Hi, all. Today’s report features:
• White House press briefing: Mr. Gibbs takes questions on Egypt, President’s meetings and calls, severe winter weather.
• West Wing Week: In "Dispatches from Sudan," WWW learns about the commitment of the United States to peace in this region after decades of civil war.
• New START Treaty: The President ratifies START; treaty overview.
• State news: Zakiya S. Carr Johnson discusses African American History Month; Secretary Clinton’s remarks at Global Chiefs of Mission Conference.
• National African American History Month: Presidential Proclamation.
• Winning the future: African Americans at DOE: Profiles of Christopher Smith, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Oil and Natural Gas in the Office of Fossil Energy, and Travis Dredd, Special Assistant to Secretary Chu.
• DOL news: Protecting miners: Proposed rule would help provide miners with safer workplaces.
• WHITE HOUSE PRESS BRIEFING •
White House, Feb. 2, 2011:
2/2/11: 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. 2, 2011:
Press Briefing by Press Secretary Robert Gibbs, 2/2/2011
.... MR. GIBBS: Ben, the President has been updated throughout the morning on this, both as part of his PDB as well as some written updates throughout the morning on some of these images. The President and this administration strongly condemn the outrageous and deplorable violence that's taking place on the streets of Cairo -- that's taking place on the streets of Cairo today.
We have said that throughout this process. Obviously if any of the violence is instigated by the government, it should stop immediately. That has been our message throughout this.
I think, Ben, this underscores precisely what the President was speaking about last night, and that is the time for a transition has come and that time is now. The Egyptian people need to see change. We know that that meaningful transition must include opposition voices and parties being involved in this process as we move toward free and fair elections. But that process must begin now.
Q: .... what are his thoughts this morning about the way the military is handling itself?
MR. GIBBS: Well, again, we're watching, as people are throughout the world, what is happening today. We continue to urge restraint. We continue -- I will say what the President said last night -- I do think that the role that had been played by the military was exceedingly important in what I think many people thought might happen late last week. Again, it is imperative that the violence that we're seeing stop and that the transition that was spoken about last night begin immediately....
Q: But I guess I’m still trying to get at that core question of what the President -- this President can do about that.
MR. GIBBS: Well, I think that the -- I think change in all of these instances -- what we’ve seen transpire, Ben, over the course of the past many days in Cairo and around Egypt has taken place as a result of change that's needed to happen from within the country.
I think you have seen statements from throughout the world, both in the region and outside of the region, where President Obama and leaders have been clear about what needs to happen. Many of these changes are going to have to happen on the ground in Egypt, and only those in Egypt will -- can determine when those demands have been satisfied. But it is clear that the Egyptian people need to see progress and change immediately....
Ben, I think you’ll get a chance likely to talk to the President later in the week when Prime Minister Harper is here. We have had a couple of occasions that have been still photographers only. It was -- those are part of the coverage plans that have been in place for a bit now in terms of those events.
I will say this, Ben. I think we have, like you all, watched a series of rapidly moving events. You’ve heard from the President in what’s happened in Egypt. We’ll continue to keep you up to date as best we can on what goes on, knowing, quite honestly, that some things in foreign policy have to be done away from TV cameras. Those are the types of direct and frank talks that the President had last night with President Mubarak.
Q: Secretary Clinton said that that (curtailing aid to Egypt) was not under discussion as of the weekend ....
MR. GIBBS: No, no, no, that’s not what she said. I think she -- go back and read the transcript. She said, had a decision been made to cut off -- and she said no. And I would say that no decision has been made. She also said later in that answer that we certainly review our assistance posture, and that’s what we’re doing....
Q: And what’s the level of contact right now? Is the President going to be speaking to Mubarak? Has Ambassador Wisner had further contacts, either meetings or talks?
MR. GIBBS: Ambassador Wisner is -- remains in the country. I do not know of plans as I walked out here to speak with President Mubarak today. I know the President did end his call by telling the President that he would remain in contact and would remain in contact and would feel free to -- President Obama would feel free to call at any time if he needed to speak directly with President Mubarak.
Obviously there are a range of conversations that are happening throughout our government at many levels. We have a very, very capable embassy and an ambassador there that’s working with former Ambassador Wisner on a full range of these problems....
I will say this, Jake. I would go back again and look at what this administration, what this President, has said specifically about changes that need to happen to respect the universal rights that we’ve spoken of both in Egypt and throughout the Middle East. And I would point you to Secretary Clinton’s recent speech in Doha as outlining a series of these steps....
Q: More importantly, does the President think Mubarak is a dictator?
MR. GIBBS: The administration believes that President Mubarak has a chance to show the world exactly who he is by beginning this transition that is so desperately needed in his country and for his people now....
Q: (The President’s comments) were that the protestors were an inspiration. His comments on Friday were they had the right to do what they’re doing but they shouldn’t engage in violence.
MR. GIBBS: And that continues to be our posture, Jake....
Q: So no regrets that his initial comments weren't more in line with the 2009 Cairo speech?
MR. GIBBS: Again, I think the notion that what we have said in public and in private at all levels of our government to all levels of the Egyptian government, to governments throughout the Middle East, have not been in line with the Cairo speech is simply wrong. the Cairo speech, the President stood up for a universal set of values and actions that had to be taken by governments, as you’ve heard him say over the course of many days here, that have to be responsive to their people. That is precisely what the President believes.
