On September 15 and 16, 2011, AAAA Board Members participated in its annual meetings with federal agency officials in Washington, D.C. AAAA President Gregory Chambers, Immediate Past President ReNee Dunman and Legislative Chair John Gonzalez met with Cecilia Munoz at the White House. Board Members also met with Claudia Withers, Chief Operating Officer and Dexter Brooks, Director of Federal Sector Programs, at the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Ms. Liz Montoya, Chief of Staff, Office of Personnel Management, addressed the AAAA board on September 16th, during its meeting at the AAAA National Office.
In all of the meetings, AAAA members commended President Obama for issuing his Executive Order on Diversity and Inclusion in the Federal Workforce. (See blog posts on this issue). AAAA also offered to serve as a resource on this Order, in light of the fact that our members have been engaged in diversity and inclusion efforts for many years. Members also inquired about the relationship between diversity and inclusion and affirmative action and emphasized the importance of maintaining a relationship between the two.
These meetings were arranged by Legislative Chair John Gonzalez and AAAA Board Member Delia Johnson. Ms. Johnson also represents federal EEO professionals in Washington, DC. We thank Members Gonzalez and Johnson for their leadership in maintaining and enhancing AAAA's presence among policy makers in Washington.
Showing posts with label white house. Show all posts
Showing posts with label white house. Show all posts
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
White House Releases First Comprehensive Federal Report on the Status of American Women in Almost 50 Years
The White House
Office of the Press Secretary
For Immediate Release
March 01, 2011
Report Released on First Day of Women’s History Month
WASHINGTON – Today, the White House released a new report entitled Women in America: Indicators of Social and Economic Well-Being, a statistical portrait showing how women are faring in the United States today and how their lives have changed over time. This is the first comprehensive federal report on women since 1963, when the Commission on the Status of Women, established by President Kennedy and chaired by Eleanor Roosevelt, produced a report on the conditions of women. View Women in America HERE. Women in America focuses on five critical areas: people, families and income; education; employment; health; and crime and violence. The Administration will be honoring Women’s History Month throughout March, and will highlight a different section of the report every week. “The Obama Administration has been focused on addressing the challenges faced by women and girls from day one because we know that the success of women and girls is vital to winning the future,” said Chair of the White House Council on Women and Girls Valerie Jarrett. “Today’s report not only serves as a look back on American women’s lives, but serves as a guidepost to help us move forward.” The Office of Management and Budget and the Economics and Statistics Administration within the Department of Commerce worked together with federal statistical agencies to create Women in America in support of the Council on Women and Girls. The information informs the efforts of the Council and is aimed at providing facts to a broad range of interested parties, including policymakers, journalists and researchers. “At a time when the Government is striving to do more with less, it is more important than ever to ensure we are investing in what works. By consolidating our data so that we can learn more about how services and programs are impacting lives, we can target our resources to deliver the best results for women, families, and all Americans,” said Director of the Office of Management and Budget Jacob Lew. “This collection of data from across the federal government offers the most comprehensive look at women in America since the 1960s,” Acting Deputy Secretary of Commerce Rebecca Blank said. “With this report, this administration can more effectively manage programs that support women and girls and America’s families, and foster the growth of the U.S. economy.” The report is accompanied by a website that compiles in one place some of the vast Federal statistical data concerning women. View the website HERE. Highlights from the report include:
Women have not only caught up with men in college attendance but younger women are now more likely than younger men to have a college or a graduate degree. Women are also working more and the number of women and men in the labor force has nearly equalized in recent years. As women’s work has increased, their earnings constitute a growing share of family income.
Gains in education and labor force involvement have not yet translated into wage and income equity. At all levels of education, women earned about 75 percent of what their male counterparts earned in 2009. In part because of these lower earnings and in part because unmarried and divorced women are the most likely to have responsibility for raising and supporting their children, women are more likely to be in poverty than men. These economic inequities are even more acute for women of color.
Women live longer than men but are more likely to face certain health problems, such as mobility impairments, arthritis, asthma, depression, and obesity. Women also engage in lower levels of physical activity. Women are less likely than men to suffer from heart disease or diabetes. One out of seven women age 18-64 has no usual source of health care. The share of women in that age range without health insurance has also increased.
Women are less likely than in the past to be the target of violent crimes, including homicide. But women are victims of certain crimes, such as intimate partner violence and stalking, at higher rates than men.
During Women’s History Month, Administration officials will participate in events throughout the country focused on policies that impact women. In the first week, Chair of the White House Council on Women and Girls Valerie Jarrett will speak at an event hosted by Women Impacting Public Policy, White House officials will participate in a Center for American Progress event on the Women in America report, USAID Deputy Administrator Don Steinberg will participate in a panel discussion at the Women Thrive Worldwide’s 3rd Annual International Women’s Day Breakfast and the Small Business Administration will be hosting events on women entrepreneurs and small businesses in New Jersey, Seattle and Arkansas. For more information on the first section of the report on people, families and income, please find a fact sheet HERE. Please find President Obama’s Proclamation on Women’s History Month HERE.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2011/03/01/white-house-releases-first-comprehensive-federal-report-status-american-
Office of the Press Secretary
For Immediate Release
March 01, 2011
Report Released on First Day of Women’s History Month
WASHINGTON – Today, the White House released a new report entitled Women in America: Indicators of Social and Economic Well-Being, a statistical portrait showing how women are faring in the United States today and how their lives have changed over time. This is the first comprehensive federal report on women since 1963, when the Commission on the Status of Women, established by President Kennedy and chaired by Eleanor Roosevelt, produced a report on the conditions of women. View Women in America HERE. Women in America focuses on five critical areas: people, families and income; education; employment; health; and crime and violence. The Administration will be honoring Women’s History Month throughout March, and will highlight a different section of the report every week. “The Obama Administration has been focused on addressing the challenges faced by women and girls from day one because we know that the success of women and girls is vital to winning the future,” said Chair of the White House Council on Women and Girls Valerie Jarrett. “Today’s report not only serves as a look back on American women’s lives, but serves as a guidepost to help us move forward.” The Office of Management and Budget and the Economics and Statistics Administration within the Department of Commerce worked together with federal statistical agencies to create Women in America in support of the Council on Women and Girls. The information informs the efforts of the Council and is aimed at providing facts to a broad range of interested parties, including policymakers, journalists and researchers. “At a time when the Government is striving to do more with less, it is more important than ever to ensure we are investing in what works. By consolidating our data so that we can learn more about how services and programs are impacting lives, we can target our resources to deliver the best results for women, families, and all Americans,” said Director of the Office of Management and Budget Jacob Lew. “This collection of data from across the federal government offers the most comprehensive look at women in America since the 1960s,” Acting Deputy Secretary of Commerce Rebecca Blank said. “With this report, this administration can more effectively manage programs that support women and girls and America’s families, and foster the growth of the U.S. economy.” The report is accompanied by a website that compiles in one place some of the vast Federal statistical data concerning women. View the website HERE. Highlights from the report include:
Women have not only caught up with men in college attendance but younger women are now more likely than younger men to have a college or a graduate degree. Women are also working more and the number of women and men in the labor force has nearly equalized in recent years. As women’s work has increased, their earnings constitute a growing share of family income.
Gains in education and labor force involvement have not yet translated into wage and income equity. At all levels of education, women earned about 75 percent of what their male counterparts earned in 2009. In part because of these lower earnings and in part because unmarried and divorced women are the most likely to have responsibility for raising and supporting their children, women are more likely to be in poverty than men. These economic inequities are even more acute for women of color.
Women live longer than men but are more likely to face certain health problems, such as mobility impairments, arthritis, asthma, depression, and obesity. Women also engage in lower levels of physical activity. Women are less likely than men to suffer from heart disease or diabetes. One out of seven women age 18-64 has no usual source of health care. The share of women in that age range without health insurance has also increased.
Women are less likely than in the past to be the target of violent crimes, including homicide. But women are victims of certain crimes, such as intimate partner violence and stalking, at higher rates than men.
