Hi, all. Today's report features:
The President Speaks About Libya: "The change that is taking place across the region is being driven by the people of the region.... And throughout this time of transition, the United States will continue to stand up for freedom, stand up for justice, and stand up for the dignity of all people."
Human Rights Abuses in Iran: State and Treasury designate two Iranian officials as guilty of abuses.
White House Press Briefing: Mr. Carney takes questions on Libya, DOMA and other issues.
Dr. Regina Benjamin: The Surgeon General discusses her life and work.
Energy Update:Secretary Chu reports on the 2012 Budget; new location for Solar Decathlon 2011.
The U.S. and Brazil:: Commerce report on Brazilian aircraft company Embraer opening a facility in Florida; in remarks with Brazilian Foreign Minister Antonio Patriota, Secretary of State Clinton discusses the partnership between the two nations.
THE PRESIDENT SPEAKS ABOUT LIBYA
White House, Feb. 23, 2011:
President Obama on the Situation in Libya
The President says that his Administration and the international community are united in their insistence that Libya refrain from using violence against its citizens. He also says that his Administration is monitoring developments throughout the Middle East and is working to help Tunisia and Egypt peacefully transition to democratic governments.
Office of the Press Secretary, Feb. 23, 2011:
Remarks by the President on Libya
THE PRESIDENT: Good afternoon, everybody. Secretary Clinton and I just concluded a meeting that focused on the ongoing situation in Libya. Over the last few days, my national security team has been working around the clock to monitor the situation there and to coordinate with our international partners about a way forward.
First, we are doing everything we can to protect American citizens. That is my highest priority. In Libya, we've urged our people to leave the country and the State Department is assisting those in need of support. Meanwhile, I think all Americans should give thanks to the heroic work that's being done by our foreign service officers and the men and women serving in our embassies and consulates around the world. They represent the very best of our country and its values.
Now, throughout this period of unrest and upheaval across the region the United States has maintained a set of core principles which guide our approach. These principles apply to the situation in Libya. As I said last week, we strongly condemn the use of violence in Libya.
The American people extend our deepest condolences to the families and loved ones of all who’ve been killed and injured. The suffering and bloodshed is outrageous and it is unacceptable. So are threats and orders to shoot peaceful protesters and further punish the people of Libya. These actions violate international norms and every standard of common decency. This violence must stop.
The United States also strongly supports the universal rights of the Libyan people. That includes the rights of peaceful assembly, free speech, and the ability of the Libyan people to determine their own destiny. These are human rights. They are not negotiable. They must be respected in every country. And they cannot be denied through violence or suppression.
In a volatile situation like this one, it is imperative that the nations and peoples of the world speak with one voice, and that has been our focus. Yesterday a unanimous U.N. Security Council sent a clear message that it condemns the violence in Libya, supports accountability for the perpetrators, and stands with the Libyan people.
This same message, by the way, has been delivered by the European Union, the Arab League, the African Union, the Organization of the Islamic Conference, and many individual nations. North and south, east and west, voices are being raised together to oppose suppression and support the rights of the Libyan people.
I’ve also asked my administration to prepare the full range of options that we have to respond to this crisis. This includes those actions we may take and those we will coordinate with our allies and partners, or those that we’ll carry out through multilateral institutions.
Like all governments, the Libyan government has a responsibility to refrain from violence, to allow humanitarian assistance to reach those in need, and to respect the rights of its people. It must be held accountable for its failure to meet those responsibilities, and face the cost of continued violations of human rights.
This is not simply a concern of the United States. The entire world is watching, and we will coordinate our assistance and accountability measures with the international community. To that end, Secretary Clinton and I have asked Bill Burns, our Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs, to make several stops in Europe and the region to intensify our consultations with allies and partners about the situation in Libya.
I’ve also asked Secretary Clinton to travel to Geneva on Monday, where a number of foreign ministers will convene for a session of the Human Rights Council. There she’ll hold consultations with her counterparts on events throughout the region and continue to ensure that we join with the international community to speak with one voice to the government and the people of Libya.
