Hi, all. Today’s report features:
• The President’s Weekly Address: The President explains the urgent need to ratify the New START Treaty with Russia on nuclear weapons.
• The President in Lisbon for NATO: press conferences with the Portuguese President and Prime Minister, the President’s op-ed on the U.S.-Europe relationship, readouts of meetings with leaders and comments on the need for New START, and the President’s statement on the day’s progress.
• The Vice President’s Middle Class Task Force event: Vice President Biden announced a series of steps designed to help middle class and low-income families secure their legal rights.
• National Entrepreneurship Week concludes with Commerce Secretary Locke’s Q & A and reports from National Entrepreneur’s Day.
• The President checks out an electric car made by GM for the European market.
From the White House, Nov. 20, 2010:
Weekly Address: New START Treaty "Fundamental" to Security
The President says ratifying the New START, a pivotal treaty with Russia on nuclear weapons, must happen this year. He explains that failure to ratify the treaty this year would not only mean losing our nuclear inspectors in Russia, but also undermine the international coalition pressuring Iran, put at risk the transit routes used to equip our troops in Afghanistan, and undo decades of American leadership and bipartisanship on nuclear security.
THE PRESIDENT:
Today, I’d like to speak with you about an issue that is fundamental to America’s national security: the need for the Senate to approve the New START Treaty this year.
This Treaty is rooted in a practice that dates back to Ronald Reagan. The idea is simple – as the two nations with over 90 percent of the world’s nuclear weapons, the United States and Russia have a responsibility to work together to reduce our arsenals. And to ensure that our national security is protected, the United States has an interest in tracking Russia’s nuclear arsenal through a verification effort that puts U.S. inspectors on the ground. As President Reagan said when he signed a nuclear arms treaty with the Soviet Union in 1987, "Trust, but verify."
That is precisely what the New START Treaty does. After nearly a full year of negotiations, we completed an agreement earlier this year that cuts by a third the number of long-range nuclear weapons and delivery vehicles that the United States and Russia can deploy, while ensuring that America retains a strong nuclear deterrent, and can put inspectors back on the ground in Russia.
The Treaty also helped us reset our relations with Russia, which led to concrete benefits. For instance, Russia has been indispensable to our efforts to enforce strong sanctions on Iran, to secure loose nuclear material from terrorists, and to equip our troops in Afghanistan.
All of this will be put to risk if the Senate does not pass the New START Treaty.
Without ratification this year, the United States will have no inspectors on the ground, and no ability to verify Russian nuclear activities. So those who would block this treaty are breaking President Reagan’s rule – they want to trust, but not verify.
Without ratification, we put at risk the coalition that we have built to put pressure on Iran, and the transit route through Russia that we use to equip our troops in Afghanistan. And without ratification, we risk undoing decades of American leadership on nuclear security, and decades of bipartisanship on this issue. Our security and our position in the world are at stake.
Indeed, since the Reagan years, every President has pursued a negotiated, verified, arms reduction treaty. And every time that these treaties have been reviewed by the Senate, they have passed with over 85 votes. Bipartisan support for New START could not be stronger. It has been endorsed by Republicans from the Reagan Administration and both Bush Administrations – including Colin Powell, George Shultz, Jim Baker, and Henry Kissinger. And it was approved by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee by a strong bipartisan vote of 14-4.
Over the last several months, several questions have been asked about New START, and we have answered every single one. Some have asked whether it will limit our missile defense – it will not. Some, including Senator Jon Kyl, have asked that we modernize our nuclear infrastructure for the 21st century – we are doing so, and plan to invest at least $85 billion in that effort over the next ten years – a significant increase from the Bush Administration.
Finally, some make no argument against the Treaty – they just ask for more time. But remember this: it has already been 11 months since we’ve had inspectors in Russia, and every day that goes by without ratification is a day that we lose confidence in our understanding of Russia’s nuclear weapons. If the Senate doesn’t act this year – after six months, 18 hearings, and nearly a thousand questions answered – it would have to start over from scratch in January.
The choice is clear: a failure to ratify New START would be a dangerous gamble with America’s national security, setting back our understanding of Russia’s nuclear weapons, as well as our leadership in the world. That is not what the American people sent us to Washington to do.
There is enough gridlock, enough bickering. If there is one issue that should unite us – as Republicans and Democrats – it should be our national security.
Some things are bigger than politics. As Republican Dick Lugar said the other day, "Every Senator has an obligation in the national security interest to take a stand, to do his or her duty."
Senator Lugar is right. And if the Senate passes this treaty, it will not be an achievement for Democrats or Republicans – it will be a win for America.
