This week, we proposed a historic $156 million investment to tackle Alzheimer’s disease. This investment will:

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United States Department of Agriculture Under Secretary Natural Resources and Environment Harris Sherman next to the freshly planted Dawn Redwood for the Celebration of Tu B’Shevat “The New Year of the Trees” event at the USDA Headquarters, Wednesday, February 8, 2012. (Photo by Lance Cheung, USDA)

This post originally appeared on the US Department of Agriculture blog.

It is written in the Talmud – a central text of Judaism – that ‘just as my parents planted for me, so I will plant for my children.’ Here at USDA, we’re planting trees across the country and in Israel to bring the wide-ranging benefits of trees, both ecological and spiritual, to future generations.

Today, USDA Natural Resources and Environment Under Secretary Harris Sherman planted a tree next to the USDA’s Washington DC headquarters in commemoration of Tu B’Shevat, “The New Year of the Trees.” This event brought together the local Jewish community and government leaders alike to share their common bond of conserving our natural resources and leaving a healthier world for the next generation. 

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• Twitter Q and A with @JonCarson44, Director of the Office of Public Engagement, and @HHSGov Assistant Secretary for Aging Kathy Greenlee and @AARP, @activeretirees & @NCPSSM at 3:30 p.m. EST

Wednesday, February 8th

• Twitter Q and A with @JonCarson44, Director of the Office of Public Engagement, and @YWCAUSA  at 3:00 p.m. EST

Tune in for more events through the week at WhiteHouse.gov/Live and keep up to date with the President’s schedule.

More than 350 community leaders came together last Saturday in Phoenix for the White House’s Hispanic Community Action Summit at the ASU-Downtown Campus. Arizona civic leaders joined in thought-provoking discussions and analysis of a wide-range of policy areas, but on display was the kind of interactive conversations that make our democracy work.

The event examined issues important to all Arizonans.  At the Summit, DREAM Act advocates who attended were passionate about their desire to achieve the American Dream.  They participated in meaningful dialogue with business and civic leaders, educators and students covering a wide range of topics in the daylong session.

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At an Arlington, Virginia fire station on Friday, President Obama made good on another State of the Union promise by unveiling his plans for a Veterans Jobs Corps that will connect post-9/11 veterans with jobs that specifically cater to their skills and their passion for service, such as being police officers, firefighters, or park rangers. For the more business-minded, the Small Business Administration will provide a series of online seminars to help veterans become entrepreneurs.  

Also last week, the White House marked the first anniversary of Startup America with some key announcements. As he promised during the State of the Union, President Obama sent proposals to Congress on Tuesday to support American startups. Gene Sperling, Steve Case, and Aneesh Chopra held a Google+ hangout to discuss these ideas and answer your questions. Also on Tuesday, President Obama held a Cabinet meeting, the first since he elevated Karen Mills, the Administrator of the Small Business Administration, to a Cabinet-level official. To continue exploring more ways to create steady, long-term jobs, a group of universities responded to the Startup America Policy Challenge by announcing a contest of their own to develop the best “policy business plans,” while the White House Business Council and the White House Council on Women and Girls co-hosted the New York Urban Economic Forum, highlighting female entrepreneurs.

The promise of American manufacturing, the power of producing tangible goods that people want to buy, was on full display at the Washington Auto Show, where the President stopped by last Tuesday. The resurgent auto industry has added 170,000 jobs since the summer of 2009 and has experienced its largest growth in market share in almost two decades. This week’s jobs report, which showed that the U.S. added 257,000 new jobs in January for its 23rd straight month of job growth, provides further evidence that the economy is continuing to heal from the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression.

