Research and development of clean coal technology, especially carbon capture and sequester (CCS), has been given priority in the new Clean Energy Research Center, a joint venture announced by President Obama and Chinese President Hu Jintao. The center will be supported by both public and private funding of at least $150 million over five years, evenly divided between the two nations.
The presidents also announced several joint projects between American and Chinese companies that are developing CCS technologies, including one between General Electric and Shenhua Corporation.
President Obama and Chinese President Hu Jintao announced a joint Clean Energy Research Center, which would use at least $150 million over five years of both public and private funding -- split evenly between the two nations -- for research and development of clean energy technologies.
Obama tapped Rajiv Shah, 36, to lead the U.S. Agency for International Development, taking a step toward filling a post that has lacked a permanent administrator for 10 months. The vacancy has drawn the ire of the aid community.
The House passed its health care reform bill, which would establish a national health insurance exchange where consumers could compare plans and find the most affordable option. It also offers subsidies to middle- and low-income individuals and families to help them purchase insurance.
The House passed its health care reform bill, which encourages hospitals to adopt electronic health records.
The House passed its health care reform bll, which requires all individuals to have insurance coverage. According to CBO estimates, the plan would cover 96 percent of Americans.
The House passed its health care reform bill, which would ban insurance companies from denying coverage or dropping patients due to health conditions.
Medical marijuana users who are following state law are no longer a federal law enforcement priority, the Justice Department announced today. The department said it would still go after related offenses in the 14 states with medical marijuana provisions on the books, including weapons charges and illegal trafficking.
Because there will be no cost-of-living raise in Social Security benefits in 2010, Obama announced plans for seniors to recieve an extra $250 check sometime next year. The White House did not say how the program would be funded, but said it would keep benefits going in a year when they were not scheduled to increase due to inflation.
By Emily Vaughan
In early September, the Obama administration released a series of draft reports about restoring the Chesapeake Bay. Largely overlooked, these reports could serve as a blueprint for tightening regulations on farms across the country.
Federal agencies tasked with helping restore the Chesapeake Bay drafted the reports following a May executive order. The Environmental Protection Agency, given the goal of defining "the next generation of tools and actions" to improve water quality, set its sights in one of the reports on Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs): large-scale animal farms that the Clean Water Act regulates as a point-source for pollution.
As much as 25 percent of all pollution in the Bay originates at CAFOs in the form of animal waste runoff, said Chuck Fox, the EPA's senior adviser to the administrator for the Chesapeake Bay. Agricultural practices are the largest contributors of the nutrient and sediment pollution that makes it into the Bay, the EPA report says. Excess amounts of nitrogen and phosphorus, the main pollution culprits, wash into waterways and cause destructive algae blooms that create dead zones, areas where there isn't enough oxygen in the water to support life.
Excess manure at CAFOs is the source of the problem. Current federal regulations require farmers to outline how they will deal with animal waste. But the regulations only cover what happens in the production area at the farm, a big loophole for farmers who can escape federal oversight by taking the manure off-site.
It's no surprise that the EPA's recommendations include tightening restrictions on factory farms. Currently, many such facilities must obtain National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits. The EPA's plans in the Bay hinge on expanding the number of legally defined CAFOs so they fall under this permit system.
The EPA also recommends revising the definition of CAFOs to cover smaller operations, and wants to institute "next generation" nutrient management plans and better recordkeeping of the waste farmers move off their property. Fox anticipates that federal rulemaking would take two to three years, though if the recommendations were implemented through individual states in the watershed, all of which currently have stricter standards than the EPA, the time could be cut in half.
"Unlike past documents that focused on goals, this one focuses almost entirely on actions," said William Baker, president of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, in a statement the day after the release of the reports.
Thus far, the recommendations remain local. "We got very direct directions from the president with respect to the Chesapeake, so we're focusing a lot of our attention on the Chesapeake," said Mike Shapiro, deputy assistant administrator for water at the EPA. "And we're also still in the process of implementing our new CAFO regulations nationally."
Just because specific policies would work in the Chesapeake "wouldn't necessarily mean that the same requirement would be justified or necessary on a national basis," Shapiro said. But he conceded that with additional study, some of the practices could be put in place in other areas. "I can't exclude the possibility that we may be modifying our national regulations as well," he added.
The Environmental Protection Agency and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced joint regulations that increase Corporate Average Fuel Economy standards and create the first-ever federal standard to cut greenhouse gas emissions from cars and trucks. According to the two agencies, the new standards will help increase fuel economy by about 5 percent every year.
These standards follow through on Obama's announcement in May calling for an increase in CAFE standards from 27.5 mpg to 35.5 mpg by 2016.
The Environmental Protection Agency and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced joint regulations that increase the Corporate Average Fuel Economy standards and create the first-ever federal standard to cut greenhouse gas emissions from cars and trucks. According to the agencies, the tougher rules will help conserve 1.8 billion barrels of oil.
Speaking at a White House briefing Tuesday afternoon, EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson said the oil conservation will aid in “significantly reducing our dependence on foreign fuel. That will help protect us from oil price spikes that shook our economy last summer."
The USDA launched a new program entitled "Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food," as part of an effort to connect people with the origins of their food and encourage the development of local food systems. In the first week, USDA plans to announce initiatives with $65 million in new funding.
"Reconnecting consumers and institutions with local food producers will stimulate economies in rural communities, improve access to healthy, nutritious food for our families and decrease the amount spent of resources to transport our food," Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said in a news release. He also released a YouTube video, which appears below.
On the 200th day since President Obama signed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act into law, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced an additional $172 million for environment and water projects in 24 states. This places the total stimulus spending on water and environment projects thus far at $1.636 billion.
Of the Department of Justice's 350 civil rights lawyers, 236 left between 2003 and 2007, according to an Obama transition report obtained by the New York Times. The report described the turnover as a "brain drain" that laid the groundwork for more conservative replacements. To remedy the problem, the Times reports, "the Obama White House has also proposed a hiring spree that would swell the ranks... with more than 50 additional lawyers, a significant increase for a relatively small but powerful division of the government." The administration is also considering putting hiring decisions in the hands of panels of career employees, instead of political appointees.
