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BUILDING A HEALTHIER FUTURE SUMMIT
March 6-8, 2013
Grand Hyatt Washington, DC
March 6, 2013
12:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. Registration
March 7, 2013
7:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m. Registration
8:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. Independence Ballroom, Opening Plenary
Keynote Presentations, End Childhood Obesity Innovation Challenge, Sponsored by Sanofi
Physical Activity Break, Sponsored by WellPoint
9:30 a.m. – 7:00 p.m. Expo Open
10:30 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.Networking Coffee Break in Expo
Sponsored by WellPoint
11:00 a.m. – 12:15 p.m. Breakout Sessions
12:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. Independence Ballroom, Cooking Light Presents The Great American School Lunch Challenge
2:45 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. Breakout Sessions
5:30 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. Reception
March 8, 2013
7:00 a.m. – 8:00 a.m. Wake Up Workout Sponsored by BOKS
8:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.Expo Open
9:45 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. Breakout Sessions
11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Grand Hyatt Hotel (11th St.)
1:00p.m. – 2:15 p.m. Lisner Auditorium, GWU Closing Plenary Session, Announcing End Childhood Obesity Innovation Challenge Winner, Sponsored by Sanofi
1:30 p.m. Keynote Speaker: First Lady Michelle Obama
For Parents
Parents and caregivers can set a great example for the whole family by creating a healthy environment at home. Any combination of steps-making fruits and vegetables part of every meal, limiting treats, walking and playing, even shopping together—can add up to make a real difference in children’s lives and help build healthy habits for life.
For Kids
Let’s Move! is dedicated to solving the problem of childhood obesity within a generation so that every child born today—grows up healthy. This is ambitious, but it can be done—so we’re asking everyone to do their part, especially kids like you. By eating right and being active, you can be healthy and achieve your dreams.
For Schools
Principals, teachers and parents can help make schools healthier places to learn by providing quality nutrition, integrating physical activity during the day and teaching children about the importance of embracing a healthy, active lifestyle. Follow the 5 steps below for more, or check out our teacher toolkit.
Learn More:
Helpful tips and step-by-step strategies for families, schools and communities to help kids be more active, eat better and grow up healthy.
Wednesday, March 6, 2013
All Times Eastern
7:00 AM
8:00 AM
9:00 AM
10:00 AM
11:00 AM
President Obama and Vice President Biden receive the presidential daily briefing
12:00 PM
12:30 PM
President Obama and Vice President Biden meet for lunch.
1:00 PM
2:00 PM
3:00 PM
President Obama and Vice President Biden meet with Treasury Secretary Lew.
3:06 PM
Dr Jill Biden delivers remarks at an event honoring military caregivers.
National Museum of Women in the Arts, Washington, D.C.
4:00 PM
5:00 PM
6:00 PM
6:30 PM
President Obama meets with Sens. John McCain, Lindsey Graham, Roy Blunt, Pat Toomey, Bob Corker, Kelly Ayotte and Ron Johnson for dinner
Jefferson Hotel, Washington DC
7:00 PM
8:00 PM
9:00 PM
10:00 PM
March 6, 2013
WhiteHouse.gov http://www.whitehouse.gov/live
—-
ABC News http://abcnews.go.com/Live/
9:30 AM ET
Senate Committee Judiciary
Justice Department Oversight
Eric Holder; Charles Grassley; Patrick Leahy
10:00 AM ET
State of Department of Homeland Security hearing
Ten years after the creation of the Department of Homeland Security, the Senate Homeland Security Committee holds a hearing on DHS management oversight.
10:30 AM ET
Pentagon briefing on Afghanistan
Two U.S. Army generals brief reporters on redeployment and equipment retrograde from Afghanistan.
2:00 PM ET
House Committee Armed Services | Military Personnel
Military Suicide Prevention
2:30 PM ET
Senators unveil anti-gun violence legislation
Sens. Lindsey Graham and Mark Begich will introduce legislation that intends to prevent gun violence at a Capitol Hill news conference.
—-
CSPAN http://www.cspan.org/
9:30 AM ET
Senate Committee Judiciary
Justice Department Oversight
Eric Holder; Charles Grassley; Patrick Leahy http://www.c-span.org/Events/Atty-Gen-Holder-Faces-Senators-on-Judiciary-Cmte/10737438568/
10:00 AM ET
State of Department of Homeland Security hearing
Ten years after the creation of the Department of Homeland Security, the Senate Homeland Security Committee holds a hearing on DHS management oversight.
10:00 AM ET
House to Vote on Short-Term Spending Bill http://www.c-span.org/Events/House-to-Vote-on-Short-Term-Spending-Bill/10737438595/
10:30 AM ET
Pentagon briefing on Afghanistan
Two U.S. Army generals brief reporters on redeployment and equipment retrograde from Afghanistan.
2:00 PM ET
House Committee Armed Services | Military Personnel
Military Suicide Prevention http://www.c-span.org/Events/House-Armed-Services-Subcmte-Holds-Hearing-on-Military-Suicides/10737438593/
2:30 PM ET
Senators unveil anti-gun violence legislation
Sens. Lindsey Graham and Mark Begich will introduce legislation that intends to prevent gun violence at a Capitol Hill news conference.
Building A Healthier Future 2013
March 6-8, 2013
Grand Hyatt Washington, DC
2013 Building a Healthier Future Summit, which will be held March 6-8, 2013
Time, Inc. Joins Let’s Move! Campaign
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 06, 2012 obamafoodorama.blogspot.
The Partnership for a Healthier America (PHA), the foundation created to support First Lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move! campaign, has announced that Time Inc. has signed on as “the exclusive media sponsor” for the foundation’s 2013 Building a Healthier Future Summit, which will be held March 6-8, 2013, in Washington, D.C. The company will devote its print and digital properties to promoting the slate of events scheduled for the Summit, as well as have an “on site” presence to promote its own health-related brands, PHA said.
Time. Inc. joins some of America’s biggest corporations in supporting Mrs. Obama’s national campaign, including Walmart; Darden Restaurants Inc.; Disney; Goya Foods, Inc.; and Hyatt Hotels and Resorts, owner of the Grand Hyatt hotel where the Summit will be held.
Time Inc. has a “combined readership” of more than 130 million, “which complements the work of PHA and its partners,” the foundation said. “FORTUNE and Cooking Light brands will have an onsite presence at the Summit, including participation in obesity-related panel discussions, judging event-related competitions and exhibiting in the Summit’s Collaboration Hall.”
For more: http://obamafoodorama.blogspot.com/2012/12/time-inc-joins-lets-move-campaign.html#more
FLOTUS to headline childhood-obesity summit
2/8/13 2:48 PM EST By DONOVAN SLACK – POLITICO44
First lady Michelle Obama will be the keynote speaker at a childhood-obesity summit next month at George Washington University.
