Press Briefing
White House Press Briefings are conducted most weekdays from the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room in the West Wing. From: whitehouse Views: 0 0 ratings Time: 00:00 More in News & Politics

Last week, several announcements from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) showed how people with Medicare are already benefiting from the Affordable Care Act:

• Nearly 3.6 million people with Medicare saved $2.1 billion on their prescription drugs in 2011 thanks to the Affordable Care Act.
• The average person with Medicare will save nearly $4,200 by 2021 because of the new law.
• Medicare Advantage premiums have fallen by 7 percent on average and enrollment has risen by about 10 percent from 2011, and premiums are down by 16 percent since 2010.

HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius talked about these announcements during her trip to Florida, where 238,362 Florida residents with Medicare saved $141,948,339 on their prescription drugs in 2011 thanks to the health reform law, the Affordable Care Act.  Behind these numbers are compelling stories like that of Floridian William Morris who saved $2,000 on the cost of his chemotherapy because of the law.

In Orlando, the Secretary participated in a State of Seniors Health discussion, addressing 85 seniors and community leaders at the Beardall Senior Center. She was joined by a number of panelists including Orlando pharmacist Carmen Rosado. As the Orlando Sentinel reported, Carmen is now retired and on Medicare, so she has seen both sides of the Part D program. She shared that:

“In the 46 years I practiced pharmacy, I have seen seniors who had to decide whether to eat or buy their medicines,” Rosado said Thursday. “Sometimes I would pay for their medicines, because [their situation] would hurt me. They would say: ‘Of all these medicines, which are the important ones?’ With the health law, they can continue with their drug regimen to better their health.”

Seniors are being helped by health reform across the country, from Oregon to Iowa to Maine.

Unfortunately, if Republicans in Congress had their way, seniors like Mr. Morris would lose his $2,000 discount on his chemotherapy drugs. People on Medicare would pay over $2 billion more per year on prescription drugs. The Houseof Representatives voted last year to repeal the drug discount program along with all the other policies in the health reform bill. 

President Obama is committed to strengthening Medicare the right way – by reducing health care costs rather than shifting costs to seniors – and ensuring today’s seniors and the next generation have access to quality, affordable Medicare coverage.

Kathy Greenlee is Assistant Secretary for Aging at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

The election in November will be the first one I will be old enough to vote in, and Barack Obama will be the first president I will vote for.

What first drew me to stand with Barack Obama is the way he can inspire a crowd. He can make people believe they are capable of anything, and restore their faith in their government, simply by the words he says. Listeners can tell he is genuinely passionate about the topics he addresses, and truly has America’s best interest at heart.

I know firsthand the power of Obama’s speeches. After hearing him talk about the American Jobs Act at my high school, I decided to volunteer with the campaign in my city. I want to do everything in my power to ensure that America sees four more years of hope. Obama’s speeches are not simply filled with eloquent wording. They are filled with promises he has kept. Barack Obama has done so much good for our country in the past three years. From health reform to repealing "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," to ending the war in Iraq, to doubling funding for Pell Grants and reforming student loans, to putting Americans back to work—the list goes on forever.

With all he has done in the past three years, I cannot wait to see what he can accomplish in the next four years.

—Emily, New Hampshire

President Obama's Record on Jobs - Obama for America 2012 Ad - February 2012
Get the facts: my.barackobama.com After taking office, President Obama signed the Recovery Act to help get our economy back on track. As a result: -The US has seen 23 consecutive months of private-sector job growth. -The private sector added nearly 3.7 million jobs over those 23 months. -The manufacturing sector has added 396000 jobs since December 2009, with annual job growth in the last two years for the first time since 1997. From: BarackObamadotcom Views: 16 1 ratings Time: 00:16 More in News & Politics

The Department of Health and Human Services is taking a step forward in the fight to eliminate Alzheimer's disease. According to an article in The New York Times this weekend:

“There is hopeful news in the battle against Alzheimer’s disease, a type of dementia that gradually robs millions of older Americans of their memories and mental capacities and ultimately kills them. Scientists are beginning to close in on possible diagnostic tests and treatments for this incurable disease. And the Obama administration, carrying out a law enacted in 2010, has just issued a ‘draft framework’ for an aggressive campaign to prevent and treat Alzheimer’s disease effectively by 2025.”

