Barack Obama Answered

Today marks the 39th anniversary of Earth Day — the environmental awareness and appreciation day founded by United States senator Gaylord Nelson in 1970. Earth Day has spread around the world, and today more than one billion people in nearly 175 countries are expected to take part in celebrations.

We’ll have coverage of Earth Day events throughout the day here, including a special live online chat with green jobs advocate Majora Carter, starting at 1:00 PM Eastern.

Source:Earth Day 2009

Over the past few weeks, Organizing for America staff on the ground have been racking up serious mileage, crisscrossing states to make sure your voices are being included in our state organizing plans. As thousands of Americans reengage and make their voices heard at Listening Tour meetings, word is quickly spreading that the movement for change is still around. In fact, the movement that began during the campaign is building in preparation for unprecedented action on healthcare, energy and education reform.

From the LA Daily News:

When political activist Mary Jane Stevenson shared her fears with her husband last fall that Barack Obama might not win the presidency, her husband’s poignant reply made her shudder.

"What if he wins – and he doesn’t succeed?" she recalls him asking. Stevenson recounted the story to a group of San Fernando Valley-based Obama campaign volunteers last week at a local senior center.

"That’s not going to happen," she told them. "Because we’re here tonight and there are thousands of people across the country who are coming to meetings just like this."

A Topanga resident, Stevenson, 42, is the California director of Obama’s Organizing for America, and is now engaged in a whirlwind organizing tour of California to help keep alive the grass-roots spirit that helped elect Obama.

Those meetings are the latest manifestation of the massive grass-roots political army built by Obama during the presidential campaign. That army is now mobilizing for a new campaign to enact his agenda.

Leaders of Organizing for America, the new face of the Obama campaign, say they are as fired up as ever and ready to help the president as he prepares to sell the country on such legislation as the biggest health care reform since Medicare was enacted in 1965.

From NBC WTAP in West Virginia:

The Obama White House wants to know what you think of the way the country is going.

Wednesday night, a representative form the Obama’s "Organizing for America" met with more than four dozen residents of Washington and Noble counties. The public meeting was the 31st of 35 meetings in Southeastern Ohio to gather grass roots feedback.

From The Post in Ohio:

Organizing for America, an extension of Barack Obama’s presidential campaign, hosted a listening campaign in Grover Center last night.

The listening campaign provided a chance for citizens to speak about the issues that Obama brought up during his campaign, said Greg Schultz, the state director for Organizing for America. The campaign is one of the first actions of Organizing for America.

"We kind of have the way Obama’s campaign was structured early on very much focused on local expertise, local knowledge and local connections," Schultz said, explaining that the organization is using the structure from Obama’s campaign to help fulfill the goals of his administration.

From the Middletown Journal in Ohio:

Millions of ordinary people, just like me, are working to help President Barack Obama change America. Before the 100th day of his administration, hundreds of thousands of signatures on support cards were gathered, and hundreds of thousands of phone calls to Congress were made in support of President Obama’s budget.

Ordinary people understand the importance of investing in health care, energy and education. We understand that these are the issues that will determine our future.

We also understand that the budget is just the first step in rebuilding our economy. And we are very aware that it is going to take us – the ordinary people – to work to get these changes made a reality.

A group of more than 80 ordinary people recently met in Warren County to discuss how to continue this grass-roots movement. We had people from Lebanon, Franklin, Waynesville, Pleasant Plain, Maineville, Mason, Middletown, Hamilton and many other villages and townships. We came together to meet the Ohio field director for Organizing for America, the organization that is an outgrowth of the Obama Campaign for Change. We understand that we finally have a voice in our government. And we know that ordinary people can do extraordinary things.

Source:Listening Tours: "As Fired Up as Ever"

This afternoon, President Obama signed into law the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act. The national service bill dramatically increases the size of the AmeriCorps service program over the next eight years, expands ways for students to earn money for college, and creates opportunities for all Americans to serve in the communities. The President was joined by Senator Kennedy, President Bill Clinton, the Congressional leaders who supported the legislation, and countless others dedicated to passage of the bill at the SEED School, where service is a core part of the curriculum. 

In his remarks, the President spoke of the importance of service and the opportunities this act will create, while announcing a major new call to service:

Ted [Kennedy]’s story and the story of his family is known to all. It’s a story of service. And it’s also the story of America — of hard work and sacrifice of generation after generation, some called upon to give more than others, but each committed to the idea that we can make tomorrow better than today. I wouldn’t be standing here today if not for the service of others, or for the purpose that service gave my own life.

