Category: May 2014

Building a 21st century infrastructure is a critical component of President Obama’s effort to accelerate economic growth, expand opportunity, and improve the competitiveness of the American economy. With the Highway Trust Fund projected to run out of money before this fall, President Obama has laid out his vision for a long-term infrastructure bill that would…

Our thoughts and prayers are with the people of Turkey today in the wake of a coal mine explosion in Soma, in which some 200 have been killed and hundreds more remain trapped.  On behalf of the American people, we extend our heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims and our best wishes for…

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, President Barack Obama announced his intent to nominate the following individuals to key Administration posts: Victor M. Mendez – Deputy Secretary, Department of Transportation Robert S. Adler – Commissioner, Consumer Product Safety Commission Peter Rogoff – Under Secretary for Policy, Department of Transportation Ted Osius – Ambassador to the Socialist Republic…

James S. Brady Press Briefing Room See below for a follow up to a question (marked with an asterisk) posed in the briefing. *Higher education has never been more important, and it should be affordable for everyone who is willing to work for it, not a luxury for the few. We appreciate the efforts of…

Vice President Biden met today with Croatian President Ivo Josipović.  Vice President Biden praised Croatia for its reforms over the past ten years that led to Croatia joining the European Union in 2013.  The Vice President highlighted Croatia’s contributions as a valued NATO ally, honoring the sacrifices made by Croatians as they serve alongside American…

Room 350 Eisenhower Executive Office Building 12:01 P.M. EDT THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you, everybody.  (Applause.)  Have a seat.  Have a seat.  Well, it’s wonderful to see all of you.  Some of you I’ve had the chance to get to know working on law enforcement issues and criminal justice issues.  But I cannot thank you enough…

East Room 2:44 P.M. EDT THE PRESIDENT:  Good afternoon, everybody.  Please, be seated.  Welcome to the White House.  It has been said that true courage is “a perfect sensibility of the measure of danger, and a mental willingness to incur it.”  For more than 12 years, with our nation at war, the men and women…

Dear Mr. Speaker: (Mr. President:) Pursuant to the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.) (IEEPA), I hereby report that I have issued an Executive Order (the “order”) declaring a national emergency with respect to the unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States posed…

This afternoon, President Obama joined National Security Advisor Susan Rice’s meeting with Syrian Opposition Coalition President Ahmad Jarba and the Coalition delegation.  President Obama and Ambassador Rice reaffirmed that Bashar al-Assad has lost all legitimacy to rule Syria and has no place in Syria’s future.  Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to a political solution to…

In late 2012, armed groups began a rebellion that sparked a period of devastating instability, lawlessness, and anarchy in the Central African Republic (CAR) that led to the overthrow of its government in early 2013.  Escalating violence and human rights abuses set the stage for the eruption of sectarian conflict by December 2013.  Communities that…