Posted by Craig Fugate With Hurricane Earl moving up the East Coast and expected to arrive in New England by tonight, FEMA is taking aggressive actions to coordinate with Northeastern states as they prepare for possible severe weather. Initial reports from our teams in North Carolina and Virginia indicate that the storm passed close to them [...]
Posted by Arun Chaudhary This week the President announced the end of America’s combat mission in Iraq and West Wing Week takes you there, on the ground, with an in-depth, behind-the-scenes look at the change of mission. We spent a week on the ground with our troops and civilians , some coming home, some staying for [...]
Posted by Nikki Sutton President Obama spoke with Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Administrator Craig Fugate this afternoon and yesterday morning to ensure we are doing everything in our power to keep people safe in advance of Hurricane Earl along the eastern seaboard. The President will continue to monitor the situation as FEMA tracks the storm’s movement [...]
Posted by Jesse Lee Read the Transcript | Download Video: mp4 (508MB) | mp3 (17MB) Having returned hours earlier from a conversation with troops at Fort Bliss, Texas – troops who had seen every phase of what has become one of America’s longest wars – the President spoke to the Nation for just the second time from the Oval Office [...]
Posted by Jesse Lee Over the past week, we’ve been inviting you to join us in saluting the troops for their service. The response has been overwhelming, and has made clear that while the end of the combat mission is an appropriate time to recognize the sacrifice the troops and their military make, the gratitude is always [...]
Posted by Chris Lu Over the past week, we’ve been remembering the tragedy of Hurricane Katrina, highlighting the progress made, and restating the Administration’s commitment to the region. This past weekend, several members of the Cabinet, the First Lady and President Obama traveled to the Gulf Coast, where the President spoke about the stories of communities [...]
Posted by Secretary Ray LaHood It’s difficult to look back on the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina with anything but sadness. Sadness for the lives lost, sadness for the displacement of so many people. As we mark the fifth anniversary of Katrina, there is still work to be done. And the Department of Transportation’s (DOT) [...]
Posted by Secretary Arne Duncan Five years ago, Hurricane Katrina destroyed schools throughout New Orleans. Since then, the state and city have worked together to make the city’s schools a model for school reform. New Orleans schools have made remarkable progress. They have been an inspiration to those of us who are working to provide [...]
Posted by Jesse Lee With the end of combat operations in Iraq days ahead, the President salutes our troops for their service and pledges to fulfill America’s commitment to them as veterans. 90,000 troops have left Iraq since the President came into office, and by the end of next year even the troops taking part in the [...]
Posted by Secretary Janet Napolitano As we approach the fifth anniversary of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, it’s important to note how far our nation has come in improving our ability to respond to and recover from disasters and the progress we’ve made in helping our Gulf Coast recover from one of the worst natural disasters in [...]
Posted by Secretary Hilda Solis Shortly after Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans, I traveled there with other members of Congress. We flew in helicopters to survey entire neighborhoods submerged in dirty water. Those neighborhoods not underwater were abandoned. We toured the 9th Ward and saw the broken levees. Trash was everywhere. We visited hospitals jammed to [...]
Posted by Secretary Kathleen Sebelius We can’t look back on the five years since Hurricane Katrina ripped through Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama’s Gulf Coast communities without recognizing the extraordinary determination of the people who live there. When the wind subsided and the clouds cleared, more than 1800 people had lost their lives; and property damage was [...]
Posted by Kori Schulman Watch on Tuesday, August 31, 2010, as President Obama addresses the nation on Iraq from the Oval Office at 8 p.m. EST. On August 31, 2010, President Obama will mark the end of America’s combat mission in Iraq. At this key transition point, it is important to show our support to [...]
Posted by Administrator Lisa Jackson Administrator Jackson speaks with a response worker at the Incident Command Post in Alabama. June 3, 2010. (by USEPA photo by Eric Vance) I grew up in New Orleans. As a chemical engineering student at Tulane University, I worked and studied in the local environment, particularly the wetlands, marshes and swamps. [...]
