Hi, all. Today's report features:
• West Wing Week: A look back at the week.
• YouTube interview with the President: The President answers questions from YouTube users.
• White House press briefing: Mr. Gibbs takes questions on financial regulation, deficit reduction, Egypt, global competitiveness, etc.
• Health care: The Affordable Care Act helps young adults and people with pre-existing conditions.
• Statements from the President: On International Holocaust Remembrance Day, NASA Day of Remembrance and the murder of gay activist David Kato.
• Open for Questions SOTU: Roundtable discussions on issues raised by the President: health care, education, foreign policy and the economy.
• The First Lady, Childhood obesity and military readiness: Mrs. Obama is briefed on the Army’s nutrition initiative.
• The First Lady’s State of the Union guests: Selected SOTU guests speak to the country; link to profiles of all the guests.
And that's the report. See you on Monday, Jan. 31.
• WEST WING WEEK •
White House, Jan. 27, 2011:
West Wing Week: 1/28/11 or "To Build Stuff and Invent Stuff"
Welcome to the West Wing Week, your guide to everything that's happening at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. This week, the President delivered his State of the Union address, focused on jobs and the economy, and he took those ideas on the road traveling to Upstate New York and Wisconsin.
• YOUTUBE INTERVIEW WITH THE PRESIDENT •
White House, Jan. 27, 2011:
Your Interview with the President 2011
President Obama answers questions on a wide range of issues submitted by and voted on by YouTube users in an interview moderated by YouTube's Steve Grove.
• WHITE HOUSE PRESS BRIEFING•
1/27/10: 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, Jan. 27, 2011:
Press Briefing by Press Secretary Robert Gibbs, 1/27/2011
.... Q: Can you comment on the conclusions of the financial crisis investigatory commission? ....
MR. GIBBS: .... We certainly applaud the efforts of the commission to explore the causes for the financial crisis that occurred in 2008. Our biggest task in assuming office as it related to the financial crisis was getting our economy back on track and taking the necessary and appropriate steps to ensure that it never happened again. That’s why the President put so much effort into Wall Street reform to ensure, again, that what happened leading up to and during that crisis never repeats itself. And we are obviously focused on taking all the necessary steps to implement that legislation to ensure that that is the case.
.... there are a whole host of authorities, resolution authority being one of them, that is markedly different.
We saw in the crisis, taking AIG as an example, a fairly successful insurance company that somebody put a hedge fund on top of. And instead of being able to break the company apart, the hedge fund caused government officials to have to put quite a bit of resources into the overall company rather than just dealing with some of the root causes of the downfall.
So we now have the ability to break those things apart and deal with them very separately. I would point out in my example that AIG’s money has been paid back to the government as a result of some of the steps -- management steps that have been taken since the President came into office.
Q: On one different topic, could you comment on the White House’s use of social media, which seems to be increasing?....
MR. GIBBS: Well, I -- look, obviously David is a big believer in social media. Are you talking about around the State of the Union, about some of the interactive stuff around the State of the Union?
Q: Yes, and the YouTube thing today.
MR. GIBBS: Well, obviously YouTube is a reprisal of I think something we did back in 2009. I think the President looks at something like YouTube as sort of an online town hall meeting.
Obviously a number of us use different types of social media like Twitter to communicate what the government is doing to the people in this country. I think it is a -- I think it’s just another way of bringing people a little closer to the decisions that get made here and why. And I think the President, and the entire team, will continue to look for avenues and opportunities to expand the use of those entities, again, whether that be Twitter, whether that be YouTube or other aspects of social media....
Q: .... The IMF today singled out the U.S., as well as Japan, as heavily indebted, advanced economies that need to lay out clear deficit reduction plans before the market sentiment turns against them....
MR. GIBBS: Well, I think that the President demonstrated the seriousness in the issue of deficit reduction that must be taken, as you heard the President say, to win the future on Tuesday during the State of the Union. The President understands that we have to take steps to reduce the level of government spending. He outlined very specific steps, as an opening bid of sorts in the State of the Union, to freeze non-defense discretionary spending over the course of five years, saving $400 billion and bringing non-defense discretionary spending, as a portion of our economy, to its lowest level since President Eisenhower was in this building.
So we certainly understand, and the President certainly understands, that this is an issue that has to and will be addressed....
