The Wall Street Journal ran a graph this weekend claiming, “The private sector is adding jobs … but the recovery is slower than in past cycles.”   In fact, even though it is not fast enough, the rate of job growth is actually faster now than was the case at comparable points of the past two recoveries.

How did the Wall Street Journal get it wrong?  The problem is that their graph indexes job growth to the start of the recession, not the start of the recovery.  The economy stopped contracting at the end of the second quarter last year and has since expanded for four straight quarters.  So June 2009 is a reasonable date to pick for the start of the recovery, although the “official” date has not yet been set by the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER).   Private sector job growth started six months after GDP started expanding in the current recovery.  By contrast, in the 2001 recovery private sector job growth did not begin until 22 months after the official NBER end date of the recession, and in the 1991 recovery job growth did not start until 12 months after the official NBER end date of the recession.

The graph below indexes jobs to the end of the economic contraction and beginning of recovery, not the start of the recession, and indicates that we have recovered more jobs so far than in the two most recent previous recoveries.  The graph that follows makes that point even more strongly for aggregate work hours.

The headline of the Journal’s graph should have been that the recession that began in December 2007 was much more severe in terms of job loss than past recessions, even the 1982 recession.  That’s because the most recent recession resulted from a financial panic that caused severe damage to household wealth and business and consumer confidence.  The damage caused by financial crises is typically much more widespread, indiscriminate and longer lasting than that caused by other recessions.  So the fact that private businesses have added jobs, on net, in each of the last eight months – and that job growth has come earlier than in the past two recoveries – could be taken as a sign that the medicine applied to the economy has helped it to begin the process of healing much earlier and robustly than would otherwise have been the case.

Despite job growth starting earlier than in the last two recoveries, the Administration is not satisfied that it is not even faster, and is seeking additional measures to speed job growth, such as through a small business lending fund.  As President Obama said this weekend, the Administration is committed to “doing everything we can to accelerate job creation.”

Alan B. Krueger is Assistant Secretary for Economic Policy and Chief Economist, U.S. Department of the Treasury

Lindsay Graham has often shown that he’s fully capable of being reasonable and bipartisan. Which made it particularly disappointing to see his misleading use of numbers yesterday.

On Meet the Press, the Senator, against a wave of evidence to the contrary, argued that the Recovery Act has been “an absolute disaster” and called for cancelling “a lot” of what’s left in the bill (transcript here).

His evidence for this claim: “…we’ve lost two-and-a-half million jobs since the stimulus passed.”

Take a look at the figure below and you’ll see why this is so misleading. He’s conflating two periods of very different employment trends. In the first, when his team’s policies dominated, employment hemorrhaged at nightmarish rates. In the second, when the Recovery Act was on the scene, job losses in the private sector began to diminish, and this year, turned positive.

In fact, over the past eight months, the private sector has added over three-quarters of a million jobs (763,000). And reams of analysis associate this turnaround with the Recovery Act.

To conflate these two obviously different periods, when the difference is in fact a direct contrast between our policies and theirs, is seriously misleading.

But it is standard Republican practice these days. They drove the car in the ditch, stood by the road wagging their fingers while the Recovery Act and other policies got it out, and now, as the car is starting off in the right direction, are saying, “hey, their plans can’t be working because that car used to be in a ditch!”

Let me be clear. The car, as I said, is finally moving in the right direction, but it needs to go a lot faster. Eight years of deep neglect has seriously damaged its engine and it’s not going attain full speed right away.

That’s why President Obama continues to work with anyone who’s willing to help to build on the momentum you see in the chart below. As he put it just last Friday: “…the key point I’m making right now is that the economy is moving in a positive direction, jobs are being created, they’re just not being created as fast as they need to given the big hole that we experienced.  And we’re going to have to continue to work with Republicans and Democrats to come up with ideas that can further accelerate that job growth.”

Most recently, the President called for a significant downpayment on forward-looking infrastructure program (pdf)(fully paid for) to continue the work on the nation’s roads, rails, and runways begun in the Recovery Act. It’s a critical next step on longer term investments in the nation’s productive capacity that will, in the short term, create good jobs for folks facing particularly high unemployment.

In the interest of getting that car back up to speed as quickly as possible, we urge Senator Graham and his colleagues to work with us on this and other bipartisan ideas.