And even as we are focused on the urgent situation in Libya, let me just say that our efforts continue to address the events taking place elsewhere, including how the international community can most effectively support the peaceful transition to democracy in both Tunisia and in Egypt.
So let me be clear. The change that is taking place across the region is being driven by the people of the region. This change doesn’t represent the work of the United States or any foreign power. It represents the aspirations of people who are seeking a better life.
As one Libyan said, “We just want to be able to live like human beings.” We just want to be able to live like human beings. It is the most basic of aspirations that is driving this change. And throughout this time of transition, the United States will continue to stand up for freedom, stand up for justice, and stand up for the dignity of all people.
Thank you very much.
HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES IN IRAN
Office of the Press Secretary, feb. 23, 2011:
Statement by the Press Secretary on the Designation of Iranian Officials Responsible for or Complicit in Serious Human Rights Abuses
The historic events unfolding in the Middle East underscore the importance of protecting human rights around the world, which all nations have a responsibility to uphold. In accordance with U.S. law and the Administration’s commitment to supporting the universal rights of the Iranian people, the Departments of State and Treasury designated today two Iranian government officials responsible for serious human rights abuses against the people of Iran.
Today’s designation of Abbas Jafari Dolatabadi, Tehran Prosecutor General, and Mohammed Reza Naqdi, commander of the Basij Forces, supplements the list of eight Iranian officials designated in September 2010 for human rights abuses pursuant to the Comprehensive Iran Sanctions, Accountability, and Divestment Act of 2010, which imposes sanctions against senior officials in the Iranian government who, based on credible evidence, were involved in the commission of serious human rights abuses during or after Iran’s 2009 presidential election. The individuals designated will be subject to financial sanctions and visa ineligibilities under U.S. law. The list of names is not exhaustive and will continue to grow based on events in Iran, and as additional information and evidence becomes available.
As President Obama has said, human rights are a matter of moral and pragmatic necessity for the United States. The people of Iran should be able to express their opinions and their grievances without fear of reprisal from their government. The United States reaffirms its support to all those in Iran and around the world who are struggling to have their voices heard and rights respected. We continue to call upon the Iranian government to respect the rights of its people and we will continue to hold accountable those who infringe upon those universal rights.
WHITE HOUSE PRESS BRIEFING
White House, Feb. 23, 2011:
2/23/11: White House Press Briefing
White House Press Briefings are conducted most weekdays from the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room in the West Wing.
Office of the Press Secretary, Feb. 23, 2011:
Press Briefing by Press Secretary Jay Carney, 2/23/2011
MR. CARNEY: Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. Before we get started with questions let me just make a couple of announcements.
Later this afternoon the President is scheduled to call Prime Minister Key of New Zealand and reiterate our nation’s continued commitment to assist in the rescue and recovery efforts in the aftermath of the recent earthquake there.
I also just wanted to run through a few economic announcements. First, you should have all received a release listing the members of the President’s Council on Jobs and Competitiveness. The first meeting of the new council will take place tomorrow at the White House at 1:45 p.m. There will be pool spray coverage of the President’s remarks at the top of the meeting and the meeting will be live-streamed at www.whitehouse.gov.
Also today, Austan Goolsbee will hold a conference call at 3:00 p.m. to discuss the Economic Report of the President, which will be released later this afternoon. During that call, Austan will also announce the President’s intent to nominate Carl Shapiro to be a new member at the Council of Economic Advisers.
With that, I will take your questions.
Q: Thanks, Jay. Could you walk us through how the President’s position on the Defense of Marriage Act has evolved and how he made his decision to order the Justice Department to no longer defend its constitutionality?
MR. CARNEY: Yes. The President’s position on the Defense of Marriage Act has been consistent. He has long opposed it as unnecessary and unfair. Separate from that, or distinct from that is the decision that was announced today which was brought on by a court-imposed deadline, by the Second Circuit, that required a decision by the administration about whether or not this case should require heightened scrutiny, a heightened constitutional review -- because this -- unlike the other cases in other circuits, there was no precedent, no foundation upon which the administration could defend the Defense of Marriage Act, in this case. Therefore it had to basically make a positive assertion about its constitutionality.
