There are 98 posts tagged White House.gov Blog Feed (this is page 10 of 10).
In a 5-4 decision, the Supreme Court took a huge step forward in our progress toward a more perfect union.
Today, gay and lesbian couples won their right to marry. Today, love wins.
You can read the decision here.
President Obama reacted to the decision on Twitter:
Today is a big step in our march toward equality. Gay and lesbian couples now have the right to marry, just like anyone else. #LoveWins
— President Obama (@POTUS) June 26, 2015
Ed. note: This is cross-posted on the U.S. Department of Labor's blog. See the original post here.
Secretary of Labor Thomas E. Perez meets with inmates at the Montgomery County Correctional Facility in Boyds, MD on July 28, 2014 who are getting employment services on-site as they prepare for release. The grants awarded today will help improve job opportunities for thousands of other inmates across the country.
For so many people going through the criminal justice system, it can be hard to get back on their feet after they walk out of the prison house door. But if you’ve paid your debt to society, there’s no reason you should be further sentenced upon your release to dead ends, closed doors and economic hopelessness. Successful reentry isn’t just important for formerly incarcerated individuals themselves; it matters to their communities and our entire society.
Until very recently, the assumption was we could build our way to public safety — spending millions and millions of taxpayer dollars on fences and barbed wire. But at the end of the day, 95 percent of those we locked up were returning home worse off than before. We’re finally getting smarter on crime, recognizing that not every tool in your arsenal has to be a hammer.
We can’t just lock people up; we also have to unlock their potential.
That’s what we aim to do with our new grants for the Face Forward and Training to Work programs. We’re investing a total of $59 million to offer critical employment and training services, like career counseling, support services, resume help and job search assistance.
More than one important decision from the Supreme Court today that's worth noting → http://pic.twitter.com/WPuh8y8cZC
— Josh Earnest (@PressSec) June 25, 2015
In a 5-4 vote, the Court ruled that disparate-impact claims can be filed under the Fair Housing Act of 1968. Under the disparate-impact doctrine, a policy can be considered discriminatory if it has a disproportionately adverse impact against any group of people, based on race, national origin, color, religion, sex, familial status, or disability.
As Justice Anthony Kennedy wrote in the majority opinion, the Fair Housing Act (FHA) was created to eliminate discriminatory housing practices, such as "zoning laws and other housing restrictions that function unfairly to exclude minorities from certain neighborhoods" without sufficient justification.
"Recognition of disparate-impact claims," he added, "is consistent with the FHA's central purpose."
Today, the Supreme Court upheld a critical part of the Affordable Care Act — landmark health care reform that the President signed into law five years ago. Millions of Americans who got covered in the Health Insurance Marketplaces can now stay covered, no matter where they live.
Learn more about today's decision, and about the history of health care in America.
On March 23, 2010, I sat down at a table in the East Room of the White House and signed my name on a law that said, once and for all, that health care would no longer be a privilege for a few. It would be a right for everyone.
Five years later, after more than 50 votes in Congress to repeal or weaken this law and multiple challenges before the Supreme Court, here is what we know today:
This law worked. It's still working. It has changed and saved American lives. It has set this country on a smarter, stronger course.
And it's here to stay.
Today, in a 6-3 decision, the Supreme Court upheld a critical part of the Affordable Care Act, historic health care reform that the President signed into law five years ago. Now, millions of Americans who got covered in health insurance marketplaces can stay covered, no matter where they live.
The President made the following statement from the Rose Garden following the decision:
"This was a good day for America." —@POTUS on the Supreme Court upholding a critical part of the Affordable Care Act http://t.co/PHjhhCe06p
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) June 25, 2015
Ed. note: This is cross-posted on the First Lady's Medium account. See the original post here.
Last week, the First Lady headed to the U.K. and Italy on a trip that took her from talking to girls about their education, to helping share tips for healthy living at the Expo, to visiting with our military families stationed abroad.
In London, the First Lady was inspired and impressed by the hard-working students she met at the Mulberry School for Girls. More than 62 million girls around the world are not in school. That’s a devastating loss for all of us who are missing out on their promise. That’s why while at the Mulberry School, the First Lady also announced a nearly $200 million British and American partnership to continue their collective support for adolescent girls’ education, part of which will be directed to countries affected by conflict and crisis.
Students welcome First Lady Michelle Obama at Mulberry School for Girls in London, England, June 16, 2015. The First Lady visited to discuss the Let Girls Learn initiative. (Official White House Photo by Amanda Lucidon)
Real GDP for the first quarter was revised up this morning, reflecting slightly higher growth in personal consumption, private investment, and government expenditures than previously estimated. The small first-quarter decline in overall GDP was driven by a number of factors including harsh winter weather and tepid foreign demand. However, the combination of consumption and investment—the most stable and persistent components of output—continued to rise at a robust year-over-year pace. This solid trend matches the strong pace of job growth and employment reduction observed over the last year. The President is working to build on these underlying trends by opening our exports to new markets with high-standards free trade agreements, boosting investment in infrastructure, and avoiding harmful budget cuts like the sequester.
1. Real gross domestic product (GDP) edged down 0.2 percent at an annual rate in the first quarter of 2015, according to the third estimate from the Bureau of Economic Analysis. This report reflects an upward revision of 0.5 percentage point to overall GDP growth. The slower first quarter follows a solid increase of 3.6 percent at an annual rate during the second half of 2014. Over the past four quarters, GDP rose 2.9 percent. First-quarter growth was likely affected by a number of transitory factors including unusually severe weather, the West Coast ports dispute, and various measurement issues. A decline in net exports was another important contributor to weak GDP growth. Indeed, net exports subtracted nearly 2 full percentage points from quarterly GDP growth. Furthermore, structures investment subtracted about 0.6 percentage point from GDP (see point 4), reflecting reduced oil drilling in the wake of last year’s decline in oil prices. Despite the decrease in GDP, real gross domestic income—an alternate measure of economic output—increased 1.9 percent at an annual rate in the first quarter.
For decades, we’ve fought to secure a series of trade programs that have delivered results at home and around the globe. This week, Congress will consider whether or not to continue these programs that help bring people out of poverty, create new opportunities for developing countries to grow, and help retrain American workers who have lost their jobs through no fault of their own.
The Trade Preferences Extension Act, which the Administration has worked on closely with Congress, will not only expand and improve Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA), which helps laid-off U.S. workers get back on their feet, but will also extend programs that help support jobs and economic growth in developing countries. These programs include the African Growth & Opportunity Act (AGOA), Generalized System of Preferences (GSP), and Haitian Hemispheric Opportunity through Partnership Encouragement (HOPE) Act.
Combined, these improved trade programs present a unique opportunity to both support American workers and help create jobs in the developing world.
Here is a look at key provisions of the Trade Preferences Extension Act that Congress is considering this week: