The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
December 04, 2014

President Obama Announces More Key Administration Posts

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

  • Gilbert Cisneros – Member, Advisory Committee on the Arts for the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
  • Brodi L. Fontenot – Assistant Secretary for Management, Department of the Treasury
  • W. Don Nelson – United States Representative, Kansas-Nebraska Big Blue River Compact Administration
  • Nathalie Rayes – Member, Board of Trustees of the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars
  • Daniel Rosen – Member, United States Holocaust Memorial Council
  • James T. Rizzuto – Federal Representative, Arkansas River Compact Administration
  • Ed Weissman – United States Commissioner, Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission

President Obama said, “I am grateful that these talented and dedicated individuals have agreed to take on these important roles and devote their talents to serving the American people.  I look forward to working with them in the coming months and years.”

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

Gilbert Cisneros, Appointee for Member, Advisory Committee on the Arts for the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts

Gilbert Cisneros is the President of The Gilbert and Jacki Cisneros Foundation, which he co-founded in 2010 to cultivate community support of higher education for Hispanic youth.  Mr. Cisneros was a Resource Manager at Frito Lay from 2004 to 2010.  He served as a Supply Officer in the U.S. Navy from 1994 to 2004.  He is an active supporter of The Wooden Floor, a non-profit organization whose mission is to educate and inspire growth and personal transformation in underserved youth through dance.  Mr. Cisneros received a B.A. from The George Washington University and an M.B.A. from Regis University.

Brodi L. Fontenot, Appointee for Assistant Secretary for Management, Department of the Treasury

Brodi L. Fontenot is the Assistant Secretary of Administration at the Department of Transportation (DOT), a position he has held since 2012.  He served as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Administration at DOT from 2010 to 2012.  From 2009 to 2010, Mr. Fontenot served as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Management and Budget at DOT.  Prior to joining DOT, Mr. Fontenot served as Budget Analyst on the United States Senate Committee on Budget from 2006 to 2009.  From 2001 to 2006, he was an Analyst/Senior Analyst for the Government Accountability Office.  Mr. Fontenot received a B.A. from the University of Houston and an M.P.A. from The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

W. Don Nelson, Appointee for United States Representative, Kansas-Nebraska Big Blue River Compact Administration

W. Don Nelson is a publisher of the monthly newspaper, Prairie Fire, which he founded in 2007.  From 2001 to 2007, Mr. Nelson served as State Director for Senator Ben Nelson.  Prior to this, he was the Director of Public Finance for Smith Hayes, a Nebraska based financial services corporation, from 1995 to 2000.  From 1984 to 1986, Mr. Nelson served as Chief of Staff for Governor J. Robert Kerrey of Nebraska.  Prior to this position, he was an Executive Assistant to Wyoming Governor Ed Herschler from 1980 to 1984.  From 1977 to 1980, he was Director of the Wyoming Department of Health and Social Services.  Mr. Nelson served as Director of the Nebraska State Office of Planning and Programming from 1971 to 1977 and as the state’s Regional Services Coordinator from 1970 to 1971.  Mr. Nelson received a B.A. from the University of Florida and an M.S. and J.D. from Florida State University. 

Nathalie Rayes, Appointee for Member, Board of Trustees of the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars

Nathalie Rayes is Director of U.S. National Public Relations at Grupo Salinas, a position she has held since 2006.  She is also Executive Director of Fundación Azteca America, the philanthropic arm of Grupo Salinas.  Ms. Rayes was first appointed to the Board of Trustees of the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars in February 2014.  She served as Deputy Chief of Staff to Los Angeles Mayor James K. Hahn from 2001 to 2005, and was Senior Policy Advisor to Los Angeles Councilmember Mike Feuer from 1999 to 2001.  In 1998, she was a Department of State Fellow in the Economic/Political Section of the United States Embassy in Cairo, Egypt.  Ms. Rayes is on the Boards of Directors of the Congressional Hispanic Leadership Institute, Los Angeles Universal Preschool, and the U.S. – Mexico Chamber of Commerce and is on the Advisory Council of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute.  She is a founding member of the Public Policy Alumni Council at the University of California, Los Angeles.  Ms. Rayes received an A.A. from Santa Monica College, and a B.A. and an M.P.P. from the University of California, Los Angeles.

Daniel Rosen, Appointee for Member, United States Holocaust Memorial Council

Daniel Rosen is a Managing Director of Rosen Partners LLC, a position he has held since 2004.  He was a Director of the Disney Internet Group at The Walt Disney Company from 1996 to 2000.  He currently serves as the Vice Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Riverdale Country School and as a Board Member of the American Jewish Congress.  Mr. Rosen received a B.A. from Harvard University.

James T. Rizzuto, Appointee for Federal Representative, Arkansas River Compact Administration

James T. Rizzuto serves as President of Otero Junior College, a position he has held since 2001.  From 1999 to 2000, Mr. Rizzuto was the Executive Director in Colorado Governor Bill Owen’s Cabinet for Health Care Policy and Financing.  From 1983 to 1998, Mr. Rizzuto served as Senator in the Colorado State Senate.  He was owner and manager of R.N. Mason & Son Wholesale from 1975 to 2000.  Mr. Rizzuto served as a First Lieutenant in the U.S. Army from 1970 to 1972.  He currently serves on a number of boards in Colorado, including the Koshare Indian Museum Board.  Mr. Rizzuto received an A.A. from Otero Junior College, a B.S. from the University of Colorado, Boulder, and an M.B.A/M.I.M. from the American Graduate School of International Management.

Ed Weissman, Appointee for United States Commissioner, Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission

Ed Weissman is a retired Director of several fishing vessels and a former attorney.  From 1994 to 2006, Mr. Weissman was Director at Jorge Fishing, Inc. in Panama.  Previously, he was the President and Director of PS Fishing Company, Inc. in San Diego, California.  Mr. Weissman served as the President and Director of the American Tuna Sales Association and the Director of the American Tunaboat Association.  He began his career in 1966 as an attorney in private practice.  Mr. Weissman received a B.S. from University of California, Los Angeles and an L.L.B. from University of California, Los Angeles Law School.

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
December 04, 2014

Statement by the Press Secretary on H.J. Res. 129, H.R. 4067, H.R. 5441, H.R. 5728

On Thursday, December 4, 2014, the President signed into law:

H.J. Res. 129, which provides that the first regular session of the 114th Congress will begin at noon on Tuesday, January 6, 2015;

H.R. 4067, which requires the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to continue through Calendar Year 2014 an instruction to refrain from enforcing a Medicare direct-supervision requirement for outpatient therapy services provided at critical access hospitals and small rural hospitals;

H.R. 5441, which amends the Federal charter of the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States to reflect the service of women in the Armed Forces of the United States; and

H.R. 5728, the "STELA Reauthorization Act of 2014," which extends and amends several provisions of law and regulation relating to the retransmission by cable systems and satellite carriers of signals of television broadcast stations.

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
December 04, 2014

Statement by NSC Spokesperson Bernadette Meehan on Human Rights in The Gambia

The United States is deeply concerned by continued reports of human rights abuses in The Gambia.  Since October, the Government of The Gambia has denied access to UN Special Rapporteurs investigating reports of torture and extrajudicial execution, targeted individuals for arrest and detention because of their perceived sexual orientation or political position, and enacted legislation that imposes a possible sentence of life imprisonment for the so-called crime of “aggravated homosexuality.” 

We remain concerned about ongoing reports of forced disappearances and arbitrary arrests, including of journalists, human rights advocates, and civil servants, as well as continued calls by senior officials for the persecution of members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community.  We remain deeply disappointed in the Gambian government’s failure to investigate the disappearance of two U.S. citizens missing since June 2013. 

Protecting human rights and fundamental freedoms is a cornerstone of U.S. foreign policy, and we will be guided by these values as we respond to these negative developments in The Gambia.  Such actions are inconsistent with international standards and deal a setback to the Gambian people and all people who value human rights. The United States calls on the Government of The Gambia to respect all human rights, repeal discriminatory legislation, and cease these harmful practices.