"Spending on civilian governance and development programs has doubled under the Obama administration, to $200 million a month," the Washington Post reports. But Ambassador Karl W. Eikenberry called for $2.5 billion more next year, "about 60 percent more than the amount President Obama has requested from Congress."
The Agriculture Department will be giving out $18 million in value-added producer grants, which go to help farmers find nontraditional or technology-driven uses for their products. These funds will favor owners of small- to medium-sized farms. USDA specified that 10 percent of the money will go to beginning or socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers, and an additional 10 percent will go to projects that match up independent producers with businesses that market value-added products. Applicants can get planning grants, which are used to assess the feasibility of projects, of up to $100,000 and working capital grants, which fund the expenses of a venture, of up to $300,000.
The FCC, through its new broadband.gov blog, has requested comments from the public on what "broadband" means. As Carlos Kirjner, senior broadband adviser to FCC chairman Julius Genachowski, said in his post, "if we want to decide who has and who does not have broadband, we actually need to agree on what we mean by broadband."
The call for comments is part of the FCC's efforts to draft the National Broadband Plan, which is due to Congress in February.
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission made headlines across the country by filing a lawsuit against AT&T, alleging the company has no good reason to refuse rehiring its retired employees.
Louis Graziano, an EEOC attorney on the case, told the Washington Post that "to deny you the opportunity to work again doesn't make any sense, particularly if you have experience. The government doesn't prohibit you from having a policy that makes no sense, but if it adversely affects workers over 40, then it violates the law."
The IRS announced a new information-sharing agreement with the Swiss bank UBS to track possible U.S. tax evaders. UBS will provide access to thousands of accounts, as per IRS requests sent through the Swiss government. The IRS has charged that as many as 4,450 UBS accounts are being used to dodge billions of dollars in U.S. taxes.
"As this agreement demonstrates, the world of international taxes has dramatically changed," said IRS Commissioner Doug Shulman, "and people hiding assets and income offshore and from the IRS need to get right with the government now."
GM Chief Fritz Henderson said that the new Chevy Volt could get at least 230 miles per gallon, while Nissan has been plugging an even more astronomically high number for its all-electric Leaf: 376 mpg. While there have been doubts about these mileage claims -- the Environmental Protection Agency has not confirmed them -- it does illustrate how much private companies have been heeding the government's call to be greener and more fuel efficient.
Facing immense pressure from congressional Democrats, the White House backed off its promise to drug companies to exclude negotiations for lower drug costs from health care reform. Democrats were upset that the White House's deal appeared to restrict them from negotiating lower costs, but the White House assured them it did not.
Obama and Russian President Dmitiry Medvedev have agreed to expedite the renewal of a key strategic arms control treaty -- known as START -- that expires in December.
Obama could hardly be surprised that he's faced pressure from all sides as he tries to pass comprehensive health care reform. But in his push to expand Medicaid, he's run into resistance from a more unexpected quarter: governors.
The health care bills in both the House and Senate would expand Medicaid by upping the eligible poverty rate and adding new categories of eligibility. Some estimates have as many as 20 million new beneficiaries nationally, adding $500 billion in federal costs to the program.
States have shared the cost of Medicaid since the program’s inception in 1965, and have control of their own programs and eligibility rules. For states already reeling from the recession, the burden of tens of thousands more Medicaid recipients could break the bank. Under Medicaid's current plan, the federal government covers 57 percent of costs, leaving the other 43 percent up to the states.
Complaints about expansions to the program were front and center at last month's National Governors Association meeting. They're also responsible for turning a number of state executives firmly against the prospect of expanding Medicaid without more federal assistance, creating yet another roadblock for Obama's plans.
"Adding new eligibility categories certainly gives us pause," said Joy Johnson Wilson, the health policy director at the National Conference for State Legislatures. "We don't know how to finance that."
Having states shoulder a portion of the cost of Medicaid has become increasingly difficult; the program already represents a huge share of state budgets and has been growing by 11 percent annually. The economic stimulus package in February included $87 billion in Medicaid assistance, but states still find themselves short.
"The combination of the economic downturn and the rise in need for public coverage leaves states in a real fiscal bind," said Diane Rowland, the executive vice president of the Kaiser Family Foundation. "Independent of reforms, states have a legitimate concern about their ability to sustain programs without federal assistance."
To try to start the discussion, a group of governors including Christine Gregoire of Washington and Haley Barbour of Mississippi went to D.C. in June. The July meeting of the National Governors Association also included private meetings with Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius. The concerns have begun reaching lawmakers as well. On CNN's "State of the Union" in June, Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein said she would have trouble supporting a bill that would expand Medicaid costs in California, where budget problems have been well-documented.
"If you change the Medicaid rate, for example, it has an impact on California between $1 billion and $5 billion a year," Feinstein said. "Now how could I support that? It would take down the state."
Under most plans, the federal government would cover the cost of new eligible patients, but the question is for how long. The Senate HELP committee plan would roll the costs back to the states over five years, which leaves some states dreading the cutoff.
"Nobody knows what the fiscal situation is going to be in five years, and states have a lot more limitations on ways they can raise funds," said Rowland.
Because states have different eligibility requirements and methods of delivery, there are also concerns that federal assistance won't help all states equally. The federal assistance would only apply to new eligibles, so a state that already covers, say, individuals up to 133 percent of the poverty line would get less help than those only covering up to 100 percent. Those new requirements would also remove some of the independence and control states have enjoyed over their Medicaid delivery systems.
These concerns could derail the promise, warned Wilson.
"We want to make it happen, but we also don't want to promise something we can't deliver," she said. "They have to help us deliver it, because we as states can't do it now."