Jared Bernstein is Chief Economic Advisor to the Vice President

This afternoon, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced that Medicare prescription drug plan premiums for 2011 will stay similar to rates beneficiaries are currently paying this year.  The average premiums in 2010 were $29 per month – in 2011 we expect average monthly premiums to be just a dollar more.  All beneficiaries should check to make sure that the plan offerings that will be available in 2011 are right for them when information on those plans becomes available in October.

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The delegations have departed, the speeches have been delivered, and the talks have begun. Re-launching direct negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians was of course a first step, but the meetings this week at the White House and the State Department went quite well, and represent a good foundation for progress.

As Senator Mitchell said, the tone was constructive and serious, and the two leaders began to establish a positive relationship. Prime Minister Netanyahu and President Abbas met for nearly two hours one-on-one at the State Department on September 2nd. They talked very frankly and openly with each other, and got a sense of each other’s seriousness of purpose.

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Over the past three decades, childhood obesity rates in America have tripled, affecting children across the nation and changing country’s overall health and wellness.   Building on the momentum of the Let’s Move! campaign and highlighting the steps that individuals, families and communities can take to address this issue, President Obama recently issued a proclamation making September 2010 National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month.

The new Presidential Proclamation encourages Americans to be more active in addressing this ongoing struggle and raising a healthier generation of children:

“One of the greatest responsibilities we have as a Nation is to safeguard the health and well-being of our children.  We now face a national childhood obesity crisis, with nearly one in every three of America’s children being overweight or obese.  There are concrete steps we can take right away as concerned parents, caregivers, educators, loved ones, and a Nation to ensure that our children are able to live full and active lives.  During National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month, I urge all Americans to take action to meet our national goal of solving the problem of childhood obesity within a generation.”

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On Wednesday in Cleveland, Ohio, the President will update the American people on the state of the economy, talk about the progress we have made, and discuss some targeted proposals to keep the economy growing including extending tax cuts for the middle class, and investing in the areas of our economy where the potential for job growth is greatest.

As today’s jobs numbers demonstrate, we are headed in the right direction. We have gained private sector jobs for the last 8 months, but not nearly enough. As the President said today, there’s no quick fix to the worst recession since the Great Depression. It took years to create our economic problems, and it’ll take more time than any of us would like to fully repair the damage. There are no silver bullets and anyone who is promising them is not being straight with the American people. But there are some ideas that will help the economy and help American families that are hurting and those proposals will be a part of the President’s remarks.

Speaking in the city where Minority Leader Boehner recently detailed the Republican economic agenda, the President will lay out the choice between his ideas and the failed policies and failed philosophy that led us into this mess.

Dan Pfeiffer is White House Communications Director

It has become somewhat of a tradition for Labor Secretaries to use Labor Day to give a “State of the American Worker” report, if you will. Some have made remarks from podiums. Others have testified on Capitol Hill. Some have chosen to address think tanks, corporations, or labor unions.

Those are all important forums. But as your Labor Secretary I have had the great opportunity to meet many of the working men and women who truly make America run, and this year I want to talk directly to you – the American worker.

Many of you have told me that you want an America that “produces things again.” You want a nation that is strong, that leads the international marketplace in innovation and a commitment to quality. And you want a government that is responsive, pragmatic and understands your needs.

But more than anything else, no matter where I go and who I talk to, you’ve told me “we need jobs.”

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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 without causing the level of damage that it could have, but we still don’t know what Earl’s impact will be in the Northeast United States.  Earl is still a potentially dangerous storm, and it’s important for residents in the region to continue to take this storm seriously and to get ready.

Yesterday, our Deputy Administrator Rich Serino, who has 35 years of emergency management experience in Massachusetts, deployed to Boston to oversee our preparation and response efforts.  FEMA teams have been on the ground since earlier this week along the East Coast, including Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, Vermont and Maine to work directly with and support state and local officials. We also have teams on standby in New York and New Jersey, ready to help if needed. We have pre-positioned commodities for rapid delivery in Massachusetts, including water, meals, tarps, and generators, and at the direction of President Obama we are bringing together all of our federal partners to ensure a swift and effective response if needed. Our goal throughout all of these efforts is simple – we want to do everything we can to keep our residents and communities safe, and prevent the loss of life and property.

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This morning Council of Economic Advisers Chair Christina Romer laid out the basics of the jobs numbers for August out this morning: the private sector added 67,000 jobs, Census workers continued to come to end of their work as planned, and people coming back into the job hunt bumped the unemployment rate up by .1%.