The White House

Office of the Vice President

For Immediate Release
December 04, 2014

Readout of the Vice President’s Call with Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko

Vice President Joe Biden spoke today with Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko to congratulate him on the formation of a new government and to discuss Ukraine’s financial and energy situation, as well as developments in eastern Ukraine. The Vice President noted the United States would continue to engage with our European and other partners to provide Ukraine with the financing it needs to stabilize its economy as it pursues urgently needed reforms and anti-corruption measures. The two leaders also discussed Ukraine’s near- and long-term energy security, and the Vice President pledged continued U.S. technical support. The Vice President and President Poroshenko discussed the fact that Russia and its proxies continue to block delivery of humanitarian aid from entering the conflict-affected regions of eastern Ukraine, and that Russia’s actions in Ukraine have created a lawless environment where separatists are robbing pensioners and other citizens of their social benefits payments. The Vice President welcomed the Ukrainian government’s plan to keep in escrow these social benefits payments until such time as safe and direct disbursement was possible.

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
December 04, 2014

The President and First Lady’s Call to Action on College Opportunity

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, President Obama, Vice President Biden, and the First Lady will join college presidents and other education leaders from around the nation at the second White House College Opportunity Day of Action, where organizations will announce over 600 new actions to help more students prepare for and graduate from college.  Today’s participants were challenged to commit to a new action in one of four areas: building networks of colleges focused on promoting completion, creating K-16 partnerships around college readiness, investing in high school counselors as part of the First Lady’s Reach Higher initiative, and increasing the number of college graduates in STEM fields (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics).

Expanding opportunity for more students to enroll and succeed in college, especially low-income and underrepresented students, is vital to building a strong economy and a strong middle class. President Obama believes that the United States should lead the world in college attainment, as it did a generation ago. Because completing college is key to strengthening the middle class and should not be a luxury for the few, the President has increased Pell Grants by $1,000 a year, created the new American Opportunity Tax Credit worth up to $10,000 over four years of college, capped student loan payments to 10 percent of monthly income, and laid out an ambitious agenda to reduce college costs and promote innovation and competition in higher education.

Together, the actions taken today by college and system presidents, education leaders and organizations will reach hundreds of thousands of students in the coming years. Impacts include:

  • Increasing the number of career-ready college graduates: New networks of colleges that are devoted to producing more college graduates who are career-ready are setting goals and defining plans to help hundreds of thousands of additional students complete a two- or four-year college degree or credential by 2025.

  • Enhancing college readiness: New partnerships among high schools, community colleges, and four-year colleges and universities are setting goals and pursuing collaborative strategies to help over 100,000 more students become college-ready by tying together academic expectations, student support systems, and community resources.

  • Improving access to highly-trained school counselors: Tens of thousands more students will gain access to high quality college advising by hiring more than 5,000 new school counselors and advisors in school districts and schools most in need of additional college access.

  • Strengthening STEM education: Tens of thousands more students will be on a pathway to obtain degrees in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) and more than 10,000 excellent K-12 teachers will complete college with expertise in STEM fields, marking progress towards the President’s goals to graduate an additional 1 million STEM graduates and prepare 100,000 excellent K-12 STEM teachers over a decade.

The President will also announce new steps on how his Administration is helping to support these actions, including $10 million to help promote college completion and a $30 million AmeriCorps program that will improve low-income students’ access to college. 

Today’s event is the second College Opportunity Day of Action, and the White House also released a report summarizing the progress of participants in the first day of action, held on January 14, 2014.  To view the list of Commitments to Action on College Opportunity, click HERE (http://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/sites/default/files/docs/college_opportunity_commitment_report.pdf). To view the Progress Report on January Commitments, click HERE (http://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/sites/default/files/docs/college_opportunity_progress_report.pdf).

Actions Announced Today in Response to the President and First Lady’s Call to Action on College Opportunity

As part of the President and First Lady’s national call to action on college opportunity, college presidents and leaders of non-profits, foundations and other organizations are announcing over 600 new commitments in the following key areas:

Working Together to Produce More College Graduates. Across the nation, innovative higher education leaders have found ways to raise graduation rates while improving quality and maintaining affordability. Some of these initiatives involve cutting-edge technology; others ensure that academic credits transfer and provide additional support to at-risk students. Today, college leaders are coming together with a concrete goal to produce more college graduates who are career-ready and detailing the actions they will take to get there.  These actions include using predictive analytics to keep students on track to graduate, adopting new technologies such as adaptive learning to meet individual student needs, and supplementing financial aid awards – with an overarching focus on working together to learn from and scale the most effective practices. Examples of commitments made today include:

  • 14 State College & University Systems Committing to More than 350,000 Additional Graduates by 2025: Fourteen state systems of colleges and universities, organized by the National Association of System Heads, intend to dramatically increase the number of graduates they produce by: using predictive analytics to help students select majors where they can be successful and stay on track to graduate with real prospects for rewarding careers; identifying best ways for academically underprepared students to succeed in developmental math and progress in their course of study; and identifying high-impact practices that go beyond the traditional classroom and lead to better college persistence and completion. These systems are forming cross-campus networks to identify and replicate key strategies, set clear definitions of success, and track progress towards key milestones set by the network.

  • 11 Public Universities Working Together to Produce 68,000 additional graduates by 2025: The University Innovation Alliance (UIA) – a group of 11 public research universities spanning the country – are making a new commitment to producing 68,000 additional college graduates and a total of 860,000 graduates by 2025.  The UIA is working as an innovation cluster to identify and pilot new innovations to improve student success and scale proven innovations that significantly improve graduation rates across campuses. The Alliance will also share what works with the broader higher education community to create a playbook of proven innovations that help students from all backgrounds complete.

  • Leadership from Public Higher Education: Leadership from Public Higher Education: Nearly three-quarters of U.S. postsecondary students are enrolled in public institutions.  The American Association of Community Colleges, the American Association of State Colleges and Universities, and the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities pledge to work together to facilitate efforts to produce more college degrees, with a focus that includes: seamless transitions among institutions through enhanced advising, transfer of credits, and innovative enrollment and financial aid policies; building clear educational and career pathways through better K-16 alignment, especially in STEM fields; and more accurate measurement of student progress and success. 

Promoting College Readiness through Partnerships: Collaborations of school districts, colleges and universities, community organizations, business, and philanthropy are setting ambitious goals and specific plans to dramatically improve college-going and success for low-income and under-represented students. Collectively, these community collaborations will generate 100,000 more college-ready students by strengthening connections among high schools, community colleges, and four-year colleges and universities and tying together academic expectations, student support systems, and community resources. Many partnerships are focusing on four key benchmarks: applying for financial aid through the FAFSA, completing two or more college applications, preparing for college-level work without remediation, and enrolling in college. By systematically gathering and sharing data on these indicators, communities can set quantitative goals for improvement, rally community support, develop focused strategies, and align systems, curricula, and resources around the goals. Examples of commitments made today include:

  • Transforming College Readiness, Access and Success: More than 40 organizations in the Rio Grande Valley in south Texas are committing to increase postsecondary degree completion by 43 percent, adding more than 4,000 postsecondary degrees by 2018-19. To achieve these goals, RGV FOCUS will aim to ensure that 20 percent more students enter college without the need for remediation, 20 percent more students complete at least one AP or dual credit course, and 19 percent more students complete a FAFSA. 

  • Setting New Goals for FAFSA Completion and Avoiding Remediation: Riverside County/San Bernardino area leaders formed the Riverside County Education Collaboration in response to the President’s call to action. RCEC is the first strategic K-16 partnership in the history of this diverse and rapidly growing community which serves more than 420,000 K-12 students. The RCEC has set ambitious goals of increasing FAFSA completion by 30 percent, increasing students who do not need remediation by 18 percent, and additional increases above 10 percent in the areas of postsecondary enrollment and student applications to two or more colleges.