Obama was forced to reiterate his promise not to raise taxes for families making less than $250,000, one day after Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner and National Economic Council Director Lawrence Summers suggested in separate Sunday talk-show interviews that tax hikes might be on the table.
"The president made a commitment in the campaign. He's clear about that commitment, and he's going to keep it," White House press secretary Robert Gibbs told reporters.
The House Energy and Commerce Committee approved America's Affordable Health Choices Act, which guarantees that all children would be covered under a health care plan that has dental and vision benefits.
By a vote of 237-185, the House passed (subscription) "say on pay" legislation allowing shareholders to vote annually on executive compensation packages and providing greater independence to compensation committees. The bill satisfies recommendations handed down by the White House in June, but goes further than the administration proposal by allowing regulators to restrict compensation packages.
By BETH SUSSMAN
It seems that every time you turn on the television, Barack Obama is smiling back at you. From news show appearances to live press conferences to late-night comedy stints, the president has rocked the airwaves since Inauguration Day.
But do all of the TV appearances add up to more transparency on important issues like health care or just more opportunities to hear the same rehearsed message over and over again?
Since the drive for health care reform legislation has ratcheted up, Americans have heard from Obama on the issue on a nearly constant basis. Just in the span of four days last week, he did interviews on health care with Katie Couric of CBS, Jim Lehrer of PBS, Meredith Vieira of NBC and Terry Moran of ABC, and addressed the nation in a prime-time press conference. CBS' Mark Knoller reported via Twitter last week that Obama’s interview count was up to 88, more than any other president in the first six months.
Plus, the White House is using a host of new media tools -- a blog, live streaming videos, Twitter account and YouTube channel -- to communicate unlike any other administration.
Still, even with all that face time the American people have been getting with the president, and even though this administration has been more transparent than the previous one, the increase in TV time has not been a "transformative" change, according to John Wonderlich, policy director for watchdog group the Sunlight Foundation.
"I don't think appearing before the press necessarily means more transparency," said Wonderlich, who wants to see more of "the meat of the discussions" on health care.
Obama's track record for holding press conferences in his first few months of office is similar to that of other presidents -- through June of the first year in office, Obama had 17 press conferences, George W. Bush had 11, Bill Clinton had 18 and George H.W. Bush had 16, according to records kept by the American Presidency Project. But Obama has put a much greater emphasis on holding his press conferences in prime time. Last week's presser was his fourth in prime time, compared to the four prime-time press conferences held during George W. Bush's entire presidency, and that shift may be including more Americans in the discussion.
"By having [press conferences] in prime time, I think it does sort of open the doors a little bit," said Eric Boehlert, a senior fellow at the liberal organization Media Matters for America. "It's not just a White House, Beltway event. It makes it a national event -- or at least an attempt at one."
Wonderlich said it's the White House's new media efforts, not the TV appearances, that strike a more transparent tone. When people catch up with the president on Twitter or in a live streaming discussion, they "feel connected to the presidency in a way they wouldn't feel if it was just on TV or the radio," he said.
The White House has made some inroads, boasting 800,000 followers on Twitter, for example. And Obama's weekly address averaged 45,000 views this month on YouTube and WhiteHouse.gov, though that is down from about 200,000 views during his first month in office.
Despite efforts to move from the tube to the Web, Obama was questioned at last week's press conference about not televising health care reform negotiations on C-SPAN, something he promised on the campaign trail. Obama told a crowd at a town hall in Virginia last August: "We'll have the [health care] negotiations televised on C-SPAN, so that people can see who is making arguments on behalf of their constituents, and who are making arguments on behalf of the drug companies or the insurance companies."
In response to the question last week, Obama said he would still be open to putting all health care-related meetings on C-SPAN.
"You will recall in this very room that our kickoff event was here on C-SPAN and, at a certain point, you know, you start getting into all kinds of different meetings," Obama said. "I don't think there are a lot of secrets going on in there."
Continuing its use of the Web as a tool for transparency, the White House streamed about nine meetings of health care stakeholders and White House officials live on its Web site, and four of those meetings have included the opportunity for viewers to type in their questions and comments to be read aloud in the meeting, according to White House Director of Online Programs Jesse Lee.
"It's made both sides [of the discussion] more meaningful," Lee said. "Other people are paying attention and being a part of the conversation."
The discussion videos are not archived on the White House Web site, but Lee said his office plans to make those available soon.
Additionally, administration officials including White House Office of Health Reform Director Nancy-Ann DeParle and Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius have hosted live streaming discussions to answer questions submitted through Facebook or the White House Live section of the Web site. Those discussions have averaged 3,000 to 5,000 participants.
Lee acknowledged that most people "don't necessarily know to come to WhiteHouse.gov to have a chat regularly with White House officials." But, he predicts, "that will be something that people will get used to and come for more regularly."
Restrictions on discussions between officials and lobbyists regarding Recovery Act money now only apply after an application for a grant has been submitted, Office of Management and Budget Director Peter Orszag announced in a memo. Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, a watchdog group, lauded the move, saying the clarification allows officials to get information without being lobbied inappropriately.
At the close of a day-long event on metropolitan policy, Obama announced that administration officials would visit cities across the country in the coming months to "examine ways to strengthen the partnership between federal and local governments." The White House also said the Office of Management and Budget would lead an audit of current urban policies to make sure money is being better spent.
President Obama nominated Regina M. Benjamin as U.S. surgeon general. White House spokesman Reid Cherlin said that Benjamin "supports the president's position on reproductive health issues." Cherlin also said that Benjamin is committed to reducing the number of unintended pregnancies.
President Obama nominated Regina M. Benjamin as U.S. surgeon general. White House spokesman Reid Cherlin said that Benjamin "supports the president's position on reproductive health issues." Cherlin also said that Benjamin is committed to reducing the number of unintended pregnancies.
Several senior officials in the White House have held live chats on the Internet. In the past month, Chief Information Officer Vivek Kundra, Health Reform Director Nancy-Ann DeParle and special green jobs adviser Van Jones answered questions from the public in discussions streamed through White House Live.