During Women’s History Month, Administration officials will participate in events throughout the country focused on policies that impact women. In the first week, Chair of the White House Council on Women and Girls Valerie Jarrett will speak at an event hosted by Women Impacting Public Policy, White House officials will participate in a Center for American Progress event on the Women in America report, USAID Deputy Administrator Don Steinberg will participate in a panel discussion at the Women Thrive Worldwide’s 3rd Annual International Women’s Day Breakfast and the Small Business Administration will be hosting events on women entrepreneurs and small businesses in New Jersey, Seattle and Arkansas. For more information on the first section of the report on people, families and income, please find a fact sheet HERE. Please find President Obama’s Proclamation on Women’s History Month HERE.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2011/03/01/white-house-releases-first-comprehensive-federal-report-status-american-
Monday, February 14, 2011
EEOC Receives a Modest Increase in White House's FY 2012 Budget
The White House has proposed a modest increase in the budget of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission for Fiscal Year 2012. In FY 2010, the last year when a budget was actually passed by the Congress and signed into law, the agency's budget was $367 million. In FY '11, the EEOC operated under a continuing resolution. For 2012, the Administration has proposed that the Commission operate under a budget of $386 million, an increase of $19 million over the 2010 levels. Staffing would increase from 2371 Full-Time Equivalents (FTEs) to 2557, an 8 percent increase.
To view the EEOC's proposed budget, go to: http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/omb/budget/fy2012/assets/oia.pdf
To view the EEOC's proposed budget, go to: http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/omb/budget/fy2012/assets/oia.pdf
White House Proposes Slight Increase for OFCCP in 2012
The budget released by the White House today proposes a budget of $109 million for the Department of Labor's Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP). In the past year, the agency operated under a continuing resolution although the Department of Labor had requested a budget of $113 million for FY '11. The OFCCP received a 33% budget increase in FY2010 to $105 million, and “embarked on an unprecedented initiative” to hire 213 new compliance officers. The FY2011 budget proposal would have maintained these funding levels: the OFCCP would have received an increase to $113 million (788 full-time equivalents) for FY2011. Receiving $109 million in FY 2012 would effectively constitute a cut of $4 million from the proposed $113 in the past year.
The White House's proposal of an increase of $4 million from the 2010 level does reflect a continuing focus on civil rights and equal employment opportunity enforcement. This is only the first step in the budget process, however. The ultimate size of the OFCCP budget will depend upon the work of a more divided Congress determined to reduce the national budget deficit.
To see the Administration's proposed budget for the Department of Labor, go to: http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/omb/budget/fy2012/assets/lab.pdf
The White House's proposal of an increase of $4 million from the 2010 level does reflect a continuing focus on civil rights and equal employment opportunity enforcement. This is only the first step in the budget process, however. The ultimate size of the OFCCP budget will depend upon the work of a more divided Congress determined to reduce the national budget deficit.
To see the Administration's proposed budget for the Department of Labor, go to: http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/omb/budget/fy2012/assets/lab.pdf
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
NEC Announces Report on Women's Jobs
White House Press Release
The White House
Office of the Press Secretary
For Immediate Release
October 21, 2010
Jobs and Economic Security for America's Women Report
On Thursday, the National Economic Council will release a report on the impact of the recession on women and how the Obama administration’s economic policies benefit American women. The report lays out the economic landscape facing women today and details some of the many ways the administration is committed to making sure the government is working for all Americans especially American women.
To discuss the report, Valerie Jarrett, Assistant to the President and Senior Advisor; Cecilia Rouse, Member of the Council of Economic Advisers; and Diana Farrell, Deputy Assistant to the President for Economic Policy will hold an on the record press conference call today, Wednesday, at 12:00 pm ET. The call will be embargoed for 6:00 am ET on Thursday and the call in number is (800) 288-8975.
The full report is attached.
An executive summary of the report is below.
Executive Summary: Jobs and Economic Security for America’s Women
Since his first day in office, President Obama has worked to lay the foundation for economic growth that creates good jobs and incomes for all Americans. Many of these policies have been particularly important for women. These policies have helped stave off a second Great Depression and get our economy growing again, but job growth is still not fast enough. The President is committed to continuing to push for an economy that provides economic security and jobs for America’s women.
This report lays out the economic landscape facing women today and details some of the many ways the Administration is committed to making sure the government is working for all Americans and especially American women.
Women are a growing share of our workforce, our entrepreneurs, and our innovators. As the majority of college graduates and nearly 50 percent of the workforce, women are in a position to drive our 21st century economy.
An increasing number of women are breadwinners for their families. In almost two-thirds of families led by single mothers or two parents, women are either the primary or co-breadwinner. In two-parent families, with the wage gap and the loss of jobs traditionally held by men in this economy, reliance on a woman’s income in their family budget is even greater.
Since women are nearly 50 percent of the workforce, the recession’s economic impacts on women are even more consequential for the economy than they would have been in past recessions. As a result of the recession that started in December of 2007, women have lost jobs and seen their median annual earnings fall. Further, women have faced increased economic insecurity as housing prices declined and states and municipalities have cut back on the provision of social services.
Women face a number of longer-term challenges such as the wage gap and female underrepresentation in higher levels of management. Further, specific groups of women like single mothers, older women and minorities face additional challenges.
The Obama Administration has implemented and proposed policies that form a comprehensive plan to support women at all stages of their careers. The Administration’s policies will:
Promote economic expansion and job growth for women
SBA loans are three to five times more likely to go to women and minorities than traditional, conventional small business loans. More than 12,000 SBA Recovery Act loans have gone to women-owned small businesses, driving $3 billion in lending support into their hands to help them grow their businesses and create jobs.
An estimated 2.9 million women who had been unemployed for more than two months were hired by employers who qualify for payroll tax exemptions under the HIRE Act.
The Recovery Act and the Education Jobs and Medicaid Assistance Act have played a critical role in saving jobs in the education and healthcare sectors where women make up more than three-quarters of professionals. This fall over one hundred thousand teachers, the majority of them women, returned to their classrooms because of these laws.
The TANF Emergency Contingency Fund has provided more than 250,000 jobs to parents and disadvantaged youth.
Train and educate women for quality jobs
With affordable tuition, open admission policies, flexible course schedules, and convenient locations, community colleges are particularly important for women, who comprise 56 percent of enrollees. The Recovery Act funded workforce training programs, and work study funds to help community college students pay for their education through employment.
Women, as the vast majority of nurses and about half of all medical school enrollees, particularly benefit from the President’s policies on healthcare workforce development. The Affordable Care Act provides $320 million in grants for a variety of targeted training programs.
Support working women at home and in their jobs
The Recovery Act’s Making Work Pay Tax Credit benefited 74 million middle-class women in 2009. The average woman received $600 more in her pocketbook.
The President proposed nearly doubling the Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit for middle-class families.
The President is committed to the issue of workplace flexibility and proposed funding to help states start their own paid leave programs and is working towards establishing the federal government as a model employer.
To supplement the wages of low income working women, and especially working mothers, the President supported the expansion of the EITC in the Recovery Act that helped 14.8 million women in 2009.
The President is committed to equal pay for women. The first bill he signed was the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act; he established the Equal Pay Task Force; and he strongly supports the passage of the Paycheck Fairness Act in the Senate.
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau created by Wall Street Reform will help women make smart financial choices by empowering women through financial education and financial literacy.
Women’s health security is an essential part of their overall economic security, facilitating job mobility and economic growth. The Affordable Care Act protects women from insurance company abuses and makes health insurance more affordable.
Support women in retirement and between jobs
Social Security plays a vital role for women who represent 58 percent of all beneficiaries. This is why the President is committed to protecting and strengthening it, while fighting privatization – a step that would not only weaken Social Security overall but would specifically undermine many of the features that provide protections for women.
In 2008 and 2009 women accounted for 40 percent of Unemployment Insurance recipients, making this program extremely important to the economic health of women and their families. From July 2008 to August 2010 about 6.9 million women were helped by the extensions of unemployment benefits.