President Barack Obama is shown the American Pride Chevrolet Camaro, as Ed Welburn, Vice President of Global Design for General Motors, explains design and manufacturing details of the car during a visit to the Washington Auto Show at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C., Jan. 31, 2012. Gerard Murphy, President of the Washington New Automobile Dealers Association, is at left. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

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On Thursday, I had the privilege of announcing a settlement agreement thatwill transform the Commonwealth of Virginia’s system for delivering services to people with developmental disabilities, including intellectual disabilities, and will fulfill the promise of Olmstead for thousands of Virginians.  Our investigation found that Virginia was placing people with developmental disabilities in its state-run training centers and other institutional settings, even though they could have been served in their homes or other community-based settings.  We also found that Virginia was unnecessarily placing people with developmental disabilities on waitlists for community services. 

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“The U.S.-Mexico border is open for business.” That is the refrain I and others who work on border issues tirelessly deliver wherever we can. But with the media’s relentless focus on immigration, drug-trafficking, and cartel violence, we know that we must provide and promote objective evidence to support our message. A report recently released by Arizona State University’s North American Center for Transborder Studies(NACTS) and NDN’s New Policy Institute(NPI), entitled “Realizing the Value of our Cross Border Trade with Mexico” does both.

The report only confirms the overwhelming evidence that the Department of Commerce’s International Trade Administration(ITA) has assembled conclusively establishing that Mexico and, by extension the U.S.-Mexico border, is vital to the long-term health of the U.S. economy. However, all of that evidence is for naught if Americans are not made aware of it.

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President Barack Obama and President Mikheil Saakashvili of Georgia hold a bilateral meeting in the Oval Office, Jan. 30, 2012. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

On January 30th, President Obama welcomed Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili to the Oval Office.  The President has had the chance to meet with President Saakashvili several times before – at the Nuclear Security Summit here in Washington two years ago, in Lisbon during the NATO Summit in 2010, and elsewhere.  The Vice President also hosted a small lunch for President Saakashvili in the West Wing, and Secretary Clinton invited him to an additional meeting with her at the State Department.

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Amanda Ebokosia. (Photo from HelloGiggles)

In this week’s edition of “Women Working to Do Good” HelloGiggles spotlights Amanda Ebokosia, an incredible young woman who founded an organization that assists young Americans to enact reforms and community programs on issues that matter most to them. The author writes,

Amanda hopes to expand across the nation with a standard lesson plan for the Interactive Literacy Program, as well as College Campus Marches that are organized to make change for issues that students care about.  What’s so inspiring about this project is that Amanda puts the reigns in everyone’s hands, nurturing and empowering them to organize where they see fit.

Amanda has gone above and beyond to tackle issues that matter to her and her community, and helped thousands of young Americans start their own initiatives. It’s a ‘gem’ of an idea to make sure we do our part as well.

Read more about Women Working to Do Good 

• Standing up for Women
• “Cookies for a Cure”
• "Women Working to Do Good" Visits the White House
• A Girl's Best Friend
• Giving Thanks
• Showing Up in a Big Way
• Art Cart in the Big Apple
• An “Eco-Renaissance” Woman
• Teachers We Love
• Growing Community in Chicago

 Ronnie Cho is an Associate Director in the White House Office of Public Engagement.

Today, February 1, Secretary Arne Duncan and the White House hosted a conference call to discuss Higher Education and Civil Rights in Education. The call highlighted the Obama Administration’s commitment to increasing college affordability and accessibility for students in underserved communities.

On Thursday, February 2, The White House along with Surgeon General Dr. Regina Benjamin, will co-host the National Black Nurses Association during their 24th Annual Black Nurses Day.

Finally, on Friday, February 3, The White House Business Council, the U.S. Small Business Administration, and the White House White House Council on Women and Girls will lead an Urban Economic Forum at Barnard College in New York. 

We will continue to highlight African American History Month events each week at www.whitehouse.gov/africanamericans.

President Obama wants to hear from you. Today at 5:30 p.m. ET, he will answer your questions about the State of the Union in a first-ever Google+ Hangout from the White House. You can submit your questions and vote for your favorite questions on YouTube.