On Sunday, a federal judge approved General Motors plans to sell 60 percent of its assets to a government-backed company. The New York Times reports that the ruling “marks yet another victory for the Obama administration, which has sought an enormous restructuring of the American auto industry in an extraordinarily short time span.”
The Obama administration launched a "Rural Tour" campaign in order to "engage in a more robust dialog with folks living in rural America," according to the program’s Web site. Led by Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, Cabinet secretaries and local legislators are holding forums around the country, many in swing states or competitive districts for the 2010 midterm elections. The original itinerary scheduled Vilsack to visit nine states over the summer, but since then forums have been held in rural communities in 20 states.
U.S. forces completed their withdrawal from Iraqi cities as scheduled, but nearly 130,000 troops remain in the country to contain violence wherever it may flare up.
The administration announced its proposal for a new Consumer Financial Protection Agency, among whose duties would be enforcement of the newly signed credit card bill.
The administration announced its proposal for a new Consumer Financial Protection Agency, designed to "promote access" and prevent "unscrupulous practices" in the financial industry.
One hallmark of the proposal, according to the administration's announcement, will be regulatory efficiency: "For the first time, a single agency will have authority to examine and enforce compliance against any institution, bank or non-bank, that provides consumer financial products or services." Among the agency's many duties would be enforcement of the newly signed credit card bill.
The House-passed Waxman-Markey bill contains several provisions mandating more energy efficient buildings. By 2010, buildings would be required to improve their efficiency by 30 percent, and by 2016, 50 percent. Households could receive $3,000 to help make their residences 20 percent more energy efficient.
The American Clean Energy and Security Act, which the House passed by a vote of 219-212, would require utilities to generate a larger percentage of their electricity from renewable energy sources. The bill, sponsored by Reps. Henry Waxman, D-Calif., and Ed Markey, D-Mass., sets the standard at 20 percent by 2020.
Several key provisions in the American Clean Energy and Security Act, which the House passed 219-212, lays down the foundation for the country to generate more electricity from renewable energy, including wind and solar. Key parts of the bill include:
Education Secretary Arne Duncan announced a joint plan with the IRS to simplify the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) form, eliminating 20 percent of the questions and cutting in half the number of Web pages in the application process.
Obama kicked off Father's Day weekend by visiting several nonprofit organizations in the D.C. area, incuding Life Pieces to Masterpieces and the Latin American Youth Center, to spread his message of responsible fatherhood to young people. Later he hosted a town hall on fatherhood at the White House and opened a mentoring session for D.C.-area youth. In addition, this weekend's Parade magazine will feature an article about fatherhood penned by the president. The flurry of activity is the opening act for a series of forums on fatherhood to be held around the country by the White House Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships.
Sen. Evan Bayh, D-Ind., today introduced the Responsible Fatherhood and Healthy Families Act. Key points of Bayh's legislation include funding job training programs for parents and restoring money cut from federal child support enforcement. Rep. Danny Davis, D-Ill., introduced companion legislation in the House called the Julia Carson Responsible Fatherhood and Healthy Families Act.
The Senate confirmed Jeffrey Zients as chief performance officer and deputy director of management at the Office of Management and Budget. In a blog post, OMB Director Peter Orszag said Zients' responsibilities will include "reforming government hiring practices" as well as working on "contracting reform, program evaluation, and e-government."
Middle East envoy George Mitchell called for a "comprehensive peace" in the region Sunday, one that includes a two-state solution for Israel and Palestine. The former Senate majority leader's comments follow Obama's Mideast junket last week, where he was blunt about the need for concessions from both sides to jumpstart the peace process.
In his weekly radio address, Obama announced $313 billion more in reduced Medicare and Medicaid spending to help pay for health care reform. That includes spending cuts of $110 billion to account for improving economic productivity; $106 billion to account for less spending on the uninsured, reasoning that fewer people will be uninsured; and $75 billion for lower drug costs.
In a press conference, Secretary Duncan tied the distribution of $4.35 billion in stimulus funds marked for education to charter schools. "States that don't have charter laws or put artificial caps on the growth of charter schools would jeopardize their application under the Race to the Top Fund," he said.
Former Illinois Veterans Affairs Director Tammy Duckworth, who has advocated for more resources to treat traumatic brain injuries, is sworn in as the VA's assistant secretary for public and intergovernmental affairs.
Former Illinois Veterans Affairs Director Tammy Duckworth, who has sought more help for those suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, is sworn in as the VA's assistant secretary for public and intergovernmental affairs.
Former Illinois Veterans Affairs Director Tammy Duckworth, who has advocated easier home loans for vets, is sworn in as the VA's assistant secretary for public and intergovernmental affairs.
Craig Fugate was sworn in as FEMA administrator, but in the news conference announcing him, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano indicated he would not serve a set term, according to the New Orleans Times-Picayune.
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced that $56.6 million in community facilities and emergency responder projects will be immediately funded through money from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. About $19 million (plus $6.9 million from other sources) will be used to help rural communities in 39 states pay for emergency services and systems, as well as fire and rescue equipment and police, fire and medical vehicles.
In the conference version of the FY 2010 budget resolution, passed by both chambers, the proposed VA budget is $112.8 billion, a 15 percent increase from FY09. The increase is aimed at improving health care for veterans, including medical services, support and compliance, and facilities.
The conference report for the FY2010 budget resolution calls for more health care professionals and full staffing of vacant positions at the Veterans Health Administration.
The conference version of the budget resolution, passed by both chambers, allows appropriators to "expand the number of disabled military retirees who receive both disability compensation and retired pay," and improve disability benefits. It also calls for expediting concurrent receipt of both disability and retirement benefits, a request that would allow certain veterans to receive the full amount of each from the Defense and Veterans Affairs departments. The resolution also authorizes "restoring health care eligibility to additional nondisabled veterans with modest incomes" and declares that the VA should not bill private insurers for "treatment of health conditions that are related to veterans' military service."