Over $13.6 billion in economic recovery payments of $250 each were provided to seniors and veterans. A significant percentage of these payments have gone directly into the hands of women.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2010/10/21/jobs-and-economic-security-americas-women-report
The White House
Office of the Press Secretary
For Immediate Release
October 21, 2010
Jobs and Economic Security for America's Women Report
On Thursday, the National Economic Council will release a report on the impact of the recession on women and how the Obama administration’s economic policies benefit American women. The report lays out the economic landscape facing women today and details some of the many ways the administration is committed to making sure the government is working for all Americans especially American women.
To discuss the report, Valerie Jarrett, Assistant to the President and Senior Advisor; Cecilia Rouse, Member of the Council of Economic Advisers; and Diana Farrell, Deputy Assistant to the President for Economic Policy will hold an on the record press conference call today, Wednesday, at 12:00 pm ET. The call will be embargoed for 6:00 am ET on Thursday and the call in number is (800) 288-8975.
The full report is attached.
An executive summary of the report is below.
Executive Summary: Jobs and Economic Security for America’s Women
Since his first day in office, President Obama has worked to lay the foundation for economic growth that creates good jobs and incomes for all Americans. Many of these policies have been particularly important for women. These policies have helped stave off a second Great Depression and get our economy growing again, but job growth is still not fast enough. The President is committed to continuing to push for an economy that provides economic security and jobs for America’s women.
This report lays out the economic landscape facing women today and details some of the many ways the Administration is committed to making sure the government is working for all Americans and especially American women.
Women are a growing share of our workforce, our entrepreneurs, and our innovators. As the majority of college graduates and nearly 50 percent of the workforce, women are in a position to drive our 21st century economy.
An increasing number of women are breadwinners for their families. In almost two-thirds of families led by single mothers or two parents, women are either the primary or co-breadwinner. In two-parent families, with the wage gap and the loss of jobs traditionally held by men in this economy, reliance on a woman’s income in their family budget is even greater.
Since women are nearly 50 percent of the workforce, the recession’s economic impacts on women are even more consequential for the economy than they would have been in past recessions. As a result of the recession that started in December of 2007, women have lost jobs and seen their median annual earnings fall. Further, women have faced increased economic insecurity as housing prices declined and states and municipalities have cut back on the provision of social services.
Women face a number of longer-term challenges such as the wage gap and female underrepresentation in higher levels of management. Further, specific groups of women like single mothers, older women and minorities face additional challenges.
The Obama Administration has implemented and proposed policies that form a comprehensive plan to support women at all stages of their careers. The Administration’s policies will:
Promote economic expansion and job growth for women
SBA loans are three to five times more likely to go to women and minorities than traditional, conventional small business loans. More than 12,000 SBA Recovery Act loans have gone to women-owned small businesses, driving $3 billion in lending support into their hands to help them grow their businesses and create jobs.
An estimated 2.9 million women who had been unemployed for more than two months were hired by employers who qualify for payroll tax exemptions under the HIRE Act.
The Recovery Act and the Education Jobs and Medicaid Assistance Act have played a critical role in saving jobs in the education and healthcare sectors where women make up more than three-quarters of professionals. This fall over one hundred thousand teachers, the majority of them women, returned to their classrooms because of these laws.
The TANF Emergency Contingency Fund has provided more than 250,000 jobs to parents and disadvantaged youth.
Train and educate women for quality jobs
With affordable tuition, open admission policies, flexible course schedules, and convenient locations, community colleges are particularly important for women, who comprise 56 percent of enrollees. The Recovery Act funded workforce training programs, and work study funds to help community college students pay for their education through employment.
Women, as the vast majority of nurses and about half of all medical school enrollees, particularly benefit from the President’s policies on healthcare workforce development. The Affordable Care Act provides $320 million in grants for a variety of targeted training programs.
Support working women at home and in their jobs
The Recovery Act’s Making Work Pay Tax Credit benefited 74 million middle-class women in 2009. The average woman received $600 more in her pocketbook.
The President proposed nearly doubling the Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit for middle-class families.
The President is committed to the issue of workplace flexibility and proposed funding to help states start their own paid leave programs and is working towards establishing the federal government as a model employer.
To supplement the wages of low income working women, and especially working mothers, the President supported the expansion of the EITC in the Recovery Act that helped 14.8 million women in 2009.
The President is committed to equal pay for women. The first bill he signed was the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act; he established the Equal Pay Task Force; and he strongly supports the passage of the Paycheck Fairness Act in the Senate.
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau created by Wall Street Reform will help women make smart financial choices by empowering women through financial education and financial literacy.
Women’s health security is an essential part of their overall economic security, facilitating job mobility and economic growth. The Affordable Care Act protects women from insurance company abuses and makes health insurance more affordable.
Support women in retirement and between jobs
Social Security plays a vital role for women who represent 58 percent of all beneficiaries. This is why the President is committed to protecting and strengthening it, while fighting privatization – a step that would not only weaken Social Security overall but would specifically undermine many of the features that provide protections for women.
In 2008 and 2009 women accounted for 40 percent of Unemployment Insurance recipients, making this program extremely important to the economic health of women and their families. From July 2008 to August 2010 about 6.9 million women were helped by the extensions of unemployment benefits.
Over $13.6 billion in economic recovery payments of $250 each were provided to seniors and veterans. A significant percentage of these payments have gone directly into the hands of women.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2010/10/21/jobs-and-economic-security-americas-women-report
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Sherrod not sure she would go back to Ag Dept
Yahoo News
By MARY CLARE JALONICK and BEN EVANS, Associated Press Writers Mary Clare Jalonick And Ben Evans, Associated Press Writers – 22 mins ago
WASHINGTON – The woman at the center of a racially tinged firestorm involving the Obama administration and the NAACP said Wednesday she doesn't know if she'd return to her job at the Agriculture Department, even if asked.
"I am just not sure how I would be treated there," Shirley Sherrod said in a nationally broadcast interview. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said Wednesday he would reconsider the department's decision to oust Sherrod over her comments that she didn't give a white farmer as much help as she could have 24 years ago.
The White House called the Agriculture Department Tuesday night after more information about Sherrod's remarks emerged, a White House official said. The official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the call, said the White House and the department agreed that the case should be reviewed based on the new evidence.
"I am just not sure how I would be treated there," Shirley Sherrod said in a nationally broadcast interview. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said Wednesday he would reconsider the department's decision to oust Sherrod over her comments that she didn't give a white farmer as much help as she could have 24 years ago.
The White House called the Agriculture Department Tuesday night after more information about Sherrod's remarks emerged, a White House official said. The official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the call, said the White House and the department agreed that the case should be reviewed based on the new evidence.
Full Story: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100721/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/us_usda_racism_resignation#mwpphu-container
Picture: Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack
Monday, June 14, 2010
White House Launches Celebration Of 20th Anniversary Of Americans With Disabilities Act
Posted by Kareem Dale on June 08, 2010 at 02:40 PM EDT
Sunday night, Valerie Jarrett, Senior Advisor to President Obama, kicked off the President’s and White House’s celebration of the 20th Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act while delivering remarks to over 2,000 people from around the World at the VSA International Festival at the Kennedy Center. Valerie’s remarks, which you can find below, noted the significance of this historic landmark civil rights legislation, highlighted some of the President’s initiatives thus far related to people with disabilities and previewed that senior administration officials will be commemorating this historic anniversary in the weeks to come with new policies and events.
So, stay tuned for more announcements and information in the upcoming weeks.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2010/06/08/white-house-launches-celebration-20th-anniversary-americans-with-disabilities-act
Sunday night, Valerie Jarrett, Senior Advisor to President Obama, kicked off the President’s and White House’s celebration of the 20th Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act while delivering remarks to over 2,000 people from around the World at the VSA International Festival at the Kennedy Center. Valerie’s remarks, which you can find below, noted the significance of this historic landmark civil rights legislation, highlighted some of the President’s initiatives thus far related to people with disabilities and previewed that senior administration officials will be commemorating this historic anniversary in the weeks to come with new policies and events.
