Tag Archives: National Governors Association

President Barack Obama has a meeting with the National Governors Association in the White House, Feb. 25, 2013

President Barack Obama delivers remarks and participates in a Q&A during a meeting with the National Governors Association (NGA) in the State Dining Room of the White House, Feb. 25, 2013

(Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

In a meeting with the National Governors Association today at the White House, President Obama stressed the need for bipartisan cooperation, and pressed the leaders in attendance to work together with their partners in Washington to put the focus back on the next generation, rather than the next election.

All of us are elected officials. All of us are concerned about our politics, both in our own party’s as well as the other party’s. But at some point, we've got to do some governing. And certainly what we can't do is keep careening from manufactured crisis to manufactured crisis. As I said in the State of the Union, the American people have worked hard and long to dig themselves out of one crisis; they don't need us creating another one. And unfortunately, that's what we've been seeing too much out there.

The American people are out there every single day, meeting their responsibilities, giving it their all to provide for their families and their communities. A lot of you are doing the same things in your respective states. Well, we need that same kind of attitude here in Washington. At the very least, the American people have a right to expect that from their representatives.

White House Press Office

Remarks by the President and Vice President at Meeting of the National Governors Association

February 25, 2013 Bartle Doo Leave a comment

By The White House

State Dining Room

11:18 A.M. EST

THE VICE PRESIDENT: Thank you all. I tell you what, I didn't know Jack was as good as he is until I heard that rhyme last night. (Laughter.) Jack, if you had done that, I’d be introducing you here. (Laughter.)

Thank you all very, very much. I’m sorry — you guys are much more disciplined than the place I lived for 36 years, up on the Hill, and you’re running ahead of schedule. And so the President is with me, and I want to thank you all for being here.
We have a lot to work on. There’s a lot from fixing a broken immigration system to rebuilding our nation’s infrastructure, and this new word everybody in America is learning about — “sequester.”

This town, unlike many of your capitals, is I hope temporarily frozen in — not indifference but in sort of an intense partisanship, the likes of which in my career I’ve only see the last couple years. But you know the American people have moved to a different place. By the way, thanks for being so nice to my wife last night. I like you a hell of better. (Laughter.) We disagreed on some things.

But all kidding aside, I think the American people have moved — Democrats, Republicans, independents. They know that the possibilities for this country are immense. They're no longer traumatized by what was a traumatizing event, the great collapse in 2008. They're no longer worried, I think, about our economy being overwhelmed either by Europe writ large, the EU, or China somehow swallowing up every bit of innovation that exists in the world. They're no longer, I think, worried about our economy being overwhelmed beyond our shores.

And I don't think they're any more — there’s no — there’s very little doubt in any circles out there about America’s ability to be in position to lead the world in the 21st century, not only in terms of our foreign policy, our incredible defense establishment, but economically. I think the American people are ready to get up. As a civil rights leader, when I was coming up as a kid, said, they're just — the American people are tired of being tired. I think they're ready to get up and move. And you guys know that because it’s happening in your states. You probably feel it in your fingertips more than most of us do here in Washington.

And as I said, I think they know we’re better positioned than any nation in the world to lead the world. And that's why I think they're so frustrated by what they see and don't see happening here in Washington. And I think their frustration is turning into a little bit of anger.

I found an interesting dynamic — without ruining any of your reputations and picking out …read more
Source: White House Press Office

News, Politics, Government

Remarks by the First Lady and Dr. Jill Biden to National Governors Association

February 25, 2013 Bartle Doo Leave a comment

By The White House

State Dining Room

10:40 A.M. EST

DR. BIDEN: Thank you very much. (Applause.) Thank you, David, for that kind introduction. And thank you all for coming this morning. It was great to see you all last night. And wasn’t Audra McDonald incredible? (Applause.)

So we’re delighted to have you here at the White House again this morning. And the last time we were together, Michelle and I talked to you about one of our top priorities of our initiative Joining Forces, which I’m sure you all know about, which is our way to honor and support our troops, veterans and military families.

And we talked about one of the top concerns that we hear about from military spouses wherever we go, and that's professional licensing. So I’m sure you remember this from last year, many of you do who were here.

And our nation’s military spouses move 10 times more than their civilian counterparts, and 35 percent of those spouses have jobs that require a professional license. So they're our teachers, our nurses, our social workers. And we heard from a teacher — this is just one of the instances — who had 10 years' experience in her specialty in one state, and then when she moved to another state, she had to wait because the exam only took place twice a year. So she lost a lot of time and actually a lot of income because she had to wait. And then we met a nurse who moved 10 times during her husband’s service and needed to go through a different and complicated process every time she moved.

So these are just a few of the countless stories we’ve heard that illustrate what a challenge license portability really is for our military spouses.

Back in February of last year when we met with you, only 11 states had pro-spouse legislation. So the First Lady and I asked you for your help, and you’ve stepped up. Yes. (Applause.) And you stepped up because you appreciate how much our military families do for our country every single day. And just last month, Arkansas became the 28th state to pass legislation.

In just one year we’ve made tremendous progress, and the First Lady and I are really appreciative of your efforts. But there’s still more to do. Right now we’re thankful that we have 13 more states that already have introduced legislation and are headed in the right direction. So if your state has a small active-duty population, you might think that this issue may not impact you, but every state has a National Guard or Reserve. And with so many families — military families transitioning out of the military now and in the next few years, they’ll be focused on finding good jobs, good schools and good communities, whether there is a military base nearby or not.

