In September, the President announced that – for the first time in history – the White House would routinely release visitor records. Today, the White House releases visitor records that were created in January 2010. Today’s release also includes several visitor records created prior to September 16, 2009 that were requested by members of the public during March 2010 pursuant to the White House voluntary disclosure policy. This release brings the grand total of records that this White House has released to well over 300,000 records. You can view them all in our Disclosures section.

Norm Eisen is Special Counsel to the President for Ethics and Government Reform

[UPDATE: Read an update on the federal response to the oil spill from Press Secretary Robert Gibbs posted May 1, 2010.]

Earlier today, President Obama delivered remarks on the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico before talking about the economy. He explained that while BP is ultimately responsible for the costs of cleanup operations, the government has been discussing the response effort with BP and is prepared to help affected communities.

He announced that there are now five staging areas to protect sensitive shorelines along with federal response personnel in the area and response vessels and aircraft on the scene. The President also said that Secretary Salazar will conduct a thorough review of the oil spill and report on additional precautions and technologies that should be required to prevent future accidents.

So, let me be clear.  I continue to believe that domestic oil production is an important part of our overall strategy for energy security, but I've always said it must be done responsibly, for the safety of our workers and our environment.  The local economies and livelihoods of the people of the Gulf Coast as well as the ecology of the region are at stake.  And we're going to continue to update the American people on the situation in the Gulf going forward.

• Learn more about the federal response from the EPA.

The President then discussed the GDP report released today, which shows that the economy grew at a rate of 3.2 percent as opposed to last year during the quarter when it shrank at a rate of 6.4 percent. He explained that the number shows that the “economic heartbeat is growing stronger,” but that he measures progress by a different pulse – “the progress the American people feel in their own lives day in, day out.” The President stated that “the work of moving the economy forward remains our focus every single day.”

Now, government can’t replace every job that has been lost. That’s not government’s role.  It is America’s business all across the country -- the private sector, businesses -- that have always been and will always be the engines of our job creation.  Our task, then, is to create the conditions necessary for those businesses to open their doors, expand their operations, and ultimately hire more workers.

That’s precisely what we’ve tried to do by cutting taxes for small businesses; by backing thousands of loans supporting billions of dollars in lending; and by making targeted investments in the areas of our economy where the potential for job growth is greatest -– areas like clean energy.

He talked about Itron and A123 Systems, both companies that were able to capitalize their growth by taking advantage of the Advanced Manufacturing Tax Credit in the Recovery Act, which helped several companies hire more workers, add equipment, boost output, and promote American business in the clean energy industry. 

In fact, this program was so successful that it was oversubscribed by a ratio of three to one.  That’s why I’ve called for an additional $5 billion in investment into these projects to accelerate the creation of clean-energy jobs in America’s factories.  Because every time a new factory or plant opens or expands in America, it becomes important to more people than the workers it employs; it becomes an economic lifeline to a community, capable of supporting dozens, or hundreds, or even thousands of jobs indirectly.

President Barack Obama comments on the first quarter 2010 GDP numbers in the Rose Garden of the White House, April, 30, 2010. President Obama is joined by representatives and workers from two U.S. manufacturers, Itron, a Washington state based manufacturer of smart energy meters, and A123 Systems, a Massachusetts based advanced battery manufacturer, that are expanding production and hiring as a result of Recovery Act investments in innovation and technology. April 30, 2010. (Official White House Photo by Chuck Kennedy)

Over the past few days, more than 170,000 people weighed in on the six finalists in the White House Race to the Top Commencement Challenge.  The race was neck and neck with all of the schools finishing within half a point of one another. 

The top three finalists, in no particular order are:

• Clark Montessori Jr. & Sr. High School  in Cincinnati, OH
• Kalamazoo Central High School in Kalamazoo, MI
• Denver School of Science and Technology in Denver, CO

The next step in the Challenge is for President Obama to choose which school to visit and deliver the commencement address at later this spring.  The final winner will be announced on Tuesday, May 4.  We are working with all of the six finalist schools to have a Cabinet secretary or senior administration official deliver the commencement address if they are not selected by the President. 

We launched the Commencement Challenge to give public high schools around the country a chance to show President Obama what they are made of, and how they are challenging their students to excel in academics, take personal responsibility for their education, and graduate high school ready for college and career.  Over a thousand schools submitted outstanding applications that are testament to the great work happening in public schools around the country.