The conference agreement for the FY2010 budget resolution, which was passed in both chambers, includes funding to restore health care eligibility to these "Priority Group 8" veterans.
In the conference version of the FY 2010 budget resolution, passed by both chambers, the proposed VA budget is $112.8 billion, a 15 percent increase from FY09. The increase is aimed at improving health care for veterans, including medical services, support and compliance, and facilities.
Obama told the National Academy of Sciences that he wants to dedicate more than 3 percent of the gross domestic product (about $420 billion) to funding scientific research and development.
To go along with the passage of the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act, the White House expanded and relaunched Serve.gov. The site, which is managed by the Corporation for National and Community Service, allows visitors to search for volunteer opportunities and post their own service events to the site.
Federal contracting officials responded to a request for suggestions on fixing the way the government does business with an outcry for training. Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., invited the group to submit ideas and then vote on the best ones.
The second-highest-rated idea came from Lisa Kenney of Centennial, Colo. She wrote: "Over time, the government has lost the subject matter expertise to effectively develop requirements and monitor contracts. Outsourcing is inevitable, but internal measures need to be taken to beef up contracting offices -- manning and training."
The top-rated idea was tangentially about training and called for a "tech-savvy assessment board for defense R&D proposals." The poster said the government lacks "people who understand these technologies well enough to recommend wise tech investments."
McCaskill's oversight committee held its first meeting April 21.
Obama inked the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act, increasing the number of AmeriCorps volunteers from about 75,000 to 250,000 by fiscal 2017 and increasing education subsidies for those who serve.
The president announced the launch of a new microloan program for Latin America while attending the Summit of the Americas in Trinidad. The fund will provide money to small-scale lenders in order to encourage economic growth in the hemisphere during the downturn.
Speaking on Tax Day, Obama repeated his campaign promise to simplify income tax filing, pledging that his Economic Recovery Advisory Board would complete a set of recommendations by the end of the year.
Haiti will receive $2 million for counter-narcotics efforts as part of a $50 million aid package.
Obama is supporting a bill in Congress that would triple the amount of non-military aid to Pakistan to $1.5 billion a year. The State Department, meanwhile, intends to establish "benchmarks" for progress on security, despite a Pakistani warning that attaching strings to the aid will not engender much goodwill in Islamabad. Obama has said that Pakistan should focus more on tracking down al-Qaida extremists in its border region with Afghanistan.
The Obama White House is considering a major break with the previous administration's Iran policy and could drop demands that Iran cease enriching uranium as a precondition to talks, according to the New York Times. Proposals for the policy shift are still in the early phases and remain confidential, but European officials said "Iran would not accept the kind of immediate shutdown of its facilities that the Bush administration had demanded."
President Obama made overtures to the Muslim world during his first visit to Europe, remarking in Turkey that, "Many other Americans have Muslims in their families or have lived in a Muslim-majority country -- I know, because I am one of them."
Speaking in Prague only a few hours after North Korea launched a test missile, Obama underscored his commitment to ensuring safe use of nuclear power around the world.
Obama referenced discussions he and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev had during the Group of 20 summit in London about a new strategic arms reduction treaty. The leaders “will seek a new agreement by the end of this year that is legally binding, and sufficiently bold. This will set the stage for further cuts, and we will seek to include all nuclear weapons states in this endeavor.”
The president also said that to achieve a global ban on nuclear testing, his administration “will immediately and aggressively pursue U.S. ratification of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty.” He added that the U.S. will “seek a new treaty that verifiably ends the production of fissile materials intended for use in state nuclear weapons.” The administration will also work to “strengthen the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty as a basis for cooperation."
The president also addressed the issue of nuclear power as energy versus as a weapon. He called on building a “new framework for civil nuclear cooperation, including an international fuel bank, so that countries can access peaceful power without increasing the risk of proliferation.”
Speaking in Prague only a few hours after North Korea launched a test missile, Obama underscored his commitment to establishing a "world without nuclear weapons."
Obama said his administration will work to "strengthen the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty as a basis for cooperation." The president was clear in what he hopes to accomplish by doing this: "Countries with nuclear weapons will move toward disarmament, countries without nuclear weapons will not acquire them; and all countries can access peaceful nuclear energy." He called for "more resources and authority to strengthen international inspections" and "real and immediate consequences for countries caught breaking the rules or trying to leave the treaty without cause."
The president added that Russia and the U.S. will also negotiate a new strategic arms reduction treaty this year and that his administration "will immediately and aggressively pursue U.S. ratification of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty."
Obama addressed the issue of nuclear power as energy versus as a weapon. He called on building a "new framework for civil nuclear cooperation, including an international fuel bank, so that countries can access peaceful power without increasing the risks of proliferation."
A day after Obama’s speech in Prague, Deputy Secretary of State James Steinberg announced that Vice President Joe Biden will oversee the administration’s nonproliferation agenda.
Speaking only a few hours after North Korea launched a test missile, Obama underscored his commitment to ensuring safe use of nuclear power around the world.
In Prague, toward the end of his first overseas trip as president, Obama announced the U.S. will host a global summit on nuclear security within the next year to make sure international agreements, such as the Proliferation Security Initiative and the Global Initiative to Combat Nuclear Terrorism, are developed into “durable” institutions. He also called on countries to squash the “dangerous trade” of nuclear material by breaking up black markets, and detecting and intercepting materials in transit.
"We will set new standards, expand our cooperation with Russia, and pursue new partnerships to lock down these sensitive materials," Obama said.
At the G-20 summit, President Obama pushed for and won $1.1 trillion for the International Monetary Fund.
By ALINA SELYUKH
Speaking at the Energy and Environment panel of the Georgetown Public Policy Institute conference, Julie Falkner, senior policy adviser for The Nature Conservancy, warned the government against merely "throwing spaghetti against the wall and seeing what's going to stick" as it grapples with the issues of energy independence and climate change.