She is the honorary chair of The Partnership for a Healthier America, which is putting on the summit March 6th through 8th.
“This two-day conference will bring together philanthropic, government, academia and private sector leaders to discuss real solutions to ending America’s childhood obesity crisis,” the partnership said in a statement announcing Obama’s appearance.
Also appearing: honorary vice chairs Mayor Cory Booker of Newark, N.J., and former Republican Senate majority leader Bill Frist.
Dr. Jill Biden to Deliver Remarks at D.C. “Army Wives” Screening
MAR. 5, 2013 ,1:04 PM EST By kim_messina – mylifetime
Dr. Jill Biden will deliver remarks at an event honoring military caregivers hosted by Caring for Military Families – the Elizabeth Dole Foundation at the National Museum of Women in the Arts on March 6 in Washington, D.C. The event will also include an advance screening of the Season 7 premiere of “Army Wives.”
Caring for Military Families – the Elizabeth Dole Foundation’s (dolemilitaryfamilies.org) mission is to empower military caregivers by working to better align services for wounded warriors, promote collaboration between the public, private, and nonprofit communities and raise awareness about the critical needs facing military caregivers.
March 6, 2013
U.S. Women vs. Iceland Women
9 a.m. ET
Estadio Municipal
Albufeira, Portugal
pay-per-view
U.S. WNT Opens the 2013 Algarve Cup with 3-0 Win Against Iceland
ALBUFEIRA, Portugal (March 6, 2013) ussoccer
The U.S. Women’s National Team defeated Iceland 3-0 to open up the 2013 Algarve Cup as Rachel Buehler scored in her 100th cap, Shannon Boxx added a second goal and Abby Wambach closed out the scoring with her 154th goal.
ALBUFEIRA, Portugal (March 6, 2013) — The U.S. Women’s National Team defeated Iceland 3-0 to open up the 2013 Algarve Cup as Rachel Buehler scored in her 100th cap, Shannon Boxx added a second goal and Abby Wambach closed out the scoring with her 154th goal.
The U.S. next faces China on Friday, March 8, at 9 a.m. ET, live on Pay-per-View.
For more: http://www.ussoccer.com/News/Womens-National-Team/2013/03/US-WNT-Opens-2013-Algarve-Cup-with-Win-Against-Iceland.aspx
*honk*
Hey CR Thanks for the schedule for FLOTUS. Great thread.
Seconded!!
>^..^<
Hey Kat!
Hey COS!
January 25, 2012
FACT SHEET: National Strategy for Global Supply Chain Security
“International trade has been and continues to be a powerful engine of United States and global economic growth. In recent years, communications technology advances and trade barrier and production cost reductions have contributed to global capital market expansion and new economic opportunity. The global supply chain system that supports this trade is essential to the United States’ economy and security and is a critical global asset.”
- National Strategy for Global Supply Chain Security, 2012
The United States and other nations worldwide rely upon the efficient and secure movement of goods across and within our borders to provide food, medicine, energy, and an abundance of other products that feed our domestic critical infrastructure sectors, drive our economies, and support our ways of life. We have a shared, mutual interest in working collaboratively to strengthen this vital global asset.
Global Supply Chains: Global asset and vital to our economic and security interests
As the global supply chain becomes more complex and global in scope, it is increasingly at risk from disruptions including natural hazards, accidents, and malicious incidents. Events like Hurricane Katrina in 2005, the eruption of the Eyjafjallajokull volcano in Iceland in 2010, and the Japan earthquake and tsunami of 2011; failing infrastructures such as the I-35 bridge collapse in 2007; terrorist attacks such as 9/11, and more recent plots involving air cargo shipments filled with explosives shipped via Europe and the Middle East to the United States, remind us that even localized disruptions can escalate rapidly and impact U.S. interests and the broader global community. We must collectively address the challenges posed by these threats and strengthen our national and international policies accordingly.
National Strategy for Global Supply Chain Security
Through the National Strategy for Global Supply Chain Security, we establish the United States Government’s policy to strengthen the global supply chain in order to protect the welfare and interests of the American people and secure our Nation’s economic prosperity. Our focus in this Strategy is the worldwide network of transportation, postal, and shipping pathways; assets and infrastructure by which goods are moved from the point of manufacture until they reach an end consumer; and supporting communications infrastructure and systems.
The Strategy includes two goals:
• To Promote the Efficient and Secure Movement of Goods
• To Foster a Resilient Supply Chain
Our approach is informed by the following guiding principles:
• To Galvanize Action
• To Manage Supply Chain Risk
For the entire article: http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2012/01/25/fact-sheet-national-strategy-global-supply-chain-security
March 05, 2013
One-Year Update on the Implementation of the National Strategy for Global Supply Chain Security
The National Strategy for Global Supply Chain Security, released in January 2012, established the U.S. Government’s policy to strengthen the global supply chain to protect the interests of the American people and enhance our Nation’s economic prosperity.
The Administration, in coordination with private sector stakeholders and foreign government partners, made significant progress in implementing the Strategy throughout 2012 and in defining our priorities for future work. As required by the Strategy, Federal Departments and Agencies prepared a consolidated report outlining these efforts and defining 2013 implementation goals. The public version of this report is available HERE.
The Morning Plum: Obama urges Republicans to take Yes for an answer
March 6, 2013 at 9:20 am Posted by Greg Sargent – washingtonpost
Multiple reports this morning tell us that President Obama is going around GOP leaders by privately courting Republican lawmakers in an effort to win their support for a grand deficit reduction bargain. The New York Times reports that Obama has spoken by phone with GOP Senators and has invited a dozen of them over for dinner tonight.
It’s not hard to figure out what Obama is telling these Senators: He’s telling them what his actual deficit reduction plan contains — a mix of real entitlement cuts and new revenues.
If you want to understand what this is really about, go back to Ezra Klein’s interview with an unnamed GOP Senator, in which the lawmaker professed himself surprised to hear that Obama had offered Chained CPI on Social Security, along with other real entitlement cuts, in exchange for new revenues via the closing of loopholes enjoyed by the wealthy and corporations.
In short, Obama will tell all these Senators that he’s offering them what they want, i.e., serious cuts in retirement programs, in exchange for less in new revenues, and that this is actually a very good deal for them.
For more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/plum-line/wp/2013/03/06/the-morning-plum-obama-urges-republicans-to-take-yes-for-an-answer/?hpid=z3
Obama, GOP senators to have dinner Wednesday
3/6/13 11:15 AM EST By JENNIFER EPSTEIN – POLITICO44
President Obama will have dinner Wednesday with a small group of Republican senators, the White House confirmed.