Thanks.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/...
• THE PRESIDENT AT NATO SUMMIT IN LISBON •
From the White House, Nov. 19, 2010:
President Obama Meets with President Silva
President Obama and President Cavaco Silva of Portugal make statements to the press after meeting at Belém National Palace in Lisbon.
Office of the Press Secretary, Nov. 19, 2010:
Statements to the Press by President Obama and President Silva of Portugal After Meeting
PRESIDENT OBAMA:
Thank you for your warm welcome. Thank you to the people of Lisbon and Portugal for welcoming us to this beautiful, ancient city.
It is very fitting that we are gathering here in Lisbon. It was from here that the great explorers set out to discover new worlds. It was here, a gateway of Europe, through which generations of immigrants and travelers have passed and bound our countries together. It was here that Europeans came together to sign the landmark treaty that strengthened their union.
Now we’ve come to Lisbon again to revitalize the NATO alliance for the 21st century and to strengthen the partnership between the United States and the European Union.
Mr. President, I thank you and all the people of Portugal for everything you’ve done to make these summits a success.
Our meeting was also an opportunity to reaffirm the strong partnership between the United States and Portugal. President Cavaco Silva is commander of Portugal’s armed forces, and will be representing Portugal at the NATO Summit.
We pledged to continue the excellent cooperation between our militaries, especially Lajes Field in the Azores, which provides critical support to American and NATO forces in Iraq and Afghanistan.
I expressed my gratitude to the Portuguese armed forces who are serving alongside us in Afghanistan. And here in Lisbon, I look forward to working with our NATO and our ISAF partners as we move towards a new phase, a transition to Afghan responsibility that begins in 2011, with Afghan forces taking the lead for security across Afghanistan by 2014.
So this summit is an important opportunity for us to align an approach to transition in Afghanistan.
Finally, we discussed ways to expand our bilateral cooperation. On the economic front, we’re looking to deepen our partnership in trade and investment, in science and technology. I am very impressed with the outstanding work that Portugal has done in areas like clean energy, and we think that we can collaborate more.
On the security front, Portugal’s upcoming seat at the U.N. Security Council will be an opportunity to advance peace and security that both our nations seek around the world.
So, Mr. President, I want to thank you and the Portuguese people for your hospitality. I’m confident that we’re going to have two successful summits and that we will continue to deepen an extraordinarily strong partnership between the United States and Portugal -- one that’s based not just on relations between heads of state, not just on the basis of treaties, but based on an enormous warmth between our two peoples; one that in part is forged by the wonderful contributions that are made by Portuguese Americans each and every day.
So thank you so much, Mr. President.
http://bit.ly/...
From the White House, Nov. 19, 2010:
President Obama Meets with Prime Minister Socrates
President Obama and Prime Minister Socrates of Portugal make statements to the press after meeting in Lisbon. November 19, 2010.
Statements to the Press by President Obama and Prime Minister Socrates of Portugal After Meeting
PRIME MINISTER SOCRATES: Mr. President, it’s an honor to welcome you to Portugal on your first visit to my country. And I think this is the right moment to reaffirm in front of you the transatlantic relationship as one of the most important pillars of Portugal’s foreign policy.
Portugal and the United States of America share the same values and same vision of the future. This I think can explain the excellent bilateral relation between our two countries.
We are very good friends, and we are very good allies. But, please, Mr. President, allow me to continue in Portuguese because I would like to address myself to the Portuguese public opinion.
(Speaking Portuguese.)
(In English.) Once again, Mr. President Obama, welcome to Portugal, and I give you the floor.
PRESIDENT OBAMA: .... These are obviously difficult times -- difficult economic times for the world and for Portugal. But Mr. Prime Minister, your determination to strengthen the Portuguese economy and to host these summits speaks to your leadership and to Portugal’s leadership, not only in Europe but around the world. So I thank you very much for that.
Portugal and the United States have been partners for more than 200 years, and allies for more than 60 years. Immigrants from Portugal, the Azores and Madeira, formed strong Portuguese American communities across our country, including, by the way, in my home state of Hawaii.
And I understand that there’s been a fair amount of interest here about how my family has been enriched by Portugal as well, specifically Bo, our dog. (Laughter.) He is the most popular member of the White House. (Laughter.)
As the Prime Minister said, we had some excellent discussions, first over lunch and just now in our meeting. I told the Prime Minister how grateful we are for the service of Portuguese soldiers in our efforts in Afghanistan, where next year we will begin the transition to Afghan responsibility for security.