  • Promote College Access in New Haven: To increase college access and readiness for more than 21,000 New Haven students in the fastest-growing city in New England, Yale will more than double the institutional footprint of its Ambassador program in 2015 to a total of ten campuses. This academic and near-peer social support network employs New Haven Promise scholarship recipients to help students transition to freshman year. Yale will also add new parent engagement initiatives through its Pathways to Promise program, and by 2015, Yale and New Haven Promise will also develop 50 new commitments with nonprofit and faith-based champions to support college access and readiness in their communities.

Leveling the Playing Field in College Advising. Over 85 percent of America’s high school students expect to attend college, but many lack the support and guidance they need to navigate the enrollment process and be academically prepared for success. With the goal of inspiring every young person to complete their education beyond high school, the First Lady’s Reach Higher initiative is shining light on the great potential for school counselors to help students reach college and career readiness – potential that is too often frustrated by not having sufficient training and information available to school counselors about college and career readiness, unrealistic student-counselor ratios of 471 to one and no counselor at all in one school in five, inappropriate assignments for counselors to perform non-counseling tasks, and a lack of comprehensive district strategies measured by college access, persistency and completion metrics.

The First Lady believes that school counseling is a necessity, not a luxury.  In recent months, Harvard’s Graduate School of Education and San Diego State University joined the Administration to bring together state officials, school district administrators, school counselors and college access leaders around the importance of addressing counselors’ training needs, ensuring that counselors can obtain credentials in college- and career-ready counseling, and the need for state, community and school districts to develop college- and career-ready strategies. Examples of commitments made today include:

  • $30 Million to Support 60,000 Low-Income Students: The Michael & Susan Dell Foundation is pledging $30 million over the next six years to increase the college enrollment and college graduation rates for low-income students through the Dell Scholars Program and the work of the National College Advising Corps, Blue Engine, iMentor, OneGoal, and others.

  • 15% Increase in College Enrollment for all Chicago Public School Students: Chicago Public Schools, in coordination with Thrive Chicago, is piloting a comprehensive professional development program to provide all school counselors and postsecondary advising staff with the necessary knowledge and tools to provide best practice advising.

  • Bring Together 13 States to Share Best Practices: The Southern Regional Education Board’s College and Career Counseling Initiative works to increase the knowledge and skills of professionals who advise students, especially low-income and first-generation college students, on reaching their postsecondary aspirations. Member states include Alabama, Arizona, Delaware, Georgia, Idaho, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee and Utah.

Improving STEM Learning and Degree Completion for Underrepresented Students. More than 110 individual colleges, universities, non-profit and philanthropic organizations are making new commitments to increase STEM degree access, preparation, and completion for students from low-income and underserved backgrounds, women, and minorities underrepresented in STEM fields. The commitments combine new goals with reforms like transitioning from lectures to active and inquiry-based learning, increasing student access to hands-on research in the first two years of college, providing mentors and internships to connect learning to career fields, and engaging future K-12 teachers in STEM courses so they are trained to prepare and inspire the next generation of STEM innovators. Examples of commitments made today include:

  •  $10 million in funds to support nationally scalable efforts. Over the coming year, the Helmsley Charitable Trust expects to commit an additional $10 million in funds to support nationally scalable efforts, particularly among community colleges and institutions that serve less resourced communities of students to support STEM student success.

  • 10,000 excellent K-12 teachers trained in STEM fields. Eight individual initiatives or institutions – including SUNY, Uteach in partnership with the National Math and Science Initiative, CalTeach in the California State University System, Southern Connecticut State University, Westminster College, Stetson University, and Temple University – will prepare more than 10,000 excellent K-12 teachers with expertise in STEM fields to inspire the next generation of STEM innovators.  This represents continued progress on the President’s goal to produce an additional 100,000 excellent K-12 STEM teachers over a decade.

  • Changing Teaching to Increase STEM Completion.  Florida International University, which enrolls 11,000 STEM majors, 8,800 of whom are from underrepresented groups – commits to increasing overall STEM graduation rates by 10 percent through providing faculty with the time and funding to receive professional development in evidence-based teaching methods and integrating the culture of evidence-based instruction into faculty assignments, evaluation, tenure, and promotion processes.

  • Community College Partnerships to Graduate 200 Additional Engineers Per Year. Through its collaborative engineering program initiative with the University of Texas at Tyler, Houston Community College commits to increase the number of engineering college graduates by 200 students annually, particularly those from underrepresented groups including low-income students, women, and other minorities.

The President’s Executive Actions on College Opportunity: To support these commitments, the President announced today that his Administration will:

  • Build the Evidence Base for What Works to Improve Quality and Completion: To build evidence of what works in higher education, the Department of Education will offer larger First in the World grants – the President’s signature initiative to promote innovation in higher education - to projects with more supporting evidence so that successful strategies can be implemented at greater scale, tested, and replicated.  The Department will encourage evidence-based practices through the use of priorities in its 2015 discretionary grant programs. Finally, it will publish a literature review of postsecondary studies that have been reviewed by the Institution of Education Sciences’ What Works Clearinghouse. 

  • Dedicate $10 Million to Research on College Completion: In 2015, the Institute of Education Sciences will sponsor research on steps states and postsecondary institutions can take to increase college completion rates college completion, inviting research on a range of interventions spanning curricular reforms, student service enhancements, financial aid interventions, and education technology tools. The Institute will prioritize projects that have the potential to be implemented on a large scale. The Institute will commit a minimum of $10 million over five years.

  • Expand College Access through the AmeriCorps Partnership Challenge: The Corporation for National and Community Service will increase the number of colleges and universities that are funding a year of service for students or offering more service opportunities for young people to help improve low-income students’ access to college. CNCS will encourage these collaborations through the $30 million AmeriCorps Partnership Challenge, which will provide education awards for AmeriCorps members through public private partnerships.

  • Launch Experimental Site for Dual Enrollment: The Department of Education will use its regulatory waiver authority to test the impact of making Pell grants available to high school students taking college courses. Emerging evidence indicates that students in dual enrollment programs are more engaged while in high school, better prepared when they begin college, and more likely to persist and complete, and dual enrollment also has the potential to reduce time to degree and result in lower costs and debt. 

  • Expand the FAFSA Completion Initiative: The Department of Education will allow college access nonprofits to determine whether their students and clients have filed a FAFSA – while protecting private information – in order to help them raise FAFSA completion rates, similar to existing works with states and high schools.  Annually over one million high school graduates have failed to file the FAFSA form leaving at a minimum two billion dollars in unclaimed federal Pell dollars. FAFSA remains the foundational document for determining state grants, as well as most private and institutional awards.

  • Equip Families and Communities to Increase College Opportunity: The White House Initiatives on Educational Excellence for Hispanics (WHIEEH) and Educational Excellence for African Americans (WHIEEAA) and the Center for Faith Based and Neighborhood Partnerships (CFBNP) all commit to producing new customized college access guides and resources for their respective communities. Focused on their particular audiences, these materials will help schools, families, and neighborhood organizations work together to support young people in their pursuit of college. 

  • Research High-Impact Math Education Practices: Today, the National Science Foundation is releasing an open letter calling for proposals to pilot innovations for helping students learn the mathematics taught in the first two years of college and to plan and execute workshops in 2015 on using research to improve student success in mathematics in the first two years. Programs supporting this work in the Directorate for Education and Human Resources include Improving Undergraduate STEM Education, Advanced Technological Education, Historically Black Colleges and Universities Undergraduate Program, Tribal Colleges and Universities Program, Innovative Technology Experiences for Students and Teachers, and Discovery Research K-12.

  • Share Information on Work Going Forward: The American Council on Education commits to launch a web-based discussion and resources forum to help sustain the momentum generated by the Day of Action and enable participants to accelerate progress toward their goals in the completion, counseling, and STEM streams of work. The forum will allow organizations that participated in the Day of Action to share their expertise, information and resources as they work on their commitments and encourage a valuable exchange across institutions and organizations. The forum will be designed to meet the needs of participants and all participating organizations would be invited to use and contribute to it. ACE will host the forum, which will be inaugurated soon after the Day of Action to draw on the energy generated by the event. In addition, the Institute of Higher Education Policy will assist the Department of Education in establishing a structure for staying connected on K-16 strategies for college success.