Obama is set to meet with several members of the Senate GOP for the meal, scheduled for 6:30 p.m. at the Jefferson Hotel, a neutral gathering place just a few blocks away from the White House.
Sens. John McCain, Lindsey Graham, Roy Blunt, Pat Toomey, Bob Corker, Kelly Ayotte and Ron Johnson all plan to attend the meal, which will be a prelude to meetings Obama plans to hold next week with larger groups of Republican lawmakers.
The White House cautioned that the meeting could be postponed if the snow fall in Washington gets worse.
MBA Purchase Applications
Released On 3/6/2013 7:00:00 AM For wk3/1, 2013
Prior Actual
Composite Index – W/W Change -3.8 % 14.8 %
Purchase Index – W/W Change -5.0 % 15.0 %
Refinance Index – W/W Change -3.0 % 15.0 %
Highlights
Volatility is the norm for the MBA mortgage application report where the purchase index and the refinance index both surged 15.0 percent in the March 1 week. The gains reverse a run of prior declines to lift the purchase index back to where it was in early February and the refinance index back to where it was in mid-January. A sharp drop in rates during the week was a plus for activity with the average 30-year mortgage down seven basis points to 3.70 percent.
For more: http://bloomberg.econoday.com/byshoweventfull.asp?fid=455673&cust=bloomberg-us&year=2013&lid=0&prev=/byweek.asp#top
ADP Says Companies in U.S. Added 198,000 Workers in February
Mar 6, 2013 5:43 AM PT By Shobhana Chandra – bloomberg
Companies added more workers than projected in February, indicating the U.S. job market will keep expanding this year, according to a private report based on payrolls.
The 198,000 increase in employment followed a revised 215,000 gain the prior month that was more than initially estimated, figures from the Roseland, New Jersey-based ADP Research Institute showed today. The median forecast of 41 economists surveyed by Bloomberg called for an advance of 170,000.
Sustained hiring by businesses, even as lawmakers in Washington were sparring over budget reductions, signals there is enough demand to support consumer spending, the biggest part of the economy. A Labor Department report this week may show private payrolls rose by 167,000 last month, according to the Bloomberg survey median.
“The job market remains sturdy in the face of significant fiscal headwinds,” Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody’s Analytics Inc., said in a statement. Moody’s produces the figures with ADP.
“Businesses are adding to payrolls more strongly at the start of 2013 with gains across all industries and business sizes. Tax increases and government spending cuts don’t appear to be affecting the job market.”
Stock-index futures advanced, indicating the Dow Jones Industrial Average will extend its highest level ever. The contract on the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index expiring this month rose 0.4 percent to 1,543.7 at 8:41 a.m. in New York. Dow futures rose 57 points, or 0.4 percent.
Estimates in the Bloomberg survey for the ADP figure ranged from gains of 125,000 to 210,000. The prior month’s figure was revised from a previously reported increase of 192,000.
For more: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-03-06/adp-says-companies-in-u-s-added-198-000-workers-in-february.html
Bill to avert government shutdown fast-tracked in the House
3/6/13 By Chris Moody, Yahoo! News | The Ticket – 22 mins ago
With a nasty weather system threatening the nation’s capital, the House on Wednesday will fast-track a bill to keep the government funded through the current fiscal year. It will incorporate the lower funding amounts mandated by sequestration.
The vote on the bill, known as a “continuing resolution,” begins the process of avoiding a government shutdown, which would occur on March 27 if lawmakers are unable to agree on spending rates.
While the House bill includes the $85 billion in cuts as part of sequestration, Republicans have moved to soften the blow to the Pentagon and the Department of Veterans Affairs by providing flexibility for those agencies on how to spread out the mandated spending reductions. The bill will also include funding for the Affordable Care Act, which will cause some consternation from the House’s more conservative ranks, though likely not enough to tank the measure.
House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer, a Democrat of Maryland, said on Tuesday that he’s not actively urging his party to oppose the spending bill, so it may receive some level of bipartisan support.
In lieu of traditional budget resolutions, the federal government, for most of the Obama administration, has been funded by short-term agreements that require regular votes to avert a shutdown. While in the past these votes required intense negotiation between the parties—lasting until the final hour of the shutdown deadline—the current extension is expected to pass through both chambers with relatively little controversy.
The vote in the House and the following vote in the Senate next week will give both chambers a full two weeks—an eternity in Washington—to work out any differences in their bills.
For more: http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/ticket/bill-avert-shutdown-fast-tracked-house-155342952–politics.html
Business Spending Outlook Improves as U.S. Profits Grow: Economy
By Michelle Jamrisko – Mar 6, 2013 7:44 AM PT
The outlook for U.S. business spending is improving as rising earnings, easier credit and pent-up demand prompt companies from Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway Inc. to Chrysler Group LLC and Lowe’s Cos. (LOW) to expand.
Orders for non-military capital goods excluding aircraft, considered a proxy for future business spending on equipment and software, climbed 7.2 percent in January from the prior month, the biggest gain since September 2004, revised data from the Commerce Department showed today. They’re up 9.8 percent since November, the most for a three-month period since 1993.
Auto sales and the rebound in housing are driving gains in consumer spending, spurring companies including Chrysler and Lowe’s to update operations, hire staff or add stores. The biggest surge in profits since the 1990s, combined with near record-low interest rates, mean firms have the resources to soften the damage to the economy from federal budget cutbacks.
“The fundamentals that drive investment activity are improving rapidly,” said Diane Swonk, chief economist for Mesirow Financial Inc. in Chicago, which oversees about $67.5 billion in assets. “You really do have all this pent-up demand and catch-up activity.”
Stocks advanced, extending a record high for the Dow Jones Industrial Average, after a private jobs report showed companies took on more workers than estimated in February. The Dow climbed 0.3 percent to 14,296.3 at 10:43 a.m. in New York.
The ADP Research Institute said businesses added 198,000 employees in February after a revised 215,000 gain in the prior month that was more than initially estimated.
For more: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-03-06/business-spending-outlook-improves-as-u-s-profits-grow-economy.html
Obama ‘deeply disappointed’ GOP blocked confirmation of judicial nominee
3/6/13 12:27 PM EST By DONOVAN SLACK – POLITICO44
President Obama said Wednesday that he is “deeply disappointed” that Republican Senators blocked a confirmation vote for judicial nominee Caitlin Halligan.
Here is his full statement:
I am deeply disappointed that despite support from a majority of the United States Senate, a minority of Senators continues to block the nomination of Caitlin Halligan to serve on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. Nearly two and a half years after being nominated, Ms. Halligan continues to wait for a simple up-or-down vote.