Each of the six finalists in the Commencement Challenge - Blue Valley Northwest High School in Overland Park, KS, Clark Montessori in Cincinnati, OH, Denver School of Science and Technology in Denver, Colorado, Environmental Charter High School in Lawndale, CA, Kalamazoo Central High School in Kalamazoo, MI and MAST Academy in Miami, FL- are extraordinary schools and each has worked incredibly hard over the past few months to demonstrate the unique aspects of their school.  I am so proud of these schools. 

Thank you to everyone who has participated in the Commencement Challenge!  Be sure to check back on Tuesday to find out which school the President will visit.

Heather Higginbottom is a Deputy Assistant to the President and Deputy Director of the White House Domestic Policy Council.
 

Ed. Note: This post was updated at 3:45PM.

The response to the BP Oil Spill began as an emergency search and rescue mission by the U.S. Coast Guard and other partners on April 20. Concurrently, command center operations were stood up immediately in the Gulf Coast to begin also addressing the environmental impact of the incident.

The morning after the explosion, Secretary Salazar deployed Deputy Secretary Hayes down to the gulf to assist with coordination and response to the incident.

The Administration immediately began holding regular calls with BP leadership and numerous senior-level meetings have been held between the administration and BP to discuss BP’s response effort and federal oversight and support.

The National Response Team (NRT), an organization of 16 federal departments and agencies responsible for coordinating emergency preparedness and response to oil and hazardous substance pollution incidents was quickly activated and a coordinated group of federal partners—including the United States Coast Guard, Departments of Homeland Security, Commerce, Interior and the Environmental Protection Agency—immediately began directing and overseeing BP’s response.

The President immediately began actively monitoring the incident and consulting on the response. The President has been in contact with all the governors of the states that may be affected and ordered that the administration use every single available resource at our disposal.

The Department of Defense is fully integrated into the DHS-led team and fully supportive of all response activities. Navy assets have been involved since day #1, and DOD continues to offer and prepare to offer what is needed as the situation develops.

The Secretary of Defense has approved a request for two C-130 aircraft with Modular Aerial Spray Systems (MASS), which are currently en route to the affected area. The Coast Guard has requested assistance from the Department of Defense for these aircraft.

These aircraft dispense the same dispersant chemical being used by BP and the federal responders. Each system is capable of covering up to 250 acres per flight with three flights per aircraft per day.

Additionally, in direct support of the Coast Guard under an existing pollution clean-up and salvage operations agreement, the Navy is providing a variety of oil pollution control equipment. The Navy has sent thousands of feet of inflatable oil boom with mooring equipment, several skimming systems, related support gear, and personnel to support oil spill response efforts. Naval Air Station Pensacola is serving as a staging facility for Coast Guard contractor-provided equipment.

Early on, the President directed responding agencies to not only devote every resource to respond to this incident but to also determine its cause. Earlier this week, Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano and Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar laid out the next steps for the investigation.

The President has also dispatched Secretary Napolitano, Secretary Salazar, EPA Administrator Jackson, Assistant to the President for Energy and Climate Change Policy Carol Browner and NOAA Administrator Jane Lubchenco to the Gulf Coast to ensure all is being done to respond to this oil spill.

DHS Secretary Napolitano announced that this incident is of national significance, the Department of Interior has announced that they will be sending SWAT teams to the Gulf to inspect all platforms and rigs and the EPA is conducting air monitoring activities to gather information on the impact of the controlled burn on air quality.

By the Numbers To Date:

• Personnel were quickly deployed and 1,900 have been responding to protect the shoreline and wildlife—hundreds more than yesterday.
• Approximately 75 response vessels have been responding on site, including skimmers, tugs, barges, and recovery vessels to assist in containment and cleanup efforts—in addition to dozens of aircraft, remotely operated vehicles, and multiple mobile offshore drilling units.
• More than 217,000 feet of boom (barrier) have been deployed to contain the spill—an increase of more than 40,000 feet since yesterday. An additional 305,000 feet is available.
• 20,313 barrels (853,146 gallons) of an oil-water mix have been recovered—an increase of 90,000 gallons since yesterday.
• 139,459 gallons of dispersant have been deployed—an increase of more than 40,000 gallons since yesterday. An additional 51,000 gallons are available.
• Six staging areas (Biloxi, Miss., Pensacola, Fla. Venice, La., Pascagoula, Miss. and Theodore, Ala., and Fourchon, La.) were set up to protect sensitive shorelines—an increase of 1 since yesterday.

