The White House

Office of the Vice President

For Immediate Release
July 14, 2011

Op-ed by Vice President Biden: Delivering the Accountable Government that Taxpayers Deserve

The full text of the op-ed by Vice President Joe Biden is printed below. The piece titled, “Delivering the Accountable Government that Taxpayers Deserve” was published today in McClatchy Newspapers.

Delivering the Accountable Government that Taxpayers Deserve

‎By Vice President Joe Biden
McClatchy-Tribune Information Services

July 14, 2011

Right now in Washington, there is a big debate about how to cut spending and rein in deficits while we continue to create jobs and build the platform we need to succeed in the future. The American people have high standards for how their tax dollars are spent, and the government has to find ways to eliminate expenses that are either wasteful or non-essential.

As part of that effort, our government must work harder to make sure that tax dollars are not wasted on government programs that are ineffective, duplicative or just plain unnecessary. The president and I feel strongly about this, and that is why we launched the Campaign to Cut Waste.

Two years ago, the president asked me to patrol all those who received money as part of the Recovery Act. We wanted to make sure every dollar spent was accounted for and used properly. We used the most sophisticated technology to detect and prevent fraud before it happened, and we placed a strong emphasis on making sure every federal agency — every Cabinet secretary — was focused on it, too.

Through our diligence, we have had an unprecedented low level of fraud, with just a fraction of 1 percent of awards experiencing waste, fraud or abuse.

With the Campaign to Cut Waste, we are taking this approach government-wide, applying it to everything we do. We’re focusing on how we can cut waste, get the most from taxpayer dollars, and reform how the government works so you, the American people, get the best service possible.

First, we’re establishing a new Government Accountability and Transparency Board this summer, modeled after our Recovery Act Transparency Board. This will bring together the nation’s top waste, fraud and abuse watchdogs so that taxpayers can see exactly what their tax dollars are buying and trace the progress of work under all government spending.

Second, the president has asked me to continue to work with our Cabinet secretaries to find every dime of waste in their agencies and make government work more efficiently. One way we’re doing this is through the President’s SAVE Award, where we reach out to federal employees all across the country for their ideas of where we can be smarter and do our jobs more efficiently. Then the American people vote for the best idea.

Over the last two years, federal employees have submitted 56,000 ideas to WhiteHouse.gov/Save-Award and dozens of those have gone straight into the president’s budget. As a result of previous ideas, we ended a practice of returning empty containers by overnight shipping, and moved more of our services off the printing press and into the digital age. Small ideas like these are adding up. Today we are launching the third annual SAVE Award, so there will be thousands more ideas to save taxpayer money.

Those awards are just one part of this campaign, building on the administration’s continuing effort to make government more efficient, effective and accountable to the American people. Over the last two years, we have begun to change how Washington does business, and have saved billions of taxpayer dollars.

We’re changing the way we do federal contracting. Last year, we cut "no-bid" contract spending by $5 billion. Such contracts may be justified when we’re responding to wartime emergencies and natural disasters, but, because of the absence of competition, they result in higher prices, meaning we’re not getting the best bang for the taxpayers’ buck. As a result of these and other reforms, we cut contracting costs last year for the first time in 13 years.

We have cracked down on improper payments, like when the government sends a check to the wrong person, in the wrong amount, or for the wrong reason. This includes millions of dollars sent to prisoners, and even dead people. Just last year, we avoided nearly $4 billion in improper payments and recaptured three times the amount of improper payments than the previous year.

We also have a plan to cut through red tape that for too long has prevented the government from selling off and consolidating excess government real estate — entire office buildings and warehouses that have been sitting totally vacant, serving no real purpose. The money we save from no longer having to maintain the buildings, plus the proceeds from selling them, will save $15 billion over three years.

As the president and I continue to work with Congress to address the federal deficit, we will need to make many tough decisions. We will need to cut programs and consolidate efforts across government. The president and I — and this entire administration — are deeply committed to making the federal government work for you, saving money where we can, and getting returns on all our investments on behalf of American taxpayers.

This effort involves more than just eliminating fraud and waste; it means instilling a new culture of efficiency, of responsiveness, of accountability. We’re changing the way government does business. We’re working to give the American people the government they expect — and deserve.

The White House

Office of the Vice President

For Immediate Release
July 08, 2011

Statement from Vice President Biden on Betty Ford

It is with deep sadness that Jill and I learned of the loss of Betty Ford. Throughout her life, Betty displayed strength, courage and determination that provided hope for millions of Americans seeking a healthier, happier future. Her legacy and work will live on through the millions of lives she has touched and the many more who will continue to look to her for inspiration. Her family will remain in our thoughts and prayers in the coming days.