News, Politics, Government

First Lady Michelle Obama Challenges Governors of all 50 States to Ease Service Members Transition to Civilian Work Force

February 25, 2013 Bartle Doo Leave a comment

By <a href="/author-detail/475">Colleen Curtis</a>

Too often the talented men and women who have served our country face barriers that make it difficult to find jobs that capitalize on the skills they have gained through their military education and experience. Many service members and veterans are required to repeat education or training in order to receive industry certifications and state occupational licenses, even though much, and in some cases, all, of their military training and experience overlaps with credential requirements.

The members of our Armed Forces and their families make great sacrifices, and when their service is concluded, we owe it to our veterans and their families to help them accomplish a successful transition to the civilian labor force. That is why over the past year and a half, President Obama has taken significant action to create a “career-ready military” and streamline the transition process.

Today, First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden highlighted the work that has been done across the country to change laws that require military spouses to attain new credentials when they move to a new state, and challenged the governors of all 50 states to take legislative or executive action to help our troops get the credentials they need by the end of 2015. Speaking to the National Governors Association in the State Dining Room, Mrs. Obama talked about the pressing need to take action and fulfill our responsibilities to the brave men and women who have sacrificed so much over the past decade:

In the coming years, more than one million service members will make the transition to civilian life.

Think about that – a million people hanging up their uniforms… figuring out what’s next… and doing everything they can to make that change as seamless as possible for their families.

So the fact is, while this time of war may be ending, our responsibilities to our troops and their families will only be ramping up.

And that’s what I want to talk to you about today—how we can fulfill what is perhaps our most pressing responsibility to our troops: making sure that when they come home, they can find a job—and not just any job, but a good job, a job they can raise a family on.

White House Press Office

Renewing the National Commitment to Putting America’s Heroes Back to Work

February 25, 2013 Bartle Doo Leave a comment

By The White House

Washington, D.C. – As part of their Joining Forces initiative, First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden addressed the National Governors Association and renewed their call on governors to do their part putting America’s heroes back to work, and to serve our military veterans and spouses as well as they’ve served us. The First Lady’s remarks are a call to action – building on President Obama’s June 2012 announcement of the Military Credentialing and Licensing Task Force – setting a goal that by the end of 2015, all 50 states will have taken legislative or executive action to help our troops get the credentials they need to successfully transition to the civilian labor market.

The remarks by Mrs. Obama and Dr. Biden coincide with a new report by the Executive Office of the President that details the barriers veterans and their families face as they seek employment, the Administration’s commitment to help them leverage their skills to good, meaningful jobs and the progress that has already been made.

FACT SHEET: The Fast Track to Civilian Employment

The United States has the most highly trained military in the world, sustained by individuals who have skill sets with enormous breadth and depth because of their military education and experience. The members of our Armed Forces and their families make great sacrifices, and when their service is concluded, we owe it to our veterans and their families to help them accomplish a successful transition to the civilian labor market. That is why over the past year and a half, the President has taken significant action to create a “career-ready military” and streamline the transition process.

Too often the talented men and women who have served our country face barriers that make it difficult to find jobs that capitalize on their skills. Many service members and veterans are required to repeat education or training in order to receive industry certifications and state occupational licenses, even though much, and in some cases, all, of their military training and experience overlaps with credential requirements.

Additionally, frequent moves, and the resulting need to search for new employment, can be a significant problem for military spouses, especially when getting a job in a new state requires obtaining an occupational license. Leveraging the skills of our military veterans and their families will build a stronger workforce and a more competitive economy.

The Fast Track to Civilian Employment

In the coming years, America will see a continued demand for skilled workers in high-growth industries from healthcare and information technology to clean energy and advanced manufacturing.

Studies generally find that both occupational licenses and government certifications are associated with higher wages, with substantial wage premiums—on the order of 15 to 18 percent—for individuals who hold an occupational license. Those without licenses often have to take jobs in different, lower-paying occupations.

Helping Servicemembers Gain Industry Recognized Licenses and Credentials
Despite having valuable military experience which in many …read more
Source: White House Press Office

Articles of Interest

Obama To National Governors Association: ‘We’ve Got More Work To Do’

February 25, 2013 Bartle Doo Leave a comment

By The Huffington Post News Editors

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama is calling on governors of both parties to work with him.

The president, during a White House dinner Sunday, told dozens of state leaders, “We’ve got more work to do.” They were in Washington for the annual meeting of the National Governors Association.

Governors Pushed To Implement Jobs Programs For People With Disabilities

February 24, 2013 Bartle Doo Leave a comment

By The Huffington Post News Editors

WASHINGTON — The Republican governor of South Dakota shared his personal experience growing up as the child of two deaf parents as part of the National Governors Association meeting this weekend, urging his fellow governors to promote jobs programs for people with disabilities.

South Dakota Gov. Dennis Daugaard told his colleagues his experiences Sunday morning during a panel discussion, part of several sessions this weekend dedicated to the subject of employment for people with disabilities. Delaware Gov. Jack Markell (D), the NGA chairman, has made the issue this year’s platform for NGA.

“I’m embarrassed to say that I have not done a lot as governor in this area,” Daugaard said. “I want to do more.”

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Tag Archives: National Governors Association

President Obama: I Look Forward to Working with Governors to Reignite America's Economic Engine

Remarks by the President and Vice President at Meeting of the National Governors Association

Remarks by the First Lady and Dr. Jill Biden to National Governors Association

First Lady Michelle Obama Challenges Governors of all 50 States to Ease Service Members Transition to Civilian Work Force

Renewing the National Commitment to Putting America’s Heroes Back to Work

Obama To National Governors Association: ‘We’ve Got More Work To Do’

Governors Pushed To Implement Jobs Programs For People With Disabilities

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