Resources and Information for Those Affected by Oklahoma Tornadoes

Ed. Note: You can help people affected by the recent tornadoes through American Red Cross Disaster Relief. If you are in the affected areas, you can also register as "Safe and Well" to let your friends and family know you are okay. President Barack Obama talks on the phone with Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin in the Oval Office, May 20, 2013. The President spoke with Gov. Fallin to express his

President Obama Delivers the Commencement Address at Morehouse College

President Barack Obama delivers remarks during the commencement ceremony at Morehouse College in Atlanta, Ga., May 19, 2013. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza) Today, President Obama delivered the commencement address to the 2013 graduates of Morehouse College in Atlanta, GA.“It is one of the great honors of my life to be able to address this gathering here today,” President Obama

First Lady Delivers Commencement Addresses at Bowie State, Martin Luther King Jr. Magnet High School

First Lady Michelle Obama delivers remarks during the Bowie State University commencement at the Comcast Center in College Park, Md., May 17, 2013. (Official White House Photo by Lawrence Jackson) On Friday, First Lady Michelle Obama delivered the commencement address to the Bowie State University Class of 2013. Bowie State, which opened just two years after the Emancipation Proclamation was

Weekly Address: The President Talks About How to Build a Rising, Thriving Middle Class

President Obama talks about his belief that a rising, thriving middle class is the true engine of economic growth, and that to reignite that engine and continue to build on the progress we’ve made over the last four years, we need to invest in three areas: jobs, skills and opportunity. Transcript | Download mp4 | Download mp3

Weekly Wrap Up: “What Our Families Deserve”

Watch the West Wing Week here.Obama Cares: On the Friday before Mother’s Day, President Obama explained how the Affordable Care Act is helping women. For example, the law prevents insurance companies from charging women more than men and requires insurance companies to cover preventive services like mammograms free of charge.Thanks to the women in this room and people all across the countr

A Stronger and Sustainable Military for the 21st Century

As the single largest consumer of energy in the United States, the Department of Defense (DOD) knows that improving efficiency and harnessing new energy technologies is imperative – not only to achieve significant cost savings, but to give our troops better energy options on the battlefield, at sea, in the air, and at home.At DOD’s fixed installations alone – including, barracks, offices, and

Coming Together to Stop Slavery

Today at the White House, we convened the 10th annual meeting of the President’s Interagency Task Force to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons. Secretary of State Kerry led the meeting, which was attended by Cabinet secretaries and representatives from agencies including State, Justice, Defense, Labor, Human and Health Services, Homeland Security, Interior, Agriculture, Transportation, Edu

President Obama Nominates Four Distinguished Women to Serve as Federal Judges

Yesterday, President Obama demonstrated his continued commitment to increasing the diversity of our federal judiciary, so that it better reflects the nation it serves. He nominated four distinguished women to serve on four different courts—women who not only have the necessary intellect, integrity and fair-mindedness to serve as federal judges, but whose nominations also represent important “fir

President Obama Talks Early Education, Infrastructure and Strong Communities in Baltimore

President Barack Obama participates in a literacy lesson with children while visiting a pre-kindergarten classroom at Moravia Elementary School in Baltimore, Md., May 17, 2013. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza) Today, President Obama is headed to Baltimore, Maryland to talk early childhood education, infrastructure and ensuring hard work leads to a decent living.The President’s f

Being Biden Vol. 7: Gems of Wisdom

A class of third graders from North Philadelphia recently wrote to Vice President Biden about reducing gun violence. This week, the Vice President sat down to share some of these children's words with you — and an expression that belonged to his mom: "out of the mouths of babes come gems of wisdom." Take a listen.Visit WhiteHouse.gov/BeingBiden to check out all of the episodes and to sign up

Building a 21st Century Infrastructure: Better Outcomes, Faster Timelines, and Less Red Tape

President Obama today signed a Presidential Memorandum that will shave months, and even years, off the time it takes to review and approve major infrastructure projects. This means that states, local governments, and private developers will be able to start construction sooner, create jobs earlier, and fix our nation’s infrastructure faster.On March 22, 2012, the President issued an Executive

West Wing Week: 05/17/13 or “We the Geeks”

This week, the President honored fallen officers and top cops, spoke on the implementation of the Affordable Care Act, invited both the Prime Minister of England and of Turkey to the White House, and kicked off a new Google hangout series on science and technology. 

David Simas: "A gesture that means something"

This afternoon, David Simas sent the message below to the White House email list, asking people to speak out in favor of the health care law. If you didn't get the email, be sure to sign up.Hi all --Today, Republicans in the House of Representatives are going to come together, cast a vote, and try to repeal the Affordable Care Act just as they've done nearly 40 times before.Don't expect

President Obama and Prime Minister Erdogan of Turkey Hold a Press Conference

President Barack Obama and Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan of Turkey hold a press conference in the Rose Garden of the White House, May 16, 2013. (Official White House Photo by Chuck Kennedy) Following their bilateral meeting this morning, President Obama and Prime Minister Erdogan of Turkey held a press conference in the Rose Garden this afternoon. President Barack Obama and Prime Mi

Keeping Children Safe and Helping Families Find Quality Child Care

Editor's Note: This is a cross post from the Administration for Children & Families blog of the Department of Health & Human Services. You can find the original post here. President Barack Obama hugs students during a visit to a pre-kindergarten classroom at the College Heights Early Childhood Learning Center in Decatur, Ga., Feb. 14, 2013. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza) As a w

