Fwd: EMBARGOED until 6:00pm ET today: Weekly Address: The President and First Lady Extend Christmas Greeting and Express their Gratitude to America's Servicemen and Women

THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary

______________________________________________________________________________

EMBARGOED UNTIL 6:00 PM ET, THURSDAY, December 24, 2009

 

WEEKLY ADDRESS: The President and First Lady Extend Christmas Greeting and Express their Gratitude to America's Servicemen and Women

 

WASHINGTON –  In this week's address, President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama offered their best Christmas wishes to families across the country, and expressed their gratitude to the men and women of the American military and their families for their service to the country.  The First Couple encouraged Americans to visit www.whitehouse.gov to learn how they can show their support to our soldiers and their loved ones.

 

The full audio of the address is HERE. The video can be viewed online at www.whitehouse.gov.

 

Remarks of President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama

Weekly Address

December 24, 2009

 

PRESIDENT:  Hello everyone, and Merry Christmas.  As you and your families gather to celebrate the holidays, we wanted to take a moment to send greetings from our family—from me, from Michelle, from Malia and Sasha—and from Bo.

 

FIRST LADY:  This is our first Christmas in the White House, and we are so grateful for this extraordinary experience.  Not far from here, in the Blue Room, is the official White House Christmas Tree.  It's an 18-foot tall Douglas-fir from West Virginia and it's decorated with hundreds of ornaments designed by people and children from all over the country.  Each one is a reminder of the traditions we cherish as Americans and the blessings we're thankful for this holiday season.  

 

PRESIDENT:  That's right, especially as we continue to recover from an extraordinary recession that still has so many Americans hurting: parents without a job who struggled to put presents under the Christmas  tree; families and neighbors who've seen their home foreclosed; folks wondering what the new year will bring.   

 

But even in these tough times, there's still so much to celebrate this Christmas.  A message of peace and brotherhood that continues to inspire more than 2,000 after Jesus' birth.  The love of family and friends.  The bonds of community and country.  And the character and courage of our men and women in uniform who are far from home for the holidays, away from their families, risking their lives to protect ours.

 

To all our soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines and Coast Guardsmen—I have no greater honor than serving as your Commander in Chief.  I've been awed by your selfless spirit, your eagerness to serve—at the Naval Academy and West Point.  I've been energized by your dedication to duty—from Baghdad to the Korean Peninsula.  Michelle and I have been moved by your determination—wounded warriors at Walter Reed and Bethesda, fighting to recover, to get back to your units.

 

And I've been humbled, profoundly, by patriots who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom.  In flag-draped caskets coming home at Dover.  In the quiet solitude of Arlington.  And after years of multiple tours of duty, as you carry on with our missions in Iraq and Afghanistan, your service, your readiness to make that same sacrifice, is an inspiration to us and to every American.

 

FIRST LADY:  And so are your families.  As First Lady, one of my greatest privileges is to visit with military families across the country.  I've met military spouses doing the parenting of two—keeping the household together, juggling play dates and soccer games, helping with homework, doing everything they can to make the kids feel OK even as they try to hide their own fears and worries. 

 

I've met kids who wonder when mom or dad is coming home; grandparents and relatives who step in to care for our wounded warriors; and folks trying to carry on after losing the person they loved most in the world. 

 

And through it all, these families somehow still find the time and energy to serve their communities as well—coaching Little League, running the PTA, raising money to help those less fortunate than they are, and more. 

 

But even these strong military families can use a hand, especially during the holidays.  If you live near a military base, you can reach out through your workplaces, your schools, your churches.  There are so many ways to help—with child care, with errands, or by just bringing over a home-cooked meal.  Even if you don't know a military family nearby, your family can still help by donating or volunteering at organizations that support military families.

 

PRESIDENT:  You can also reach out directly to our forces around the world.  Kids can make a card that will bring a smile to an American far from home.  Adults can send a care package or a pre-paid phone card that makes the tour at little easier.  Every American can do something to support our troops, even if it's as simple as just saying thank you.  For more ways to let our troops know you care, go to www.whitehouse.gov

 

So to all our men and women in uniform spending the holidays far from home—whether it's at a base here in the states, a mess hall in Iraq or a remote outpost in Afghanistan, know that you are in our thoughts and our prayers.  And this holiday season—and every Holiday season—know that we are doing everything in our power to make sure you can succeed in your missions and come home safe to your families.

 

FIRST LADY:  And to all Americans, from our family to yours, Merry Christmas.

 

PRESIDENT:  Merry Christmas, everybody.