So, stay tuned for more announcements and information in the upcoming weeks.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2010/06/08/white-house-launches-celebration-20th-anniversary-americans-with-disabilities-act
Friday, May 14, 2010
White House circulating pro-Kagan talking points on diversity
Salon.com
Thursday, May 6, 2010 15:19 ET
By Mike Madden
For the moment, the White House hasn't settled on a nominee to replace retiring Justice John Paul Stevens on the Supreme Court. But that doesn't mean the administration is sitting quietly as the legal and political world speculates about who President Obama's pick might be.
In the last couple of weeks, after Salon's Glenn Greenwald linked to this post by Duke University law professor Guy-Uriel Charles raising questions about the minority hiring rate at Harvard Law School when Elena Kagan was dean there, White House officials started circulating a set of talking points pushing back on the criticism, sending it out to various groups allied with the administration....
Take a look at the talking points here.
Full story: http://www.salon.com/news/politics/war_room/2010/05/06/white_house_kagan_talking_points/index.html
Thursday, May 6, 2010 15:19 ET
By Mike Madden
For the moment, the White House hasn't settled on a nominee to replace retiring Justice John Paul Stevens on the Supreme Court. But that doesn't mean the administration is sitting quietly as the legal and political world speculates about who President Obama's pick might be.
In the last couple of weeks, after Salon's Glenn Greenwald linked to this post by Duke University law professor Guy-Uriel Charles raising questions about the minority hiring rate at Harvard Law School when Elena Kagan was dean there, White House officials started circulating a set of talking points pushing back on the criticism, sending it out to various groups allied with the administration....
Take a look at the talking points here.
Full story: http://www.salon.com/news/politics/war_room/2010/05/06/white_house_kagan_talking_points/index.html
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT TO THE NAACP CENTENNIAL CONVENTION
THE BRIEFING ROOM
THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
For Immediate Release July 17, 2009
REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT TO THE NAACP CENTENNIAL CONVENTION
Hilton New York
Hilton New York
New York, New York
7:00 P.M. EDT
7:00 P.M. EDT
THE PRESIDENT: Thank you. What an extraordinary night, capping off an extraordinary week, capping off an extraordinary 100 years at the NAACP. (Applause.)
So Chairman Bond, Brother Justice, I am so grateful to all of you for being here. It's just good to be among friends. (Applause.)
It is an extraordinary honor to be here, in the city where the NAACP was formed, to mark its centennial. What we celebrate tonight is not simply the journey the NAACP has traveled, but the journey that we, as Americans, have traveled over the past 100 years. (Applause.)
It's a journey that takes us back to a time before most of us were born, long before the Voting Rights Act, and the Civil Rights Act, Brown v. Board of Education; back to an America just a generation past slavery. It was a time when Jim Crow was a way of life; when lynchings were all too common; when race riots were shaking cities across a segregated land.
It was in this America where an Atlanta scholar named W.E.B. Du Bois -- (applause) -- a man of towering intellect and a fierce passion for justice, sparked what became known as the Niagara movement; where reformers united, not by color, but by cause; where an association was born that would, as its charter says, promote equality and eradicate prejudice among citizens of the United States.
From the beginning, these founders understood how change would come -- just as King and all the civil rights giants did later. They understood that unjust laws needed to be overturned; that legislation needed to be passed; and that Presidents needed to be pressured into action. They knew that the stain of slavery and the sin of segregation had to be lifted in the courtroom, and in the legislature, and in the hearts and the minds of Americans.
They also knew that here, in America, change would have to come from the people. It would come from people protesting lynchings, rallying against violence, all those women who decided to walk instead of taking the bus, even though they were tired after a long day of doing somebody else's laundry, looking after somebody else's children. (Applause.) It would come from men and women of every age and faith, and every race and region -- taking Greyhounds on Freedom Rides; sitting down at Greensboro lunch counters; registering voters in rural Mississippi, knowing they would be harassed, knowing they would be beaten, knowing that some of them might never return.
Because of what they did, we are a more perfect union. Because Jim Crow laws were overturned, black CEOs today run Fortune 500 companies. (Applause.) Because civil rights laws were passed, black mayors, black governors, and members of Congress served in places where they might once have been able [sic] not just to vote but even take a sip of water. And because ordinary people did such extraordinary things, because they made the civil rights movement their own, even though there may not be a plaque or their names might not be in the history books -- because of their efforts I made a little trip to Springfield, Illinois, a couple years ago -- (applause) -- where Lincoln once lived, and race riots once raged -- and began the journey that has led me to be here tonight as the 44th President of the United States of America. (Applause.)
Because of them I stand here tonight, on the shoulders of giants. And I'm here to say thank you to those pioneers and thank you to the NAACP. (Applause.)
And yet, even as we celebrate the remarkable achievements of the past 100 years; even as we inherit extraordinary progress that cannot be denied; even as we marvel at the courage and determination of so many plain folk -- we know that too many barriers still remain.
So Chairman Bond, Brother Justice, I am so grateful to all of you for being here. It's just good to be among friends. (Applause.)
It is an extraordinary honor to be here, in the city where the NAACP was formed, to mark its centennial. What we celebrate tonight is not simply the journey the NAACP has traveled, but the journey that we, as Americans, have traveled over the past 100 years. (Applause.)
It's a journey that takes us back to a time before most of us were born, long before the Voting Rights Act, and the Civil Rights Act, Brown v. Board of Education; back to an America just a generation past slavery. It was a time when Jim Crow was a way of life; when lynchings were all too common; when race riots were shaking cities across a segregated land.
It was in this America where an Atlanta scholar named W.E.B. Du Bois -- (applause) -- a man of towering intellect and a fierce passion for justice, sparked what became known as the Niagara movement; where reformers united, not by color, but by cause; where an association was born that would, as its charter says, promote equality and eradicate prejudice among citizens of the United States.
From the beginning, these founders understood how change would come -- just as King and all the civil rights giants did later. They understood that unjust laws needed to be overturned; that legislation needed to be passed; and that Presidents needed to be pressured into action. They knew that the stain of slavery and the sin of segregation had to be lifted in the courtroom, and in the legislature, and in the hearts and the minds of Americans.
They also knew that here, in America, change would have to come from the people. It would come from people protesting lynchings, rallying against violence, all those women who decided to walk instead of taking the bus, even though they were tired after a long day of doing somebody else's laundry, looking after somebody else's children. (Applause.) It would come from men and women of every age and faith, and every race and region -- taking Greyhounds on Freedom Rides; sitting down at Greensboro lunch counters; registering voters in rural Mississippi, knowing they would be harassed, knowing they would be beaten, knowing that some of them might never return.
Because of what they did, we are a more perfect union. Because Jim Crow laws were overturned, black CEOs today run Fortune 500 companies. (Applause.) Because civil rights laws were passed, black mayors, black governors, and members of Congress served in places where they might once have been able [sic] not just to vote but even take a sip of water. And because ordinary people did such extraordinary things, because they made the civil rights movement their own, even though there may not be a plaque or their names might not be in the history books -- because of their efforts I made a little trip to Springfield, Illinois, a couple years ago -- (applause) -- where Lincoln once lived, and race riots once raged -- and began the journey that has led me to be here tonight as the 44th President of the United States of America. (Applause.)
Because of them I stand here tonight, on the shoulders of giants. And I'm here to say thank you to those pioneers and thank you to the NAACP. (Applause.)
And yet, even as we celebrate the remarkable achievements of the past 100 years; even as we inherit extraordinary progress that cannot be denied; even as we marvel at the courage and determination of so many plain folk -- we know that too many barriers still remain.
