The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
December 29, 2011

Statement by Principal Deputy Press Secretary Joshua Earnest on U.S. Sale of Defense Equipment to Saudi Arabia

The United States and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia have signed a government-to-government agreement under the Foreign Military Sales program to provide advanced F-15SA combat aircraft to the Royal Saudi Air Force.

Valued at $29.4 billion, this agreement includes production of 84 new aircraft and the modernization of 70 existing aircraft as well as munitions, spare parts, training, maintenance and logistics.  These F-15SA aircraft, manufactured by The Boeing Company, are among the most sophisticated and capable aircraft in the world.

This agreement will positively impact the U.S. economy and further advances the president's commitment to create jobs by increasing exports.  According to industry experts, this agreement will support more than 50,000 American jobs, engaging 600 suppliers in 44 states, and providing $3.5 billion in annual economic impact to the U.S. economy.

This agreement reinforces the strong and enduring relationship between the United States and Saudi Arabia, and demonstrates the U.S. commitment to a strong Saudi defense capability as a key component to regional security.

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
December 27, 2011

Statement by the President on Senator Ben Nelson's Retirement

I want to thank Senator Nelson for his years of service representing the people of Nebraska, first as Governor and then for more than a decade in the United States Senate. Over the course of his career, Ben’s commitment to working with both Democrats and Republicans across a broad range of issues is a trait far too often overlooked in today’s politics. Michelle and I commend Ben for his service, and wish him and his family well in the future.

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
December 27, 2011

President Obama Announces Intent to Nominate Two Individuals to the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, President Barack Obama announced his intent to nominate the following individuals to the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System:

• Jerome H. (Jay) Powell, Governor, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System
• Jeremy C. Stein, Governor, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System

President Obama said, “I am grateful that these individuals have agreed to serve their nation at this important time for our economy.  Their distinguished backgrounds and experience coupled with their impressive knowledge of economic and monetary policy make them tremendously qualified to serve in these important roles.”

President Obama announced his intent to nominate the following individuals to the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System:

Jerome H. (Jay) Powell is a visiting scholar at the Bipartisan Policy Center in Washington, D.C., where he focuses on federal and state fiscal issues.  Powell previously served as Undersecretary of the Treasury for Finance under President George H.W. Bush, with responsibility for policy on financial institutions, the treasury debt market, and related areas.  From 1997 through 2005, Powell was a partner at The Carlyle Group, where he founded and led the Industrial Group within the U.S. Buyout Fund.  He worked for many years prior to that as a lawyer and investment banker in New York City.  In addition to service on corporate boards, Powell has served on the boards of charitable and educational institutions.  He is currently a member of the board of directors of D.C. Prep, a charter school operator in Washington, D.C.; the Bendheim Center for Finance at Princeton University; and The Nature Conservancy of Washington D.C. and Maryland.  He served as founding chair of the Center City Consortium, a group of 16 parochial schools in the poorest areas of Washington D.C.  Powell graduated from Princeton University in 1975 and Georgetown University Law Center in 1979. 

Jeremy C. Stein is the Moise Y. Safra Professor of Economics at Harvard University, where he teaches courses in finance in the undergraduate and PhD programs.  Before coming to Harvard in 2000, Stein was on the finance faculty of M.I.T.’s Sloan School of Management for ten years, most recently as the J.C. Penney Professor of Management.  Prior to that, he was an assistant professor of finance at the Harvard Business School from 1987-1990.  Stein’s research has covered such topics as: the behavior of stock prices; corporate investment and financing decisions; risk management; capital allocation inside firms; banking; financial regulation; and monetary policy.  He is currently a coeditor of the Quarterly Journal of Economics, and was previously a coeditor of the Journal of Economic Perspectives.  He is a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, a research associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research, and a member of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York’s Financial Advisory Roundtable.  In 2008, he was president of the American Finance Association.  From February-July of 2009, he served in the Obama Administration, as a senior advisor to the Treasury Secretary and on the staff of the National Economic Council.  He received his AB in economics summa cum laude from Princeton University in 1983 and his PhD in economics from M.I.T. in 1986.