We discussed NATO’s new Strategic Concept, which will ensure that the alliance can meet the new challenges of the 21st century. And as Portugal prepares to take its seat on the U.N. Security Council, we discussed how we can work together around the world, including our shared goal of promoting development in Africa, where Portugal has historic ties.
But the focus of our meeting was on the highest priority for both our countries, and that is creating jobs and prosperity for our people. And one of the ways to do that is to increase trade and investment between the United States and Portugal -- trade which supports both jobs and innovation in both our countries....
New partnerships between Portuguese and American companies are leading the way in wind power. The Prime Minister’s leadership on electric cars will create new opportunities for American companies here in Portugal, as I believe we’ll see tomorrow, and this is an example of what Portugal and America can achieve together....
So, again, I want to thank not only the Prime Minister, the President who previously hosted me, but most of all the Portuguese people, for your friendship, your commitment to a strong alliance between our two countries, and I am very much looking forward to spending the next few days in this beautiful city so that we can continue to strengthen a relationship that I think is not only important to both our countries but important to Europe and the world as well.
Obrigado.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/...
Office of the Press Secretary, November 19, 2010:
Op-Ed by President Barack Obama: 'Europe and America, Aligned for the Future'
The op-ed below by President Barack Obama appeared this morning in the International Herald Tribune.
With this week’s NATO and United States-European Union summit meetings in Lisbon, I am proud to have visited Europe a half-dozen times as president. This reflects an enduring truth of American foreign policy — our relationship with our European allies and partners is the cornerstone of our engagement with the world, and a catalyst for global cooperation.
With no other region does the United States have such a close alignment of values, interests, capabilities and goals. With the largest economic relationship in the world, trans-Atlantic trade supports millions of jobs in the United States and Europe and forms a foundation of our efforts to sustain the global economic recovery.
As an alliance of democratic nations, NATO ensures our collective defense and helps strengthen young democracies. Europe and the United States are working together to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons, promote peace in the Middle East and confront climate change. And as we have seen in the recent security alert in Europe and the thwarted plot to detonate explosives on trans-Atlantic cargo flights, we cooperate closely every day to prevent terrorist attacks and keep our citizens safe.
Put simply, we are each other’s closest partners. Neither Europe nor the United States can confront the challenges of our time without the other. These summits are thus an opportunity to deepen our cooperation even further and to ensure that NATO — the most successful alliance in human history — remains as relevant in this century as it was in the last. That is why we have a comprehensive agenda at Lisbon.
First, on Afghanistan, we can align our efforts to transition to an Afghan lead, even as we sustain an enduring commitment to the Afghan people.
Our NATO-led coalition in Afghanistan is comprised of 48 nations — including contributions from all 28 NATO allies and 40,000 troops from allied and partner countries, whose service and sacrifice we honor. Our shared effort is essential to denying terrorists a safe haven, just as it is necessary to improve the lives of the Afghan people. With the arrival of additional coalition forces over the last two years, we finally have the strategy and resources to break the Taliban’s momentum, deprive insurgents of their strongholds, train more Afghan security forces, and assist the Afghan people.
In Lisbon, we will align our approach so that we can begin a transition to Afghan responsibility early next year, and adopt President Hamid Karzai’s goal of Afghan forces taking the lead for security across Afghanistan by the end of 2014.
And even as America’s transition and troop reductions will begin this July, NATO — like the United States — can forge a lasting partnership with Afghanistan to make it clear that as Afghans stand up and take the lead, they will not stand alone.
As we move forward in Afghanistan, NATO will also transform itself in Lisbon with a new Strategic Concept that recognizes the capabilities and partners we need to meet the new threats of the 21st century. This must begin by reaffirming the lifeblood of this alliance — our Article 5 commitment that an attack on one is an attack on all.
To ensure that this commitment has meaning, we must strengthen the full range of capabilities that are needed to protect our people today and prepare for the missions of tomorrow. Even as we modernize our conventional forces, we need to reform alliance command structures to make them more effective and efficient, invest in the technologies that allow allied forces to deploy and operate together effectively, and develop new defenses against threats such as cyber attacks.
Another necessary alliance capability is missile defense of NATO territory, which is needed to address the real and growing threat from ballistic missiles. The Phased Adaptive Approach to European missile defense that I announced last year will provide a strong and effective defense of the territory and people of Europe and our deployed American forces. Moreover, it forms the foundation of greater collaboration — with a role for all allies, protection for all allies, and an opportunity for cooperation with Russia, which is also threatened by ballistic missiles.