To discuss the news, the President spoke in the Rose Garden, flanked by his top economic advisors:

As we head into Labor Day weekend, I know many people across this country are concerned about what the future holds for themselves, for their families, and for the economy as a whole.

As I’ve said from the start, there’s no quick fix to the worst recession we’ve experienced since the Great Depression.  The hard truth is that it took years to create our current economic problems, and it will take more time than any of us would like to repair the damage.  Millions of our neighbors are living with that painfully every day.

But I want all Americans to remind themselves there are better days ahead.

The President then went through the numbers before explaining what they meant and pushing Republicans to stop blocking the help for small business that SBA Administrator Mills wrote about earlier:

Now, that’s positive news, and it reflects the steps we’ve already taken to break the back of this recession.  But it’s not nearly good enough.  That’s why we need to take further steps to create jobs and keep the economy growing, including extending tax cuts for the middle class and investing in the areas of our economy where the potential for job growth is greatest.  In the weeks ahead, I’ll be discussing some of these ideas in more detail.

But one thing we also have to do right now –- one thing we have a responsibility to do right now –- is to lift up our small businesses, which accounted for over 60 percent of job losses in the final months of last year.  That’s why once again, I’m calling on Congress to make passing a small business jobs bill its first order of business when it gets back into session later this month.

Now, here’s why this is so important.  Up until this past May, we were not only waiving fees for entrepreneurs who took out Small Business Administration loans, we were also encouraging more community banks to make loans to responsible business owners.  These steps are part of the reason about 70,000 new Small Business Administration loans have been approved since I took office.  And I thank Karen Mills for the outstanding job she’s been doing as Administrator of the Small Business Administration.

We’ve also been extending — fighting to extend these loan enhancements with a small business jobs bill.  It’s a bill that will more than double the amount some small business owners can borrow to grow their companies.  It will completely eliminate capital gains taxes on key investments, so small business owners can buy new equipment and expand.  And it will accelerate $55 billion in tax cuts for businesses, large and small, that make job-creating investments in the next 14 months.

And keep in mind, it is paid for.  It will not add one dime to our deficit.  So, put simply, this piece of legislation is good for workers; it’s good for small business people; it’s good for our economy.  And yet, Republicans in the Senate have blocked this bill — a needless delay that has led small business owners across this country to put off hiring, put off expanding, and put off plans that will make our economy stronger.

I’ve repeated since I ran for office, there is no silver bullet that is going to solve all of our economic problems overnight.  But there are certain steps that we know will make a meaningful difference for small businessmen and women, who are the primary drivers of job creation.  There are certain measures that we know will advance our recovery.  This small business jobs bill is one of them.

What two countries lead the world in energy consumption, energy production and greenhouse gas emissions? The United States and China. Can our two countries work together to help lead the world in a transition to clean energy? A recent announcement by U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu is an important step in that direction.

Yesterday, Secretary Chu announced that the University of Michigan and West Virginia University will each lead consortia under the U.S.-China Clean Energy Research Center. The two consortia will receive $25 million in total funding from the U.S. Department of Energy for this work. These amounts will be matched by the grantees, for a total of $50 million in U.S. funding. The Chinese side will contribute an additional $50 million, for a total of $100 million for this innovative project.

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I was surprised to hear Minority Leader Mitch McConnell say he believes the Small Business Jobs Act currently before the Senate is “a little itty-bitty small business bill that no one thinks will have much of an impact on the economy.” In fact, I would encourage him to go on the road with me to places like Saratoga Springs, where I was just yesterday meeting with several small business owners, including Larry Levita.

Larry and his son Phillip are the owners of Plum Dandy, a frozen yogurt shop in Saratoga Springs’ historic downtown.  A few months ago they received an SBA Recovery loan for $175,000 to open their shop, and with that they created 12 new jobs. Their loan was one of about 70,000 loans SBA has made with enhancements first provided in the Recovery Act in February 2009. Larry told me that things are going really well for them, and in fact they’re already thinking of opening a second location.

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Today’s employment report was better than expected. Private sector payrolls increased by 67,000 in August — the eighth consecutive month of private sector job growth. This growth is consistent with other recent data reports indicating that the economy is continuing to recover, albeit at a somewhat slower pace than in the early spring. The rate of job growth, however, is not as large as needed to bring the unemployment rate down quickly. Indeed, the unemployment rate rose one-tenth of a percentage point to 9.6%, as more than half a million people joined the labor force. The President continues to work with his economic team and with Congress to identify measures that could help speed the recovery and put the economy on a path of steadily declining unemployment.