BarackObama: If you missed it yesterday, here's President Obama's pre-game interview with Matt Lauer: http://t.co/rXcnhb5K

Release Time:  For Immediate Release

TO THE CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES:

Pursuant to the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.) (IEEPA), I hereby report that I have issued an Executive Order (the "order") that takes additional steps with respect to the national emergency declared in Executive Order 12957 of March 15, 1995.

In Executive Order 12957, the President found that the actions and policies of the Government of Iran threaten the national security, foreign policy, and economy of the United States. To deal with that threat, the President in Executive Order 12957 declared a national emergency and imposed prohibitions on certain transactions with respect to the development of Iranian petroleum resources. To further respond to that threat, Executive Order 12959 of May 6, 1995, imposed comprehensive trade and financial sanctions on Iran. Executive Order 13059 of August 19, 1997, consolidated and clarified the previous orders. To take additional steps with respect to the national emergency declared in Executive Order 12957 and to implement section 105(a) of the Comprehensive Iran Sanctions, Accountability, and Divestment Act of 2010 (Public Law 111-195) (22 U.S.C. 8501 et seq.) (CISADA), I issued Executive Order 13553 on September 28, 2010, to impose sanctions on officials of the Government of Iran and other persons acting on

behalf of the Government of Iran determined to be responsible for or complicit in certain serious human rights abuses. To take further additional steps with respect to the threat posed by Iran and to provide implementing authority for a number of the sanctions set forth in the Iran Sanctions Act of 1996 (Public Law 104-172) (50 U.S.C. 1701 note) (ISA), as amended by CISADA, I issued Executive Order 13574 on May 23, 2011, to authorize the Secretary of the Treasury to implement certain sanctions imposed by the Secretary of State pursuant to ISA, as amended by CISADA. Finally, to take additional steps with respect to the threat posed by Iran, I issued Executive Order 13590 on November 20, 2011, to authorize the Secretary of State to impose sanctions on persons providing certain goods, services, technology, information, or support that contribute either to Iran's development of petroleum resources or to Iran's production of petrochemicals, and to authorize the Secretary of the Treasury to implement some of those sanctions.

I have determined that additional sanctions are warranted, particularly in light of the deceptive practices of the Central Bank of Iran and other Iranian banks to conceal transactions of sanctioned parties, the deficiencies in Iran's anti-money laundering regime and the weaknesses in its implementation, and the continuing and unacceptable risk posed to the international financial system by Iran's activities.

The order also implements section 1245(c) of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2012 (Public Law 112-81) (NDAA) by blocking the property and interests in property of Iranian financial institutions pursuant to IEEPA.

The order blocks the property and interests in property of the following:

The Government of Iran, including the Central Bank of Iran;

Any Iranian financial institution, including the Central Bank of Iran; and

Persons determined by the Secretary of the Treasury, in consultation with the Secretary of State, to be owned or controlled by, or to have acted or purported to act for or on behalf of, directly or indirectly, any person whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to the order.

The prohibitions of the order do not apply to property and interests in property of the Government of Iran that were blocked pursuant to Executive Order 12170 of November 14, 1979, and thereafter made subject to the transfer directives set forth in Executive Order 12281 of January 19, 1981, and implementing regulations thereunder. In addition, nothing in the order prohibits transactions for the conduct of the official business of the Federal Government by employees, grantees, or contractors thereof.

I have delegated to the Secretary of the Treasury the authority, in consultation with the Secretary of State, to take such actions, including the promulgation of rules and regulations, and to employ all powers granted to the President by IEEPA as may be necessary to carry out the blocking-related purposes of the order. All agencies of the United States Government are directed to take all appropriate measures within their authority to carry out the provisions of the order.

I have also delegated certain functions and authorities conferred by section 1245 of the NDAA to the Secretary of the Treasury and the Secretary of State in consultation with other appropriate agencies as specified in the order.

I am enclosing a copy of the Executive Order I have issued.