In the past, filibusters of judicial nominations required “extraordinary circumstances,” and a Republican Senator who was part of this agreement articulated that only an ethics or qualification issue – not ideology – would qualify. Ms. Halligan has always practiced law with the highest ethical ideals, and her qualifications are beyond question. Furthermore, her career in public service and as a law enforcement lawyer, serving the citizens of New York, is well within the mainstream.
Please join me in lighting a candle for our President, First Family and the Nation.
http://www.gratefulness.org/candles/candles.cfm?l=eng&gi=PBO
March 06, 2013
Statement by the President on Republican Filibuster of Caitlin Halligan
I am deeply disappointed that despite support from a majority of the United States Senate, a minority of Senators continues to block the nomination of Caitlin Halligan to serve on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. Nearly two and a half years after being nominated, Ms. Halligan continues to wait for a simple up-or-down vote. In the past, filibusters of judicial nominations required “extraordinary circumstances,” and a Republican Senator who was part of this agreement articulated that only an ethics or qualification issue – not ideology – would qualify. Ms. Halligan has always practiced law with the highest ethical ideals, and her qualifications are beyond question. Furthermore, her career in public service and as a law enforcement lawyer, serving the citizens of New York, is well within the mainstream.
Today’s vote continues the Republican pattern of obstruction. My judicial nominees wait more than three times as long on the Senate floor to receive a vote than my predecessor’s nominees. The effects of this obstruction take the heaviest toll on the D.C. Circuit, considered the Nation’s second-highest court, which now has only seven active judges and four vacancies. Until last month, for more than forty years, the court has always had at least eight active judges and as many as twelve. A majority of the Senate agrees that Ms. Halligan is exactly the kind of person who should serve on this court, and I urge Senate Republicans to allow the Senate to express its will and to confirm Ms. Halligan without further delay.
3:06 PM ET
Dr Jill Biden delivers remarks at an event honoring military caregivers.
National Museum of Women in the Arts, Washington, D.C.
Dow Average Extends Record High on Job Data, Beige Book
Mar 6, 2013 11:52 AM PT By Inyoung Hwang & Sarah Pringle – bloomberg
U.S. stocks rose, extending the Dow Jones Industrial Average’s record high, as a private jobs report showed companies took on more workers than estimated and the Federal Reserve said the economy is growing.
Bank of America Corp. jumped 3 percent to pace gains among financial shares. VeriFone Systems Inc. (PAY) rose 9.1 percent as the maker of credit-card terminals reported earnings that beat its forecasts. Sohu.com Inc., owner of China’s second-largest online video website, slid 9.7 percent after saying it’s not in talks to take the company private or delist its stock. Staples Inc. fell 6.7 percent after forecasting profit that was less than analysts estimated.
The Standard & Poor’s 500 Index increased 0.3 percent to 1,544.59 at 2:50 p.m. in New York. The Dow rose 63.65 points, or 0.5 percent, to 14,317.42. Trading in S&P 500 companies was in- line with the 30-day average at this time of day.
“The market’s responding to some degree to fundamentals,” Stephen Wood, who helps manage about $163 billion as New York- based chief market strategist for North America at Russell Investments, said by telephone. “The economy is growing, albeit at a frustrating pace,” he said. “We’re seeing housing begin to contribute rather significantly to the economy.”
The Dow advanced to a record yesterday for the first time since 2007, erasing losses from the financial crisis as the bull market enters its fifth year. The S&P 500 is about 1.5 percent below its record high. The benchmark index has surged 128 percent from a 12-year low in 2009 as companies reported better- than-estimated earnings and the Federal Reserve embarked on three rounds of bond purchases to stimulate the economy.
For more: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-03-06/u-s-stock-index-futures-climb-before-adp-jobs-data.html
House votes to fund government through end of fiscal year
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Wednesday, March 6, 11:10 AM By Rosalind S. Helderman – washingtonpost
The House took its first step Wednesday to avoid a government shutdown, passing a measure that funds the government through the end of the current fiscal year.
The measure was approved by a vote of 267 to 151, with most Republicans supporting it and most Democrats voting against it. The Republican measure provides $982 billion in funding for the second half of the fiscal year, keeping agencies humming when the mechanism currently funding government expires March 27.
The vote came as Washington looks to forgo forcing a fiscal crisis this month and instead turns its attention to a more deliberate debate over long-term deficit reduction.
Accepting that the across-the-board spending cuts known as the sequester are here to stay for the moment, President Obama is focusing on wooing rank-and-file Republicans in the Senate who might be interested in a deal that would pair tax reform that produces new revenues with cuts to entitlement programs.
After a series of phone calls from Obama to Republican senators who have expressed interest in that kind of “grand bargain,” he will take a group of senators to dinner Wednesday evening at the Jefferson Hotel.
Next week, Obama will make a rare visit to Capitol Hill to meet separately with the Democratic and Republican caucuses in both the House and Senate.
For more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/house-takes-first-step-to-avoid-government-shutdown/2013/03/06/f50c79da-8671-11e2-9d71-f0feafdd1394_story.html?hpid=z1
Federal Agencies Announce Action Plan to Guide Protection of Indian Sacred Sites
03/05/2013 doi.gov
WASHINGTON – As part of President Obama’s commitment to honoring a nation-to-nation relationship with Indian Country, four cabinet-level departments today joined the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation in releasing an action plan to strengthen the protection of Indian sacred sites and provide greater tribal access to these heritage areas. The interagency plan is required by the Memorandum of Understanding signed in December 2012 by the Departments of Agriculture, Defense, Energy, Interior and the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation regarding coordination and collaboration for the protection of sacred sites.
“The federal family has a special, shared responsibility to respect and foster American Indian and Alaska Native cultural and religious heritage, and this action plan will guide us in that important role,” Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar said. “We have dedicated considerable staff and resources to address this important issue and will continue to work with the tribes and their spiritual and religious leaders to carry-out the action plan.”
“The Obama administration has taken a number of steps to ensure that American Indians and Alaska Natives have full access to the programs and services offered across the federal government,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. “Since 2009, USDA has stepped up Tribal consultation efforts. We understand the importance of these sites and will continue to make sure Tribes have full access to the resources they need in their communities.”
“Protecting America’s air and water and our nation’s heritage is an important part of the Energy Department’s commitment to Tribal Nations across the country, particularly those that are neighbors to the Department’s National Laboratories, sites and facilities,” said Energy Secretary Steven Chu. “I look forward to continuing this important work and collaborating with other federal agencies and Tribal Nations to protect Indian sacred sites throughout the United States.”