In addition, we can work to create the conditions for reductions in nuclear arsenals and move toward the vision I outlined in Prague last year — a world without nuclear weapons. Yet so long as these weapons exist, NATO should remain a nuclear alliance, and I’ve made it clear that the United States will maintain a safe, secure and effective nuclear arsenal to deter any adversary and guarantee the defense of our allies.
Finally, at Lisbon we can continue to forge the partnerships beyond NATO that help make our alliance a pillar of global security. We must keep the door open to European democracies that meet the standards of NATO membership. We must deepen cooperation with organizations that complement NATO strengths, such as the European Union, the United Nations and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. And with the attendance of President Dmitri Medvedev at the NATO-Russia Council summit, we can resume practical cooperation between NATO and Russia that benefits both.
For just as the United States and Russia have reset our relationship, so too can NATO and Russia. In Lisbon we can make it clear that NATO sees Russia as a partner, not an adversary. We can deepen our cooperation on Afghanistan, counter-narcotics and 21st century security challenges — from the spread of nuclear weapons to the spread of violent extremism. And by moving ahead with cooperation on missile defense, we can turn a source of past tension into a source of cooperation against a shared threat.
For more than six decades, Europeans and Americans have stood shoulder to shoulder because our work together advances our interests and protects the freedoms we cherish as democratic societies. As the world has changed, so too has our alliance, and we are stronger, safer and more prosperous as a result. That is our task in Lisbon — to revitalize our alliance once more and ensure our security and prosperity for decades to come.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/...
Office of the Press Secretary, November 19, 2010:
Read-out of the President's Bilateral Meeting with President Saakashvili of Georgia
President Obama met with Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili in Lisbon today to discuss further strengthening bilateral relations and increasing our cooperation. President Obama reaffirmed U.S. support for Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. President Obama expressed his appreciation for Georgia’s significant contributions to the ISAF mission in Afghanistan and for the service and sacrifice of its brave troops. The two leaders discussed the Georgian government’s efforts to implement political, economic, and defense reforms and our shared interest in securing democracy, stability, and prosperity in Georgia.
Read-out of the President's Conversation with President Gul of Turkey
President Obama spoke with Turkish President Gul at the NATO Summit in Lisbon today. The two leaders agreed on the importance of the Alliance developing new capabilities to respond to 21st century challenges. President Obama thanked President Gul for his leadership in supporting the new NATO Strategic Concept which was endorsed by all 28 NATO members.
Chancellor Angela Merkel and NATO Secretary General Rasmussen on New START
Below are comments from today by Chancellor Angela Merkel and NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen regarding the New START.
Chancellor Merkel:
Chancellor Merkel welcomed the unity of the NATO Summit on a new political strategy. "The strategic concept is clear, proactive, and shows that we are all working from a common foundation...This summit will go down in the history of NATO." Regarding the debate over missile defense she said: "I do not see any contradiction whatsoever between missile defense and nuclear disarmament." Diplomats had already reported that Berlin and Paris had overcome their differences of opinion regarding missile defense. Paris insisted that NATO statements from the Summit not create the impression that missile defense would call into question Europe's atomic arsenal. Merkel said that the goal to reach a nuclear free world remains. "But we cannot be naive" she warned. "We have to thank President Obama that he negotiate a new START treaty. I would wish that the new START treaty would also be ratified." DPA 11/19/2010
NATO Secretary General Rasmussen:
Separately, NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen told reporters: "I would strongly regret if the ratification of the START treaty is delayed."
"A delay of the ratification of the START treaty would be damaging to security in Europe," he said. "I strongly encourage all parties involved to do their utmost to ensure an early ratification of the START treaty." AFP 11/19/2010
From the White House, Nov. 19, 2010:
President Obama's Statement at NATO Summit
President Obama urges the Senate to pass the new START nuclear disarmament treaty, saying that the treaty will strengthen our alliance and the security of our European allies. November 19, 2010.
Office of the Press Secretary, Nov. 19, 2010:
Remarks by the President on the NATO Summit and the New START Treaty
THE PRESIDENT: Good evening, everybody. I just wanted to take a few minutes to talk about the substantial progress that the United States and our NATO allies have made here today.
We head into tomorrow’s meeting with an alliance that is fully aligned in its vision and approach to collective security for the 21st century. After a year of discussions -- and sometimes debate -- the new Strategic Concept that we are embracing shows that NATO is fully united about the way forward and committing to addressing the full range of security challenges of this century.
Our Article 5 commitment remains the center of our approach, of course -- an attack on one NATO member is an attack on all. And just as we will always back up that commitment with the conventional and nuclear strength that is necessary to defend our allies, we are now backing up that commitment with new capabilities as well.