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
December 26, 2011

Statement by the President and First Lady on Kwanzaa

Michelle and I send our warmest wishes to all those celebrating Kwanzaa this holiday season. Today marks the beginning of the week-long celebration honoring African American heritage and culture through the seven principles of Kwanzaa -- unity, self determination, collective work and responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity, and faith.

We celebrate Kwanzaa at a time when many African Americans and all Americans reflect on our many blessings and memories over the past year and our aspirations for the year to come. And even as there is much to be thankful for, we know that there are still too many Americans going through enormous challenges and trying to make ends meet. But we also know that in the spirit of unity, or Umoja, we can overcome those challenges together.

As families across America and around the world light the red, black, and green candles of the Kinara this week, our family sends our well wishes and blessings for a happy and healthy new year.

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
December 25, 2011

Statement by the Press Secretary on Nigeria

We condemn this senseless violence and tragic loss of life on Christmas Day.  We offer our sincere condolences to the Nigerian people and especially those who lost family and loved ones.  We have been in contact with Nigerian officials about what initially appear to be terrorist acts and pledge to assist them in bringing those responsible to justice.

The White House

Office of the Vice President

For Immediate Release
December 25, 2011

Readout of Vice President Biden's Calls to Iraqi Leaders

Vice President Biden spoke by phone today with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki. The Vice President also spoke yesterday with Kurdistan Regional Government President Massoud Barzani. The Vice President offered condolences on the recent violence in Baghdad, exchanged views with both leaders on the current political climate in Iraq and reiterated our support for ongoing efforts to convene a dialogue among Iraqi political leaders.

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
December 24, 2011

WEEKLY ADDRESS: The President and First Lady Thank our Troops for their Service as we Celebrate the Holiday Season

WASHINGTON— In this week’s address, President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama came together to wish the American people a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays, and thanked our troops, military families, and veterans for their service and sacrifice. President Obama and Michelle Obama encouraged everyone to visit JoiningForces.gov to find ways to give back to our brave men and women in uniform and their families during the holiday season as we work together in the spirit of service.

Remarks of President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama
Weekly Address
The White House
December 24, 2011

THE PRESIDENT: Hi everyone. As you gather with family and friends this weekend, Michelle, Malia, Sasha and I – and of course Bo – want to wish you all Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays.
 
THE FIRST LADY:  This is such a wonderful time of year. 
 
It’s a time to honor the story of love and redemption that began 2,000 years ago … a time to see the world through a child’s eyes and rediscover the magic all around us … and a time to give thanks for the gifts that bless us every single day. 
                                                                                                             
This holiday season at the White House, we wanted to show our thanks with a special holiday tribute to some of the strongest, bravest, and most resilient members of our American family – the men and women who wear our country’s uniform and the families who support them. 
 
THE PRESIDENT: For many military families, the best gift this year is a simple one – welcoming a loved one back for the holidays. You see, after nearly nine years, our war in Iraq is over.  Our troops are coming home.  And across America, military families are being reunited.
 
So let’s take a moment to give thanks for their service; for their families’ service; for our veterans’ service.  And let’s say a prayer for all our troops standing post all over the world, especially our brave men and women in Afghanistan who are serving, even as we speak, in harm’s way to protect the freedoms and security we hold dear.
 
THE FIRST LADY: Our veterans, troops, and military families sacrifice so much for us.
 
So this holiday season, let’s make sure that all of them know just how much we appreciate everything they do. 
 
Let’s ask ourselves, “How can I give back? How can my family serve them as well as they’ve served us” 
 
One way you can get started is to visit JoiningForces.gov to find out how you can get involved in your community.
 