Posted by Arun Chaudhary Welcome to the West Wing Week, your guide to everything that’s happening at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. This week, watch a sneak preview of next Friday’s “Dispatches from Iraq” and join our brave men and women, both troops and civilians, on the ground as combat operations end in Iraq. Go behind the scenes [...]
Posted by Administrator Karen Mills Tommy and Maria DeLaune are a prime example of small business owners who suffered a one-two punch from Hurricane Katrina and the Deepwater BP oil spill. They run Tommy’s Seafood, a New Orleans seafood processor and wholesaler that employs about 20 people. When Hurricane Katrina hit, the business suffered major damage [...]
Posted by Administrator Craig Fugate Five years ago, Hurricanes Katrina and Rita devastated communities across the Gulf Coast. Five years later, the communities are still working to recover and rebuild from the destruction and damage wrought by those storms. We know these efforts have been incredibly challenging and frustrating at times, but they have also been [...]
Posted by Secretary Shaun Donovan Five years ago, one of the most destructive natural disasters in our nation’s history hit the Gulf Coast. When they hit the coasts of Louisiana and Mississippi, Hurricanes Katrina and Rita took thousands of lives, displaced millions of residents, wiped out hundreds of square miles of coastal land, and inflicted major [...]
Posted by Chris Lu This weekend marks the fifth anniversary of Hurricane Katrina and provides an opportunity to remember what was lost, celebrate what has been regained, and restate our commitment to the Gulf region and to all those still working to rebuild lives and communities. The Obama Administration remains deeply committed to serving the [...]
Posted by Jesse Lee Read the Transcript | Download Video: mp4 (400MB) | mp3 (38MB) Having made 13 visits to Iraq and held steady conversation with Iraqi leaders over the past two years, the Vice President was as well qualified as just about anybody to speak to the Veterans of Foreign Wars as combat operations there draw to a close. [...]
Posted by Katelyn Sabochik A few weeks ago, the Vice President and Dr. Jill Biden visited Fort Drum in upstate New York to welcome home the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, from Iraq. One of the most deployed brigades in the U.S. Army, the 2nd Brigade Combat Team has participated in three deployments [...]
Posted by Jesse Lee This morning the President signed the Southwest Border Security Bill in the Oval Office. The President issued a statement yesterday after it was passed in Congress explaining that this has been focus of his Administration from the very beginning: I have made securing our Southwest Border a top priority since I came to office. [...]
Posted by Heather Zichal Yesterday, we hosted a lively forum at the White House, which brought more than 130 stakeholders– civilian and uniformed officials from the Department of Defense (DOD) and our armed services, policy makers from the Department of Energy (DOE), think tanks, and business entrepreneurs – together for a discussion on the importance of [...]
Posted by Howard Schmidt Today, I was honored to host an event at the White House with cybersecurity experts and discuss progress made by increased cybersecurity efforts across the administration. President Obama has recognized that the “cyber threat is one of the most serious economic and national security challenges we face as a nation” and “America’s economic [...]
Posted by Jesse Lee Read the Transcript | Download Video: mp4 (72MB) | mp3 (7MB) This afternoon President Obama held a bilateral meeting with President Leonel Fernandez of the Dominican Republic, touching on a broad range of issues from the political crisis in Honduras, to trade, to continued efforts to crack down on drug trafficking between our two countries. Both [...]
Posted by Dr. Jill Biden [Ed. Note: Read Dr. Biden's post about celebrating Independence Day with troops in Iraq yesterday here] Today I started my day off at a breakfast event with civilian volunteers from the U.S. embassy here in Iraq. Just like our soldiers, these individuals are sacrificing a tremendous amount on behalf of our country. [...]
