Hipolitical: A Super Blend of U.S. Government News Feeds

White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs just responded to a letter sent today from House Republican Leader John Boehner and House Republican Whip Eric Cantor regarding the proposed bipartisan health care summit:

The President is adamant that we seize this historic moment to pass meaningful health insurance reform legislation. He began this process by inviting Republican and Democratic leaders to the White House on March 5 of last year, and he’s continued to work with both parties in crafting the best possible bill. He’s been very clear about his support for the House and Senate bills because of what they achieve for the American people: putting a stop to insurance company abuses, extending coverage to millions of hardworking Americans, getting control of rising premiums and out-of-pocket costs, and reducing the deficit.

The President looks forward to reviewing Republican proposals that meet the goals he laid out at the beginning of this process, and as recently as the State of the Union Address. He’s open to including any good ideas that stand up to objective scrutiny. What he will not do, however, is walk away from reform and the millions of American families and small business counting on it. The recent news that a major insurer plans to raise premiums for some customers by as much as 39 percent is a stark reminder of the consequences of doing nothing.

Read HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius' letter to Anthem Blue Cross calling on them to publicly justify their extreme premium hikes at the same time their parent company sees soaring profits.

While most of Washington spent the weekend digging out of the snow, federal agencies were taking the next steps in making their work more transparent for the American people.  Since early December, agencies have worked to create their own webpages to serve as the gateway for each agency’s implementation of the Open Government Directive.  These pages all went live this weekend, complete with the latest news and updates, downloadable information unique to that agency, and information about how each agency is moving to implement the President’s call for a more transparent, participatory, and collaborative government. 

Importantly, each of these sites will be the focal point for the agency's open government plans that, after public feedback and suggestion, will make our work across the Administration more accessible to the American people.  That's why each Open Government Webpage incorporates a mechanism to seek your ideas and insights.  Most agencies are leveraging a new, no-cost public engagement app from the General Services Administration that allows them to pay less attention to designing tools and more attention to running, moderating, and analyzing public input.  It will help to make the agency open government pages more effective at turning public suggestions into government actions.
 
Here at the White House, we're keeping tabs on the agencies’ efforts.  A dashboard – launched this weekend – tracks agency progress toward the goals of the Open Government Directive.  This dashboard will continue to evolve with your feedback.
 
Since day one, the President has committed his Administration to break down long-standing barriers between the people and their government.  The steps that the agencies are taking are designed to change the culture of government from a closed, opaque structure to one that is more accessible and accountable to citizens.
 
Check out the agency sites and see their work for yourself.

Dan Pfeiffer is White House Communications Director

Along with a massive snowstorm, Friday brought a blizzard of new info on the job market.   From the perspective of our work at the White House, two points stand out, one about where we are and the other about where we’ve been.

First, while there are encouraging signs regarding jobs, they are early signs and must be viewed with care.   The job market is clearly doing better than it was but the level of unemployment is miles north of where it needs to be.  Unemployment fell significantly last month, which is good, but a) it’s a one month data point and not yet a new trend, and b) it fell from 10% to 9.7%, and that's still an unacceptably high rate of joblessness.

Second, today's data release has new, revised information on just how bad this recession has been in the job market.  Here a chart is worth a lot of words.
The chart plots the course of payroll employment over the last four recessions, including this one.  In each case, we index jobs at the start of the recession to 100%, and the x-axis shows the number of months from when the recession began. 

By setting it up this way, you get a lot of useful, comparative information across different downturns.  For example, you see how much longer it took to regain the lost jobs in the 1990 and 2001 recession compared to the 1981 version. 

But the main point is how severe this recession has been on job loss.  There are two lines in the graph for the current recession because last week's data provided a revision based on more complete data.  We knew it was bad, but it turned out to be even worse.  We thought we were losing an unprecedented 690,000 jobs per month in the first quarter of last year.  It turned out to be 750,000.  In the four months between December 2008 and March 2009, we lost more jobs than during the last two recessions combined.

That's where we were.  Where we are, as noted, is better but not good enough.  Last month, we lost 20,000 jobs and that's not an outlier—it's another data point in an improving  trend moving towards net job gains, which we expect to be seeing in a few months.  But the job market won't be in recovery until those small negatives turn into big positives.

Here's what comes out of all this: our policies, most notably the Recovery Act, have helped move us from a situation where we were losing a nightmarish 750,000 jobs per month to one in which we've pulled back from the economic abyss and are moving a lot closer to adding jobs, on net, on a regular basis.  But we can't kick back and wait for that moment.    There's too much pain out there, too many families struggling with a job market that’s simply not providing the opportunities they need to get back on their feet.

So we have to hasten the arrival of more robust job growth with a set of initiatives targeted at the factors holding back job creation.  The House passed a targeted jobs bill in December that included some of these priorities, including upgrading transportation and infrastructure, and aid to states to keep teachers, cops, and firefighters on the job.  The Senate’s actively working on proposals with some of those same components.

Last week the President announced an initiative to help credit flow more freely to small businesses that want to expand their operations and payrolls but can’t access the capital.  Both the President and Congress have been working on a new hiring tax credit targeted at the business owner who is considering adding workers but needs a nudge (and you can see employers dipping their toes in the labor pool—temp work has increased in each of the past four months). 

Another idea in the mix right now is investment in infrastructure to help offset the continuing job losses in construction, a sector that took another big hit last month.  And another is help to state and local governments facing tight budget squeezes and the resultant layoffs in folks like teachers, down 10,500 last month at the local level.

GDP is growing and growing pretty solidly.  The employment data show employers cutting a lot less but not yet adding a lot more.  Unemployment moved in the right direction last month, and we need to build on that positive movement.  

But as the figure above shows so clearly, we've got a huge hole to fill.  That hole wasn't dug overnight, and it's going to take some time and some smart, targeted policies, to fill it up.  Now there's a shovel-ready project worth taking on.

