White House.gov Blog Feed

There are 98 posts tagged White House.gov Blog Feed (this is page 3 of 10).

Advance Estimate of GDP for the Second Quarter of 2015

Real GDP rose faster in the second quarter than in the first, even after a large upward revision to first-quarter growth. Strong personal consumption led the rebound as consumers spent more of the windfall gains from lower oil prices that they had saved in the first quarter, and many of the temporary factors that restrained growth in the first quarter faded. The President is committed to pushing Congress to increase investments in infrastructure as part of a long-term transportation reauthorization, to open our exports to new markets with new high-standards free trade agreements, and to ensure that fiscal brinksmanship or the sequester does not return in the next fiscal year as outlined in the President’s FY2016 Budget. 

FIVE KEY POINTS IN TODAY’S REPORT FROM THE BUREAU OF ECONOMIC ANALYSIS

1. Real gross domestic product (GDP) rose 2.3 percent at an annual rate in the second quarter according to the BEA’s advance estimate, while first-quarter GDP growth was revised up from a 0.2 percent decline to a 0.6 percent increase. The revision to first-quarter GDP growth is mostly accounted for by higher fixed investment growth than previously estimated, in both the business and residential sectors. In the second quarter, the rise in GDP growth was led by a faster pace of personal consumption growth than the first quarter and a shift from negative to positive net export growth. The drag from declining structures investment was also much less negative for overall growth in the second quarter than in the first. Incorporating the effects of the annual GDP revision released today (see point 2), real GDP has now risen 2.3 percent over the past four quarters.

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Direct Video Calling Increases Access for Deaf Citizens

Technology has given us incredible new tools to communicate with friends, family, and colleagues, and all Americans should enjoy these benefits — including, and especially, those with disabilities.

For those with hearing or speech impairments, digital video and other tools have helped these communities stay connected and working, rather than isolated. So, as the White House celebrates the 25th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, we’re announcing some new steps to help the government stay accessible to all Americans using the latest technology. 

We are pleased to announce that two agencies that routinely interface with the disabilities community — the U.S. Census Bureau and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) — will soon be taking up direct video calling technology to allow Deaf citizens to communicate directly with American Sign Language (ASL)-fluent call operators there. This work responds to the President’s 2011 executive order calling upon agencies to use technology to improve customer service, and is another step in the right direction.

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How We’re Changing the Way We Respond to Petitions

President Barack Obama signs S. 517, Unlocking Consumer Choice and Wireless Competition Act

President Barack Obama signs S. 517, Unlocking Consumer Choice and Wireless Competition Act, in the Oval Office, Aug. 1, 2014. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

The Right to Petition is a Constitutional Right

In its final clause, the First Amendment of the Constitution protects the right of the American people “to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.” It’s right up there along religion, speech, press, and assembly.

Yet while it guarantees the right to petition, the First Amendment doesn’t explain how to petition or what the government owes in response. Over the years, many people have petitioned the government by sending written letters to the White House and Congress, asking for assistance and expressing grievances on a variety of issues. For example, in 1897, Native Hawaiians who petitioned Congress were successful in temporarily blocking the annexation of the Hawaiian Islands. And in 1874, suffragette Susan B. Anthony petitioned Congress to remit a fine imposed on her after she was arrested for casting a vote in the 1872 election in Rochester, New York.

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A Look Back at We the People Petitions: 2011 to Today

“My administration is committed to creating an unprecedented level of openness in government. We will work together to ensure the public trust and establish a system of transparency, public participation, and collaboration. Openness will strengthen our democracy and promote efficiency and effectiveness in government.”

—   President Barack Obama

Since we launched We the People in 2011, millions of Americans have engaged with their government on the issues that matter to them. This groundbreaking online platform has made petitioning the government, a First Amendment right, more accessible than ever. Over the past few years, the Obama administration has taken a stance on a number of causes that citizens really care about and used the We the People petition platform to voice their concerns. Check out We the People — where you can create or sign petitions — here. 

Today, the White House released responses to 20 outstanding We the People petitions. We're recommitting to the platform in a big way, integrating with Change.org to reach even more Americans and guaranteeing that you'll hear from us within 60 days after the petition you signed has gathered the required signatures.

As we gear up for this new phase, take a look back at responses from the last four years.

1. The President Records a Special Message for a Petition on Reducing Gun Violence

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The Faces of Health Care: Susan F.

