Hi, all. Today's report features:
President and Prime Minister: President Obama, Prime Minister Julia Gillard of Australia and Education Secretary Duncan visit a Virginia high school; the President and Prime Minister speak to the press after their meetings. The President also addresses those involved in the violence in Libya and discusses the international response.
Preventing Violent Extremism: Deputy National Security Advisor to the President, Denis McDonough, gives remarks at the Adams Center on partnering with communities to prevent violent extremism in America.
White House White Board: CEA Goolsbee on Patent Reform: Mr. Goolsbee explains the President's plan to reform the patent system so great American ideas can be turned into the jobs of the future quickly and effectively.
Commerce Secretary Locke on Patent Harmonization: The Secretary addressed heads and deputies of Asian-Pacific economies’ patent offices on moving forward with patent harmonization in a global process that includes both developed and developing countries.
Energy Update: The DOE's BioEnergy Science Center achieves yet another advance in the drive toward next generation biofuels -- using a microbe to convert plant matter directly into isobutanol. Isobutanol can be burned in regular car engines with a heat value higher than ethanol and similar to gasoline. DOE announces the first Science for Our Nation's Energy Future: Energy Frontier Research Centers Summit & Forum to be held on May 25-27.
Advise the Advisor: Melody Barnes, Director of the Domestic Policy Council and one of President Obama’s senior advisors on education policy, is asking for feedback from parents, teachers and students on what’s working in communities and what needs to change.
Education Update: A look at Let's Move! in schools; the 2011 National Financial Capability Challenge begins.
Consumer Financial Protection: Presidential Proclamation - National Consumer Protection Week: "The Federal Government has an important role to play in safeguarding transactions, and my Administration is committed to holding abusive companies accountable and shifting the balance of power back to the American consumer." Elizabeth Warren invites comments from consumers.
PRESIDENT AND PRIME MINISTER
White House, March 7, 2011:
President Obama & Prime Minister Gillard Visit Wakefield High School
President Obama, Prime Minister Julia Gillard of Australia, and Education Secretary Arne Duncan visit Wakefield High School in Arlington, VA. and speak to students.
Office of the Press Secretary, March 7, 2011:
Remarks by President Obama and Prime Minister Gillard During a Classroom Visit
PRESIDENT OBAMA: Hey, guys! How are you? Good to see you. Nice to see you.
Well, the -- it is wonderful to be back at Wakefield. Some of you remember I was here a couple of years ago, right? It was a year and a half ago? I know I had less gray hair the last time I was here. (Laughter.)
We wanted to stop by because we have a very special guest here today. But before I do that, I just want to say -- I’m assuming you guys are all aware that this is Ms. Fraley’s birthday.
STUDENTS: Yes.
Q: Can we sing Happy Birthday?
PRESIDENT OBAMA: Should we sing Happy Birthday? (Applause.)
So let’s -- I’ll kick us off.
(Class sings Happy Birthday.) (Applause.)
PRESIDENT OBAMA: For those of you in the back, you should know that Ms. Fraley was selected as one of the Virginia Teachers of the Year. So we’re very proud of that. I was just talking to her. It turns out that she’s been teaching now for 10 years. Before she was teaching, she was a journalist. So she decided to make a change and get into something useful. (Laughter.) I couldn’t resist. I couldn’t resist.
Now, for our real order of business here, we have a wonderful special guest. This is Prime Minister Julia Gillard. She has come all the way from Australia. She will be addressing a joint session of Congress, which is a very unique honor. Few heads of state get the privilege of addressing a joint session of Congress. But the reason that she’s been asked to do this is because we have as close of an alliance with Australia as any country in the world. We have a shared democracy. We have shared values. Their football is a little different than ours. (Laughter.)
But there are very few countries where we’ve got such a close bond and such a unique bond. And that dates back for decades. But it’s also manifest today where, for example, Australia is one of the leading coalition partners in Afghanistan, so our soldiers are fighting side by side. We cooperate on a whole range of security issues and economic issues. The reason we wanted to stop by a school was in part because Prime Minister Gillard used to be the minister of education in Australia. So she takes a great interest in how our young people are developing and how we’re preparing them for the 21st-century economy.
So we are thrilled to have her here. Madam Prime Minister.
PRIME MINISTER GILLARD: Thank you very much. (Applause.) I was saying to the President as we came here that I’ve been to a Washington school before, when I was in Washington and was taken to a school. It was actually a primary school, much younger children. And I was a few minutes into my address when one small boy turned to the small boy next to him and said, “Is she speaking English?” (Laughter.) So provided all of you understand me today, I’m going to count this as a success.
But I thought I would come along today and just talk to you about Australia and actually start by asking you a few questions, a bit of a pop quiz about Australia. You’re looking -- (laughter) --
PRESIDENT OBAMA: Don’t embarrass Ms. Fraley. (Laughter.)
PRIME MINISTER GILLARD: We’ve got some Australian journalists here, so if you can’t answer the questions then I’m sure they’ll be able to. (Laughter.)
Anybody got any idea the population of Australia, how many people? (Laughter.) Just a guess.
PRESIDENT OBAMA: Anybody want to take a stab?
Q: Twenty-one million?
PRESIDENT OBAMA: Very close.
PRIME MINISTER GILLARD: Very close. Twenty-two million.
PRESIDENT OBAMA: Do you have like an iPad over there? (Laughter.) That’s pretty impressive. Good job. All right.
PRIME MINISTER GILLARD: Okay, what about size? How big is it? As big as America?
Q: As big as the United States.
Q: A little bit bigger?
PRIME MINISTER GILLARD: A little bit bigger?
Q: Oh, really?
PRIME MINISTER GILLARD: No. (Laughter.) You’re giving us a little bit of extra terrain.
Q: A little bit smaller.
PRIME MINISTER GILLARD: It’s a little bit -- there you go. There are only two choices. A little bit bigger or a little bit smaller. (Laughter.)
Q: Maybe exactly the same.
PRIME MINISTER GILLARD: No, it’s about 20 percent less in size than America. But 20 million people, 20 percent less in size. So that’s worth knowing. Who knows anything about Australian-rules football?
Q: Ask him.
PRIME MINISTER GILLARD: You do?
Q: I’ve watched a little bit.
PRIME MINISTER GILLARD: You’ve watched a little bit? And what do you think? Pretty tough guy?
Q: It’s hard to understand. (Laughter.)
PRIME MINISTER GILLARD: Okay. I’ve been trying to describe it to the President. It can be a bit hard to understand.
PRESIDENT OBAMA: She brought me an Australian football. She was kicking it in my office. (Laughter.) Almost broke a bust of Lincoln. It was really -- (laughter.) That’s not true, guys. Just making that up.
PRIME MINISTER GILLARD: Hand bowling in the office.
PRESIDENT OBAMA: I don’t want to cause a diplomatic incident.
PRIME MINISTER GILLARD: We didn’t break anything –- we were hand bowling. So has anybody got a question about Australia? Yes.
Q: My family and I have been wondering for a little while, what is Vegemite?
PRIME MINISTER GILLARD: Right. (Laughter.) This is also a little bit of a division between the President and I. I love Vegemite, and --
PRESIDENT OBAMA: It’s horrible. (Laughter.)