Robert Gibbs is White House Press Secretary

Just over a month ago, President Obama signed the Affordable Care Act into law. This landmark legislation gives the American people the control over their own health insurance they need and deserve -- by holding insurance companies accountable, bringing down costs and giving all Americans more insurance choices.

The day of that signing the President made one thing clear – he expects his Administration to deliver the benefits of reform to the American people as effectively and expeditiously as possible.  As the President said, “we need to get this right.”   Over the last month, we’ve begun doing that.  We’ve made significant progress in implementing the new law and making reform a reality for millions of Americans.  

Here’s what we’ve done:

We’ve Held Insurance Companies Accountable
Effective September 23, the Affordable Care Act prohibits some of the worst insurance company practices, including the practice of rescinding coverage from policyholders when they become sick and need it most.  After media accounts indicated that an insurance company actively worked to rescind health care coverage for women diagnosed with breast cancer, the Administration called on this company to end this practice and immediately comply with the new law. Two days ago, the insurance industry announced they will immediately follow the new rules and not wait for the new law to make it illegal. We’re glad to hear that the insurance companies are now doing the right thing -– and we intend to hold them to their word.

We’ve Helped Small Businesses Lower Costs
Across the country, small businesses are struggling to provide their employees with affordable, quality health benefits. Rising costs have forced many small businesses to charge their employees more for care, or eliminate benefits altogether.

The Affordable Care Act provides tax credits to small employers that purchase health insurance for employees. An estimated 4 million small businesses nationwide could qualify for the tax credit, which will provide a total $40 billion in relief for small firms over the next 10 years. Small businesses can take advantage of the tax credit immediately and the Internal Revenue Service has begun delivering postcards to more than four million small businesses and tax-exempt organizations to make them aware of the tax credit. Learn more about the tax credits here.

We’ve Expanded Coverage for Young Adults
In the past, college graduations were a time to celebrate and a time to worry. For many young adults, graduating from college meant losing health insurance coverage.

This year, the Affordable Care Act will allow many young adults to stay on their parents’ health care plan until age 26. This provision takes effect on September 23, 2010. Under the new law, some young adults graduating from college this spring could risk losing their health insurance before the provision takes effect, only to be added back onto their parents’ policy the next time their parents’ plan comes up for renewal on or after September 23rd.  On April 19, Secretary Sebelius called on insurance companies to begin covering young adults voluntarily before the September 23 implementation date. 65 insurance plans, including some of the largest carriers in the country have agreed to do so. This will help ensure many Americans graduating from college this spring can stay on their parents’ health insurance plan.

On April 27, the Internal Revenue Service released new guidance specifically stating that children can be covered tax-free on their parents' health insurance policy. This new guidance provides important information to businesses and includes information on incentives the Affordable Care Act provides for employers to immediately extend health insurance coverage to young adults.

We’ve Provided Relief for Americans with Pre-Existing Conditions
Before reform, parents across America worried how they would provide coverage to their children if they had a pre-existing condition. Through no fault of their own, these children were locked out of the insurance marketplace.

This year, provisions in the Affordable Care Act prohibiting health insurers from excluding coverage of children because of preexisting conditions take effect. When questions were raised about whether insurers would work to avoid covering children with pre-existing conditions, Secretary Sebelius called on the nation’s health insurance companies to provide coverage to these vulnerable Americans. On March 29, health insurance companies agreed to ensure children with pre-existing conditions were not denied coverage.

Adults with pre-existing conditions also suffered under the old insurance industry rules that allowed insurance companies to charge sky-high rates or deny coverage altogether. 

Discrimination based on pre-existing conditions will be banned in 2014.  In the meantime, a new temporary high risk pool program will provide immediate relief. The high risk pool program will offer affordable health insurance coverage to people who are uninsured because of pre-existing conditions. States may choose whether and how they participate in the program, which is funded entirely by the Federal government. If a state chooses not to participate, eligible residents of the state will be able to obtain insurance through a federal high risk pool.

Plans are underway to create the national and state high-risk pools by July 1st.  In early  April, the Department of Health and Human Services asked states to declare how they intend to participate in the program by April 30, 2010. We anticipate that many states will decide to offer their citizens the national high risk pool, but regardless of whether or how a state participates, all Americans who meet the eligibility criteria will have the opportunity to join a high risk pool.

We’re Protecting Your Premium Dollars
For too long, insurance companies could spend your premium dollars on things like CEO salaries, advertising and overhead – instead of improving care and improving patient health.