I have not focused on the IMF report because I think the President believed it was legitimate several years ago. Again, we didn’t get into -- as you heard the President say, we didn’t get into this -- we’re not dealing with a $14 or $15 trillion debt because of the last two plus years. This is a problem many years in the making and will take a concerted effort by Democrats and Republicans working together to find a solution to it.
Q: And in Egypt, street protests are continuing. Former IAEA chief ElBaradei has returned to the country and is calling for Mubarak to step down....
MR. GIBBS: Well, let’s broaden the discussion and have a little bit of a discussion about some of the events in Egypt. First and foremost -- and I said this yesterday, but I want to reiterate it -- that there’s an obligation by the government not to engage in violence. There’s an obligation by those that are protesting not to engage in violence by burning government buildings. So, first and foremost, this is a process that should be conducted peacefully, and that is one of our primary concerns.
I’m not going to get into different personalities except to say that we believe that this represents an opportunity for President Mubarak and for the government of Egypt to demonstrate its willingness to listen to its own people and to devise a way to broaden the discussion and take some necessary actions on political reform. Those are issues that the President talks with President Mubarak about every time they meet, and I doubt that there is a high-level meeting that happens between the two countries in a bilateral nature where those issues aren’t brought up.
Q: And how concerned is the administration that the unrest, the upheaval in the Middle East, is now spreading to Yemen, which is a key base for al Qaeda?
MR. GIBBS: Well, I think it is important not to -- because every country is different and every country is at a different stage in its political development -- to not generalize across the platform. So I think you heard the President talk about the people of Tunisia, and I think myself and the Secretary of State have said quite a bit on Egypt. Again, I hate to generalize across a whole series of countries at different stages in their political development and their history....
Q: Just to follow on Egypt, does the White House believe that the Egyptian government is stable?
MR. GIBBS: Yes.
Q: So Hosni Mubarak has the full support of the President?
MR. GIBBS: Well, again, Dan, I think it’s important to -- this isn’t a choice between the government and the people of Egypt. Egypt, we know -- and President Mubarak has for several decades been a close and important partner with our country. And every time the President meets with President Mubarak -- and I would point you to the speech in Cairo in 2009 where the President also specifically addresses this, as well as the readout that we put out on the September meeting that the President had with President Mubarak as part of the Middle East peace process -- that we consistently have advocated for the universal rights of assembly, of free speech, of political reform. All of those are important and we have at every turn encouraged President Mubarak to find a way to engender that political discourse in a positive way. And we will continue to do that....
Q: On the jobs front, the CBO projected this week that the unemployment rate at the fourth quarter of 2012 will still be 8.2 percent....
MR. GIBBS: Well, I can assure you that what the President is -- the President is not focused on what -- is not focused today on what the unemployment rate will be in the fourth quarter of 2012. He’s focused on what the unemployment rate is in the first quarter of 2011. And I think that’s what animated his decisions in the tax agreement in December, again, a payroll tax cut which analysts have said will increase economic growth and job creation, tax incentives -- and we saw some of this yesterday in Manitowoc -- that allow companies to accelerate the expensing of investments, which we and others believe will help businesses expand and we hope hire more people.
So I don’t think people here are flipping through to the fourth quarter. We’re focused on today and tomorrow....
Q: Since (Mubarak) has been so heavy-handed for so many years and you are saying that the most important thing here is adherence to international human rights or the international rights of the people of Egypt, would it be a good thing if he were overthrown?
MR. GIBBS: I’m not going to get into picking the leaders of Egypt and that’s not what the government of this country does. Again, I think that what is important is we can -- President Mubarak and those that seek greater freedom of expression, greater freedom to assemble, should be able to work out a process for that happening in a peaceful way.
Q: The perception by many on the ground in Egypt is the United States is taking sides here -- not with Mubarak, but with the people out there protesting. Is that accurate?
MR. GIBBS: Again, I’ll say this for the third time. This is not about taking sides. This is not about choosing --
Q: But I’m saying the perception there is that you’re taking sides.
MR. GIBBS: Well, let me try it a fourth time. This is not about taking sides. So I hope you’ll perceive to them that, again --
Q: We don’t perceive -- they perceive from you, not us.
MR. GIBBS: Well, I hope you’ll play each of the four times in which I said it’s not a choice that you make.....