BARACK OBAMA

Release Time:  For Immediate Release

EXECUTIVE ORDER
- - - - - - -
BLOCKING PROPERTY OF THE GOVERNMENT OF IRAN
AND IRANIAN FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS

By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.) (IEEPA), the National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 1601 et seq.), section 1245 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2012 (Public Law 112-81) (NDAA), and section 301 of title 3, United States Code,
 

I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, in order to take additional steps with respect to the national emergency declared in Executive Order 12957 of March 15, 1995, particularly in light of the deceptive practices of the Central Bank of Iran and other Iranian banks to conceal transactions of sanctioned parties, the deficiencies in Iran's anti-money laundering regime and the weaknesses in its implementation, and the continuing and unacceptable risk posed to the international financial system by Iran's activities, hereby order:
 

Section 1. (a) All property and interests in property of the Government of Iran, including the Central Bank of Iran, that are in the United States, that hereafter come within the United States, or that are or hereafter come within the possession or control of any United States person, including any foreign branch, are blocked and may not be transferred, paid, exported, withdrawn, or otherwise dealt in.
 

(b) All property and interests in property of any Iranian financial institution, including the Central Bank of Iran, that are in the United States, that hereafter come within the United States, or that are or hereafter come within the possession or control of any United States person, including any foreign branch, are blocked and may not be transferred, paid, exported, withdrawn, or otherwise dealt in.
 

(c) All property and interests in property that are in the United States, that hereafter come within the United States, or that are or hereafter come within the possession or control of any United States person, including any foreign branch, of the following persons are blocked and may not be transferred, paid, exported,

withdrawn, or otherwise dealt in: any person determined by the Secretary of the Treasury, in consultation with the Secretary of State, to be owned or controlled by, or to have acted or purported to act for or on behalf of, directly or indirectly, any person whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to this order.
 

Sec. 2. I hereby determine that the making of donations of the type of articles specified in section 203(b)(2) of IEEPA (50 U.S.C. 1702(b)(2)) by, to, or for the benefit of any person whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to section 1 of this order would seriously impair my ability to deal with the national emergency declared in Executive Order 12957, and I hereby prohibit such donations as provided by section 1 of this order.
 

Sec. 3. The prohibitions in section 1 of this order include but are not limited to: (a) the making of any
contribution or provision of funds, goods, or services by, to, or for the benefit of any person whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to this order; and
 

(b) the receipt of any contribution or provision of funds, goods, or services from any such person.
 

Sec. 4. (a) The prohibitions in section 1 of this order apply except to the extent provided by statutes, or in regulations, orders, directives, or licenses that may be issued pursuant to this order, and notwithstanding any contract entered into or any license or permit granted prior to the effective date of this order.
 

(b) The prohibitions in section 1 of this order do not apply to property and interests in property of the Government of Iran that were blocked pursuant to Executive Order 12170 of November 14, 1979, and thereafter made subject to the transfer directives set forth in Executive Order 12281 of January 19, 1981, and implementing regulations thereunder.
 

Sec. 5. (a) Any transaction by a United States person or within the United States that evades or avoids, has the purpose of evading or avoiding, causes a violation of, or attempts to violate any of the prohibitions set forth in this order is prohibited.
 

(b) Any conspiracy formed to violate any of the prohibitions set forth in this order is prohibited.
 

Sec. 6. Nothing in section 1 of this order shall prohibit transactions for the conduct of the official business of the Federal Government by employees, grantees, or contractors thereof.
 

Sec. 7. For the purposes of this order: (a) the term "person" means an individual or entity;

(b) the term "entity" means a partnership, association, trust, joint venture, corporation, group, subgroup, or other organization;
 

(c) the term "United States person" means any United States citizen, permanent resident alien, entity organized under the laws of the United States or any jurisdiction within the United States (including foreign branches), or any person in the United States;
 

(d) the term "Government of Iran" means the Government of Iran, any political subdivision, agency, or instrumentality thereof, including the Central Bank of Iran, and any person owned or controlled by, or acting for or on behalf of, the Government of Iran;
 

(e) the term "Iran" means the territory of Iran and any other territory or marine area, including the exclusive economic zone and continental shelf, over which the Government of Iran claims sovereignty, sovereign rights, or jurisdiction, provided that the Government of Iran exercises partial or total de facto control over the area or derives a benefit from economic activity in the area pursuant to international arrangements; and
 

(f) the term "Iranian financial institution" means a financial institution organized under the laws of Iran or any jurisdiction within Iran (including foreign branches), any financial institution in Iran, any financial institution, wherever located, owned or controlled by the Government of Iran, and any financial institution, wherever located, owned or controlled by any of the foregoing.
 