In addition to the rise in August, the estimates of private sector job growth for June and July were revised up by a total of 66,000. Since last December, private sector employment has risen by 763,000. Despite the rise in private sector employment, overall payroll employment fell by 54,000, as 114,000 temporary Census jobs were eliminated.

Private sector payrolls expanded in a number of sectors, including education and health services, construction, and temporary help services. Manufacturing employment fell 27,000 in August; much of this drop likely reflects the fact that manufacturing employment in July was elevated because General Motors chose to forgo its usual two-week shutdown. The manufacturing ISM Report on Business released on Wednesday indicated stronger employment growth in manufacturing in August than in July. State and local government payrolls declined by 10,000 in August, consistent with continuing budget difficulties in many states and localities.

In the household survey, the number of people employed rose by 290,000. But, because the labor force rose by 550,000, the unemployment rate ticked up to 9.6% (from 9.5% in July). The employment -to-population ratio also rose one-tenth of a percentage point (to 58.5%), indicating that in the household survey employment growth more than kept up with population growth. In addition, the number of workers who have been unemployed 27 weeks or longer declined sharply, from 6.57 million to 6.25 million.

Against the backdrop of some unsettling economic data in the past few weeks, today’s numbers are reassuring that growth and recovery are continuing. At the same time, the fact that the growth of private sector payrolls is below the level needed to keep up with normal growth of the labor force is obviously unacceptable. There are a number of step we could take to help increase private sector job growth and put the economy on a path of steadily declining unemployment. We will be working with Congress on these measures in the coming weeks.

There will likely be bumps in the road ahead. The monthly employment and unemployment numbers are volatile and subject to substantial revision. Therefore, it is important not to read too much into any one monthly report, positive or negative. It is essential that we continue our efforts to move in the right direction and encourage robust job gains.

Christina Romer is the Chair of the Council of Economic Advisers

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 the next mission, training and supporting the Iraqis now that they have the lead in protecting their own country. West Wing Week proudly joins the President and countless others who have saluted our troops over the past week — it’s never too late for you to join in too.

Download Video: mp4 (365.5MB)

Wednesday, August 31, 2010

• The President addresses the nation on the end of the combat mission in Iraq from the Oval Office.

Tuesday, August 31, 2010

• The President talks with the troops at Fort Bliss, Texas.

Arun Chaudhary is the official White House videographer

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 in conjunction with the National Hurricane Center.

President Barack Obama talks on the phone with Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator Craig Fugate about preparations for Hurricane Earl during a call in the Oval Office. Listening at right is Richard A. Reed, Special Assistant to the President for Homeland Security. September 1, 2010. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

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As students head back to school this fall, I travelled over the last two weeks on an eight-state bus tour to highlight “Courage in the Classroom.” The mission of the tour was simple: to honor our nation’s unsung heroes—our teachers.

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Under the old health care system, many businesses found it difficult, if not impossible to provide health insurance benefits to their workers. Over the past decade the percentage of small firms offering coverage decreased and many businesses have suffered under the weight of high health care costs.

The Affordable Care Act helps make it easier for employers to provide health benefits. This year, small businesses are eligible for health care tax credits and starting in 2014, small businesses with up to 100 employees will have access to state-based Small Business Health Options Program (SHOP) Exchanges, which will expand their purchasing power. Additionally, the Business Roundtable estimated that provisions in the legislation could save $3,000 per person in health costs.

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Americans have a rich history of showing great generosity when other communities around the world face crises.  Today, the people of Pakistan are confronting one of the worst crises in their history.  Over 20 million people throughout Pakistan have been affected since flooding began just over a month ago and there is an urgent need for shelter, clean water, food, and medical supplies.

That is why the State Department has established the Pakistan Relief Fund for American’s to join the relief, recovery and reconstruction effort by donating online or by texting “FLOOD” to 27722 for a contribution of $10 that will be added to their cell phone bill.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton encourages American’s to help continue our tradition of generosity in a public service announcement released by the Ad Council.

Contributions to the Pakistan Relief Fund will go towards funding programs run by the Department of State and other federal agencies for relief, recovery and reconstruction efforts in Pakistan, or to provide funds to international organizations, non-profit organizations and other appropriate recipients for relief, recovery and reconstruction efforts in Pakistan.   For more information about the Pakistan Relief Fund, visitwww.state.gov/pakistanrelief.