Q: Following up on something Sunlen asked, Doug Elmendorf said that the natural and sustainable unemployment rate of 5.3 percent probably won’t be back until 2016. Does the White House agree with that or --
MR. GIBBS: I would have to look at what estimates folks have. I know there’s an economic report that we have coming out. Look, I think what we saw was in many ways a perfect storm. And we’ve seen it with the financial sector, we saw it -- it continues -- we see the continuing effect of the downturn in the housing market.
And I should have it -- I should always have it, the graph that, again, just shows the level of job loss. Again, they’re not quite apples to -- red apples to red apples comparisons because obviously the size of the economy is marginally different. But if you look at the job loss in the recession in the early ‘80s, the recession in the early ‘90s, and the recession in the earlier part of the previous decade -- 2001, 2002, 2003 -- all of those dips added together don’t equal the amount of job loss that we saw -- more than 8 million jobs -- as a result of this calamity.
So it’s going to take some time. The key, though, is very much the path the President outlined in the State of the Union. And that is, we have to take steps as manufacturing jobs have left or as companies find it more profitable to set up shop in some other place, to provide incentives through research and development and manufacturing and exports right here.
That’s what the President focused on in the State of the Union: How do we out-educate, out-innovate and out-build countries? How do we reform our budget and our government in order to lay that foundation so that the jobs that we need today and tomorrow are created here; that companies are expanding and doing business not just in different parts of this country but in different parts of the world as we see emerging markets take place? And I think that will animate almost all of what the President does this year.
Q: Part of the State of the Union, the President was talking about green energy....
MR. GIBBS: Well, I think what’s important is -- and I think is embodied in the promise that the President -- or in the proposal the President made and the promise to increase the amount of electricity produced through clean energy sources, to double from 40 to 80 percent through 2035, is not to take an either/or approach. If drilling were just the answer, if nuclear was just the answer, if solar was just the answer, if wind was just the answer, my guess is the problem would have been figured out long ago.
But instead of picking this, this, this and this, you see in the standard that the President put forward is, yes, let’s do all of that. Let’s do wind, let’s do nuclear, let’s do solar, let’s do clean coal technology. We have an energy problem because too much of our energy -- we’re dependent for too much of our energy on other places in the world. And the creation of the jobs around the newer forms of energy we can’t lose out to a place like China, as you heard the President talk about yesterday.
So let’s not pick just wind or just solar. Let’s pick a whole -- let’s pick everything. And that’s what’s embodied in what the President laid out on Tuesday. And I think it’s -- I think that’s, quite honestly, why Democrats and Republicans can all find something to like about that. And the question is, are we going to have the courage to take the steps to do something like that, to continue to make those investments?
And the last stop yesterday in Manitowoc, at Tower Tech, watching the manufacturing process of creating a wind turbine that might sit 100 meters upright and harness and create electricity, harness energy through wind, that’s putting people to work right there -- creating the steel in some place, moving it in, manufacturing those towers, shipping those towers out, putting those towers up. We’re going to have to decide whether we’re going to import that type of technology from China or India or someplace else, or whether we’re going to put Americans to work, back to work, creating those energy sources right here. I think that very much embodies what the President was discussing on the State of the Union....
Q: With the government reorganization project and housing development that you’re entering on, do you expect it will result in .... saving government money in the end?
MR. GIBBS: I think the hope would be to see some savings, yes. But I think what’s primarily most important in a reorganization like this is that we -- and I think you probably would see some savings as a result of the duplicative nature of many departments or departments and agencies and what have you, all having certain equities in the same basket of issues or ideas. But, first and foremost, I think as the President talked about, it’s reform for the creation of a government that hasn’t been reorganized in decades and needs to be more fully tilted toward the challenges that we have now and that we face tomorrow. I think those are the President’s objectives.
.... But, again, I think it’s important to understand, as the President outlined in his State of the Union, domestic discretionary spending -- if you did away with it all, you’d still have I think what most people would consider to be a deficit number that we don’t want to live with. So, again, I think there’s -- I don’t think people think that we’re going to balance the budget based on a reorganization....
(A question was asked about what would happen if DC ever had to be evacuated. The following answer was provided in the transcript:)
(In the event that a mass evacuation of the National Capitol Region becomes necessary due to an emergency, the Washington DC Metropolitan Police, in close coordination with other federal and local law enforcement partners would activate the emergency evacuation plan which would facilitate the safe movement of evacuees from the District.)
Q: Tomorrow morning the President is going to be speaking at the health care Families U.S.A. Health Action Conference....
