Presidential Nominations Sent to the Senate

NOMINATIONS SENT TO THE SENATE

Frederick D. Barton, of Maine, to be an Assistant Secretary of State (Conflict and Stabilization Operations), vice Bradford R. Higgins.

Frederick D. Barton, of Maine, to be Coordinator for Reconstruction and Stabilization.  (New Position)

Arunava Majumdar, of California, to be Under Secretary of Energy, vice Kristina M. Johnson, resigned.

Marie F. Smith, of Hawaii, to be a Member of the Social Security Advisory Board for a term expiring September 30, 2016, vice Dana K. Bilyeu, term expired.

President Obama Nominates Three to Serve on the US District Court Bench

WASHINGTON - Today, President Obama nominated Judge Timothy S. Hillman, Judge Robin S. Rosenbaum and Robert J. Shelby to serve on the United States District Court bench.

“Throughout their careers, these nominees have displayed unwavering commitment to justice and integrity,” said President Obama.  “Their records of service to the public and the legal profession 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 Timothy S. Hillman: Nominee for the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts
Judge Timothy S. Hillman has been a United States Magistrate Judge for the District of Massachusetts since 2006.  Previously, Judge Hillman served as a Justice on the Massachusetts Superior Court from 1998 to 2006 and a Justice on the Massachusetts District Court from 1991 to 1998.  Prior to his service on the Massachusetts courts, Judge Hillman was in private practice for over a decade and served as City Solicitor to the cities of Fitchburg and Gardner and Town Counsel to the towns of Athol, Lunenburg, and Petersham, all in Massachusetts.  He received his J.D. in 1973 from Suffolk University Law School and his B.A. in 1970 from Coe College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. 

Judge Robin S. Rosenbaum:  Nominee for the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida
Judge Robin S. Rosenbaum is a United States Magistrate Judge for the Southern District of Florida, a position she has held since 2007.  From 1998 until her appointment to the bench, Judge Rosenbaum was an Assistant United States Attorney in the same district, where she served as Chief of the Economic Crimes Section in the Fort Lauderdale office beginning in 2002.   Before joining the United States Attorney’s Office, Judge Rosenbaum clerked for Judge Stanley Marcus on the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit in 1998, worked as a litigation associate at Holland & Knight from 1996 to 1997, and served as staff counsel at the Office of the Independent Counsel in Washington, D.C. from 1995 to 1996.  She began her legal career as a trial attorney at the Federal Programs Branch of the United States Department of Justice from 1991 to 1995.  Judge Rosenbaum received her J.D. magna cum laude in 1991 from the University of Miami School of Law and her B.A. in 1988 from Cornell University.

Robert J. Shelby:  Nominee for the United States District Court for the District of Utah
Robert J. Shelby is currently a shareholder at the Salt Lake City law firm of Snow, Christensen & Martineau, where his practice focuses on complex commercial litigation and catastrophic personal injury cases on behalf of both plaintiffs and defendants in state, federal, and administrative courts throughout the country.  Shelby was an associate at Snow, Christensen & Martineau from 2000 to 2005 and returned to the firm earlier this year as a shareholder.  In the intervening years, Shelby was a partner at another Salt Lake City firm, Burbridge Mitchell & Gross.  He began his legal career as a law clerk to the Honorable J. Thomas Greene in the United States District Court for the District of Utah.  Shelby received his J.D. in 1998 from the University of Virginia School of Law and his B.A. in 1994 from Utah State University.    

Joint Statement by The United States of America and The Republic of Iraq Higher Coordinating Committee

The United States of America and the Republic of Iraq are committed to forging a strong partnership based on mutual interests that will continue to grow for years to come.  Our two nations are entering a new phase in our relationship.  We have a historic opportunity to strengthen our ties beyond security and build a multi-faceted relationship through trade, education, culture, law enforcement, environment, energy, and other important areas.

Three years ago, our nations signed the Strategic Framework Agreement (SFA), affirming both sides’ desire to establish long-term bonds of cooperation and friendship.  The SFA is a lasting agreement, and one that serves as the foundation on which we are building a durable and mutually beneficial relationship.  Today, we gather again in Baghdad to reaffirm our commitment to this important partnership and to the principles of cooperation, sovereignty, and mutual respect articulated in the SFA. 