These are not going to be determinations that -- and I said a few days ago, these are not determinations that are going to be made by us. Nobody in Washington will determine the range of freedom of assembly or freedom of speech for those in Tahrir Square. And I don't think anybody in Tahrir Square is looking for us to gauge what the fence posts are on those freedoms.
Q: No, but I think they're there -- they want the President to be standing up more for them and less for Mubarak. I think that's what they -- that's what they're telling our reporters, anyway.
MR. GIBBS: I think you’re -- I don't know the degree to which they’ve heard everything that the President’s said. I think the notion that the President has somehow shifted from one side or the other is completely inaccurate.
Q: Thank you, Robert. When you talk about the transition happening now, how do you define "now"? Because now means today not September.
MR. GIBBS: Well, no, now means yesterday -- because when we said now we meant yesterday....
Q: So you’re not satisfied with September as an out date for President Mubarak?
MR. GIBBS: If you’re asking if now is September, it is unseasonably warm, but it is not September. Now means now. The transition -- there are things that the government needs to do. There are reforms that need to be undertaken, and there are opposition entities that have to be included in the conversations as we move toward free and fair elections that we’ve advocated for quite some time....
Q: Do you believe that President Obama’s communications to Mubarak made the difference here? Does the President have that kind of power in this situation?
MR. GIBBS: I will say, Chip, I think that -- I think we have been clear with the government of Egypt before this the steps that needed to take place. I think we have communicated publicly and privately important steps that -- and important reforms that need to take place.
I think, though, it is important to understand that we are obviously watching -- we’re watching some -- we’re watching the events based on what is happening on the ground there. And I think, as I said earlier, I think the world is watching, and the world is commenting on what we’ve seen happen and what we know must take place over the next many days and weeks....
I think you will hear this administration, whether it’s at the Pentagon, at the State Department, inside of this building, again, continue to communicate with both the government of and the people of Egypt about what the world expects....
Q: Do we have evidence or indications that some of this violence is being instigated by the government?....
MR. GIBBS: I shouldn’t hypothesize. Again, I think what’s important, though, is that the message must be that the violence stop, and that in the event that any entity or any government entity is behind any of this, it must stop....
I think it’s -- I do want to -- if I can just be clear, though, and reiterate that we have said this from the very beginning, the President has said this at every opportunity, and every official in our government in speaking with officials in the Egyptian government have used every opportunity first and foremost to reiterate that any steps that are taken must not include violence. We reiterate that call today.
I think the people of Egypt -- they do not want to see appointments. They do not want to see speeches. They want to see concrete action by their government, and I think that’s what the world waits for.
Q: And since the beginning of the uprising, you called the Egyptian government to stop the shutdown of the Internet....
MR. GIBBS: Well, I think not just President Obama but leaders throughout the world have in many ways signaled the same call that we’ve made. I know that this was a topic that has been discussed in some of the calls that he’s had with leaders in and outside of the region. There is no acceptable excuse for not turning back on the Internet, giving people the ability to communicate with cell phones, to access social networking sites. That stuff -- those are -- as you’ve heard the President say in trips throughout the world and in calls with the government of Egypt, those are part of the basic human freedoms that people everywhere should enjoy....
I think that given the reports that Internet reception remains spotty at very best, they have not yet done what needs to happen as it relates to fulfilling that individual and basic right....
Q: And is the U.S. preparing any sort of aid package for Egypt?
MR. GIBBS: .... I think one of the topics that was likely to be discussed this afternoon was what assistance needs or could be provided to meet some of the basic needs of the Egyptian people; what processes can we undertake, as I said, to see if there’s a way to move some of those resources from entry points or ports into cities and areas that are in need of those resources....
Q: And who else in the region has the administration made contact with?
MR. GIBBS: Well, I know the President spoke late last evening with King Abdullah of Jordan. I don’t know of any other calls that he’s made today....
Q: Robert, what is the President meeting with Senators McCain and Bingaman about?
MR. GIBBS: Well, Senator McCain, there’s a whole host of issues that -- ranging from certainly domestic to foreign policy -- that I anticipate the two will discuss.
I think -- having been in the chamber for the speech itself when the President mentioned ending earmarks and the actions that he would take to veto something if it came with earmarks, I remember two people standing up and clapping -- Senator McCain and Senator McCaskill. It was a little bit of a lonely group in that part of the speech. But I know they’ll talk some about that, as obviously you’ve seen announcements made on the Senate side that it appears as if we have seen the end of earmarks.
Q: And Bingaman?
MR. GIBBS: Bingaman -- obviously, Senator Bingaman plays an important role in the development of ideas around clean energy, and I think a large part of that conversation will center around the proposals that the President outlined to increase the amount of electricity that we create using clean energy, research and development around clean energy, and the manufacturing jobs that it can create....
Q: The President has indicated he’s open to some changes in the health care law. Is the mandate something you would be open to -- any kind of switch in the individual mandate investment because of the --
MR. GIBBS: Not that I’ve heard of, Perry. I think the President outlined in the State of the Union some adjustments to the way small businesses are treated, particularly around the 1099s. But we are not going to go back and fight the battles of the previous two years, and we’re certainly happy to talk to those who want to see the law improved. But we’re not going to go backwards. We’re going to move forwards.
Q: .... do you think the President believes that this is a wake-up call not only for Mr. Mubarak but also dictators around the globe, including in China?....