“Through collaboration and consultation, the signatory agencies are working together to raise awareness about Indian sacred sites and the importance of maintaining their integrity,” said Milford Wayne Donaldson, chairman of the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation. “The tools to be developed under this action plan will help agencies meet their Section 106 responsibilities while affording greater protections for sacred sites. The Advisory Council is very pleased to be part of this historic initiative to address the protection and preservation of Indian sacred sites.”
The MOU, unveiled at the White House Tribal Nations Conference in 2012, will be in effect for five years. The MOU commits the signatory agencies to work together to achieve enhanced and improved interdepartmental coordination and collaboration to improve the protection of and tribal access to Indian sacred sites. Among other things, the MOU commits the participating agencies to work together on developing guidance on the management and treatment of sacred sites, on identifying and recommending ways to overcome impediments to the protection of such sites while preserving the sites’ confidentiality, on creating a training program for federal staff and on developing outreach plans to both the public and to non-Federal partners.
The Action Plan includes:
* A Mission Statement that commits the agencies to work together to improve the protection of and tribal access to Indian sacred sites, in accordance with Executive Order 13007 and the MOU, through enhanced and improved interdepartmental coordination, collaboration and consultation with tribes;
* A list of actions the agencies will undertake together;
* A commitment to consultation with Indian tribes in developing and implementing the actions outlined in the plan to ensure meaningful strategies for protecting sacred sites;
* The establishment of a standing working committee made up of designated senior staff from the participating agencies, as well as other subject matter experts from the participating agencies as needed, to carry out the stipulations of the MOU; and
* The commitment of the Agencies to designate senior level officials to serve as members of a Core Working Group, which the Department of the Interior will Chair.
For more: http://www.doi.gov/news/pressreleases/federal-agencies-announce-action-plan-to-guide-protection-of-indian-sacred-sites.cfm
Thursday, March 7, 2013
All Times Eastern
President Obama meets with Jewish community leaders from across the United States
7:00 AM
8:00 AM
9:00 AM
9:30 AM
President Obama and Vice President Biden receives the presidential daily briefing
10:00 AM
11:00 AM
12:00 PM
White House Press Secretary Jay Carney briefs the press.
12:25 PM
President Obama meets for lunch with Representatives Chris Van Hollen and Paul Ryan
Private Dining Room
1:00 PM
1:55 PM
President Obama signs the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act
Department of the Interior
2:00 PM
3:00 PM
3:15 PM ET
First Lady Michelle Obama delivers remarks to winners of the Let’s Move! Communities.
4:00 PM
4:30 PM
Vice President Biden and Secretary Sebelius meet with Democratic Senators to discuss policies to increase access to mental health services.
5:00 PM
6:00 PM
7:00 PM
8:00 PM
9:00 PM
10:00 PM
March 7, 2013
WhiteHouse.gov http://www.whitehouse.gov/live
12:00 PM ET
White House Press Secretary Jay Carney briefs the press.
12:30 PM ET
Let’s Move! Faith and Communities Challenge Winners
1:55 PM ET
President Obama signs the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act
Department of the Interior
3:15 PM ET
First Lady Michelle Obama delivers remarks to winners of the Let’s Move! Communities.
—-
ABC News http://abcnews.go.com/Live/
10:00 AM ET
North Korea policy hearing
The Senate Foreign Relations Committee holds a hearing on existing U.S. policy toward North Korea.
10:00 AM ET
Senate Energy Committee: Sally Jewell Nomination for Interior Secretary
10:00 AM ET
Senate Judiciary Committee: Gun Legislation Markup
10:30 AM ET
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi holds a briefing with reporters on Capitol Hill. She is expected to discuss forced budget cuts and government spending.
12:00 PM ET
White House Press Secretary Jay Carney briefs the press.
12:30 PM
State Department briefing
The State Department holds a briefing with reporters. Topics expected to be discussed include the U.N. Security Council’s vote on North Korea sanctions.
1:55 PM ET
President Obama signs the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act
2:30 PM ET
Senate Commerce Committee & Senate Homeland Security Committee: Cybersecurity
—-
CSPAN http://www.cspan.org/
10:00 AM ET
North Korea policy hearing
The Senate Foreign Relations Committee holds a hearing on existing U.S. policy toward North Korea. http://www.c-span.org/Events/Senate-Foreign-Relations-Cmte-Holds-Hearing-on-North-Korea/10737438634/
10:00 AM ET
Senate Energy Committee: Sally Jewell Nomination for Interior Secretary http://www.c-span.org/Events/Confirmation-Hearing-for-Sally-Jewell-to-be-Interior-Secretary/10737438613/
10:00 AM ET
Senate Judiciary Committee: Gun Legislation Markup http://www.c-span.org/Events/Senate-Judiciary-to-Work-on-Assault-Weapons-Ban/10737438612/
10:30 AM ET
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi holds a briefing with reporters on Capitol Hill. She is expected to discuss forced budget cuts and government spending. http://www.c-span.org/Events/Rep-Pelosi-Holds-Weekly-Press-Conference/10737438615/
12:00 PM ET
White House Press Secretary Jay Carney briefs the press.
12:30 PM
State Department briefing
The State Department holds a briefing with reporters. Topics expected to be discussed include the U.N. Security Council’s vote on North Korea sanctions.
1:55 PM ET
President Obama signs the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act http://www.c-span.org/Events/President-Obama-Signs-Violence-Against-Women-Act/10737438631/
2:30 PM ET
Senate Commerce Committee & Senate Homeland Security Committee: Cybersecurity http://www.c-span.org/Events/Joint-Senate-Cmte-Hears-About-Cybersecurity-Executive-Order/10737438635/
Obama to sign VAWA Thursday
3/5/13 3:01 PM EST By DONOVAN SLACK – POLITICO44
President Obama will sign the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act on Thursday, press secretary Jay Carney said.
“He will be joined by the vice president, who authored the original law in 1994, as well as women’s organizations, law enforcement officials, tribal leaders, survivors, adviocates and members of Congress,” Carney said. “The law strengthens the criminal justice system’s response to crimes against women, including domestic violence, sexual assault and trafficking.
“It’s a very important milestone that was reached with the votes, the vote most recently in the House that allowed this to reach finally the president’s desk and he looks forward to signing it.”
Salazar, Washburn Commend Passage of Violence Against Women Act
Legislation Recognizes and Affirms Tribal Court Jurisdiction over Non-Indians in Domestic Violence Crimes
02/28/2013 doi.gov
WASHINGTON – Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar and Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs Kevin K. Washburn today praised the passage of the Violence Against Women Act, which includes important provisions for federally recognized tribal communities, saying it advances the progress the nation has made in combating violence against women by providing greater protections against homicide, rape, assault and battery in the home, workplace and on school campuses across the country.