Vice President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki convened the SFA’s Higher Coordinating Committee on November 30.  Together, they affirmed the significant accomplishments under the SFA thus far and charted a course for further joint efforts. 

Cultural and Education Cooperation

The Republic of Iraq seeks the cooperation of the United States in its efforts to build a stronger higher education system, expanding English language programs, and preserving Iraq’s rich cultural heritage, especially through assistance in conserving archeological sites such as the Babylon historical site, which the United States has helped preserve, and through support to the Iraqi Institute for Conservation of Antiquities and Heritage. 

Energy Cooperation

The United States is committed to supporting the Republic of Iraq in its efforts to develop the energy sector. Together, we are exploring ways to help boost Iraq’s oil production, including through better protection for critical infrastructure. The U.S. also supports Iraq through training in operations and maintenance, the provision of spare parts, and the development of the Government of Iraq’s Electricity Master Plan, which will guide Iraq’s electricity sector development over the next 30 years. 

Law Enforcement and Judicial Cooperation

The United States and the Iraq believe that an independent judicial system is an essential component of a stable, democratic Iraq.  The United States has provided assistance and professional support to develop and professionalize the Iraqi corrections system through judicial training programs for Iraqis through the Judicial Development Institute.  Under the Police Development Program, the United States will continue providing advisory and technical assistance to the Iraqi police, including an exchange program that will bring groups of Iraqi police to the United States for leadership development over the next three years.   

Political and Diplomatic Cooperation

The United States will continue to cooperate closely with Iraq in international fora in pursuit of shared interests.  The United States also reaffirms its support for efforts aimed at resolving all remaining Chapter VII issues.  In December 2010, the U.S. chaired a special session of the United Nations Security Council to bring closure to several Chapter VII issues dating to the time of the former regime in Iraq. 

Services, Technology, Environment, and Transportation Cooperation

The United States is committed to supporting the Iraqi government’s plans to improve services, develop its system of roads and bridges, and bring its airports up to international standards.  We will improve agriculture and irrigation, support trade, and generate export opportunities through exchange programs between U.S. and Iraqi businessmen.  The United States is providing Iraq the expertise it needs to design and implement an advanced banking system that will meet Iraq’s current and future needs.  The United States pledges to support Iraq in developing its health care services, improving public health, and health awareness campaigns.

Trade and Finance Cooperation

The United States and Iraq will continue their efforts to reinforce their financial and trade cooperation and to strengthen ties between our nations’ business communities.  For the first time since 1988, the U.S. participated in the recent Baghdad International Trade Fair, showcasing 85 American businesses and organizations and building on the success of the Business and Investment Conference held in Washington, D.C. in 2009.  The United States is supporting the Government of Iraq’s efforts in the financial sector by providing the technical expertise needed to develop private banks and microfinance institutions.  In this context, the United States is developing new lending products for small and medium enterprises, in addition to the roughly $50 million set aside for such loans.  Our governments are looking forward to the next meeting and recommendations of the U.S.-Iraq Business Dialogue, a forum of Iraqi and U.S. companies that promises to strengthen commercial ties between our countries. 

Security and Defense Cooperation

The United States and Iraq recognize the importance of working closely together in the area of security and defense to strengthen our two countries’ security and stability.  Through the Strategic Framework Agreement, we have committed ourselves to continuing and strengthening our cooperation, guided by our common interests and shared goals.  At the dawn of a new chapter in our relationship, the United States and Iraq stand shoulder to shoulder in increasing our efforts to build a better future for our two nations

President Obama Announces More Key Administration Posts

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

• Frederick “Rick” Barton – Assistant Secretary for Conflict and Stabilization Operations and Coordinator for Reconstruction and Stabilization, Department of State
• Arun Majumdar – Under Secretary of Energy, Department of Energy
• Marie F. Smith – Member, Social Security Advisory Board

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

• Barbara K. Rimer – Chairman, President’s Cancer Panel
• Owen N. Witte – Member, President’s Cancer Panel

President Obama said, “These men and women 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:

Frederick "Rick" Barton, Nominee for Assistant Secretary for Conflict and Stabilization Operations and Coordinator for Reconstruction and Stabilization, Department of State
Frederick “Rick” Barton currently serves as a Senior Advisor to the Secretary of State.   From December 2009 to October 2011, he served as the U.S. Representative to the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations in New York with the rank of Ambassador.  Prior to this role, Mr. Barton was a Senior Adviser and Co-Director of the Post Conflict Reconstruction Project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.  He was also Co-Chair of a working group on Stabilization and Reconstruction at the United States Institute of Peace, Co-Chair of the Princeton Project on National Security’s Working Group on Reconstruction and Development and an expert adviser to the Iraq Study Group and the Task Force on the United Nations.  From 1999 to 2001, he served as the United Nations Deputy High Commissioner for Refugees in Geneva.  Mr. Barton was the founding Director of the Office of Transition Initiatives at the U.S. Agency for International Development, serving from 1994 to 1999.  Prior to this, Mr. Barton was President of Barton & Gingold, a strategy and public relations firm in Portland, Maine from 1983 to 1994.  He served as New England Director of Public Affairs for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services from 1978 to 1981.  A graduate of Harvard College, Mr. Barton earned a Master’s in Business Administration from Boston University, with an emphasis on Public Management.

Dr. Arun Majumdar, Nominee for Under Secretary of Energy, Department of Energy
Dr. Arun Majumdar has served as the Director of the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) since 2009. Previously, he was Associate Laboratory Director for Energy and Environment at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and a professor of mechanical engineering and materials science and engineering at the University of California, Berkeley. His research career has focused on the science and engineering of energy conversion, transport, and storage, ranging from the molecular and nanoscale level to large energy systems. He has served on the advisory committee of the National Science Foundation's engineering directorate and the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology. Dr. Majumdar was elected a member of the National Academy of Engineering in 2005. He received his Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay in 1985 and his Ph.D. in 1989 from the University of California, Berkeley.

Marie F. Smith, Nominee for Member, Social Security Advisory Board
Marie F. Smith was the President and Spokeswoman for the AARP, formerly the American Association for Retired Persons, between 2004 and 2006. She was elected and served as President-elect of the AARP in 2002 until 2004, and previously served as Treasurer of the AARP Foundation Board of Directors, Chair of the AARP National Legislative Council, and a Spokesperson for the AARP’s Women’s Initiative Program. Before her time at the AARP, Ms. Smith spent twenty-five years with the Social Security Administration (SSA), holding several senior positions there, including Director of Manpower Management. She began at the SSA as a claims representative. Ms. Smith earned a B.S. from Fisk University.

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

Dr. Barbara K. Rimer, Appointee for Chairman, President’s Cancer Panel
Dr. Barbara K. Rimer is the Dean and Alumni Distinguished Professor at the Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina (UNC) at Chapel Hill, positions she has held since 2005 and 2003, respectively.  She is also a member of the Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center at UNC.  From 1997 to 2002, Dr. Rimer served as Director of the Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences at the National Cancer Institute.  Previously, she held leadership positions at Duke University Medical Center in Durham, NC and the Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia, PA.  Dr. Rimer has served on a number of boards, including the Task Force on Community Preventive Services, AFLAC’s board of directors, and as the first woman to chair the National Cancer Institute’s National Cancer Advisory Board.  Dr. Rimer is a recipient of the Director's Award from the National Institutes of Health and the American Cancer Society’s Distinguished Service Award.  She was elected to the Institute of Medicine in 2008.  Dr. Rimer holds a B.A. and M.P.H. from the University of Michigan and a Dr.PH. from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Dr. Owen N. Witte, Appointee for Member, President’s Cancer Panel
Dr. Owen N. Witte has been Director of the Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research at the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) since 2007.  From 2005 to 2007, he served as the Founding Director of the Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Medicine at UCLA.  Dr. Witte first joined the faculty of UCLA in 1980, becoming the David Saxon Presidential Chair in Developmental Immunology in 1989, and a Distinguished Professor in 2004.  In addition, Dr. Witte has been an Investigator at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute since 1986.  Dr. Witte has served on a number of boards, including the American Association for Cancer Research.  He is also a member of the National Academy of Sciences, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and the Institute of Medicine.  Dr. Witte holds a B.S. in Microbiology from Cornell University and an M.D. from Stanford University School of Medicine.