MR. GIBBS: Well, let me speak broadly to this in the sense that you’ve heard the President now on two occasions talk quite clearly about -- off of what’s happened in Egypt -- the obligations and responsibilities that those in power have to those that they represent.
I think you can go through a whole host of our discussions on both a public and a private level with leaders throughout the world about steps that we believe need to be taken to improve human rights, to improve basic rights, and to uphold individual liberties. Those are discussions that the President will continue to have in public and private with leaders throughout the world....
Q: Robert, there is a very sizeable school of thought that says in the elections that the President would like to see, if they were truly free and fair, Islamic fundamentalists would come to power in Egypt....
MR. GIBBS: Well, again, Mark, I think we’re getting way ahead of the process and we’re getting into -- well, there’s a lot that -- we need to get the transition going to get to the point of free and fair elections. Again, I don’t want to get into hypotheticals about "what if." I think what we would like to see is a continued, stable partnership with a country that has played an invaluable role in providing some stability to a volatile region in the world, and that we would expect that a government -- that whatever government comes next, that that government respect the treaties that it has -- that previous Egyptian governments have entered into....
Q: Thank you. On Israel, do you have any special concern for their security....
MR. GIBBS: Well, first and foremost, our consultations -- we have had consultations, as you know, between the President and the Prime Minister over the weekend. Our position has not changed about either our involvement or the benefit of comprehensive peace in the Middle East....
Q: One more thing regarding Ambassador Wisner. Is he still in Cairo and is he still in touch with President Mubarak?
MR. GIBBS: He is still in Cairo and he is still in touch with all levels of the Egyptian government....
Egyptian government. We asked him to go. He is obviously a very respected ambassador, respected widely by the Egyptian government, and provides us an opportunity to speak directly with the President.
Q: .... Was the President angry this morning when he saw the violence in Cairo?....
MR. GIBBS: Well, again, I think the President found the images outrageous and deplorable. Everybody did....
Q: .... Are we speaking with leaders in the army?....
MR. GIBBS: Well, as I’ve talked about over the past several days, Admiral Mullen has spoken with his counterpart. Secretary Gates has spoken with his counterpart. Officers throughout our command ranks have spoken to their counterparts. It speaks to a couple of different things: one, the importance of robust military-to-military contact; being able to have the relationships and the knowledge of who you’re talking to and who you need to talk to in times of great crisis.
And I think it’s safe to say, again, each and every one of those conversations starts out with a conversation about restraint and nonviolence. And that's what the President spoke about yesterday.
Q: Do you think you have an impact? Do you think those military-to-military contacts have helped maintain this restraint?
MR. GIBBS: I do believe they have....
I know that it is in -- it is within the power of all of those involved to step away from that violence. And I said very early on in this that the legitimate concerns and grievances of the people of Egypt are not going to be addressed with violence or by violence. And it is our hope that what we saw today we won’t see tomorrow or Friday or into the weekend. Obviously this is going to take -- this is not all going to be wrapped up in a matter of hours. It’s going to take some time. Regardless of the amount of that time, it is tremendously important that restraint and non-violence carry the day during this important transition.
Q: We’re seeing a major storm hitting this country....
MR. GIBBS: Well, look, I would say a couple of different things. Obviously each of the past two days the President has spoken directly with -- I’m sorry -- directly with FEMA Director Craig Fugate on the preparations that we are assisting with across the number of states have been affected by the breadth of this winter storm. I think you all got a readout yesterday that indicated that FEMA had coordinators on the ground across the arc in the country of where we were predicted to see that winter weather.
They spoke again today. The President received another update. I believe the FEMA director was going to do a briefing on camera today to talk about some of the preparations that have been had as we assist state and local entities and as we help businesses deal with the repercussions of, say, losing power or things like that. Obviously we anticipate that we could see appeals for disaster declarations, again, which come from the state level up to the federal level.
I think at this point it is hard to make some broad macroeconomic determinations about the impact of this storm. Obviously we’ve had tricky weather for, as is the wont of this time of the year, for many weeks. How that affects some economic statistics or hiring certainly remains to be seen.
I would point you to DOT and FAA for the particulars of (airline schedules). I mean, obviously some of the pictures that you see in places that are used to dealing with pretty tough weather dealing with snow on the magnitude of 20 inches, it’s a stunning thing....
Q: Was there any debate internally yesterday about whether President Obama should come out and make public remarks?
MR. GIBBS: No....
We have had -- and we’ve talked about this in here -- we have had an extremely important governmental partnership the past many years with Egypt, as I’ve talked about even today, providing the cornerstone for stability off of the Camp David Accords. So I think there is a great imperative that the relationship that we have with Egypt and with countries throughout the Middle East, those are -- again, those are important relationships. We seek to bring, again, stability and peace to that region. And we seek to engage all of those entities in bringing about comprehensive peace to the region.
That's -- I think that outlives any particular administration. And I think that's what people throughout the world expect to see.
Q: Americans are very obsessed right now about the economy, if you look at all the polls. And I just wonder, do you think that the average American makes a connection between the fate of Egypt and the fate of the United States? And what is that connection?
MR. GIBBS: You know, Margaret, I don't think that anything that's happening is going to change that, whether it is their personal economic situation. Somebody just asked about the weather, which obviously is some great cause of concern for a huge swath of this country. But we understand what peace and stability, and we understand what uncertainty and instability bring to the global economy and to the global economic recovery.