THE PRESIDENT: Giving of ourselves; service to others – that’s what this season is all about. For my family and millions of Americans, that’s what Christmas is all about. It reminds us that part of what it means to love God is to love one another, to be our brother’s keeper and our sister’s keeper. But that belief is not just at the center of our Christian faith, it’s shared by Americans of all faiths and backgrounds. It’s why so many of us, every year, volunteer our time to help those most in need; especially our hungry and our homeless.
 
So whatever you believe, wherever you’re from, let’s remember the spirit of service that connects us all this season – as Americans.  Each of us can do our part to serve our communities and our country, not just today, but every day.
 
THE FIRST LADY: So from our family to yours, Merry Christmas.
 
THE PRESIDENT:  Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays, everybody.

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
December 23, 2011

Fact Sheet on the Successful Conclusion of the Seventh Review Conference of the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention

“We will continue to face new and emerging biological threats that will require the coordinated and connected efforts of a broad range of domestic and international partners.  As we take action to counter these threats, we will work together to advance our own health security and provide for the improved condition of all humanity.”

-  President Obama’s National Strategy for Countering Biological Threats
November 23, 2009

On December 22 in Geneva, the States Parties to the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention (BWC) ended the meeting of the treaty’s Seventh Review Conference (RevCon) on a high note by endorsing a multinational work program for the next five years that promises to revitalize global efforts to reduce biological threats and advance objectives set forth in the President’s National Strategy for Countering Biological Threats.  States Parties announced their agreement to focus on three broad areas proposed by the United States: the strengthening of national implementation of the BWC; science and technology developments relevant to the treaty; and cooperation and assistance to build global capacities for preventing and controlling disease outbreaks, whatever their origin.  The RevCon Final Document provides a critical framework to bring together international security, health, law enforcement, and science communities to raise awareness of evolving biological risks and how to best manage them.  As Secretary of State Clinton noted in the U.S. opening statement, shoring up our domestic and international defenses against intentional attacks will make it easier to detect and respond to naturally occurring outbreaks, providing benefits for every country in every region.

Advancing the National Strategy

The ambitious work program adopted by the Review Conference is an important step toward reinvigorating the BWC as a premier venue for multinational collaboration on concrete activities to help counter biological proliferation and bioterrorism.  States Parties agreed that efforts on the three priority standing issues would continue from one year to the next – an approach the United States had advocated as key to enabling real progress at the international level. 

  • To strengthen national implementation of the BWC, States Parties agreed to begin annual discussions of topics such as enforcement of national legislation, coordination among law enforcement institutions, and best practices for enhancing implementation.  
  • States Parties concluded that there is a need for regular and systematic review of scientific and technological developments relevant to the Convention, and they emphasized the importance of education and efforts to raise awareness of dual-use concerns among those working in the biological sciences.  States Parties took the additional step of identifying topics for the working group on Science and Technology to consider each year, starting in 2012, with advances in enabling technologies, such as those for sequencing, synthesizing, and analyzing DNA.
  • States Parties also agreed on the need to build capacity to deal with disease outbreaks, including those potentially due to use of biological weapons.  During the next five years experts will address, inter alia, capacity-building in biosafety and biosecurity, preparedness, response, and crisis management; States Parties also decided that a database system to facilitate requests and offers for assistance among States Parties will be created.

Building Confidence in Compliance

The States Parties acknowledged the need to enhance participation in voluntary confidence-building measures (CBMs) submissions.  As a first step, States Parties undertook a review to improve the treaty’s annual CBM reporting system – the first time since 1991 that such a review had been done – and they committed to continuing the effort during the next five years.  The United States asked States Parties to further focus on developing constructive approaches to strengthening BWC implementation and to building confidence that all Parties were living up to their obligations.  Because the dual-use nature of biological work makes it impossible to verify compliance through traditional arms control means, the United States urged that countries create their own openness and transparency measures to demonstrate confidence in compliance. 

  • Leading by example, Secretary Clinton announced a new Bio-Transparency and Openness Initiative, featuring a U.S.-hosted International Forum on Health and Security in mid-2012 to share views on biological threats and discuss the evolution of U.S. bioresearch programs, as well as continued tours of U.S. biodefense facilities and exchanges among American scientists and their counterparts from other countries.