The Attorney General recommended that the higher level of scrutiny be applied and under that higher level of scrutiny deemed or recommended that it be viewed as unconstitutional. The President reviewed that recommendation and concurred. Therefore, again, because of the court-imposed deadline and the necessity that this decision be made, our announcement was made....
The President’s personal view on same-sex marriage I think you all have heard him discuss as recently as a press conference at the end of last year. That is distinct from this legal decision. And he, again -- the Attorney General and the President were under a court-imposed deadline to make a decision in this case, and they did.
And the President -- let me make a couple of points about it. The decision is that we will -- the administration will not defend the Defense of Marriage Act in the Second Circuit. Furthermore, the President directed the Attorney General not to defend, because of the decision that it’s not constitutional, defend the Defense of Marriage Act in any other circuit, in any other case.
Let me also make clear, however, that the United States government will still be a party to those cases in order to allow those cases to proceed so that the courts can make the final determination about its constitutionality, and also, so that other interested parties are able to take up the defense of the Defense of Marriage Act if they so wish -- and in particular, Congress or members of Congress who want to proceed and defend the law in these cases.
The administration will do everything it can to assist Congress if it so wishes to do that. We recognize and respect that there are other points of view and other opinions about this. It is also important to note that the enforcement of the Defense of Marriage Act continues -- the President is constitutionally bound to enforce the laws and enforcement of the DOMA will continue....
Q: Are steps like a no-fly zone (in Libya) under consideration?
MR. CARNEY: A lot of options are under review. Sanctions, other options. But I also want to make clear that we -- our thoughts and prayers are with the families of the victims in Libya. And we are also focused, as I think many of you know, on the safety of American citizens who are in Libya. It’s a very high priority for this administration, the safety of American citizens, and we’re making sure that those Americans are able to be evacuated.....
Q: Can you articulate a policy that the Obama administration has for the sweeping wave of protests that are breaking out in North African and Middle Eastern countries? ....
MR. CARNEY: There is a policy, Jake, and we’ve been very clear about this. And what is important about this policy is that it does apply to every country in the region. First of all, violence against peaceful protesters is unacceptable. The rights, the universal rights of the citizens, the peoples of these countries, must be respected: the right to peaceful assembly, the right to free speech, the right to access to information. And the need for reform is paramount. These are principles that the President has enunciated when he’s talked about every country in the region that’s experienced unrest.
Q: Those are certainly the principles that he has consistently articulated, but it’s not really necessarily a policy for what to do in this country, what to do in that country....
MR. CARNEY: Well, the principles guide the policy. And you are right to note that each country is different. The President has made that point. Every country is different; every country has a different tradition, different institutions and a different relationship, in some cases, with the United States. But it is important that those overall principles guide our actions.
And what I would say is that in each case, we are guided by the principles and also by the fact that the unrest, the demonstration by the peoples of these countries of their desire for greater political -- greater access to the political system, greater freedom, for rights -- we support. We support those aspirations of those peoples. And we are -- but we are not dictating outcomes and we are not telling the people of any country who their leaders should be or should not be. That is up to the people of Libya to decide, just as it is up to the people of Egypt to decide.
Q: Is it fair to call this policy as it’s formulated ad hoc or ad-libbed?
MR. CARNEY: No, I think quite the contrary. It’s been -- there is a very clear set of principles that guide the policy. And I think that when you talk about broad policies in the foreign policy arena, the ones that are not ad hoc are the ones that are guided by a broad set of principles and not situation specific or country specific -- which is not to say, as I said, that how we handle or react or act proactively with regard to the situation in every country doesn’t differ depending on the country, because we obviously want -- we’re looking for positive outcomes.
Q: I’m sorry, but just -- you guys are prepared, you have a policy for if this were to happen in Jordan, if this were to happen in Saudi Arabia, if there were to happen in Morocco? You have plans for all of these different countries?
MR. CARNEY: I’m not sure what you mean by plans, but we would be -- without speculating on what might happen, our policies -- our policy in the region and towards the unrest we’ve seen in these countries has been consistent and would apply going forward....
Q: .... And on a government shutdown, is it the White House belief there won't be a shutdown starting March 5th?