Jared Bernstein is Chief Economist to Vice President Biden, and Executive Director of the Middle Class Task Force

Reiterating once again his commitment to small business as the engine of our economy, the President urges Congress to move forward immediately on steps to help them expand and create jobs.  These proposals include using $30 billion in TARP funds to create a new Small Business Lending Fund to provide capital to community banks to increase lending to small businesses, offering a new tax credit for over one million small businesses that hire new workers or raise wages, and providing targeted support for the most innovative small businesses with the potential to export new goods and products.

Click here to see the video.

Today the President got to meet the Park View Little League Team, 2009 Champions.

President Barack Obama shakes hands with members of the Park View Little League baseball team of Chula Vista, California in the East Room of the White House, to congratulate them on winning the 2009 Little League World Series

In accordance with the Open Government Directive, two working groups have been established to help develop specific actions to implement the principles of transparency, participation, and collaboration set forth in the President’s Memorandum of January 21, 2009.

First, Federal Agencies have designated a high-level senior official to be accountable for the quality of Federal spending information.  In an ongoing commitment to transparency, participation, and collaboration, these senior leaders will work together to ensure that Federal spending information meets adequate controls to ensure quality data is are available to the public.  The senior leaders will also participate in the agency’s Senior Management Council. 

Second, the White House created a Working Group on January 6 to focus on transparency, accountability, participation, and collaboration within the Federal Government.  With senior-level representation from program and management offices throughout the Government, this group will serve several critical functions.  These functions include (1) the development and sharing of best practices and innovative ideas to promote transparency, encourage participation, and foster collaboration and (2) coordinating efforts to implement existing mandates for Federal spending transparency.

With representation from across government, the work of these two groups will support Federal Agencies as they encourage transparency, cultivate public participation, and create opportunity for innovative collaborations.

Vivek Kundra is Chief Information Officer
Aneesh Chopra is Chief Technology Officer

As the President has recently noted, the Administration has had an extraordinary first year for transparency and open government.  We still have work to do, but we have already had some significant accomplishments. That was the conclusion of the respected independent groups that gave us an A for transparency in a recent report card -- and that view was also expressed by other experts in this area who I recently joined on a panel hosted by OMB Watch on government transparency. You can watch a recording of the full panel discussion, and we have excerpted some of the comments below.

Ellen Miller, Executive Director of the Sunlight Foundation, said:

There is no question that the President has set an extraordinarily high bar with respect to transparency in government. And while I think there have been certainly some shortcomings in execution… I think he has begun to make a significant change in the culture of what openness means and move the default of where government information is from being in the hands of government into citizens’ hands… The Administration has clearly endorsed that sort of fundamental cultural shift in information and transparency. It’s a sea change, frankly, not just from the previous Administration… Forget the previous administration; this is a sea change in my decades of experience of Washington…

The important thing that's happening in the administration is not the individual things that they are making available, as important as they are, but the fact that they are beginning to hardwire this default of openness into government.

Transparency is not an issue; it’s a value. And I think that's what the administration has embraced and what’s absolutely key to their successes.

Meredith Fuchs, General Counsel of the National Security Archive, focused on the Administration’s work on three specific openness issues:

[F]or me, these three issues--presidential records, classification, and FOIA--can be summed as showing a pretty good start. A lot of work necessary in a few of these areas but really a tremendous change.

She also noted regarding our historic White House visitor records release (100,000 records and counting) that it is "tremendously brave to expose yourself to that kind of attack, that kind of inquiry."

Sarah Cohen, Knight Professor of the Practice of Journalism and Public Policy at Duke University, while candid about the work that remains to be done, stated:

The idea that we’re here at all talking about transparency says a lot. We wouldn't have been here at all a year and a half ago. Nobody would have had it on an agenda, and nobody would have cared about it. And that makes a big difference… the point about releasing the White House visitor logs is a very important one, that that was a huge step, and one that I think most people around the country looked at and said "that’s really important."

And even Mark Tapscott, the editor of the Washington Examiner's editorial page—which has been pretty tough on the Administration at times—offered some kind words:

Having served in an administration… as a political appointee, I have some appreciation for the political imperative that the transparency issue has to exist within. The political imperative is very simply this: plausible deniability. "Protect the boss." "Save your tail." And that means, too often, we have an incentive to not be transparent. And an incentive that’s institutional and not merely personal. That’s one of the main reasons why it’s so difficult to achieve change.

It's also one of the reasons why many of the things that the Obama people have started to do are rather remarkable. It is remarkable, given that imperative, that they would assume responsibility for doing these things.

Our release of the White House visitor logs that the panelists applauded is only one example of the many steps the President has taken so far to increase government transparency. The Administration’s other concrete commitments to openness include issuing the Open Government Directive, putting up more government information than ever before on data.gov and recovery.gov, reforming the government’s FOIA processes, providing on-line access to White House staff financial reports and salaries, issuing an executive order to fight unnecessary secrecy and speed declassification, reversing an executive order that previously limited access to presidential records, and webcasting White House meetings and conferences. The release also compliments our new lobbying rules, which in addition to closing the revolving door for lobbyists who work in government have also emphasized expanding disclosure of lobbyist contacts with the government.  And the President capped the year off by calling in the State of the Union for bold transparency initiatives (pdf) as part of his reform agenda for 2010 and the years ahead. 

Norm Eisen is Special Counsel to the President for Ethics and Government Reform

Yesterday, just hours after the Senate voted 96-0 to confirm Martha Johnson as the Administrator of the GSA after a pointless 9-month delay, we learned that Sen. Richard Shelby from Alabama has placed a blanket hold on all nominees, including national security nominees, to use as leverage for some projects in his state.  He's holding up 70 nominees, among them top intelligence officials at the State Department and the Department of Homeland Security.  According to the National Journal, he’s holding them up until two defense contracts that would benefit interests in his state can be fast-tracked.

Let's be clear: Sen. Shelby is preventing qualified nominees who will help protect the American people from being confirmed.  He’s not alone, though.  This is just the latest example of this kind opposition for opposition’s sake that the President talked about earlier this week..  This strategy of obstruction is preventing qualified people from doing their jobs on behalf of the American people and it’s preventing real work from getting done in Washington.  Every minute spent needlessly blocking noncontroversial nominees, many of whom go on to be confirmed by 70 or more votes or by voice vote (nine of the President’s nominees so far), is a minute not spent on the issues that matter to American families. 