"You can't just focus on a piece of this," Falkner said. "It's a systematic issue that has to be looked at in a coherent manner. Now what you see is bits and pieces starting to pan out."
Some of the possible solutions to America's energy woes, as outlined earlier by Al Gore’s Alliance for Climate Protection, were discussed by the panelists: adopting energy-efficient technologies, switching from fossil fuels to renewable energy and calling upon citizens as well as national leaders to make responsible energy decisions.
Myron Ebell of the Competitive Enterprise Institute noted that half of U.S. energy production is still rooted in coal. Ebell argued that until more technological breakthroughs take place, "we’re a long ways away" from a complete conversion to renewable energy.
Erich Pica, domestic program director of Friends of the Earth, spotlighted the stimulus package's large investments in energy and transportation efficiency, but pointed out that a global initiative may be required. On the other side of the spectrum, states should start participating in the energy conversation as well, Falkner said.
By ALINA SELYUKH
While the stimulus has allocated extra funding for Head Start, it may not be sufficient if the relationship between elementary and secondary education is not better coordinated, said William Gormley, Georgetown Public Policy Institute dean, speaking on the GPPI conference education panel at the Cannon House Office Building. The effects of participation in early education persist or fade over time depending on what school the student attends later, so addressing school assignment and teacher assessment practices should closely follow Head Start and early learning re-evaluation, in Gormley's view.
Head Start has a budget of approximately $7 billion and serves about 900,000 children -- only about 40 percent of eligible children, according to the National Head Start Association. At this point, Gormley said, state pre-K programs serve more four-year-olds than Head Start.
By ALINA SELYUKH
Sizing up the state of the public education system, one expert panelist at this year's Georgetown Public Policy Institute Conference said that despite public and private investments, updated technology and an increasing techer-to-student ratio, the U.S. isn't seeing much productivity.
Robert Lerman, a senior fellow at the nonpartisan Urban Institute, told those attending the conference's public education panel at the Cannon House Office Building that with all the possibilities, "end results are maybe slightly better, but not a whole lot better."
The panelists welcomed the Obama administration's reform initiatives but identified some potential problem areas. One is replacing "bad programs" with those that impose lower standards in order to produce superficially better results, Lerman said. And Phyllis Eisen of the Eisen Group, which consults on education policy, cautioned against falling into the No Child Left Behind trap of imposing national standards on a "patchwork" of states with varying values and pressing for equal results.
To avoid that problem, Robert Muller, founder and CEO of public policy consulting firm Practical Strategy, said the key is combining accountability and flexibility -- two notions often considered mutually exclusive. Muller said the two features can be "totally consistent" and worked into the policy by supporting creative teaching techniques that yield testable results -- as long as those tests are well-designed.
Following a discussion about providing secondary students with a career-oriented two-year-degree track, in addition to the traditional four-year degree program, Lerman suggested considering Eastern Europe's "very vibrant" skill-certifiable systems to revive the "very, very limited" apprenticeship programs in the U.S.
In reference to that and other topics, Muller called for the shift from an "either-or" attitude to "both-and" -- After high school graduation, everyone should both be ready to be in the workforce and have an option of attending college.
By ALINA SELYUKH
The U.S. needs to adopt a "risk-based, threat-based" approach to security, and civil defense agencies will play a large role, according to one homeland security panelist in this year's Georgetown Public Policy Institute Conference at the Cannon House Office Building.
Philip J. Crowley, a former Clinton national security aide who is now a senior fellow and director of homeland security at the left-leaning Center for American Progress, said prevention and planning should be hallmarks of the Homeland Security Department's mindset.
The U.S. should re-evaluate existing programs and agencies to guard against inertia, said David Brent Buckley, former assistant director for defense and national security in the Office of Special Investigations at the Government Accountability Office.
Former Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said that in managing the problems currently on DHS' radar -- from wars in the Middle East to border violence in Mexico -- soft power will be an indispensible partner of hard power, putting some of the onus on civilian agencies.
Obama has tapped Maj. Gen. J. Scott Gration, a Swahili-speaking retired Air Force officer, as his envoy to Sudan. The Sudanese government expelled humanitarian organizations from the Darfur region earlier this month after the International Criminal Court issued a war crimes indictment against Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir. Five lawmakers wrote Obama last week, encouraging him to make an appointment.
Energy Secretary Steven Chu told the House Science and Technology Committee that the U.S. may impose trade tariffs on carbon-intensive imports to "level the playing field" with countries that don't have carbon caps. It was the first public airing of the administration's view on the trade and diplomatic implications of greenhouse-gas-reduction mandates.
A co-sponsor of the original card check bill in 2007, Rep. Peter King, R-N.Y., warned he will not support EFCA if it is brought to a vote this year, citing the current economic crisis as his reason. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., predicted that if the Senate addresses the legislation first, it is highly unlikely to reach the House floor. In the meantime, the Pennsylvania AFL-CIO president is pressuring centrist Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pa., to vote for EFCA in return for the union's help in winning a primary challenge next year.
Obama created the White House Council on Women and Girls. The high-level body "is charged with advancing the rights and needs of women, including equal pay." Obama also declared April 28 National Equal Pay Day.
The secretary of Health and Human Services is part of the new White House Council on Women and Girls.
Presenting his new education plan, Obama promised to "make No Child Left Behind" live up to its name" beginning later this year "by ensuring not only that teachers and principals get the funding that they need, but that the money is tied to results."
In remarks promoting his new education plan, President Obama encouraged educators "not only to expand effective after-school programs, but to rethink the school day to incorporate more time -- whether during the summer or through expanded-day programs for children who need it."
In presenting his new education plan, Obama vowed to "treat teachers like the professionals they are while holding them more accountable." As part of this process, he said, "new teachers will be mentored by experienced ones."