PRIME MINISTER GILLARD: It’s actually a byproduct of making beer, apparently. That’s how the story goes. It’s a yeast paste. I’m making this sound really good, aren’t I? (Laughter.) It’s black, and it’s quite salty. The beginner’s error with Vegemite is to put too much on a piece of bread or piece of toast. You don’t put it on like jam or anything like that. You’ve got to do it very lightly, spread it very thinly. And it’s good.
PRESIDENT OBAMA: So it’s like a quasi-vegetable-byproduct paste -- (laughter) -- that you smear on your toast for breakfast. Sounds good, doesn’t it? (Laughter.)
PRIME MINISTER GILLARD: But we’ll get some sent over and you can have a try. It’s addictive. Once you’ve had some when you were small, you’ll crave it when you’re an adult.
PRESIDENT OBAMA: All right. Fair enough.
PRIME MINISTER GILLARD: You’ve got to start eating it when you’re young, though. Other Australian questions? Yes.
Q: What’s the biggest difference between Australian schools and U.S. schools?
PRIME MINISTER GILLARD: The biggest difference? I think a lot of things are the same. We’ve got about 9,500 schools in the country, so a lot less than here, which is what you would imagine. I think the things that we study and the way that we benchmark standards are around about the same. And one of the things we’re both trying to do, so President Obama is very focused on and I’m very focused on, is making sure the schools that haven’t been meeting the right national testing results are getting boosted up, because we don’t want disadvantaged students falling behind.
So I think if you went to one of our schools you’d see a classroom pretty much like this one.
Q: How has the flooding affected education and how kids get to school?
PRIME MINISTER GILLARD: Yes, it did stop kids going to school for a while, so we had the flooding right through Queensland and then we had the cyclone, which hit in North and Far North Queensland after that. Some of the schools they brought back a few weeks late because kids couldn’t get to school -- the schools were flood damaged. But people are getting back into it and back into normal life now.
A lot of the schools acted as relief centers, so during the worst of the flooding that is where people could go to pick up food supplies or to see someone who might be able to help them with emergency cash or put them in contact with a counselor if they were finding the strain of it too much. So schools were a real backbone. But kids missed a few weeks of school.
Some of the kids I talked to thought that wasn’t such a bad deal -- (laughter) -- missing a couple of weeks of school. But everybody is getting back into it now.
PRESIDENT OBAMA: Now, the flooding area was about the size of Texas -- is that right? The amount of land that was covered by the floods?
PRIME MINISTER GILLARD: It was huge. We were -- the comparison we were doing was a bit like France and Germany, that kind of size, so a huge area. And I had the opportunity to go up in the air and see it a few times, and just filthy floodwater, because floodwater is filthy, as far as the eye could see. And it was a sort of rolling crisis, so we had flooding in places like Rockhampton, and then it came down to some small places like Dalby and Condamine. So that was the first phase of it. And then we had those very dangerous flash floods in Toowoomba and into the Lockyer Valley that cost people a lot of -- a lot of lives were lost because there was no warning. And then Brisbane, which is one of our big cities, was flooded. So we had a whole capital city closed down for a few days because of the flooding.
And then when we’d gotten through all of that, then we had a category 5 cyclone hit in the north and far north, and that caused a lot of devastation in places like Tully and Cardwell, which had been evacuated because the force of the cyclone was going to be so strong.
So it’s been a tough time, but Queenslanders particularly are resilient sorts. They breed them pretty tough in Queensland, so they’re getting on with it and rebuilding.
PRESIDENT OBAMA: Anybody else?
Q: Mr. President, when are you coming to Australia? (Laughter.)
PRESIDENT OBAMA: I actually went to Australia. Some of you know that when I was a kid I lived in Indonesia briefly for about four years. And Indonesia is sort of in the same vicinity as Australia. So when you fly -- back then, at least -- now there are probably more direct flights, but back then oftentimes you had to fly through Australia. So I ended up having a chance to get to know Aussies when I was 8 years old. And wonderful people -- and very similar to Americans in the sense that -- very open, very friendly -- partly because -- we were talking about this earlier -- they have a similar sort of frontier spirit. There’s a lot of open space there, a lot of people who obviously migrated there -- some by choice, some --
PRIME MINISTER GILLARD: Some not so much.
PRESIDENT OBAMA: Some not so much. (Laughter.)
PRIME MINISTER GILLARD: Early convicts. Not so much probably. (Laughter.)
PRESIDENT OBAMA: But -- so you have a similar openness, a great -- a premium on individualism and freedom. So there’s a lot that binds our two countries together.
Any other questions? You guys can ask questions for me if you want. (Laughter.)
Q: Do you play basketball in Australia?
PRIME MINISTER GILLARD: Yes, we do play basketball in Australia. In fact, Secretary Duncan is over here -- your Secretary of Education --
PRESIDENT OBAMA: Arne Duncan.
PRIME MINISTER GILLARD: -- and he played basketball in Australia.
PRESIDENT OBAMA: Played professional basketball in Australia.
SECRETARY DUNCAN: I was the leading scorer for four years.
PRESIDENT OBAMA: Were you the leading scorer in the league?
SECRETARY DUNCAN: No. (Laughter.)
PRESIDENT OBAMA: Come on, Reggie. I might have believed him. He’s still got game, by the way. (Laughter.)
PRIME MINISTER GILLARD: I went to a basketball game in Townsville earlier this year --they’re the Townsville Crocs. So they come with a mascot which is a man in a crocodile suit. And anything can happen when that mascot is there. (Laughter.)
PRESIDENT OBAMA: Anybody else? Don’t be intimidated by these --
Q: How many of these Presidents can you name around the room? (Laughter.)
PRESIDENT OBAMA: That’s Lincoln. (Laughter.) And that’s Washington.
Q: You’re over there, in the back.
PRESIDENT OBAMA: How’s that?
Q: You’re over there.
PRESIDENT OBAMA: Nice, nice. So what have you guys been talking about in AP History class?
Q: The ‘20s.
PRESIDENT OBAMA: The ‘20s?
Q: Yes.
Q: The Roaring ‘20s.
PRESIDENT OBAMA: What’s been the focus of the ‘20s, the Roaring ‘20s?
Q: Jazz.
PRESIDENT OBAMA: Jazz.
Q: Prohibition.
PRESIDENT OBAMA: Prohibition. Has there been a debate in class about prohibition?
Q: Not quite.
PRESIDENT OBAMA: All right. What prompted all of you to take AP History?
Q: Ms. Fraley, of course.
Q: She’s a wonderful teacher.
Q: I love her.
PRESIDENT OBAMA: Look at all these folks sucking up to her. Good grief. (Laughter.)
White House, March 7, 2011:
President Obama and Prime Minister Gillard of Australia
President Obama and Prime Minister Julia Gillard of Australia speak to the press after their meetings. The President also addresses those involved in the violence in Libya and discusses the international response.
Office of the Press Secretary, March 7, 2011:
Remarks by President Obama and Prime Minister Gillard of Australia After Bilateral Meeting
PRESIDENT OBAMA: Well, I just want to provide a hearty welcome to Prime Minister Gillard, who I had a chance to meet during the ASEAN summit and the G20 summit, and was immediately charmed, as I'm sure at least a good chunk of the Australian people are.
We have no stronger ally than Australia. And as we celebrate the 60th anniversary of our alliance I think it’s especially appropriate to have Prime Minister Gillard here.