A new policy in the Affordable Care Act – called the medical loss ratio -- creates new incentives for insurance companies to be more efficient, and ensure that consumer premiums are being used for medical care, not excessive and unnecessary administrative costs. 

The law requires large group plans to spend 85 percent of your premium dollars (80 percent in the small group market) on medical care.  It also calls for the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) to establish uniform definitions and methods for calculating the medical loss ratio. While the law calls for NAIC to deliver recommendations on how to do this by December, 2010, Secretary Sebelius called on NAIC to deliver its recommendations by June 1, 2010. NAIC has agreed to the accelerated timeline.

Throughout our work to implement this legislation, we’ve made communicating with you one of our top priorities. From town hall meetings with President Obama, to webcasts with Secretary Sebelius and blog posts here on the White House blog, we have worked to answer your questions about this important new law. In the weeks ahead, we’ll be expanding our public education campaign and doing more to ensure you have the facts about reform.

Nancy-Ann DeParle is Director of the White House Office of Health Reform

Sarah Brown Wessling, a high school English teacher at Johnston High School in Johnston, Iowa, accepts the 2010 National Teacher of the Year Award from President Barack Obama during a ceremony in the Rose Garden of the White House, April 29, 2010. April 29, 2010. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

Earlier today, I was honored join President Obama, Secretary Duncan, and Dr. Biden in the Rose Garden of the White House to accept the National Teach of the Year award.

I couldn’t be more overwhelmed and humbled by this honor.  I was joined by the most remarkable assemblages of teachers  - the 2010 State Teachers of the Year -  I have known.  Each is gifted and passionate about the work he or she does; yet, together we are galvanized in our shared vision of what teaching and learning can be.  My family, my administrators, some of my own teachers and former students, along with many representatives from the State of Iowa were also in attendance.  In front of us all is the collective responsibility to create hope and opportunity for every child in this country.

I think there is a misconception about this honor, that its purpose is to differentiates one teacher from another.  Rather, this honor is about our similarities, about what unites us.  It’s the deliberateness I share with Daniel, the design I share with Kate, the attention to students I share with Melissa, the pursuit of ideas I share with Ed – all of these teachers here and from home.  It is about the purpose I share with each educator standing here today.

If you were to come into my classroom, the first thing you would notice is that my desk is in the back corner, despite the building design to make it otherwise.  This placement is but an outward sign of an implicit philosophy, that teaching must be learner-centered.

“The desk in the back of the room” displaces hierarchies, creates an environment where a teacher becomes a lead learner, and evolves into a web of interdependence where the classroom walls become boundless. When we embrace this open-model of learning, the consumers of our curriculum will become designers of their own learning.

It is in these moments of learning that I fondly think of my students.  I am here because my students couldn’t be.  When we listen to them, their message is clear: Labria would say she deserves worthy learning experiences;
Robert would want to be seen as an individual, not as a number or the score on an exam; Meredith would clamor for innovative curriculum; Jasmina would say she deserves passionate teachers. They all would say we need 21st century teachers, not just adults teaching in the 21st century.

Our dream for our students is the same dream we have for our own children, to be recognized for their strengths, to learn from their weaknesses and to be seen as a person of infinite potential.

We are facing tough times in education when it may be difficult to find what to hold onto, but each learner is a story. I see the world in stories and I believe it is these stories that will sustain and teach us.  They will challenge and sometimes confuse us.  But in the same way that I believe in the transformative power of language to unite us, I am certain that the stories of our students will sustain us.
 
The 2010 Teachers of the Year are here because our students couldn’t be, because their stories compel us to be here, because we couldn’t be anywhere else.

President Barack Obama, with Education Secretary Arne Duncan, right, presents Sarah Brown Wessling the 2010 Teacher of the Year Award during a ceremony in the Rose Garden of the White House, April 29, 2010. April 29, 2010. (Official White House Photo by Samantha Appleton)

Sarah Brown Wessling is a high school English teacher at Johnston High School in Johnston, Iowa, and the recipient of this year’s National Teacher of the Year Award. 

President Barack Obama delivers the eulogy at Dr. Dorothy Height’s funeral at Washington National Cathedral in Washington, D.C., April 29, 2010. (Official White House Photo by Chuck Kennedy)

Dr. Dorothy I. Height was grace personified.  She displayed a quiet strength.  She vigorously defended the Constitution and fought for equal rights, women’s rights, and human rights for citizens of our country and for people the world over.

Today we said our final goodbyes to this extraordinary woman, and the President of the United States paid tribute to her during the final service.  It is more than fitting that this should be the case.
 