Progress on Existing Commitments to College Opportunity

Since the first College Opportunity Day of Action on January 16, 2014, over 140 colleges and organizations have been hard at work implementing their pledges to improve college access and completion for low-income students. Examples of progress include: 

  • Application Fee Waivers Available at More Than 2,000 Colleges. In January, with the help of their member higher education institutions, the College Board announced that every income-eligible student who takes the SAT would receive four fee waivers to apply to college for free. More than 2,000 cooperating colleges and universities have agreed to accept these application fee waivers. As of mid-October, nearly 42,000 students had accessed their college application fee waivers online via their account.

  • Over 3,000 Interventions to Help Students Stay in School at Georgia State: Georgia State University committed to develop and deploy a first-of-its-kind financial risk tracking system to increase completions, especially for low-income and underrepresented students. In the past, more than 1,000 students were dropped from their classes for non-payment of their university bills each semester, some with balances as low as $300.  Now, the University is proactively reaching out to students and offering them micro-grants to cover their balances and to keep them in classes.  Of the seniors who received a Panther Retention Grant last year, 70 percent graduated within two semesters of receiving the funding.

  • $267 Million in Financial Aid for Needy Families at Washington University: Washington University has raised $267 million in philanthropic support for financial aid for needy families, progressing more than halfway to its goal of $400 million by 2018. In addition, in one year, the University increased the number of Pell-eligible enrollees in its incoming freshman class from 6 percent to 8 percent, a trend the University will continue and accelerate.

  • More Effective Developmental Education at Colorado Community College System: The Colorado Community College System committed to reduce time to completion and the cost of the education for low income, at-risk students needing remedial coursework. Today, all of their thirteen colleges are offering revised developmental education programs, and for the first time since 2001 these students are retained at a higher rate than their peers who are not receiving remedial coursework. 

  • 100 New STEM Posse Scholars:  The Posse Foundation secured commitments from 10 top colleges and universities to join its STEM Posse initiative and provide $70 million in STEM scholarships to 500 Posse Scholars over the next five years.  The participating Posse partner schools are: Brandeis University, Bryn Mawr College, Davidson College, Franklin & Marshall College, Georgetown University, Middlebury College, Pomona College, Smith College, Texas A&M, and the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Progress on Administration January 2014 Commitments

At the January event, the Administration also made a number of commitments. Examples of progress on those commitments include:

  • Using FAFSA Completion Information to Support College Going: The Department of Education committed to help states receive and share data on Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) completion so that states and school districts could better identify which students have completed aid forms and target efforts to increase completion, modeled on efforts in Chicago, San Antonio and Detroit that raised FAFSA completion rates by more than 30 percent in some cases.  On March 14, 2014 the Department invited states to execute new agreements that allow the LEA, secondary school, and others to identify students who should be completing a FAFSA, and on July 10, 2014, access to FAFSA filing information was further expanded to grantees under the Talent Search, Upward Bound, Student Support Services (TRIO Programs), Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Program (GEAR-UP) and certain American Indian and Alaskan Native educational organizations.  

  • Testing the Best Approaches to College Advising and Matching Through Upward Bound:  The Department of Education committed to develop and test a new professional development program for Upward Bound staff building on field strategies to promote college matching and in-person college advising. With support from the Council for Opportunity in Education, in 2014 the Department of Education recruited more than 200 Upward Bound projects to test "Find the Fit" college advising strategies. Professional development will begin in stages in 2015-16, and the first report on the effectiveness of “Find the Fit” is anticipated in late 2017.

  • Building the Evidence Base for Early Intervention through GEAR UP: The Department of Education committed to work with the National Council for Community and Education Partnerships (NCCEP) to support GEAR UP programs related to college fit and readiness.  Meetings with researchers and state and local partnership grantees provided a springboard for the $82 million 2014 GEAR UP grant competition. Ten states and 31 partnerships were awarded GEAR UP grants, all but one under the competitive priority for projects proposing activities to improve college fit or college readiness, specifically through early identification of remedial needs.  The Institute of Education Sciences is reviewing the 2014 grantees’ strategies to lay the foundation for evaluations of promising practices related to college readiness and fit.

  • Leveraging Work-Study Jobs to Support Near-Peer Mentoring: To build on promising evidence of the effectiveness of near-peer students as college advisers, the Department of Education promised to support institutions placing students into college counseling and mentoring jobs through the Federal Work-Study Program. In July 2014, the Department invited institutions to seek waivers of regulations that limit the Federal share of compensation paid to a student employed as a near-peer counselor under the program.  Ten institutions of higher education have requested waivers; additional requests are welcome. 

The White House

Office of the Vice President

For Immediate Release
December 03, 2014

Readout of the Vice President’s Call with Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk

Vice President Joe Biden spoke today with Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk to congratulate him on forming a new government and to discuss the situation in eastern Ukraine. The two leaders discussed Russia’s continued refusal to abide by its commitments under the Minsk agreements to withdraw its troops and heavy weapons, return Ukrainian hostages, return full control of the international border to Ukraine, and allow for an OSCE monitoring mission to be deployed along the Russian-Ukrainian border. The Vice President and Prime Minister also discussed the armed robbery of cash delivery trucks and ATMs by Russian proxies in the east, as well as the “war tax” being exacted by these proxies on pensioners and other citizens.  The Vice President condemned this outrageous behavior, and welcomed Prime Minister Yatsenyuk’s commitment to hold in escrow pension and other social benefit payments to citizens in the separatist-controlled territories with the aim of delivering these payments as soon as it is safe to do so. The two leaders both called on Russia to immediately create safe conditions that would allow for the delivery of humanitarian aid by the Ukrainian government and enable the recommencement of social benefits payments to the residents of the separatist-controlled territories, in addition to fulfilling the conditions that Russia agreed to in the September 5 Minsk agreement.

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
December 03, 2014

Information on White House Christmas 2014

The theme for the White House Christmas 2014 is A Children’s Winter Wonderland. This theme comes alive through storied rooms built from the pureness that holidays bring, as seen through the eyes of children. The magic created by this Winter Wonderland will inspire kids and adults of all ages to dream and to wonder. 

Wonder surrounds the holidays. It is found in nature, in our families, and in our communities. Using creative visuals, custom ornaments and graphic expressions, visitors will be encouraged to reflect upon the power of wonder created during these times, its personal meaning, and how inspiration can be taken from this time into the New Year. 

East Visitor Entrance

The East Visitor Entrance serves as a welcoming point for guests as they begin their tour of the White House. The walkway leading to the House features a Boxwood Trellis that flanks the entryway, wood cut-out trees, and gold-colored firewood.

East Wing Hallway

Column covers constructed from boxwood decorate the center doorways of this hallway in a wintery scheme of icy blue enhanced with small crystal details and faux red berries. The east and west end doorways are draped in fresh garland accented by pine cones and ornaments. 

East Entrance Landing

The area between the entrance and the East Colonnade is dedicated to honoring our military members, their families, and our fallen. As in previous years, the landing features a tree dedicated to the memory of those who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our country. This tree will feature ceramic star ornaments, trimmed in gold, and signed by Gold Star Families. Fresh green wreaths are hung over the windows and a traditional Post Office Mailbox is placed for visitors to send off Seasons Greetings to Service members overseas.  

East Colonnade

Down the hallway of the East Colonnade are eight wreaths hanging in the windows and topiaries with accents of gold leaf and berries. A striking focal point in the East Colonnade is the archway made of 300 bunches of preserved hydrangea applied in a herringbone motif. An oversized gift wrapped present made from mirrored material sits in the Jacqueline Kennedy Garden. 

