White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs just responded to a letter sent today from House Republican Leader John Boehner and House Republican Whip Eric Cantor regarding the proposed bipartisan health care summit: The President is adamant that we seize this historic moment to pass meaningful health insurance reform legislation. He began this process by inviting Republican […]
While most of Washington spent the weekend digging out of the snow, federal agencies were taking the next steps in making their work more transparent for the American people. Since early December, agencies have worked to create their own webpages to serve as the gateway for each agency’s implementation of the Open Government Directive. These […]
Along with a massive snowstorm, Friday brought a blizzard of new info on the job market. From the perspective of our work at the White House, two points stand out, one about where we are and the other about where we’ve been. First, while there are encouraging signs regarding jobs, they are early signs and […]
Despite an encouraging commitment to peacebuilding priorities on the part of the Guinea-Bissau authorities, there had been only slow progress in security-sector reform, economic development and combating drug trafficking, the Chairperson of the Peacebuilding Commission?s relevant country-specific configuration said today. ?It is a long path still, but we know what the priorities are and we […]
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, accompanied by Madam Ban Soon-taek, arrived in Larnaca, Cyprus, in the early evening of Sunday, 31 January. In his opening statement to the press upon arrival, Mr. Ban said that he was confident that a solution to the Cyprus problem ?is possible and within reach?. (See Press Release SG/SM/12729) He […]
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and Madam Ban Soon-taek arrived in Addis Ababa, after an overnight stopover in Frankfurt, in the early evening of Friday, 28 January. Upon arrival, the Secretary-General was briefed by Abdoulie Janneh, Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA). On Saturday morning, at Africa Hall in the ECA compound, […]
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, accompanied by Madam Ban Soon-taek, arrived in London early on Thursday morning, 27 January. Upon arrival, the Secretary-General travelled to No. 10 Downing Street, where he attended a breakfast hosted by Prime Minister Gordon Brown. This event was attended by Heads of Delegation who were to attend the London Conference […]
The situation around Port-au-Prince remained calm despite continuing precarious conditions, and assistance was needed to prepare for the approaching hurricane season, Kim Bolduc, the Secretary-General?s Deputy Special Representative for the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) said today. Addressing a Headquarters press conference by video link, Ms. Bolduc said a new element in […]
At the National Prayer Breakfast, President Obama reflected that it is often during the times when others are in great need that bring Americans together, as the nation united in its efforts to help the people of Haiti. It’s inspiring. This is what we do, as Americans, in times of trouble. We unite, recognizing that such […]
The best ideas are those that make you say “I can’t believe we don’t already have this.” Today, I am happy to report a historic collaboration between industry, the health community and government to bring you something you can’t believe we don’t already have: a free (yes, free) mobile health service for pregnant women and […]