Yesterday I was pleased to receive the encouraging news from two USDA reports that illustrate the strength of the recovery in our agricultural economy. The 2010 Farm Income Forecast and Outlook for U.S. Agricultural Tradeshow a positive picture for 2010, and predict sustained growth for the future.

This recovery is a testament to the 2008 Farm Bill, to a wide range of efforts of the Obama Administration – such as the Recovery Act – to move the economy forward and to support the agriculture economy, and the hard work and resilience of America’s farmers and ranchers.

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The President’s schedule today is packed with bilateral meetings: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel, President Mahmoud Abbas of the Palestinian Authority, King Abdullah II of Jordan, and President Hosni Mubarak of Egypt.  The talks will stretch into the night with a working dinner with all five leaders in the Old Family Dining Room of the White House.  Learn more from last night’s press briefing with Special Envoy for Middle East Peace Senator George Mitchell.

Emerging from the first in that series of meetings, President Obama and Prime Minister Netanyahu made clear that the “senseless slaughter” that took place last night would not deter the pursuit of peace:

PRESIDENT OBAMA:  Hello, everybody.  Prime Minister Netanyahu and I just had a very productive discussion about our shared efforts to advance the cause of peace between Israelis and Palestinians and throughout the Middle East.  I’m going to have more to say about today’s meetings not only with Prime Minister Netanyahu but with the other participants of the talks here in the Rose Garden later this afternoon.  But I did want to specifically take some time out to speak to the people of Israel and to the region about the senseless slaughter that took place near Hebron yesterday.

There are going to be extremists and rejectionists who, rather than seeking peace, are going to be seeking destruction.  And the tragedy that we saw yesterday where people were gunned down on the street by terrorists who are purposely trying to undermine these talks is an example of what we’re up against.  But I want everybody to be very clear:  The United States is going to be unwavering in its support of Israel’s security and we are going to push back against these kinds of terrorist activities.

And so the message should go out to Hamas and everybody else who is taking credit for these heinous crimes that this is not going to stop us from not only ensuring a secure Israel but also securing a longer-lasting peace in which people throughout the region can take a different course.

I also want to express the deepest condolences of the American people to the families of those who were gunned down.  And I want to thank Prime Minister Netanyahu, during a very difficult time for his country, still being so committed to the cause of peace that he is here with us today.

Prime Minister.

PRIME MINISTER NETANYAHU:  Well, thank you, Mr. President, for expressing what I think is the sentiment of decent people everywhere, in the face of this savagery and brutality.

Four innocent people were gunned down and seven new orphans were added, by people who have no respect for human life and trample human rights into the dust and butcher everything that they oppose.

I think that the President’s statement is an expression of our desire to fight against this terror.  And the talks that we had, which were, indeed, open, productive, serious in the quest for peace, also centered around the need to have security arrangements that are able to roll back this kind of terror and other threats to Israel’s security.  That is a fundamental element, an important foundation, of the peace that we seek and work for.

And I appreciate, Mr. President, your efforts to advance this peace for us and for our neighbors, for our region, and I think we can say, for the world.

Thank you.

PRESIDENT OBAMA:  Thank you.

And let me just say that I will be meeting with President Abbas this afternoon.  He condemned this outrageous attack, as well.  I have the utmost confidence in him and his belief in a two-state solution in which the people of Israel and the Palestinians are living side by side in peace and security.  And so I am also grateful to him for his presence here today.

We’ve got a lot of work to do.  There are going to be those who are going to do everything they can to undermine these talks, but we are going to remain stalwart.

And so, to Prime Minister Netanyahu and to Prime Minister — and to President Abbas, as well as to President Mubarak and King Abdullah of Jordan, I am very grateful for their participation.  I will have a longer discussion about that this afternoon after my bilateral meetings.

Thank you.

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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 to announce the end of America’s combat role in that war.  Americans in high school today may barely remember a time when America was not in combat in Iraq, and young adults – including so many of our troops who have sacrificed so much – have almost by definition gone their entire adult lives in a country divided over the war.  Today, as the President put it, was a day to begin to “turn the page” – a day when America could turn its focus towards building itself back up from a devastating recession.

Over all that time, though, as the President pointed out, “there has been one constant amidst those shifting tides”:

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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 there, and never forgotten with the American people.

It was in that same spirit that the President flew to Fort Bliss in Texas today, home to troops who have served at every stage of the Iraq War, including troops who are redeploying back home throughout the fall, and troops supporting our new support mission in Iraq.