That’s why I’m pleased to announce that -- for the first time -- we’ve agreed to develop missile defense capability that is strong enough to cover all NATO European territory and populations, as well as the United States. This important step forward builds on the new phased adaptive approach to missile defense that I announced for the United States last year. It offers a role for all of our allies. It responds to the threats of our times. It shows our determination to protect our citizens from the threat of ballistic missiles. And tomorrow, we look forward to working with Russia to build our cooperation with them in this area as well, recognizing that we share many of the same threats.
Under the leadership of Secretary General Rasmussen, I’m also pleased that we’re looking at the full range of capabilities that we need to secure our people -- from more deployable capabilities, to new measures to deal with new threats like improvised explosives, to the cyber defenses that will be so essential in the years to come.
And just as we have full agreement on our new Strategic Concept, tomorrow our NATO allies, ISAF partners and the Afghan government will work to align our approach on Afghanistan, particularly in two areas: our transition to full Afghan lead between 2011 and 2014, and the long-term partnership that we’re building in Afghanistan.
Finally, let me say a few words about the need to ratify the New START treaty. As I’ve said, this is a national security imperative for the United States. We need to ratify New START to put in place on-the-ground inspections of Russian nuclear arsenals, to reduce our deployed weapons and launchers, and to build on our cooperation with Russia -- which has helped us put pressure on Iran and helped us to equip our mission in Afghanistan.
But just as this is a national security priority for the United States, the message that I’ve received since I’ve arrived from my fellow leaders here at NATO could not be clearer -- New START will strengthen our alliance and it will strengthen European security.
Nobody is aware -- nobody is more aware of the need for a strong, secure and democratic Europe than our Eastern and Central European allies. And my friend, the Foreign Minister of Poland, Radoslaw Sikorski, put it well when he said that New START will -- and I quote -- "bolster our country’s security, and that of Europe as a whole."
On the other hand, we know that failure to ratify and move forward with New START will put at risk the substantial progress that has been made in advancing our nuclear security and our partnership with Russia on behalf of global security.
Indeed, tomorrow we will build on the reset of U.S.-Russian relations by resetting relations between NATO and Russia as well through the NATO-Russia Council, which opens the door to cooperation on a range of security interests -- cooperation that can lead to a more secure Europe and a more secure world.
So I want to thank all of my fellow leaders for the work that’s been done. The progress that we’ve already made here today gives me great confidence that this will be a landmark summit in Lisbon, where the strong ties between the United States and Europe will continue to grow for years to come.
Thanks very much, everybody.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/...
• THE VICE PRESIDENT'S MIDDLE CLASS TASK FORCE EVENT ON ACCESS TO JUSTICE •
From the White House, Nov. 19, 2010:
Legal Rights for Middle-Class and Low-Income Families
Office of the Vice President, November 19, 2010:
Vice President Biden Announces New Initiatives to Help Homeowners, Veterans, and Workers Access Legal Services
WASHINGTON, DC – At a Middle Class Task Force event today, co-hosted by the Department of Justice’s Access to Justice Initiative, Vice President Biden announced a series of steps designed to help middle class and low-income families secure their legal rights. These actions include strengthening foreclosure mediation programs, helping veterans secure the legal help they need, and making it easier for workers to find a qualified attorney when they believe their rights have been violated.
"In difficult economic times, we want to make sure all Americans—regardless of income or status—have access to the resources they need to pursue justice," said Vice President Joe Biden. "The initiatives we are announcing today represent an important step toward that goal and will help thousands of Americans get the legal assistance they need."
Today’s announcement is the culmination of work between the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) Access to Justice Initiative and federal agencies like the Department of Labor (DOL), the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), as well as partners in the advocacy community.
"As a prosecutor and former judge, I know that the fundamental integrity of our justice system, and our faith in it, depends on effective representation on both sides of the courtroom," said Attorney General Eric Holder. "With the strides we have made – and with the additional steps soon to come – I am confident that we can build a fairer and more effective justice system."
"Many people’s lives can be improved without major new investments, and in fact with real savings, if we simply help them access the legal rights and benefits that are theirs. That’s why the Department's Access to Justice Initiative is honored to work with the Vice President, HUD, the Labor Department, and the VA to make justice a reality," said DOJ Senior Counselor for Access to Justice Larry Tribe.