Even in what would be the final year of her life, Dr. Height pressed the National Council of Negro Women to stay in the fight for health care, to make sure that working families had the support they needed to survive during these challenging economic times, and to continue inspiring young girls and women to reach their highest aspirations. Dr. Height visited the White House 21 times since President Obama's Inauguration. Indeed, when invited to the White House in February to meet with the President and a group of Civil Rights leaders, only the worst blizzard in Washington in 100 years could keep her away.

On another occasion, Dr. Height joined us on Martin Luther King Day when a group of African American seniors and young children met with the President and Mrs. Obama for a moment of reflection on the road traveled by African Americans in our country.  She told us of the first time she met Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. as a teenager and the promise he conveyed even then.  Later the group joined the President in the Oval Office to review an original copy of the Emancipation Proclamation hung that very day.     

During Women’s History Month this year, President Obama recognized Dr. Height for her life’s work by including her in the proclamation declaring the annual celebration of the contributions women have made in shaping our democracy.  She joined us at the White House for what would be one of her final visits to honor women from all walks of life, many of whom had been inspired by her noble acts.
 
I believe Dr. Height had what Dr. King called “long life and longevity” because she was selfless in her service and lived to uplift her neighbor, whether they lived next door or half way around the world.  In one of her final interviews just over a month ago, Dr. Height was asked what advice she would offer to teenage girls trying to find their way.  She offered a very basic yet profound charge: find a purpose.

Dr. Height’s purpose was to open doors that had been closed for far too long.  Upon reflection on receiving the Congressional Gold Medal in 2004 when she was well into her nineties, and when many of us would have thought a good rest was long overdue, Dr. Height said, “I felt pleased and proud, but also challenged to see what more I could do.”

In her honor, we all should be willing to challenge ourselves to see what more we can do every single day.  

President Barack Obama, First Lady Michelle Obama, Vice President Joe Biden, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, Rep. James Clyburn, and Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton join others at the funeral for Dr. Dorothy Height at Washington National Cathedral in Washington, D.C.

Valerie Jarrett is Senior Advisor to the President.

Recently, I had the privilege of accompanying President Obama on his White House to Main Street Tour to visit towns in Missouri, Illinois and my home state of Iowa. Coming home to small towns in the Midwest reminds me of what terrific places they are to live – but also of the challenges that so many middle class Americans in these communities face on a daily basis.

The truth is that there is a silent crisis going on in rural America.  Rural communities have higher poverty rates than the rest of the country, fewer people have college degrees, and many towns are watching as their young adults move away because they don’t see an opportunity to make a good living.
 
At the local businesses, farms and schools the President and I visited this week, folks were asking the same question:  how can we bring economic vitality back to Main Streets across the nation?  And many of our stops on the tour demonstrated possible answers to that question. 

In Fort Madison, Iowa we visited a plant that manufactures blades for wind turbines that added nearly 400 new jobs with help from a grant from American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.  The Obama administration is hard at work supporting plants like this – and other renewable energy opportunities – to build a green economy that will also help combat climate change. 

In my home town of Mt. Pleasant, Iowa the President and I visited a small farm and business supplying locally grown food to schools and businesses in the community.  At USDA, our Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food initiative is working to create more small businesses like this one that link local production to local consumers.

A newly-released report from the White House Council of Economic Advisers’ outlines more of the Administration’s policies that will bring greater economic prosperity to rural America. The Recovery Act laid the framework for this new rural economy, making important investments in broadband access, energy, education and infrastructure – but there is still more work to be done to create jobs and ensure prosperity in rural communities.

Coming home to the Midwest was a reminder of how a healthy American economy depends on a prosperous rural America – and some of the steps we need to take to build it. But it also showed me once again that President Obama is deeply committed to nurturing strong, robust, and vibrant rural communities so that Main Street’s across rural America remain the best places in this nation to live, work, and raise a family.  

President Barack Obama tours a farm with Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, left, and farmer Lowell Schachtsiek in Palmyra, Missouri, April 28, 2010. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

Tom Vilsack is Agriculture Secretary

The President started his daily intelligence briefing in the Oval Office today with an update on the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico:

President Barack Obama meets with Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano and senior administration officials, including National Security Advisor Gen. James Jones, left, in the Oval Office, regarding the situation in the Gulf of Mexico, April 29, 2010. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

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UPDATE: Read the full Press Briefing on the BP Oil Spill in the Gulf Coast.