Last Wednesday, the President traveled to Cedar Rapids, Iowa where he described how he intends to continue the 22 months of job growth that have created 3.2 million jobs. The President discussed the importance of American manufacturing. Specifically, he laid out a reform package that supports manufacturing, discourages outsourcing, and encourages insourcing – and it won’t add a dime to the deficit.

On Thursday, he traveled to a UPS facility in Las Vegas, focusing on the importance of American workers developing American-made energy for an economy that’s built to last. Later that day he went to Buckley Air Force Base in Aurora, Colorado to discuss the steps the Administration is taking to promote energy security.

On Friday, the President went to the University of Michigan where he laid out a comprehensive approach to tackle rising college costs.  The fact is, higher education can’t be a luxury – it’s an economic imperative that every family in America should be able to afford.

President Barack Obama delivers the State of the Union address in the House Chamber at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., Jan. 24, 2012. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

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•  “We will stand against violence and intimidation.  We will stand for the rights and dignity of all human beings –- men and women; Christians, Muslims and Jews. “

 On Health Care:

• “I will not go back to the days when health insurance companies had unchecked power to cancel your policy, deny your coverage, or charge women differently than men…..For less than 1 percent of what our nation spends on education each year, we’ve convinced nearly every state in the country to raise their standards for teaching and learning -- the first time that’s happened in a generation.

 On Clean Energy:

• "I’m directing my administration to allow the development of clean energy on enough public land to power 3 million homes.  And I’m proud to announce that the Department of Defense, working with us, the world’s largest consumer of energy, will make one of the largest commitments to clean energy in history -– with the Navy purchasing enough capacity to power a quarter of a million homes a year."

On Mortgages:

• "And that’s why I’m sending this Congress a plan that gives every responsible homeowner the chance to save about $3,000 a year on their mortgage, by refinancing at historically low rates."

On the Economy:

• "Millions of Americans who work hard and play by the rules every day deserve a government and a financial system that do the same.  It’s time to apply the same rules from top to bottom.  No bailouts, no handouts, and no copouts.  An America built to last insists on responsibility from everybody."
• "Right now, our most immediate priority is stopping a tax hike on 160 million working Americans while the recovery is still fragile.    People cannot afford losing $40 out of each paycheck this year.  There are plenty of ways to get this done.  So let’s agree right here, right now:  No side issues.  No drama.  Pass the payroll tax cut without delay.  Let’s get it done."

On Iran:

•  "And we will safeguard America’s own security against those who threaten our citizens, our friends, and our interests.  Look at Iran.  Through the power of our diplomacy, a world that was once divided about how to deal with Iran’s nuclear program now stands as one.  The regime is more isolated than ever before; its leaders are faced with crippling sanctions, and as long as they shirk their responsibilities, this pressure will not relent. Let there be no doubt:  America is determined to prevent Iran from getting a nuclear weapon, and I will take no options off the table to achieve that goal."

On Cooperation with Israel:

•  "Our ironclad commitment -- and I mean ironclad -- to Israel’s security has meant the closest military cooperation between our two countries in history."

Watch the video of the enhanced State of the Union, learn more about our Office Hours marathon, and get involved and ask questions about the President's speech at WhiteHouse.gov/SOTU. The full text of the State of the Union is available here.

Jarrod Bernstein is the Director of Jewish Outreach at the Office of Public Engagement.

In this week’s edition of “Women Working to Do Good” HelloGiggles spotlights Quinn Fitzgerald, a former White House intern who served on behalf of the President last fall with passion. Drawing from her experience of empowering women worldwide through volunteerism, outreach, and community building, Quinn is a role model, a patriot and a brilliant example of a woman working to do good. In the profile, the author writes:

As for her plans for the future, Quinn’s intention is to continue connecting politics with the issues close to her heart. “I want to continue serving the President in any way I can,” she says, adding, “I feel like he shares the same values, fundamentally, that I do, and I want to keep pursuing that.” As she does, she will take with her the inspiration that has carried her this far already. “I’m doing the work I’m doing today because of women who have inspired me and mentored me. If it wasn’t for [my mother and grandmother] I wouldn’t be the person I am today and I wouldn’t be doing the work that I’m doing.”