MR. CARNEY: It is our belief, the President’s belief, that the Congress, the congressional leaders, and certainly -- have said and we have said that we believe there is the strong potential there for us to reach an agreement to avoid what you call the government shutdown. And I think -- again, I would point you to comments made by the House and Senate leaders, including the Speaker of the House and the Senate Minority Leader, about their desire to avoid a shutdown.
And I think it’s driven by the same reasoning that we adhere to, which is an outcome like a government shutdown would have harmful effects on our economy, would set back our economic recovery, would potentially reduce our job and reduce our job-creation efforts. And that is the focus that this President has every day. And I believe there was a study, a Goldman Sachs study, that pointed -- sort of spelled out and analyzed the potential impacts that a government shutdown might have on the economy. And we obviously, like the leaders of Congress, want to avoid that, and we believe we can.
Q: Is the White House engaged in negotiations on a new CR, a short-term CR?
MR. CARNEY: Mark, what I can say is that, as the President has said and others, we are very interested in sitting down with -- talking with leaders of Congress of both parties, and we have been obviously in discussions with them. Some of those meetings here you’re aware of. The process is a congressional process. And the House has acted; the Senate has to act. There are other steps that have to be decided between the House and the Senate, but we are certainly participating in a process and, again, are optimistic that decisions can be made to resolve this without harmful effects to our economy....
Q: Budget shutdown. Can you tell us the interaction the White House is having right now? Who at the White House is having interaction with leaders on Capitol Hill? Can you give us a little bit of background?
MR. CARNEY: I don’t want to give you a play-by-play on our meetings. I would direct you to the answer I think I gave to Mark, which is that we are interested in engaging and we have --
Q: Are you active in negotiations?
MR. CARNEY: Well, again, I don’t want to characterize the kind of conversations, and I would point you to the fact that this is a process, obviously, that needs to take place on Capitol Hill that --
Q: Can you at least describe the level of involvement that the White House is in? I mean, you’re not simply an observer, right?
MR. CARNEY: Well, Chuck, I would point you to the public -- well, I mean, I observe these meetings. But the --
Q: Meaning the White House.
MR. CARNEY: No, we participate. I mean, look, you know about some of the meetings that have happened. But I am not going to come up here every day with a list of meetings that happened yesterday or are going to happen tomorrow, because the focus here is on results. The focus is on coming to an agreement. And we do not believe that reading out every meeting or --
Q: Not asking for every meeting, but just characterize the level of --
MR. CARNEY: The House Republican leadership has been here. Senator McConnell has been here. The House Democratic leadership has been here. There have been meetings with Senate Democratic leaders. I mean, these -- we have been engaged in this process....
Q: .... As far as Middle East is concerned, how much President is worried about the flow of oil ... and also the security of Israel?....
MR. CARNEY: Well, our commitment to Israel’s security is unshakeable, as you know. And that is always a concern for us. On the issue of oil, obviously, we are monitoring oil prices very carefully, but I wouldn’t speculate about where those prices may go in the future....
Q: Jay, let me follow up on oil prices if I can. Since your briefing began, West Texas crude topped $100 a barrel. Is this just a matter of watching, or is there anything the U.S. government can do to ensure continued oil flow from -- well, from Africa’s biggest oil supplier -- North’s Africa’s biggest oil supplier?
MR. CARNEY: Well, whenever there’s unrest in this part of the world, there are going to be reactions in the markets. Beyond that, the situation is fluid, and I don’t want to speculate about where prices will go or any other potential things in the future. But we are obviously monitoring this carefully and we’re concerned about it. But we’re just monitoring it....
Q: I got a statement from Speaker Boehner’s office on this issue (DOMA). This is from their press office: While Americans want Washington to focus on creating jobs and cutting spending, the President will have to explain why he thinks now is the appropriate time to stir up a controversial issue that sharply divides the nation. What’s your response to that?
MR. CARNEY: Well, I would say simply, as I said in the beginning, that the administration had no choice. It was under a court-imposed deadline to make this decision. This case in the Second Circuit was unique in that it lacked the precedent upon which to defend the Defense of Marriage Act in the way that this administration had defended it in previous cases. It, therefore, required this decision on its constitutionality, and we had to act because of the deadline.
