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President Obama’s Press Conference: Causes and the Long-Term Solutions to Rising Gas Prices
Earlier today, President Obama held a press conference to address several developing situations around the world, and here at home. He discussed a range of issues, including the tragedy in Japan, the escalating situation in the Middle East, America’s ongoing budget debate, and volatile gas prices.
The President devoted a lot of attention to that last issue as the rising cost of fuel is on the minds of families across the country.
For decades, energy costs in the United States have spiraled upward due to events in oil-rich countries with unstable governments and the unpredictable shifts in the global economy, and those added costs have become a greater burden to families struggling to make ends meet. Today, the President reminded us that this phenomenon is nothing new and that claims that the administration is choking off domestic oil production are politically motivated and patently false:
Last year, American oil production reached its highest level since 2003. Let me repeat that. Our oil production reached its highest level in seven years. Oil production from federal waters in the Gulf of Mexico reached an all-time high. For the first time in more than a decade, imports accounted for less than half of what we consumed.
So any notion that my administration has shut down oil production might make for a good political sound bite, but it doesn’t match up with reality. We are encouraging offshore exploration and production. We’re just doing it responsibly. I don’t think anybody has forgotten that we’re only a few months removed from the worst oil spill in our history. So what we’ve done is to put in place common-sense standards like proving that companies can actually contain an underwater spill. And oil companies are stepping up -- we’ve approved more than 35 new offshore drilling permits that meet these new safety and environmental standards.
The President also affirmed that America’s economy is prepared to manage fluctuations in oil prices. He is working with other countries increasing oil production to avoid a global shortage and Attorney General Eric Holder to prevent price gouging or manipulation.
But the only sustainable long-term solution is to transition our country away from oil:
We can’t place our long-term bets on a finite resource that we only control 2 percent of -– especially a resource that’s vulnerable to hurricanes, war, and political turmoil.
For that reason, the Obama administration has made historic investments in clean-energy technology, moving America closer toward energy independence:
[L]ast year we established a groundbreaking national fuel efficiency standard for cars and trucks. It’s going to save consumers money while conserving about 1.8 billion barrels of oil. And we’re working with automakers, autoworkers, and states to ensure that the high-quality, fuel-efficient cars and trucks of tomorrow continue to be built right here in the United States of America.
To satisfy our broader energy needs, we’re working to diversify our entire portfolio with historic investments in clean energy. Right now, all across America, our farmers are producing homegrown fuels, our scientists are looking for the next breakthroughs, and our workers are back in once shuttered factories, manufacturing wind turbines and solar panels and advanced batteries that will help our cars get hundreds of miles to the gallon. These are jobs that didn’t exist two years ago, and we want to create millions more of these jobs.
You can read the White House fact sheet to learn more about the administration’s energy plan for the country.
Anti-Bullying Conference at the White House
In a packed East Room, the President and First Lady hosted the first-ever White House anti-bullying conference yesterday. Speaking in their duel roles as first couple and parents of two young children, they spoke to many of the issues that families across the country face as they raise their kids.
Addressing the audience of students, parents, teachers, and policy experts, the First Lady said:
As parents, this issue really hits home for us. As parents, it breaks our hearts to think that any child feels afraid every day in the classroom, or on the playground, or even online. It breaks our hearts to think about any parent losing a child to bullying, or just wondering whether their kids will be safe when they leave for school in the morning.
So as parents, we know we need to make a real effort to be engaged in our children’s lives, to listen to them and be there for them when they need us. We need to get involved in their schools and in their activities so that we know what they’re up to, both in and out of the classroom. And when something is wrong, we need to speak up, and we need to take action.
The President laid out his ambition to:
[D]ispel the myth that bullying is just a harmless rite of passage or an inevitable part of growing up. It’s not. Bullying can have destructive consequences for our young people. And it’s not something we have to accept. As parents and students, as teachers and members of the community, we can take steps—all of us—to help prevent bullying and create a climate in our schools in which all of our children can feel safe; a climate in which they all can feel like they belong.
Bullying isn’t a new issue. The President recognized the courage of the families of kids “brimming with promise” who ultimately took their own lives after enduring “harassment and ridicule day after day at school.” Around the country, students are coming together to tackle the impact of bullying in their communities. The President told the story of Sarah, Emily and Olivia from California:
Sarah and Emily, they read a story about a girl named Olivia in a nearby town—this is a girl they didn’t know—who had faced a lot of cruel taunting in school and online because she had had an epileptic seizure in class. So they decided to write Olivia a letter, and asked their friends to do the same.
