000 square foot facility in Victoria, Texas.  The company decided to shift production of the excavator from Japan in order to better support customers in the U.S.  Over the past two years, the company has added more than 14,000 American and, during 2011, exported $20 billion in products from the United States.

BACKGROUND ON SELECTUSA AND NATIONAL INVESTMENT SUMMIT:

Launched by Executive Order in June 2011, the Department of Commerce’s SelectUSA program is the first-ever federal effort to help attract, retain, and expand business investment.  Historically, U.S. states and cities have found themselves competing against foreign governments to attract business investments, with the federal government playing only a nominal role in the competition for global investment.  Rather than providing new incentives for investment, SelectUSA plays the critical role of advocacy, coordination, facilitation, and information-gathering and –sharing.

The program has already paid dividends for American workers.  Working hand-in-hand with SelectUSA officials, the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, and other local Michigan agencies, Canadian automotive company AGS Automotive recently elected to make an investment in excess of $20 million to add new manufacturing capabilities to permit it to manufacture bumper impact assemblies in Michigan.  The new business will likely represent in excess of $100 million in annual sales over the next 5 years and will enable AGS to retain approximately 50 jobs and create over 100 new jobs in Michigan.

The President’s Budget proposes $13 million to build on the early success the SelectUSA program has seen.  In addition, later this year, the Department of Commerce will host the first annual SelectUSA Investment Summit, bringing companies from around the world to meet with governors, mayors and local stakeholders, federal agencies, and state and local economic development organizations to discuss the benefits of investing and growing in the U.S.  The Summit will build on the Administration’s efforts to promote investment in the U.S. by providing an annual forum to attract and expand U.S. investment and address questions and issues that companies face when they choose where to invest globally.