Presidential politics

President Obama Signs South Dakota Disaster Declaration

The President today declared a major disaster exists in the State of South Dakota and ordered Federal aid to supplement State and local recovery efforts in the area struck by severe storms, tornadoes, and flooding during the period of June 16-24, 2010.

Federal funding is available to State and eligible local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations on a cost-sharing basis for emergency work and the repair or replacement of facilities damaged by the severe storms, tornadoes, and flooding in Dewey, Perkins, and Ziebach Counties, and the Cheyenne River Indian Reservation.

Federal funding is also available on a cost-sharing basis for hazard mitigation measures for all counties and Tribes within the State.

W. Craig Fugate, Administrator, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Department of Homeland Security, named Michael L. Parker as the Federal Coordinating Officer for Federal recovery operations in the affected area. 

FEMA said additional designations may be made at a later date if requested by the State and warranted by the results of further damage assessments.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:  FEMA (202) 646-3272.

Presidential Nominations Sent to the Senate, 7/28/10

NOMINATIONS SENT TO THE SENATE:
M. Scott Bowen, of Michigan, to be United States Attorney for the Western District of Michigan for the term of four years, vice Margaret M. Chiara, resigned.

Beverly Joyce Harvard, of Georgia, to be United States Marshal for the Northern District of Georgia for the term of four years, vice Richard Vaughn Mecum, term expired.

Marina Garcia Marmolejo, of Texas, to be United States District Judge for the Southern District of Texas, vice Samuel B. Kent, resigned.

Maria Elizabeth Raffinan, of the District of Columbia, to be an Associate Judge of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia for the term of fifteen years, vice Odessa F. Vincent, retired.

Ripley Rand, of North Carolina, to be United States Attorney for the Middle District of North Carolina for the term of four years, vice Anna Mills S. Wagoner, term expired.

David Mark Singer, of California, to be United States Marshal for the Central District of California for the term of four years, vice Adam Noel Torres, term expired.

President Obama Names Maribeth Raffinan to Superior Court of the District of Columbia

WASHINGTON – Today, President Obama nominated Maria Elizabeth (Maribeth) Raffinan to serve as an Associate Justice of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia.

“Throughout her career Maribeth Raffinan has shown a commitment to justice and public service,” said President Obama. “I am proud to nominate her to serve on the Superior Court of the District of Columbia,”

Maria Elizabeth (Maribeth) Raffinan:  Nominee for the Superior Court of the District of Columbia
Maribeth Raffinan is a supervising attorney in the Trial Division of the Public Defender Service for the District of Columbia where she has represented indigent defendants charged with criminal offenses since 1999.  Prior to joining the Public Defender Service, Ms. Raffinan worked in the Office of the Federal Public Defender for the District of Columbia.  Ms. Raffinan co-chaired the 2007 Deborah T. Creek Criminal Practice Institute, an annual training program for criminal defense practitioners in the District of Columbia, and she has served as a member of the Superior Court’s Drug Court Committee.  She has also served as an adjunct professor at the Columbus School of Law at The Catholic University of America.  Ms. Raffinan has a bachelor’s degree in political science and philosophy from Boston College and earned her law degree from Catholic University of America’s Columbus School of Law.

President Obama Names Two to Serve as U.S. Marshals, 7/28/10

WASHINGTON- Today, President Obama nominated Beverly Harvard and David Mark Singer to serve as U.S. Marshals. 

“These dedicated law enforcement professionals have spent their careers protecting their fellow Americans,” said President Obama.  “I am honored to nominate them to serve the American people as U.S. Marshals.”

Beverly Harvard:  Nominee for U.S. Marshal for the Northern District of Georgia
Beverly Harvard is currently employed by the United States Transportation Security Administration as the Director of Transportation Security Coordination.  Ms. Harvard began her career at TSA in 2002 as the Deputy Federal Security Director.  Prior to Ms. Harvard’s employment with TSA, she worked for the City of Atlanta Police Department from 1973-2002.  Ms. Harvard worked her way through the ranks to the position of Chief of Police from 1994-2002. Ms. Harvard earned her Bachelor of Arts Degree from Morris Brown College in 1972 and went on to receive her Master of Science Degree in 1980 from Georgia State University.