I’ve told this story before. When I moved to Chicago more than two decades ago to become a community organizer, I wasn’t sure what was waiting for me there, but I had always been inspired by the stories of the civil rights movement, and President Kennedy’s call to service, and I knew I wanted to do my part to advance the cause of justice and equality.

And it wasn’t easy, but eventually, over time, working with leaders from all across these communities, we began to make a difference — in neighborhoods that had been devastated by steel plants that had closed down and jobs that had dried up. We began to see a real impact in people’s lives. And I came to realize I wasn’t just helping people, I was receiving something in return, because through service I found a community that embraced me, citizenship that was meaningful, the direction that I had been seeking. I discovered how my own improbable story fit into the larger story of America.

It’s the same spirit of service I’ve seen across this country. I’ve met countless people of all ages and walks of life who want nothing more than to do their part. I’ve seen a rising generation of young people work and volunteer and turn out in record numbers. They’re a generation that came of age amidst the horrors of 9/11 and Katrina, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, an economic crisis without precedent. And yet, despite all this — or more likely because of it — they’ve become a generation of activists possessed with that most American of ideas, that people who love their country can change it.

… What this legislation does, then, is to help harness this patriotism and connect deeds to needs. It creates opportunities to serve for students, seniors, and everyone in between. It supports innovation and strengthens the nonprofit sector. And it is just the beginning of a sustained, collaborative and focused effort to involve our greatest resource — our citizens — in the work of remaking this nation.

Today also marked the launch of Serve.gov, a new online portal designed to help people find ways in which they can serve in their own communities, based on their interests and abilities. In his speech, President Obama called on all Americans to make their own personal commitment to service over the next week:

A week from tomorrow marks the 100th day of my administration. In those next eight days, I ask every American to make an enduring commitment to serving your community and your country in whatever way you can. Visit WhiteHouse.gov to share your stories of service and success. And together, we will measure our progress not just in number of hours served or volunteers mobilized – but in the impact our efforts have on the life of this nation.

Read the President’s full remarks …

Source:A Call to Serve: President Obama Signs the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act

After meeting with President Obama this morning, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced her intention to begin debate on healthcare reform before Congress adjourns for the August recess. 

From the Associated Press:

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Wednesday that her chamber would have a sweeping health care bill on the floor by the end of July, an announcement that President Barack Obama hailed.

… Pelosi, D-Calif., and other House Democrats had met with Obama and Vice President Joe Biden in the Oval Office just before going outside to make their announcement. No Republicans were present, and neither were any senators.

"We promised him that we will have this important legislation on the floor of the House before the August break," Pelosi announced. "Our goal is to have a healthier America."

Neither the speaker nor the president offered details of how the legislation will look, the subject of ongoing debate on Capitol Hill. The White House is remaining mostly quiet as proposals emerge for discussion among lawmakers, preferring to let Congress come up with a plan and engage more on the specifics later on.

President Obama was on hand for the announcement, and he commended House Democrats for their sense of urgency in addressing healthcare reform. The President also reiterated his commitment to "healthcare reform that’s going to bring down costs for families, improve quality, affordability, accessibility for all Americans."

With debate on the specifics of healthcare reform set to begin soon, it is more important than ever to make clear to legislators how important this issue is to everyday Americans. If you haven’t already done so, take a moment to sign a declaration of support urging Congress to follow President Obama’s core principles for health care reform — and to enact real healthcare reform before the end of this year.

Source:House Democrats Promise to Take Up Healthcare Reform by July 31st

Source:The Weekly Address

In his opening remarks at the Rio Rancho Town Hall in New Mexico, President Obama spoke at length on the need for credit card reform and new consumer protections. With more and more Americans turning to credit cards to help with essential bills, credit card reform has never been more urgent. The Senate is currently debating a number of measures, and Rio Rancho President Obama discussed both the need for reform and the principles such reform should embody:

I know that there are so many Americans who are hurting right now. You got hundreds of thousands who’ve lost their jobs just last month. Millions are working jobs that don’t pay enough to cover the bills. Millions more see increasing portions of their income going towards paying down debt. They’re Americans struggling to cope with the rising cost of putting things like their mortgage, their tuition, their medical bills — even their food and gas bills — on their credit cards, because they feel like they’re going underwater. But they’re quickly finding out that they can’t dig their way out of debt because of unfair practices.

