Tag Archives: Megan Slack

News, Politics, Government

A Plan to Simplify the Tax Code for Businesses and Give Working Families a Better Deal

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By <a href="/author-detail/3699933">Megan Slack</a>

President Barack Obama delivers remarks on the economy at the Amazon Chattanooga Fulfillment Center

President Barack Obama delivers remarks on the economy at the Amazon Chattanooga Fulfillment Center in Chattnooga, Tenn., July 30, 2013. (Official White House Photo by Amanda Lucidon)

Today President Obama traveled to Chattanooga, Tennessee today to talk about the first and most important cornerstone of middle class security: a good job in a durable, growing industry.

“We should be doing everything we can as a country to create more good jobs that pay good wages,” President Obama said. And plenty of independent economists, business owners, and people from both parties are already in agreement on some of the ingredients that we need for creating good jobs, he explained:

Putting people back to work rebuilding America’s infrastructure. Equipping our kids and our workers with the best skills. Leading the world in scientific research that helps to pave the way for new jobs in new industries. Accelerating our clean energy and natural gas revolutions. Fixing a broken immigration system so that American workers aren’t undercut, undermined because some businesses are unscrupulous and hiring folks and not paying them decent wages.

“We're not lacking for ideas, we're just lacking action, especially out of Washington,” he said.

“So I’m going to try offering something that serious people in both parties should be able to support: a deal that simplifies the tax code for our businesses and creates good jobs with good wages for middle-class folks who work at those businesses.”

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Source: FULL ARTICLE at The White House

News, Politics, Government

President Obama Lays Out a Better Bargain for the Middle Class

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By <a href="/author-detail/3699933">Megan Slack</a>

President Barack Obama delivers a speech on the economy at Knox College in Galesburg, Ill

President Barack Obama delivers a speech on the economy at Knox College in Galesburg, Ill., June 24, 2013.

(Official White House Photo by Lawrence Jackson)

Today President Obama returned to Knox College to kick off a series of speeches about his vision for rebuilding an economy that puts the middle class — and those fighting to join it – front and center.

In his remarks, President Obama laid out the progress we’ve made together in the five years since the start of the recession that cost millions of Americans their jobs, their homes, and their savings

Thanks to the grit and resilience and determination of the American people — of folks like you — we’ve been able to clear away the rubble from the financial crisis. We started to lay a new foundation for stronger, more durable economic growth.

As a country, we’ve recovered faster and gone further than most other advanced nations in the world. With new American revolutions in energy and technology and manufacturing and health care, we're actually poised to reverse the forces that battered the middle class for so long, and start building an economy where everyone who works hard can get ahead.

But, he said, “I’m here to tell you today that we're not there yet.”

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Source: FULL ARTICLE at The White House

News, Politics, Government

Vice President Biden and Indian Leaders Discuss U.S.-India Engagement

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By <a href="/author-detail/3699933">Megan Slack</a>

Vice President Joe Biden meets with Indian Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh

Vice President Joe Biden meets with Indian Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh, at Panchavati, in New Delhi, India, July 23, 2013.

(Official White House Photo by David Lienemann)

On his second day in New Delhi, Vice President Biden met with Indian leaders to discuss the increasingly important bilateral relationship between our two countries.

In meetings with Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh, President Pranab Mukherjee, Vice President Hamid Ansari and others, Vice President Biden emphasized a range of opportunities for our countries to work more closely together on issues such as economic growth, trade, energy and climate change, security and investments in innovation and education.

In the evening, the Vice President discussed the importance of the U.S.-India relationship at a dinner hosted by Indian Vice President Hamid Ansari.

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Source: FULL ARTICLE at The White House

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President Obama: Trayvon Martin Could Have Been Me

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By <a href="/author-detail/3699933">Megan Slack</a>

This afternoon, President Obama spoke from the White House Press Briefing Room about Trayvon Martin and the verdict of the court trial that followed the Florida teenager’s death.

Read the President’s remarks here, or watch here.