As I noted yesterday, this is true of the legislative process, too.  The Senate cast more votes to break filibusters last year than in the entire 1950s and '60s combined, making it nearly impossible to come to agreement on key legislation.

Dan Pfeiffer is White House Communications Director

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While unemployment remains a severe problem, today’s employment report contains encouraging signs of gradual labor market healing.  The unemployment rate fell three-tenths of a percentage point and employment rose in a number of industries, though overall employment fell slightly.

The unemployment rate declined from 10.0 percent to 9.7 percent.  This decline occurred despite a modest rise in the labor force.  The broadest measure of the unemployment rate, which includes all persons marginally attached to the labor force and workers working part time for economic reasons, fell almost a full percentage point.  Obviously, the unemployment rate remains unacceptably high, and is even worse for certain demographic groups such as teenagers and black or African American workers.
 
Overall payroll employment declined 20,000 in December.  This total reflects substantial variation across industries.  Employment in manufacturing rose for the first time since January 2007, led by an increase in employment in motor vehicles and parts.  Employment also rose in retail trade and in temporary help employment.  Employment fell, however, in construction and state and local government.

Even as today’s numbers contain signs of the beginning of recovery, they are also a reminder of how far we still have to go to return the economy to robust health and full employment.  Indeed, with the benchmark revision announced today, we now know that the total job loss over the recession was more than 1 million larger than previously estimated.  That is why at the same time that he released a plan for reining in the budget deficit over the medium and long run, the President has called on Congress to enact responsible, targeted actions to jump-start job creation.  His proposals for a small business jobs and wages tax cut and a new program to encourage small business lending are important steps to help the businesses that are essential to robust job creation.  Today’s numbers showing continued decline in construction and state and local government employment emphasize the importance of two other of the President’s priorities—continued infrastructure investment and additional aid for strapped state and local governments.

There will likely be bumps in the road ahead.  The monthly employment and unemployment numbers are volatile and subject to substantial revision.  Therefore, it is important not to read too much into any one monthly report, positive or negative.  It is essential that we continue our efforts to move in the right direction and replace job losses with robust job gains.

Christina Romer is Chair of the Council of Economic Advisers

Yesterday I had the opportunity to co-convene a meeting with the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and leaders from across the Federal community who are helping to make sustainability a reality for the Federal government.   Following up from President Obama’s announcement on Friday when he set a government-wide greenhouse gas emissions reduction of 28 percent by 2020, I can speak for all who were there when I say there is a lot of excitement in the air!

So what does this goal mean?  Achieving this 28 percent reduction will reduce Federal energy use by 646 trillion BTUs, which is equal to 205 million barrels of oil, or taking 17 million cars off the road for one year.  And this is also equivalent to a cumulative total of $8 to $11 billion in avoided energy costs through 2020 based on current energy prices.  Now that is impressive.

The next step towards Federal Sustainability is an important one: each agency is developing a “Sustainability Plan” that defines how they’ll meet their GreenGov goals, reduce energy use, drive long-term savings, save taxpayer dollars, and help create local clean energy jobs.

Cities, states, and American businesses have helped to forge the way by showing that greening their operations is not only good for the environment, but good for business; we have ample best practices and lessons to look to from our colleagues around the country.

And Federal Departments and Agencies are already taking actions to achieve greenhouse gas pollution reductions, such as installing solar arrays at military installations, tapping landfills for renewable energy, putting energy management systems in Federal buildings, and replacing older vehicles with more fuel efficient hybrid models.   You can view examples of projects that are underway here.

The 28% Federal target announced on Friday is the aggregate of 35 Federal Agency self-reported targets.  For example, the Department of Defense announced it will reduce greenhouse gas emissions from non-combat activities by 34% by 2020  and the Department of the Treasury will reduce its emissions by 33%.

We are very excited by the progress that is already occurring, and will continue to watch these developments in the future.  Moving forward, implementation of the Executive Order will focus on integrating achievement of sustainability goals with agency mission and strategic planning.  The goal is to optimize performance and minimize costs.

You will all be able to chart the Federal government’s progress through “scorecards” that will grade each agency on how well it is meeting its performance targets.  And to ensure transparency and accountability, annual progress will be reported online to the public.  I’m looking forward to sharing more updates in the months ahead!

Nancy Sutley is the Chair of the White House Council on Environmental Quality
 

[Update: Chat will begin at 1:00PM EST]

If you were here at WhiteHouse.gov last week you may well have seen the President's event answering questions submitted through YouTube by citizens across the country.  If you missed it, you can still watch the video of course.

But if you were one of the 64,969 people who cast 772,384 votes on 14,459 questions, and didn't get your favorite question asked, all is not lost.  We pledged from the beginning that we would make an effort to answer some more of the questions after the President's interview, and we'll be following through tomorrow in a chat where we'll take another round of questions submitted last week, along with some live questions in a chat run by YouTube. 

The chat will be at 12:45 EST with some of our key policy folks from the Domestic Policy Council, the National Economic Council, and the National Security Council.  Join the chat at YouTube.com/citizentube or through facebook.

Cross-posted from the OSTP blog.

Yesterday the White House Office of Science & Technology Policy (OSTP) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture hosted a workshop to gather insight from leading experts in the fields of gaming and technology to inform the development of a nutrition game-design challenge. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food, Nutrition, and Consumer Services is preparing to launch the Innovations for Healthy Kids Challenge, a call to American entrepreneurs, software developers, and students to use a recently released USDA nutrition data set to create innovative, fun, and engaging web-based learning applications that motivate kids, especially “tweens” (aged 9-12) and their parents, to eat more healthfully and be more physically active.

Thirty-one experts joined the meeting—some via teleconference—to offer their knowledge and experience related to game design, entertainment technology, social media, and skill contests, in reaction to a previously circulated concept paper outlining key components of the contest.