So I think that -- this is an administration that obviously has spent a considerable amount of time working on the storm, on Egypt, but continues probably a majority of what we’re doing to work on aspects of the economic recovery....
Q: Robert, on the economic recovery, the Angelides commission issued a report giving a rather extensive description of the build-up to the crisis over the last few decades, indicating in particular the deregulation and particularly the revoking of the Glass-Steagall legislation which built a firewall between commercial banking and investment banking was the cause of the build-up of this bubble....
MR. GIBBS: I will say this. I think that the steps that this administration has taken and the time that we have dedicated to the passage of financial reform and ensuring that what happened -- there are common-sense regulations that ensure that that kind of thing never happens again. I think the report underscores that we were right to do that.
We have put into place resolution authority. You’ve seen the beginnings of the Consumer Protection Bureau, the Volcker Rule, a whole host of important policy developments out of that legislation to ensure that this doesn’t happen again. I think the administration believes that we have taken a giant step forward in the passage of that to ensure that the impacts to our economy because of regulatory failures are not something that we see again.
Thanks, guys.
• WEST WING WEEK •
White House Blog, Feb. 2, 2011:
West Wing Week: "Dispatches from Sudan"
Posted by Arun Chaudhary, official White House videographer
Today the official preliminary results from the historic referendum in Sudan were released. The people of Southern Sudan appear to have voted overwhelmingly in support of independence: total turnout was about 97 percent with almost 99 percent of voters casting their ballots to create the world's newest nation. West Wing Week was on the ground in Sudan during the week-long referendum, traveling to all parts of the country with the President's Special Envoy, General Scott Gration. We went behind the scenes at polling stations from Juba to Khartoum, met some of the international community who helped to ensure the vote was fair and peaceful, and traveled to Darfur to inspect conditions and learn about the commitment of the United States to peace in this region after decades of civil war.
See a few links below on the President's engagement on the issue:
October 19, 2009:
• A Comprehensive Strategy for Sudan
November 12, 2009:
• A Public Dialogue on Darfur
September 24, 2010:
• President Obama in Ministerial Meeting on Sudan: The Fate of Millions
January 6, 2011:
• Expectations and Implications: A Discussion on the Southern Sudan Referendum
• NEW START TREATY •
The White House Blog, Feb. 2, 2011:
The New START Treaty: Signed
Posted by Jesse Lee
Today the President ratified a landmark nuclear arms treaty with Russia, New START. As the President said during the end of the last Congress, the treaty is "a national security imperative" as well as "a cornerstone of our relations with Russia" as we continue to work with them on everything from Iran to Afghanistan. With the Senate having approved the treaty with a strong bipartisan vote late last year, today's signing marks a final step in the process. That process began when President Obama and President Medvedev initially signed the agreement in Prague last April, a fitting location given that one year before that President Obama had been there for a major speech commiting to seek the peace and security of a world without nuclear weapons.
You can read the Treaty (pdf) and Protocol (pdf) themselves, but here's a quick overview from our fact sheet at the time:
Strategic Offensive Reductions: Under the Treaty, the U.S. and Russia will be limited to significantly fewer strategic arms within seven years from the date the Treaty enters into force. Each Party has the flexibility to determine for itself the structure of its strategic forces within the aggregate limits of the Treaty. These limits are based on a rigorous analysis conducted by Department of Defense planners in support of the 2010 Nuclear Posture Review.
Aggregate limits:
• 1,550 warheads. Warheads on deployed ICBMs and deployed SLBMs count toward this limit and each deployed heavy bomber equipped for nuclear armaments counts as one warhead toward this limit.
- This limit is 74% lower than the limit of the 1991 START Treaty and 30% lower than the deployed strategic warhead limit of the 2002 Moscow Treaty.
• A combined limit of 800 deployed and non-deployed ICBM launchers, SLBM launchers, and heavy bombers equipped for nuclear armaments.
• A separate limit of 700 deployed ICBMs, deployed SLBMs, and deployed heavy bombers equipped for nuclear armaments.
- This limit is less than half the corresponding strategic nuclear delivery vehicle limit of the START Treaty.
Verification and Transparency: The Treaty has a verification regime that combines the appropriate elements of the 1991 START Treaty with new elements tailored to the limitations of the Treaty. Measures under the Treaty include on-site inspections and exhibitions, data exchanges and notifications related to strategic offensive arms and facilities covered by the Treaty, and provisions to facilitate the use of national technical means for treaty monitoring. To increase confidence and transparency, the Treaty also provides for the exchange of telemetry.
Treaty Terms: The Treaty’s duration will be ten years, unless superseded by a subsequent agreement. The Parties may agree to extend the Treaty for a period of no more than five years. The Treaty includes a withdrawal clause that is standard in arms control agreements. The 2002 Moscow Treaty terminates upon entry into force of the New START Treaty. The U.S. Senate and the Russian legislature must approve the Treaty before it can enter into force.
No Constraints on Missile Defense and Conventional Strike: The Treaty does not contain any constraints on testing, development or deployment of current or planned U.S. missile defense programs or current or planned United States long-range conventional strike capabilities.
• STATE NEWS •
Department of State, Feb. 2, 2011:
Senior Advisor Carr Discusses Black History Month
Zakiya S. Carr Johnson, Senior Advisor for Race, Ethnicity, and Social Inclusion Unit in the Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs discusses the importance of Black History Month at the U.S. Department of State in Washington, D.C., on February 2, 2011.