MR. GIBBS: Well, I think the President will take the opportunity to largely reiterate a lot of what was in the State of the Union, to talk about the economic challenges that we face, what we have to do. And I expect that he’ll also reiterate what was said in the State of the Union around health care, the progress that we’ve seen in getting benefits to the American people as a result of the passage of the Affordable Care Act. And no doubt, as we talk about the fiscal impacts of decisions the government makes, what would repeal look like to the fiscal situation. And we know that the CBO says that the immediate impact is a couple hundred billion dollars....
• HEALTH CARE •
White House Blog, Jan. 27, 2011:
Voices of Health Reform: Kayla's Story
Posted by Stephanie Cutter, Assistant to the President for Special Projects
Editor’s Note: This post is part of a series where readers can meet average Americans already benefiting from the health reform law, the Affordable Care Act.
When Kayla Holmstrom was just 9 years old, she was in a motorcycle accident. While her insurance plan covered her medical expenses, she contracted chronic osteomyelitis, a chronic bone infection. Since contracting the disease she has had over 25 surgeries on her leg and her infection could flare up at any time.
Kayla is now studying to become a nurse at South Dakota State University and would have lost her coverage under her parent’s plan when she turned 24. But thanks to the Patient’s Bill of Rights that was a part of the Affordable Care Act, Kayla can stay on her parent’s health insurance plan until her 26th birthday.
Before reform passed, too many young adults like Kayla struggled to get the care they need:
• 42% of young adults either lost or switched coverage once they graduated from school – 46% of which were uninsured for two or more years.
• 76% of young adults who were uninsured reported not getting needed care because they couldn’t afford it.
• 11.3 million young adults, both uninsured and insured, who were surveyed said they were paying off medical bills.
The Affordable Care Act will help 1.2 million young adults remain on their parent’s health insurance plan and drive down costs for all Americans. The law also provides additional protections for people like Kayla by making it illegal for insurance companies to discriminate against anyone with a pre-existing condition.
And the Affordable Care Act helps everyone in Kayla’s generation by reducing the deficit by a trillion dollars through provisions that crack down on waste, fraud and abuse, and stop hundreds of billions in unfair and irresponsible subsidies to insurance companies that are now paid by taxpayers.
Listen to Kayla’s story here:
• STATEMENTS FROM THE PRESIDENT •
Office of the Press Secretary, Jan. 27, 2011:
Statement by the President on International Holocaust Remembrance Day
I join people here at home, in Israel, and around the world in commemorating International Holocaust Remembrance Day, as we mark one of the darkest, most destructive periods in human history.
To remember is a choice, and today we remember the innocent victims of the Nazis’ murderous hate – six million Jews and millions of other people. We are reminded to remain ever-vigilant against the possibility of genocide, and to ensure that ‘Never Again’ is not just a phrase but a principled cause. And we resolve to stand up against prejudice, stereotyping, and violence – including the scourge of anti-Semitism – around the globe.
At the same time, we remember the ordinary people who courageously and heroically expressed the very best of the human capacity for compassion and justice by risking their lives to save their fellow human beings during the Holocaust. They demonstrated that in the midst of evil, human beings can perform remarkable acts of decency and dignity.
Finally, on Holocaust Remembrance Day, we remember the survivors and the profound faith and courage they have embodied to build lives of purpose and meaning. In doing so, they are defying those who tried to kill them, and teaching us that love and life can vanquish hate and death. Let us honor them, and those we lost, by building a more peaceful, just and tolerant world.
Office of the Press Secretary, Jan. 27, 2011:
Statement by the President on NASA Day of Remembrance
Fifty years ago, a young President facing mounting pressure at home propelled a fledgling space agency on a bold, new course that would push the frontiers of exploration to new heights. Today, on this Day of Remembrance when NASA reflects on the mighty sacrifices made to push those frontiers, America’s space agency is working to achieve even greater goals. NASA’s new 21st Century course will foster new industries that create jobs, pioneer technology innovation, and inspire a new generation of explorers through education – all while continuing its fundamental missions of exploring our home planet and the cosmos.
Throughout history, however, we have seen that achieving great things sometimes comes at great cost and we mourn the brave astronauts who made the ultimate sacrifice in support of NASA missions throughout the agency’s storied history. We pause to reflect on the tragic loss of the Apollo 1 crew, those who boarded the space shuttle Challenger in search of a brighter future, and the brave souls who perished on the space shuttle Columbia.