Discussing his education plan, President Obama expressed support for linking teachers' pay with performance, noting that "too many supporters of my party have resisted the idea of rewarding excellence in teaching with extra pay, even though we know it can make a difference in the classroom." Teachers' unions have strongly opposed merit pay.
In remarks about his new education plan, Obama spoke in favor of offering extra pay to math and science teachers "to end a teacher shortage in those subjects."
Outlining his new plan for education reform, Obama called upon a "new generation of Americans to step forward and serve our country in our classrooms. If you want to make a difference in the life of our nation, if you want to make the most of your talents and dedication, if you want to make your mark with a legacy that will endure -- then join the teaching profession. America needs you."
In his remarks on education reform, President Obama touted his 2010 budget blueprint, which, he said, "invests in developing new strategies to make sure at-risk students don't give up on their education; new efforts to give dropouts who want to return to school the help they need to graduate; and new ways to put those young men and women who have left school back on a pathway to graduation."
The Washington Times toured New Orleans to find out how Obama's pledges to help revive the region have translated into action. The interviews the newspaper conducted with politicians, nonprofit leaders and storm survivors suggest that residents are pleased with the administration’s efforts, but much more work is still necessary. Kalima Rose, senior director of the Louisiana recovery effort for the advocacy group PolicyLink, said Obama has laid down a liberal blueprint in terms of housing, infrastructure and funding for employment insurance.
The White House announced that the Justice Department is now making the $2 billion in stimulus funding for the JAG Program available to state and local governments. These funds can be used for a variety of efforts, including supporting drug and gang task forces, crime prevention and domestic violence programs and hiring law enforcement officers, per a White House press release.
Sixty percent of the funds will go directly to the states, while 40 percent will be set aside for units of local government.
The Obama administration announced the start of the Homeowner Affordability and Stability Plan as the Treasury Department released the program's guidelines. Although a specific fund to help people refinance their mortgages has yet to be created, the plan, which takes effect immediately, is designed to help make mortgage payments more affordable.
Obama issued a presidential memorandum to agency heads directing them to work towards a more open and competitive process for awarding government contracts. The memo also asks Orszag to develop guidelines on reviewing current contracts for wasteful spending (to be completed by July 1) and on the appropriate use of no-bid contractors (to be completed by Sept. 30).
In his remarks, the president voiced his support for the efforts of Sens. Carl Levin, D-Mich., and John McCain, R-Ariz., to reform the defense procurement process. He said he had asked Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Deputy Defense Secretary William Lynn (a former defense lobbyist) to work with them on developing legislation to address the matter.
Obama's budget outline includes $210 billion raised through international tax-enforcement efforts. CongressDailyAM (subscription) reported that one of those proposals could cut or end tax deductions for foreign-based insurance companies.
In a video address to the executive board meeting of the AFL-CIO, Obama blamed the Bush administration for attempting to undermine organized labor, reassuring union leaders that they will always have a "seat at the table" under his presidency.
Although the stimulus was created outside the normal appropriations process, it has come with repeated promises from Obama that his administration will root out wasteful spending, a pledge that is backed up in the bill with dollars and authority for staff to carry out his threats.
USA Today reports that "the stimulus bill contains $330.5 million for oversight and offers the president his first opportunity to put into practice his campaign pledge to demand greater accountability of federal spending. It provides $25 million for the Government Accountability Office, the nonpartisan congressional agency; $84 million to create an accountability board within the administration; and $221.5 million to the inspectors general who serve as department watchdogs."
In addition, the administration launched Recovery.gov, a Web site it says will allow citizens and government watchdogs to track where stimulus money is going.
In an effort to expand screening and treatment of mental health and cognitive injuries, Obama's FY10 budget outline for Veterans Affairs calls for an increase in the number of Vet Centers and mobile health clinics in rural areas. In addition, funds will be devoted to informing veterans and their families of these resources.
Obama reaffirmed his committment to information technology in his budget outline for Veterans Affairs. The proposal calls for improving electronic records to more "efficiently retrieve active duty health records" from the Defense Department and "enable all VA care sites to access the records." Further, it gives prioirty to the "development of rules-based electronic processes to increase accuracy, consistency, and timeliness in veterans' receipt of benefits."
Obama's draft budget provides $1.3 billion to the Department of Agriculture to "increase broadband capacity and improve telecommunication service... in rural areas."
President Obama's 2010 budget blueprint proposes a required automatic workplace pensions plan, which would ensure all employees are enrolled in a direct-deposit IRA account that will shift a portion of their wage to retirement savings -- with a chance to opt out.
Obama's budget outline for 2010 includes a provision that would alter the existing Saver's Credit to "provide a 50 percent match on the first $1,000 of retirement savings for families that earn less than $65,000," thereby increasing retirment savings incentives for working parents.
Obama's 2010 budget outline includes a promise to "support new transitional jobs and career pathway programs, testing innovative approaches to helping low-income Americans grab hold of and climb the career ladder."
Obama's budget outline includes $330 million for health care in underserved areas, part of which "expands loan repayment programs for physicians, nurses and dentists who agree to practice" there. Obama's blueprint also includes $73 million targeted for health care in rural areas and more than $4 billion for the Indian Health Service.
Building on the stimulus package's "green jobs" clause, Obama's 2010 budget blueprint includes training provisions for "jobs associated with products and services that use renewable energy resources, reduce pollution, and conserve natural resources."
The administration's budget outline, released Feb. 26, supports more permanent forces in the Army and Marine Corps. By the end of 2009, the Army would see an increase of 547,400 and the Marine Corps 202,000.
President Obama's budget outline proposes unspecified resources to increase enforcement of the Packers and Stockyards Act, which seeks to ensure that small farmers can bring their goods to market. In addition, it cuts funding for overseas promotion of specific brands, which benefits big business; the program will instead focus on promoting "generic American products."
Obama's budget outline includes a provision to phase out direct payments to farmers whose total sales exceed $250,000 annually, to "help ensure that payments are made only to those that most need them."
