Category: December 2011

As we enter the season of giving and renewal, more than 13.3 million people in Ethiopia, Kenya, and Somalia remain in urgent need of humanitarian assistance amid the worst drought the region has seen in 60 years.  The heartbreaking accounts of lives lost and of those struggling to survive remind us of our common humanity…

We strongly condemn the terrorist attacks against innocent Iraqis, which serve no agenda other than murder and hatred.  We offer our condolences to those whose loved ones were lost or wounded.  Attempts such as this to derail Iraq’s continued progress will fail.  Iraq has suffered heinous attacks like this in the past, and its security…

For the past several weeks, I’ve stated consistently that it was critical that Congress not go home without preventing a tax increase on 160 million working Americans.  Today, I congratulate members of Congress for ending the partisan stalemate by reaching an agreement that meets that test. Because of this agreement, every working American will keep…

The President today declared a major disaster exists in the State of Alaska and ordered Federal aid to supplement state and local recovery efforts in the area affected by severe winter storms and flooding during the period of November 8-10, 2011. Federal funding is available to state and eligible local governments and certain private nonprofit…

The United States continues to believe that the only way to bring about the change that the Syrian people deserve is for Bashar al-Assad to leave power.  The words of the Assad regime have no credibility when they continue to be followed by outrageous and deplorable actions.  Only two days following the Assad regime’s decision…

Today, the President made separate calls to Speaker Boehner and Leader Reid.  In his call to Speaker Boehner, the President reiterated the need and his commitment to work with Congress to extend the payroll tax cut for the entire year, and the fact that the short-term bipartisan compromise passed by almost the entire Senate is…

President Barack Obama today announced the designation of a Presidential Delegation to Prague, Czech Republic to attend the funeral of former President Václav Havel, on December 23, 2011. The Honorable Hillary Rodham Clinton, Secretary of State, will lead the delegation. Members of the Presidential Delegation: The Honorable William J. Clinton, Former President of the United…

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, President Barack Obama announced his intent to appoint the following individuals to key Administration posts: Margaret Murnane – Chairman, President’s Committee on the National Medal of Science Judith Kimble – Member, President’s Committee on the National Medal of Science Henry T. Yang – Member, President’s Committee on the National Medal of…

James S. Brady Press Briefing Room 1:59 P.M. EST THE PRESIDENT:  Hello, everybody.  Sorry to interrupt. MR. CARNEY:  All yours, sir. THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you.  Good afternoon, everybody.  It is no secret that there hasn’t been an abundance of partisanship in Washington this year.  And that’s why what happened on Saturday was such a big…

James S. Brady Press Briefing Room 1:26 P.M. EST MR. CARNEY:  Good afternoon, everyone.  Thanks for being here.  It is my great pleasure to see you today and take your questions, which I will commence with right now. Q    What is the President going to do now that the House has rejected the two-month Senate…