We are also absolutely focused and committed on these key issues of economic growth and job creation. And we are now anticipating that this will move to the courts, and the courts will decide. And meanwhile, we will continue to focus on job creation and economic growth and winning the future.
Q: Just to be clear, just to be clear, will this decision -- does it just apply to the four pending lawsuits on DOMA? Or does it apply to any -- another lawsuit for DOMA in the future?
MR. CARNEY: I would refer you -- I’m not a lawyer -- but I would refer you to the Justice Department. My understanding is that because of the decision about the constitutionality of DOMA and the position that the administration is taking, that we will no longer defend DOMA going forward. We will, however, continue to enforce it. And we will continue to be participants in the cases to allow those cases to continue and be resolved, and also so that Congress or members of Congress can pursue the defense if they so desire.
Q: I just have one last question, one last question. Is there any outcome at the district or appellate level that would persuade the Obama administration to volunteer discontinuing enforcement of DOMA throughout the nation?
MR. CARNEY: You're asking me to speculate. I would also note that the President is obligated to enforce the law....
Q: Thank you. Just to clarify, so imposing a no-fly zone in Libya, that's under active consideration right now?
MR. CARNEY: I’m not going to get into specifics, but I will say that we are reviewing a variety of options with our international partners to compel or to persuade the government of Libya to cease this terrible violence....
Q: Jay, when you look at state capitals in Wisconsin, Ohio and Indiana, what’s wrong with a governor trying to address basically state entitlements....
MR. CARNEY: Well, I will -- on the specific actions that members of different legislatures have taken, I’m not going to judge that, but I will -- from here. But I will say that there is nothing wrong with -- as the President made clear in his interview with a Wisconsin television station, he firmly believes that state legislatures and governors need to address their fiscal issues, just as he is working with Congress to address fiscal problems at the federal level.
His view is that it is important that everyone work together towards that goal; that public sector employees obviously have to tighten their belts, others have to tighten their belts, but that this should not be an effort that goes after some of the fundamental rights of collective bargaining in the name of reducing the deficit. Because that -- I think it’s fair to say that the best outcomes will be when everyone sits at the table -- executive branch, legislatures, union members -- and deals with these issues in a productive way so that they can be resolved, precisely so that these states can get control of their budgets, as we are very aggressively trying to get control of ours....
Q: On Pakistan, how concerned -- if you can give us some idea separate of State Department output -- how concerned is the President with this diplomatic situation? And has the presidential visit to Pakistan -- is it now in jeopardy? Was it ever placed in question by the whole situation?
MR. CARNEY: I will simply say that our position is the same as it was, which we believe that the principle that every country in the world that participates in the Vienna Convention on diplomatic relations has a responsibility to honor the provisions of that treaty. And that’s our starting point in dealing with this issue. And we continue to be focused on a resolution that results in Pakistan honoring the diplomatic immunity status of the individual and his return home....
Q: .... Does the U.S. believe it has any leverage over Qaddafi?
MR. CARNEY: The United States believes that, as I think I said the other day, that the most effective action here is -- will be taken in a united way by our -- the United States with its international partners; that that will have hopefully the most significant impact on the behavior of the Libyan government. And we are working very closely with our allies and our partners in the international community and examining multilateral actions as well as bilateral actions that will bring about the kind of result that we think is absolutely necessary....
Q: We understand that next week President Obama will receive here at the White House the President of Mexico, Felipe Calderόn. Can you tell us what is the reason of the meeting?
MR. CARNEY: Well, the President is deeply committed to the strong partnership the United States has with Mexico. I think that is the reason for the meeting. We admire the commitment and sacrifices of the Mexican people as they confront the criminal organizations that have brought so much violence to Mexico, specifically on those issues which I know have been in the news. But this is a vital and important relationship with an important ally....
Q: How would the White House read the performance of the Gulf Coast Claims Facility and Ken Feinberg in handling oil spill claims?