Posted by Dr. Jill Biden Last night, my husband Joe and I flew to Iraq to celebrate the Fourth of July with our troops. I can’t think of a better way to celebrate Independence Day than spending it with Americans who are bravely serving our country. Vice President Joe Biden, center, congratulates a soldier on becoming [...]
Posted by Kori Schulman This Independence Day, First Lady Michelle Obama has a special message for all Americans about supporting our military families: The First Lady is asking 100 percent of Americans to support the brave men and women in uniform and their families back home. Here are some things you can do in your community to get [...]
Posted by Arun Chaudhary Thanks for checking out the West Wing Week, your guide to everything that’s happening at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. This week, walk step by step with President Obama as he gets a lesson in mathematics in the Oval Office, attends the G8 and G20 summits in Canada, meets with the Chairman of the [...]
Posted by Jesse Lee Read the Transcript | Download Video: mp4 (330MB) | mp3 (32MB) Few issues have stirred more passions than immigration in this country, and this morning the President made clear what many already know: all sides must come together to address it, including those Republicans who have backed away from the table since the failed effort a [...]
Posted by Jesse Lee Speaking to 24 American service members as they became citizens of our nation in April, the President was passionate about the need to pass Comprehensive Immigration Reform: Over the years, many have attempted to confront this challenge, but passions are great and disagreements run deep. Yet surely we can all agree that when [...]
Posted by Jesse Lee Lawrence Summers, Director of the National Economic Council, spoke today on technology policy, job creation, and economic growth – in particular the President’s move to dramatically increase the amount of federal and commercial spectrum available for smartphones and wireless Internet devices. As our fact sheet explained, “In recent years, the amount of information [...]
Posted by Howard A. Schmidt Cyberspace has become an indispensible component of everyday life for all Americans. We have all witnessed how the application and use of this technology has increased exponentially over the years. Cyberspace includes the networks in our homes, businesses, schools, and our Nation’s critical infrastructure. It is where we exchange information, buy and [...]
Posted by Jesse Lee It may be that no relationship has seen greater progress and been more productive over the past two years than that between the U.S. and Russia. As one of his earliest foreign policy priorities, the President sought to “reset” relations with Russia and reverse what he called a “dangerous drift.” Every meeting [...]
Posted by Jesse Lee Read the Transcript | Download Video: mp4 (81MB) | mp3 (8MB) This afternoon the President spoke on new leadership for the mission in Afghanistan, full remarks below: Includes Video READ THE REST
Posted by Katelyn Sabochik Read the Transcript | Download Video: mp4 (64MB) | mp3 (6MB) Yesterday, President Obama held a Cabinet meeting at the White House to discuss a variety of topics with the Cabinet ranging from economic growth, national security and the war in Iraq, the BP Oil Spill, and the need for comprehensive energy and climate legislation. [...]
Posted by Dan Pfeiffer A video circulating today shows Republican Senate Whip Jon Kyl claiming that the President told him he would not enforce immigration policy on the border unless comprehensive immigration reform is passed. The President didn’t say that and Senator Kyl knows it. There are more resources dedicated toward border security today than ever before, but, as the [...]
Posted by Kori Schulman First Lady Michelle Obama delivers remarks to Marines and their families at Camp Pendleton in California. June 13, 2010. (Official White House Photo by Samantha Appleton) “It’s become one of my defining missions as First Lady, and that’s to help the rest of our country better understand and appreciate the incredible service [...]
Posted by Jesse Lee Download Video: mp4 (60MB) | mp3 (6MB) This morning the President announced James R. Clapper Jr. as the new Director of National Intelligence (DNI). Applauding outgoing DNI not only for his exceptional tenure, but his distinguished career, the President focused on continued work towards the seamless intergration and communication between all elements of our intelligence community, [...]
Posted by Jesse Lee Vice President Joe Biden delivers the commencement address at the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, May 28, 2010. (Official White House Photo by David Lienemann) This afternoon the Vice President gave the commencement address at the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, and spoke with awe of the tradition the [...]