Our intention here is to invite you to join this discussion. Here are some of the major design-related themes, that emerged from the Workshop, around which we’d like to get input from you:

Thank you in advance for your ideas on these important questions.

Aneesh Chopra is Chief Technology Officer of the United States

Nine months ago, the White House sent the nominee for GSA Administrator, Martha Johnson, to the Senate for its consideration. Today, she was finally given a vote and was overwhelmingly approved by a margin of 94-2 [Update: make that 96-0 after the remaining two switched their votes].  What happened in between was a perfect example of why Americans are so frustrated with Washington.

Martha Johnson is an ideal candidate for Administrator, which is highlighted by the unanimous vote she received in committee. And the only thing that's changed between now and then is that some in Congress found it to be politically expedient to delay her vote.  This isn’t just about one person filling one job – it hampers our ability reform the way government works and save taxpayer dollars by making it more efficient and effective. 

What’s worse, Martha Johnson is hardly the first nominee to fall victim to this trend of opposition for opposition’s sake. Nine of the President's nominees found themselves stuck in this same situation only to be confirmed by 70 or more votes or a voice vote. Several nominees, including two members of the Council of Economic Advisers, had cloture withdrawn and were passed by a voice vote.

Maybe votes on these nominations were delayed as a bargaining chip for someone's pet project – more likely it was part of a political strategy of opposition and obstruction at all costs.  Whatever the reason, it's obvious from the margins of the final votes that it had little to do with their qualifications.

This isn't just a problem for nominees; it’s become a problem for legislating, too. Historically, the filibuster has been used as a way to try and reach a bipartisan compromise; now it's just a tactic used to gum up the works. The Senate has had to cast more votes to break filibusters last year than in the entire 1950s and '60s combined. This has prevented an honest debate from taking place, which has made it impossible to find agreement on important legislation that would benefit working families in this country.

What's clear from all of this is that we need to change the way business is done in this city. If we're going to have a government that works for the American people, then we need to focus on the things that actually matter to them, like jobs and health care.  Every day we waste delaying votes on well-qualified public servants or obstructing progress on problems that need solving is a day we’re not doing our jobs.  It’s time to put an end to these partisan political games and get back to work.

Dan Pfeiffer is White House Communications Director

One year ago today, within weeks of taking office, President Obama signed into law a reauthorization of the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP). This legislation, along with provisions in the Recovery Act strengthening Medicaid, brought much-needed health coverage to millions of families.

The expansion of the Children's Health Insurance Program and the strengthening of Medicaid helped ensure 40 million kids from all across America could see a doctor if they got sick. It meant that, in the face of a recession, their parents did not have to choose between the health of their kids and paying rent or the heating bill. These programs have been critically important for families.

Taking a closer look at the last year, we found that millions of children's lives were changed as a result of these federal programs. An additional 2.6 million children gained coverage through Medicaid or the Children's Health Insurance Program during the 2009 fiscal year.

While we are proud of how far we've come, we think we can do better. There are millions of children who are eligible for Medicaid or the Children's Health Insurance Program, but don't have coverage.

That’s why we're challenging states, local governments, community-based organizations, health centers, faith-based organizations, as well as other federal departments to help enroll the 5 million children who are eligible for Medicaid or the Children's Health Insurance Program but do not currently have coverage. To do our part, we've already issued outreach grants, launched a new website, and brought together 500 people at a National Child Health Summit, and we will be doing much more to reach out to federal agencies and states on ways to cut out the red tape in enrollment and renewals. We will also be closely monitoring progress on all fronts.  

We've compiled resources and information, both in English and in Spanish, in one website called www.InsureKidsNow.gov. This website offers state-specific information about the Children's Health Insurance Program and Medicaid for families and professionals.

Nothing is more important than the health and well-being of our children. We are determined to build on our existing efforts to cover kids and to make sure that no child goes without health care in America.

Kathleen Sebelius is Secretary of Health and Human Services

At the National Prayer Breakfast, President Obama reflected that it is often during the times when others are in great need that bring Americans together, as the nation united in its efforts to help the people of Haiti.

It's inspiring. This is what we do, as Americans, in times of trouble.  We unite, recognizing that such crises call on all of us to act, recognizing that there but for the grace of God go I, recognizing that life's most sacred responsibility -- one affirmed, as Hillary said, by all of the world's great religions -- is to sacrifice something of ourselves for a person in need.

And on his hopes for progress and civility in the face of difficulty:

Progress comes when we open our hearts, when we extend our hands, when we recognize our common humanity.  Progress comes when we look into the eyes of another and see the face of God.  That we might do so - that we will do so all the time, not just some of the time - is my fervent prayer for our nation and the world.

President Barack Obama speaks at the National Prayer Breakfast in Washington, Feb. 4, 2010. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

The best ideas are those that make you say “I can’t believe we don’t already have this.”

Today, I am happy to report a historic collaboration between industry, the health community and government to bring you something you can’t believe we don’t already have: a free (yes, free) mobile health service for pregnant women and new mothers giving them useful tips timed to their pregnancy or age of baby. 

The service is called text4baby, and it is an educational program of the National Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition.

As a parent of two young children, I can tell you that my family would have signed up for text4baby in a instant. My wife and I wanted to learn as much as possible about pregnancy and the first year of our baby’s life.  I’m thrilled that this service provides a convenient way for moms all over the country to learn this information.  This is particularly important for moms who may not already have access to health information or care.

Here’s how it works: women who sign up for the service by texting BABY to 511411 (or BEBE for Spanish) receive three free SMS text messages each week timed to their due date or baby’s date of birth.  Text4baby messages also connect women to local clinics and support services for prenatal and infant care. 

Here are some things I find most exciting about this program and why it shows that the President’s focus on public-private partnerships is already paying off for the American people:

This is an exciting opportunity for moms and babies, and for our nation. For more information on text4baby, please visit text4baby.org.

Aneesh Chopra is the Federal Chief Technology Officer.