“By providing stronger protections and greater resources to states and Indian tribes, this legislation will make women and vulnerable populations safer,” Salazar said. “This legislation is especially significant for the First Americans because it closes a gaping legal loophole that prevented the arrest and prosecution of non-Indian men who commit domestic violence against Indian women on federal Indian lands. This historic legislation, which recognizes and affirms inherent tribal jurisdiction over non-Indians in domestic violence cases, will provide much needed tools to tribal justice systems to effectively protect Indian women from abuse.”
“American Indian women experience among the highest domestic violence victimization rates in the country and more than half of all married Indian women have non-Indian husbands,” said Assistant Secretary Washburn. “This legislation provides tools to tribal governments to address the problem of domestic violence much more completely on Indian reservations.”
“I applaud Congress’s reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act today. Tribal leaders, tribal law enforcement, and tribal courts are all too familiar with this type of violence. It is shameful that for far too long, many American Indian women victims came to accept that there was nothing they could do when their abuser was non-Indian,” said Washburn. “Now, tribal courts have the ability to enforce protection orders again non-Indians, regardless of where the order originated, and to prosecute any individual who stands accused of domestic violence on a federal Indian reservation. American Indian women are now safer with the passage of this law.”
For more: http://www.doi.gov/news/pressreleases/salazar-washburn-commend-passage-of-violence-against-women-act.cfm
Law Targets Sexual Violence On College Campuses
March 06, 2013 7:37 PM by JOSEPH SHAPIRO – NPR
When President Obama signs an updated version of the Violence Against Women Act on Thursday afternoon, the law will include new requirements for how colleges and universities handle allegations of sexual assault.
Laura Dunn, who’s been invited by the White House to attend, plans to be there.
In 2010, Dunn told her story on Morning Edition: She believed her Wisconsin school failed to properly investigate her allegations that she’d been raped by two students — young men she knew and trusted. Dunn and the men had been drinking. The school took nine months to investigate. By then, one of the men had graduated; Dunn would see the other on campus. And when school officials declined to punish him, there was nothing Dunn could do to appeal.
The new law — the Campus Sexual Violence Elimination Act, which was added to the Violence Against Women Act — clarifies the rights of victims of sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence or stalking on campus. It gives victims a new ability to appeal an outcome. It also requires schools to inform victims of their rights and options, and to tell them where to get counseling and legal help.
The new law addresses issues raised in NPR’s 2010 series of stories, Seeking Justice for Campus Rapes. That series, a joint effort with the nonprofit Center for Public Integrity, revealed that judicial proceedings were often secretive on campuses, and women often faced barriers when they tried to report rape complaints.
Even when men were found responsible, they were almost never expelled, NPR and CPI concluded. In many cases, it was the woman who dropped out of school rather than live in the same dorm or take classes with the man she’d accused.
“Victims of sexual violence on campus were being revictimized by a process that really was not geared to their needs,” says S. Daniel Carter, who has long pushed for the change.
Carter, of VTV Family Outreach Foundation, a campus safety group started by the families of victims and survivors of the 2007 Virginia Tech shootings, says one of the most important parts of the new law is that it requires schools to create prevention education. Those programs teach men and women the meaning of consent, and show bystanders how to intervene to stop sexual violence.
For the entire article and audio interview; http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2013/03/07/173657424/law-targets-sexual-violence-on-college-campuses
Jobless Claims in U.S. Unexpectedly Fall to a Six-Week Low
Mar 7, 2013 5:46 AM PT By Lorraine Woellert – bloomberg
The number of Americans who filed for unemployment benefits declined to a six-week low, showing further improvement in the labor market.
First-time jobless claims unexpectedly fell by 7,000 to 340,000 in the week ended March 2, the lowest since the period ended Jan. 19, according to data today from the Labor Department in Washington. The median forecast of 50 economists surveyed by Bloomberg called for an increase to 355,000. The four-week average dropped to a five-year low.
Companies are easing up on dismissals as purchases of equipment climb and households maintain spending in the face of higher payroll taxes. Further declines in firings are a first step toward bigger employment and wage gains, and a report tomorrow may show payrolls picked up in February.
“Every indication we have is that the labor market is beginning to pick up steam,” said Drew Matus, deputy U.S. chief economist at UBS Securities LLC in Stamford, Connecticut, who correctly projected the drop in claims. “It’s all consistent with 2013 being an okay year despite all the fears about what sequestration might mean or Europe might do.”
Stock-index futures held gains after the figures, with the contract on the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index expiring this month rising 0.3 percent to 1,543.7 at 8:46 a.m. in New York.
For more: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-03-07/jobless-claims-in-u-s-unexpectedly-decline-to-a-six-week-low.html
Consumer Comfort in U.S. Improves to Highest Level This Year
Mar 7, 2013 6:45 AM PT By Jeanna Smialek – bloomberg
Confidence among U.S. consumers rose for a fifth week, reaching the highest level this year as improving stock and home prices gave households a lift.
The Bloomberg Consumer Comfort Index improved to minus 32.4 in the week ended March 3 from minus 32.8 in the prior period. The share of Americans with a positive view of the U.S. economy held at its highest level since early 2008 and more people said it was a good time to buy needed goods and services.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average rallied to an all-time high this week and residential real-estate values in 2012 climbed by the most in six years, giving a boost to household wealth that may help sustain spending. An improving job market will also be critical to supporting confidence as the highest gasoline prices in four months and a bigger payroll tax hurt disposable income.
“The rise in equity prices continues to bolster consumer confidence despite a number of economic headwinds,” said Joseph Brusuelas, a senior economist at Bloomberg LP in New York. “The risk going forward is the lagged impact on confidence and spending due to tax hikes, which will disproportionately burden lower-income groups.”
For more: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-03-07/consumer-comfort-in-u-s-improves-to-highest-level-this-year.html
Trade Deficit in U.S. Widens More Than Forecast on Oil
Mar 7, 2013 5:44 AM PT By Shobhana Chandra – bloomberg
The trade deficit in the U.S. widened more than forecast in January as demand for imported crude oil rebounded.
The gap grew by 16.5 percent to $44.4 billion from $38.1 billion in December that was the smallest in three years, Commerce Department figures showed today in Washington. The median forecast in a Bloomberg survey of 73 economists called for the deficit to increase to $42.6 billion. Exports fell for the first time in three months as sales of fuel oil and gold reversed gains in the prior month.
A COSCO Pacific Ltd. container ship enters the Port of Long Beach in Long Beach, California. Photographer: Tim Rue/Bloomberg
Sustained spending gains by U.S. consumers and businesses will probably keep driving up imports this year even as oil costs moderate. Overseas purchases of American-made goods, which help to contain the trade gap, will probably also rise as Europe stabilizes and emerging markets including China pick up.