East Garden Room

The East Garden Room, commonly known as “Booksellers,” showcases paper garland that spells out “FaLaLaLaLa” combined with fresh garland draping the South doorway. The west wall of this room features black and white satin ribbon animated replicas of First Dogs Bo and Sunny. For the first time ever, an interactive installation will be located in this room. The piece visualizes visitors in a snowscape projected on the wall, integrating them into the décor, inviting movement, and melding a digital piece into the handmade woodland scene along the East Wall. Students inspired by the First Lady’s Reach Higher initiative wrote small wish notes that are rolled and hung alongside letters that spell out “Wish.” A traditional wooden train is also on display. Bo and Sunny holiday gift wrap, designed in a whimsical hounds-tooth pattern, creates festive packages.  To download the Bo and Sunny hounds-tooth gift paper design, visit whitehouse.gov/Holidays.

The Library

Amongst the more than 2,700 books lining the Library walls, a wood box sits in front of the fireplace holding a pile of gold-painted tree logs with glowing white lights and greenery. Hand-painted globes sit on the center table to remind us that those we care for are always near when held in our hearts. 

Vermeil Room

Two dress form mannequins sit in the Vermeil Room in place of traditional Christmas trees. These dress form trees feature one-of-a-kind skirts with evergreen adornments and frosted embellishments. Designer Alexis Bittar created the hand-sculpted Lucite ornaments and jewelry for the dress forms. Bittar designed flower ornaments in muted pinks, purple and ivory with crystal centers and hand-blown birds. The hand-sculpted necklaces on the bust form are composed of Lucite ivory pinecones and interwoven with vintage broaches. Covering the mantel piece, fresh cedar garland is accented by ribbon and strung with crystal-swirled candy canes colored in pastel ombre to match the skirts. 

China Room

Stacks of festive gift-wrapped packages are placed at the foot of the China Room’s tree. Greenery covering the mantelpiece is decorated with gold, evergreen trees. The Christmas tree of this room is decorated with gingerbread garland. 

Grand Foyer and Cross Hall

The Grand Foyer and Cross Hall are adorned by snowflake and star ornaments suspended on the columns above.  Four large Christmas trees are decorated in hanging-glass ornaments for a true Winter Wonderland feel. 

State Dining Room 

The State Dining Room features vintage Union Pacific toy train pieces decorated below two 14-foot Christmas trees placed on either side on the mantelpiece. Adorning the trees are custom-made train tickets reading “Holidays at the White House.” Decorating the window bays are vintage luggage pieces painted a silvery-white, dusted with glitter and detailed with gold trim. Volunteer-made ornaments are assembled to resemble “Scrabble” pieces that spell out “Winter Wonderland” on the mantle.  Fresh, green wreaths accented with small ornaments are hung in the window bays with ribbon from straight above.  

Red Room

Historically home to a traditional White House cranberry tree, the Red Room has taken a modern twist keeping with the original theme. Vases designed by Maggie Austin, a local designer based in Old Town Alexandria, Virginia, sit upon side tables, decorated with intricate faux berries, birds, and branches all made of sugar. Taking inspiration from classic plaster and marble work, the fondant vases have the appearance of carved stone.  Delicate café au lait dahlias, parrot tulips, and ranunculus mingle with snowberries, cranberries and boxwood in the gum paste designs, which also feature seasonal displays of fresh flowers and foliage.  Handmade sugar birds perch here and there in both arrangements, creating a whimsical touch.  Wreaths are hung in each window as thick greenery decorates the mantelpiece accented with small house ornaments and faux red berries. Small winter village houses cover the two 8foot trees. 

Blue Room

The Blue Room is home to the official White House Christmas tree. The theme for this year’s tree is “America the Brave,” to pay tribute to Service men and women. Up to 2,000 unique ornaments will be featured on the 18-foot Concolor Fir from Lehighton, Pennsylvania. “America the Brave” ribbon and banners decorate the tree along with details such as patriotic ornaments. The tree also holds coloring book pages decorated by children and made into ornaments and cards with thank you messages written to the military. 

Green Room

Inspired by a Winter Garden look, the Green Room displays an assortment of faux berries decorating two 8-foot Christmas trees along with gold pinecones and wide burgundy ribbon. Thick, lush greenery decorates the mantelpiece with matching ornaments and faux berries to accent. 

East Room

In the East Room, the largest room of the White House, bright colored books bundled with bronze ribbon sit beneath the trees and on the mantles. The highlight of the display are four Folk Art Carousel Deer on loan from the Charlotte Dinger Collection and the Merry Go Round Museum located in Sandusky, OH. 3-dimensional paper cut-outs made of re-purposed books hang as ornaments throughout as oversized Christmas crackers are nestled under trees. Dioramas from paper cut-outs of winter scenes made by artist Jen Lange will serve as the centerpieces on mantels. 

3D Printed Ornament Challenge

For the first time ever this year, the White House hosted a 3D Printed Ornament Challenge, in collaboration with the Smithsonian and Instructables. Makers, students, tinkerers, designers, engineers and artists from around the country were encouraged to submit designs inspired by the magic and wonder of the holidays. From a holiday Abe Lincoln and happy snowmen to a map of highways in the United States, the Challenge received over 300 designs, many of which were creative, whimsical and beautiful. Submissions came from around the country including New York, Texas, New Hampshire, Virginia, California and Michigan.

The Challenge highlights the importance of the Maker Movement and the way that tools and technologies like 3D printing are enabling more people to take their ideas and turn them into reality. Educators are increasingly using technologies like 3D printing to engage students in a hands-on approach to learning about STEM.

A selection of the winning ornament designs will be displayed in the White House during the holiday season; featured on the Smithsonian’s state-of-the-art 3D data platform, 3d.si.edu; and will join a small collection of White House ornaments in the political history division of the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History. All submitted ornaments designs are also freely available on Instructables (www.instructables.com/contest/ornamentdesignchallenge/) for individuals to download and print at home, at their local makerspace or library, making it possible for families around the country to participate in White House holiday festivities.

Number of Holiday Volunteers by State:

-          Alabama: 1                                                                          - North Carolina: 2                                                            

-          Alaska: 1                                                                              - New Hampshire: 1                                                         

-          Arizona: 1                                                                            - New Jersey: 1

-          Arkansas: 1                                                                         - New Mexico: 1                                                                

-          California: 12                                                                      - Nevada: 1                                                          

-          Colorado: 2                                                                         - New York: 2      

-          Connecticut: 2                                                                     - Ohio: 3                                                                                

-          Florida: 2                                                                              - Oklahoma: 1                                                     

-          Georgia: 3                                                                           - Oregon: 1                                                                          

-          Illinois: 8                                                                               - Pennsylvania: 6                                                               

-          Indiana: 2                                                                            - Rhode Island: 1                                                               

-          Iowa: 2                                                                                 - South Carolina: 1                                                            

-          Kentucky: 1                                                                        - South Dakota: 1              

-          Kansas: 1                                                                             - Texas: 4

-          Louisiana: 1                                                                         - Virginia: 19                                                                        

-          Maryland: 5                                                                        - Vermont: 2

-          Maine: 1                                                                              - Washington: 2                                                 

-          Michigan: 2                                                                         - Wisconsin: 1 

-          Missouri: 4           

20 volunteers have either served in the military or are part of a military family

TOTAL: 106

For additional information, including the 2014 Holiday Tour Book and to download the Bo and Sunny hounds-tooth gift paper design, go to whitehouse.gov/Holidays. Holiday-related content from the White House will be tagged #WHHoliday. 

  • The official White House Christmas Tree in the Blue Room stands at 18 feet high and is nearly 12 feet wide. It comes from Crystal Springs Tree Farm in Leighton, PA

  • 26 Christmas trees will be visible on the public tour route

  • Approximately 65,000 visitors are expected to visit the White House during the 2014 holiday season  

  •  Approximately 250 pounds of Pastillage; 40 pounds of Marzipan; 25 pounds of Gum paste; 80 pounds of Gingerbread Dough and 25 pounds of sugar work were used to make the gingerbread house in the State Dining Room 

  • More than one mile of knotted black and white ribbon were used to make this year’s animated replicas of First Dogs Bo and Sunny

  • A team of 30 volunteers spent approximately 350 hours creating the intricate designs of the East Wing Hallway column covers 

 

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
December 03, 2014

FACT SHEET: 16 U.S. Communities Recognized as Climate Action Champions for Leadership on Climate Change

From deep droughts to fierce wildfires, severe storms to rising seas, communities across the United States are already grappling with the impacts of extreme weather and climate change. Faced with these new challenges, many cities, towns, counties, and tribes in every region of the country are stepping up to cut carbon pollution, deploy more clean energy, boost energy efficiency, and build resilience in their communities to climate impacts.