Legal Support for Workers
The Department of Labor and the American Bar Association (ABA) today announced a collaboration to help workers resolve complaints received by DOL’s Wage and Hour Division, such as not getting paid the minimum wage or not being paid overtime, or being denied family medical leave. Beginning on December 13, 2010, complainants whose cases cannot be resolved by DOL because of limited capacity will be given a toll-free number to a newly created system where they are connected to an ABA-approved attorney referral provider if there are participating attorneys in their area.
In addition, if DOL has conducted an investigation, the complainant will be given information about the findings to provide to an attorney who may take the case, including the violations at issue and any back wages owed. DOL has also developed a special process for complainants and representing attorneys to obtain relevant case information and documents when available.
Said Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis, "Our nation’s workers deserve full and fair compensation, and this Administration is committed to ensuring that they receive it. Today’s announced collaboration with the American Bar Association streamlines worker access to additional legal resources and builds on the Department of Labor’s continued efforts to ensure that employers comply with America’s labor laws."
Veterans’ Access to Legal Help
Today the Vice President announced that the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the Legal Services Corporation (LSC) have launched an awareness campaign between the VA’s community-based Vet Centers and local LSC legal aid service providers to help veterans better address legal challenges in areas such as foreclosure, consumer fraud, and employment issues. The first phase of the new awareness campaign is already underway. LSC-funded programs have reached out to 51 Vet Centers operated by the Department of Veterans Affairs in the mid-Atlantic region, Maine, and Arkansas to share information about legal services and to create appropriate referral systems to minimize veterans’ frustration in obtaining advice and representation on civil legal problems.
In support of this effort, the LSC announced the launch of a new website, www.StatesideLegal.org, to help veterans access information online. The site was developed to explain legal and military terms in a straightforward way, and includes videos and interactive forms to help veterans advocate for themselves. Information on the website covers such topics as disability benefits, employment, and legal protections for service members confronted with foreclosure actions.
Foreclosure Mediation Programs
Foreclosure mediation programs are designed to identify alternatives to foreclosure that benefit both the homeowner and the lender. Today, the Vice President announced a number of initiatives to strengthen these mediation programs.
DOJ’s Access to Justice Initiative and HUD issued a joint report identifying emerging strategies for effective foreclosure mediation programs, such as well-trained housing counselors and pro bono attorneys who can counsel and support homeowners throughout the mediation process. To assist jurisdictions that are developing or expanding mediation programs, the report describes several features that have a positive impact on program effectiveness. The report also lists existing foreclosure mediation programs that are interested in sharing their experiences with other program stakeholders throughout the country. To view the report, click HERE.
Additionally, HUD announced a new training webinar that will highlight strategies and resources for avoiding foreclosure. The training, which is aimed at a wide variety of audiences including homeowners, housing counselors, pro bono attorneys and mediators, will include topics such as accessing housing counseling resources, finding state-specific foreclosure prevention resources, avoiding foreclosure rescue scams, and understanding Federal foreclosure prevention programs.
HUD also provided guidance on the use of Community Development Block Grant and Neighborhood Stabilization Funds for housing counseling, a resource that can increase the effectiveness of foreclosure mediation programs. To view the guidance, click HERE.
In addition to these efforts, NeighborWorks, a national non-profit created by Congress and funded by Congressional appropriations, will debut a foreclosure mediation workshop at the NeighborWorks Training Institute in December. More than 2,000 counselors and other nonprofit professionals are expected to attend the Training Institute. NeighborWorks is one of the largest funders of foreclosure-mitigation counseling in the nation, and is the administrator of the National Foreclosure Mitigation Counseling program.
Finally, the Federal Trade Commission today announced a new rule and several enforcement actions to protect vulnerable homeowners from mortgage rescue fraud.
More information about the Department of Justice’s Access to Justice Initiative can be found HERE.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/...
• NATIONAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP WEEK •
whitehouse | November 19, 2010 –
Open for Questions: Entrepreneurship and Innovation with Commerce Secretary Gary Locke
Commerce Secretary Gary Locke answers your questions about the Administration's role in promoting innovation-based, high-growth entrepreneurship. November 19, 2010.
White House Blog, Nov. 19, 2010:
Celebrating National Entrepreneurs’ Day
Posted by Valerie Jarrett
President Obama declared today the first-ever National Entrepreneurs’ Day, part of a full-blown National Entrepreneurship Week that, in the President’s words, aims to "renew our commitment to supporting the entrepreneurs who power the engine of our Nation's economy."