Full Statement: http://www.whitehouse.gov/the_press_office/Remarks-by-the-President-to-the-NAACP-Centennial-Convention-07/16/2009/
Sunday, July 19, 2009
President Obama Announces Pick to Head Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
The White House
Immediate Release
Immediate Release
July 16, 2009
WASHINGTON – Today, President Barack Obama announced his intent to nominate Jacqueline A. Berrien as Chair of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
President Obama said, "Jacqueline Berrien has spent her entire career fighting to give voice to underrepresented communities and protect our most basic rights. Each of us deserves a fair chance to succeed in our workplace and make a contribution to this nation, and I’m confident that Jacqueline’s passion and leadership will ensure that the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission is living up to that mission. I look forward to undertaking this important work with Jacqueline in the months and years ahead."
President Obama said, "Jacqueline Berrien has spent her entire career fighting to give voice to underrepresented communities and protect our most basic rights. Each of us deserves a fair chance to succeed in our workplace and make a contribution to this nation, and I’m confident that Jacqueline’s passion and leadership will ensure that the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission is living up to that mission. I look forward to undertaking this important work with Jacqueline in the months and years ahead."
President Obama announced his intent to nominate the following individual today:
Jacqueline A. Berrien, Nominee for Chair of the Equal Employment Opportunity CommissionMs. Berrien has served as Associate Director-Counsel of the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund (LDF) since September 2004. In that position, she assists with the direction and implementation of LDF’s national legal advocacy and scholarship programs. Ms. Berrien served from 2001 to 2004 as a Program Officer in the Ford Foundation’s Peace and Social Justice Program, where she administered more than $13 million of grants to promote greater political participation by underrepresented groups and remove barriers to civic engagement. Prior to joining the Ford Foundation, Ms. Berrien was an Assistant Counsel with LDF and directed the Fund’s voting rights and political participation work. For eight years before that, Ms. Berrien was a staff attorney with the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights and the American Civil Liberties Union. Berrien has also taught in trial advocacy programs at Fordham and Harvard law schools and served on the adjunct faculty of New York Law School. She began her legal career clerking for the Honorable U.W. Clemon, the first African-American appointed to the U.S. District Court in Birmingham, Alabama. Ms. Berrien is a graduate of Harvard Law School, where she served as a General Editor of the Harvard Civil Rights-Civil Liberties Law Review. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree with High Honors in Government from Oberlin College and also completed a major in English.
Jacqueline A. Berrien, Nominee for Chair of the Equal Employment Opportunity CommissionMs. Berrien has served as Associate Director-Counsel of the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund (LDF) since September 2004. In that position, she assists with the direction and implementation of LDF’s national legal advocacy and scholarship programs. Ms. Berrien served from 2001 to 2004 as a Program Officer in the Ford Foundation’s Peace and Social Justice Program, where she administered more than $13 million of grants to promote greater political participation by underrepresented groups and remove barriers to civic engagement. Prior to joining the Ford Foundation, Ms. Berrien was an Assistant Counsel with LDF and directed the Fund’s voting rights and political participation work. For eight years before that, Ms. Berrien was a staff attorney with the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights and the American Civil Liberties Union. Berrien has also taught in trial advocacy programs at Fordham and Harvard law schools and served on the adjunct faculty of New York Law School. She began her legal career clerking for the Honorable U.W. Clemon, the first African-American appointed to the U.S. District Court in Birmingham, Alabama. Ms. Berrien is a graduate of Harvard Law School, where she served as a General Editor of the Harvard Civil Rights-Civil Liberties Law Review. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree with High Honors in Government from Oberlin College and also completed a major in English.
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Children Aware Of White Male Monopoly On White House
ScienceDaily (Oct. 5, 2008) — Challenging the idea that children live in a color or gender blind world, a new study from The University of Texas at Austin reveals most elementary-school-age children are aware there has been no female, African-American, or Hispanic President of the United States. And, many of the children attribute the lack of representation to discrimination.
Rebecca Bigler, professor of psychology, and a team of researchers at the university and the University of Kansas have published their findings in the October issue of the journal Analyses of Social Issues and Public Policy.
During 2006, more than a year before Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama entered the presidential race, the researchers interviewed 205 children between the ages of five and 10 about their knowledge, attitudes and beliefs about the similarities among U.S. presidents. In three studies, children from diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds answered questions about the absence of female, African-American and Hispanic presidents.
The researchers found most children are aware that women and minorities have been excluded from the U.S. presidency. Although most of the children believed people of all races and genders should be president, they offered surprising answers as to why only white males have held the nation's highest political office:
One in four participants said it is illegal for women and minorities to hold the office of president;
One in three children attributed the lack of female, African-American and Latino presidents to racial and gender bias on the part of voters; and
While some children expressed the belief that prejudice shapes how adults vote, another third of the participants said members of the excluded groups lacked the skills to hold the position.
"The U.S. presidency is a high profile case of racial and gender exclusion," Bigler, director of the Gender and Racial Attitudes Lab at the university, said. "And because this topic is not typically explained to children, they appear to create their own explanations for the exclusion."
Children generally were optimistic about the possibility that they could become president, the researchers found. However, girls who attributed the lack of female presidents to discrimination were more likely to report they could not become president. In contrast, African-American children who identified discrimination as the reason for the lack of diversity showed an increased interest in becoming president.
[To read the entire story, go to: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081005121335.htm ]
Rebecca Bigler, professor of psychology, and a team of researchers at the university and the University of Kansas have published their findings in the October issue of the journal Analyses of Social Issues and Public Policy.
During 2006, more than a year before Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama entered the presidential race, the researchers interviewed 205 children between the ages of five and 10 about their knowledge, attitudes and beliefs about the similarities among U.S. presidents. In three studies, children from diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds answered questions about the absence of female, African-American and Hispanic presidents.
The researchers found most children are aware that women and minorities have been excluded from the U.S. presidency. Although most of the children believed people of all races and genders should be president, they offered surprising answers as to why only white males have held the nation's highest political office:
One in four participants said it is illegal for women and minorities to hold the office of president;
One in three children attributed the lack of female, African-American and Latino presidents to racial and gender bias on the part of voters; and
While some children expressed the belief that prejudice shapes how adults vote, another third of the participants said members of the excluded groups lacked the skills to hold the position.
"The U.S. presidency is a high profile case of racial and gender exclusion," Bigler, director of the Gender and Racial Attitudes Lab at the university, said. "And because this topic is not typically explained to children, they appear to create their own explanations for the exclusion."
Children generally were optimistic about the possibility that they could become president, the researchers found. However, girls who attributed the lack of female presidents to discrimination were more likely to report they could not become president. In contrast, African-American children who identified discrimination as the reason for the lack of diversity showed an increased interest in becoming president.
[To read the entire story, go to: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081005121335.htm ]
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
House OKs Pay Discrimination Bill Ushering in Punitive, Compensatory Damages
Workforce Management
August 1, 2008
Women who are victims of pay discrimination could sue for unlimited punitive and compensatory damages under a bill approved by the House of Representatives on Thursday, July 31.
The measure, which updates a mid-1960s law prohibiting wage disparities between men and women performing the same job, has drawn a veto threat from the White House. It passed by a 247-178 vote in the House. Its prospects in the Senate are unclear.
Under the bill, a company that pays women at a different rate than men would have to prove the practice is based on a business necessity.
Wage comparisons between men and women could be made at business operations within the same county. In addition, the bill would permit workers to share pay information and prohibit employers from banning such discussions from the office.
It also would establish Department of Labor grants for “negotiation skills training programs for girls and women.”
The bill could significantly increase penalties for businesses that are found to pay men more than women. The unlimited damages apply even if the discrimination is unintentional. Under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, damages are capped at $300,000.
The House approved an amendment, 397-29, that would require a plaintiff show an employer intentionally discriminated in order to collect punitive damages.The increased exposure of businesses to pay lawsuits stoked Bush administration opposition.