President Obama Discusses the Internal Revenue Service

Just after 6:00 PM ET, President Obama spoke from the East Room of the White House about the Treasury Department's review of the Internal Revenue Service."I’ve reviewed the Treasury Department watchdog’s report, and the misconduct that it uncovered is inexcusable," he said. "It’s inexcusable, and Americans are right to be angry about it, and I am angry about it. I will not tolerate this kind

The President and Vice President's 2012 Financial Disclosure Forms

Today, the President and Vice President released their 2012 financial disclosure reports.The Ethics in Government Act of 1978 requires high-level federal officials to publicly disclose their personal financial interests. The public filing system serves to prevent financial conflicts of interest by providing for a systematic review of the finances of government officials. Those finances are se

President Obama Honors Law Enforcement Officers Killed in the Line of Duty

President Barack Obama bows his head after placing a flower in a wreath during the National Peace Officers Memorial Service, an annual ceremony honoring law enforcement who were killed in the line of duty in the previous year, at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. May 15, 2013. Chuck Canterbury, National President, Fraternal Order of Police and Linda Hennie, President, FOP Auxiliary stand wit

Hanging out with “We the Geeks”

This live event has concluded. Watch the first "We the Geeks" Hangout below or on YouTube and stay tuned for upcoming Hangouts. You can join the conversation on Twitter with the hashtag #WeTheGeeks.On May 16th, the White House is kicking off “We the Geeks,” a new series of Google+ Hangouts to highlight the future of science, technology, and innovation here in the United States. Topics such as

Watch Live: Dr. Jill Biden at Navajo Technical College

On Friday, May 17th at 10:00am MT (12:00pm ET), Dr. Biden will give the commencement address to the 33rd graduating class of Navajo Technical College (NTC) -- one of two tribal colleges serving the Navajo Nation.Many of the programs at NTC are designed to help create new jobs and economic opportunities on or near the Navajo Nation, while equipping their students with the skills they need to s

Meeting with Mothers and Advocates for Our Children

(Jeff Martin, National Women’s Law Center) During his State of the Union address in February, President Obama called on Congress to expand access to high-quality preschool to every four-year old in America. As the President put it that day:In states that make it a priority to educate our youngest children, like Georgia or Oklahoma, studies show students grow up more likely to read and do

President Obama Meets with Prime Minister David Cameron

President Barack Obama and Prime Minister David Cameron of the United Kingdom hold a joint press conference in the East Room of the White House, May 13, 2013. (Official White House Photo by Chuck Kennedy) Today President Obama welcomed British Prime Minister David Cameron to the White House, where the two leaders discussed issues ranging from economic development to the unfolding conflict in

First Lady Michelle Obama Delivers the Commencement Address at Eastern Kentucky University

First Lady Michelle Obama delivers remarks during the Eastern Kentucky University commencement at the EKU Alumni Coliseum in Richmond, Ky., May 11, 2013. (Official White House Photo by Chuck Kennedy) First Lady Michelle Obama yesterday celebrated a new class of graduates from Eastern Kentucky University."You all went through so much to make it to this day -- the highs and the lows, the tr

President Obama Celebrates a New Group of TOP COPS

President Barack Obama honors the 2013 National Association of Police Organizations TOP COPS award winners during a ceremony in the East Room of the White House, Saturday, May 11, 2013. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza) Today President Obama welcomed a group of the nation's best police officers to the White House to celebrate their service and heroism."We don't always get that op

Weekly Address: Growing the Housing Market and Supporting Our Homeowners

President Obama discusses the housing market, and urges Congress to confirm Mel Watt to lead the Federal Housing Finance Agency and take action to give every responsible homeowner the chance to refinance and save money on their mortgage.Transcript | Download mp4 | Download mp3

National Strategy for the Arctic Region Announced

The Arctic is rapidly changing. While the Arctic region has experienced warming and cooling cycles over millennia, the current warming trend is unlike anything previously recorded. As sea ice diminishes, ocean resources are more readily accessible. This accessibility, along with recent scientific estimates indicating the presence of significant energy and other resources, have inspired strong in

President Obama Explains How Health Reform Is Helping Women

President Barack Obama delivers a statement on the Affordable Care Act in the East Room of the White House, May 10, 2013. (Official White House Photo by Lawrence Jackson) With Mother’s Day just around the corner, President Obama today spoke to a group of women – including many moms – about the ways the Affordable Care Act is already helping millions of Americans like them."Women in partic

Weekly Wrap Up: “We Move Forward”

Watch the West Wing Week here.Launching the Jobs & Opportunity Tour: On Thursday, the President was in Austin to launch his Middle Class Jobs & Opportunity Tour. Austin is leading the nation in manufacturing and tech job growth and is a benchmark for “a thriving, rising middle class and a dynamic, cutting-edge economy.” The President met with high school students, local residents, and entrepr

"Thank you for all that you do": Military Mother's Day Tea with the First Lady and Dr. Biden

Watch this video on YouTubeYesterday, First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden hosted a special Mother's Day tea to honor military mothers and show their appreciation and thanks for all the important work they do as well as the sacrifices their families have made in service of our country.read more

West Wing Week: 05/10/13 or “I Dare You to Do Better”

This week, the President made his fourth trip to Mexico, continued on to Costa Rica, spoke to the graduating class of 2013 at The Ohio State University, hosted the new President of South Korea, discussed hurricane preparedness, and kicked off a series of Middle Class Jobs & Opportunity Tour in the Lone Star State.read more