Fwd: EMBARGOED: Vice President Biden Reports on Recovery Act Progress Building a Clean Energy Economy

THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Vice President

 

EMBARGOED UNTIL MIDNIGHT EST

December 14, 2009

 

Vice President Biden Reports on Recovery Act Progress Building a Clean Energy Economy

Memo to President Details Specific Advances Being Made as a Result of Early Foundation Laid by Administration

**Embargoed until Midnight EST**

 

Washington, DC – Vice President Biden has delivered a progress report to President Obama on how the Recovery Act is helping build a cleaner, more energy-efficient economy by tapping homegrown sources of energy.  In his memo to the President, the Vice President reports on specific advances already underway as a result of the foundation the Administration has laid through the Recovery Act and other initiatives, and details how our economy will be transformed by these investments in the coming years.  The Vice President's memo can be viewed HERE. 

 

"I'm pleased to report that the administration is laying the foundation for a clean energy economy that will create a new generation of jobs, reduce dependence on oil and enhance national security," Vice President Biden writes in his memo.  "Through the Recovery Act and more effective use of programs already in existence, the administration is taking the critical steps to transform the United States into a global clean energy leader."

 

The new assessment, which was produced at the request of the Vice President by the White House Office of Energy and Climate Change, the Office of the Vice President, the Council of Economic Advisors and the Department of Energy, details the specific measurable advancements the United States is making in areas ranging from advanced battery production to smart energy meter installation because of clean energy investments through the Recovery Act and other initiatives.  Key findings include:

 

·         Renewable Energy: The U.S. is on-track to double renewable energy generation, including solar, wind and geothermal, and double renewable manufacturing capacity in just three years because of Recovery Act investments. 

 

·         Vehicles and Fuels of the Future: Over the next six years, three new electric vehicles plants—the first ever in the U.S.—and 30 new battery plants will be fully operational because of the Administration's $16 billion investment in plug-in hybrids, all-electric vehicles and the infrastructure needed to power them, as well as new clean fuels.   When President Obama took office there were just 2 advanced battery and electric drive component factories in the U.S.

 

·         Grid Modernization: Twenty-six million smart meters will be installed in U.S. homes by 2013 – more than triple the number currently in service – as a result of the Administration's $4 billion Recovery Act investment in a smart energy grid and the one-to-one match in private sector funding.  This technology allows consumers to monitor and regulate their own energy usage and costs.

 

·         Energy Efficiency: Because the Administration is making the largest single investment in home energy efficiency in U.S history through the Recovery Act and other initiatives, nearly one million home energy efficiency retrofits will have happened by 2012.

 

·         Carbon Capture:  Because of Recovery Act funding and existing loan guarantee authority, there will be 5 commercial scale power plants operating with large carbon capture sequestration facilities by 2015.  When President Obama took office, there were zero.

 

·         Science and Innovation – Through the Recovery Act, the Administration is investing $400 million in some of the most advanced research in wind, solar, and geothermal technologies through the ARPA-E program to make these clean sources of energy more affordable and easier to store and transport.  A year ago, this critical program was unfunded.

 

The clean energy components of the Recovery Act represent the largest single investment in clean energy in U.S. history.  The Vice President's memo notes that the Recovery Act's over $80 billion investment in clean energy technology will produce as much as $150 billion in clean energy projects.  In addition, existing investment programs are expected to produce an additional $90 billion in clean energy projects, for a total of up to $240 billion in clean energy projects to be launched as a result of the early foundation laid by the Administration.  These projects will not only transform the way the country generates and uses energy, but also help make the United States a global leader in the clean energy sector and create new job opportunities in manufacturing and technology.

 

The memo comes as the President prepares to discuss additional clean energy job creation measures in a visit to Home Depot tomorrow and meet with world leaders in Copenhagen on climate change later this week.  The Vice President will also discuss how the United States can leverage investments in clean energy to reinvigorate the manufacturing industry at a Middle Class Task Force event on Wednesday.

EMBARGOED: Vice President Memo Lays Out Progress on Building an American Clean Energy Economy

EDIT (5:24 EST): The pdf is avaiable here: http://docs.google.com/fileview?id=0B2flofRftjsKOTFlMTI5NGItNGU4Zi00NzdmLTk5MGEtM2U4MDc5NmRmNjc1&hl=en

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THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Vice President

EMBARGOED UNTIL MIDNIGHT EST

December 14, 2009

 

Attached is the memorandum referenced during today's conference call on Clean Energy Progress held by Chief Economic Adviser to the Vice President Jared Bernstein and Director of the White House Office of Energy and Climate Change Policy Carol Browner. The memorandum is from the Vice President to the President on the administration's progress in building a clean energy economy through the Recovery Act and other initiatives.  The memo was produced at the request of the Vice President by the White House Office of Energy and Climate Change, the Office of the Vice President, the Council of Economic Advisors and the Department of Energy. The attached memorandum and the conference call is embargoed until midnight EST.