The bill “would make enforcement of [anti-discrimination] laws more difficult and error-prone and invite a surge of litigation,” said a White House policy statement. “It also would encourage discrimination claims to be made based on factors unrelated to actual pay discrimination by allowing pay comparisons between potentially different labor markets.” [To see the entire story, go to: http://www.workforce.com/section/00/article/25/68/74.php ]
August 1, 2008
Women who are victims of pay discrimination could sue for unlimited punitive and compensatory damages under a bill approved by the House of Representatives on Thursday, July 31.
The measure, which updates a mid-1960s law prohibiting wage disparities between men and women performing the same job, has drawn a veto threat from the White House. It passed by a 247-178 vote in the House. Its prospects in the Senate are unclear.
Under the bill, a company that pays women at a different rate than men would have to prove the practice is based on a business necessity.
Wage comparisons between men and women could be made at business operations within the same county. In addition, the bill would permit workers to share pay information and prohibit employers from banning such discussions from the office.
It also would establish Department of Labor grants for “negotiation skills training programs for girls and women.”
The bill could significantly increase penalties for businesses that are found to pay men more than women. The unlimited damages apply even if the discrimination is unintentional. Under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, damages are capped at $300,000.
The House approved an amendment, 397-29, that would require a plaintiff show an employer intentionally discriminated in order to collect punitive damages.The increased exposure of businesses to pay lawsuits stoked Bush administration opposition.
The bill “would make enforcement of [anti-discrimination] laws more difficult and error-prone and invite a surge of litigation,” said a White House policy statement. “It also would encourage discrimination claims to be made based on factors unrelated to actual pay discrimination by allowing pay comparisons between potentially different labor markets.” [To see the entire story, go to: http://www.workforce.com/section/00/article/25/68/74.php ]
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Bush widens immigration checks
Los Angeles Times
Federal contractors must verify workers' legal status, his order says.
Millions could eventually be affected.
By Nicole Gaouette
Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
June 10, 2008
WASHINGTON — The Bush administration, in an aggressive new effort to keep illegal immigrants out of the workforce, on Monday ordered all companies doing business with the federal government to begin ensuring their employees can legally work in the U.S.The order will require thousands of firms to use a government system called E-Verify to check workers' Social Security numbers. The system has been voluntary for private firms but mandatory for government agencies.The policy, which initially applies to new hires, eventually could affect millions of federal contract workers nationwide whose jobs range from serving cafeteria food to launching NASA spacecraft. The step is one of several the administration planned after Congress failed last year to pass an overhaul of immigration laws."The federal government should lead by example and not by exhortation," said Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff, who has encouraged firms to use E-Verify.Groups advocating immigration restrictions have embraced E-Verify as a way to weed out illegal workers. But it has been criticized by business groups and immigrant advocates because errors in the Social Security database can lead to red-flagging legal residents.And with the rapid expansion of federal contracting under President Bush, some critics questioned whether the order would be workable."I just don't know how the administration is going to enforce this," said Paul C. Light, a New York University professor and federal contracting expert who said such outsourcing had grown by 70% under Bush. "It's a very large number and very difficult to track. Who is responsible for making sure the sub-sub-sub-contractor is using E-Verify?"E-Verify is already a success, Chertoff said, predicting that the executive order would affect "hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of workers."Chertoff made the announcement during an appearance with Commerce Secretary Carlos M. Gutierrez in which they touted administration progress in enforcing immigration laws and beefing up border security. They also urged Congress to pass an immigration overhaul including guest worker programs, enforcement, and some accommodation for illegal immigrants currently in the United States."We cannot neglect our economic security, and that is exactly what we're doing by neglecting comprehensive immigration reform," said Gutierrez, who worked with Chertoff and a bipartisan group of lawmakers on the 2007 legislation.E-Verify is now used by more than 69,000 companies, with about 1,000 firms signing up weekly for the free Internet-based system.Many companies have enrolled because of stepped-up federal immigration raids. In industries that traditionally rely on immigrant labor, such as meatpacking, companies understand that not using E-Verify can prompt immigration officials to take a closer look.Chertoff said E-Verify cleared 99.5% of qualified employees automatically. But in 2006 the Social Security inspector general found discrepancies in 17.8 million records for citizens and legal immigrants that would create a "significant workload" to correct.Lawmakers and other critics warned that forcing the more than 200,000 federal contractors to join E-Verify could overwhelm the Social Security Administration and create havoc for legal workers."As the administration requires more employers and workers to move into E-Verify, it should at the same time ensure that the system does not impinge upon U.S. citizens' fundamental right to earn a living," said Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-San Jose), head of the House subcommittee on immigration.Firms doing business with the government risk losing their contracts if they break federal rules. Some business executives worry the new requirement could add expenses."There's concern about increased costs and delays in hiring brought about by inaccuracies in the database," said Neal J. Couture, executive director of the National Contract Managers Assn.Timothy D. Sparapani of the American Civil Liberties Union argued that E-Verify was "not real immigration enforcement" because the system could not detect applicants who used documents stolen from legal workers. He predicted the system would prompt more identity theft by illegal immigrants."American workers' identities are essentially going to become a black market commodity," Sparapani said.Still, many were pleased by Monday's action. "With today's announcement by Secretary Chertoff, we are diminishing the ability of illegal immigrants to find employment in the United States," said Rep. Brian P. Bilbray (R-Carlsbad).Added Dan Stein of the Federation for American Immigration Reform, which advocates restricting all immigration: "It's an excellent idea, long overdue."nicole.gaouette@latimes.com
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/politics/la-na-immig10-2008jun10,0,5479886.story
Federal contractors must verify workers' legal status, his order says.
Millions could eventually be affected.
By Nicole Gaouette
Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
June 10, 2008
WASHINGTON — The Bush administration, in an aggressive new effort to keep illegal immigrants out of the workforce, on Monday ordered all companies doing business with the federal government to begin ensuring their employees can legally work in the U.S.The order will require thousands of firms to use a government system called E-Verify to check workers' Social Security numbers. The system has been voluntary for private firms but mandatory for government agencies.The policy, which initially applies to new hires, eventually could affect millions of federal contract workers nationwide whose jobs range from serving cafeteria food to launching NASA spacecraft. The step is one of several the administration planned after Congress failed last year to pass an overhaul of immigration laws."The federal government should lead by example and not by exhortation," said Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff, who has encouraged firms to use E-Verify.Groups advocating immigration restrictions have embraced E-Verify as a way to weed out illegal workers. But it has been criticized by business groups and immigrant advocates because errors in the Social Security database can lead to red-flagging legal residents.And with the rapid expansion of federal contracting under President Bush, some critics questioned whether the order would be workable."I just don't know how the administration is going to enforce this," said Paul C. Light, a New York University professor and federal contracting expert who said such outsourcing had grown by 70% under Bush. "It's a very large number and very difficult to track. Who is responsible for making sure the sub-sub-sub-contractor is using E-Verify?"E-Verify is already a success, Chertoff said, predicting that the executive order would affect "hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of workers."Chertoff made the announcement during an appearance with Commerce Secretary Carlos M. Gutierrez in which they touted administration progress in enforcing immigration laws and beefing up border security. They also urged Congress to pass an immigration overhaul including guest worker programs, enforcement, and some accommodation for illegal immigrants currently in the United States."We cannot neglect our economic security, and that is exactly what we're doing by neglecting comprehensive immigration reform," said Gutierrez, who worked with Chertoff and a bipartisan group of lawmakers on the 2007 legislation.E-Verify is now used by more than 69,000 companies, with about 1,000 firms signing up weekly for the free Internet-based system.Many companies have enrolled because of stepped-up federal immigration raids. In industries that traditionally rely on immigrant labor, such as meatpacking, companies understand that not using E-Verify can prompt immigration officials to take a closer look.Chertoff said E-Verify cleared 99.5% of qualified employees automatically. But in 2006 the Social Security inspector general found discrepancies in 17.8 million records for citizens and legal immigrants that would create a "significant workload" to correct.Lawmakers and other critics warned that forcing the more than 200,000 federal contractors to join E-Verify could overwhelm the Social Security Administration and create havoc for legal workers."As the administration requires more employers and workers to move into E-Verify, it should at the same time ensure that the system does not impinge upon U.S. citizens' fundamental right to earn a living," said Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-San Jose), head of the House subcommittee on immigration.Firms doing business with the government risk losing their contracts if they break federal rules. Some business executives worry the new requirement could add expenses."There's concern about increased costs and delays in hiring brought about by inaccuracies in the database," said Neal J. Couture, executive director of the National Contract Managers Assn.Timothy D. Sparapani of the American Civil Liberties Union argued that E-Verify was "not real immigration enforcement" because the system could not detect applicants who used documents stolen from legal workers. He predicted the system would prompt more identity theft by illegal immigrants."American workers' identities are essentially going to become a black market commodity," Sparapani said.Still, many were pleased by Monday's action. "With today's announcement by Secretary Chertoff, we are diminishing the ability of illegal immigrants to find employment in the United States," said Rep. Brian P. Bilbray (R-Carlsbad).Added Dan Stein of the Federation for American Immigration Reform, which advocates restricting all immigration: "It's an excellent idea, long overdue."nicole.gaouette@latimes.com