Ed. Note: More from Daily Finance, "Obama Plans to Create Millions of Jobs by Doubling Exports"

Today, I am at the National Press Club in Washington, DC to announce the details of President Obama's National Export Initiative (NEI), which is a key part of his strategy to get America's economy growing strongly again. 

The NEI is an extremely ambitious effort that aims to double American exports over the next five years and support 2 million jobs here at home.

And it is unprecedented.

There have, of course, been previous endeavors by the U.S. government to elevate the importance of exports. But what sets this effort apart is that this is the first time the United States will have a government-wide export-promotion strategy with focused attention from the president and his cabinet.

This initiative was designed with one overriding goal in mind: to get people back to work in jobs that provide security, dignity and a sense of hope for the future.

For much of this last decade, America's economic growth was built on a speculative mania that enriched a select few while leaving many Americans out in the cold.  Since 2000, most families have seen their wages stagnate or decline, while the necessities of life like health care and tuition skyrocketed.   

The National Export Initiative will help build a stronger economic foundation and allow us to return to the type of sustainable growth that not long ago ,  helped build the strongest middle class in history.

From the advent of the phone, to the automobile to new drug therapies and the Internet, America's strength has always led been our businesses ability to create and sell products and services that help others around the world lead healthier, wealthier and more productive lives.

That's what we've got to get back to: creating, building and innovating.  That is what this country is all about.

With the NEI, American businesses that want to export – especially small and medium-size enterprises -- are going to have a more vigorous partner in the US government.

The NEI is going to impact a whole array of issues that affect our ability to export, but we’re fundamentally focused on three things:

The American people can feel confident that when we’re party to an agreement that gives foreign countries the privilege of free and fair access to our domestic market, we are treated the same  in their country . 

The National Export Initiative is one more step in this administration's singular focus on one goal: making sure every American who wants a job can find one.

Gary Locke is Secretary of Commerce

In his State of the Union Address  last month, the President promised that this Administration would move aggressively to catalyze American innovation and economic growth, especially in a competitive global environment -- and he pointed out that, "no area is more ripe for such innovation than energy."

Today, at a meeting with a bipartisan group of Governors from around the country, the President announced actions to accelerate the development of biofuels and clean coal technologies, two critical components of his comprehensive plan for transitioning to a clean energy economy. 

President Barack Obama listens to a question from Sen. Arlen Specter, D-Pa. during the Senate Democratic Policy Committee Issues Conference at the Newseum in Washington, D.C., Feb. 3, 2010. Watching, from left are, Sen. Byron Dorgan, D-N.D., Senate Majority Whip Richard Durbin, D-Ill., and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev. (Official White House Photo by Chuck Kennedy)

On biofuels, three complementary actions will help create new opportunities for job growth, infrastructure development, and technological innovation, encouraging Americans to produce clean, homegrown energy.

Renewable Fuel Standard:  The Environmental Protection Agency issued its final rule setting a new renewable fuel standard, which will create a market for advanced biofuel producers in the U.S. and help America fulfill the renewable energy mandate set by Congress. By 2022, the new fuel standard is projected to increase farmers’ incomes by $13 billion annually, create a stabilizing effect for prices at the pump, and increase our energy independence.

Biomass Crop Assistance Program:  The U.S. Department of Agriculture has proposed a new Biomass Crop Assistance Program (BCAP), which will provide financial incentives to farmers, ranchers and forest landowners who invest in and establish production of biomass for energy and other purposes. The program will reduce the financial risk to these entrepreneurs, helping kick-start this new industry and spurring the economic recovery of rural America.

Biofuels Report:  The President’s Biofuels Interagency Working Group released its first report – Growing America’s Fuel, which lays out a strategy to advance the development and commercialization of a sustainable biofuels industry to meet or exceed the nation’s biofuels targets.

Presidential Memorandum for a Comprehensive Federal Strategy on Carbon Capture and Storage:  The President established a new interagency task force on Carbon, Capture and Sequestration (CCS). CCS technologies aim to collect heat-trapping gases released during the burning of coal and to sequester them so that they do not contribute to climate change. The President has consistently emphasized the need to invest in advanced technology as it  is a critical part of the transition to a clean energy economy. 

Whether we’re talking about coal states or coastal states – urban states or rural – we can all agree these investments in clean energy mean progress for all Americans. Even if you disagree with the need to take action on climate change, investing in the promise of a new clean energy economy is the right thing to do to secure American competitiveness and ensure future prosperity.  The President said it best:

China’s not waiting to revamp its economy.  Germany’s not waiting.  India’s not waiting.  These nations aren’t standing still.  These nations aren’t playing for second place.  They’re putting more emphasis on math and science. They’re rebuilding their infrastructure.  They are making serious investments in clean energy because they want those jobs.

This is about strengthening our country to compete in the global market. And that’s why the President is committed to passing comprehensive energy and climate legislation for our economy, for our security and for our future.

On February 5, 2009, President Obama launched the White House Office of Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships.  He charged this Office with a specific and critical mission: shifting the focus of the previous initiative from funding to programmatic impact, and helping the federal government partner with faith-based and other nonprofit organizations to better serve all Americans.  And over the last year, this Office has done just that.  Here's a just brief snapshot of the Office’s work:  

Each of these and the many other priorities of the faith-based office are central to President Obama’s vision for our country.  The President realizes that government programs alone cannot solve all of our problems, and that only by connecting with individuals, families, and community- and faith-based organizations across the country will we address our most pressing challenges.  The White House Office of Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships is working to form those partnerships every day, on behalf individuals, families and communities.

To following the ongoing work of the faith-based office, just visit www.whitehouse.gov/partnerships. 

Joshua DuBois is the Director of the White House Office of Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships

We recently released a fun behind-the-scenes video on the White House Presidential Advance team as it prepared for President Obama's trip to Lorain County in Ohio on January 22nd. I'm sure the cliff-hanger ending kept you antsy for more. Well, here at last is the follow-up. See how the President's day unfolds from the point of view of his trip staff--from getting him the best burger in Elryia on a surprise stop at a local diner to a tour of the Riddell football helmet assembly plant. 

Click here to see the video.