I understand that you’ll be speaking to a joint session of Congress, which is a high honor that is reserved for only our closest friends, and I think it’s a measure of the degree to which Australians are held in such high esteem by Americans -- partly because we share so much. Not only do we share a language, a commitment to democracy, a set of shared values, but I think there’s also a shared sense of open spaces and a pioneer spirit. And as Prime Minister Gillard said the first time we met, it’s what makes us “great mates.”
We've had a very useful discussion about a wide range of issues. We began by me once again expressing on behalf of all the people of the United States our deepest condolences for those families that were affected by the terrible floods recently. We want to commend Prime Minister Gillard and her government and all the personnel who were involved for their timely response at what is I know a very difficult time. And once again we want to pledge any support that we can provide to the Australian people in this moment of hardship.
We also talked about a wide range of international issues. I'll be traveling this year to Asia once again for the East Asia summit, and we’ll be hosting in Honolulu the APEC summit. Australia and the United States have a shared interest in expanding trade in the Pacific region, in promoting clean energy, in making sure that we don't have regulatory barriers that prevent our businesses from working across our borders. And so we're very excited about the prospect of joining forces with Australia and other countries to promote growth and employees in the region.
We had a good discussion about security. And I want to once again thank the Australian people and the military families who are making such extraordinary sacrifices in Afghanistan. It is not easy. Australia is our largest non-NATO coalition member making an extraordinary contribution day in and day out. And I want to personally thank Prime Minister Gillard for her strong endorsement of our efforts there. And we discussed the fact that 2011 is going to be a year of transition in which we, more and more, provide the assistance necessary for Afghans to take the lead in that effort.
And we had a discussion about the situation in the Middle East. And I think Prime Minister Gillard and I both share a very firm conviction that the violence that's been taking place and perpetrated by the government in Libya is unacceptable. Australia joined with us in imposing swift and firm sanctions, comprehensive sanctions, against the Libyan government. We continue to monitor the violence there.
I want to send a very clear message to those who are around Colonel Qaddafi: It is their choice to make how they operate moving forward, and they will be held accountable for whatever violence continues to take place there.
In the meantime, we've got NATO, as we speak, consulting in Brussels around a wide range of potential options, including potential military options, in response to the violence that continues to take place inside of Libya. In addition, we have taken the lead on a host of humanitarian efforts, and I just authorized an additional $15 million that will be provided to aid organizations that are already on the ground. And we've been coordinating with the United Nations, which now has a number of personnel on the ground as well, to make sure that people are getting the help they need and we are in a position to respond to any additional emergencies that may arise out of the situation there.
But the bottom line is I think Australia and the United States stand shoulder to shoulder in sending a clear message that we stand for democracy, we stand for an observance of human rights, and that we send a very clear message to the Libyan people that we will stand with them in the face of unwarranted violence and the continuing suppression of democratic ideals that we've seen there.
So, because of these shared values, because of the deep and longstanding relationship between our two countries, it is an extraordinary pleasure to have Prime Minister Gillard here. And I have to say that from a distance at least, she is doing an outstanding job; is a very quick study. And we look forward to -- since she’s a former minister of education -- visiting a school here in Washington, D.C., where we expect the smart students over there to ask all kinds of difficult questions. But I know that Prime Minister Gillard will have good answer for them.
So thank you very much. Welcome.
PRIME MINISTER GILLARD: Can I say thank you to President Obama. I am moderately terrified about how complicated these questions from students could be, but I’m looking forward to visiting a school with you.
I did want to start by saying thank you very much for the warmth of your welcome here. And I am very delighted to be addressing Congress. I know this is an honor for Australia and something that we’re very, very pleased and grateful for. So thank you very much for that.
We’ve been talking today about the friendship between our two countries, about being great mates, talking about the 60th anniversary of our alliance. And as I’ve said to President Obama, I view it as 60 years young. There is so much more to do together in the future, including cooperating as America looks at its force posture, including cooperating in our region at the East Asia summit and beyond.
I’ve talked to President Obama today about preparations for the G20, about its continuing importance in keeping a focus on growth and on jobs for the future. And we’ve talked about the importance of trade, both the Trans-Pacific Partnership, where under President Obama’s leadership we are hoping at APEC to see major progress, and also the Doha Round, where we are hoping to see major progress this year.
We’ve had the opportunity to talk about the fight in Afghanistan. It is hard, but it’s something that I am very personally committed to, to seeing the mission done and to ensuring we play our part in training the Afghan national army and bringing security to Afghanistan so that the Afghan people can lead their own security. So we’ve had the opportunity to talk about transition today as well as events in the Middle East, as the President has outlined.
So it’s been a very great pleasure to be here. Thank you very much for these discussions, and I know we’ll cross the full range of economic discussions, of military discussions, defense cooperation, the mission in Afghanistan, public policy issues which our nation share -- education, which we’ll have the opportunity to talk about at the school; climate change. We will be continuing to work together very strongly for the future.
Thank you.
PRESIDENT OBAMA: Thank you very much, everybody.
Q: Will the U.S. tap the SPR?
PRESIDENT OBAMA: Thank you very much.
Q: Will the U.S. tap the SPR to deal with oil prices being so high? Will you tap the SPR? Come on.
Q: Will you come to Australia, Mr. President?
PRESIDENT OBAMA: I would love to get there. I’m looking forward to a return visit to Australia. The first time I was there, I was telling the Prime Minister, I was eight years old, and had a wonderful time in Sydney. Everybody treated me wonderfully, and I hope I get a chance to get back there soon.
All right. Thank you, everybody.
PREVENTING VIOLENT EXTREMISM
White House, March 7, 2011:
Deputy National Security Advisor Denis McDonough Speaks at the Adams Center
In Sterling, Virginia, Deputy National Security Advisor to President Obama, Denis McDonough, gives remarks at the Adams Center on partnering with communities to prevent violent extremism in America.
Office of the Press Secretary, March 6, 2011:
Remarks of Denis McDonough Deputy National Security Advisor to the President
As Prepared for Delivery
Thank you, Imam Magid, for your very kind introduction and welcome. I know that President Obama was very grateful that you led the prayer at last summer’s Iftar dinner at the White House—which, as the President noted, is a tradition stretching back more than two centuries to when Thomas Jefferson hosted the first Iftar at the White House.
Thank you, also, for being one of our nation’s leading voices for the values that make America so strong, especially religious freedom and tolerance. Whether it’s here at the ADAMS Center, or as President of the Islamic Society of North America, you’ve spoken with passion and eloquence, not only about your own Islamic faith, but for the need to build bridges of understanding and trust between faiths.
That’s evident here today, in the presence of so many different faith communities—Muslims, Christians, Jews, Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists. The fact that we can come together in a spirit of respect and fellowship speaks to the bonds that we share, as people of faith and as Americans.
That’s why, on a very personal level, it’s such an honor to be with you today. Sunday afternoons at a parish center – or a community center – is familiar territory for me. I grew up in Stillwater, Minnesota in a proud Catholic family. I am one of 11 kids, and I can think of countless Sunday afternoons like this one spent at festivals, games or meetings at our home parish of St. Mike’s or at the church of my older brother, who is a priest.
Like all of you and like me, millions of Americans find community, comfort and support in their faith. That includes President Obama, drawing as he does on his Christian faith. So today reminds us that being religious is never un-American. Being religious is quintessentially American.