They figured they’d send Olivia about 50 letters. But in the months that followed, thousands and thousands of letters poured in from every corner of the country—it really tapped into something. A lot of the letters were from young people, and they wanted to wish Olivia well, Provigil online No prescription and let her know that somebody out there was talking—was thinking about her, and let her know that she wasn’t alone. And because those children treated Olivia with that small measure of kindness, it helped Olivia see that there was light at the end of the tunnel.
Brandon Greene, from Rhode Island, had an idea that inspired his school:
Brandon is 14 years old. Back in 6th grade, when he was just a kid, he did a class project on bullying. Now, two years later, it’s a school-wide organization with 80 members. They do monthly surveys in their school to track bullying rates. And what they realized is that stopping bullying isn’t just about preventing bad behavior—it’s also about working together and creating a positive atmosphere. So Brandon and his fellow committee members are now also doing activities like coat drives and community service at their school. And it’s making a real difference.
The over-riding message from yesterday’s conference was that everyone has a role to play in helping children respond to bullying and not become bullies themselves: parents who are involved in their children’s lives, online and offline; teachers who don’t turn a blind eye to bullying in their classroom; and children who speak out when they or their classmates are bullied.
There are also steps that the government can take to support parents, teachers, and school administrators—and you can find out more about what the President and First Lady are doing to tackle bullying at StopBullying.gov.
President Obama On The Earthquake In Japan And The Tsunami Warning Throughout The Pacific
President Obama released the following statement about the earthquake and tsunamis in Japan, and offered American assistance to help overcome this tragedy:
Michelle and I send our deepest condolences to the people of Japan, particularly those who have lost loved ones in the earthquake and tsunamis. The United States stands ready to help the Japanese people in this time of great trial. The friendship and alliance between our two nations is unshakeable, and only strengthens our resolve to stand with the people of Japan as they overcome this tragedy. We will continue to closely monitor tsunamis around Japan and the Pacific going forward and we are Provigil pharmacy asking all our citizens in the affected region to listen to their state and local officials as I have instructed FEMA to be ready to assist Hawaii and the rest of the U.S. states and territories that could be affected.
OFA Summer Organizer Program: “It Changed My Life”
Anand Singh, a regional field director in Denver, Colorado, began working for Organizing for America as a summer organizer in 2009.
Q. There was a lot going on in the summer of 2009—we were in the middle of the fight over health reform—what did that mean for you?
A. We immediately started building public support and awareness for health insurance reform, and worked on collecting stories from hundreds of Colorado residents about their own experiences. I think that was the most difficult yet inspiring part of the program, listening and sympathizing with those who were unable to be insured or could not afford their insurance.
At some point in the campaign I realized everyone has or knows someone who has been directly affected by the health insurance industry—that realization made me work even harder to build support to make health insurance reform real.
Throughout the summer, we canvassed public events such as farmers markets and summer festivals. We coordinated phone banks to build support, as well as push constituent outreach during critical House and Senate votes. The most important work during this time was building and strengthening relationships with my volunteers and building my volunteer teams.
Q. What did you learn from being a summer organizer?
A. The Summer Organizer Program improved my communication skills, strengthened my support for social and legislative reform, and opened my eyes to the legislative process.
The program gave me the opportunity to build relationships with a diverse group of people. My volunteers and I work together because Order Generic Accutane Online without Prescription of our shared values and belief that our work makes the difference in holding our congressional members accountable for American progress.
Q. Why did you apply to the program?
A. I got the application email at a point in my life where I was in a dead-end job, struggling to find some career direction, and was paying more attention to politics because of Barack Obama. I felt I needed to help in a tangible way rather than simply blogging or listening to Olberman and Maddow. The Summer Organizer Program was a great outlet for my frustration with the system and my hope for a better America.
Q. Would you recommend the program to others?
A. It empowers those who participate within the program to reach out to those who want to be more organized in their support for the President. It changed my life and I am thankful that I took this opportunity wholeheartedly.
OFA is currently recruiting hardworking, talented folks to this year’s Summer Organizer Program. You can find out more about the program and how to apply here.