Department of State, Feb. 2, 2011:
Secretary Clinton Delivers Remarks at Global Chiefs of Mission Conference
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton delivers remarks at the first-ever Global Chiefs of Mission Conference at the Department of State in Washington, D.C., on February 2, 2011.
Department of State, Feb. 2, 2011:
Secretary of State’s Remarks at the Global Chiefs of Mission Conference
SECRETARY CLINTON: .... as we see with what’s going on today, recent events in Egypt and certainly in that broader region, remind us all how crucial it is to have top-notch leadership on the ground, and how quickly that ground can shift under our feet. So whether your mission is large or small, whether you’re a political appointee or a career diplomat, you are all on the front lines of America’s engagement with a fast-changing world. And that’s why we think this conference is so important.
It goes without saying – but I will say it anyway – that this is a critical time for America’s global leadership. We have spent two years renewing our alliances, forging new partnerships, and elevating diplomacy and development alongside defense as pillars of American foreign policy and national security. Now, as we look to the next two years, it is time to build on that progress and deliver results – results that are expected from ourselves and certainly from the Congress and the American public.
We’re going to be looking to see how we can advance America’s interests and values on security, on climate change, on boosting exports and rebalancing the global economy on all of our core priorities. But I will hasten to say we face a very difficult budget climate and we face an increasingly complex, no easy answers if there ever were any, diplomatic and development environment. From the theft of confidential cables to 21st century protest movements to development breakthroughs that have the potential to change millions of lives, we are all in uncharted territory, and that requires us to be more nimble, more innovative, and more accountable than ever before.
That is why we launched the first ever Quadrennial Diplomacy and Development Review, the so-called QDDR. Now, many of you participated in this process and you contributed valuable suggestions and ideas, your staffs were deeply involved, and we consulted not only thousands of people within State and USAID directly and indirectly, but also hundreds of experts outside government. And the result is a sweeping report that we hope will fundamentally change the way we do business.
The reason I decided to direct us to undertake the difficult challenge posed by producing the first-ever QDDR is because as a senator, I served on the Senate Armed Services Committee. And every four years, the Pentagon would produce the Quadrennial Defense Review. And it was a very effective organizing tool for the Pentagon because it set forth what their assessments were and what their commitments were in a way that kind of guided the legislative and appropriations process.
At the same time, both from my years as First Lady and as Senator, I often saw State and USAID coming in on separate tracks, making different arguments, fighting over scarcer resources, not coming up with the kind of organizing blueprint that would move people into a decision process that would benefit our immediate and long-term goals. So the QDDR is a first-time effort, but it is a blueprint and it is a blueprint as to how the United States can lead in a changing world through the use of what I call civilian power. That is the combined force of all the civilians across the United States Government who not only practice diplomacy and carry out development projects, but who act to prevent and respond to crisis and conflict.
You know very well, because you practice it every day, how crucial civilian power is to America’s leadership in the world and to our national security. I don’t need to tell this audience what I tell other audiences all the time – that it is our diplomats and development experts who can diffuse crises before they explode, who can create new opportunities for economic growth, who can stand up for universal values and human rights, who can help us find partners to advance economic growth that is inclusive and prosperity-producing.
We can come up with solutions that might otherwise require or suggest military action. And where we work side-by-side with our military partners in Iraq, Afghanistan, and other fragile states around the world, we can be the partner that our military needs and deserves. And that’s what Admiral Mullen will speak to. Admiral Mullen and Secretary Gates have been two of our biggest boosters and advocates. Secretary Gates gave a now very well-received and even famous speech about the need for enhancing our diplomatic and development posture. And they have joined with me in asking the Congress for the funds that we need for the missions we’ve been given.
But this is not just about Afghanistan and Iraq. It’s not just about Egypt or Yemen. It’s not just about China or India. It is about every nation that you represent our country in. Because as chiefs of mission, you are at the heart of the QDDR’s vision for the future, and you will be at the core of its implementation. Let me be clear. This Department, USAID, I, our deputies, our under secretaries, assistant secretaries – we cannot do this from Washington. This has to live and breathe in you and through you. And that is what we are hoping to advance together.
Now, I know that some of you have concerns about the changes we are proposing and others of you may be skeptical about whether they can be implemented. Part of the reason for this conference is to hear those concerns and that skepticism. That’s the only way we can either answer them, do something about them, or, frankly, shift direction to take them into account. Nothing will get done by sitting on the sidelines. So I strongly encourage you to take this opportunity to put aside our normal diplomatic niceties and really engage in an open and candid discussion about the challenges we face and must meet. And you will have that opportunity in the public sessions we’ve arranged and in private encounters with any of the leadership or myself during the next two days.
Now, the QDDR covers a wide range of reforms, including a reorganization here in Washington, that will encourage us to be more cross-cutting and results-oriented and, frankly, significantly expand our capacity to prevent and respond to crises and conflicts. You’ll also hear from Ambassador Melanne Verveer about how we are attempting to integrate women into everything we do. That is not just a pet project of mine. That is rooted in decades of evidence about women being partners and participants in peacemaking, in economic opportunity, in participatory governance, and it’s something that we want to really understand how better to promote.