Quinn has committed her talents and passions towards empowering women from all walks of life. With each of us with women in our lives, how will you stand up for them?

Read more about Women Working to Do Good

• “Cookies for a Cure”
• "Women Working to Do Good" Visits the White House
• A Girl's Best Friend
• Giving Thanks
• Showing Up in a Big Way
• Art Cart in the Big Apple
• An “Eco-Renaissance” Woman
• Teachers We Love
• Growing Community in Chicago
• Wonder Woman in the Los Angeles Volunteer World

Ronnie Cho is an Associate Director in the White House Office of Public Engagement.

President Barack Obama greets Jeremy Carr in the Outer Oval Office, Jan. 13, 2012. Carr's mother, Teresa Carr, and brother, Bobby Carr, join him. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

Although millions of Steelers fans mourned the first-round playoff loss this year, they had something more important to celebrate—one of their hometown heroes who lives with a disability.

Just north of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in Beaver County, lives Vietnam veteran Teresa Carr. Late last fall, Teresa took the time to write a personal letter to the President. And while as a veteran she probably could have spent pages detailing her history and service, Teresa had another topic in mind—her 23 year old son, Jeremy.

According to Teresa, Jeremy wanted more than anything to serve his country in the military. He lives with Down Syndrome so that meant he could not be an active duty soldier, but that didn’t stop Jeremy from committing to serving our country through volunteerism.  In his spare time, Jeremy volunteers at a local chapter of Vietnam Veterans of America. Last spring he spent time cleaning up a local highway with several veterans.  Through it all, Jeremy asked his mother one question; “Mom, will President Obama be proud of me for helping the soldiers?”

The answer is a resounding “Yes!” In his Veteran’s Day speech, President Obama emphasized the importance of Jeremy Carr’s service, dedication and commitment to veterans, declaring "I could not be prouder of you, and your country is proud of you. Thank you for serving our veterans and helping them continue their service to America."

To top off the personal mention, just last week Jeremy and his parents were invited to the White House to meet with President Obama. Again, the President honored Jeremy for his commitment to serving veterans and urged him to continue his inspiring efforts.

The definition of service extends far beyond active duty. Service is giving back to those who need our help and volunteering with organizations which support American dreams. Jeremy and millions of Americans with disabilities serve their communities in different ways each and every day.

Kareem Dale is the Special Assistant to the President for Disability Policy

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This week, Egypt achieved several historic milestones in its transition to democracy. Yesterday, democratically-elected representatives of the People’s Assembly met for the first time since Egypt’s revolution, and the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces transferred legislative authority to them. Today, Field Marshal Tantawi took steps to lift the state of emergency that has existed in Egypt for several decades. And tomorrow, Egyptians will commemorate the anniversary of the revolution that made Egypt’s transition to democracy possible. We congratulate the Egyptian people and their government on these important steps toward fulfilling the promise of Egypt’s revolution, which has inspired the world. While many challenges remain, Egypt has come a long way in the past year, and we hope that all Egyptians will commemorate this anniversary with the spirit of peace and unity that prevailed last January. The United States will continue to stand with the Egyptian people, and those across the region, as they defend universal values and work toward a better future for all Egyptians.

Clay McMullen, 17, lives in Munson Township, Ohio and is a senior at West Geauga High School where he is President and Founder of the Wetlands Education Team. He is a member of the of the 2011 PARADE All-America High School Service Team, an award recognizing outstanding young service leaders presented by PARADE Magazine in partnership with generationOn, the global youth service division of Points of Light.

Clean air and clean water. These are things that too many of us take for granted. What most of us don’t appreciate is that without wetlands, we wouldn’t have either of those things. Wetlands are called the sponges of the natural world, and for good reason. Much of the pollution that we put out, they absorb. They filter out pollutants and slowly release cleaner water and oxygen back into the ecosystem.  So, when I learned that Ohio had lost 90 percent of its wetlands in the past 100 years, I was appalled.  How could we let such a precious resource slip away? How did we fail to notice this? Sadly, most people just stood idly by or, in the name of progress, actively encouraged policies and practices that let Ohio’s most precious resource fall by the wayside. 