In my life—working in government and studying and traveling in many parts of the world—I’ve also come to appreciate the diversity and richness of Muslim communities, here in America and abroad. I accompanied then-Senator Obama when he traveled to the Middle East, including Israel and the West Bank, where he spoke to Israelis and Palestinians about the imperative of peace. During the presidential campaign, I had the honor of meeting with Muslim American leaders and communities across the country, in places like Cedar Rapids, Iowa, home to the oldest mosque in America.
Over the past two years, I—along with my White House colleagues—have benefited from the advice of many of your organizations through our Office of Public Engagement. Because, after all, your communities have the same concerns as all Americans—the economy, education, health care, the safety of our children and our country. For example, this week at the White House, students from the Muslim, Arab and South Asian communities will join young people from across America for a conference with the President and First Lady to prevent bullying.
I was privileged to join the President in Cairo, where he called for a new beginning between the United States and Muslim communities around the world. And here at the ADAMS Center—with one of the largest mosques in America—you see the incredible racial and ethnic diversity of Islam. And yet, as Imam Magid once explained, here you find common ground, as Americans.
So, for me, being here is not unlike going to St. Mike’s back home in Minnesota, or for that matter, going to any house of worship or community center in America. This is a typically American place. We just saw that in the wonderful program this afternoon, including the Boy Scouts presenting the American flag and leading us in the Pledge of Allegiance.
You see it in all the activities that occur here, just like in communities all across America—youth programs, sports, playgroups for moms and their young children, charitable programs, including help for the homeless. This is a place where Americans come together—not only to practice their faith, but to build stronger communities, with people of many faiths.
Here in Virginia and across the country, Muslim Americans are our neighbors and fellow citizens. You inspire our children as teachers. You strengthen our communities as volunteers, often through interfaith projects, like the President’s “United We Serve” program. You protect our communities as police officers and firefighters.
You create jobs and opportunity as small business owners and executives of major corporations. You enrich our culture as athletes and entertainers. You lead us as elected officials and Members of Congress. And no one should ever forget that Muslim Americans help keep America safe every day as proud Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines and Coast Guardsmen. Indeed, some of these heroes have made the ultimate sacrifice for our nation and now rest in our hallowed national cemeteries.
That’s why I appreciate the opportunity to be here today. It’s this very idea—the idea of America as a secure and pluralistic nation; as a society that doesn’t just accept diversity; but which is strengthened by it—this idea is more important than ever.
Over the last several months and again later this month in New York City, John Brennan, Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism, will continue to outline the steps we are taking—across our government—to keep America and our communities safe and secure, including from the threat of al Qaeda and its adherents.
I am here to talk with you about how our communities – your communities – contribute to keeping our country safe: specifically, as part of our approach to preventing the radicalization that leads to a range of threats here at home, including terrorism. As the President’s Deputy National Security Advisor, I’ve been responsible, for more than a year, for coordinating and integrating our efforts across the federal government to help prevent violent extremism in the United States. And today I want to discuss our approach, which we’ll be releasing publicly in the coming weeks.
Preventing radicalization that leads to violence here in America is part of our larger strategy to decisively defeat al Qaeda. Overseas, because of the new focus and resources that the President has devoted to this fight, the al Qaeda leadership in the border regions of Afghanistan and Pakistan is hunkered down and it’s harder than ever for them to plot and launch attacks against our country. Because we’re helping other countries build their capacity to defend themselves, we’re making it harder for al Qaeda’s adherents to operate around the world.
Here at home, we’ve strengthened our defenses, with improvements to intelligence and aviation screening and enhanced security at our borders, ports and airports. As we’ve seen in recent attempted attacks, al Qaeda and its adherents are constantly trying to exploit any vulnerability in our open society. But it’s also clear that our dedicated intelligence, law enforcement and homeland security personnel have disrupted many more plots and saved many American lives.
At the same time, we’re confronting the broader challenge of violent extremism generally—including the political, economic and social forces that can sometimes lead people to embrace al Qaeda’s murderous ideology. This includes challenging and undermining the twisted ideology—the political propaganda—that al Qaeda uses to recruit, radicalize and mobilize its supporters to violence.
Of course, the most effective voices against al Qaeda’s warped worldview and interpretation of Islam are other Muslims. As the President said in Cairo, “Islam is not part of the problem in combating violent extremism – it is an important part of promoting peace.” Around the world, poll after poll shows that the overwhelming majority of Muslims reject al Qaeda. Many Muslim leaders around the world have loudly condemned al Qaeda and its murderous tactics and declared that it is a violation of Islam to murder innocent people. They’ve spoken out at great risk to their lives, and some have lost their lives because of it.
Still, President Obama recognizes that through our words and deeds we can either play into al Qaeda’s narrative and messaging or we can challenge it and thereby undermine it. We’re determined to undermine it.
For example, we know there are many different reasons why individuals—from many different faiths—succumb to terrorist ideologies. And there is no one easy profile of a terrorist. But based on extensive investigations, research and profiles of the violent extremists we’ve captured or arrested, and who falsely claim to be fighting in the name of Islam, we know that they all share one thing—they all believe that the United States is somehow at war with Islam, and that this justifies violence against Americans.
So we are actively and aggressively undermining that ideology. We’re exposing the lie that America and Islam are somehow in conflict. That is why President Obama has stated time and again that the United States is not and never will be at war with Islam.
On the contrary, we’ve strengthened alliances and partnerships with Muslim-majority nations around the world, from Turkey to Indonesia. As a result of the President’s speech in Cairo, we’ve forged new partnerships with Muslim communities to promote entrepreneurship, health, science and technology, educational exchanges and opportunities for women. In fact, the President insisted that his National Security Staff create a new office, a Global Engagement Directorate, to make these partnerships a priority.
We also undermine al Qaeda’s ideology by exposing the lie that it is somehow defending Islamic traditions when, in fact, al Qaeda violates the basic tenets of Islam. The overwhelming majority of al Qaeda’s victims are Muslim. In contrast to the ethics and accomplishments of the Islamic Golden Age—a period of scientific learning; networks of Muslim, Christian, and Jewish intellectuals and philosophers; advances in mathematics, agriculture, technology, and the arts—al Qaeda practices nothing but religious bigotry and glorifies suicide bombing.
We undermine al Qaeda’s ideology by showing that it is the power of nonviolence and democratic change that leads to progress, not senseless terrorism. And now people across the Arab world are proving the point.
Consider this. Al Qaeda’s second-in-command, Ayman Zawahiri, an Egyptian, has spent decades trying to overthrow the government of Egypt through terrorism. But in just a few short weeks, it was the people of Egypt—men and women, young and old, secular and religious, Muslims and Christians—who came together and changed their government, peacefully. It is the most dramatic change in the Arab world in decades, and al Qaeda had nothing to do with it. And so President Obama made it a point to commend the Egyptian people and their embrace of “the moral force of nonviolence—not terrorism, not mindless killing.”
There’s another way that we expose and undermine the lies of al Qaeda’s ideology. They want Muslims around the world to think that the United States is somehow anti-Muslim—when, in fact, we embrace people of all faiths and creeds. That is why President Obama has said repeatedly—“Islam is part of America.” And that’s one of the reasons why this administration makes it a point—whether in the President’s speech in Cairo, at Iftars at the White House, in outreach by our federal agencies, or with my presence here today—to celebrate the extraordinary contributions that Muslim Americans make to our country every day.