Organizing beyond his years
With just about everything Nick Seminerio does, people around him say he’s acting “beyond his years.” Keeping up with school work and practicing five days a week with the tennis team at Sir Francis Drake High School are side projects for this precocious 15-year-old. When many of his peers can be found immersed in their Play Station III or hitting repeat on their iPod to listen to the new Justin Bieber single, this high school freshman is hosting a phone bank or small business canvass, all to support President Obama’s Agenda.
It doesn’t take long to figure out that Nick is a community organizer beyond his years. After volunteering in the 2008 Presidential Election, he’s been a Neighborhood Team Leader in Marin County for more than six months, and he has just become OFA California’s youngest Spring Intern.
Nick first became active when he attended a Marin County house meeting with his mother, Jann, in the spring of 2008. Nick heard then-Senator Obama speak and told himself he wanted to see Obama in the White House. After watching his mom use the online call tool to talk with voters across the country, he told her, “I can do that.” And he started making calls.
Whether he was making a call to North Carolina or knocking on a door in Carson City, it was clear that being a 12-year-old organizer made an impact. Voters immediately took a liking to Nick’s passion, and many told him they were really inspired because he was the one who reached out to them.
After the election was over Nick wanted to help advance the President’s agenda. “I didn’t want to help elect him and stop,” he said.
Between school, sports, his internship and leadership position with OFA-CA, and managing his own local gardening business during the growing season, and umpiring for the West Marin Little League this spring, Nick has little time to spare. But his ability to balance all of his work is a lesson for any stressed out adult. His mother admits, “I’m trying, frankly, to keep up with him.”
All of Nick’s good work doesn’t go unnoticed. In middle school Nick was voted “Most Likely to Become President,” and he was recently was recognized as the “Marin County Volunteer of the Year” by the Marin County Democratic Party (below).
But Nick doesn’t let the recognition go to his head, and like any good organizer, he’s always recruiting. He’ll Buy Cialis close out a busy school day by recruiting his teachers to a phone bank. On the way out of class he’ll make the pitch: “Come protect the progress at my phone bank. It’s just minutes away.”
We all hope OFA California will have Nick’s leadership beyond his years for many years to come.
Want to find an event with Nick or near you? Click here.
Tomorrow: White House Hosts Anti-Bullying Conference
As part of Education Month, the President and the First Lady are hosting an anti-bullying conference at the White House tomorrow. The events will be live-streamed starting at 10:30 a.m. ET.
Throughout the day there will be opportunities to engage with experts and advisers online, including a special Facebook live chat at 12 noon ET. You can RSVP for the chat here.
Bullying is an issue that affects every young person—President Obama and Michelle are committed to working with parents, teachers, students, and community leaders to tackle it. You can find out more about the issue Order Generic Cialis Online without Prescription at StopBullying.gov.
“Every Child Can Succeed”
On a visit to TechBoston in Boston, Massachusetts, yesterday, President Obama called on everyone--parents, teachers, students, government, businesses and philanthropists—to get involved with improving educational outcomes across the country:
There's Buy Accutane no better economic policy than one that produces more graduates with the skills they need to succeed—to start their own businesses, to create their own Microsoft, to create new industries. And that's why reforming education is the responsibility of every single American—every parent, every teacher, every business leader, every public official, and yes, every student.
TechBoston was founded in 2002 with the support of Bill and Melinda Gates foundation. It is a pilot school within the Boston school system, giving it greater control over staffing, curriculum, and the school day.
The school uses technology in all of its academic courses, and every student is issued a laptop. The curriculum has rigorous graduation requirements, including four years of science, math, and technology—classes in web development, digital art, and media arts—and community service hours.
The graduation rate from TechBoston is 82 percent (compared to an average graduation rate of 63 percent for all of Boston public schools) and more than 94 percent of TechBoston graduates are attending 2 and 4 year colleges and universities. Of these students, a majority are the first in their families to attend college.
Addressing staff and students yesterday, President Obama praised the success of the TechBoston, adding:
We can't forget that every year, schools like TechBoston have to hold a lottery, because there just aren¹t enough spaces for all the students who want to go here. The reason they want to go here is because they know that if they go to some of the other schools in the area, they won't do as well. They know that they might drop out. They might not get the same reinforcement that they need. There might not be that same culture of excellence and performance. That means they may not go to college, and they know they may not succeed.
All of that shouldn't depend on a lottery. That can't be the system of education we settle for in America. No child's chance in life should be determined by the luck of a lottery. Not in this country. This is a place where everyone gets the chance to succeed, where everybody should have a chance to make it. The motto of this school is, "We rise and fall together". Well, that is true for America as well. That's true for America as well.