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Source: FULL ARTICLE at The White House

News, Politics, Government

Senate Confirms Richard Cordray as Consumer Watchdog

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By <a href="/author-detail/3699933">Megan Slack</a>

President Barack Obama listens to Richard Cordray deliver remarks following his confirmation as Director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau

President Barack Obama listens to Richard Cordray deliver remarks following his confirmation as Director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, in the State Dining Room of the White House, July 17, 2013. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

Today, President Obama thanked lawmakers from both parties for coming together confirm Richard Cordray as Director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. The CFPB was established to make sure American consumers are treated fairly in the financial market place, whether applying for a credit card, taking out a loan to buy a home or pay for college, dealing with a debt collector or other activities.

“Four years ago, even as we were working on restoring the economy and dealing with the immediate crisis,” President Obama said, “we also wanted to figure out how do we set new rules for the road to make sure that a few bad apples in the financial sector couldn't break the law, or cheat consumers, or put the entire economy at risk.”

Those efforts led to the creation of the CFPB in 2011, and two years ago this week, President Obama first nominated Cordray to run the new agency. But the Senate wouldn't vote on his confirmation, and the CFPB was severly hampered without a director, President Obama said.

The CFPB wasn’t able to give consumers the information they needed to make good, informed decisions. Folks in the financial system who were doing the right thing didn’t have much certainty or clear rules of the road. And the CFPB didn’t have all the tools it needed to protect consumers against mortgage brokers, or credit reporting agencies, or debt collectors who were taking advantage of ordinary Americans.

President Obama took action to temporarily appoint Cordray as Director so CFPB could get to work. And as a result, President Obama said, Americans everywhere are better off.

Today, if you want to take out a mortgage or a student loan or a payday loan, or you’ve got a credit reporting agency or debt collector who’s causing you problems — maybe they're not playing by the rules, maybe they're taking advantage of you — you have somewhere to go. The CFPB has already addressed more than 175,000 complaints from all across the nation, giving people an advocate who is working with them when they're dealing with these financial institutions that may not always be thinking about consumers first.

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Source: FULL ARTICLE at The White House

News, Politics, Government

Weekly Address: America Stands with the City of Boston

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By <a href="/author-detail/3699933">Megan Slack</a>

President Obama speaks to the American people about the act of terror at the Boston Marathon that wounded dozens and killed three innocent people on Monday, and says that through it all, Boston’s spirit remains undaunted and Americans have proven they refuse to be terrorized.

Transcript | Download mp4 | Download mp3

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From: http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2013/04/20/weekly-address-america-stands-city-boston

News, Politics, Government

Senate Votes to Block Expanded Background Checks for Gun Sales

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By <a href="/author-detail/3699933">Megan Slack</a>

Surrounded by Americans whose lives and families had been forever changed by gun violence, President Obama spoke from the Rose Garden about today’s Senate vote on expanded background checks for gun sales.

A few months ago, in response to too many tragedies — including the shootings of a United States Congresswoman, Gabby Giffords, who’s here today, and the murder of 20 innocent schoolchildren and their teachers –- this country took up the cause of protecting more of our people from gun violence.

Families that know unspeakable grief summoned the courage to petition their elected leaders –- not just to honor the memory of their children, but to protect the lives of all our children. And a few minutes ago, a minority in the United States Senate decided it wasn’t worth it. They blocked common-sense gun reforms even while these families looked on from the Senate gallery.

“A majority of senators voted “yes” to protecting more of our citizens with smarter background checks,” President Obama said. “But by this continuing distortion of Senate rules, a minority was able to block it from moving forward.”

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From: http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2013/04/17/senate-votes-block-expanded-background-checks-gun-sales

News, Politics, Government

President Obama Speaks on the Explosions in Boston

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By <a href="/author-detail/3699933">Megan Slack</a>

Watch this video on YouTube

This evening, President Obama made a statement about today’s explosions at the Boston Marathon.

The President explained that he had been briefed by his Homeland Security team, who are continuing to monitor the situation as it unfolds, and had “directed the full resources of the federal government to help state and local authorities protect our people, increase security around the United States as necessary, and investigate what happened.”

“The American people will say a prayer for Boston tonight,” he said. “And Michelle and I send our deepest thoughts and prayers to the families of the victims in the wake of this senseless loss.”