The White House

Office of the Vice President

For Immediate Release
December 23, 2011

Vice President Biden Announces New Chairman for the Recovery Accountability and Transparency Board

WASHINGTON, D.C. --- Today, Vice President Biden announced that Kathleen S. Tighe will chair the Recovery Accountability and Transparency Board (RATB), replacing Earl Devaney, who will retire on December 31st, 2011. 

“Under Earl Devaney’s leadership, the Recovery Accountability and Transparency Board became a model for government oversight – ensuring that Recovery Act dollars were distributed efficiently and effectively across the country. He will be greatly missed,” said Vice President Biden. “I’m confident that Kathleen Tighe will continue to hold the board to the high standards set by Earl as the Recovery Act’s top watchdog.”

The Recovery Act, as implemented by the Recovery Board, was designed to provide transparency, accountability and a new vision of openness to allow the public to track how the program was being implemented.  In the RATB’s first years of operation, Chairman Devaney and the 12 Inspector Generals (IGs) who serve on the Board successfully delivered on that mission by creating two websites, FederalReporting.gov and Recovery.gov, that collect and post data showing how Recovery Act funds are being used, and by developing and deploying the Recovery Operations Center (ROC) and other oversight systems that have employed a team of dedicated data analysts and cutting-edge fraud detection tools to minimize waste, fraud, and abuse.

The RATB held its first meeting on March 27, 2009.  Since its inception, the Board has held 35 meetings.

Most of the Recovery dollars have now been disbursed and, under the Recovery Act, the Board will terminate operations on September 30, 2013.  Over the next 21 months, the priorities of the Board are to maintain ongoing prevention and detection of waste, fraud, and abuse by collaborating with agency IGs on audits and reviews of Recovery Act contracts, grants, and loans; oversee an orderly wind down of the RATB by September 30, 2013; and collaborate with the Government Accountability and  Transparency Board, which the President established by Executive Order on June 13, 2011, to ensure that the RATB’s data collection and transparency solutions and the investment in the ROC are captured and used more broadly across federal spending.   Kathleen Tighe is well positioned to lead the Board as it pursues these goals, and also continue her work providing oversight for the Department of Education as its Inspector General.

Official Biography of Kathleen S. Tighe - Inspector General, Department of Education

Kathleen Tighe currently serves on the Government Accountability and Transparency Board. On March 17, 2010, Ms. Tighe was sworn in as the Inspector General for the Department of Education. Prior to this, she was the Deputy Inspector General, United States Department of Agriculture. From 1995 to 2005, she served as Counsel to the Inspector General, General Services Administration and, before that, as an Assistant Counsel for the Office of Inspector General. From 1988 until 1991, she was a Trial Attorney with the Fraud Section of the Commercial Litigation Branch of the Department of Justice. Prior to her Government service, Ms. Tighe was in private practice.

Ms. Tighe has lectured frequently to both Government and industry groups. She has spoken at the Defense Procurement Fraud and Affirmative Civil Litigation conferences of the Department of Justice, at the Association of Directors of Investigation Conferences, before the Federal Law Enforcement Interagency Task Force, the Inspectors General Auditor Training Institute, the Federal Audit Executive Council, the Institute of Internal Auditors, American Bar Association groups, the Coalition for Government Procurement, and various other vendor organizations. Ms. Tighe is a member of the Public Contract Section of the American Bar Association and is a former Chair of the Council of Counsels to the Inspector General.

Ms. Tighe earned her law degree, with honors, from George Washington University (JD'83). She has a Master's degree in International Relations from American University (MA'79). She graduated, with distinction, from Purdue University (BA'76), where she was a member of Phi Beta Kappa.

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
December 23, 2011

Statement by the Press Secretary on H.R. 3765

On Friday, December 23, 2011, the President signed into law:

H.R. 3765 – “Temporary Payroll Tax Cut Continuation Act of 2011.”