David Mark Singer, Nominee for U.S. Marshal for the Central District of California
David Singer serves as Chief of Police for Whittier, California, a position he has held since 2001.  Previously, he served for four years in the United States Air Force and then began his law enforcement career in 1979 at the Signal Hill, California Police Department, where he served for 21 years, including five as Chief of Police.  Mr. Singer is the chair of LA IMPACT, the Los Angeles countywide drug task force, and he is past president of the Los Angeles County Police Chiefs’ Association.  Mr. Singer graduated received his bachelors degree in criminal justice and his masters degree in public administration from California State University, Long Beach, where he has served as an adjunct professor.  He is also a graduate of the FBI National Academy.

President Obama Names Marina Marmolejo to the United States District Court

WASHINGTON-Today, President Obama nominated Marina Garcia Marmolejo to a  District Court Judgeship. 

“I am proud to nominate Marina Marmolejo to serve on the United States District Court, said President Obama.  “I am confident she will serve on the federal bench with distinction.” 

Marina Garcia Marmolejo:  Nominee for the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas
Marina Garcia Marmolejo is a partner in the firm of Reid Davis, which she joined in 2009.  She previously helped open the San Antonio Office of Thompson & Knight, where she was Of Counsel from 2007 to 2009.  Prior to entering private practice, Ms. Marmolejo was an Assistant United States Attorney in the Southern District of Texas, a position she held from 1999 until 2007. She began her legal career as an Assistant Federal Public Defender, in the Western District of Texas from 1996 to 1998, and then in the Southern District of Texas from 1998 to 1999.  Ms. Marmolejo received her J.D. in 1996 from St. Mary’s University School of Law, her M.A. in 1996 from St. Mary’s University Graduate School, and her B.A. in 1992 from the University of the Incarnate Word.

President Obama Nominates Two to Serve as U.S. Attorneys, 7/28/10

WASHINGTON, DC- Today, President Obama nominated Ripley Eagles Rand and M. Scott Bowen to serve as U.S. Attorneys. 

“I am proud to nominate these outstanding individuals to serve as United States Attorneys,” said President Obama.  “They will be unwavering in their pursuit of justice and I am confident they will serve the people of North Carolina and Michigan with distinction.” 

Ripley Eagles Rand, Nominee for United States Attorney, Middle District of North Carolina
Ripley Rand is a Superior Court Judge for the State of North Carolina, a position he has held since 2002.  Prior to that, Mr. Rand worked as an Assistant District Attorney in the Tenth Prosecutorial District of North Carolina from 1997 to 2002 and in the Twelfth Prosecutorial District in 1997.  From 1996 to 1997, Mr. Rand was a judicial clerk for the Honorable James A. Beaty, Jr., United States District Judge for the Middle District of North Carolina.  Following law school, he was a research assistant for the Honorable Burley B. Mitchell, Jr., Chief Justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court, from 1995 to 1996.  Mr. Rand graduated from the University of North Carolina in 1990 and the University of North Carolina School of Law in 1995.

M. Scott Bowen:  Nominee for United States Attorney, Western District of Michigan
Scott Bowen has been the Commissioner of the Michigan State Lottery Bureau since 2008.  From 2007 to 2008, he was the Director the Michigan Office of the State Employer.  Prior to that, Mr. Bowen served as District Judge for the Michigan State District Court for Wyoming, Michigan, from 2003 to 2005.  From 1997 to 2003, he was a City Commissioner for the 3rd Ward of Grand Rapids, Michigan, and from 2001 to 2003, he worked concurrently for the law firm McInerny & Bowen.  Following law school, he worked as an Associate Attorney at Clary, Nantz, Wood, Hoffus, Rankin & Cooper from 1990 to 1994, and as a founding partner of Bowen, Distel & Hayes, P.C., from 1994 to 2001.  Mr. Bowen graduated from Michigan State University in 1987 and the University of Detroit Mercy Law School in 1990.

President Obama Announces Presidential Delegation to the Republic of Colombia to attend the Inauguration of His Excellency Juan Manuel Santos Calderón

President Barack Obama today announced the designation of a Presidential Delegation to the Republic of Colombia to attend the Inauguration of His Excellency Juan Manuel Santos Calderón on August 7, 2010. 

The Honorable General James L. Jones, USMC (Ret), National Security Advisor to the President, will be the head of the delegation.