We are also making it easy to pursue new public-private partnerships. And our Special Representative for Global Partnerships Kris Balderston is here and we’re looking forward to talking with you. We’re doing a lot in that area. We would never have been able to participate in the Shanghai Expo – it would have been the United States and Andorra who did not have exhibit halls if we had not had exhibit halls if we had not had a public-private partnership that we jumped into as soon as I realized how embarrassed we were going to be, and we pulled it off.
We’re also driving a new innovation agenda. And Special Advisor Alec Ross will have more to say about that tomorrow. We call it 21st century statecraft. It is, by no means, a hundred percent clear that social media, technology, is going to make things better. But one thing we know for sure, it’s going to change things. And if we’re not on top of it and driving a message and responding as effectively as we can, we’re going to be left behind....
Now let me give you one example that we identified early and have been working on, which has now come to public attention. All too often, you and your officers are tied to desks fulfilling hundreds of reporting requirements mandated by both Congress and the Department. A new report from the Inspector General just underscored this problem. We believe this can and must change. So as part of the QDDR, we are consolidating or eliminating duplicative reports, making reports shorter and streamlining workloads....
When I realized – and I have to confess, as a senator, when in doubt, order a report. (Laughter.) When I saw the results of that, I was appalled; nothing like sitting in a different seat to see things from a different perspective. So we are doing everything we can. We intend to go to the Congress and instead of three reports on either the same or basically the same issues, see if we can’t drive it down in length. I want to adopt the George Marshall rule, which is that no report or memo should be more than two pages. So, we’re going to try to free up your teams to engage more actively – (applause) – with the world outside the embassy walls. And of course, the sad part is most of these reports are never read. So we are going to do our best to try to remedy that.
Now, nearly all of the most significant themes of the QDDR relate directly to you, chiefs of mission. As the President’s representative, you are responsible for directing and coordinating all U.S. personnel in your countries. And to effectively manage increasingly complicated operations with personnel drawn from all across the government, you have to truly be CEOs of multi-agency missions....
We will also change the budget and planning process. Each chief of mission will be responsible for overseeing an integrated country strategy that will bring together all country-level planning processes and efforts into one single multiyear overarching strategy that encapsulates U.S. policy priorities, objectives, and the means by which diplomatic engagement, foreign assistance, and other tools will be used to achieve them.
I know it’s common practice just to roll over last year’s budget with a small increase. But you have not only the opportunity, but also the responsibility to rethink and reimagine your strategy, to advise us about where to invest in programs that work and end efforts that don’t, and to align your funding priorities with what is actually happening on the ground. You’ll hear from Judith McHale and our public diplomacy team, and some of you know from firsthand experience they have been working very hard to shift resources and positions out of countries where they are no longer needed to places where they are desperately required. I really know this is hard, but we have to do it.
When I became Secretary of State and we looked at what was going on in Pakistan, we did not have enough voices to be able to push back on every kind of outlandish, outrageous accusation that was made against the United States by the Pakistani media on an almost daily basis. In looking across the world, we saw countries that we’ve been at peace with for decades who had far more resources in a far easier, more permissive environment. And I want to commend the chiefs of mission who are here who worked with us to basically cut your own resource base. Because you understood that it wasn’t just better organizing and focusing what you were doing inside your own country of responsibility, but what we needed to do across the world to promote American values and interests.
Now, no one will get everything he or she wants; that’s a given. And we face the most difficult budgetary environment. This month, even though we are submitting an FY 2012 request that is a lean budget for lean times, we don’t even know what our 2011 levels are. And there is a great deal of push coming from the new Congress, particularly the House, to cut State and USAID to 2008 levels despite the fact that we are about to inherit an overwhelming responsibility in Iraq, which, if you did the math, the military would not be spending $41 billion and we would be asking to increase our budget by 4 billion, which sounds to me like a pretty good tradeoff. But the problem is that even if the Congress decides, "Okay, we’ll fund you for your overseas contingency operations, but we’re going to cut the base, we’re going to cut operating dollars," we are going to be in a very difficult position.
Now, we have scrubbed our budget for every dollar of savings, and we have made very hard choices, and I ask you to help us. You can save money in your mission.... we have to keep doing more and more to keep up with what will be a very tough set of choices coming out of congressional appropriations.
It is clear that we have some tough competition, and if we are not going to keep up with that competition, we are going to cede a lot of ground to others who are more than happy to occupy it. So what this is all about is not only talking at and with you, but hearing from you about what you think we all can do better. We really want to enhance the culture of leadership here in the Department to help you deal with the very real challenges you face....
So help us institutionalize the changes we need, change the structures that will support the kind of diplomacy and development our country deserves, help us to be sure we sustain American leadership and values, and we will do a great service on behalf of the country we love and serve together.
Thank you all very much. (Applause.)
• NATIONAL AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY MONTH •
Office of the Press Secretary, Feb. 1, 2011:
Presidential Proclamation--National African American History Month
The great abolitionist and orator Frederick Douglass once told us, "If there is no struggle, there is no progress." Progress in America has not come easily, but has resulted from the collective efforts of generations. For centuries, African American men and women have persevered to enrich our national life and bend the arc of history toward justice. From resolute Revolutionary War soldiers fighting for liberty to the hardworking students of today reaching for horizons their ancestors could only have imagined, African Americans have strengthened our Nation by leading reforms, overcoming obstacles, and breaking down barriers. During National African American History Month, we celebrate the vast contributions of African Americans to our Nation's history and identity.