The White House

Office of the Vice President

For Immediate Release
July 06, 2011

Readout of Vice President Biden's Call with President Jahjaga of Kosovo

Following up on their brief conversation in Rome on June 2, Vice President Biden and Kosovo President Atifete Jahjaga spoke on the telephone today.  The Vice President reiterated his congratulations on President Jahjaga’s election and stressed the United States’ continuing, irreversible support for Kosovo’s independence, territorial integrity and sovereignty as a multi-ethnic democracy.  The Vice President welcomed the agreements reached in the July 2 session of the European Union-facilitated dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia, and encouraged further progress between the two parties on issues that can bring practical benefits to citizens in both countries.  The Vice President and President Jahjaga also discussed the Government of Kosovo's efforts to fight corruption, enhance the rule of law and continue domestic reforms in Kosovo, noting that these are fundamental to encouraging investment and promoting economic growth.

The White House

Office of the Vice President

For Immediate Release
June 29, 2011

REMARKS BY DR. JILL BIDEN AT THE LAUNCH OF THE MILITARY SPOUSE EMPLOYMENT PARTNERSHIP, AS PREPARED FOR DELIVERY

United States Chamber of Commerce, Washington, D.C.

Good morning everyone. 

Thank you, Andrea, for that kind introduction and for all you do for our country. I am thrilled to be here with all of you today as Second Lady, and also as a proud Blue Star mom.

I’d like to thank the Joint Chiefs of Staff, as well as the senior enlisted advisors and their spouses for their outstanding leadership.  

I’d also like to acknowledge Admiral and Deborah Mullen for their incredible commitment to our Nation’s military families.  We are all grateful to you both – and Deborah, you are a wonderful example of our amazing  military spouses around the globe.

And finally, I’d like to thank our guests of honor, the extraordinary military spouses and families who are here with us today. 

All of us – the business representatives, the military leaders, and the officials from the Chamber of Commerce – all of us are here today because of you.

Over the past two and a half years, the First Lady and I have been honored to meet many military spouses and we have been so inspired by your amazing stories. We have been struck by your strength, your commitment to our country and the strong examples you set for your families, your workplaces, and your communities.

We’re here because we know how much you have to offer – your skills, your work ethic, and your endless energy. 

And we also know about the sacrifices you make - running your households and raising your kids all alone through those long deployments, often while maintaining fulltime jobs of your own.

Every day, our military spouses are giving back to this country.  When their loved ones are called to serve, they serve right alongside them. 

Now we must serve them as well as they serve us.

That’s why, earlier this year, the First Lady and I launched Joining Forces - a nationwide campaign to rally all Americans to recognize, honor and support our military families. 

Groups, individuals, and businesses like those here today are joining forces in areas of employment, education and wellness to help military families.  Companies and organizations like the Chamber, the PTA, the YMCA, the American Heart Association and many others have stepped up with exciting programs to support these families.

We’re Joining Forces with cities and states, encouraging them to adopt policies that help military families. 

We’re Joining Forces with the American people - as neighbors, colleagues, classmates, and community members - urging them to step up and give something back to the military families who’ve given us so much.

And we’re Joining Forces with the federal government and with businesses across the country to improve employment prospects for military families.

Over the past year, the Obama-Biden Administration has been working to implement nearly 50 specific commitments by the federal government to improve the lives of military families – everything from protecting families from financial scams, to improving education for military kids and spouses, to fighting to end homelessness among veterans. 

One of those priorities is to develop career and educational opportunities for military spouses.

And today, with this new Military Spouse Employment Partnership, we are taking a major step forward in achieving that goal. 

I am thrilled that we have 57 companies involved in this partnership, and I’m delighted that 15 more companies have just signed on. 

And I’d like to acknowledge the work of the Chamber of Commerce to support these efforts. 

From sponsoring hiring fairs for veterans and spouses, to creating a mentoring program for 10,000 military wives and servicewomen, to hosting us here today, this organization is playing an important role, and we are all grateful for your support.   

And in the coming months and years, I hope that companies and organizations across America will follow your lead. 

Because the fact is, if you’re looking for hard-working, highly-skilled, educated, and dedicated employees, our military spouses are precisely the employees you need.

So once again, I want to thank the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and all the companies represented here today for their leadership. 