“We need to encourage American innovation.  Last year, we made the largest investment in basic research funding in history – an investment that could lead to the world’s cheapest solar cells or treatment that kills cancer cells but leaves healthy ones untouched.”

- President Barack Obama, State of the Union Address, January 27, 2010

Click here to see the video.

Since taking office, the President has taken historic steps to lay the foundation for the innovation economy of the future, including well over $100 billion of support for innovation in the Recovery Act, novel regulatory and executive order initiatives, and a comprehensive Strategy for American Innovation that offers a blueprint for how these investments and policy priorities will foster sustainable growth and help create high-quality jobs.

But we cannot stop there.  The FY 2011 budget builds on that strategy.  To create the jobs of the future and to ensure that the United States remains the world’s most dynamic economy, we must invest in American innovation by supporting the building blocks of research, development, education, and infrastructure, by promoting competitive markets that spur productive entrepreneurship, and by catalyzing breakthroughs for national priorities.

More details on the innovation components in the budget are available in this Innovation Fact Sheet.

At 5 pm EDT today, four of the architects of innovation within the White House will be discussing the innovation components of the FY 2011 budget in a live chat.  Tune in at WhiteHouse.gov/Live or Facebook to watch and participate.

Diana Farrell is Deputy Director for the National Economic Council.

It's been a little over a year since First Lady Michelle Obama stepped into her role at the White House, and she sat down today with Matt Lauer from the Today Show and reflected on her time so far and her future goals -- click here to watch the video.

She noted that she would like to look back and feel like she affected somebody's life because she was here, which brings on her new initiative on childhood obesity, an increasing problem in the nation, since statistics show that one in three kids is obese. "The most shocking sort of reality that really hits you is that the young generation is on track for the first time in this nation’s history of being less healthy, having a shorter life span than their parents." The First Lady said the problem is solvable, and they will be striving for attainable goals, but the broad vision is to "change the health status of an entire generation."

On balancing her work with being a mother: "I find a level of comfort in that role." She acknowledged that there are challenges, but that she remains the same person she was before she entered the White House. "What people have seen over the course of the year is really Michelle." She maintained the same for the President, who she says despite challenges that face the nation, "handled the pressure with that same level of grace that he came here with."
 

There did seem to be something even nicer than usual about the snow last night and this morning -- one of those times when it's nice to have Pete Souza around.

Update: I am urged by Pete's adoring White House colleagues to clarify that while it may be especially nice to have Pete Souza around on snowy White House mornings, it is still supremely nice to have him around at any and all times of day -- which of course is very true.

The White House is pictured in the morning after a night of snow

Last week, we told you how CNN had fact-checked the top ten items in a report issued by two opponents of the Recovery Act and found that nine of their top ten claims were false.

But recently, CNN and others in the press have taken a look at #11 on the Senators’ list: which they call the “The Napa Wine Train” project, but is really a job creating flood protection project that will make the city of Napa safer while putting up to 600 people on the job.

In their report, the Senators’ titled the project “All Aboard The Wine Train!,“ and imply that the Recovery Act is frivolously funding a three hour Napa Valley train tour:

Thankfully, CNN and others have recently corrected this report:

Even the San Francisco Chronicle posted a blog calling out Senators’ McCain and Coburn:

Here’s what’s really going on:

As the President puts forward new measures to ensure every American who wants a job can get one, here’s what we know: 2 million jobs already funded by the Recovery Act, two quarters of GDP growth helping pave the road to recovery, and a flood protection project in Napa Valley is creating jobs while protecting a community against flooding.

Here’s what we expect moving forward: as the President introduces new jobs measures like he did today, we hope that the Administration’s opponents get off the sidelines and engage in meaningful dialogue that will help rebuild America’s middle class.

Jim Gilio is White House Spokesperson for the Recovery Act

Today, President Obama held a town hall meeting in Nashua, New Hampshire to discuss new initiatives and proposals to create jobs and encourage the growth of small businesses. He outlined the details of the new Small Business Lending Fund, which will be created using $30 billion from money repaid by Wall Street banks. 

The fund will provide capital for community banks on Main Street to lend to small businesses that are struggling to obtain loans since bank lending standards have tightened. The fund offers incentives for banks to increase small business lending by providing better deals on capital for banks that provide more loans to creditworthy businesses. "This will help small banks do even more of what our economy needs – and that's ensure that small businesses are once again the engine of job growth in America."

People in the audience listen to President Barack Obama's remarks at the town hall meeting at Nashua High School North in Nashua, N.H., Feb. 2, 2010. (Official White House Photo by Lawrence Jackson)

President Obama also explained new tax credits that provide incentives for small businesses to hire new workers and increase wages, while eliminating all capital gains taxes on small business investments. The relief will allow people to gain capital in order to accelerate growth and the creation of jobs.

President Obama reflected on steps the administration has already taken to create jobs, including the Recovery Act that provided tax reliefs and increased unemployment benefits.

I won’t rest until businesses are hiring again, and wages are rising again, and the middle class is thriving again, and we’ve finally got an economy that works for all Americans, not just some Americans.

President Barack Obama shakes hands with people in audience at the conclusion of the town hall meeting at Nashua High School North in Nashua, N.H., Feb. 2, 2010. (Official White House Photo by Lawrence Jackson)

Ed. Note: You can watch video of each Cabinet member describing what his or her department or agency has accomplished this year and what to expect in the year ahead at our The President's Cabinet Reporting to You page.

Click here to see the video.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) stands for safety, particularly the safety of our children. Our dedicated staff works every day to protect you and your family How do most folks know us? We’re the ones who recall unsafe products, including nearly 7 million cribs since 2007. Millions of strollers, clothing with drawstrings, window coverings, dangerous toys, jewelry and household products have been pulled from store shelves. Why? Because some of these products can harm children and cause tragic accidents for anybody, whether that’s ingesting lead or posing burn and fire hazards where we least expect them.  We also work with businesses to make products safer. We have strengthened the oversight of imported products at the ports with U.S. Customs and Border Protection and we’ve reached out to Chinese officials to strengthen product safety.