MR. CARNEY: As you know, in the wake of the unprecedented oil spill, the President worked to secure a $20 billion fund that would be used to pay claims and would be administered by a third party. Ken Feinberg, whom you mentioned, was appointed by BP to manage that process. This administration, through the Department of Justice, has made clear -- has clearly communicated its concerns -- some of the concerns that we have had and has publicly urged the Gulf Coast Claims Facility to take a number of steps to improve the process. I would point you to -- for more on that, there’s a filing that the Justice Department made I think in the last day or two....
Q: Jay, does the President -- you’ve outlined kind of the principles and what the President expects moving forward when it comes to the North African and Middle East unrest. Does the President see this as kind of an arc, due to any overarching factors like decreased power of OPEC or dispersion of al Qaeda -- is there any -- are there any starting factors that the President sees crediting for this unrest?
MR. CARNEY: Jared, I would -- a starting point would be the speech in Cairo, which clearly recognized the need and called on the countries in the region to respond to, with reforms, the democratic aspirations of the people in the region. On al Qaeda I would note that the change that has come about in this region has in many ways been a direct repudiation of the kind of change that violent terrorists want to bring about and the means by which they believe change should come about, which is death and destruction. This has been peaceful change. It has been pluralistic. It has been -- really has unfolded in stark contrast to the methods of terrorist organizations....
Q: In the Small Business Forum that the President attended yesterday he expressed an interest in something called a tax credit for angel investors. Those would be those with financial means to invest early on. Is the President considering new initiatives in this area or part of a small business -- a broader small business package?
MR. CARNEY: I think what the President was reflecting was this interest -- and Startup America is a good indication of his interest in just this, which is vehicles by which the government can assist the efforts by larger companies or investors to invest in smaller companies to speed up the process of growth and job creation and innovation. So I think Startup America is a good indication of how important he views the role that small business and innovative businesses have in growing the economy and creating the industries that we need to compete in the 21st century.
And he was very -- the forum yesterday was excellent in that regard because there were so many -- it was clear that the kind of small businesses that were represented there in Cleveland were exactly the kinds of businesses that will drive not just job creation -- because we all know that small businesses are the engine of economic growth -- but innovation, creativity, which is exactly what we need in this coming century.
Thank you all very much. Appreciate it.
DR. REGINA BENJAMIN
GoBeyondMCH, Feb. 15, 2011:
Interview with VADM Regina M. Benjamin, MD, MBA at AMCHP Conference
While attending the 2011 AMCHP Conference (Association of Maternal & Child Health Programs), the Surgeon General of the United States, VADM Regina M. Benjamin MD MBA, speaks about the importance of prevention and supporting partnerships.
Dr. Regina Benjamin's Story: Promoting Health and Wellness for All Americans
Posted by Dr. Regina Benjamin, Surgeon General of the United States.
Ed. Note: This post is part of the Celebrating Black History Month series, which highlights African Americans from across the Administration whose work contributes to the President's goals for winning the future.
As Surgeon General, I am privileged to serve as “America’s Doctor,” providing the public with the best scientific information available on how to improve their health and the health of the nation. I also oversee the operational command of 6,500 uniformed health officers in the Commissioned Corps of the U.S. Public Health Service. These officers serve in locations around the world to promote, protect, and advance the health of the American People.
I grew up in Daphne, Alabama, and graduated from high school in the nearby town of Fairhope. I received a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Xavier University in New Orleans and attended Morehouse School of Medicine before receiving my medical degree from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. I later obtained a masters’ degree in business administration from Tulane University in New Orleans. After completing my family medicine residency in Macon, Georgia, I established a clinic in a small fishing village in Alabama to help its many uninsured residents. That clinic in Bayou La Batre is still operating today, despite being destroyed by Hurricane Georges in 1998, Hurricane Katrina in 2005, and a devastating fire in 2006. President Obama nominated me for the Surgeon General’s post in July 2009, and I was confirmed by the Senate for that position in November of the same year.
Prevention is the foundation of public health, and prevention is the foundation of my work as Surgeon General. If we want to truly reform health care in this country, we need to prevent people from getting sick in the first place, and stop disease before it starts. In the health reform law that was enacted in 2010, Congress created a commission to develop the first-ever national prevention strategy, and named me to chair the commission. The panel, made up of the heads of 17 federal departments and agencies, is providing coordination and leadership at the federal level to ensure that the government is focused on prevention.