Entrepreneurship is a core American value. And supporting a culture that is conducive to entrepreneurship and startups is a core component of the President’s National Innovation Strategy, for achieving sustainable growth and quality jobs. Startups are inherently bold and by their nature constantly facing the risk of failure. But startups also bring an unparalleled wealth of transformative innovations to market—think of everything from the airplane to the automobile to Amazon.com—and have been the Nation’s engine of job creation over the past three decades. It is the entrepreneurs who are tackling the Nation’s challenges in clean energy, medicine, national security, and other fields. They will build the leading industries of the 21st century.
This week, leaders from throughout the Obama Administration have highlighted a range of initiatives to promote entrepreneurship and high-growth startups, through a series of five daily White House blog posts and a live web chat with Commerce Secretary Gary Locke.
And this afternoon, Aneesh Chopra, the nation’s first Chief Technology Officer, is joining up with Steve Case,co-founder of AOL and a co-chair of the National Advisory Council on Innovation and Entrepreneurship, for a discussion with DC-area entrepreneurs at an Entrepreneur Town Hall. Among the topics: What are the key challenges and opportunities facing innovative startups in the Nation’s capital? And what can the public and private sectors do to grow entrepreneurial ecosystems here and across the country?
This is not just a job for government, as the President emphasized this Wednesday when awarding the National Medals of Science, Technology, and Innovation. Fostering a climate of innovation and entrepreneurship "depends on all of us," the President said, "including businesses and universities and nonprofits." This is a call to action that the President first proclaimed when signing the Small Business Jobs Act.
This Administration is committed to working with the private sector to accelerate the success of entrepreneurs and high-growth startups, and to ensure that all Americans have the opportunity to dream big in our innovation Nation.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/...
Office of Science and Technology Policy Blog, Nov. 19, 2010:
Competition Pumps Funds into a Novel Growth Industry
Posted by Robynn Sturm
Last week, at a ceremony in Seoul, President Obama congratulated the winners of a competition that may not have caught the world’s attention like the Nobel Prizes or World Series but just might change the world. The G20 SME Finance Challenge, launched by G20 leaders in June at the group’s Toronto summit, invited individuals and organizations to submit novel approaches to helping small and medium-sized enterprises(SMEs) blossom into businesses that are engines of growth and job creation....
One of the biggest challenges that SMEs face is access to the financing they need to thrive and grow. To tackle this challenge, the G20 deployed an innovative approach that used the G20 reach and convening power to find the best solutions around the globe. Funded by the Rockefeller Foundation and run by Ashoka’s Changemakers, the G20 SME Finance Challenge called on private financial institutions, private investors and companies, socially responsible investors, foundations, and civil society organizations worldwide to identify the best models of using public interventions to catalyze the deployment of private finance on a sustainable and scalable basis.
One winning model, submitted by the Entrepreneurial Finance Lab, was a low-cost screening tool lenders can use to evaluate the risk of a potential SME loan without requiring the traditional evidence for creditworthiness that all too many entrepreneurs—especially women—lack.... You can learn more about these winning ideas and many more on the Challenge website....
http://www.whitehouse.gov/...
From the White House, Nov. 15, 2010:
G20 SME Finance Challenge Award President Obama speaks at a ceremony honoring the winners of the G20 Small and Medium Sized Enterprises (SME) Finance Challenge Award in Seoul, South Korea. Nov. 12, 2010.
Office of Science and Technology Policy, Nov. 19, 2010:
Government as Convener - Fostering Entrepreneurial Ecosystems
Posted by Aneesh Chopra, U.S. Chief Technology Officer
This week on the White House blog, we’ve highlighted the Obama Administration’s role in improving entrepreneurs’ access to capital, driving innovation from the lab to the marketplace, empowering vetrepreneurs, and fueling disruptive energy startups. Today, in celebration of the first-ever National Entrepreneurs’ Day, I thought to highlight the emerging role of government as convener to catalyze entirely new ideas and business models. Through competition in prizes and challenges, open data downloads, and participation in voluntary consensus standards activities, entrepreneurs are finding new ways to participate – and succeed in building the industries and jobs of the future....
Prizes and Challenges
....In] his [Strategy for American Innovation, President Obama called on agencies to increase their use of prizes and challenges to bring America’s top talent and best ideas to bear on our toughest problems.... Entrepreneurs and citizen innovators should visit Challenge.gov to compete for prestige and prizes by solving problems, large and small.
Open Data
On his first full day in office, President Obama signed a memorandum on transparency and open government, ushering in a new era in which the gap between the American people and their government would close....
Voluntary Consensus Standards
The Obama Administration is working with the private sector to unlock market opportunities in key growth sectors of the economy -- sectors like the smart grid and healthcare IT that will drive economic growth, innovation, and jobs....