We at the CPSC want to help you; we also want you to do your part. Sign up to receive recall alerts and make sure to contact companies for repairs or replacements of unsafe products in your homes. Join us online at our On Safety blog, on Twitter and via YouTube for the latest safety information and important safety messages for your families.

Inez Tenenbaum is Chairman of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission

For six months now, I have held the first-ever White House position dedicated to combating violence and sexual assault against women and continuing the important work of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA). Every morning when I’ve walked into the White House, I’ve brought with me the stories of the many survivors I have worked with over the years.  I’ve focused on raising the profile of violence against women issues across Federal Agencies, states, tribal communities, and localities; coordinating interagency collaboration on these issues; implementing victim assistance programs; and integrating these issues into Administration-wide programs such as the White House Fatherhood Initiative, the White House Council on Women and Girls, HUD’s fight against homelessness, and the Justice Department’s recent effort to better combat disproportionate violence in tribal communities.  

Yesterday, I met with a group of 16 leaders of organizations that combat violence against women, provide resources for women who face domestic violence and sexual assault, and advocate for victims. During this meeting, I shared with these leaders the same information I am sharing with you -- information on how the White House, through the President’s FY 2011 budget, is making combating violence against women a real priority.

Violence Against Women Act as a Budget Priority

The FY 2011 budget will provide a record total of $730 million to combat violence against women -- a $130.5 million increase in funding from the previous fiscal year.  The VAWA, passed in 1994, already provides thousands of victims with life-saving services, improvements in the criminal justice system and increased public awareness. The President’s FY 2011 budget not only continues this strong response, but bolsters current funding and responds to the emerging needs of communities.

Crime Victims Fund

The budget provides a $100 million increase from the Crime Victims Fund, specifically for emergency shelter, transitional housing, and other local services for domestic violence and sexual assault victims. By focusing on both immediate safety and long-term housing assistance, we can help ensure that victims don’t have to choose between living with abuse or becoming homeless. Furthermore, the Crime Victims Fund does not consist of a single taxpayer dollar; it is self-sustaining and supported by criminal fines, forfeited bail bonds, and penalties for Federal offenders. In addition to a fund increase from the Crime Victims Fund, the FY 2011 budget provides $140 million for battered women’s shelters and services, an increase of $10 million from the previous fiscal year.

Victim Resources and Legal Support

The $730 million also provides vital funding for victim resources. The National Domestic Violence Hotline and Teen Dating Violence Helpline are receiving increased funding of $4.5 million to ensure every call is answered. The budget also provides $30 million in VAWA funding for victims of sexual assault -- a $15 million increase from the previous year -- which will be utilized by the Sexual Assault Services Program to provide crisis intervention, advocacy within the criminal justice system, support during forensic exams, and other related assistance.

The FY 2011 budget bolsters legal support for domestic violence and sexual assault victims by providing $50 million in VAWA funding for legal assistance for victims, a $9 million increase from the previous year. The Civil Legal Assistance Program will use this funding to help victims more easily obtain protective orders and other assistance available through the court system.

To build upon the above improvements in the criminal justice system, the budget also provides $188 million in STOP grants that provide better training, improved data collection, specialized law enforcement and prosecution units, and courts specialized for domestic violence and sexual assault cases.

Support Across the Board

Ending domestic violence and sexual assault is a priority for President Obama and Vice President Biden. I’ve written about numerous fund increases and initiatives that are testaments to this fact. In my meeting yesterday, the White House’s commitment to violence against women issues was clear -- we are increasing support for women across the board. 

Read more about our efforts in the President’s FY 2011 budget.

Lynn Rosenthal is the White House Advisor on Violence Against Women

Click here to see the video.

This afternoon the President sat down to answer some of the questions on the minds of Americans across the country.  The questions were submitted and voted on in a process open to the public, conducted through YouTube.  It's no surprise that the questions didn't match up up perfectly with what the White House hears from the beltway press and pundits every day, after all it was intended as an opportunity for the public to ask precisely those kinds of questions.  It made for an interesting interview.

One good example was a question about what's called "net neutrality":

MR. GROVE:  Great.  Well, let's move back to the questions. And I got to tell you, the number one question that came in, in the jobs and economy category had to do with the Internet.  And it came from James Earlywine in Indianapolis.  He said: "An open Internet is a powerful engine for economic growth and new jobs.  Letting large companies block and fill their online content services would stifle needed growth.  What is your commitment to keeping Internet open and neutral in America?"

THE PRESIDENT:  Well, I'm a big believer in net neutrality. I campaigned on this.  I continue to be a strong supporter of it. My FCC Chairman, Julius Genachowski, has indicated that he shares the view that we've got to keep the Internet open; that we don't want to create a bunch of gateways that prevent somebody who doesn't have a lot of money but has a good idea from being able to start their next YouTube or their next Google on the Internet. So this is something we're committed to.

We're getting pushback, obviously, from some of the bigger carriers who would like to be able to charge more fees and extract more money from wealthier customers.  But we think that runs counter to the whole spirit of openness that has made the Internet such a powerful engine for not only economic growth, but also for the generation of ideas and creativity.

Click here to see the video.

Earlier today, President Obama discussed the 2011 budget, reflecting on the challenges for the country and the steps the administration is taking to meet them. While acknowledging that the inherited $1.3 trillion deficit from the previous administration can’t be brought down overnight, he relayed his continuing efforts to rein in spending and "lay a new foundation for lasting growth."

The President mentioned essential investments in areas of clean energy and scientific research included in the budget to foster jobs of the future. He proposed a 6 percent increase in funding for the Education Department to revitalize community colleges and make colleges more affordable.  "In the 21st century there is no better anti-poverty program than a world-class education."

While making investments for future economic success, President Obama outlined the tough spending cuts to reduce the current deficit, and proposed a freeze in government spending for three years, excluding benefits from Social Security, Medicaid, Medicare, and benefits for veterans.  He discussed the $20 billion in cuts for programs that are inefficient or have outlived their usefulness, and cuts for worthy programs that must be trimmed accordingly.  "We have to do what families across America are doing: Save where we can so that we can afford what we need."