For all these reasons—our stronger defenses at home; our progress against al Qaeda overseas; the rejection of al Qaeda by so many Muslims around the world; and the powerful image of Muslims thriving in America—al Qaeda and its adherents have increasingly turned to another troubling tactic: attempting to recruit and radicalize people to terrorism here in the United States.
For a long time, many in the U.S. thought that our unique melting pot meant we were immune from this threat – this despite the history of violent extremists of all kinds in the United States. That was false hope, and false comfort. This threat is real, and it is serious.
How do we know this? Well, al Qaeda tells us. They’re not subtle. They make videos, create Internet forums, even publish online magazines, all for the expressed purpose of trying to convince Muslim Americans to reject their country and attack their fellow Americans.
There’s Adam Gadahn, who grew up in California and now calls himself an al Qaeda spokesman. There’s Anwar al-Awlaki, who was born in the United States and now exhorts Americans to violence from hiding in Yemen as part of al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula. And there’s Omar Hammami, an Alabama native who joined the terrorist group al-Shabaab in Somalia and uses rap and hip hop in an attempt to reach young Americans.
Sadly, these violent extremists have found a miniscule but receptive audience. Fortunately, good intelligence, effective law enforcement, and community partnerships have allowed us to discover and thwart many of their plots before they could kill. Examples include: Najibullah Zazi of Denver, who conspired to bomb the New York City subway; Daniel Patrick Boyd of North Carolina, and others, who conspired to murder U.S. military personnel; and individuals who planned to bomb buildings in Illinois and Texas. Over the past two years, dozens of American citizens have been arrested and charged with terrorism counts.
Tragically, other plots were not prevented, among them: the murder of 13 innocent Americans at Fort Hood; David Headley, of Chicago, who helped to plan the 2008 terrorist attacks in Mumbai, India; and Faisal Shazad, who packed an SUV with explosives and attempted to detonate it in Times Square.
Of course, disrupting plots is dealing with this threat at the back end, after individuals have succumbed to violent extremism. Our challenge, and the goal that President Obama has insisted that we also focus on, is on the front end—preventing al Qaeda from recruiting and radicalizing people in America in the first place. And we know this isn’t the job of government alone. It has to be a partnership with you—the communities being targeted most directly by al Qaeda.
I work with President Obama every day. He’s been focused on this since he took office. Behind closed doors, he has insisted that his national security team make this a priority. The effort that I’ve been leading is a policy committee made up of deputy secretaries from departments and agencies across government. We meet regularly to consider new policy, drawing not only on the expertise of our traditional national security agencies, but also the departments of Education and Health and Human Services.
In our review of the Fort Hood attack, we deepened our understanding of the tactics that extremists like al-Awlaki use to push people toward violence, as well as how an individual becomes radicalized. The President’s National Security Strategy, released last year, stated, “Our best defenses against this threat are well-informed and equipped families, local communities, and institutions.”
Indeed, senior administration officials—including Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano, Attorney General Eric Holder, and John Brennan—have met with and engaged many of your organizations. Many of you have approached the administration offering to help, and you’ve worked with us to help prevent terrorists from targeting your communities.
Most recently, in the State of the Union, the President summed up our approach this way. “As extremists try to inspire acts of violence within our borders,” he said, “we are responding with the strength of our communities, with respect for the rule of law, and with the conviction that Muslim Americans are a part of our American family.”
With the time I have left I want to address three aspects of our approach: how we think about and see this challenge; the principles that are guiding our efforts; and what we’re actually doing, in partnership with your communities.
How are we in government thinking about this challenge? After years of experience, we have a better understanding, not only of how terrorist recruiters try to radicalize people, but how we can reduce the chances that they will succeed.
We know, for example, that not unlike gang lords and drug dealers, terrorist recruiters prey on those who feel disillusioned or disconnected from their family, community or country. They target individuals who are perhaps struggling with their identity, suggesting to them that their identities as an American and as a Muslim are somehow incompatible and that they must choose between their faith and their country.
But we also know that this is a false choice and that it fails to resonate with individuals when they have the strong support of their families and communities; when they have faith in their ability to achieve change through the political process; and when they feel that they, too, have a chance to realize the American Dream.
In other words, we know, as the President said, that the best defense against terrorist ideologies is strong and resilient individuals and communities. This should be no surprise. In America we have a long history of community-based initiatives and partnerships dealing successfully with a whole range of challenges, like violent crime.
And we know something else—that just as our words and deeds can either fuel or undermine violent extremism abroad, so too can they here at home.
We have a choice. We can choose to send a message to certain Americans that they are somehow “less American” because of their faith or how they look; that we see their entire community as a potential threat—as we’ve seen in several inexcusable incidents in recent weeks across the country that were captured on video. Well, those incidents do not represent America. And if we make that choice, we risk feeding the very feelings of disenchantment that may push some members of that community to violent extremism.
Or, we can make another choice. We can send the message that we’re all Americans. That’s the message that the President conveyed last summer when he was discussing Muslim Americans serving in our military and the need to honor their service. “Part of honoring their service, he said, “is making sure that they understand that we don’t differentiate between them and us. It’s just us.”
Informed by what we know, several basic principles must guide us in what we do—as individuals, as communities and as a country. We must resolve not to label someone as an extremist simply because of their opposition to the policies of the U.S. government or their strong religious beliefs. Under our Constitution, we have the freedom to speak our minds. And we have the right to practice our faiths freely knowing that the government should neither promote nor hinder any one religion over the other.
As such, we must resolve to protect the rights and civil liberties of every American. That’s why, under President Obama, the civil rights division at the Justice Department is devoting new energy and effort to its founding mission—protecting civil rights. It’s why we are vigorously enforcing new hate crimes laws. And it’s why even as we do everything in our power to protect the American people from terrorist attacks, we’re also doing everything in our power to uphold civil liberties.
We must resolve that, in our determination to protect our nation, we will not stigmatize or demonize entire communities because of the actions of a few. In the United States of America, we don’t practice guilt by association. And let’s remember that just as violence and extremism are not unique to any one faith, the responsibility to oppose ignorance and violence rests with us all.
In the wake of terrorist attacks, instead of condemning whole communities, we need to join with those communities to help them protect themselves as well. And if one faith community faces intimidation, we need to come together across faiths, as happened several years ago here at the ADAMS Center, when Christian and Jewish leaders literally stood guard overnight to protect this center from vandalism. You showed us the true meaning of e pluribus unum—out of many, one.
Let’s resolve that efforts to protect communities against violent extremists must be led by those communities. Indeed, we’re fortunate that Muslim Americans, including organizations represented here today, have taken an unequivocal stand against terrorism.
Islamic scholars have issued fatwas declaring terrorism as un-Islamic. Like Muslim American communities across the country, the ADAMS Center has consistently and forcefully condemned terrorist attacks. And not only here in the United States. You’ve condemned terrorism around the world against people of other faiths, including Christians and Jews. In so doing, you’ve sent a message that those who perpetrate such horrific attacks do not represent you or your faith, and that they will not succeed in pitting believers of different faiths against one another.
After the attack at Fort Hood, Muslim Americans reached out to offer sympathy and support to the victims and their families. Across the country, Muslim, Arab and South Asian communities have held conferences and launched awareness campaigns to address the challenge of radicalization that leads to violence. Imam Magid is among the many Muslim leaders who have been recognized by the Director of the FBI for their efforts to strengthen cooperation between Muslim communities and law enforcement.