President Barack Obama greets members of the military at Fort Bliss in El Paso, Texas August 31, 2010. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

The President will address the nation from the Oval Office tonight at 8:00PM EDT, you can watch live here and submit questions for a live chat afterwards now. He told those listening that they would be the focus:

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Tonight at 8pm EDT, President Obama will address the nation from the Oval Office regarding the end of the U.S. combat mission in Iraq.  Immediately following the President’s remarks, Ben Rhodes, Deputy National Security Advisor for Strategic Communications will answer questions directly from Americans across the country.

Now is your chance to hear the White House’s response to your questions about the change of mission. Submit your questions now and vote your favorite ones ot the top. Then tune in tonight at 8pm EDT to watch and participate at whitehouse.gov/live.

If you are an employer, you know how difficult it can be to find – and provide– health insurance for your retired employees who are age 55 or older and not yet eligible for Medicare.

Some Americans who retire before they are eligible for Medicare see their life savings disappear because of medical bills and exorbitant rates in the individual health insurance market.  And the cost of insurance can be out of reach for individuals looking to buy health coverage on their own.

Many employers would like to help their employees make this transition comfortably and provide access to health insurance past retirement. But in these tough economic times, it is difficult for employers to keep up with skyrocketing health care costs for employees and retirees.

The Affordable Care Act’s Early Retiree Reinsurance Program will make it a little easier for employers to provide high-quality health benefits to their retirees.

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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 and families working to restore what was lost.

Watch the video:

Read the Transcript |  Download Video: mp4 (249MB) | mp3 (24MB)

Throughout our Hurricane Katrina: 5 Years of Remembering & Rebuilding series, we heard stories of dedication and restoration from across the federal government.  Here are just a few examples of the Administration’s continued support for the individuals, families and communities who were affected:

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With the unwavering support of President Obama, VA is transforming to meet its 21st Century responsibilities.  Advocacy, on behalf of every generation of Veterans, is central to this transformation.

Agent Orange was a blend of herbicides used by the U.S. military, during the Vietnam conflict, to deny concealment to enemy forces.  More than 19 million gallons of herbicides were sprayed to remove foliage and undergrowth.  The most common, Agent Orange, was sprayed in all four military zones of South Vietnam.

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As I travel around the country, I meet many small business owners who are poised to take that next step to grow their business and create jobs. In fact, this morning’s USA Today looks at one of those business owners – Amarjit Kaur who runs a convenience store and gas station in Wood Village, OR. Amarjit has been approved for an SBA loan so she can buy the property she now leases. But today her application sits in a queue waiting for passage of the Small Business Jobs Act currently before the Senate.

Here’s what’s happening: Up until a few months ago, SBA was able to waive the fees for SBA loan borrowers. This allowed small business owners to put more money back into their business. In fact, these fee reductions will save Amarjit about $35,000. At the same time, we were able to increase the government guarantee on SBA loans, to encourage more banks and credit unions to go ahead and make SBA loans to good, creditworthy small businesses.

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On August 10th, you may have seen Jenny Backus’ post on HealthCare Notes noting that the third round of donut hole rebate checks went into the mail.

Recently, we hit a major milestone: the millionth check was sent out over the weekend.

If you haven’t heard about the rebate checks before, they are the first step in closing the prescription drug coverage gap under the Affordable Care Act. This gap is commonly referred to as the ‘donut hole.’ We know that many people with Medicare have tight budgets and some may skip or alter the medicines their doctors recommend they take in order to save money in the donut hole. That is dangerous and unacceptable. And that’s why the Affordable Care Act takes steps to close this coverage gap.

This year, as qualifying people with Medicare enter the ‘donut hole,’ Medicare will send them a tax-free, one-time rebate check for $250.  Next year, if you reach the ‘donut hole,’ you will receive a 50 percent discount when buying covered brand-name prescription drugs.

If you are eligible for this assistance, remember, you don’t need to do anything special to receive the check. People who qualify for the one-time check do not need to sign up, since their checks are mailed automatically when they enter the donut hole. So just make sure to check the mailbox.

Just a reminder: you should never give out personal information to anyone who is not a trusted source. If anyone asks for your personal information you are encouraged to contact 1-800-MEDICARE and report the inquiry. You can also visit www.stopmedicarefraud.gov for more information.

We hope that the latest round of checks will ease the burden on individuals recently entering the donut hole. This is just one of several ways that the Affordable Care Act strengthens Medicare so make sure you check out Medicare.gov and other areas of HealthCare.gov for more information.