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/politics/la-na-immig10-2008jun10,0,5479886.story
Bush Executive Order on Immigration Checks
For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
June 9, 2008
Executive Order:
Amending Executive Order 12989, as Amended
White House News
By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including subsection 121(a) of title 40 and section 301 of title 3, United States Code, and in order to take further steps to promote economy and efficiency in Federal Government procurement, it is hereby ordered as follows:
Section 1. Executive Order 12989 of February 13, 1996, as amended, is further amended:
(a) by striking the title and inserting in lieu thereof "Economy and Efficiency in Government Procurement Through Compliance with Certain Immigration and Nationality Act Provisions and Use of an Electronic Employment Eligibility Verification System"; and
(b) by striking the material that follows the title and precedes section 1 of the order and inserting in lieu thereof the following:
"This order is designed to promote economy and efficiency in Federal Government procurement. Stability and dependability are important elements of economy and efficiency. A contractor whose workforce is less stable will be less likely to produce goods and services economically and efficiently than a contractor whose workforce is more stable. It is the policy of the executive branch to enforce fully the immigration laws of the United States, including the detection and removal of illegal aliens and the imposition of legal sanctions against employers that hire illegal aliens. Because of the worksite enforcement policy of the United States and the underlying obligation of the executive branch to enforce the immigration laws, contractors that employ illegal aliens cannot rely on the continuing availability and service of those illegal workers, and such contractors inevitably will have a less stable and less dependable workforce than contractors that do not employ such persons. Where a contractor assigns illegal aliens to work on Federal contracts, the enforcement of Federal immigration laws imposes a direct risk of disruption, delay, and increased expense in Federal contracting. Such contractors are less dependable procurement sources, even if they do not knowingly hire or knowingly continue to employ unauthorized workers.
"Contractors that adopt rigorous employment eligibility confirmation policies are much less likely to face immigration enforcement actions, because they are less likely to employ unauthorized workers, and they are therefore generally more efficient and dependable procurement sources than contractors that do not employ the best available measures to verify the work eligibility of their workforce. It is the policy of the executive branch to use an electronic employment verification system because, among other reasons, it provides the best available means to confirm the identity and work eligibility of all employees that join the Federal workforce. Private employers that choose to contract with the Federal Government should meet the same standard.
"I find, therefore, that adherence to the general policy of contracting only with providers that do not knowingly employ unauthorized alien workers and that have agreed to utilize an electronic employment verification system designated by the Secretary of Homeland Security to confirm the employment eligibility of their workforce will promote economy and efficiency in Federal procurement.
"NOW, THEREFORE, to ensure the economical and efficient administration and completion of Federal Government contracts, and by the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including subsection 121(a) of title 40 and section 301 of title 3, United States Code, it is hereby ordered as follows:".
Sec. 2. Section 1 of Executive Order 12989, as amended, is further amended by:
(a) striking the last sentence in subsection 1(a); and
(b) striking subsection (b) and inserting in lieu thereof the following new subsections:
"(b) It is the policy of the executive branch in procuring goods and services that, to ensure the economical and efficient administration and completion of Federal Government contracts, contracting agencies may not enter into contracts with employers that do not use the best available means to confirm the work authorization of their workforce.
"(c) It is the policy of the executive branch to enforce fully the antidiscrimination provisions of the INA. Nothing in this order relieves employers of antidiscrimination obligations under section 274B of the INA (8 U.S.C. 1324b) or any other law.
"(d) All discretion under this order shall be exercised consistent with the policies set forth in this section.".
Sec. 3. Section 5 of Executive Order 12989, as amended, is further amended to read as follows:
"Sec. 5. (a) Executive departments and agencies that enter into contracts shall require, as a condition of each contract, that the contractor agree to use an electronic employment eligibility verification system designated by the Secretary of Homeland Security to verify the employment eligibility of: (i) all persons hired during the contract term by the contractor to perform employment duties within the United States; and (ii) all persons assigned by the contractor to perform work within the United States on the Federal contract.
"(b) The Secretary of Homeland Security:
"(i) shall administer, maintain, and modify as necessary and appropriate the electronic employment eligibility verification system designated by the Secretary under subsection (a) of this section; and
"(ii) may establish with respect to such electronic employment verification system:
"(A) terms and conditions for use of the system; and
"(B) procedures for monitoring the use, failure to use, or improper use of the system.
"(c) The Secretary of Defense, the Administrator of General Services, and the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration shall amend the Federal Acquisition Regulation to the extent necessary and appropriate to implement the debarment responsibility, the employment eligibility verification responsibility, and other related responsibilities assigned to heads of departments and agencies under this order.
"(d) Except to the extent otherwise specified by law or this order, the Secretary of Homeland Security and the Attorney General:
"(i) shall administer and enforce this order; and
"(ii) may, after consultation to the extent appropriate with the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of Labor, the Administrator of General Services, the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the Administrator for Federal Procurement Policy, and the heads of such other departments or agencies as may be appropriate, issue such rules, regulations, or orders, or establish such requirements, as may be necessary and appropriate to implement this order.".
Sec. 4. Section 7 of Executive Order 12989, as amended, is amended by striking "respective agencies" and inserting in lieu thereof "respective departments or agencies".
Sec. 5. Section 8 of Executive Order 12989, as amended, is amended to read as follows:
"Sec. 8. (a) This order shall be implemented in a manner intended to minimize the burden on participants in the Federal procurement process.
"(b) This order shall be implemented in a manner consistent with the protection of intelligence and law enforcement sources, methods, and activities from unauthorized disclosure.".
Sec. 6. Section 9 of Executive Order 12989, as amended, is amended to read as follows:
"Sec. 9. (a) Nothing in this order shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:
(i) authority granted by law to a department or agency or the head thereof; or
(ii) functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budget, administrative, or legislative proposals.
"(b) This order shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations.
"(c) 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. 7. 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.
GEORGE W. BUSH
THE WHITE HOUSE,
June 6, 2008.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2008/06/20080609-2.html
Office of the Press Secretary
June 9, 2008
Executive Order:
Amending Executive Order 12989, as Amended
White House News
By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including subsection 121(a) of title 40 and section 301 of title 3, United States Code, and in order to take further steps to promote economy and efficiency in Federal Government procurement, it is hereby ordered as follows:
Section 1. Executive Order 12989 of February 13, 1996, as amended, is further amended:
(a) by striking the title and inserting in lieu thereof "Economy and Efficiency in Government Procurement Through Compliance with Certain Immigration and Nationality Act Provisions and Use of an Electronic Employment Eligibility Verification System"; and
(b) by striking the material that follows the title and precedes section 1 of the order and inserting in lieu thereof the following:
"This order is designed to promote economy and efficiency in Federal Government procurement. Stability and dependability are important elements of economy and efficiency. A contractor whose workforce is less stable will be less likely to produce goods and services economically and efficiently than a contractor whose workforce is more stable. It is the policy of the executive branch to enforce fully the immigration laws of the United States, including the detection and removal of illegal aliens and the imposition of legal sanctions against employers that hire illegal aliens. Because of the worksite enforcement policy of the United States and the underlying obligation of the executive branch to enforce the immigration laws, contractors that employ illegal aliens cannot rely on the continuing availability and service of those illegal workers, and such contractors inevitably will have a less stable and less dependable workforce than contractors that do not employ such persons. Where a contractor assigns illegal aliens to work on Federal contracts, the enforcement of Federal immigration laws imposes a direct risk of disruption, delay, and increased expense in Federal contracting. Such contractors are less dependable procurement sources, even if they do not knowingly hire or knowingly continue to employ unauthorized workers.