That is why earlier this fall the White House launched the Climate Action Champions competition, to identify and recognize local climate leaders and to provide targeted Federal support to help those communities further raise their ambitions. Following a competitive process led by the Department of Energy (DOE), today the Administration is announcing 16 communities from around the country as the first cohort of Climate Action Champions.

The Obama Administration is committed to taking decisive action to combat climate change. Just last month, to drive international discussions leading up to the 2015 climate negotiations in Paris, President Obama made an historic joint announcement with Chinese President Xi Jinping of each country’s respective targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the post-2020 period. Building on the United States’ bipartisan history of supporting financing for clean energy and climate adaptation in developing countries, the President also announced the United States’ $3 billion commitment to the Green Climate Fund.

But international leadership begins at home, which is why the Obama Administration is continuing to partner with state and local governments, businesses, and philanthropic organizations to make progress on climate change in the United States. Building on the Administration’s work with the State, Local, and Tribal Leaders Task Force on Climate Preparedness and Resilience, which delivered its recommendations to the President on November 17, and the selection of the Climate Action Champions this week, the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy launched a new Climate Education and Literacy Initiative, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the White House collaborated on the fourth in a series of local climate resilience exercises in Hampton Roads, Virginia.

Climate Action Champions. From creating climate-smart building codes to installing green infrastructure to setting targets for reducing energy consumption, the 16 local and tribal communities selected as Climate Action Champions have considered their climate vulnerabilities and taken decisive action to cut carbon pollution and build resilience. In addition to being designated as the first cohort of Climate Action Champions, the selected communities will benefit from facilitated peer-to-peer learning and mentorship and targeted support from a range of Federal programs. Furthermore, a coordinator will be provided to each Climate Action Champion to foster coordination and communication across the Federal agencies, national organizations, and foundations in support of the Champions. The coordinator will also assist efforts to raise awareness of funding and technical assistance opportunities that are available specifically for Climate Action Champions.

The 16 designated Climate Action Champions represent a diverse group of communities that are defining the frontier of ambitious climate action, and their approaches can serve as a model for other communities to follow. They are:

  • Blue Lake Rancheria Tribe (CA): The Blue Lake Rancheria, a Federally recognized tribal government, began its strategic climate action plan in 2008 and is a regional leader in strategically planning and implementing both climate resiliency and greenhouse gas reduction measures. To date, the Tribe has reduced energy consumption by 35 percent and has committed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 40 percent by 2018, utilizing a range of approaches including the use of biodiesel to power public buses and aggressive energy efficiency measures.
  • Boston (MA): The City of Boston has committed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 10 percent by 2020 and 80 percent by 2050. The city is the first in the region to adopt Green Building Zoning, add climate resilience to the large new construction review process, and work with utilities on a regional microgrid. Additionally, Boston implemented a “Green Ribbon Commission,” which represents businesses, non-profits, and community leaders from a variety of sectors working to develop shared strategies for fighting climate change in coordination with the city’s Climate Action Plan.
  • Broward County (FL): Broward County, a member of the Southeast Florida Regional Climate Change Compact, a regional partnership of four counties (Broward, Miami-Dade, Monroe, and Palm Beach) to advance climate mitigation and adaptation strategies, has committed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 2 percent per year, reaching a 10 percent reduction target by 2020, and 80 percent by 2050.
  • Dubuque (IA): The City of Dubuque has adopted greenhouse gas emission reduction targets of 50 percent below 2003 levels by 2030. Alongside these aggressive targets, the flood prone community of Dubuque is focused on risk reduction and resilience, especially as it relates to development and redevelopment of community infrastructure.
  • Knoxville (TN): The City of Knoxville has set a short-term greenhouse gas emission reduction target of 20 percent below 2005 levels by 2020. In order to execute on that target, the city developed a planning process that engages major stakeholders, including utilities and community grassroots organizations, and formalizes efforts to integrate energy provision, utilization, procurement, waste, and urban/agricultural use into the city’s Energy and Sustainability Work Plan.
  • Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (DC, MD, and VA): The Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (COG) developed the National Capital Region Climate Change Report, demonstrating a fully integrated approach to climate change mitigation and outlining goals in the areas of greenhouse gas emissions, renewable energy, transportation and land use, sustainability and resilience, and infrastructure. The COG is committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions 20 percent by 2020 and 80 percent by 2050. As a Climate Action Champion, the COG plans to establish an innovative Climate Champions Training Initiative to disseminate the Federal technical assistance and resources it receives to stakeholders across the region.
  • Mid-America Regional Council (KS and MO): The Mid-America Regional Council, a nonprofit association of city and county governments and the metropolitan planning organization for the bi-state Kansas City region, proposed the creation of a regional Resilience Working Group. Through leadership, planning, and action, the Mid-America Regional Council promotes regional cooperation and innovative solutions and seeks to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 2 percent per year.
  • Minneapolis (MN): The City of Minneapolis developed the Minneapolis Climate Action Plan, which includes greenhouse gas emission reduction targets of 15 percent by 2015, 30 percent by 2025, and 80 percent by 2050. The city has partnered with two utilities, Xcel Energy and Center Point Energy, to jointly plan, market, implement, and track strategies to meet climate and energy goals.
  • Montpelier (VT): Earlier this year, the City of Montpelier launched Net Zero Montpelier, a major initiative focused on making Montpelier the first effectively carbon-neutral capital city in the country by the year 2030. The city has demonstrated its leadership and innovation in climate mitigation and resilience by creating the first energy efficiency utility and the first standard offer program, and by making a commitment to eliminate fossil fuel use across all sectors.
  • Oberlin (OH): The City of Oberlin has developed a climate change mitigation and resilience plan for power production, solid waste, and transportation, utilizing an innovative and collaborative model that includes partnerships between the town, the University, the utility, industry, and international, national, and regional non-profits. The city established aggressive greenhouse gas reduction targets of 50 percent by 2015, 75 percent by 2030, and 100 percent by 2050.
  • Portland (OR): The City of Portland is a regional leader for greenhouse gas reduction and climate change mitigation. With support from 20 agency partners, Portland’s 2015 Climate Action Plan is a strategy to put the city on a path to achieve an 80 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions compared to 1990 levels.
  • Salt Lake City (UT): Salt Lake City developed a comprehensive and well-integrated portfolio of programs and policies, including renewable energy, transportation, code revisions, water systems, and building policies as priorities. The city established a joint resolution to reduce its carbon footprint by 20 percent below 2005 levels by 2020, and 50 percent below 2020 levels by 2040.
  • San Francisco (CA): The city of San Francisco has established some of the most aggressive climate and sustainability targets in the nation, covering a broad range of sectors, including energy efficiency, renewable energy, transportation, water, green infrastructure, and waste. With robust goals to measure progress, San Francisco aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 25 percent below 1990 levels by 2017, and 40 percent by 2025.
  • Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians (MI): The Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians demonstrates a holistic approach to climate action and preparedness through their energy strategy, emergency operations plan, integrated resource management plan, solid waste management plan, sustainable development code, and land use planning process, with ambitious goals including a net-zero energy goal. The tribe aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 4 percent per year.
  • Seattle (WA): Adopted in June 2013, Seattle’s Climate Action Plan focuses on city actions that reduce greenhouse gas emissions and enhance resilience while also supporting vibrant neighborhoods, economic prosperity, and social equity. The plan aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 25 percent below 1990 levels by 2017, and by 40 percent by 2025.
  • Sonoma County Regional Climate Protection Authority (CA): The Sonoma County Regional Climate Protection Authority (RCPA) is the nation’s first local government agency created specifically to address climate change. The RCPA has committed to pursue a 25 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from 1990 levels through formal partnerships, pooling resources (financial and human), and working across silos.