Don Berwick is Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services

Download Video: mp4 (52MB) | mp3 (5MB)

Speaking in the Rose Garden in the heat, the President began his remarks this morning on the economy by once again noting that for all the progress that’s been made since “that terrible September when our economy teetered on the brink of collapse,” there is much left to do – and that millions of Americans are still struggling:

That’s why my administration remains focused, every single day, on pushing this economy forward, repairing the damage that’s been done to the middle class over the past decade, and promoting the growth we need to get our people back to work.

So, as Congress prepares to return to session, my economic team is hard at work in identifying additional measures that could make a difference in both promoting growth and hiring in the short term, and increasing our economy’s competitiveness in the long term. Steps like extending the tax cuts for the middle class that are set to expire this year.  Redoubling our investment in clean energy and R&D.  Rebuilding more of our infrastructure for the future.  Further tax cuts to encourage businesses to put their capital to work creating jobs here in the United States.  And I’ll be addressing these proposals in further detail in the days and weeks to come.

Having laid out this broader agenda, though, and making clear that no one bill would be the silver bullet, the President zeroed in on the obstruction that is standing in the way of even the most immediate and obvious of steps:

And there’s currently a jobs bill before Congress that would do two big things for small business owners: cut more taxes and make available more loans.  It would help them get the credit they need, and eliminate capital gains taxes on key investments so they have more incentive to invest right now.  And it would accelerate $55 billion of tax relief to encourage American businesses, small and large, to expand their investments over the next 14 months.

Unfortunately, this bill has been languishing in the Senate for months, held up by a partisan minority that won’t even allow it to go to a vote.  That makes no sense.  This bill is fully paid for.  It won’t add to the deficit.  And there is no reason to block it besides pure partisan politics.

Small business owners and the communities that rely on them, they don’t have time for political games.  They shouldn’t have to wait any longer.  In fact, just this morning, a story showed that small businesses have put hiring and expanding on hold while waiting for the Senate to act on this bill.  Simply put: holding this bill hostage is directly detrimental to our economic growth.

So I ask Senate Republicans to drop the blockade.  I know we’re entering election season.  But the people who sent us here expect us to work together to get things done and improve this economy.

The old adage goes that Presidents often wish for one-handed economists, to avoid all that “on the one hand, sir, we could be looking at X; though on the other hand, it could be Y.”

So when economic consensus forms around the outcome of a policy like the Recovery Act, it’s worth taking note. That’s why this article from USA Today, entitled (online) “Economists Agree: Stimulus Created 3 Million Jobs” is worth noting.

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An update out from the White House moments ago:

Vice President Joe Biden in Iraq

Vice President Joe Biden has arrived in Iraq to participate in a Change of Command and Change of Mission Ceremony, fulfilling the commitment made by the President in his first month in office.

This is the Vice President’s sixth trip to Iraq since January 2009. The United States ends its combat mission in Iraq on August 31st, having drawn down to fewer than 50,000 troops from approximately 144,000 troops in January 2009. The remaining troops will advise and assist Iraq’s security forces, conduct partnered counter-terrorism operations, and protect U.S. civilians. In accordance with an agreement between the U.S. and Iraqi governments, all U.S. forces will leave Iraq by December 31, 2011.

President Obama will deliver a National Address on Iraq on August 31st. The Vice President’s visit at this juncture will reinforce the long-term U.S. commitment to Iraq. The Vice President will meet with Iraqi President Jalal Talabani, Vice President Tariq al-Hashimi, Vice President Adil Abd al-Mahdi, Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, leader of the Iraqiyya coalition Ayad Allawi, Chairman of the Islamic Supreme Council Ammar al-Hakim and other political leaders to discuss the latest developments in Iraq and to urge Iraqi leaders to conclude negotiations on the formation of a new government.

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) commitment to help rebuild Gulf communities remains strong.

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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 a world-class education to all of America’s children.

Despite the progress, New Orleans still has a lot of work to do. More than 100 school buildings were devastated by the floods of Katrina. The city still needs to replace, rebuild and rehabilitate buildings that were destroyed by the floods. Working together, state and city leaders have produced a master plan to will rebuild and renovate its schools.

Today, I joined Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano in announcing more than $1.8 billion in federal funds to support the rebuilding of New Orleans’ schools. This money will support the city in building the excellent learning environments that the children of New Orleans deserve.