Having learned about this unfortunate history, I chose to act by starting the Wetlands Education Team (WET) in sixth grade. I convinced a couple of good friends to help and we got to work. We started out small, attempting to spread the message of conservation to small groups of children. I am sure that many of them were just there for the complimentary juice boxes and temporary tattoos of bugs, but most of them learned to recite a few basic facts about how to preserve wetlands before they left us. For example, they learned that vernal pools look like puddles and dry up part of the year. They learned to tell their parents to protect them, or at least to leave them alone.  Slowly but surely, however, we grew into a viable educational resource that was making a positive impact.  

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President Obama continued his series of recent jobs-initiative unveilings with a major announcement at the Walt Disney World Resort on Thursday. In his remarks, the President elaborated upon his plans to increase tourism by easing traveling restrictions on frequent visitors to the United States and shortening visa processing times.

Tourism is actually the United States’ largest service export, bringing in $134 billion in 2010, and it supports businesses in communities across America. Whether it’s getting more people to visit the Empire State Building or the Grand Canyon, President Obama wants to fully capitalize on America’s status as the world’s favorite tourist destination. 

On Wednesday, the Administration announced that it would not approve of TransCanada’s proposal to build the Keystone XL pipeline. The President emphasized that the decision simply reiterated a point made over a month ago by the State Department, which was tasked with making a recommendation on the project: the sixty-day deadline imposed by Congressional Republicans was needlessly arbitrary and, moreover, wholly insufficient for the necessary health, safety, and environmental assessments.

103,785 Americans used the “We the People” petition tool to convey their positions on the online piracy bills being debated in Congress to the White House. This week, the White House used “We the People” to communicate its response and affirm that the protection of intellectual property and the protection of a free and open internet are not mutually exclusive and are both of paramount importance to the Administration.

President Barack Obama delivers remarks on a strategy that will significantly help boost tourism and travel during a statement at the Magic Kingdom Theme Park at the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida, Jan. 19, 2012. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

 

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One of these remarkable honorees is Venus D. Majeski from Edison, New Jersey.  Venus Majeski serves as Director of Development & Community Relations for the New Jersey Institute for Disabilities, one of the largest not-for-profit agencies, serving more than 1,500 infants, children and adults with disabilities throughout New Jersey.  Venus is a passionate advocate for persons with disabilities and continues to participate in and direct numerous advocacy projects.  She is a member of the Middlesex County Commission for Persons with Disabilities and the New Jersey Emergency Management Association.  

Venus Majeski

In addition to serving with the New Jersey Institute for Disabilities and her other advocacy work, Venus spearheaded the Alianza Emergency Preparedness Project Plus (AEPP-Plus) as Project Director.  AEPP-Plus is designed to address the disaster readiness of people with access and functional needs who live in a culturally diverse, majority Hispanic/Latino, low income community, which has been underserved in all areas.  AEPP-Plus brings individuals to the table and to leadership positions in disaster readiness.  The goal of AEPP-Plus is to integrate all individuals into their community's overall disaster readiness preparations, shifting attitudes and changing systems to ensure a truly responsive and embracing community.

Venus Majeski’s work as an advocate for people with disabilities is truly commendable and embodies this administration’s belief that preparedness and emergency coordination must involve all segments of the population, whether they are individuals with disabilities, young children, or older adults.  We are both very proud and privileged to recognize Venus as one of this year’s “Champions of Change.”

Kareem Dale is the Special Assistant to the President for Disability Policy.

OCR has issued new tools that educators, parents, students, and others can use to help ensure that all elementary and secondary students with disabilities are provided an equal opportunity to participate in, and benefit from, a public education. 