Before becoming Surgeon General, I served on the Sullivan Commission, a blue-ribbon panel that looked for ways to diversify the health care workforce. The commission found that, while 25 percent of the nation’s population is minority, only 6 percent of physicians are minorities. That is the same percentage that existed when a similar report was issued in 1910–100 years earlier. Meanwhile, less than 9 percent of nurses are minorities.
Although the nation’s minority populations are increasing, in recent years there has been a downward trend in minority enrollment at our nation’s medical, dental and nursing schools. Unless current trends are quickly reversed, our nation faces a growing ethnic and racial disconnect between those who seek care and those who provide that excellent care.
ENERGY UPDATE
Department of Energy, Feb. 14, 2011:
Media Briefing: Fiscal Year 2012 Budget
US Department of Energy Secretary Steven Chu holds a media briefing on the Fiscal Year 2012 Budget.
Department of Energy, Feb. 23, 2011:
Energy, Interior Departments Announce New Location for Solar Decathlon 2011
Collegiate design competition to be held at the National Mall's West Potomac Park
WASHINGTON -- The Department of Energy and the Department of the Interior today announced that the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon 2011 will be held at the National Mall's West Potomac Park, on the banks of the Potomac River along the path between the Lincoln and Jefferson Memorials. Specifically, the event will be held on the peninsula just south of the new Martin Luther King Jr. National Memorial - scheduled to open in August of this year - between the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial and the Potomac River. The Decathlon will begin in late September as originally scheduled.
The event is being moved from its previous location on the Mall between the Washington Monument and the Capitol to balance the many uses and demands on the Mall.
"We look forward to holding another world-class Solar Decathlon in a world-class location - the National Mall's West Potomac Park," said Secretary Chu. "Keeping the competition on the National Mall property allows the students to proceed with their existing home designs, specifically tailored for Washington's latitude, temperature, and humidity conditions. The West Potomac site is in close proximity to a number of attractions and will provide an ideal stage to highlight clean energy solutions for thousands of public visitors."
"Solar energy is a key component of President Obama's vision for a new energy future and the solar decathlon is part of that future," said Secretary Salazar. "The National Mall is America's Front Yard and we have a responsibility to do what is best for the long term health of the Mall. I am pleased that we have been able to find a strong alternate location for the Solar Decathlon and I am looking forward to a successful event."
The U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon is a competition that challenges collegiate students from across the globe to design, build, and operate solar-powered houses that are affordable, highly energy-efficient, attractive, and easy to live in. During the competition, 20 homes from 16 domestic and four international collegiate teams, will undergo extensive testing and expert judging in ten different contest categories. The winner of the competition is the team that best blends affordability, consumer appeal, and design excellence with optimal energy production and maximum efficiency. This will be DOE's fifth Solar Decathlon; previous events were held in 2002, 2005, 2007, and 2009.
The Solar Decathlon provides participating students with unique training to enter our nation's clean-energy workforce. It is also a popular public event, open to visitors who come to see the designs and learn about money-saving clean-energy solutions for their own homes. The public will be encouraged to meet the students and visit their highly efficient, innovative solar homes during the event. Specific public viewing hours for this year's competition will be published at a later date.
View a preliminary layout map (pdf - 136 kb) of the National Mall's West Potomac Park site.
The Solar Decathlon supports the Obama Administration's goal of creating an economy based on clean-energy technologies while saving families and businesses money and reducing reliance on fossil fuels.
For more information, please visit SolarDecathlon.gov.
THE U.S. AND BRAZIL
Department of Commerce, Feb. 2, 2011:
New Investment by Embraer in Florida Creates New Opportunities and New Jobs
Guest blog post by Francisco J. Sánchez, Under Secretary of Commerce for International Trade
Yesterday I was honored to participate in the opening ceremony for the new Embraer assembly facility in Melbourne, Florida. Embraer is a Brazilian manufacturer of commercial, general aviation, and defense aircraft, and this new plant will employ up to 200 people from the area.