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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 non-combat mission will be home.  The administration is upholding the sacred trust with our veterans by building a 21st century VA, making it easier for veterans with PTSD to receive the benefits they need, funding and implementing a Post-9/11 GI Bill, and devoting new resources to job training and placement to help those veterans looking for work in a tough economy.

• Join the President, Dr. Jill Biden, and even Drew Brees of the New Orleans Saints in saluting our troops for their service.

Yesterday, Vice President Biden visited a New Hampshire homeowner and announced that more than 200,000 homes have been weatherized as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, helping families across the nation cut their energy bills. The Associated Press ran an article today critical of the announcement and suggesting – incorrectly – that the Administration hasn’t acknowledged that the program got off to a slower start than was anticipated.

While it is true that it took longer than hoped to ramp up weatherization efforts, it’s also important to recognize the incredible progress that has been made and dramatic acceleration of the program. In June, more than 31,000 homes were weatherized – the most in history, and above our target rate, putting us on track to meet the program’s goal of completing 600,000 homes.

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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 our country’s history.

Since taking office, the Obama administration has made Gulf Coast rebuilding a top priority. Over the past 20 months, we’ve obligated more than $2.5 billion in funding for new schools and universities, fire houses, police stations, and critical infrastructure, including roads, bridges, hospitals, and public health assets across the Gulf.

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In September 2009, the President announced that – for the first time in history – the White House would routinely release visitor records. Today, the White House releases visitor records that were created in May 2010. Today’s release also includes several visitor records created prior to September 16, 2009 that were requested by members of the public during July 2010 pursuant to the White House voluntary disclosure policy. This release brings the grand total of records that this White House has released to over 600,000 records. You can view them all in our Disclosures section.

Norm Eisen is Special Counsel to the President for Ethics and Government Reform

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 over-capacity, and in chaos. We met with students at a local public school.

I knew then that we would have a lot of work to do to restore the community’s trust, respect and confidence in government.  When I returned home to Los Angeles, I donated cleaning supplies and clothing to displaced hurricane victims.  A small gesture, but I hoped to encourage others to do whatever they could to help, no matter what that was.

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Today, the President’s Economic Recovery Advisory Board (PERAB) approved its report on tax reform and sent it to the President.

• Read the report (pdf).
• Letter to the President from Chairman Paul Volcker (pdf).

The PERAB report fulfills the specific mandate they were given: to discuss the pros and cons of a spectrum of reform ideas relating to tax simplification, improving compliance with existing tax laws, and reforming the corporate tax system.  They were also instructed not to consider policies that would raise taxes on families making less than $250,000.

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Throughout the debate on the Affordable Care Act, the Administration was focused on ways to bring down costs and decrease long term deficits – and independent analysts repeatedly validated these efforts as successful. But many critics continued to insist that the bill would somehow bust the budget anyway, despite proof to the contrary.

Well, to his credit perhaps, one Senator who opposed reform recently put his money where his mouth was, as they say, and asked the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) to examine the impact of repealing parts of the Affordable Care Act on the deficit over the next 10 years. As you have likely heard, some of those who opposed reform have adopted repeal as their new rallying cry, so the answer he got may have come as a bit of a surprise to him:

Finally, you asked what the net deficit impact would be if certain provisions of PPACA and the Reconciliation Act that were estimated to generate net savings were eliminated…If those provisions were repealed, CBO estimates that there would be an increase in deficits similar to its original estimate of $455 billion in net savings over that period.

In other words, repealing these provisions would add about $455 billion to the deficits over the next 10 years, hardly a contribution to our long term fiscal stability. As we say, we commend the Senator for his genuine concern for America’s budget deficits, a concern we have all clearly shared. We invite him and any others in Congress who opposed reform and who share that genuine concern to now embrace the Affordable Care Act as one of the most important deficit reduction laws in recent memory, which it clearly is.

The Affordable Care Act is already strengthening our health care system. Small businesses are eligible for tax cuts to help provide coverage to their employees, eligible seniors are receiving $250 checks to help with the cost of their prescription drugs and new consumer protections that put the American people in charge of their own care take effect in less than a month.  Further, the new law strengthens the long-term viability of Medicare that millions of seniors depend on, by cutting waste and fraud, and increasing efficiency.  It is also improving quality of care and giving consumers new benefits. But repealing the law means a larger budget deficit, and a health care system that gives insurance companies all the power.

As the CBO has once again made clear, we can’t afford to go back.

Stephanie Cutter is Assistant to the President for Special Projects