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From: http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2013/04/15/president-obama-speaks-explosions-boston

News, Politics, Government

Make Your Voice Heard: Now Is the Time to Do Something About Gun Violence

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By <a href="/author-detail/3699933">Megan Slack</a>

In January, President Obama proposed a series of executive actions to help keep our kids and communities safe, and put forward a set of commonsense proposals for Congress to consider that can make a real difference in protecting our citizens from gun violence. But they are only going to act on them if they hear from the American people.

You can make your voice heard by joining the White House call for action on social media. Here's how it works:

  1. Sign on to share a tweet or Facebook message through our action page here: wh.gov/nowisthetime/action
  2. We'll gather as many voices as we can, then post all the messages and tweets simultaneously for maximum impact
  3. The more people who sign up, the louder our collective voice will be, so after you sign on, encourage your friends and family to participate.


Learn more about the President's proposals here, and keep the conversation going on your social networks with the hashtag #NowIsTheTime.

From: http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2013/04/11/make-your-voice-heard-now-time-do-something-about-gun-violence

News, Politics, Government

President Obama Asks Americans to Stand Up and Call for Action to Reduce Gun Violence

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By <a href="/author-detail/3699933">Megan Slack</a>

Today President Obama traveled to Connecticut, where he told families of the children and teachers who died at Sandy Hook Elementary that we have not forgotten our promise to help prevent future tragedies and reduce gun violence in our country.

“In fact,” he said, “I’m here to ask you to help me show that we can get it done.”

Your families still grieve in ways most of us can’t comprehend. But so many of you have used that grief to make a difference — not just to honor your own children, but to protect the lives of all of our children. So many of you have mobilized, and organized, and petitioned your elected officials … as citizens determined to right something gone wrong.

And last week, here in Connecticut, your elected leaders responded. The Connecticut legislature, led by many of the legislators here today, passed new measures to protect more of our children and our communities from gun violence. And Governor Malloy signed that legislation into law.

So I want to be clear. You, the families of Newtown, people across Connecticut, you helped make that happen. Your voices, your determination made that happen. Obviously, the elected leaders did an extraordinary job moving it forward, but it couldn’t have happened if they weren’t hearing from people in their respective districts, people all across the state. That's the power of your voice.

“So Connecticut has shown the way,” he said. “And now is the time for Congress to do the same.”

President Barack Obama delivers remarks on gun violence, at the University of Hartford in West Hartford, Conn., April 8, 2013.

(Official White House Photo by Lawrence Jackson)

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Source: FULL ARTICLE at The White House

News, Politics, Government

Honoring Martin Luther King Jr. With Our Lives

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By <a href="/author-detail/3699933">Megan Slack</a>

Today marks the 45th anniversary of the death of one of America’s great heroes and a giant of the Civil Rights Movement, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Dr. King was working on the frontlines of a movement in Memphis to support the sanitation workers on strike when his life was taken. It was there that he gave his last speech, I’ve Been on a Mountaintop.

Today, we pause and reflect on Dr. King’s extraordinary life and his tireless work to bend the arc of the moral universe toward justice. We stand on the shoulders of so many of our Civil Rights heroes who we’ve lost, such as Dr. King, Dorothy Height, and Rosa Parks. Yet their legacy continues.

This August, we also mark the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington, when thousands descended upon the capital to rally for civil and economic rights for all Americans. It was there, at the Lincoln Memorial, that Dr. King gave his most iconic speech, I Have a Dream.

Since Dr. King’s untimely and tragic death, we have strived to advance his ideals and realize his dream for all Americans to have the same economic and social opportunities.

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Source: FULL ARTICLE at The White House

News, Politics, Government

President Obama: Requiring Background Checks for Anyone Who Wants to Buy a Gun is Common Sense

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By <a href="/author-detail/3699933">Megan Slack</a>

Today in Colorado, President Obama asked the American people to continue calling on Congress to vote on a set of common-sense proposals to help reduce gun violence, including closing loopholes in the background check system to keep guns out of the hands criminals and others who should not have access to them.

Since the tragic shooting in Newtown, Connecticut prompted a national call for action just over 100 days ago, gun violence has killed more than 2,000 Americans. “Every day that we wait to do something about it, even more of our fellow citizens are stolen from our lives by a bullet from a gun,” President Obama said today.