Through triumph and tragedy, each of us has benefited from their courage and devotion, and we honor their memory by dedicating ourselves to a better tomorrow. Despite the challenges before us today, let us commit ourselves and continue their valiant journey toward a more vibrant and secure future.
Office of the Press Secretary, Jan. 27, 2011:
Statement by the President on the Killing of David Kato
I am deeply saddened to learn of the murder of David Kato. In Uganda, David showed tremendous courage in speaking out against hate. He was a powerful advocate for fairness and freedom. The United States mourns his murder, and we recommit ourselves to David’s work.
At home and around the world, LGBT persons continue to be subjected to unconscionable bullying, discrimination, and hate. In the weeks preceding David Kato’s murder in Uganda, five members of the LGBT community in Honduras were also murdered. It is essential that the Governments of Uganda and Honduras investigate these killings and hold the perpetrators accountable.
LGBT rights are not special rights; they are human rights. My Administration will continue to strongly support human rights and assistance work on behalf of LGBT persons abroad. We do this because we recognize the threat faced by leaders like David Kato, and we share their commitment to advancing freedom, fairness, and equality for all.
• OPEN FOR QUESTIONS: STATE OF THE UNION •
White House, Jan. 27, 2011:
Open for Questions: The State of the Union and Health Care
Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius answers questions about the health care and health reform issues the President discussed in his State of the Union Address in a roundtable discussion.
White House, Jan. 27, 2011:
Open for Questions: The State of the Union and Education
Secretary of Education Arne Duncan answers questions about the education issues the President discussed in his State of the Union Address in a roundtable discussion.
White House, Jan. 27, 2011:
Open for Questions: The State of the Union and Foreign Policy
Deputy National Security Advisor Denis McDonough answers questions about the foreign policy issues the President discussed in his State of the Union Address in a roundtable discussion.
White House, Jan. 27, 2011:
Open for Questions: The State of the Union and the Economy
Austan Goolsbee, Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers, answers questions about the economics issues the President discussed in his State of the Union Address in a roundtable discussion
• THE FIRST LADY, CHILDHOOD OBESITY AND MILITARY READINESS •
Office of the First Lady, Jan. 27, 2011:
First Lady Michelle Obama Visits Fort Jackson, SC, to Highlight Intersection of Childhood Obesity and Military Readiness
First Lady Michelle Obama traveled to Fort Jackson in South Carolina today to be briefed by Army leadership on the consequences of childhood obesity, poor childhood nutrition and the lack of physical exercise on military readiness, and tour the post’s new "Soldier Athlete" initiative. She was briefed by Lt. Gen. Mark Hertling, U.S. Army, Deputy Commanding General for Initial Military Training, and other military leaders on the health issues the military witnesses as new recruits enter training, and the Army’s new nutrition and training programs to address those issues.
After the briefing, the First Lady toured the post’s dining facilities to learn about the new nutrition initiative of "Fueling the Soldier" and spoke with soldiers about their experiences with the Army’s new nutrition and training programs. Mrs. Obama then addressed the 1st Battalion 34th Infantry's graduation to celebrate the newest recruits’ achievement with their families.
At initial military training facilities like Fort Jackson, the Army sees firsthand the consequences of childhood obesity and the lack of adequate physical exercise on young adults. These consequences include a higher rate of bone injury due to poor nutrition and a lack of exercise, as well as skyrocketing dental care costs because of high consumption of sugary foods and drinks, as well as a nutrient deficient diet.
According to the U.S. Army an increasing number of young Americans are too overweight to join the military. Those who do enter the military experience significant changes in exercise patterns and nutritional improvements as they go through training.
As part of their nutritional initiatives, Fort Jackson showed the First Lady their "Fueling the Soldier" program, encouraging soldiers to select "high performance foods" that are fresh and flavorful. In addition, "performance limiting foods" that are higher in calories and impede the success of the "soldier athlete" are being swapped for healthier options in vending machines and dining facilities. This nutrition program, paired with strenuous physical activity, helps prepare our Armed Forces to be strong, resilient and ready to serve.
• THE FIRST LADY’S STATE OF THE UNION GUESTS •
White House, Jan. 27, 201:
First Lady's State of the Union Guests Give Their Message For The Country
Prior to the President's State of the Union address, we asked the First Lady's State of the Union guests what their message would be for the country. Hear what they had to say.