Under Obama's budget outline, more resources would be allocated to ensure "effective implementation of the post-9/11 GI Bill."
In Obama's FY 2010 budget outline, $1 billion will be used to create an Affordable Housing Trust Fund. The fund will "develop, rehabilitate, and preserve affordable housing targeted to very-low income households." The provision does not address how many affordable housing units will be added to mixed-income neighborhoods.
Obama's FY 2010 budget outline provides more than $20 billion for "rural developmental activities" [PDF] and $50 million for "regional economic development and creation of new businesses" [PDF].
Obama's FY 2010 budget outline provides funds to foster "Promise Neighborhoods" [PDF], "a new effort to test innovative strategies to improve academic achievement and life outcomes in high-poverty areas." The Harlem Children's Zone will be a model for this program. The budget does not address the number of cities in which this will take place.
Obama's budget blueprint calls for $8.5 billion over the next 10 years to create a nurse home visitation program, "which will provide funds to States to provide home visits by trained nurses to first-time low-income mothers and mothers-to-be." The budget also "builds the foundation for a program that could ultimately serve all eligible mothers who seek services."
In an appearance with Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, Obama reinforced his pledge to update and reinforce NAFTA's environmental and labor protections, but in a way "that is not disruptive to the extraordinarily important trade relationships that exist between the United States and Canada."
Obama's $75 billion Homeowner Affordability and Stability Plan includes a provision allowing bankruptcy judges to adjust a mortgage's value. Speaking in Phoenix, Obama said his plan would "allow judges to reduce home mortgages on primary residences to their fair market value -- as long as borrowers pay their debts under a court-ordered plan." He held "ordinary homeowners" separate from "homebuyers who knowingly borrowed too much from lenders."
The credit was included in the final version of the stimulus signed by Obama.
The tax credits passed in the final version of the stimulus signed by Obama.
The expanded EITC remains intact in the final stimulus bill.
The "American Opportunity Tax Credit" was retained in the final version of the stimulus package.
The tax credit was included in the final version of the stimulus signed by Obama.
President Obama signed the stimulus bill [PDF] into law, approving $48 billion for transportation projects, to include $27.5 billion for highway and bridge construction and repair, $8.4 billion for mass transit, and $9.3 billion for high-speed rail and Amtrak. $6 billion will go toward clean water projects and $4 billion is allocated for public housing improvements.
The final version of the stimulus package [PDF] provides $6.3 billion for state energy-efficiency and clean energy grants.
The final stimulus bill [PDF] was signed into law by President Obama in Denver.
The final version of the stimulus package, signed by President Obama, appropriates [PDF] $44.5 billion to support local school districts to avoid layoffs and cutbacks. The flexibility of the funds means they may be used for school modernization and repair.
The final version of the stimulus package includes an expansion of the SBA's lending authority as well as increased funding for the Community Development Financial Institution Fund.
The final version of the stimulus bill includes Trade Adjustment Assistance benefits for an additional 160,000 downsized workers, as well as extended unemployment benefits and $4 billion for job training.
The stimulus compromise includes an $8,000 tax credit for first-time homebuyers who purchased between Jan. 1 and Aug. 31 of this year. The current credit is $7,500. The Senate initially proposed a credit of $15,000.
Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton reiterated their support for Israel in a joint address at the State Department. Obama said, "Let me be clear: America is committed to Israel's security."
Together with Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, Obama named two new emissaries. Former U.N. Ambassador Richard Holbrooke will be a special coordinator of U.S. policy on Afghanistan and Pakistan; retired Senate majority leader George Mitchell will be a special envoy to the Middle East.
On his second full day in office, Obama issued two executive orders -- one ordering the review of detention policy options and the other ensuring humane treatment of detainees.
Obama reaffirmed his commitment to reducing oil consumption in his inaugural speech, saying that "each day brings further evidence that the ways we use energy strengthen our adversaries and threaten our planet."
In his first full day in office, Obama met with the leading commanders in Iraq to "get a full update on the situation in Iraq." In his remarks, he added that "in the coming days and weeks, I will also visit the Department of Defense to consult with the Joint Chiefs... and we will undertake a full review of the situation in Afghanistan in order to develop a comprehensive policy for the entire region."
In his confirmation hearing Jan. 16, Attorney General-designate Eric Holder called the politicization of the Bush administration's Justice Department "appalling." While he said he would examine the department's record on civil rights enforcement, he didn't explicitly say whether the new administration would weed out those people hired illegally.
In response to questions from Sen. Richard Lugar, R-Ind., of the Foreign Relations Committee, Secretary of State nominee Hillary Rodham Clinton wrote that Obama "believes that it is not time to lift the embargo on Cuba."
Hilda Solis, Obama's choice for Labor secretary, led the drive to increase California's minimum wage as a state legislator in 1996 and, in Congress, co-sponsored the federal minimum wage increase in 2007.
In her Senate confirmation hearing, Secretary of State-designate Hillary Rodham Clinton reiterated Obama's pledge, saying, "We will participate in the upcoming U.N. Copenhagen Climate Conference and a global energy forum."
Agriculture Secretary-designate Tom Vilsack promised to continue supporting renewable fuels at his confirmation hearing. Obama's proposed stimulus package would pump $600 million into replacing older, less efficient vehicles with cars and trucks that run on alternatives to gasoline -- including ethanol.
Veterans Affairs nominee Eric Shinseki told senators in his confirmation disclosure that as secretary, he would focus on "the development of a credible and adequate 2010 budget request during my first 90 days in office."
While he hasn't said much specifically about students, Obama was prodding his supporters to visit USAService.org and volunteer to do community service sometime during inauguration weekend.
Secretary of State nominee Hillary Rodham Clinton is pushing her department's increased involvement in IMF and World Bank negotiations.
President-elect Barack Obama announced the nomination of retired Adm. Dennis Blair as director of national intelligence. He did not, however, make any announcements about setting up a fixed term.