Colorado – a state that’s experienced two of the worst mass shootings in U.S. history – has already taken action to prevent future violence. State officials worked together to enact tougher background checks that help keep guns out of the hands of dangerous people without infringing on the rights of responsible gun owners.

“There doesn’t have to be a conflict between protecting our citizens and protecting our Second Amendment rights,” President Obama said. “Colorado has shown that practical progress is possible.”

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Source: FULL ARTICLE at The White House

News, Politics, Government

President Obama Meets with Prime Minister Lee of Singapore

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By <a href="/author-detail/3699933">Megan Slack</a>

President Barack Obama delivers remarks with Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong of the Republic of Singapore prior to a bilateral meeting in the Oval Office, April 2, 2013.

(Official White House Photo by Lawrence Jackson)

In a bilateral meeting today with Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong of Singapore, President Obama reaffirmed America's commitment to a secure and prosperous Asia-Pacific region, and thanked Prime Minster Lee for being “an outstanding partner for us on the international stage.”

In addition to close military cooperation between the two countries that allows the United States to maintain an effective presence the Pacific, Singapore is also a strong economic partner.

“Over the last decade, since we signed our free trade agreement, we have seen a doubling of trade between our countries, and that creates jobs here in the United States as well as in Singapore,” the President said.

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Source: FULL ARTICLE at The White House

News, Politics, Government

President Obama: We Have Not Forgotten What Happened in Newtown

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By <a href="/author-detail/3699933">Megan Slack</a>

Today, President Obama promised the American people that he had not forgotten the 20 innocent chidlren and six brave educators who lost their lives at Sandy Hook Elementary more than 100 days ago. Standing with parents and teachers of gun violence victims, he urged Congress to take action that will protect other children and families from the pain and grief these families have experienced.

“As I said when I visited Newtown just over three months ago, if there is a step we can take that will save just one child, just one parent, just another town from experiencing the same grief that some of the moms and dads who are here have endured, then we should be doing it,” President Obama said. “We have an obligation to try.”

In January, the President put forward a series of common-sense proposals to reduce the epidemic of gun violence and keep our kids safe, and in his State of the Union address, the President called on Congress to give these proposals a vote. “And in just a couple of weeks, they will,” he said.

In the coming weeks, members of Congress will vote on whether we should require universal background checks for anyone who wants to buy a gun so that criminals or people with severe mental illnesses can’t get their hands on one. They’ll vote on tough new penalties for anyone who buys guns only to turn around and sell them to criminals. They’ll vote on a measure that would keep weapons of war and high-capacity ammunition magazines that facilitate these mass killings off our streets. They’ll get to vote on legislation that would help schools become safer and help people struggling with mental health problems to get the treatment that they need.

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Source: FULL ARTICLE at The White House

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President Obama Establishes Five New National Monuments

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By <a href="/author-detail/3699933">Megan Slack</a>

Click here to see the photo gallery.

Today, President Obama signed proclamations establishing five new national monuments that celebrate our nation’s rich history and natural heritage. The monuments, located in Delaware, Maryland, New Mexico, Ohio and Washington, help tell the story of significant people and extraordinary events in American history, and also help protect natural resources and supporting economic growth in local communities through tourism and outdoor recreation.

“These sites honor the pioneering heroes, spectacular landscapes and rich history that have shaped our extraordinary country,” President Obama said. “By designating these national monuments today, we will ensure they will continue to inspire and be enjoyed by generations of Americans to come.”

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Source: FULL ARTICLE at The White House

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President Obama to new citizens: "In each of you, we see the true spirit of America"

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By <a href="/author-detail/3699933">Megan Slack</a>

Watch this video on YouTube

Today, President Obama spoke at a at a naturalization ceremony for active duty service members and civilians at the White House. He welcomed 28 new American citizens to our nation of immigrants and called for reforms to our immigration system that will help harness the talent and ingenuity of all those like them who want to work hard and find a place here in America.

President Obama said that in each of the men and women who had earned the right to call this country home, we're reminded of the millions who came before them and our “faith in the idea that anyone, anywhere, can write the next great chapter in this American story. “

We are so proud of everybody here. In each of you, we see the true spirit of America. And we see a bit of ourselves, too, because most of our stories trace back to moments just like this one. To an ancestor who -– just like the men and women here today –- raised their right hand and recited that sacred oath.