“The overall picture is fairly stable for this year,” said David Sloan, a New York-based senior economist at 4Cast Inc., who projected the trade gap would climb to $44.5 billion. “We should see modest increases in exports. Most of the world is growing.”
For more: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-03-07/trade-deficit-in-u-s-widens-more-than-forecast-on-oil-1-.html
US official: Bin Laden spokesman [Son-in-law] caught in Jordan
3/7/13 By LARA JAKES | Associated Press – 47 mins ago
WASHINGTON (AP) — Osama bin Laden’s spokesman and son-in-law has been captured by U.S. intelligence officials, a senior congressman said Thursday, calling it a “very significant victory” in the ongoing fight against al-Qaida.
Rep. Peter King, the former chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, credited the CIA and FBI with catching Sulaiman Abu Ghaith in Jordan within the last week. He said the capture was confirmed to him by U.S. law enforcement officials.
King, R-N.Y., said Ghaith took part in the Sept. 11, 2001, plot against the World Trade Center and Pentagon.
“Definitely, one by one, we are getting the top echelons of al-Qaida,” King said Thursday. “I give the (Obama) administration credit for this: it’s steady and it’s unrelenting and it’s very successful.”
The Turkish newspaper Hürriyet reported that Ghaith was passing through Jordan, on his way to Kuwait, shortly after leaving Turkey.
The newspaper said that Ghaith was taken into custody more than a month ago at a luxury hotel in in Ankara, the Turkish capital. But Turkish officials decided he had not committed any crime in Turkey, and released him, the newspaper reported.
In Ankara, Turkish officials refused to confirm Ghaith’s deportation or his capture in Jordan to The Associated Press. In Amman, the Jordanian capital, a security official said he had no information on the CIA arrest in Jordan.
U.S. intelligence officials in Washington did not immediately respond to request for information about Ghaith.
12:30 PM ET
Let’s Move! Faith and Communities Challenge Winners
The White House
Senate committee approves gun trafficking bill
3/7/13 By ALAN FRAM | Associated Press – 2 hrs 1 min ago
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate Judiciary Committee approved legislation Thursday making gun trafficking a federal crime as lawmakers cast the first vote in Congress to curb firearms since December’s horrific shootings at a Connecticut elementary school.
The panel was also debating bills banning assault weapons and high capacity magazines, requiring background checks for nearly all gun purchases, and providing more money for schools to buy video cameras and other safety equipment.
The committee approved the gun trafficking measure on an 11-7 vote. Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, was the only Republican to vote in favor of the measure, whose chief sponsor was the panel’s chairman, Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt.
Evidence was abundant of partisan clashes ahead as the two parties sparred over the need to limit firearms.
Leahy said he hoped senators would make significant progress this week on curbing gun violence.
Grassley said everyone wants to prevent more killings like the deaths of 20 first-graders and six staffers at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn. But he said gun control does not work and accused Democrats of wanting to “impose more gun restrictions on law-abiding citizens.”
All four measures were expected to pass the committee. But their fate when the full Senate considers them, probably in April, is less certain. The trafficking measure by Leahy, D-Vt., was thought to have the best prospects, while the assault weapons ban by Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., seemed to have the slimmest chance.
For more: http://news.yahoo.com/senate-committee-approves-gun-trafficking-bill-160039834–politics.html
Happy and HOPEful Thursday, CR and all friends!
>^..^<
Just waiting now to watch President Obama sign the Violence Against Women Act online!
Happy and HOPEful Thursday Kat!
Please join me in lighting a candle for our President, First Family and our Nation.
http://www.gratefulness.org/candles/candles.cfm?l=eng&gi=PBO
12 lit now
Next Up…
1:55 PM ET
President Obama signs the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act
Department of the Interior
WhiteHouse.gov http://www.whitehouse.gov/live
CNN http://live.cnn.com
CSPAN http://www.c-span.org/Events/President-Obama-Signs-Violence-Against-Women-Act/10737438631/
March 07, 2013
Remarks by the President and Vice President at Signing of the Violence Against Women Act
Interior Department
Washington, D.C.
2:16 P.M. EST
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Thank you very much, Diane. Thank you. (Applause.)
Some of you in the audience who are survivors know how much courage it takes to do what Diane did. (Applause.) Some people who don’t know will say, well, she’s just recounting what happened. But every single time you stand and recount what happened, it brings it all back. It brings it all back like a very bad nightmare. But your speaking out, Diane, and so many survivors like you are literally saving the lives of so many other women who, God willing, will be able to avoid the abuse that you had to put up with.
I want to thank all the advocates who are here today. I got a chance to meet in my office with some of you a little bit earlier — not only those on the stage who I, again, had a chance to meet with, but the many women out in the audience, as I look out and see some familiar faces like Pat Rouse and Ellie Smeal and Paulette Sullivan Moore from — I’m being parochial — Paulette Sullivan Moore from my home state, and so many others. (Applause.)
Those of you who have been around a while with me know that I quote my father all the time who literally would say, the greatest sin that could be committed, the cardinal sin of all sins was the abuse of power, and the ultimate abuse of power is for someone physically stronger and bigger to raise their hand and strike and beat someone else. In most cases that tends to be a man striking a woman, or a man or woman striking a child. That’s the fundamental premise and the overarching reason why John Conyers and I and others started so many years ago to draft the legislation called the Violence Against Women Act.
It passed 19 years ago, and that’s why we shortly thereafter instituted a hotline where women in distress could call for help. I remember, John, when we did that hotline, it was like, well, it will be useful, but I’m not so sure how much it will be used. Well, the truth of the matter is it’s been used a lot and it’s saved a lot of lives. Over 2 million women have had the courage — the courage — to try to get out of earshot of their abuser, escape from the prison of their own home, and pick up that phone and call to a line that you had no idea who on the other end was going to answer, and to say, I’m in trouble. Can you help me? Can you help me?
I love those men who would say when we started this about why don’t they just leave. Well, if they had one-third the courage that those women — those 2 million women had who have picked up the phone and called, not knowing what to expect, it would be a whole lot better nation.
We’ve built a network of shelters that are immediately available to women in need because we found out that the vast majority of children who are homeless on the street — Nancy knows and others — were there because their mothers were abused. Imagine fleeing for your life with only the clothes on your back and your child in your arms. The shelter was their only lifeline, and it’s worked.
We also have specialized law enforcement units with trained prosecutors, victim advocates, court personnel who understand the unique challenges of the access. Because of all of you in the audience that are here today, we’ve been able to train judges and train intake officers, so when a frightened woman shows up at the family court and says to the intake officer, “I want to tell you” — “Speak up, will you?” “Well, I just — my” — and they turn around and walk away, because there’s only a very brief window, as all of you know, a very brief window, again, after a woman screws up the courage — the courage — to ask for help.