To counter the propaganda videos from the likes of al-Awlaki, Imam Magid even joined with other clerics and scholars to make their own videos, which have gone viral, explaining that Islam preaches peace, not violence. Most Americans never hear about these efforts, and, regrettably, they’re rarely covered by the media. But they’re going on every day—and they’re helping to keep our country safe.
In fact, many of the incidents and arrests that do make headlines are because of the good citizenship and patriotism of Muslim Americans who noticed something and spoke up. Since the September 11th attacks, a number of individuals inspired by al Qaeda’s ideology and involved in supporting or plotting terrorism were stopped, in part, because of the vigilance of members of local communities, including Muslim Americans.
That’s why Lee Baca, the Sheriff in Los Angeles County—which has one of the largest Muslim communities in the country—has said that Muslim Americans “have been pivotal in helping to fight terrorism.” And it’s why Attorney General Holder has said that cooperation from Muslim Americans and Arab Americans “has been absolutely essential in identifying and preventing, terrorist threats.”
The bottom line is this—when it comes to preventing violent extremism and terrorism in the United States, Muslim Americans are not part of the problem, you’re part of the solution.
We also believe in another principle—that no community can be expected to meet a challenge as complex as this alone. No one community can be expected to become experts in terrorist organizations, how they are evolving, how they are using new tools and technologies to reach young or impressionable minds. And that’s where government can play a role.
Which leads me to the final area that I want to address today—our approach at the federal level, in partnership with communities. Broadly speaking, we’re working along five areas of effort.
First, we’re constantly working to improve our understanding of the process of radicalization that leads people to terrorism—because the more we understand it, the more we can do to stop it. As I said, we’ve learned a great deal about the factors that make individuals susceptible to extremist ideologies and violence. Our success in disrupting so many plots is a testament to this. But with al Qaeda and its adherents constantly evolving and refining their tactics, our understanding of the threat has to evolve as well.
So we’re devoting extensive resources and expertise to this, including entire analytic units at the Department of Homeland Security and the National Counterterrorism Center. We have a new senior intelligence official focused full-time on radicalization that leads to violence. And we’re constantly working with Congress, academic and research institutions, as well as foreign governments, to gain a more precise understanding of this challenge and how to address it.
Second, equipped with this information, we’ve expanded our engagement with local communities that are being targeted by terrorist recruiters. The departments of Homeland Security and Justice have created new advisory groups, instituted regular outreach sessions, and held dozens of roundtables across the country. It’s all been with the goal of listening to your communities, sharing information on how al Qaeda attempts to recruit and radicalize, and answering the question so many communities have asked us—what can we do to protect our young people?
But we’ve also recognized that this engagement can’t simply be about terrorism. We refuse to “securitize” the relationship between the government and millions of law-abiding, patriotic Muslim Americans and other citizens. We refuse to limit our engagement to what we’re against, because we need to forge partnerships that advance what we’re for—which is opportunity and equal treatment for all.
So other departments, like Health and Human Services and Education, have joined with communities to better understand and address the social, emotional and economic challenges faced by young people so they can realize their full potential in America. And our U.S. Attorneys are leading a new coordinated federal effort to deepen our partnerships with communities on a host of issues. Because we don’t just want to keep our young people from committing acts of violence, we want them to help build our country.
Third, based on this engagement, we’re increasing the support we offer to communities as they build their own local initiatives. Every community is unique, and our enemy—al Qaeda—is savvy. It targets different communities differently. So we’re working to empower local communities with the information and tools they need to build their own capacity to disrupt, challenge and counter propaganda, in both the real world and the virtual world.
Where the federal government can add value, we’ll offer it. But often times, the best expertise and solutions for a community will be found in that community—in the local organizations, institutions and businesses that understand the unique challenges of that community. Technology experts in the private sector, for instance, can share tools to counter terrorist narratives and recruiting on the Internet. In those instances, the federal government will use our convening power to help communities find the partnerships and resources they need to stay safe.
Fourth, because the federal government cannot and should not be everywhere, we’re expanding our coordination with state and local governments, including law enforcement, which work directly with communities every day. We are in close collaboration with local governments, like Minneapolis and Columbus, Ohio, and we’re drawing on their best practices. We recognize, as Secretary Napolitano has said, that “homeland security begins with hometown security.”
But we also recognize that while local officials have the best and deepest understanding of the challenges facing individuals, groups and families in their communities, they also have limited knowledge of al Qaeda and its tactics. We have therefore developed and expanded training for law enforcement, counter-terrorism fusion centers, and state officials. We’re putting a new emphasis on training to help officials better understand and relate to a diverse range of community partners. In fact, in just the past five months alone, DHS has offered this sort of training to more than 1,000 law enforcement and other government personnel across the country.
Finally, we’re working to improve how we communicate with the American people about the threat of violent extremism in this country and what we’re doing to address it—because we cannot meet this challenge if we do not see it for what it is, and what it is not. This includes dispelling the myths that have developed over the years, including misperceptions about our fellow Americans who are Muslim.
Put simply, we must do exactly what al Qaeda is trying to prevent. We must come together, as Americans, to protect our country in a spirit of respect, tolerance and partnership. That is the message I hope to leave with you today. And that is the message that President Obama has delivered, and will continue to deliver, throughout his presidency.
As he said in a speech at West Point last year, al Qaeda and its supporters “will continue to recruit, and plot, and exploit our open society.” But, he went on to say, “We need not give in to fear every time a terrorist tries to scare us. We should not discard our freedoms because extremists try to exploit them. We cannot succumb to division because others try to drive us apart. We are the United States of America.”
Thank you all very much and thank you for all that you do to enrich and protect this country that we all love.
WHITE HOUSE WHITE BOARD: CEA CHAIR GOOLSBEE ON PATENT REFORM
White House, March 4, 2011:
White Board: Goolsbee on Patent Reform
In this White House White Board, Austan Goolsbee, Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers, explains the President's plan to reform the patent system so great American ideas can be turned into the jobs of the future quickly and effectively.
COMMERCE SECRETARY LOCKE ON PATENT HARMONIZATION
Department of Commerce, March 7, 2011:
Secretary Locke Addresses Asia-Pacific Patent Cooperation Forum
U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke joined Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and USPTO Director David Kappo today at the Asia-Pacific Patent Cooperation in the 21st Century Forum at the USPTO headquarters in Alexandria, Va. The event featured heads and deputies of Asian-Pacific economies’ patent offices assembled to discuss the urgency of moving forward with patent harmonization in a global process that includes both developed and developing countries.
Patent harmonization will narrow differences among patent laws, simplify patent applicants’ requirements, and thereby achieve greater efficiency in the global patent system – in turn speeding the movement of innovation from the development phase to the marketplace where it can create new businesses and new jobs.
Locke highlighted the importance of building a better intellectual property infrastructure in our increasingly globalized world and applauded efforts to reduce patent backlogs and produce higher-quality patents, noting the progress made in the U.S. Senate on patent reform legislation that would further these efforts.
“Last week, the U.S. Senate started debating a patent reform bill that would give the patent office the tools it needs to significantly expand its reform efforts,” Locke said. “Congress has been working for a long time on this issue, and there is strong bipartisan support to get patent reform done this year. So we remain optimistic.”
The forum, which began March 6 and runs through March 8, is being convened at an historic moment for intellectual property systems worldwide as patent filings and backlogs continue to increase. Differences among patent systems cause legal uncertainty, complexity and increased costs.
