Statement by the President on the End of the Combat Mission in Afghanistan

Today's ceremony in Kabul marks a milestone for our country. For more than 13 years, ever since nearly 3,000 innocent lives were taken from us on 9/11, our nation has been at war in Afghanistan. Now, thanks to the extraordinary sacrifices of our men and women in uniform, our combat mission in Afghanistan is ending, and the longest war in American history is coming to a responsible conclusion.

On this day we give thanks to our troops and intelligence personnel who have been relentless against the terrorists responsible for 9/11--devastating the core al Qaeda leadership, delivering justice to Osama bin Laden, disrupting terrorist plots and saving countless American lives. We are safer, and our nation is more secure, because of their service. At the same time, our courageous military and diplomatic personnel in Afghanistan--along with our NATO allies and coalition partners--have helped the Afghan people reclaim their communities, take the lead for their own security, hold historic elections and complete the first democratic transfer of power in their country's history.

We honor the profound sacrifices that have made this progress possible. We salute every American--military and civilian, including our dedicated diplomats and development workers--who have served in Afghanistan, many on multiple tours, just as their families have sacrificed at home. We pledge to give our many wounded warriors, with wounds seen and unseen, the world-class care and treatment they have earned. Most of all, we remember the more than 2,200 American patriots who made the ultimate sacrifice in Afghanistan, and we pledge to stand with their Gold Star families who need the everlasting love and support of a grateful nation.

Afghanistan remains a dangerous place, and the Afghan people and their security forces continue to make tremendous sacrifices in defense of their country. At the invitation of the Afghan government, and to preserve the gains we have made together, the United States--along with our allies and partners--will maintain a limited military presence in Afghanistan to train, advise and assist Afghan forces and to conduct counterterrorism operations against the remnants of al Qaeda. Our personnel will continue to face risks, but this reflects the enduring commitment of the United States to the Afghan people and to a united, secure and sovereign Afghanistan that is never again used as a source of attacks against our nation.

These past 13 years have tested our nation and our military. But compared to the nearly 180,000 American troops in Iraq and Afghanistan when I took office, we now have fewer than 15,000 in those countries. Some 90 percent of our troops are home. Our military remains the finest in the world, and we will remain vigilant against terrorist attacks and in defense of the freedoms and values we hold dear. And with growing prosperity here at home, we enter a new year with new confidence, indebted to our fellow Americans in uniform who keep us safe and free.

Statement by Principal Deputy Press Secretary Eric Schultz on D.C. District Court Ruling Dismissing Immigration Lawsuit

Judge Howell’s decision today confirms what the Department of Justice and scholars throughout the country have been saying all along: the President’s executive actions on immigration are lawful.  The Supreme Court and Congress have made clear that federal officials can set priorities in enforcing our immigration laws, and the actions announced by the President are consistent with those taken by administrations of both parties for the last half century.  The court correctly dismissed Sheriff Arpaio’s lawsuit.

President Obama Announces More Key Administration Posts

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, President Barack Obama announced his intent to nominate the following individual to a key Administration post:

• Sally Q. Yates – Deputy Attorney General, Department of Justice

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

• Dawn Halfaker – Member, Board of Governors of the United Service Organizations, Incorporated
• Mary Minow – Member, National Museum and Library Services Board

President Obama said, “I am confident that these experienced and hardworking individuals will help us tackle the important challenges facing America, and I am grateful for their service.  I look forward to working with them in the months and years ahead.”

President Obama announced his intent to nominate the following individual to a key Administration post:

Sally Q. Yates, Nominee for Deputy Attorney General, Department of Justice

Sally Q. Yates is the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia, a position she has held since 2010.  She is also the Vice Chair of the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee.  Previously, Ms. Yates served as the First Assistant U.S. Attorney from 2002 to 2010, the Chief of the Fraud and Public Corruption Section from 1993 to 2002, and an Assistant U.S. Attorney from 1989 to 2002, all for the Northern District of Georgia.  She also served as Acting U.S. Attorney for that office in 2004 and from 2009 to 2010.  She began her legal career as an associate at King & Spalding.  She is a fellow in the American College of Trial Lawyers and has received numerous awards with the Department of Justice, including the Urban League Champion of Justice Award and the Attorney General’s John Marshall Award.  Ms. Yates received a B.A. and a J.D. from the University of Georgia.

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

Dawn Halfaker, Appointee for Member, Board of Governors of the United Service Organizations, Incorporated

Dawn Halfaker is CEO and President of Halfaker and Associates LLC, a firm she founded in 2006.  Ms. Halfaker has also served on the Board of Directors of the Wounded Warrior Project since 2006 and was elected chair in 2011.  She serves on the Secretary of Labor’s Advisory Committee on Veterans Employment, Training, and Employer Outreach and the Department of Veterans Affairs Advisory Committee on the Readjustment of Veterans.  She served as a military liaison to the House Armed Services Committee in Congress in 2005.  Ms. Halfaker served as a Military Police Officer in the U.S. Army from 2001 to 2005.  In 2004, she was wounded in combat and was awarded a Purple Heart and Bronze Star for her service.  Ms. Halfaker received a B.S. from the United States Military Academy at West Point and an M.A. from Georgetown University.

Mary Minow, Appointee for Member, National Museum and Library Services Board

Mary Minow is Counsel to the Califa Library Group, a not for profit library cooperative in California. She served as the Follett Chair at Dominican University’s Graduate School of Library and Information Science from 2011 to 2014. She is an author, attorney and a consultant, and has been advising libraries nationwide about legal issues such as free speech, privacy and copyright since 1998. Ms. Minow manages the Stanford Copyright and Fair Use site and founded the LibraryLaw blog in 2004. She has served as a Member of the National Museum and Library Services Board since 2010. Ms. Minow is on the advisory board of the Electronic Privacy Information Center and is a former Chair on the Intellectual Freedom Committee of the California Library Association. She was President of the California Association of Library Trustees and Commissioners in 2002. Ms. Minow received a B.A. from Brown University, an M.L.S. from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, and a J.D. from Stanford University.

President Obama Signs New York Disaster Declaration

The President today declared a major disaster exists in the State of New York and ordered federal aid to supplement state, tribal, and local recovery efforts in the area affected by a severe winter storm, snowstorm, and flooding during the period of November 17-26, 2014.

Federal funding is available to state, tribal, and eligible local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations on a cost-sharing basis for emergency work and the repair or replacement of facilities damaged by the severe winter storm, snowstorm, and flooding in the counties of Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Erie, Genesee, Jefferson, Lewis, Orleans, St. Lawrence, and Wyoming.

In addition, federal funding is available to the state and eligible local governments on a cost-sharing basis for snow assistance for a continuous 48 hour period during or proximate to the incident period in Erie, Genesee, and Wyoming Counties.

Federal funding is also available on a cost-sharing basis for hazard mitigation measures statewide.  

W. Craig Fugate, Administrator, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Department of Homeland Security, named William L. Vogel as the Federal Coordinating Officer for federal recovery operations in the affected area. 

FEMA said additional designations may be made at a later date if requested by the state and warranted by the results of further damage assessments.