The First Lady and I look forward to working with all of you in the months and years ahead.

Thank you for all you do to support our amazing military families. 
 

The White House

Office of the Vice President

For Immediate Release
June 23, 2011

Statement by Vice President Biden On the Bipartisan Debt Talks

Over the past several weeks, the bipartisan debt talks have made significant progress on a blueprint for putting America’s fiscal house in order.  Working together in good faith, we have found many areas of common ground and potential agreement on substantial savings.  As all of us at the table said at the outset, the goal of these talks was to report our findings back to our respective leaders.  The next phase is in the hands of those leaders, who need to determine the scope of an agreement that can tackle the problem and attract bipartisan support.  For now the talks are in abeyance as we await that guidance.  We stand ready to meet again as necessary.

As the President and I have made clear from the beginning, the only way to make sure we begin to live within our means is by coming together behind a balanced approach that finds real savings across the budget – including domestic spending, defense spending, mandatory spending, and loopholes in the tax code.  We all need to make sacrifices, and that includes the most fortunate among us.

I continue to be grateful to my fellow negotiators for taking on this formidable challenge.  We have made real headway and laid the groundwork to get this done.  We owe it to the American people to take every responsible step to do right by our economy and the nation’s future.

The White House

Office of the Vice President

For Immediate Release
June 23, 2011

Dr. Jill Biden to Lead Presidential Delegation to the Special Olympics World Summer Games

Washington, DC – On Friday, June 24th, Dr. Jill Biden will lead a Presidential Delegation to the 2011 Special Olympics World Summer Games in Athens, Greece. Dr. Biden and the Delegation will join approximately 7,000 athletes from more than 170 countries worldwide, their families, as well as thousands of coaches, family members, volunteers and spectators. Special Olympics programs serve more than 3.7 million people with intellectual disabilities.

The Delegation will participate in a number of events during their visit, including: the lighting of the Flame of Hope on Friday, June 24th; the Opening Ceremonies on Saturday, June 25th; and the Special Olympics Aquatic Competition on Sunday, June 26th. They will also attend a dedication ceremony for the naming of the Eunice Kennedy Shriver Square on Sunday, June 26th.

While in Greece, Dr. Biden will also meet with staff and families at the U.S. Embassy in Athens. In addition, she will join Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus on the USS Ramage to visit with Sailors and offer thanks for their service to our Nation.

The Presidential Delegation will include:

  • The Honorable Daniel B. Smith, U.S. Ambassador to the Hellenic Republic, Department of State
  • The Honorable Ann Stock, Assistant Secretary for Educational and Cultural Affairs, Department of State
  • The Honorable Kareem Dale, Special Assistant to the President for Disability Policy
  • The Honorable Micki Edelsohn, Member, President’s Committee for People with Intellectual Disabilities
  • Mr. Bart Conner, Olympic Champion in Gymnastics, Special Olympics Executive Board Member
  • Mr. Kenneth Melvin, Special Olympics Global Manager

The White House

Office of the Vice President

For Immediate Release
June 22, 2011

Readout of Vice President Biden's Meeting with Iraqi Council of Representatives Speaker Osama al-Nujaifi

Vice President Biden met today with Iraqi Council of Representatives Speaker Osama al-Nujaifi. The Vice President praised the Speaker’s stewardship of Iraq’s legislature and offered continued support for the development of Iraq’s democratic institutions, including a national partnership government. The Vice President also thanked the Speaker for his work to secure approval for a $400 million compensation package for American victims of the Saddam Hussein regime. The Vice President and the Speaker discussed our shared interest in an enduring partnership between the United States and Iraq, across a range of sectors, under the Strategic Framework Agreement.

The White House

Office of the Vice President

For Immediate Release
June 16, 2011

FACT SHEET: 21st-Century Communications for our First Responders

Click HERE to read the full reportannounced today by Vice President Biden on how The President’s Wireless Innovation and Infrastructure Initiative can facilitate the transition to a next  generation, interoperable system.

The limitations of current public safety communications systems became tragically apparent on 9/11 and in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. [1] In those critical moments, law enforcement, firefighters, and other public safety officers could not talk to each other, putting the lives and mission of our first responders at risk.  Almost ten years after 9/11, our system of public safety communications remains outdated, both from a performance and cost-effectiveness standpoint. Traditional public safety devices and networks trail well behind those provided by modern commercial cellular operators.  Consequently, public safety is unable to take advantage of the sorts of innovative applications that many teenagers now take for granted.