In two guidance documents, a Dear Colleague Letter and accompanying Questions and Answers document, OCR discusses the effects of the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act (Amendments Act) on public elementary and secondary education programs.  The ADA and Section 504 define “disability” as (1) a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits a major life activity; (2) a record of such an impairment; or (3) being regarded as having such an impairment.  The Amendments Act, which became effective January 1, 2009, emphasizes that the definition should be interpreted to allow for broad coverage.  Students who, in the past, may not have been determined to have a disability under the ADA and Section 504 may now in fact meet the definition of disability under these laws.  These amendments allow educators to focus on whether a school district’s actions and obligations ensure equal education opportunities, rather than on the technical issue of whether a student has a disability.

The documents we released also provide additional guidance on the requirements of Section 504 and the ADA in elementary and secondary schools. They reiterate the legal obligation of school districts to evaluate students for disability, provide a free appropriate public education to students with disabilities, and provide procedural safeguards for identification, evaluation, and educational placement.  And they remind school districts that even if it is determined that a student does not need special education or related services, they must still consider whether the student is entitled to a reasonable modification of policies, practices, or procedures.

As Education Secretary Duncan said in support of President Obama's proclamation of October as National Disability Employment Awareness Month, “with a high-quality education, children with disabilities will be self-sufficient and will be able to work and live independently.”  We at OCR are passionate about making sure that students with disabilities receive that high-quality education so that they may achieve their dreams and make positive and lasting contributions to our communities.

Russlynn Ali is the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights in the Department of Education

In this week’s edition of “Women Working to Do Good”, HelloGiggles spotlights Gretchen Holt-Witt, a mother who founded ‘Cookies for Kids Cancer’, a non-profit organization that bakes hundreds of batches of cookies nationwide to raise money for kids cancer research. In the profile, the author writes:

“Children today are still receiving treatment that is decades old, because funds would hold up shifting to more sophisticated treatment methods and deny children access to any treatment for several months. Gretchen’s brilliance is in her ability to pinpoint the problem that needs addressing and pursuing it head-on.”

So whether it is by baking, buying, or donating, let’s follow in Gretchen’s footsteps and sweeten up the research on kids cancer. The kids will certainly enjoy the chance to eat a few more cookies, too.

Gretchen Holt-Witt. (Photo from HelloGiggles)

The initial commitments list featured nearly 180,000 employment opportunities from public and private sector entities across the country. Companies and organizations can accept the call-to-action by engaging in one of three key ways: Learn and Earn – providing youth jobs through paid internships and/or permanent positions with on-the-job training; Life Skills – providing youth with work-related soft skills through coursework and/or experience; and Work Skills – providing youth insight into the working world (job shadow days, internship). 

To build on this initiative, today I am excited to announce three additional technology-focused Life Skills and Work Skills commitments from Codecademy, Level Playing Field Institute and the College Bound Brotherhood. As we continue to adequately prepare our young people to compete in the 21st century economy, it is imperative that we focus on providing them with a strong Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education as well as help introduce them to some of the high-tech competitive skills necessary in much of the industry today. The commitments outlined below will help introduce low-income youth in the San Francisco Bay area and others from across the country to basic coding skills, provide a STEM education curriculum that many may not have previously had access to, and provide the opportunity to intern at a leading technology company.

Thanks to everyone who has already committed to helping employ our youth and let’s keep the commitments coming!

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In his remarks before business leaders at the White House, the President described his vision: to reaffirm America’s status as the world’s premier manufacturer. A series of strategic tax cuts will create incentives for firms to innovate and expand right here in the United States. Improvements in our domestic infrastructure and education system will ensure that the American worker remains the world’s most productive. Finally, the government will do everything in its power to ensure that businesses have the financial and technical support that they need to succeed and create secure jobs.    

On Friday, President Obama announced a new plan that will make it easier to do business in America. He proposed merging six federal departments that currently handle trade and business issues into a single department. This streamlining will improve efficiency, eliminate duplication, and make it easier to do business with the federal government.