If we want to prosper in the 21st century, and if we want to keep the American Dream alive in our time, then we're going to rise together. We've all got to come together. We've got to give our children the same world-class education that you are getting right here at TechBoston. And as long as I am President, that's what I'm going to be fighting for right alongside you.
Education Month continues tomorrow when the President and the First Lady are host an anti-bullying conference at the White House you can find out more here.
President Obama on the 100th Anniversary of International Women’s Day
Today marks the 100th anniversary of International Women’s Day, an annual celebration of the immense progress made by women throughout the world during the past century. It’s a celebration of women’s social, political, and economic gains – but, it’s also a reminder that the fight continues to achieve greater gender equality, opportunity, and empowerment.
Here is President Obama’s statement recognizing International Women’s Day:
On this 100th Anniversary of International Women’s Day, we celebrate the extraordinary gains made by women over the past century—and the women pioneers who made them possible—and we reaffirm our unwavering support for the rights, security, dignity and opportunity of all women around the world. Today reminds us that across countries and cultures, people everywhere, women and men, share rights and aspirations that are universal, among them Buy cheap online Provigil the freedom to chart their own destiny, to raise their children free from violence and to live in societies that value their voice and respect their will.
History shows that when women and girls have access to opportunity, societies are more just, economies are more likely to prosper and governments are more likely to serve the needs of all their people. That is why my administration has stood up for gender equality and women’s empowerment around the world and demanded an end to sexual and gender-based violence. It’s why we’re developing a plan to promote women’s meaningful participation in conflict prevention and resolution in war torn societies. And it’s why we are working to advance these goals and our national interests by strengthening the role of women in every aspect of our foreign policy. In the United States and around the world, we will not rest until our mothers, sisters and daughters assume their rightful place as full and equal members of a secure, prosperous and just world.
A Real Reason for Oscar to be Grouchy
For more than 30 years, children across the country have grown up with Elmo, Big Bird, Bert, Ernie, and their friends. These characters have helped more than 75 million children learn critical cognitive and social skills that prepare them for schooling and the future. Sadly, this wildly effective program that hosts these Muppets is on the Republican chopping block.
Congress has until March 18th to act or the federal government will shut down. Republicans are using this short timetable to pressure Democrats into budget cuts that will derail America’s economic recovery and undercut some of our most valued assets – including education, generally, and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, specifically.
President Obama has been clear that any budget must include smart investments and reduce the federal deficit. And there is no smarter investment we can make than preparing the next generation. From the cradle through college, America should offer students the best education the world has to offer.
The Republican budget would slash public Cheap Accutane education. It would cut billions aimed at improving education for low-income children, harming 2,400 schools that serve 1 million disadvantaged children. Roughly 9,000 teachers and aides would lose their jobs.
It would make massive cuts to Head Start, a program that provides health and education services to low-income children and families. Most children enrolled in the program are younger than four years old, which studies show is a crucial period of development for children. The Republican plan would drop 218,000 children from Head Start, and 55,000 teachers, teacher assistants, and other staff would be laid off as well.
And then there are the cuts to PBS.
Sesame Street, in particular, has been a fixture in American households for decades. Its educational model captivates children and teaches them to read and count, increases self-esteem and competency, and instills critical-thinking skills so important to a child’s early development.
Investments like PBS and Sesame Street may not yield immediate dividends – but they go a long way toward educating and preparing children for preschool, elementary and high school, college, and the workforce. It’s an investment that helps increase America’s competitiveness in the long run.
If PBS goes under, maybe Cookie Monster could get a job with the Keebler Elves. But Oscar might be out of luck. Grouchiness won’t get him far in a 21st century economy.
Watch: President Obama at 3:15 p.m. ET
President Obama is speaking about the importance of investing in education at 3:15 p.m. ET this afternoon—you can Buy cheap Accutane Online >watch live online here.
Last Friday, the President visited Miami Central Senior High School, setting out his ambitions for lifting up America’s low-performing schools. Today he will talk about the importance of encouraging innovative education strategies that will give America’s students the skills and knowledge they need to succeed in the 21st century.
The President will be speaking from the TechBoston Academy on Boston, Massachusetts, and will be joined by Melinda Gates, co-chair of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and Secretary of Education Arne Duncan.
Watch the President’s remarks live online at 3:15 p.m. ET today.