Today, the Administration also announced new resilience funding opportunities available to local communities across the country, including those designated as Climate Action Champions:

  • Funding for Smart Grid Technologies: DOE announced that up to $3.5 million will be available through the Resilient Electricity Delivery Infrastructure (REDI) Initiative Funding Opportunity Announcement to help communities deploy pre-commercial and commercial smart grid technologies and tools that will help decision makers and resource managers to improve the recovery of electricity delivery services in their communities. The Funding Opportunity Announcement focuses on local and tribal governments that have experienced a Presidentially Declared Major Disaster in the past 30 years.
  • Funding for Resilient Coastal Communities: The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) will be releasing up to $15 million for a Coastal Resilience Grant Program. The program will implement activities that build the resilience of forward-looking coastal communities and nearby ecosystems with the goal of mitigating the negative impacts of extreme weather events, climate hazards, and changing ocean conditions.

Specific examples of Federal support that will be available to the winning communities include:

  • Data for Decision-Making: Champions will be provided with validated climate science, data, vulnerability assessments, and risk projection tools needed to make smart planning decisions in their communities and receive technical assistance in using the tools. This support will be provided through programs within NOAA, the Department of the Interior (DOI), the Department of Agriculture (USDA), and FEMA, among other agencies.
  • Adaptation, Preparedness, and Resilience Exercises: Champions will have the opportunity to participate in FEMA-supported tabletop exercises. Participating communities will assess hazard mitigation and resilience planning already underway to prepare for extreme weather events and other effects of a changing climate.
  • Peer Network: Champions will have online and in-person access to lessons learned from the Administration’s Sustainable Communities Initiative, a $250 million investment in regions doing long-range planning for environmental, economic, and climate resilience in more than 140 communities nationwide.
  • Access to Renewable Energy Experts: DOE’s SunShot Initiative will work with Champions through two programs. First, the Solar Outreach Partnership will help Champions to accelerate solar energy adoption at the local level through a mix of educational workshops, peer-to-peer sharing opportunities, research-based reports, and online resources. Second, the Solar Technical Assistance Team at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) will bring together solar experts to provide Champions with unbiased information on solar policies and issues in order to facilitate the development of a market for solar photovoltaic technologies.
  • Tribal-Focused Technical Assistance: Tribal communities designated as Champions will be offered the chance to participate in the DOE Office of Indian Energy Strategic Technical Assistance Response Team (START) program,  an in-depth technical assistance program, as well as other targeted technical assistance and capacity building programs designed to help develop energy and resiliency planning and project development support for clean energy and energy efficiency projects.
  • Resilience Partnership with Federal Facilities: Where possible, Champions will be able to participate in new preparedness pilots that are designed to pair local or tribal communities with nearby Federal facility partners to assess expected local climate impacts and develop plans to address them cooperatively. These would be modeled after two pilots that President Obama announced on July 16, in which the City of Houston is working with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA’s) Johnson Space Center and the State of Colorado is working with the NREL.

Climate Education and Literacy Initiative. The Administration is also launching a new Climate Education and Literacy Initiative to help connect American students and citizens with the best available science-based information about climate change. The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy is hosting a roundtable at the White House today, bringing together education leaders from government, academia, philanthropies, non-governmental organizations, and the private sector to discuss efforts to increase student learning opportunities; equip educators with science-based information and resources; enhance climate-related professional development and training; and engage citizens through place-based and informal climate education. Today’s launch of the Initiative includes a host of exciting new commitments by Federal agencies and outside organizations to develop and deploy innovative climate education approaches aimed at educating and engaging students and citizens of all ages. Examples of these commitments include:

  • A new Federal program to train senior government executives as climate leaders;
  • A new training program by the American Meteorological Society and partners to train faculty from Minority Serving Institutions to introduce climate science courses onto their campuses;
  • An announcement by the Earth Day Network that the 2015 Earth Week will focus on climate education; and
  • Plans supported by the Will Steger Foundation for more than a dozen public forums and educator workshops across the State of Minnesota to share credible information about climate change.

More information about the Climate Education announcement can be found here.

Hampton Roads Pilot Project. The Administration also announced that a one-day exercise was offered yesterday at Old Dominion University in support of an intergovernmental pilot project created by the Hampton Roads community. The exercise was a component of the National Exercise Program Climate Change Preparedness and Resilience Exercise Series, sponsored by the White House National Security Council, the Council on Environmental Quality, and the Office of Science and Technology Policy, and supported by the National Exercise Division. The Hampton Roads pilot project seeks to develop a regional government- and community-wide approach to sea level rise preparedness and resilience planning that can also be used as a template for other regions. This fall, similar preparedness and resilience exercises were held in Houston, Texas, Fort Collins, Colorado, and Anchorage, Alaska.

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
December 03, 2014

Statement by the Press Secretary on the Anniversary of Alan Gross' Imprisonment

Five years ago today Alan Gross was arrested for his efforts to help ordinary Cuban citizens have greater access to information through the Internet.  The Administration remains focused on securing Alan’s freedom from a Cuban prison, and returning him safely to his wife and children, where he belongs.  We remain deeply concerned for Alan’s health, and reiterate our call for his release.  The Cuban Government’s release of Alan on humanitarian grounds would remove an impediment to more constructive relations between the United States and Cuba.

 

###

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
December 03, 2014

FACT SHEET: The White House Tribal Nations Conference

On Wednesday, the White House will host the White House Tribal Nations Conference. Leaders from the 566 federally-recognized Native nations engaged with the President, Cabinet Officials, and the White House Council on Native American Affairs on key issues facing tribes including, respecting tribal sovereignty and upholding treaty and trust responsibilities, lack of access to capital and credit, and protecting Native women and youth. 

This year’s Conference builds on the President’s visit in June of this year to the Standing Rock Sioux Indian Reservation, where he reaffirmed his commitment to education and economic development. Nearly half of Native American people (42 percent) are under the age of 24; more than one-third of Native children live in poverty; and Native youth have the lowest high school graduation rate of students across all schools. As part of the Conference, the White House will release a new Native Youth Report that explores the challenges facing Native youth and makes recommendations for a path forward. For the first time in these Conferences, the voice of Native youth will be represented by 36 White House Youth Ambassadors, who will join tribal leaders in the breakout sessions and panels, and participating in leadership development programming.

President Obama will also announce the launch of Generation Indigenous (Gen I), a Native youth initiative focused on removing the barriers that stand between Native youth and their opportunity to succeed. This initiative will take a comprehensive, culturally appropriate approach to help improve the lives and opportunities for Native youth and will include: 

  • New Native Youth Community Projects, administered by the Department of Education (ED) through the existing Demonstration Grants Program to provide funding in a select number of Native communities to support culturally relevant coordinated strategies designed to improve the college-and-career readiness of Native children and youth.
  • New National Tribal Youth Network program in partnership with the Aspen Institute’s Center for Native American Youth. The Youth Network will support leadership development, provide peer support through an interactive online portal that links resources and tools, and empowers youth to become leaders within their communities. The White House, in cooperation with the Aspen Institute, will also host a high-level convening on challenges facing Native youth in February 2015.
  • The release of the White House Native Youth Report that acknowledges past failures of federal policy on the education of Native students, explores the breadth of the challenges facing Native children, and makes recommendations for a path forward.
  • The launch of the Cabinet Native Youth Listening Tour, which will begin next year as part of the President’s call to hear directly from Native youth on how to bolster federal policies to improve youth outcomes. In addition, the Administration will expand federal outreach on youth internships and employment opportunities across the federal agencies.
  • The first ever White House Tribal Youth Gathering to engage hundreds of Native youth in a day-long convening in the summer of 2015.  This gathering builds on the November 2014 Native Youth Conference hosted by Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and the tribal youth visit with President Obama.