…You should not have to worry that when you sign up for a credit card, you’re signing away all your rights.  You shouldn’t need a magnifying glass or a law degree to read the fine print that sometimes don’t even appear to be written in English — or Spanish. (Applause.) And frankly, when you’re trying to navigate your way through this economy, you shouldn’t feel like you’re getting ripped off by "any time, any reason" rate hikes, and payment deadlines that seem to move around every month. That happen to anybody? You think you’re supposed to pay it this day, and suddenly — and it’s never on the end of the month where you’re paying all the rest of your bills, right? It’s like on the 19th. (Laughter.) All kinds of harsh penalties and fees that you never knew about.

Enough is enough. It’s time for strong, reliable protections for our consumers. It’s time for reform — (applause) — it’s time for reform that’s built on transparency and accountability and mutual responsibility — values fundamental to the new foundation we seek to build for our economy.

…We need reform that restores some sense of balance. We need a new equilibrium where credit is flowing, where lenders can succeed, where consumers don’t find themselves in a bad situation that they didn’t anticipate. This kind of reform is especially needed during this economic crisis. And as I’ve said all along, it should adhere to four basic principles:

First, there has to be strong, reliable protections for consumers –- protections that ban unfair rate increases and forbid abusive fees and penalties. The days of "any time, any reason, anything goes" rate hikes and late fees, that must end. That must end. (Applause.)

Second, all forms and statements that credit card companies send out have to be in plain language, in plain sight. (Applause.) No more fine print, no more confusing terms, no more hiding the truth. We’re going to require clarity and transparency from now on.

Third, we have to give people the tools to shop for a credit card that meets their needs without being afraid of being taken advantage of. So we’re going to require firms to make all their contract terms easily accessible, and we’re going to give consumers the information they need to do some comparison shopping. And we’ll require firms to offer at least one simple, straightforward card that offers the strongest protections along with the plainest terms and prices.

And finally — (applause) — finally we need more accountability. Instead of abuse that goes unpunished, we need to strengthen monitoring and enforcement and penalties for those who engage in deceptive practices that take advantage of families and consumers. (Applause.) And we also need to clean up practices at universities to protect students from getting stuck in debt before they even get started in life.

…It’s time to get it done. There’s no time for delay. We need durable and successful flows of credit in our economy, but we can’t tolerate profits that depend on misleading working families. Those days are over.

The Senate has scheduled a vote on the consumer Credit Card Bill of Right for Tuesday.

Read the President’s opening full remarks on credit card reform at the Rio Rancho Town Hall . . .

Source:President Obama on the Need for Credit Card Reform: "Enough is enough"

Today David Plouffe followed up Mitch Stewart’s message from yesterday with one of his own:

It makes you wonder whether they see the same thing we do.

Advocates for the status quo are calling for President Obama to fail while millions of families struggle. They’re playing the same old political games and offering the same failed policies at a time of crisis.

In the coming days, opponents will do everything they can to destroy the President’s proposed budget, a bold plan to help fix our broken economy and healthcare system and finally make energy and education the priority we all know they must be.

The change we need won’t come without a fight — no meaningful change ever does. Just like in the campaign, Barack Obama can’t win without you by his side. Town by town, block by block, this grassroots movement is organizing and uniting Americans behind the President’s plan.

But to finish what we started, we need resources.

Will you join the fight? Before Monday, April 13th, make a donation of $25 or more to help President Obama turn this country around.

We know that Washington won’t change overnight. It’ll take time, commitment, and money, but this grassroots movement can make change a reality — affordable health care, a clean energy economy, and quality education for all. We know we are asking a lot from you — but the stakes couldn’t be higher.

It’s why we worked so hard to elect President Obama, and he’s counting on us to follow through. Today, you can make a difference.

Jo Ann from Charlotte, NC, has joined thousands of other supporters this week to support this movement and reject the same old politics:

"I am a sixty-two year old woman on disability. I followed the election closely and did what I could to get Obama elected. Since he was inaugurated, I have watched in awe to see how much has already been accomplished. I live in Charlotte, NC where the unemployment rates are double digits and going up. My youngest son was out of work for 8 months because the company he worked for went out of business. So many workers and families are losing jobs and homes. There’s so much more to be done, but this budget has to be passed and the programs have to be put into practice before things start to recover. That’s why I support President Obama and his plans."

Americans like Jo Ann deserve better than the kind of divisive politics we’ve seen year after year. They deserve a truthful debate about real issues and a budget that will turn this economy around so that they can turn their lives around.

We need to seize this crucial moment to help pass this budget and invest in the one thing that can make President Obama’s promises of change a reality — the movement you built.