The ceremony embodied what I believe in about the future:
• Exports create jobs;
• The key to the future of the American economy is international trade; and
• Economic integration among the nations of the hemisphere is how all of us remain competitive in the face of rising global competition.
The aircraft assembled in the new facility symbolize the growth of the hemispheric market and represents how international trade brings the economies of the hemisphere closer to each other.
Brazil and the United States understand that hundreds of millions of new consumers are giving birth to a new global market that will demand quantity as well quality. Quantity and quality almost define Embraer itself.
Defining the future, too, are the United States and Brazil, which is why President Obama will be travelling to Brazil next month. The gathering of dignitaries yesterday in many ways can be looked upon as part of the President’s visit to Brazil, for it incorporates the spirit and intention of the journey.
The United States is also interested in launching an Aviation Cooperation Program with Brazil. We see this as a way of elevating and deepening our relationships with the Brazilian government and industry.
All of us should embrace Embraer’s decision to build this assembly plant in Florida. It foreshadows the greater future that lies before us and Florida – and before the United States and Brazil as well.
Department of State, Feb. 23, 2011:
Secretary Clinton Holds a Bilateral Meeting With Brazilian Foreign Minister Patriota
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton holds a bilateral meeting with Brazilian Foreign Minister Antonio Patriota at the U.S. Department of State in Washington, D.C., on February 23, 2011.
Department of State, Feb. 23, 2011:
Remarks With Brazilian Foreign Minister Antonio Patriota After Their Meeting
SECRETARY CLINTON: Good afternoon, everyone. I’m delighted to welcome a friend and a colleague and someone very familiar here in Washington back to the State Department in his new capacity as foreign minister. Antonio, it’s always a pleasure to see you, and thank you for being here so that we could have a very broad-ranging discussion and particularly prepare for President Obama’s upcoming visit to Brazil.
I was very privileged to attend the inauguration of President Rousseff, and the wonderful potential of everything that we’re working on holds great promise for broadening and deepening our already strong partnership. This will be President Obama’s first presidential visit to South America. It comes at a time when we are cooperating closely and our bilateral work on issues and global challenges, including food security and human rights and clean energy and global inequality, is key to both of us. And we will explore even additional ways to pursue our common interests and our common values. Both Brazil and the United States seek to promote open and accountable government, civil rights, a vibrant civil society, and social inclusion.
And President Rousseff has placed particular emphasis on eliminating poverty and advancing the role of women, something that I am particularly pleased to endorse. And the two are connected, because empowered women tend to be entrepreneurial women who lift their families and even their neighborhoods and communities out of poverty.
I am also pleased that last year our two countries launched the Global Partnership Dialogue to advance exchanges on economic, security, and social issues. In the past year, our energy ministries have concluded a work plan for energy that will help us collaborate on advancing sustainable technologies such as hydropower, smart grids, and energy efficient housing. We initialed an Open Skies agreement that will increase the number of flights between the United States and Brazil and make pricing more competitive, and we signed a defense cooperation agreement that will help us work together to meet the security challenges confronting us. I also was pleased that we signed a Memorandum of Understanding that will help us together promote international development.
Brazil brings so much to the table when it comes to global development, and I often point to Brazil as a model. And I am delighted that just recently the foreign minister chaired the Security Council on Security and Development. Brazil has pioneered innovative and indigenous responses to HIV/AIDS. After the tragic earthquake in Haiti, Brazil became one of Haiti’s top ten donors. It already commanded and continues to command the UN Stabilization Mission that has provided security to the Haitian people. And we have worked together closely to ensure that the next round of elections in Haiti go well.
So Brazil has enormous credibility when it comes to development, and the United States supports what Brazil is doing in reaching out around the world. In fact, the foreign minister told me that Brazil has opened 50 new embassies in recent years. And we look forward to working with Brazil, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa.
So this is an exciting time for Brazil and for our relationship. The whole world is looking forward to Brazil hosting the World Cup in 2014 and the Summer Olympics in 2016. And we are especially pleased that President Obama will be visiting Brazil and will have a chance to speak directly to the Brazilian people about the cooperation, partnership, and friendship that exists not only between our leaders but between our people.
Thank you....