With the ongoing rollout of the latest line of commercial wireless standards, there is anopportunity to develop and deploy a nationwide and interoperable wireless broadband network for our first responders.  With such a network in place, public safety will be able to welcome commercial developers of smartphones, tablets, and apps to connect to and compete within a unified public safety market.  And once developed appropriately, first responders will both be able to benefit from advanced wireless broadband technologies and, eventually, replace their high-cost, legacy communications infrastructure and devices.

To facilitate the development and deployment of a nationwide high speed wireless network for public safety, the President’s Wireless Innovation and Infrastructure Initiative will enable public safety agencies to transition away from the traditional, fragmented world of public safety communications to a next generation system.  This initiative will provide first responders with a network that offers far greater levels of interoperability and effectiveness than they possess today, ultimately saving billions of dollars by enabling public safety to benefit from the competition and innovation that major commercial enterprises already enjoy.

Benefits of a Nationwide Wireless Network For Public Safety Communications

  • A fully interoperable nationwide network:The nationwide network for public safety would provide interoperability for all first responders, preventing tragic failures of communication and coordination, reducing risks for first responders and the public.
  • Saving resources through a coordinated system for public safety communications: Today’s communication systems are not only outdated compared with more modern networks and devices, but they are split across thousands of Federal, State, and local jurisdictions that each pay maintenance and upkeep. The Department of Homeland Security alone spends around $1 billion on public safety communications and interoperability. A nationwide network will align today’s fragmented system, saving money while bringing capabilities into the 21st Century.
  • Unlocking the potential of commercial devices and infrastructure for public safety :Traditional public safety systems cost up to 10 times more than the same commercial device. A nationwide network will allow commercial developers of smartphones, tablets, and mobile networks and apps to connect a broad, unified market for public safety communications. According to the Congressional Research Service, participation by commercial carriers could drive down the cost of public safety radios from $4,000-$6,000 per unit, the price today, to $500 (or the cost of a smart phone). A 2010 FCC analysis found that leveraging available commercial systems could save considerably on capital expenditures compared with the existing, fragmented public safety communications infrastructure.
  • Providing better performance and cost effectiveness through innovation: Participation in a broader market, based on open standards, will also allow public safety to pick and choose the best technology from many more competing firms. This will spur competition and innovation to produce applications that improve safety and situational awareness, identification, and emergency health care. 
  • Enhancing the public safety mission:  Developing and deploying a hardened, reliable public safety broadband network will put new and important tools in the hands of first responders.  For example, first responders could use smartphones or other mobile devices to capture license plate information, quickly verify fingerprints and identity, link to multiple existing databases instantly, or transmit video and data from the scenes of accidents or emergencies.

 

Background On The President’s Wireless Initiative

The President’s Wireless Initiative pays for itself and would reduce the deficit by enabling more efficient use of wireless spectrum and freeing up spectrum for auction to the highest bidder.  In total, this effort would drive investment and innovation and generate $28 billion in auction revenue. After using some of the proceeds from spectrum auctions to reduce the deficit, the Initiative proposes four areas of investment to spur innovation in next generation wireless technologies for public safety:

  1. An investment in a nationwide wireless network for public safety communications based on 4G technology.
  2. Rollout of 4G services to at least 98% of the population.
  3. Reallocate the D Block – a key band of spectrum in the 700 megahertz range – to public safety.
  4. Creation of a Wireless Innovation Fund that, among other things, would support $500 million in research to meet the communications requirements of public safety.

 

[1] The 9-11 Commission Report: Final Report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States (July 22, 2004), available at http://www.gpoaccess.gov/911/Index.html; “The Federal Response to Hurricane Katrina:  Lessons Learned” (Feb. 2006), available at http://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/reports/katrina-lessons-learned.pdf. 

The White House

Office of the Vice President

For Immediate Release
June 13, 2011

White House Launches Campaign to Cut Waste: Vice President to Take on Making Government More Accountable

Obama Administration Establishes New Board of Fraud and Waste Watchdogs

WASHINGTON – In a video message to the American people, President Obama and Vice President Biden launched the Campaign to Cut Waste, which will hunt down and eliminate misspent tax dollars in every agency and department across the federal government.  The Vice President hosted an event at the White House today where he announced that the President has asked him to take on a new role holding the Cabinet accountable for cutting waste in their agencies as part of the Administration’s ongoing effort to make government more accountable to the American people. At the event, he outlined the new steps the government would be taking as part of an Executive Order the President signed this morning.