And the point is that unless you are one of the first Americans, unless you are a Native American, you came from someplace else. That’s why we’ve always defined ourselves as a nation of immigrants. And we’ve always been better off for it. The promise we see in those who come from all over the world is one of our greatest strengths. It’s kept our workforce young. It keeps our businesses on the cutting edge. It’s helped to build the greatest economic engine that the world has ever known.

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Source: FULL ARTICLE at The White House

News, Politics, Government

Ben Rhodes Previews President Obama's Trip to Israel, the West Bank and Jordan

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By <a href="/author-detail/3699933">Megan Slack</a>

In the first foreign trip of his second term in office, President Obama will visit Israel, the West Bank and Jordan. The trip is an important opportunity to meet with the new Israeli government and speak to the Israeli people, as well as meet with the Palestinian leadership and the King of Jordan.

We asked Ben Rhodes, Deputy National Security Advisor for Strategic Communications, to preview the upcoming trip and some of the issues the President would be discussing in his meetings. Check it out below or watch the video on YouTube. Learn more about the trip here.

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Source: FULL ARTICLE at The White House

News, Politics, Government

President Obama Meets with the Sultan of Brunei

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By <a href="/author-detail/3699933">Megan Slack</a>

Today, President Obama hosted His Majesty the Sultan of Brunei for a bilateral meeting in the Oval Office to affirm the relationship between our two countries that dates back more than 160 years.

The two leaders discussed their shared interest in a strong, peaceful, and prosperous Asia-Pacific region, and continued cooperation between our nations on a range of issues.

With Brunei set to host October’s ASEAN East Asia Summit meeting, President Obama said they would be working together on “everything from how we deal with issues of energy and climate change to how we expand commerce, potentially through the Trans-Pacific Partnership that has the opportunity of creating jobs and prosperity here in the United States but also throughout the region.”

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Source: FULL ARTICLE at The White House

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President Obama Talks Trade with His Export Council

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By <a href="/author-detail/3699933">Megan Slack</a>

Today, President Obama stopped by a meeting of his Export Council, a group of business executives and government leaders who advise him on trade and export issues.

“The good news is we are well on our way to meeting a very ambitious goal that we set several years ago to double U.S. exports,” President Obama said. “The question now becomes how do we sustain this momentum?”

Part of that means building on progress that put strong trade deals in place, including the Trans-Pacific Partnership, which “sets a high bar that ensures that trade is fair and free,” the President said.

“And for those of us who abide by high labor standards and high environmental standards, obviously being able to lock in those kinds of high standards in the fastest-growing region of the world and the most populous region of the world can yield enormous benefits and help to generate billions of dollars in trade and millions of jobs.”

President Obama also discussed expanding trade with Europe through efforts to lock in the EU-U.S trade deal he announced in his State of the Union Address.

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Source: FULL ARTICLE at The White House

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President Obama Announces Three Nominees to Help Tackle "Our Most Important Challenges"

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By <a href="/author-detail/3699933">Megan Slack</a>

President Barack Obama announces the nominations of Ernest Moniz, Gina McCarthy, and Sylvia Mathews Burwell

President Barack Obama announces the nominations of, from left, Ernest Moniz as Energy Secretary, Gina McCarthy as Environmental Protection Agency Administrator, and Sylvia Mathews Burwell as Director of the Office of Management and Budget, in the East Room of the White House, March 4, 2013.

(Official White House Photo by Lawrence Jackson)

Today, President Obama announced his nominees for director of the Office of Management and Budget, Secretary of Energy and administrator of the EPA.

Sylvia Matthews Burwell, the President's pick for Office of Management and Budget Director, is an expert on budgetary and domestic policy. She served as Deputy Director of the OMB from 1998 to 2001, as well as Deputy Chief of Staff to the President and Chief of Staff to the Secretary of the Treasury during the Clinton administration.

President Obama said that Burwell “understands that our goal when we put together a budget is not just to make the numbers add up. Our goal is also to reignite the true engine of economic growth in this country, and that is a strong and growing middle class — to offer ladders of opportunity for anybody willing to climb them.”

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Source: FULL ARTICLE at The White House