Sec. 8. For those persons whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to this order who might have a constitutional presence in the United States, I find that because of the ability to transfer funds or other assets instantaneously, prior notice to such persons of measures to be taken pursuant to this order would render those measures ineffectual. I therefore determine that for these measures to be effective in addressing the national emergency declared in Executive Order 12957, there need be no prior notice of a listing or determination made pursuant to section 1 of this order.
 

Sec. 9. The Secretary of the Treasury, in consultation with the Secretary of State, is hereby authorized to take such actions, including the promulgation of rules and regulations, and to employ all powers granted to the President by IEEPA as may be necessary to carry out the purposes of this order, other than the purposes described in section 11. The Secretary of the Treasury may redelegate any of these functions and authorities to other officers and agencies of the United States Government consistent with applicable law. All agencies of the United States Government are hereby directed to take all appropriate measures within their authority to carry out the provisions of this order.

Sec. 10. The Secretary of the Treasury, in consultation with the Secretary of State, is hereby authorized to exercise the functions and authorities conferred upon the President by section 1245(d)(1)(A) of the NDAA and to redelegate these functions and authorities consistent with applicable law. The Secretary of the Treasury, in consultation with the Secretary of State, is hereby further authorized to exercise the functions and authorities conferred upon the President by section 1245(g)(1) of the NDAA to the extent necessary to exercise the other functions and authorities delegated in this section and may redelegate these functions and authorities consistent with applicable law.
 

Sec. 11. The Secretary of State, in consultation with the Secretary of the Treasury, the Secretary of Energy, and the Director of National Intelligence, is hereby authorized to exercise the functions and authorities conferred upon the President by section 1245(d)(4)(D) of the NDAA and to redelegate these functions and authorities consistent with applicable law. The Secretary of State, in consultation with the Secretary of the Treasury, is hereby further authorized to exercise the functions and authorities conferred upon the President by sections 1245(e)(1) and 1245(e)(2) of the NDAA and to redelegate these functions and authorities consistent with applicable law. The Secretary of State, in consultation with the Secretary of the Treasury, is hereby further authorized to exercise the functions and authorities conferred upon the President by section 1245(g)(1) of the NDAA to the extent necessary to exercise the other functions and authorities delegated in this section and may redelegate these functions and authorities consistent with applicable law.
 

Sec. 12. This order is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.
 

Sec. 13. The measures taken pursuant to this order are in response to actions of the Government of Iran occurring after the conclusion of the 1981 Algiers Accords, and are intended solely as a response to those later actions.
 

Sec. 14. This order is effective at 12:01 a.m. eastern standard time on February 6, 2012.

BARACK OBAMA

Today, we’re holding a special session of White House Office Hours to celebrate the second anniversary of Let’s Move!, the First Lady’s initiative to solve the problem of childhood obesity within a generation. At 2:30 p.m. EST, Sam Kass, Senior Policy Advisor for Healthy Food Initiatives, is answering your questions live on Twitter.

First Lady Michelle Obama, with chefs Todd Grey from Equinox, left, and Sam Kass, from the White House, gestures during a “Let’s Move!” event with hundreds of chefs from around the country on the South Lawn of the White House, June 4, 2010. The First Lady called on chefs to get involved by adopting a school and working with teachers, parents, school nutritionists and administrators to help educate kids about food and nutrition.