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ENERGY UPDATE
Department of Energy, March 7, 2011:
Winning the Biofuel Future
Submitted by Secretary Steven Chu
Today, the Department announced that a research team at our BioEnergy Science Center achieved yet another advance in the drive toward next generation biofuels: using a microbe to convert plant matter directly into isobutanol. Isobutanol can be burned in regular car engines with a heat value higher than ethanol and similar to gasoline. This is part of a broad portfolio of work the Department is doing to reduce America's dependence on foreign oil and create new economic opportunities for rural America.
This announcement is yet another sign of the rapid progress we are making in developing the next generation of biofuels that can help reduce our oil dependence. This is a perfect example of the promising opportunity we have to create a major new industry based on bio-material such as wheat and rice straw, corn stover, lumber wastes, and plants specifically developed for bio-fuel production that require far less fertilizer and other energy inputs. But we must continue with an aggressive research and development effort.
America's oil dependence -- which leaves hardworking families at the mercy of global oil markets -- won't be solved overnight. But the remarkable advance of science and biotechnology in the past decade puts us on the precipice of a revolution in biofuels. In fact, biotechnologies, and the biological sciences that provide the underlying foundation, are some of the most rapidly developing areas in science and technology today - and the United States is leading the way. In the coming years, we can expect dramatic breakthroughs that will allow us to produce the clean energy we need right here at home. We need to act aggressively to seize this opportunity and win the future.
To learn more, visit: http://www.ornl.gov/ornlhome/print/press_release_print.cfm?ReleaseNumber=mr20110307-00.
Department of Energy, March 4, 2011:
U.S. Department of Energy Announces Energy Frontier Research Centers Summit & Forum
Energy scientists to gather May 25-27 in Washington DC
Washington, D.C. -The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today announced the first Science for Our Nation's Energy Future: Energy Frontier Research Centers Summit & Forum to be held on May 25-27, 2011, at the Renaissance Penn Quarter hotel in Washington D.C. The Summit will bring together scientists and energy policy leaders to explore the challenges and opportunities in applying America's extraordinary scientific and technical resources to critical energy needs and will highlight early successes of the DOE's Energy Frontier Research Centers and promote collaboration across the national energy enterprise.
"The Energy Frontier Research Centers are key elements of our national strategy to accelerate the scientific breakthroughs for tomorrow's energy technologies," said Secretary of Energy Steven Chu. "This meeting provides a context for collaboration across the national energy enterprise and an opportunity to hear about the most promising and exciting advances the Centers are making."
The Summit will underscore the unique roles and early achievements of the DOE's 46 Energy Frontier Research Center. U.S. Secretary of Energy Steven Chu; John Hennessy, President of Stanford University; Mark Little, Senior VP and Director of GE Global Research and Eric Isaacs, Director of Argonne National Laboratory will be among the scientific leaders speaking at the Summit.
During the three-day Summit, invited guests and attendees will delve into a wide range of energy topics during in-depth parallel technical sessions and poster presentations. Focus areas will include electrical energy storage, fuels from sunlight, carbon capture and sequestration, solar energy, solid state lighting, advanced nuclear energy systems, materials by design, and novel materials synthesis--all areas critical to the Nation's search for revolutionary new energy solutions.
In 2009, DOE established integrated, multi-investigator Centers to conduct fundamental scientific research in areas directly applicable to energy technologies. The Centers, selected through scientific peer review, bring together teams of top researchers from universities, national laboratories, nonprofit organizations, and for-profit firms, working on cutting-edge science aimed at laying the foundation for major energy technology breakthroughs.
To register for the 2011 Science for Our Nation's Energy Future: EFRC Summit & Forum, please visit: EnergyFrontier.us, where detailed information is available.
ADVISE THE ADVISOR
White House Blog, March 7, 2011:
Advise the Advisor: Melody Barnes and Education
Posted by Katelyn Sabochik
In the third edition of the Advise the Advisor program, Melody Barnes, Director of the Domestic Policy Council and one of President Obama’s senior advisors on education policy, is asking for feedback from parents, teachers and students on what’s working in communities and what needs to change.
Providing our nation’s students with a world-class education is a shared responsibility. It’s going to take all of us – educators, parents, students, philanthropists, state and local leaders, and the federal government – working together to prepare today’s students for the jobs of the 21st century.
You can add your voice to the conversation by answering one or all of the following questions at WhiteHouse.gov/Advise:
•Parents: Responsibility for our children’s education and future begins in our homes and communities. What are some of the most effective ways you're taking responsibility at a personal and local level for your child’s education?
•Teachers: President Obama has set a goal of having the highest proportion of college graduates in the world by 2020. How are you preparing your students for college and career? What’s working and what challenges do you face?
•Students: In order to compete for the jobs of the 21st century, America’s students must be prepared with a strong background in reading, math and science along with the critical thinking, problem solving, and creativity needed to succeed in tomorrow’s workforce. How has your education prepared you for a career in the 21st century? What has worked and what challenges do you face?
We’ll be accepting submissions until 5 p.m. EST on Friday, March 11. Next week, we’ll follow up with a summary what you had to say right here on the White House blog
If you’re passionate about education policy, be sure to sign up for our new education newsletter to get the latest news and updates on this important issue.
EDUCATION UPDATE
American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (AAHPERD.org), March 2, 2011:
Let's Move in School
The goal of Let's Move in School is to ensure that every school provides a comprehensive school physical activity program with quality physical education as the foundation so that youth will develop the knowledge, skills, and confidence to be physically active for a lifetime.
Let's Move in School is urging physical educators, parents, school administrators and policymakers to get involved in bringing quality physical education and physical activity to schools through a comprehensive school physical activity program.
Department of Education, March 7, 2011:
Let’s Move! Rolls to a Rocking Rhythm
Posted by Julie Ewart, Senior Public Affairs Specialist in the Chicago Regional Office
Last week Secretary Duncan joined First Lady Michelle Obama on a phone call to congratulate schools that have started Let’s Move! programs and to encourage other schools to do the same. This was a check-in after one year of the initiative.
ED has done its part to support the effort by participating in commemorative events across the country. From joining kids in a giant Kansas City conga line to teaching students to make fruit and veggie smoothies in Keene, NH, ED’s regional communications and outreach staff worked with HHS and USDA counterparts to highlight progress towards healthy lifestyles at nationwide events in February. They helped to identify great school-based fitness and nutrition programs to showcase in their regions and were part of joint federal teams to generate strong community participation for those activities aimed at supporting the First Lady’s campaign that combats childhood obesity.
Regional staff members were active participants at 9 of the Let’s Move! events. Their contributions were diverse. The Philadelphia office discussed the vital link between healthy habits and academic achievement and later helped at the Bethlehem, PA, Broughal Middle School celebration. The Denver office participated in the Commerce City, CO, family fair. At events respectively in Keene, NH, and Grand Prairie, TX, the Boston and Dallas offices encouraged students to try celebrity chefs’ nutritious culinary treats at home. The Kansas City office attended several local activities, including an opportunity to rock-n-roll alongside Ingles Elementary School students. Chicago office staff performed stretches led by “Benny the Bull,” the Chicago Bulls’ mascot, with students of Chicago’s Namaste Charter School. And New York helped guide families to diverse exhibits aimed at inspiring healthy food and fitness choices at New York City’s Harlem Children’s Zone — the inspiration for ED’s Promise Neighborhoods program.
