Category: Mar2013

President Obama will welcome His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah of Brunei Darussalam to the White House on Tuesday, March 12, 2013. The United States and Brunei have strong bilateral relations and have a shared interest in working together to ensure the continued peace, stability and prosperity of the Asia Pacific region. The President looks…

I am deeply disappointed that despite support from a majority of the United States Senate, a minority of Senators continues to block the nomination of Caitlin Halligan to serve on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.  Nearly two and a half years after being nominated, Ms. Halligan continues to wait…

Next week, the President will travel to Capitol Hill and meet separately with the Democratic and Republican caucuses in both the House and Senate.  The President asked for the opportunity to speak to the caucuses about the priorities on his legislative agenda.  More details about the time and day of each meeting will be announced…

The President today declared a major disaster exists for the Navajo Nation and ordered Federal aid to supplement the Tribe’s efforts in the area affected by a severe freeze during the period of December 15, 2012 to January 21, 2013. Federal funding is available to the Navajo Nation and certain private nonprofit organizations on a…

The National Strategy for Global Supply Chain Security, released in January 2012, established the U.S. Government’s policy to strengthen the global supply chain to protect the interests of the American people and enhance our Nation’s economic prosperity. The Administration, in coordination with private sector stakeholders and foreign government partners, made significant progress in implementing the…

At this challenging time of President Hugo Chavez’s passing, the United States reaffirms its support for the Venezuelan people and its interest in developing a constructive relationship with the Venezuelan government. As Venezuela begins a new chapter in its history, the United States remains committed to policies that promote democratic principles, the rule of law, and…

THE PRESIDENT:  Good morning, everybody.  This afternoon, I’ll hold my first Cabinet meeting of my second term.  And there will be some new faces, and there will be some familiar faces in new jobs.  But there will also be some seats waiting to be filled on a permanent basis.  And today, I’m announcing my plan…

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Thank you, Mr. President.  (Applause.)  It’s great to be here.  It’s great to be here.  (Applause.)  Hey, Debbie. Ladies and gentlemen, oh, what a difference 40 years makes.  (Laughter.)  I look out there and see an old friend, Annette Lantos.  Annette, how are you?  Her husband, Tom Lantos, a survivor, was my…

THE PRESIDENT:  Well, this is my 17th meeting with my Cabinet; the first one in a second term.  And, obviously, we’ve got some familiar faces, we have some new faces, we have some familiar faces in new positions.  I want to make sure that I say thank you to all of you for the work…

This week, we mark the passing of Van Cliburn, one of the most talented pianists of the last century and a musical artist of rare distinction. At the young age of 23, Mr. Cliburn swept the world off its feet with his winning performance at the first International Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow, and he quickly…