Join Sam for Office Hours at 2:30 p.m. on Monday, February 6th. Here's how it works:

• Ask your question on Twitter with the hashtag #WHChat
• Sam Kass, Senior Policy Advisor for Healthy Food Initiatives, responds to your questions in real-time via Twitter from @LetsMove
• Follow the Q&A through the @WHLive Twitter account
• If you miss the live event, the full session will be posted on WhiteHouse.gov and Storify.com/WhiteHouse
• We hope you can join us! Follow us on Twitter @WhiteHouse, @WHLive and @LetsMove for the latest updates and more chances to engage.

read more

"This is just the beginning." Check out the great photos from the Petersburg office opening: http://OFA.BO/JPyKvV #Obama2012

BarackObama: Looking forward to catching some of the big game tonight. Wish the Bears weren’t watching it from home, too. -bo

BarackObama: We’ve got our eye on November's matchup, but there’s only one game on American minds this weekend. Make your pick: http://t.co/SaszBGl7

Bust out the chips—it’s almost time for kickoff. Declare your loyalty to New York or New England, order the Obama 2012 Big Game pack, and steal a recipe for some chili that’s downright presidential. Then sit back and enjoy the game.

1. The economy added 257,000 jobs in January, making it the 23rd consecutive month of growth. Check out our new interactive chart.

2. Watch President Obama’s message to supporters on African American History Month and the launch of African Americans for Obama.

3. Listen up: supporters from Iowa talked about what health reform means to them.

4. On Thursday, the Senate passed the STOCK Act, which bans members of Congress from engaging in insider trading.

5. Three years after President Obama signed the Fair Pay Act, hear from Lilly Ledbetter—the inspiration behind it all.

Excerpts from President Obama's address to the National Prayer Breakfast
Join People of Faith for Obama: my.barackobama.com Excerpts from President Obama's speech at the National Prayer Breakfast in Washington, DC From: BarackObamadotcom Views: 1 0 ratings Time: 02:04 More in People & Blogs

BarackObama: Make your pick for tomorrow's big matchup and add the President's favorite chili recipe to your gameday spread: http://t.co/1qNj1O8R

Release Time:  For Immediate Release

Thirty years after his father massacred tens of thousands of innocent Syrian men, women, and children in Hama, Bashar al-Assad has demonstrated a similar disdain for human life and dignity.  Yesterday the Syrian government murdered hundreds of Syrian citizens, including women and children, in Homs through shelling and other indiscriminate violence, and Syrian forces continue to prevent hundreds of injured civilians from seeking medical help.  These brutal killings take place at a time when so many Syrians are also marking a deeply meaningful day for their faith.  I strongly condemn the Syrian government’s unspeakable assault against the people of Homs and I offer my deepest sympathy to those who have lost loved ones.  Assad must halt his campaign of killing and crimes against his own people now.  He must step aside and allow a democratic transition to proceed immediately.

The Syrian people demonstrated in large numbers across Syria yesterday to participate in peaceful protests commemorating the 30th anniversary of the Hama massacre.  They labeled the protests, “We are Sorry, Hama – Forgive Us.”  We owe it to the victims of Hama and Homs to learn one lesson: that cruelty must be confronted for the sake of justice and human dignity. Every government has the responsibility to protect its citizens, and any government that brutalizes and massacres its people does not deserve to govern. The Syrian regime’s policy of maintaining power by terrorizing its people only indicates its inherent weakness and inevitable collapse.  Assad has no right to lead Syria, and has lost all legitimacy with his people and the international community.

The international community must work to protect the Syrian people from this abhorrent brutality.  Earlier this week, our Arab partners called on UN Security Council members to take action to support a political solution to the crisis in Syria and stop Assad’s “killing machine.”  The Council now has an opportunity to stand against the Assad regime’s relentless brutality and to demonstrate that it is a credible advocate for the universal rights that are written into the UN Charter.

We must work with the Syrian people toward building a brighter future for Syria.  A Syria without Assad could be a Syria in which all Syrians are subject to the rule of law and where minorities are able to exercise their legitimate rights and uphold their identities and traditions while acting as fully enfranchised citizens in a unified republic.  The United States and our international partners support the Syrian people in achieving their aspirations and will continue to assist the Syrian people toward that goal.  We will help because we stand for principles that include universal rights for all people and just political and economic reform.  The suffering citizens of Syria must know: we are with you, and the Assad regime must come to an end.

 

 

###

The big game is almost here—so, who you got? Will the New England dynasty reign or will New York pull off another upset? We’ve got our eye on the big contest this November, but there’s only one game on everyone’s mind tomorrow. So put your team over the top—make your pick today.

BarackObama: President Obama asks Congress to help keep families in their homes: http://t.co/EzQRXCsg