The Atlanta office joined the First Lady at Atlanta Public Schools’ Burgess-Peterson Academy, where Mrs. Obama handed-out fresh blueberries to excited students and teachers, and toured the organic garden.
“It’s a conversation about what our kids eat and how active they are,” Mrs. Obama later told parents and community leaders at North Point Community Church in Alpharetta, near Atlanta. She said that it’s “about how they feel about themselves, and about what that means — not just their physical and emotional health, but for their success in school and in life.”
Department of Education, March 3, 2011:
National Financial Capability Challenge message
National Financial Capability Challenge message from Secretary Arne Duncan.
Department of Education, March 7, 2011:
Obama Administration Announces Start of Student Exam Window for 2011 National Financial Capability Challenge
Challenge Prepares Students for Secure Financial Futures; Runs March 7-April 8
Today, high school-aged students across the country will begin taking a voluntary online exam as part of the 2011 National Financial Capability Challenge. The Challenge is designed to enhance the financial capability of high school-aged youth across the United States by strengthening their knowledge of the basics of saving, budgeting, and investing.
"All of us—parents, educators, policymakers and students—share the responsibility to ensure that young people in our country learn a set of practical skills that will help them navigate important personal financial decisions," said Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner. "This Challenge will help students understand basic finance. It will help them understand what it means to save for retirement. And it will help them understand the risks and benefits associated with debt from things like car loans and credit cards. Empowering students with this knowledge is important for the long-term strength of our economy."
"Our goal is for every student in the nation to get a world class, well-rounded education," said Education Secretary Arne Duncan, "and that includes preparing them to make critical financial decisions. I hope the Challenge not only helps high school students get smart about money, but encourages more states and schools to make financial education a priority in classrooms as early as kindergarten."
The voluntary online exam will be available to students today through April 8. Last month, the Department of the Treasury posted an Educator Toolkit on Challenge.Treas.gov to help teachers prepare students for the exam. From saving for college and retirement to managing expenses like cell phones, the exam tests a wide array of topics that together constitute a basic understanding of personal finance.
All high school teachers and other educators working with U.S. high-school aged students (ages 13-19) are encouraged to register for the Challenge, download the Educator Toolkit, prepare their students, and administer the online exam.
Later this spring, a group of the highest scoring students will be recognized through a national awards ceremony in Washington, D.C. The educators and students who place in the top 20 percent nationwide will receive official award certificates.
Some examples of the types of questions students will answer during the exam are as follows:
1.Carolina has $5,000 saved from working at different jobs. She puts her money in a savings account that pays 4 percent per year in interest. How much money will be in her account at the end of the first year and at the end of the second year?
a.End of first year: $5,100; end of second year: $5,400.
b.End of first year: $5,200; end of second year: $5,400.
c.End of first year: $5,200; end of second year: $5,408.
d.I don't know.
(Answer: C)
2.Marco went to the grocery store to buy a box of cereal. The type of cereal he liked came in three different brands and three different size boxes. To select the brand and the box with the lowest unit cost, he should look at the:
a.largest cereal box on the shelf.
b.most popular brand of cereal.
c.price per ounce of cereal in each box.
d.I don't know.
(Answer: C)
More than 76,000 students and 2,500 educators from more than 1,500 schools in all 50 states participated in the 2010 Challenge. To learn more about the Challenge or to register for this year, educators should visit Challenge.Treas.gov.
CONSUMER PROTECTION
Office of the Press Secretary, March 4, 2011:
Presidential Proclamation -- National Consumer Protection Week
Each day, families across America navigate complex financial decisions, from buying a home or car to paying off a loan or using a credit card. Consumer education is vital to protecting American families and preserving economic health in the United States. When fully informed about the potential risks in the marketplace and their rights as consumers, Americans are better able to recognize misinformation, scams, and abusive and deceptive practices that can endanger individual economic security and erode the prosperity of our communities.
For more than a decade, National Consumer Protection Week has encouraged Americans to make better-informed decisions about saving, buying, borrowing, and investing. This year's theme, "Your Information Destination: www.NCPW.gov," highlights the resources offered by Federal agencies and partner organizations that encourage the public to manage their money, stay safe online, and understand mortgages and other financial transactions. By seeking out this information, families can both strengthen the economy and protect themselves from fraudulent behavior. For information and resources, I encourage American consumers to visit www.NCPW.gov.
The Federal Government has an important role to play in safeguarding transactions, and my Administration is committed to holding abusive companies accountable and shifting the balance of power back to the American consumer. I was proud to sign into law the strongest consumer protections in our Nation's history with the Credit Card Accountability, Responsibility, and Disclosure Act (Credit CARD Act) and the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act. One of the centerpieces of this financial reform legislation was the creation of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, which is charged with enforcing historic financial protections and empowering Americans with clear and concise information to make the best choices for their families. These common-sense reforms will protect both consumers and our economy as a whole.
As a Nation, we must foster an environment that supports informed decisionmaking, supports fair and robust competition in the marketplace, and guards all citizens from unfair and predatory practices. During National Consumer Protection Week, I encourage all Americans to learn about their rights as consumers and seek out the knowledge to manage their finances more effectively by visiting www.MyMoney.gov and www.ConsumerFinance.gov.
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 March 6 through March 12, 2011, as National Consumer Protection Week. I call upon government officials, industry leaders, and advocates across the Nation to share information about consumer protection and provide our citizens with information about their rights as consumers.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this fourth day of March, 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
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, March 4, 2011:
Building Better Consumer Protection
Written by Elizabeth Warren
Should the price of credit be clear up front? Here at the new Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, we think the answer is yes – and we think that’s a critical part of consumer protection. We are pleased to have the chance to talk about these and other issues as we join 26 Federal agencies and partner organizations observing the annual National Consumer Protection Week.
Too many families that work hard and play by the rules are stretched to the breaking point. They have taken on debt to pay for college, a home, and other needs. The latest economic crisis is just one more blow in an increasingly dangerous economic world.
There was a time when the basic terms governing consumer financial products were pretty easy to see. But that has changed. Today, too many lenders hide complex terms among pages and pages of fine print in credit agreements, making it hard for borrowers to compare one product to two or three others.
The CFPB is working to change that. When prices and risks are clear up front, consumers can make the choices that are best for themselves and their families. In other words, we want a credit market that works for consumers.
During this week, we will be listening directly to American families, and we’ll outline our vision for protecting consumers. Richard Cordray, Assistant Director for Enforcement and the former Attorney General of Ohio, will discuss how we can partner with the states to ensure consistent enforcement of consumer financial protections across the nation. Holly Petraeus, the Director of the CFPB’s Office of Servicemember Affairs, will talk about the unique challenges facing the men and women in the armed services. And I will travel to the Anacostia neighborhood of Washington, DC, to hear directly from families who are turning their finances around in the wake of the economic crisis.
Right now we are laying the foundation of this new consumer agency. Part of our work will be to level the playing field by making the consumer credit markets fair, transparent, and competitive – and making them work for American families. National Consumer Protection Week gives us a chance to celebrate this important work and find new ways to empower consumers across the country.
You can get involved right away by visiting our main NCPW page, or using the #NCPW tag on Twitter to talk about what you’re doing this week to become a more informed consumer. And, for more information about the new consumer bureau, please visit our Learn About the Bureau page.