"Contractors that adopt rigorous employment eligibility confirmation policies are much less likely to face immigration enforcement actions, because they are less likely to employ unauthorized workers, and they are therefore generally more efficient and dependable procurement sources than contractors that do not employ the best available measures to verify the work eligibility of their workforce. It is the policy of the executive branch to use an electronic employment verification system because, among other reasons, it provides the best available means to confirm the identity and work eligibility of all employees that join the Federal workforce. Private employers that choose to contract with the Federal Government should meet the same standard.
"I find, therefore, that adherence to the general policy of contracting only with providers that do not knowingly employ unauthorized alien workers and that have agreed to utilize an electronic employment verification system designated by the Secretary of Homeland Security to confirm the employment eligibility of their workforce will promote economy and efficiency in Federal procurement.
"NOW, THEREFORE, to ensure the economical and efficient administration and completion of Federal Government contracts, and by the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including subsection 121(a) of title 40 and section 301 of title 3, United States Code, it is hereby ordered as follows:".
Sec. 2. Section 1 of Executive Order 12989, as amended, is further amended by:
(a) striking the last sentence in subsection 1(a); and
(b) striking subsection (b) and inserting in lieu thereof the following new subsections:
"(b) It is the policy of the executive branch in procuring goods and services that, to ensure the economical and efficient administration and completion of Federal Government contracts, contracting agencies may not enter into contracts with employers that do not use the best available means to confirm the work authorization of their workforce.
"(c) It is the policy of the executive branch to enforce fully the antidiscrimination provisions of the INA. Nothing in this order relieves employers of antidiscrimination obligations under section 274B of the INA (8 U.S.C. 1324b) or any other law.
"(d) All discretion under this order shall be exercised consistent with the policies set forth in this section.".
Sec. 3. Section 5 of Executive Order 12989, as amended, is further amended to read as follows:
"Sec. 5. (a) Executive departments and agencies that enter into contracts shall require, as a condition of each contract, that the contractor agree to use an electronic employment eligibility verification system designated by the Secretary of Homeland Security to verify the employment eligibility of: (i) all persons hired during the contract term by the contractor to perform employment duties within the United States; and (ii) all persons assigned by the contractor to perform work within the United States on the Federal contract.
"(b) The Secretary of Homeland Security:
"(i) shall administer, maintain, and modify as necessary and appropriate the electronic employment eligibility verification system designated by the Secretary under subsection (a) of this section; and
"(ii) may establish with respect to such electronic employment verification system:
"(A) terms and conditions for use of the system; and
"(B) procedures for monitoring the use, failure to use, or improper use of the system.
"(c) The Secretary of Defense, the Administrator of General Services, and the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration shall amend the Federal Acquisition Regulation to the extent necessary and appropriate to implement the debarment responsibility, the employment eligibility verification responsibility, and other related responsibilities assigned to heads of departments and agencies under this order.
"(d) Except to the extent otherwise specified by law or this order, the Secretary of Homeland Security and the Attorney General:
"(i) shall administer and enforce this order; and
"(ii) may, after consultation to the extent appropriate with the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of Labor, the Administrator of General Services, the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the Administrator for Federal Procurement Policy, and the heads of such other departments or agencies as may be appropriate, issue such rules, regulations, or orders, or establish such requirements, as may be necessary and appropriate to implement this order.".
Sec. 4. Section 7 of Executive Order 12989, as amended, is amended by striking "respective agencies" and inserting in lieu thereof "respective departments or agencies".
Sec. 5. Section 8 of Executive Order 12989, as amended, is amended to read as follows:
"Sec. 8. (a) This order shall be implemented in a manner intended to minimize the burden on participants in the Federal procurement process.
"(b) This order shall be implemented in a manner consistent with the protection of intelligence and law enforcement sources, methods, and activities from unauthorized disclosure.".
Sec. 6. Section 9 of Executive Order 12989, as amended, is amended to read as follows:
"Sec. 9. (a) Nothing in this order shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:
(i) authority granted by law to a department or agency or the head thereof; or
(ii) functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budget, administrative, or legislative proposals.
"(b) This order shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations.
"(c) 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. 7. 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.
GEORGE W. BUSH
THE WHITE HOUSE,
June 6, 2008.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2008/06/20080609-2.html
Monday, August 27, 2007
Gonzales has been loyal voice for administration
August 27, 2007
(CNN) -- President Bush has placed a lot of faith in Alberto Gonzales over the last 12 years.
Gonzales' resume glistens with appointments and nominations made by the 43rd president: Texas gubernatorial counsel, Texas secretary of state, Texas Supreme Court justice, White House counsel, U.S. attorney general -- the post he is now leaving.
In a 2005 interview, Gonzales, the nation's first Latino attorney general, recalled how he initially garnered Bush's attention when Bush's father, President George H.W. Bush, asked him to come work in the White House in 1990.
At the time, Gonzales was an attorney with Vinson & Elkins, a massive Texas law firm that boasted Enron and Halliburton among its clientele, and Gonzales was ready to excel in the private realm.
"I wanted to stay and make partner, and so I said no," Gonzales told the Academy of Achievement of his encounter with the elder Bush.
Five years later, he was approached by the son. "I first got on his radar screen because I had turned his old man down for a job," Gonzales recalled to the academy....
Solidifying his conservative credentials shortly after joining the White House team in 2001, Gonzales took a shot at affirmative action while conceding it may have gotten him where he is today.
"I know that I've been helped because of my ethnicity," Gonzales told the Los Angeles Times. However, he added, "Hispanics should expect nothing more than an equal opportunity. For us to now say that we should be given an opportunity because of our ethnicity, irrespective of our competence, means that we'll be discriminating against someone else who doesn't happen to be Hispanic." [To read the entire article, go to: http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/08/27/gonzales.profile/index.html ]
(CNN) -- President Bush has placed a lot of faith in Alberto Gonzales over the last 12 years.
Gonzales' resume glistens with appointments and nominations made by the 43rd president: Texas gubernatorial counsel, Texas secretary of state, Texas Supreme Court justice, White House counsel, U.S. attorney general -- the post he is now leaving.
In a 2005 interview, Gonzales, the nation's first Latino attorney general, recalled how he initially garnered Bush's attention when Bush's father, President George H.W. Bush, asked him to come work in the White House in 1990.
At the time, Gonzales was an attorney with Vinson & Elkins, a massive Texas law firm that boasted Enron and Halliburton among its clientele, and Gonzales was ready to excel in the private realm.
"I wanted to stay and make partner, and so I said no," Gonzales told the Academy of Achievement of his encounter with the elder Bush.
Five years later, he was approached by the son. "I first got on his radar screen because I had turned his old man down for a job," Gonzales recalled to the academy....
Solidifying his conservative credentials shortly after joining the White House team in 2001, Gonzales took a shot at affirmative action while conceding it may have gotten him where he is today.
"I know that I've been helped because of my ethnicity," Gonzales told the Los Angeles Times. However, he added, "Hispanics should expect nothing more than an equal opportunity. For us to now say that we should be given an opportunity because of our ethnicity, irrespective of our competence, means that we'll be discriminating against someone else who doesn't happen to be Hispanic." [To read the entire article, go to: http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/08/27/gonzales.profile/index.html ]
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