On Monday President Obama hosted the Dallas Mavericks, winners of the 2011 NBA Championship. During their visit, the Mavericks met with wounded warriors – a continuation of the great work that the team has been doing to support members of the military and their families.

President Barack Obama, joined by 19 business leaders, delivers remarks to leaders from the private sector and the government at the “Insourcing American Jobs” forum in the East Room of the White House, Jan. 11, 2012. President Obama said the insourcing by these leaders was "exciting" and one reason "why I'm incredibly optimistic about our prospects." (Official White House Photo by Lawrence Jackson)

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The goal is to make provide 250,000 summer jobs opportunities for American’s youth. Over 180,000 commitments have been made to date by our partners– more than doubling the commitments made in 2011.

Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis discusses the Obama Administration's Summer Jobs+ initiative and reflects on her own summer job experiences.

Ed. Note: This piece is cross-posted on the Department of Labor's Official Blog.

This week in Washington, we got our first taste of snow and sub-freezing temperatures of the New Year. As a California native, I admit my thoughts instinctively turned to the summer. I can’t help it. It’s in my DNA.

But I’m in good company because President Obama has been thinking about the summer, too. He started planning last fall to create summer job opportunities for America’s youth in 2012.

Today, I joined the President at the White House to issue a call to action to American businesses, nonprofits and government entities to put our young people to work this summer.  In the first two years of this administration, we saw the benefits of a society that is willing to invest in its youth. More than 367,000 young people found summer work opportunities in 2009 and 2010 because of the Recovery Act.

President Obama announces Summer Jobs+, a call to action to American businesses, nonprofits and government entities to put young people to work in summer 2012 (Photo courtesy of the Department of Labor).

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I am highlighting this roundtable for a special reason: we got results.  There were clear deliverables that we have acted on and make me proud to serve in this Administration. My experience with this roundtable is a demonstration of how government can put words into action.

One of the biggest issues articulated at the roundtable was the impact of U.S. immigration laws under the Compacts of Free Association (COFA). These are bilateral agreements between the U.S. and the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, and the Republic of Palau, which allow citizens of these countries visa-free access to live and work indefinitely in the U.S. in exchange for the U.S.’ unrestricted access to their lands and waterways for strategic purposes.  Community leaders expressed how COFA migrants are experiencing difficulty obtaining or maintaining jobs due to challenges with E-Verify or the Form I-9, both methods by which an employer can verify that an individual is legally authorized to work in the U.S.
The Department of Justice’s Office of Special Counsel for Immigration Related Unfair Employment Practices (OSC) and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Verification Division responded by taking immediate steps to improve their outreach and policy.  USCIS, with collaboration from OSC, issued special Form I-9 and E-Verify guidance for employers who hire individuals from the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, and the Republic of Palau.

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One of the many groups working to advance immigration reform has been the Interfaith Immigration Coalition.  Through an initiative titled the DREAM Sabbath, interfaith groups held events all over the country, highlighting stories of DREAM students and facilitating conversations between communities on the importance of the DREAM Act.

In their DREAM Sabbath Scrapbook, a report highlighting all the DREAM Sabbath events, media clips, and pictures, the initiative is described as, “a time when faith and action came together…”

The DREAM Act would allow young people who were brought to the U.S. through no fault of their own and grew up as Americans an opportunity to earn a legal status if they meet numerous requirements, including attending college or serving in the military. As the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office reported, the DREAM Act would cut the deficit by $1.4 billion over the next 10 years, and in these economic times, this is more meaningful than ever before.

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The appointment gives Americans a powerful advocate in one of the places where they need it most and is a critical aspect of the President’s plans to reform Wall Street. This empowerment of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau came on the heels of another significant victory for the middle class: the extension of the payroll tax cut.