In addition to these efforts, the Department of the Interior (DOI) is making progress to transform the Bureau of Indian Education (BIE). Since Secretary Jewell's Secretarial Order directing Indian Affairs to restructure the BIE to serve as a support network to schools rather than a direct education provider, DOI, along with ED has made steady progress towards implementing the Administration’s vision of high-achieving tribally-controlled schools.

Below are additional announcements and commitments that support tribal nations:

SUPPORTING THE ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT OF ALL NATIVE AMERICAN STUDENTS

Promoting Educational Self-Determination for Tribal Nations through Sovereignty in Indian Education Enhancements. In October 2014, DOI took a critical step towards furthering tribal control over BIE-funded schools when it issued $1.2M to six tribes to research, assess and develop implementation plans to establish tribally managed school systems. 

Building tribal capacity through State Tribal Education Partnership (STEP) grants. The STEP grant program is designed to strengthen Tribal Education Agencies (TEAs), and improve partnerships between tribes, states, and school districts so they can work together more effectively to meet the academic, cultural, and social needs of Native students. EDs Office of Indian Education (OIE) published a Notice of Proposed Priorities (NPP) for the STEP program on October 31, 2014.

Expanding Access to STEM Programs. In September 2014, ED entered into an agreement with the National Park Service at DOI, and the Hands on the Land program at the National Environmental Education Foundation, to develop a project around STEM skills at 17 Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) funded schools and one state funded school near 21st Century Community Learning Center programs. The project will introduce students to STEM activities focused on natural and cultural resources to improve the retention of students in STEM activities during their middle and high school years.

Convening Native Languages Summit. Following the first Native Languages Summit in June 2014 which brought together 300 participants, the National Endowment for the Humanities, the National Science Foundation, and the Association of Tribal Archives, Libraries, and Museums have joined ED and the Departments of the Interior (DOI) and Health and Human Services, (HHS) to convene a second Native Languages Summit in the Fall of 2015. The Summit will discuss best practices in preserving and revitalizing Native languages. 

Improvements in ED’s Special Programs for Indian Children. On December 3, ED will publish a notice of proposed rulemaking that proposes changes to the Demonstration grants program to add the Native Youth Community Projects mentioned above. It also makes substantial improvements to the Professional Development program, which funds the training of new American Indian/Alaska Native teachers and administrators.

BUILDING STRONGER TRIBAL BUSINESSES AND ECONOMIES

Including Tribal Nations in Department of Labor (DOL) Grant Programs. DOL will announce that the agency will treat federally-recognized tribal governments the same way it treats state and local governments when determining eligibility for employment and training grants. Following this announcement, DOL will consult with tribes, develop model grant language, incorporate the language into all relevant Funding Opportunity Announcements, and inform tribal leaders of upcoming funding opportunities.

Supporting the Hiring of Tribal Members by Federal Contractors. DOL’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs’ (OFCCP) Indian and Native American Employment Rights Program assists federal contractors that would like to use a tribal preference for work on or near tribal lands to do so consistent with existing law. OFCCP will sign an MOU with the Council on Tribal Employment Rights to formalize the agency’s working relationship with the Council. In turn, the Council will work closely with Tribal Employment Rights Offices (TEROs) to ensure contractors are able to hire tribal members.

Supporting Native CDFIs' Sustainability and Impact. In October, the Department of Treasury announced a specialized training and technical assistance series to Native Community Development Financial Institutions (Native CDFIs) to foster their growth and sustainability, and enhance their ability to deliver financial services and financial products to Native American, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian nations, tribes, and communities.

Improving Transportation and Infrastructure.  As part of a set aside to the Federal Highway Administration’s (FHWA) Tribal Transportation Program (TTP), DOT awarded $8.5 million this year in Tribal Transportation Program Safety Funds to 183 tribal nations for 195 projects that address safety needs in tribally identified areas of planning, engineering, education, and emergency response and enforcement. Similarly, under the discretionary component of the Tribal Transit Program (TTP), Federal Transportation Authority (FTA) funded 48 projects in 19 States totaling $5.04 million for Indian tribes to enhance and expand their transit services.

Improving Tribal Water Infrastructure. This year, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) distributed $29 million to initiate the construction of 77 wastewater infrastructure projects for tribal nations to address the desperate need for basic sanitation services on tribal lands. Additionally, EPA distributed over $18 million for the construction of drinking water infrastructure projects for tribes to improve access to safe drinking water. 

IMPROVING TRIBAL JUSTICE

Disseminating Reports and Recommendations on Tribal Justice. In November, the Department of Justice (DOJ) disseminated a report titled Ending Violence So Children Can Thrive that outlines policy and practice recommendations on the issue of children’s exposure to violence in Indian Country. The report is the culmination of the work of DOJ’s Task Force Advisory Committee on American Indian and Alaska Native Children Exposed to Violence, which conducted four public hearings and several listening sessions across the country to gather information on these important issues. Additionally, DOJ’s Office for Victims of Crime’s National Coordination Committee on American Indian/Alaska Native Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner-Sexual Assault Response Team released a report titled Improving Federal Agency Response to Sexual Violence in Tribal Nations: Issues and Recommendations.

SUPPORTING HEALTHY, STRONG NATIVE AMERICAN COMMUNITIES

Expanding Access to Health Care. HHS plans to announce the publication of a proposed rule for Medicare like rates for Indian Health Service (IHS) payments for purchased/referred care for non-hospital based and provider services. Additionally, HHS/CMS and Treasury/IRS have developed a new streamlined process for American Indian and Alaska Native citizens and family members who are eligible for health services from an Indian health-care provider to claim an exemption from the Affordable Care Act’s individual shared responsibility payment through the tax filing process. CMS also issued approximately $4 million for Connecting Kids to Coverage American Indian and Alaska Native Grants to increase participation in Medicaid and CHIP. In November, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) announced new flexibility concerning the participation of tribal employers that will make it easier for them to enroll their employees in the FEHB Program.

Improving Behavioral Health.  In November, HHS’s SAMHSA hosted a Native Youth Conference focused on improving the health and well-being of Native youth. At the conference, youth shared their views on federal policies, programs, and activities; contributed to the national tribal behavioral health agenda; and learned about best practices supported by SAMHSA’s tribal grants. In August, SAMHSA also announced the creation of a new Office of Tribal Affairs and Policy to serve as the point of contact on behavioral health issues and to support policies and innovative practices.

PROMOTING CLIMATE RESILIENCE AND LAND AND NATURAL RESOURCES

Technical Assistance for Tribal Renewable Energy Projects. Department of Energy’s Office of Indian Energy announced a new round of competition for the Alaska Strategic Technical Assistance Response Team Program (START), a technical assistance program that supports the development of clean energy, energy efficiency projects, capacity building and energy planning efforts for rural Alaska Native villages and corporations. 

ADVANCING THE GOVERNMENT TO GOVERNMENT RELATIONSHIP

Restoring Tribal Homelands in Trust for Tribes. DOI continues to prioritize placing tribal homelands in trust for tribes, and has placed more than 280,400 acres of land into trust since 2009. Interior Secretary Jewell’s goal for DOI is to place at least 500,000 acres of land into trust by the end of the Obama Administration.  In May of this year, DOI issued a proposed rule that would allow the Department to consider fee-to-trust applications from tribes in Alaska. Additionally, under DOI’s Land Buy-Back Program for Tribal Nations, the Department is paying fair-market value to individuals who choose to sell fractional interests in trust or restricted land.  Purchased interests are immediately transferred to tribal trust ownership, ensuring that land stays in trust.

Resolving Longstanding Disputes.  Since President Obama took office, the Administration has established a new relationship with Native nations, increasing consultation with tribes on matters across the federal government that affect their interests, and the fair and expeditious settlement of litigation. The Administration settled the protracted Cobell litigation, several significant water rights cases, and lawsuits or claims brought by 80 Indian tribes, over the management of monetary assets and natural resources held in trust by the United States, for a total of $2.5 billion. These settlements mark an important milestone in the Obama Administration’s commitment to upholding the federal trust responsibility and strengthening our partnerships with tribal nations.

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