This year's theme, "African Americans and the Civil War," invites us to reflect on 150 years since the start of the Civil War and on the patriots of a young country who fought for the promises of justice and equality laid out by our forbearers. In the Emancipation Proclamation, President Abraham Lincoln not only extended freedom to those still enslaved within rebellious areas, he also opened the door for African Americans to join the Union effort.
Tens of thousands of African Americans enlisted in the United States Army and Navy, making extraordinary sacrifices to help unite a fractured country and free millions from slavery. These gallant soldiers, like those in the 54th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment, served with distinction, braving both intolerance and the perils of war to inspire a Nation and expand the domain of freedom. Beyond the battlefield, black men and women also supported the war effort by serving as surgeons, nurses, chaplains, spies, and in other essential roles. These brave Americans gave their energy, their spirit, and sometimes their lives for the noble cause of liberty.
Over the course of the next century, the United States struggled to deliver fundamental civil and human rights to African Americans, but African Americans would not let their dreams be denied. Though Jim Crow segregation slowed the onward march of history and expansion of the American dream, African Americans braved bigotry and violence to organize schools, churches, and neighborhood organizations. Bolstered by strong values of faith and community, black men and women have launched businesses, fueled scientific advances, served our Nation in the Armed Forces, sought public office, taught our children, and created groundbreaking works of art and entertainment. To perfect our Union and provide a better life for their children, tenacious civil rights pioneers have long demanded that America live up to its founding principles, and their efforts continue to inspire us.
Though we inherit the extraordinary progress won by the tears and toil of our predecessors, we know barriers still remain on the road to equal opportunity. Knowledge is our strongest tool against injustice, and it is our responsibility to empower every child in America with a world-class education from cradle to career. We must continue to build on our Nation's foundation of freedom and ensure equal opportunity, economic security, and civil rights for all Americans. After a historic recession has devastated many American families, and particularly African Americans, we must continue to create jobs, support our middle class, and strengthen pathways for families to climb out of poverty.
During National African American History Month, we recognize the extraordinary achievements of African Americans and their essential role in shaping the story of America. In honor of their courage and contributions, let us resolve to carry forward together the promise of America for our children.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim February 2011 as National African American History Month. I call upon public officials, educators, librarians, and all the people of the United States to observe this month with appropriate programs, ceremonies, and activities.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this first day of February, in the year of our Lord two thousand eleven, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-fifth.
BARACK OBAMA
• WINNING THE FUTURE: AFRICAN AMERICANS AT THE DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY •
White House Blog, Feb. 2, 2011:
Christopher Smith's Story: Clean Energy & Service
Posted by Christopher Smith, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Oil and Natural Gas in the Office of Fossil Energy of the U.S. Department of Energy
Ed. note: This is the first blog post in a series that highlights African Americans from throughout the Administration who contribute to the President’s vision of winning the future through their work.
I’m lucky to have been raised by my parents, Raymond and Sue Ann Smith, who value education. As we celebrate Black History Month I reflect on the fact that I grew up in a period that offered me many more opportunities than my parents had when they were my age. This is one of the things that motivated me to return to public service, and inspires me to work every day to create opportunities for all Americans.
I grew up in Fort Worth, Texas and earned a BS degree in Engineering Management from the United States Military Academy at West Point. I began my career as an officer in the U. S. Army and served tours with the 2nd Infantry Division in Korea and the 25th Infantry Division in Hawaii. After leaving military service, I went on to work for Citibank and JPMorgan in New York City and London. While I was in England I earned an MBA from Cambridge University.
I spent the next eleven years in the oil industry, first with Texaco, then with Chevron. I spent most of that time leading international projects, including three years living in Bogotá Colombia negotiating offshore and pipeline agreements. The Secretary of Energy appointed me Deputy Assistant Secretary for Oil and Natural Gas in September of 2009.
Here at the Department of Energy I am responsible for leading the Department’s domestic and international natural gas and oil programs. This includes research and development, policy analysis, LNG safety, and natural gas import and licensing. Specifically, I am focused on leading research which will quantify the risks and opportunities associated with exploration and production activities, onshore and offshore. Our country needs to prudently develop our domestic natural gas resources, but we have to do it safely and with respect for the environment. Developing these resources leads to innovative new jobs in communities across the United States. I also lead research efforts on methane hydrate, an alternative source of natural gas which has the potential to significantly decrease our nation’s dependence on oil. This is supports President Obama’s vision for our nation’s transition to a clean energy economy and his call for 80 percent of America’s electricity to come from clean sources by 2035, including wind, solar, nuclear, clean coal and natural gas.
As the President has emphasized, the nation that leads the clean-energy economy will be the nation that leads the global economy. This is an exciting time for public service, and the Department of Energy is leading a lot of innovative initiatives that are key elements to winning the future. I’d encourage young people interested in the Department of Energy to ask themselves where their interest lies. This is a diverse place: from natural gas to solar, and from science and engineering to environmental law, important work is getting done here. Coming to work every day is exciting when you’re working on something you’re passionate about.
Since coming to Washington I have also had the opportunity to serve the community through volunteer efforts, to include chairing the board of the Emily J. T. Perez Foundation, which provides mentoring to girls at Oxon Hill High School in Prince George’s County, Maryland. Emily was my cousin, and graduated from West Point near the top of her class in 2005. Her class was dubbed the "Class of 9-11" because they were plebes when the twin towers fell in 2001. Emily served with distinction as a platoon leader with the 4th Infantry Division, and was the first member of her class to be killed in action in Iraq.