Re: EMBARGOED: Weekly Address: President Obama Says Employment Trends Are Improving; But Remains Focused on Job Creation

THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary

______________________________________________________________________________

EMBARGOED UNTIL 6:00 AM ET, SATURDAY, December 5, 2009

 

WEEKLY ADDRESS: President Obama Says Employment Trends Are Improving; But Remains Focused on Job Creation

 

WASHINGTON –  In his weekly address, President Obama said the jobs numbers released yesterday indicate that the job loss trend is improving, but that his administration remains committed to accelerating these trends and putting more Americans back to work.  Next week, the President will announce additional ideas about growing the economy and adding jobs to our economy.

 

The audio and video will be available at 6:00am Saturday, December 5, 2009 at www.whitehouse.gov.

 

Remarks of President Barack Obama

As Prepared for Delivery

Weekly Address

Saturday, December 5, 2009

 

Every month since January, when I became your President, I've spoken to you about the periodic reports of the Labor Department on the number of jobs created or lost during the previous month; numbers that tell a story about how America's economy is faring overall.  

 

In those first months, the numbers were nothing short of devastating. The worst recession since the 1930s had wreaked havoc on the lives of so many of our fellow Americans. Yesterday, the numbers released by the Labor Department reflected a continuing positive trend of diminishing job loss.

 

But for those who were laid off last month and the millions of Americans who have lost their jobs in this recession, a good trend isn't good enough. Trends don't buy the groceries. Trends don't pay the rent or a college tuition. Trends don't fulfill the need within each of us to be productive, to provide for our families, to make the most of our lives, to reach for our dreams.

 

So, it is true that we, as a country, are in a very different place than we were when 2009 began. Because of the Recovery Act and a number of other steps we've taken, we're no longer facing the potential collapse of our financial system or a second Great Depression. We're no longer losing jobs at a rate of 700,000 a month. And our economy's growing for the first time in a year.

 

But too many of our neighbors are still out of work because the growth we've seen hasn't yet translated into all the jobs we need. Stung by this brutal recession, businesses that have kept their doors open are still wary about adding workers.  Instead of hiring, many are simply asking their employees to work more hours, or they're adding temporary help. 

 

History tells us this is usually what happens with recessions – even as the economy grows, it takes time for jobs to follow. But the folks who have been looking for work without any luck for months and, in some cases, years, can't wait any longer. For them, I'm determined to do everything I can to accelerate our progress so we're actually adding jobs again.

 

That's why, this week, I invited a group of business owners from across the country to the White House to talk about additional steps we can take to help jumpstart hiring. We brought together unions and universities to talk about what we can do to support our workers today and prepare our students to outcompete workers around the world tomorrow. We brought together mayors and community leaders to talk about how we can open up new opportunities in our cities and towns.

 

On Friday, I spent the day in Allentown, Pennsylvania, and met with workers and small business owners there. I stopped by a steel company called Allentown Metal Works, and spoke at Lehigh Community College. I visited folks at a job placement center, and stopped by a shift change at Alpo.  The stories and concerns I heard mirrored the countless letters I receive every single day. And they speak louder than any statistic or government report. The folks in Allentown – and in all the Allentowns across our country – are the most dedicated, productive workers in the world. All they're asking for is a chance, and a fair shake.

 

And that's exactly what I'm working to give them. In the coming days, I'll be unveiling additional ideas aimed at accelerating job growth and hiring as we emerge from this economic storm.

 

And so that we don't face another crisis like this again, I'm determined to meet our responsibility to do what we know will strengthen our economy in the long-run. That's why I'm not going to let up in my efforts to reform our health care system; to give our children the best education in the world; to promote the jobs of tomorrow and energy independence by investing in a clean energy economy; and to deal with the mounting federal debt.

 

From the moment I was sworn into office, we have taken a number of difficult steps to end this economic crisis. We didn't take them because they were popular or gratifying. They weren't. We took these steps because they were necessary.

 

But I didn't run for President to pass emergency recovery programs, or to bail out banks or to shore up auto companies. I didn't run for President simply to manage the crisis of the moment, while kicking our most pressing problems down the road. I ran for President to help hardworking families succeed and to stand up for the embattled middle class. I ran to fight for a country where responsibility is still rewarded, and hard-working people can get ahead.  I ran to keep faith with the sacred American principle that we will deliver to our children a future of even greater possibility.

 

And my commitment to you, the American people, is that I will focus every single day on how we can get people back to work, and how we can build an economy that continues to make real the promise of America for generations to come.