What has health reform meant to this country? That’s a question that millions of Americans answer every day. Susan is one of them. Read more of their stories here.

“Everyone should be free to study their passions and pursue goals, chronic illness or not.”

Susan F. from Grover Beach, California, wrote the President last November to tell him how she’s benefited from the Affordable Care Act.

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My ADA Story: A Deafblind Lawyer Dismantling Digital Barriers

Haben Girma, a deafblind lawyer, introduced the President at a White House reception last week to mark the 25th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

This afternoon, she sent the following message to the White House email list, in which she shares her personal story and explains how the ADA is helping Americans with disabilities continue to tear down barriers.

Didn't get the email? Sign up for email updates here.

I recently had the honor of introducing President Obama at a White House reception commemorating the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

The President shared a moving story of how, in the years before Congress passed the ADA, his father-in-law — who had multiple sclerosis — would sometimes hold himself back because he didn't want his disability to inconvenience others. With that story, President Obama reminded Americans that "We've got to tear down barriers externally, but we also have to tear down barriers internally."

As someone who has struggled against attitudinal barriers, I loved hearing our President encourage the world to view access for people with disabilities as a civil and human right.

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The Faces of Health Care: Christopher C.

What has health reform meant to this country? That's a question that millions of Americans answer every day. Christopher is one of them. Read more of their stories here.

"I am writing to thank you, I believe, for my life."

Last September, Christopher C. from Batesville, Arkansas was diagnosed with esophageal cancer.

Before the Affordable Care Act, Christopher, who worked for a small business, had no health insurance coverage. Fortunately, because of the protections provided by the ACA, he was able to obtain insurance that kept him out of financial ruin. Since the beginning of 2015, he has been on Medicaid, which has provided him quality coverage as he continued his treatment.

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President Obama Travels to Kenya and Ethiopia

This week President Obama is traveling in Kenya and Ethiopia to attend the 2015 Global Entrepreneurship Summit and to meet with leaders from government, business, and civil society. The trip is reinforcing the U.S. commitment to expanding economic growth and trade, strengthening democracy on a global scale, and investing in the next generation of African leaders.

Follow along for highlights from the President’s trip.

Thursday, July 25th

  • On Saturday morning, the President spoke at the 2015 Global Entrepreneurship Summit
  • President Obama visited the Power Africa Innovation Fair
  • He then attended a wreath laying ceremony and then a welcome ceremony
  • President Obama and President Kenyatta of Kenya then held a bilateral meeting and joint press conference
  • In the evening, the President attended the Kenya State Dinner

 

Watch the President’s full remarks at the Global Entrepreneurship Summit: http://www.snappytv.com/tc/712581

Obama Dancing

At the Kenya State Dinner, President Obama — along with President Uhuru Kenyatta and First Lady Margaret Kenyatta — performed the traditional Lipala dance at Nairobi’s State House.

 

July 26th

On Sunday, July 26, the President delivered remarks at the Safaricom Indoor Arena in Nairobi, Kenya. Watch the speech here:

 

 President Obama greets audience members after his speech at the Safaricom Indoor Arena in Nairobi, Kenya,

President Obama greets audience members after his speech at the Safaricom Indoor Arena in Nairobi, Kenya.

A photo posted by Pete Souza (@petesouza) on

Jul 26, 2015 at 12:59pm PDT

WEEKLY ADDRESS: Wall Street Reform is Working

President Barack Obama tapes the Weekly Address in the Roosevelt Room of the White House, July 23, 2015.

President Barack Obama tapes the Weekly Address in the Roosevelt Room of the White House, July 23, 2015. (Official White House Photo by Amanda Lucidon).

WASHINGTON, DC — In this week’s address, the President spoke to the progress we have made in making our financial system stronger, safer, and more fair in the years since financial crisis. Five years ago this week our country enacted the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, rules that have substantially reduced recklessness and abuse in our financial system that predated the crisis.  As a result of Wall Street reform, our banks are less reliant on unstable funding and less likely to engage in risky behavior, the independent Consumer Financial Protection Bureau works to protect American consumers, and our financial system is significantly better-regulated.  Dodd-Frank is working, and the President emphasized that he will continue to fight any challenges to the law and veto any effort to unravel the new rules governing Wall Street.

The audio of the address and video of the address will be available online at www.whitehouse.gov at 6:00 a.m. EDT, July 25, 2015.

Transcript | mp4 | mp3