Barack Obama | USA President

Camp Victory Baghdad, Iraq VICE PRESIDENT BIDEN:  Ladies and gentlemen, the last several years, every time I have been in this old palace, am here, I can’t but help think of the irony that we are here today occupying a palace for a noble reason that was once occupied by Saddam Hussein.  Secretary Gates, Admiral Mullen, General Mattis, General Odierno, General Austin, Ambassador Jeffrey, our distinguished and honored Iraqi leaders and military, it’s an honor to be with you today.  It’s an honor to be joined by such a distinguished group of Americans and Iraqi commanders and civilian leaders bound together, I might add — as a nation, we are now bound together as well by years of shared struggle and significant sacrifice. In the predawn hours of March 20, 2003, columns of coalition troops set off across the desert and marshlands from Kuwait en route to Baghdad.  Last week — after seven-and-a-half years that tested our mettle like no conflict in recent American history — the last of our combat units followed that same dusty highway out of Iraq, on their way home

Comments Off

Washington, DC – As mandated by statute, the Recovery Accountability and Transparency Board today posted on Recovery.gov quarterly reports required from some recipients of Recovery Act funding.  The recipient reports provide more detailed information about a portion of Recovery Act activity during the first quarter of 2010.  The Vice President issued the following statement: “The recipients reporting on this $62 billion portion of the Recovery Act – about 15 percent of Recovery spending and tax relief to-date - tell us they funded about 675,000 workers last quarter with those dollars alone, making it the largest quarterly direct job impact ever reported by recipients of Recovery Act funds.  These reports, which provide a snapshot of just a portion of the job impact in the first quarter of this year, are yet another indication that the Recovery Act is a driving force behind the continued economic growth we are seeing and remains on-track to support 3.5 million jobs overall by the end of 2010.” “This is a partial survey of Recovery Act activity based on real-time information coming directly from the recipients themselves, so we know the information is not perfect or complete.  Work will continue on refining and improving the quality of the data in the weeks ahead.  But these reports provide the American people with an unprecedented look at how some Recovery Act dollars are being put to work in their neighborhoods and communities through reports directly from the recipients themselves – and we believe that when the final data is in for this quarter, it will show the highest recipient participation rate yet.  From the beginning, we committed to provide the public with a level of detail about the Recovery Act never before available with a government program - and with the posting of these reports today, we continue to deliver on that commitment.” 

Comments Off

New ARPA-E projects in 17 states will accelerate innovation in clean energy technologies, increase America’s competitiveness and create jobs Washington, DC – At a Recovery Act Cabinet Meeting today, Vice President Joe Biden and Secretary of Energy Steven Chu will announce that the U.S. Department of Energy is awarding $106 million in funding for 37 ambitious research projects that could fundamentally change the way the country uses and produces energy.  Funded through DOE’s Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E), the $106 million is awarded to projects that could produce advanced biofuels more efficiently from renewable electricity instead of sunlight; design completely new types of batteries to make electric vehicles more affordable; and remove the carbon pollution from coal-fired power plants in a more cost-effective way

Comments Off

The Vice President met today with the Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General for Iraq, Ad Melkert.  They discussed the important role of the United Nations in Iraq and agreed on the need for fairness and transparency in the electoral process. In particular, they called for due process and respect for the votes cast by the Iraqi electorate

Comments Off

Joined by Governor Perdue, Vice President Announces an Initial $183 Million in Awards to Expand Broadband Access in Seventeen States DAWSONVILLE, Ga. – Vice President Biden today kicked off $7.2 billion in Recovery Act broadband grant and loan programs, of which $2 billion will be made available on a rolling basis over the next 75 days to bring high-speed Internet to communities that currently have little or no access to the technology.  At an event at Impulse Manufacturing in Dawsonville, Georgia, with Governor Sonny Perdue (R-GA), he announced an initial $183 million investment in eighteen broadband projects benefiting seventeen states which has already been matched by over $46 million in public and private sector capital.  The awards are not only expected to provide initial job opportunities in infrastructure and manufacturing, but help bridge the digital divide and boost economic development for communities held back by limited or no access to the technology.  “New broadband access means more capacity and better reliability in rural areas and underserved urban communities around the country. Businesses will be able to improve their customer service and better compete around the world,” said Vice President Biden

Comments Off

WASHINGTON, DC – Hoy, en una reunión del Grupo de Trabajo para la Clase Media sobre el sector de manufactura, el Vicepresidente Biden anunció el apoyo del gobierno de hasta $5,000 millones en fondos adicionales para un programa bajo la Ley para la Recuperación que tenga éxito en acelerar la generación de empleo en la manufactura de materiales de energía limpia. Esto aumentará en más del triple los fondos de la Sección 48C de la Ley para la Recuperación respecto al crédito tributario para la producción de energía avanzada.    “El sector de manufactura estadounidense desempeña una función vital en nuestra sociedad y economía.

Comments Off

Tomorrow, Vice President Biden will kick off over $2 billion in Recovery Act grants and loans that will be made on a rolling basis over the next 75 days to bring broadband to communities that currently have little or no access to the technology.  At an event at Impulse Manufacturing in Dawsonville, Georgia, he will announce an initial $182 million investment in eighteen broadband projects benefiting seventeen states which has already been matched by over $46 million in private capital.  The awards are not only expected to provide initial job opportunities in infrastructure and manufacturing, but help bridge the digital divide and boost economic development for communities held back by limited or no access to the technology.  Secretaries Locke and Vilsack will also visit communities benefiting from these initial awards in the coming days. Broadband Impact The new broadband access will help underserved – and often hard-hit – communities overcome the distance and technology barrier by expanding connectivity between educational institutions, enabling remote medical consultations and attracting new businesses – as well as the jobs that come with them.  With new or enhanced broadband access in their communities, business owners will be able to expand the market for their products beyond their neighborhoods, parents juggling childcare will be able to take college courses online, schools with limited course offerings will be able to expand them through distance learning, medical specialists will be able to provide advanced diagnosis for patients in remote areas or consult with colleagues at other hospitals and entire towns will be able to further develop their economies. Broadband and the Recovery Act These broadband awards are what the Recovery Act is all about – not just rescuing the economy by providing immediate job opportunities through shovel-ready projects, but also rebuilding better by laying a new foundation for economic growth in communities across the country.  Along with awards to develop advanced battery technology, a smart energy grid, a nationwide health IT network, a high speed rail infrastructure and more, they represent an over $100 billion dollar investment in science, innovation and technology to lay that new foundation and keep American competitive in the 21st century

Comments Off

Today, the Vice President was briefed on the state of the nation’s nuclear weapons stockpile by the Directors of the three national security laboratories.  Secretary of Energy Steven Chu, Deputy Energy Secretary Dan Poneman, National Nuclear Security Administrator Tom D’Agostino, and officials from the Departments of State and Defense were also present.  The briefing was provided by Mike Anastasio from Los Alamos National Laboratory, George Miller from the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, and Tom Hunter from Sandia National Laboratory.  The Vice President hosted the briefing as part of the Administration’s ongoing commitment to maintain a safe, secure and effective nuclear arsenal, to the President’s vision of a world without nuclear weapons and to ratification of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty.

Comments Off

Earlier today, Vice President Biden met with Lebanese President Michel Sleiman at the White House. During the meeting, Vice President Biden expressed his appreciation for President Sleiman’s efforts during the formation of the new Lebanese government and welcomed the opportunity to work with the new government on a broad range of security, economic, and political issues. The Vice President reiterated the United States’ continued support for a sovereign, independent Lebanon and stressed that our efforts to achieve our goals in the Middle East will not come at Lebanon’s expense.

Comments Off