Category: Apr2015

I applaud the Members of Congress from both parties who came together to pass the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act. Nearly every year for the past 13 years, physicians have faced the possibility of an arbitrary cut in their payments from Medicare unless Congress passed a so-called “doc fix.” In my budget, I called…

Wednesday, April 15, 2015 Washington, DC * 3:30 PM – The First Lady will join students from across the country to plant the White House Kitchen Garden for the seventh year in a row. In 2009, Mrs. Obama planted a vegetable garden on the South Lawn to initiate a national conversation around the health and wellbeing…

TO THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES: I transmit herewith, for the advice and consent of the Senate to its ratification, the Protocol Amending the Convention between the Government of the United States of America and the Government of Japan for the Avoidance of Double Taxation and the Prevention of Fiscal Evasion with respect to…

NOMINATIONS SENT TO THE SENATE: Gabriel Camarillo, of Texas,  to be an Assistant Secretary of the Air Force, vice Daniel Ginsberg. Joyce Louise Connery, of Massachusetts, to be a Member of the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board for a term expiring October 18, 2019, vice Peter Stanley Winokur, resigned. Jonathan Elkind, of Maryland, to be…

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, President Barack Obama announced his intent to nominate the following individuals to key Administration posts: Glyn Townsend Davies – Ambassador to the Kingdom of Thailand, Department of State Carol Waller Pope – Member, Federal Labor Relations Authority, and upon appointment to be designated Chairman President Obama also announced his intent to…

The President today declared a major disaster exists in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and ordered federal aid to supplement state, tribal, and local recovery efforts in the area affected by a severe winter storm, snowstorm, and flooding during the period of January 26-28, 2015. Federal funding is available to state, tribal, and eligible local governments…

Vice President Biden spoke with Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa of the Republic of South Africa today to discuss the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA). The Vice President and Deputy President Ramaphosa discussed the critical role that AGOA has played in expanding U.S.-Africa trade. The Vice President reiterated the U.S. interest in renewing AGOA as…

ATLAPA Convention Center Panama City, Panama 2:46 P.M. EST PRESIDENT OBAMA:  This is obviously a historic meeting.  The history between the United States and Cuba is obviously complicated, and over the years a lot of mistrust has developed.  But during the course of the last several months, there have been contacts between the U.S. and…

ATLAPA Convention Center Panama City, Panama 12:34 P.M. EST PRESIDENT OBAMA:  It is a great pleasure to once again see my good friend, President Santos, and his delegation.  We’ve had two occasions now to visit Colombia, and I so appreciated the hospitality as well as the people there.  And more importantly, the cooperation between our…

ATLAPA Convention Center Panama City, Panama 5:26 P.M. EST PRESIDENT OBAMA:  Good afternoon, everybody.  I want to begin by once again thanking President Varela and the people of Panama City and all the Panamanian people for being such excellent hosts at this Summit of the Americas.  Given its strategic location — a place where cultures…