Before the Monday deadline, strengthen this movement. Make a donation of $25 or more today.

Thank you for all that you do,

David Plouffe

Source:Message from David Plouffe

From OFA Director Mitch Stewart:

Tomorrow is Earth Day, and because of the movement you built, we are finally within reach of bringing a clean energy economy to America.

President Obama’s plan will make crucial investments in renewable and alternative energy so that we can end our crippling addiction to foreign oil, confront the global climate crisis, and create millions of new jobs.

Organizing for America needs the support of people like you to make this plan a reality and prepare America for the 21st century global economy.

Contribute $25 or more, and we’ll send you a limited edition, 100% organic cotton "New Energy for America" T-shirt that you can wear to show your support for our fight.

With President Obama’s energy proposal, we can break a dependence on foreign oil that has for too long undermined our national security, wreaked havoc on our planet, and strained the budgets of working families across the country.

First, we’ll have to take on the same special interests that have stood in the way of energy reform for decades — oil companies and Washington lobbyists that will fight to preserve the massive subsidies that reward polluters at the expense of the renewable energy entrepreneurs who will create the jobs of tomorrow.

This time, with your help, we can enact reforms that will create millions of clean energy jobs to revamp America’s infrastructure — jobs that will employ skilled workers who will weatherize our homes and buildings, power our towns and cities with wind and solar energy, and put more than a million hybrid cars on the road to improve our fuel economy.

The President is counting on you to help make energy independence a reality. Celebrate Earth Day and the beginning of a clean energy era by donating $25 or more, and get your limited edition organic cotton T-shirt.

We have a long way to go to, but if you can commit to the promise of a clean energy economy in the same way that you committed to electing President Obama, we can leave our children with a planet and an economy that will enable them to thrive for generations.

Thank you for being a part of this,

Mitch

Mitch Stewart
Director
Organizing for America

P.S. — Tomorrow, we’re hosting noted green jobs advocate, Majora Carter, for a live online chat at 1:00 p.m. Eastern time. She’ll take questions and talk about President Obama’s energy proposals. So order a T-shirt today and join us tomorrow at 1:00 p.m. Eastern if you can — I’ll send more details before the chat.

Source:Limited Edition New Energy for America T-Shirt

A consumer protection bill freezing interest rate hikes on existing credit card balances cleared the House earlier today. President Obama, who has advocated for tighter credit card regulation, released the following statement:

Today, under the leadership of Representatives Barney Frank, Carolyn Maloney, and Luis Gutierrez, members of both parties in the House of Representatives came together to protect American consumers, paving the way toward real, meaningful credit card reform. While Americans have a responsibility to live within their means and pay what they owe, credit card companies have a responsibility to set rules that are fair and transparent. The principles I have long supported would help ensure that these responsibilities are met: strong and reliable consumer protections; credit card forms and statements that have plain language in plain sight; tools that can help people make an informed choice about what credit card to use; and beefed up monitoring, enforcement, and penalties. And building on what we have achieved today, I will work with Congress in the weeks to come so that I can sign a credit card reform bill into law that upholds these principles and upholds the interests of the American people.

Source:President Obama on Credit Cardholders' Bill of Rights

Update: The budget has now passed in both chambers of Congress, capping off President Obama’s 100th day in office.

Thanks to all of our volunteers who collected more than 600,000 pledges of support for the President’s budget priorities. These pledges were delivered to members of Congress and contributed to the budget’s passage.

Earlier today, the House backed a newer version of the fiscal 2010 budget plan, which supports many of President Obama’s major policy priorities, including health care, education and energy reform.

After both chambers of Congress passed their own fiscal blueprints in early April, members on the Budget Conference Committee have been working out a deal to reconcile the two versions. Now that the House has endorsed the newer version to come out of these talks, the Senate must vote on the budget for final passage. The Senate is expected to vote later today, the 100th day since President Obama took office.

From the New York Times:

[The budget] opens the door to major overhauls in health care, energy and education, but requires that they not add to the deficit…

The budget gives Democrats significant room for maneuvering as they move ahead with a health care plan, by providing procedural protection against a Senate filibuster for that legislation, which is still in the early stages of drafting, and allowing 11 years to pay for any health care initiative.

From the Associated Press:

Perhaps most significantly, the budget plan would give Democrats a stronger hand in advancing Obama’s health care initiative this fall by allowing it to go forward without threat of GOP stalling tactics in the Senate. Democrats pledge to first try passing health care legislation with GOP support.

Source:Update: Budget Passes Congress, Preserves President's Priorities