Week Thirty-Five

National Scene 9/30 – 10/6/09

By Linnie Frank Bailey

Despite an impassioned plea from First Lady Michelle Obama, and an in-person request from the President, Olympic officials did not award the 2016 Olympic Games to Chicago. Obama was in a catch-22 regarding the Olympics bid – if he had not gone, he would have been accused of not using his exceptional communication skills on behalf of an American city; however, by going he was accused of ‘wasting time.’ Nevertheless, most agree the loss of the 2016 Olympics was an ‘American’ loss.

On a lighter note this week, the President and First Lady celebrated their seventeenth anniversary with an intimate dinner at the Blueduck Tavern in D.C.

Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Administration Announces Grants for Medical Research Industry

The President announced $5 billion in grant awards to fund medical research and create tens of thousands of American jobs over the next two years. Obama announced that more than 12,000 grants would be awarded with the purpose of funding research facilities, manufacturing and supplying medical equipment, and, building and modernizing laboratories. He lauded the project stating, “The goal of the Recovery Act was not to create make-work jobs, but jobs making a difference for our future.”

Thursday, October 1, 2009

Response to American Samoa Natural Disaster

The U.S. Territory of American Samoa was struck by a major tsunami, causing widespread death and destruction in its coastal communities. President Obama acted immediately by granting a Major Disaster Declaration so that FEMA could begin delivering resources to the island.

American Samoa is an unincorporated territory of the United States located in the South Pacific Ocean, southeast of the sovereign state of Samoa. FEMA has pre-positioned supplies in Hawaii to allow for quick response to disasters in U.S. territories in the Pacific. The Administration offered support and prayers to all Samoans affected by the disaster.

Friday, October 2, 2009

Ending Distracted Driving

President Obama issued an Executive Order directing federal employees not to engage in texting while driving government vehicles or while driving their own vehicles on government business. The order extends to federal contractors and others doing business with the government, asking these firms to adopt and enforce policies banning texting while driving on the job. The Administration through the Department of Transportation has additional goals to address the issue, including:

1. Make permanent restrictions on the use of cell phones and other electronic devices in rail operations.
2. Restrict the use of cell phones by truck drivers and interstate bus operators.
3. Disqualify school bus drivers convicted of texting while driving from maintaining commercial driver’s licenses.
4. Call on state and local governments to make distracted driving part of their state highway plans and pass laws prohibiting distracted driving in all types of vehicles, particularly school buses.

Community Call-to-Action: HIV/AIDS

In response to the HIV/AIDS epidemic, the Administration has issued a “Call to Action: Americans Speak about HIV/AIDS” project. The goal is to encourage community-based organizations, faith-based organizations and other groups to hold their own discussions and submit their concerns to the Office of National AIDS Policy (ONAP) web site:

http://www.whitehouse.gov/administration/eop/onap/action/

ONAP will accept public input from Friday, October 2, 2009, through Friday, November 13, 2009. For more information on the “Call to Action,” or to submit a recommendation for the National HIV/AIDS strategy visit the website.

Targets for Stimulus Funds

Vice President Joe Biden discussed Recovery Act progress, including a local project to widen I-215. The Vice President quoted a Wall Street Journal report on the project that is expected to create 450 to 600 jobs in the Inland Empire, stating, “Without the stimulus money, the Interstate 215 project would have been another victim of California’s budget crisis.”

Biden also announced nine year-end targets for Recovery Act funds: (as listed on whitehouse.gov)

1. Batteries for Vehicle Electrification: By the end of the year, the Department of Energy will have put in place funding for battery manufacturing plants that can power 400,000 plug-in hybrid electric vehicles each year.
2. Military Hospitals: The Department of Defense will begin 34 construction and modernization projects at hospitals and medical centers throughout the country over the next 90 days, making a total of 65 hospitals and medical centers with projects under construction since passage of the Act.
3. National Parks: The Department of Interior will begin on-site construction improvement work in 105 more national parks throughout the country over the next 90 days.
4. Small Business Assistance: The Small Business Administration will provide and leverage $5 billion in capital to over 12,000 small businesses through two key lending programs (7a and 504) in the next 90 days.
5. Fuel-Efficient Bus Purchases: By the end of the year, the Federal Transit Agency will have awarded enough grants to enable the purchase of approximately 10,000 new transit vehicles across the country.
6. Housing Loans and Rehabilitation: By the end of the year, the Department of Agriculture and the Housing and Urban Development Department will have provided housing loans and capital funding to finance, build, or renovate over 100,000 households across America.
7. Renewable Energy: By the end of the year, the Departments of Energy and Treasury will help fund renewable energy projects that will generate enough alternative energy to power 900,000 homes in the United States once completed.
8. Road Projects: By the end of the year, the Department of Transportation will have obligated enough funds to support 10,000 highway projects.

Saturday, October 3, 2009

Jobs Report: “A Sobering Reminder”

During his weekly address, the President discussed his efforts to “beat back the recession” while acknowledging, “the September job losses were a sobering reminder that progress comes in fits and starts, and that we will need to grind out this recovery step by step.” Obama said he is working with his economic team to look at additional options for job creation in the months ahead, saying:

“I won’t let up until those who seek jobs can find them; until businesses that seek capital and credit can thrive; and until all responsible homeowners can stay in their homes….It won’t be easy. It will require us to lay a new foundation for our economy – one that gives our workers the skills and education they need to compete; that invests in renewable energy and the jobs of the future; and that makes health care affordable for families and businesses – particularly small businesses, many of which have been overwhelmed by rising health care costs.”

Monday, October 5, 2009

Doctors Join Health Care Reform Fight

President Obama welcomed doctors from across the country to the White House for a discussion of health care reform from their perspective. The doctors—from all fifty states—stood with Obama to show their support for his health care reform initiatives. The President reminded his audience, “When you cut through all the noise and all the distractions that are out there, I think what’s most telling is that some of the people who are most supportive of reform are the very medical professionals who know the health care system best -- the doctors and n