All these links in the chain have made a difference in the lives of women. It’s one woman, one girl, one person at a time, one case at a time. And you providers know that better than anyone.
With all the law’s success, there are still too many women in this country who live in fear of violence, who are still prisoners in their own home; too many victims that we have to mourn. We knew from the outset in 1994 that there was much more we could have done at the beginning if we were able to get the votes. But we did what was necessary and important, but we knew more had to be done to reduce domestic violence, domestic violence homicides, to provide new tools, as was just spoken to, to protect Native American women, to address the perplexing rate of dating violence among young women, and so much more.
But because of the people on this stage and in this room, every time we reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act, we improved it. Every single time, we’ve improved it. (Applause.)
For more: http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2013/03/07/remarks-president-and-vice-president-signing-violence-against-women-act
3:15 PM ET
First Lady Michelle Obama delivers remarks to winners of the Let’s Move! Communities.
Let’s Move! Faith and Community Challenge Winners’
Published on Mar 7, 2013
First Lady Michelle Obama honors organizations and individuals making healthy changes in their communities. March 7, 2013.
4:30 PM ET
Vice President Biden and Secretary Sebelius meet with Democratic Senators to discuss policies to increase access to mental health services.
Senate Confirms John Brennan as CIA Director
3/7/13 By Z. Byron Wolf | ABC OTUS News – 29 mins ago
Senator Rand Paul’s nearly 13 hour filibuster may have started a conversation about U.S. drone policy, but it didn’t stop John Brennan from becoming CIA director.
Senators voted to 63 – 34 to elevate President Obama’s top counter-terrorism adviser at the White House to lead the Central Intelligence Agency after Paul, R-Ky., dropped his opposition to a vote Thursday afternoon.
Paul had mounted the filibuster because he wanted assurances that the government would not target a non-combatant American citizen in the U.S. under the secret legal justification it uses to kill suspected terrorists overseas with armed drone strikes.
Those assurances came from Attorney General Eric Holder on Thursday in the form of a one line letter.
“It has come to my attention that you have now asked an additional question: ‘Does the President have the authority to use a weaponized drone to kill an American not engaged in combat on American soil?’” wrote Holder. “The answer to that question is no.”
After that letter was produced, Paul voted with 85 other senators to end debate. Paul later opposed Brennan’s nomination. But his filibuster did have an effect. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, who had appeared ready to allow Brennan’s nomination to proceed on Wednesday, was among 16 Republicans who opposed cutting off debate on Thursday. McConnell also opposed Brennan’s nomination.
Democrats Patrick Leahy of Vermont and Jeff Merkley of Oregon opposed Brennan along with Independent Bernie Sanders of Vermont.
For more: http://news.yahoo.com/rand-paul-claims-victory-senate-211806807.html
March 07, 2013
Statement from the President on the Confirmation of John Brennan as Director of the Central Intelligence Agency
With the bipartisan confirmation of John Brennan as Director of the Central Intelligence Agency, the Senate has recognized in John the qualities I value so much—his determination to keep America safe, his commitment to working with Congress, his ability to build relationships with foreign partners, and his fidelity to the values that define us as a nation.
With John’s 25 years of experience at the Agency, our extraordinary men and women of the CIA will be led by one of their own. I am especially appreciative to Michael Morell for being such an outstanding Acting Director and for agreeing to continue his service as Deputy Director.
Timely, accurate intelligence is absolutely critical to disrupting terrorist attacks, dismantling al Qaeda and its affiliates, and meeting the broad array of security challenges that we face as a nation. John’s leadership, and our dedicated intelligence professionals, will be essential in these efforts. I am deeply grateful to John and his family for their continued service to our nation.
Obama meets Jewish community leaders ahead of Israel trip
3/7/13 3:27 PM EST By JOSH GERSTEIN – POLITICO44
President Obama met with Jewish community leaders from across the United States on Thursday ahead of his upcoming trip to Israel, according to a White House official.
The president invited the leaders to discuss the trip and to get their input before he leaves March 19.
“The President reiterated America’s unshakeable support for Israel and thanked the leaders for role they play in strengthening ties between the two nations,” the official said. “The President noted that the trip is not dedicated to resolving a specific policy issue, but is rather an opportunity to consult with the Israeli government about a broad range of issues – including Iran, Syria, the situation in the region, and the peace process.
“He also underscored that the trip is an opportunity for him to speak directly to the Israeli people about the history, interests, and values that we share.”
The White House did not release a list of attendees. The meeting was not listed on his public schedule.
March 8, 2013
1:30 PM ET
First Lady Michelle Obama delivers the keynote address at Partnership for a Healthier America’s childhood obesity summit, Building a Healthier Future
Grand Hyatt Washington, Washington, DC.
March 08, 2013
Remarks by the First Lady to the Partnership for a Healthier America Summit
George Washington University
Washington, D.C.
1:45 P.M. EST
MRS. OBAMA: (Applause.) Thank you all so much. (Applause.) Oh, my goodness. Yes! (Applause.) Thank you all so much. It’s great to see you. It is truly a pleasure to be with all of you today.
And of course, I want to start by thanking Eli Manning — (applause) — oh, my gosh! — for that very kind introduction. I’m probably as excited to see him as I am to see all of you. (Laughter.) But I’m thrilled that he could join us today, and I’m just grateful for all of his work and leadership.
I also want to thank Dr. Steven Knapp, not just for hosting us here at GW, but for all the wonderful work this university is doing to forward the agenda of nutrition and fitness. We are so grateful that they are our partners and our neighbors as well.
And I also want to recognize Larry Soler — Larry for — and everybody else at the partnership for all of their wonderful work, as well as Kathleen Tullie and the team at Reebok for all of their leadership. And it’s just a thrill to be working with both of these wonderful organizations and companies that are doing all of these terrific things.
But most of all, I want to thank all of you — the advocates, experts, and executives who have been leading the way to give all of our children a healthy start to their lives. Because of your tremendous efforts, more than half a million people in underserved communities now have access to fresh, healthy food. Because of you, major American businesses like Disney and Walmart and Darden Restaurants are now offering healthier menus and products. Military leaders are serving healthier food on their bases. Faith leaders are educating their congregations about eating healthy. Nearly two and a half million kids have enrolled in recreational sports classes. Democrats and Republicans right here in Washington — (laughter) — came together to pass groundbreaking legislation that is transforming our school lunch program.
For more: http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2013/03/08/remarks-first-lady-partnership-healthier-america-summit
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THIS POST IS NOW CLOSED NBLB
Come on over to my newest post titled: ” 2013 International Women of Courage”
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