Stay tuned for new initiatives in the coming months, as government and the private sector continue working together to accelerate entrepreneurs and high-growth startups.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/...
Office of Science and Technology Policy Blog, Nov. 19, 2010:
Report from National Entrepreneurs’ Day Event
Posted by Doug Rand
I just got back from an "Entrepreneurs’ Town Hall"—part of a nationwide celebration of the first-ever National Entrepreneurs’ Day, proclaimed this week by President Obama—at which U.S. Chief Technology Officer Aneesh Chopra joined AOL Co-founder Steve Case for a freewheeling discussion with about 70 entrepreneurs from the DC area, representing a diverse range of company sizes and sectors.
We packed ourselves into the conference room of local startup HelloWallet — they were kind enough to temporarily move their requisite foosball table. Some highlights:
• Steve Case ... in addition to having co-founded AOL is co-chair of the National Advisory Council on Innovation and Entrepreneurship ....
• Aneesh Chopra pointed out a range of government-sponsored prizes available to innovative startups.
• Michael Beirne (Voice of Entrepreneurs) spoke about how important a group of citizen-entrepreneurs proved in making sure that the recent financial regulation reform bill did not severely restrict access to angel capital.
• Phil Weiser (National Economic Council) reaffirmed the Obama Administration's commitment to a permanent R&D tax credit and an open Internet, both critical to the success of innovative companies.
• Esther Lee (Dept. of Commerce) fielded a fascinating and impassioned suggestion that the Federal government assist Web startups (and not just typical export-oriented companies) in expanding their customer base internationally.
• Sean Greene (Small Business Administration) reiterated a strong commitment to making existing government resources for startups more apparent and accessible nationwide.
• Catharine McNally (Keen Guides) made the case for increased engagement by entrepreneurs with disabled communities, and Chopra followed up by highlighting the increasing availability of open-source accessibility info.
We’ll be posting video as soon as possible. In the meantime, many thanks to HelloWallet, Global Entrepreneurship Week, the Kauffman Foundation, the Case Foundation, and everyone else who helped make today’s celebratory event a success—including the entrepreneurs who petitioned the President to create this day in the first place!
http://www.whitehouse.gov/...
From Associated Press, Nov. 20, 2010:
While in Portugal for NATO meetings, President Obama checked out an Opel Ampera. The electric vehicle is made by General Motors at a plant in Detroit and will start going on sale in Europe next year. Nov. 20, 2010.
USAToday.com, Nov. 20, 2010:
Obama checks out a GM electric car in Lisbon
.... "This is the future right here," Obama said after sitting at the wheel of an Opal Ampera, made by GM for sale in Europe.
The Opal Ampera is "another example of GM technology that is going to have great appeal here in Europe," Obama said. "Our hope is we're going to market this all through Europe."
Electric cars are also a key to Obama's clean energy program in the United States. Obama wants 1 million plug-in hybrid electric vehicles on U.S. roads by 2015.
From the pool report:
.... The white Opel Ampera with aqua design trim has the same technology as GM's Chevy Volt and will be marketed in Europe along with the Volt starting in late 2011, according to Guillermo Sarmiento, managing director of GM Portugal, and Volker Hoff, vice president of Opel. The Ampera has a different body, especially a more streamlined front, they said, to suit Europeans' tastes.
The model car was made at GM in Detroit, which also will manufacture the cars to follow; no decision has been made whether to build a manufacturing plant in Europe, the men told your pooler. While the cars run on a battery, the battery is powered by a combustion engine that kicks in at high speeds and when a driver does not have access to a charge station....
He remained in the car a few minutes while the three engaged in talk about its operation and Volt technology that the pool couldn't hear. Once out, Sarmiento handed him a pen and Obama autographed the rear quarter panel on the driver's side. Next he examined the trunk space.
Then he turned to the pool and called the Ampera "another example of GM technology that is going to have great appeal here in Europe." He added, "Our hope is we're going to market this all through Europe." And waving toward the car, he said, "This is the future right here."....
http://content.usatoday.com/...
From YouCarPress, March 1, 2010:
Opel Ampera 2011
The five-door, four-seater Opel Ampera is on schedule to go into production late 2011. It carries the same design DNA as the Astra and the Insignia, Europe's Car of the Year 2009, yet it uses an electric propulsion technology called Voltec. Unlike other conventional electric propulsion systems, Voltec uses electricity as its primary power source and, later, gasoline as a means to generate electricity. This helps the Ampera overcome all issues related to the usual limited range of pure electric cars. Available video includes shots of the new Ampera.