The freeze will not apply towards national security, though the President made clear that this does not mean a free pass: "even though the Department of Defense is exempt from the budget freeze, it's not exempt from budget common sense."

Helping to bring the deficit down in the coming years, a responsibility fee on big banks to compensate taxpayers for the bailout, and tax breaks for oil companies, investment fund managers, and those making over $250,000 a year would be ended.

To enforce responsible spending, the budget restores pay-as-you-go legislation, which allows Congress to spend a dollar only if it cuts a dollar elsewhere. President also proposed a bipartisan fiscal commission to encourage Democrats and Republicans to work together to create deficit-reducing proposals by a deadline.

These budget policies are projected to decrease the deficit by $1.2 trillion over 10 years. Visit the FY 2011 Budget website for details about different departments, terminations and reductions, or to learn how the budget will affect your state.

Last week the Middle Class Task Force previewed a series of initiatives in the President’s FY 11 budget aimed at costs -- like child care costs, care-giving, paying for college and retirement – that are squeezing middle class family budgets. These are costs that -- along with health care -- have risen dramatically for families at a time when their incomes have not.   

Today the President’s FY 11 budget is out – with greater detail about what we’re proposing and additional initiatives that will help middle class families get ahead. In coming weeks the Middle Class Task Force is going to focus on making the case for action on these issues. You can check out the details on our Supporting Middle Class Families fact sheet.

Terrell McSweeny is Domestic Policy Advisor to the Vice President

Zimbabwe Times - The initiative builds on critical capacities USAID developed to fight H5N1 avian influenza and to support pandemic readiness. http://www.thezimbabwetimes.com/?p=27086

Toyota answers frequently asked questions about the sticking accelerator pedal recall and suspension of sales. Toyota’s accelerator pedal recall and suspension of sales is confined to the following Toyota Division vehicles:

• 2009-2010 RAV4
• 2009-2010 Corolla
• 2009-2010 Matrix
• 2005-2010 Avalon
• Certain 2007-2010 Camry

No Lexus Division or Scion vehicles are affected by these actions. Also not affected are Toyota Prius, Tacoma, Sienna, Venza, Solara, Yaris, 4Runner, FJ Cruiser, Land Cruiser, Highlander hybrids and select Camry models, including all Camry hybrids, which will remain for sale. Read more...

Press Information Bureau - Department of Animal Husbandry India, Containment measures have been initiated as per the contingency plan of DADF. Culling of birds has started and so far 125751 birds have been culled and 15453 eggs have been destroyed. http://pib.nic.in/release/release.asp?relid=57401

Discover Magazine - The hothouse environment of Indonesia is ground zero for a potential bird flu pandemic. But a fight over ownership of flu genes is blocking the efforts to track deadly infections on the move. http://discovermagazine.com/2009/dec/28-intellectual-property-fight-that-could-kill-millions

CIDRAP News – Egypt's health ministry has confirmed four new H5N1 avian influenza cases, which aren't related although all had contact with sick and dead poultry and are recovering in stable condition, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported today. http://www.cidrap.umn.edu/cidrap/content/influenza/swineflu/news/jan2810egypt-jw.html

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HealthDay News - Birds don't become sick when exposed to the H1N1 influenza strains that caused the 1918 and 2009 global flu pandemics, a finding that suggests birds played no role in the spread of the pandemic-causing viruses, according to a new study.http://news.yahoo.com/s/hsn/20100120/hl_hsn/norolefoundforbirdsinswineflupandemic

ScienceDaily - Genetic analyses of avian influenza in wild birds can help pinpoint likely carrier species and geographic hot spots where Eurasian viruses would be most likely to enter North America, according to new U.S. Geological Survey research. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/01/100112123644.htm

The Economist - Which animal species are most likely to get flu? http://www.economist.com/sciencetechnology/displaystory.cfm?story_id=15211393

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CIDRAP News – Indonesia's Ministry of Health, updating information on H5N1 avian influenza for the first time since January. http://www.cidrap.umn.edu/cidrap/content/influenza/avianflu/news/dec3009indo.html

7thSpace Interactive - Hong Kong (HKSAR) - Preliminary testing of a dead Oriental Magpie Robin found in Hok Tau, Pat Sin Leng had indicated a suspected case of H5 avian influenza. http://7thspace.com/headlines/330290/oriental_magpie_robin_tested_for_h5_virus.html

Mongabay.com - Of particular concern have been human infections from the highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1. http://news.mongabay.com/2010/0104-hance_lehnen.html

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Just because Halloween celebrates scary things doesn’t mean you want any safety scares of your own. With a little bit of planning and these five tips from the Federal Citizen Information Center, you can ensure your ghouls and goblins have a frightfully fun time this year.

1. Look up your local trick-or-treating time and rules. (See if yours is listed on the USA.gov Halloween page: http://go.usa.gov/l3m). Then plot out a map of safe neighborhoods for trick-or-treating. Let older children take the map with them if they’re trick-or-treating on their own.
2. Stick reflective tape on dark costumes—it will help drivers see you. And make sure your kids can see clearly. Face paint may work better than a mask when it comes to visibility. Read about applying face paint safely in the Federal Citizen Information Center’s FED-INFO Newsletter (http://go.usa.gov/l3p).
3. Picka perfect pumpkin for carving. It should be sturdy, not soft, with a flat bottom so it doesn’t topple over. If you’re worried about carving accidents, encourage your kids to paint creative faces on their pumpkins instead.
4. Consider using a glow stick or battery-powered lights instead of candles to light the way for trick-or-treating or in jack-o-lanterns, especially around little kids who could get burned or drapery that could catch fire.
5. Screen candy before your kids eat it. Toss out anything with opened or damaged wrappers and homemade treats, unless you know the giver personally.

For more tips on having a safe, healthy and fun Halloween, visit USA.gov’s Halloween page (http://go.usa.gov/l3m) or check out the tips from our GovGab bloggers (http://go.usa.gov/l3y) on how to make the most of this spooky day.

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