The President reiterated his “We Can’t Wait” message on Thursday during a presentation before business and community leaders at the Summer Jobs+ event held at the White House. In light of Congressional Republicans blocking the American Jobs Act, President Obama is doing everything he can to get results now. Through the 180,000 summer jobs already pledged by the public and private sectors (with an additional 70,000 jobs expected), and the handy summer job bank, the Administration will connect young people with employers that will provide meaningful work experience.

Summer Jobs+ is an extension of President Obama’s plan to win the future by cultivating America’s human capital and making every American the very best that they can be. Early on-the-job experience will teach the youngest generations the skills that they need to get good, secure jobs later in life.

President Barack Obama delivers remarks on the economy at Shaker Heights High School,Shaker Heights, Ohio, Jan. 4, 2012. Richard Cordray, former Ohio Attorney General and nominee as director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau shares the stage with the President. (Official White House Photo by Chuck Kennedy)

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New Year's resolutions are a great way to check-in with ourselves and reflect on our priorities. Resolving to eat healthy, exercise more, or spend more time with our loved ones can all be a part of using the New Year as an opportunity to become better versions of ourselves.

This New Year, we encourage you to make service-minded resolutions. As you know, the Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service is right around the corner on January 16, 2012. We hope you will join the hundreds of thousands of people who start the year off right by helping others on the King Holiday, and recommit yourself to service all year long.

Now is the time to look around your communities to find ways you can help. You can find ways to make our neighborhoods cleaner, safer, happier and more welcoming. Get started by finding a service project or posting your own.

One organization that is helping people get the word out about their New Year's Resolutions is Resolution12. Started last year by Chaplain Charles Howard of the University of Pennsylvania as Resolution11, the project has collected more than 2,000 service-related resolutions via their website, Facebook page, and through partner sites.

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The United States has already had sanctions on CBI and Iran’s oil industry for decades -- so to make this legislation effective, the Obama Administration worked closely with Congress to shape the Iran provisions so that this new tool would increase the likelihood that other countries would stop doing business with CBI and Iran’s oil sector. This is important because the most effective approach is one that involves multilateral participation and is timed and phased to avoid negative repercussions to international oil markets and instead focus pressure on Iran.

For three years, President Obama has led an unprecedented effort to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. Through a two-track policy -- one track increasing the pressure on Iran to induce it live up to its responsibilities in the international community and the other track offering a very credible option for engagement, provided Iran accepts its responsibilities to the international community -- the United States has built a strong international coalition against Iran’s nuclear weapons aspirations. As a result, Iran now faces the toughest sanctions regime in the world and is more isolated diplomatically, both regionally and globally.

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On most Three Kings days, I would wake up early to discover the presents the “Reyes” had left under the Christmas tree in the home I grew up in, which is right around the corner from that busy intersection. Every time I come back to Puerto Rico the traffic in this area can literally alter my plans to visit family and friends --- especially if I need to go from San Juan to Guaynabo. These two cities are just a few minutes apart, but the drive time can take an eternity because of the sea of cars that constantly clog the highway. This is a situation I accepted for years and never thought would change. Little did I know, however, that when I joined the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) in 2009 I would be working at the federal agency that is tackling this problem and making real change.  Because of a project DOT is helping to fund, there will be critical improvements made to the Caparra Interchange which will open new opportunities for commuters, truckers, bicyclists and business owners.

The Caparra Interchange is strategically located at a point that connects the shipping docks in the Port of San Juan with Guaynabo and Bayamón, as well as the highway that goes to Arecibo and the northwestern part of the Island. As a result of a $10 million Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) Grant DOT recently awarded to a consortium led by the Municipality of Guaynabo, the interchange will be transformed into a roundabout with 2 new lanes, 6 new ramps and additional facilities for pedestrians. The award announced by Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood last month seeks to reduce congestion on one of the main access roads where 81,000 vehicles and 1.7 million commuters travel daily. Easing the congestion along the Caparra Interchange will also save money for businesses that transport their goods and deliveries along this road in order to reach other parts of the Island. The temporary and permanent jobs created as a result of this project will significantly boost the economic engine of the San Juan metropolitan area and beyond.

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