The Campaign to Cut Waste will build on the Accountable Government Initiative, led by OMB Director Jacob Lew and OMB’s Deputy Director for Management and Federal Chief Performance Officer Jeffrey Zients, which has already tackled waste and inefficiency in many areas across government, cutting contracting spending for the first time in 13 years, identifying $3 billion in information technology savings, shutting down duplicative data centers and getting rid of excess federal real estate.  The Administration also put out an update on steps they have taken to date to reduce government waste and make government work better for the American people.

“Targeting waste and making government more efficient have been a priority for my administration since day one.  But as we work to tackle the budget deficit, we need to step up our game,” President Obama said in a message to the American people. “No amount of waste is acceptable – not when it’s your money; not at a time when so many families are already cutting back.”

“For too long the federal government has allowed billions of taxpayer dollars to be wasted on inefficiencies,” said Vice President Biden. “Over the last two years, we have been slashing waste across government and today we are putting Washington on notice:  the President and I are committed to changing the way government works and we are stepping up the hunt for misspent dollars.” 

“Any waste of taxpayer dollars is unacceptable whether we are in surplus or deficit, but it is particularly offensive at a time of such fiscal challenges,” said OMB Director Jacob Lew.  “At the same time as we work to tackle our deficits, it is critical that we continue to root out waste, identify ways to do more with less, and ensure the tax dollars of America’s families are put to good use. We will continue to update the public on these efforts, building on the unprecedented transparency of the Recovery Act.”

The Vice President was joined for the announcement by Lew, Zients, and chairman of the Recovery Act Transparency and Accountability Board Earl Devaney, along with several agency Inspectors General, Chief Financial Officers, Deputy Secretaries, and additional Administration officials.

The President signed an Executive Order this morning establishing the Campaign to Cut Waste which includes two key initiatives:

1. New Oversight and Accountability Board: Building on the successful execution of the Recovery Act, the Vice President announced the establishment of a new oversight and accountability board to help federal agencies improve their performance and reduce waste, fraud and abuse across government.

The Recovery Act’s use of unprecedented transparency to drive accountability and prevent fraud is a success story that needs to be replicated across federal government spending.  The mission of the new Board is to allow taxpayers the same ability to track where their dollars are going and to have the same confidence that the dollars are not being lost to waste, fraud, or abuse, not just for Recovery Act dollars, but more broadly.

The Board will be composed of 11 members, including agency Inspectors General, agency Chief Financial Officers or Deputy Secretaries, an official from the Office of Management & Budget, and other such members the President may designate.  The new Board will work closely with Chairman Devaney and the Recovery Accountability and Transparency Board to expand the benefits of this new, more effective way of doing business.

2. Regular Cabinet Meetings to Report Progress to the Vice President:   The Executive Order also strengthens accountability, directing Cabinet members to report progress cutting waste and delivering results directly to the Vice President. Just as he did with the Recovery Act, the Vice President will be holding regular meetings with Cabinet members to make sure that we are doing all we can to eliminate government waste, save taxpayer dollars and make government work better. The order also requires agency Chief Operating Officers and Chief Financial Officers to report progress regularly to the Office of Management and Budget.

As one of the campaign’s first steps, the Administration will be targeting duplication and waste among federal websites. There are almost 2,000 separate websites across the Federal Government. With so many separate sites, Americans often do not know where to turn for information.  The Administration will immediately put a halt to the creation of new websites. The Administration will also shutdown or consolidate 25% of the 2000 sites over the next few months and set a goal of cutting the number of separate, stand alone sites in half over the next year.

The White House

Office of the Vice President

For Immediate Release
June 04, 2011

Statement by the Vice President on the Passing of Lawrence Eagleburger

Jill and I were sorry to learn of the passing of Larry Eagleburger.  I worked with Larry for over three decades, and considered him to be one of the finest Foreign Service Officers of his generation.  I always appreciated his candor and straightforward manner.  He served loyally under Secretaries from both parties, and ultimately rose to be Secretary himself, the first Foreign Service Officer ever to do so.  His service as Deputy Secretary under James Baker came during a historic period in American diplomacy – the collapse of the Soviet Empire and the beginning of transitions to democracy across central Europe, the Gulf War, significant breakthroughs in arms control with the USSR and then with Russia, and the reunification of Germany.  Through it all, Larry had a clear-eyed sense of the strategic moment and gave wise counsel to Secretary Baker and to Congress.  The post-Cold War world, particularly Europe and Eurasia, is more stable and secure because of the dedicated service of Larry Eagleburger.