I’m inspired by her memory every day, and the sacrifices made by all of our uniformed forces who serve in harm’s way. One of my current job responsibilities that I’m particularly passionate about is facilitating a more effective interagency coordination between the Department of Energy and the Department of Defense - to help forwardly deployed units use energy more efficiently, and consequently to reduce the number of fuel convoys that the military has to conduct to remote outposts.
Serving is a privilege. Our nation faces a lot of complex challenges, but I feel like I’m in a position to make a difference.
Learn more about Christopher, the Department of Energy, and the future of clean energy at Energy.gov.
Department of Energy, Feb. 2, 2011:
Celebrating Black History Month w/ DOE's Travis Dredd
Submitted by Ebony Meeks, Assistant Press Secretary with the Office of Public Affairs
This month, we celebrate Black History Month. Throughout February, we will introduce you to African Americans who are working to advance the President's clean energy agenda and help the Department of Energy achieve its mission. Our first profile is of Travis Dredd, Special Assistant to Secretary Chu.
Question: What is your key responsibility?
TD: I support Energy Secretary Steven Chu in his day-to-day activities, serve on several Interagency Working Groups and serve as a liaison with key stakeholders.
Q: Where did you grow up?
TD: I was born and raised in Southern California.
Q: What is your educational background?
TD: I earned a Bachelor's Degree in Political Science at UCLA.
Q: Are you a member of a notable community organizations, church, or volunteer/mentorship program?
TD: I spent several years working with youth at the YMCA, mentoring young leaders, developing summer teen programs, and supporting high school students in their efforts to become more active in government. While in Washington, DC, I have volunteered with Greater DC Cares to help renovate local schools and create peaceful and caring learning environments for elementary aged students.
Q: During the State of the Union, the President laid out his vision for "Winning the Future" through Education, Building, Innovation, Responsibility, and Reform. How does your role in the Administration help to advance the President's agenda?
TD: My role in the Administration is all about bringing together entrepreneurs, business leaders, policy experts and thought-leaders to address our nation's energy future. This kind of collaboration brings about new innovative ideas that ultimately help to accelerate our transition to a clean energy economy.
Q: Is there a book, quote, or person that influenced you to be the person that you are today?
TD: I have always admired Desmond TuTu. As I get caught-up in my day-to-day activities, I try to remember something he once said "Do your little bit of good where you are; it's those little bits of good put together, that overwhelm the world."
Q: What advice would you have for young people interested in your Agency?
TD: I would advise young people interested in the Department of Energy and energy issues broadly to pay close attention in their science and mathematics classes. Once they've got that down, they should find something they are passionate about in the fields of engineering or technology. Lastly, I'd say take some small practical steps to help you educate yourself about energy. For instance, get your parents to install a smart meter in your home and begin learning about your energy habits now.
• DOL NEWS: PROTECTING MINERS •
Middle Class Task Force Blog, Feb. 2, 2011:
Living Up To the Mine Act
Posted by Maureen Tracey-Mooney, Senior Policy Analyst in the Office of the Vice President
Today the Department of Labor proposed a new rule that would help better protect Americans with one of the most dangerous jobs: miners.
For years, the Mine Safety and Health Administration has been overly restricted in its use of a powerful tool to protect the health and safety of our nation’s miners: putting a mine on a "Patterns of Violations" (or POV) status and using the additional enforcement tools that determination brings with it. The current system makes it much too difficult to identify such patterns -- too hard for both mine operators and the workers who need the protection this new rule would provide.
In the 30 years since the Mine Act’s passage no mine has ever been placed on a POV. That means that mines we know are consistently putting workers in danger are allowed to continue bad practices without making the needed systemic changes to protect workers. The current regulatory interpretation of the Mine Act fundamentally undermines its intent: to provide MSHA with the tools it needs to protect workers.
The Notice of Proposed Rulemaking takes critical steps to address flaws in the current rule and reflects the intent of Congress when it wrote the POV statute. Current regulation says that only final orders or citations against a mine can be used to determine if there is a POV. MSHA hasn’t been able to put mines on a POV because mines often contest their citations, leading to lengthy delays before a citation is made final.
To fully understand the scale of these challenges and the way they are used to avoid enforcement, you have to look at the numbers. In November of 2010, there was a backlog of roughly 88,000 contested violations; as a result of this backlog, the average contested violation took over 500 days to become final (even with substantial new resources dedicated to resolving the backlog). From 2006-2010, fewer than 1% of these citations were reversed. As a result, it’s virtually impossible for MSHA to review a mine’s recent compliant history when determining whether there is a POV. The proposed rule would eliminate the requirement that MSHA use only final citations, eliminating lengthy delays in enforcement that endanger workers.
For mine operators that want to do the right thing, the new proposed rule would make it easier for them to comply with the law and avoid a POV. It would simplify the POV criteria, improve consistency in its application and provide a searchable database mine operators can use to track their compliance. It would also provide special consideration for operators that monitor their compliance while taking proactive measures to protect workers.
Too often, we let the myth persist that workplace accidents just happen; that they are unavoidable, particularly in industries like mining. That’s just not true. With effective safety measures and strong enforcement, accidents can be avoided. Today’s proposed rule represents a significant step towards providing miners with the safe workplaces that they deserve and that are their right.