Category: Press Release

Today, the President and First Lady welcomed the 2012 U.S. Olympic and Paralympic teams to the White House to honor their participation and success in this year’s Olympic and Paralympic Games in London.  At an event on the South Lawn, Mrs. Obama told the athletes that she was impressed not only by the 200-plus medals they brought home, but also by their dedication and hard work leading up to the games. I want you to know how inspired we are …

President Obama speaks about the tragic loss of four of our fellow Americans who were serving in our diplomatic post in Benghazi, Libya. These Americans represented the best of our country; without people like them, we could not sustain our freedoms or security, or provide the leadership that the entire world depends on. During this time of turmoil in many different countries, the President makes it clear that the United States has a profound respect for people of all faiths, but …

Earlier this year, the President launched an initiative to build a 21st century platform for government. It requires federal agencies to make key services available to mobile users and to release important government data in ways that will allow citizen developers and entrepreneurs to turn them into new products, services, and jobs. “I want us to ask ourselves every day,” he said, “how are we using technology to make a real difference in people’s lives.” Here at the White House, …

Tuesday, four Americans lost their lives after an attack on the U.S. diplomatic post in Benghazi, Libya. Ambassador Chris Stevens and Foreign Service Officer Sean Smith were among those killed. This morning, President Obama condemned that attack, which he called “outrageous and shocking” in a statement from the Rose Garden. “We’re working with the government of Libya to secure our diplomats,” he said. “I’ve also directed my Administration to increase our security at diplomatic posts around the world. And make …

Today, President Obama and the First Lady marked the eleventh anniversary of the September 11 attacks. They began the day at the White House, observing a moment of silence on the South Lawn just after 8:45 a.m., around the time the first plane hit the north tower of the World Trade Center. Afterward, they traveled to the Pentagon, where the President spoke at a memorial service in honor of those who died there, as well as in New York and …

In his Weekly Address, President Obama talks about one of the legacies of September 11, 2001. “Instead of turning inward with grief,” he said, “we’ve honored the memory of those we lost by giving back to our communities, serving those in need, and reaffirming the values at the heart of who we are as a people.” That’s why we mark each September 11th as a National Day of Service and Remembrance — an act that Congress made official in 2009 …

President Obama marks the eleventh anniversary of the September 11th attacks by remembering the innocent lives lost, and honoring the first responders and men and women in uniform who have served and sacrificed to keep our country safe. In the difficult years following the attacks, the United States has come back stronger as a nation, decimated the leadership of al-Qaeda, ensured that Osama bin Laden will never attack America again, and strengthened our alliances across the world. The President has …

Last year, the White House launched a new tool called We the People, offering a powerful and simple way to petition the Obama Administration to take action on a range of issues. If a petition gathers enough signatures, policy officials review it and publish an official response. From the beginning, We the People’s popularity exceeded our expectations. More than 600,000 signatures were received in the first 11 days and within two weeks, 81 petitions had reached the initial signature threshold of 5,000 …

More and more Americans are using their phones to get the information they want, whenever — and wherever — they want it. In fact, there’s a pretty good chance you’re reading this email on your phone. Take the White House’s website for example. In 2010, 5 percent of visitors used a mobile device to access WhiteHouse.gov. Two years later that number has tripled to 15 percent — and it’s only getting higher. President Obama believes government should be open and …

Under the Administration’s Campaign to Cut Waste, we are scrutinizing every dollar of Federal spending to make sure that funds are spent efficiently and effectively.  As part of the campaign, last fall, in Executive Order 13589, “Promoting Efficient Spending,”the President charged Federal agencies with tightening their belts to find efficiencies and savings in areas such as printing, fleet, and travel.  That effort is paying off.  Federal agencies are hard at work executing on plans to achieve administrative cost savings in …

President Obama visited St. John’s Parish in Louisiana Monday to take in the damage from Hurricane Isaac and highlight the “extraordinary work” done by first responders: Because of the great work of law enforcement, National Guard, Coast Guard, making sure that folks were out in rescue mode rapidly, even in some cases at risk of their own lives, no lives were lost. Read more about the President’s visit to Louisiana.

President Obama marks the second anniversary of the end of major combat in Iraq, by thanking our servicemen and women for the outstanding work they did. It’s the summer’s special Mailbag Edition of West Wing Week, featuring Elizabeth Olson, Director of Presidential Correspondence. This week we’re taking a moment to pick out a few of your letters from the thousands that arrive everyday here at the White House and answer some of your questions on immigration, healthcare, and the economy. …