Members of the Presidential Delegation:

The Honorable William R. Brownfield, United States Ambassador to the Republic of Colombia

Statement by President Barack Obama on the Passenger Plane Crash in Pakistan

I extend my deepest condolences to the families and friends of all who died in today’s tragic crash of Air Blue flight ED202 near Islamabad.  Among those who were lost were two American citizens.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to all of those touched by this horrible accident.  The American people stand with the people of Pakistan in this moment of tragedy.

FACT SHEET: President Obama to Meet with Small Business Owners, Urge Congress to Act to Support Small Businesses and Create Jobs

Tomorrow, President Obama will meet with a group of small business owners at Tastee Sub Shop in Edison, New Jersey, to discuss the economy and urge Congress to pass support for small businesses, the engines of private sector job growth.  The President will discuss with the small business owners how the small business legislation that the Senate is expected to vote on this week will help businesses like theirs grow and hire more workers.

A fact sheet on President Obama’s small business jobs proposals is attached.

The small business provisions that the President has put forward will help small businesses like the ones the President will meet with by:

• Providing small banks on Main Street with capital and incentives to lend to small businesses on Main Street, so that these businesses can renew a credit line, purchase new equipment or open a new location.

• Supporting state initiatives like loan guarantee programs that make it easier for creditworthy small businesses to borrow from private sector lenders.

• Creating tax incentives for new investments made by small businesses seeking to expand and grow – allowing, for example, a small business to more quickly receive a deduction on their taxes after purchasing new machinery or equipment.

• Eliminating capital gains taxes on key investments in small businesses, encouraging and rewarding those who invest their capital in smaller firms.

• Continuing successful provisions from the Recovery Act that have helped increase the availability of SBA loans and reduce the fees small businesses pay, while doubling the size of SBA loans small businesses can receive so that they can expand and create new jobs.

The names of the small business owners at the event in New Jersey tomorrow and their stories are below:

• Dave Thornton is a co-owner of the Tastee Sub Shop in Edison, New Jersey.  He and his business partner, Carl Padavano, met in school and have worked at the Edison shop since they were teenagers.  Based on the success of the Edison store, they opened a second Tastee Sub Shop together in South Brunswick, and three years ago Dave opened a third shop in Lawrenceville with his two sons.  Business has remained steady at all three locations despite the recent economic downturn and Dave is optimistic that business will continue to improve. 

• Theo Mastorakos is the owner of a family-run Italian restaurant, Mama Roxy’s, which opened last month in Rochelle Park, New Jersey. Mama Roxy’s received a 504 SBA loan to purchase the land and construct the restaurant. Under the Recovery Act, the 1.5 percent fee of the loan was waived, saving Theo and his family over $20,000 in fees.  The loan enabled the family to open their third restaurant and create 60 new jobs. 

• Tom and Catherine Horsburgh have owned Ridgid Paper Tube Corporation in Wayne, New Jersey, a manufacturer of paper tubes and custom packaging, for almost 30 years.  Ridgid Paper Tube has received a total of four SBA 7(a) loans, two of which were received in 2010 with provisions utilized under the Recovery Act that amounted to fee elimination savings of over $5,000.  The loans allowed Tom and Catherine to purchase the new equipment and materials necessary to expand the sale of their product. Business has grown as a result and they are currently looking to move to a larger facility and plan to hire approximately ten additional employees by the end of the year, almost doubling the size of their current workforce of over 25 employees.  They plan to keep the business in the family and are currently in the process of transitioning management to their son. 

• Brian Bovio is the Operations Manager of his third generation family business, Bovio Advanced Comfort & Energy Solutions in Sicklerville, New Jersey.  As a result of the downturn in the economy, the company began to look for new ways to grow and became involved in the New Jersey Home Performance with ENERGY STAR program which allowed Brian to add an insulation division and transform Bovio Advanced Comfort & Energy Solutions from a traditional heating and air conditioning company to a business focused on providing services to maximize homeowner energy savings.  Since making the transformation, business has been steadily growing and in 2009 Brian hired eight workers and has added an additional four more workers so far this year, bringing the company to 18 employees currently.

Statement by the Press Secretary on H.J.Res. 83, H.R. 689, H.R. 3360, H.R. 4840 and H.R. 5502

On Tuesday, July 27, 2010, the President signed into law:

H.J.Res. 83, which renews the import restrictions contained in the Burmese Freedom and Democracy Act.

H.R. 689, the “Shasta-Trinity National Forest Administrative Jurisdiction Transfer Act,” which transfers the administrative jurisdiction of certain Federal lands located in northern California, between the Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service and the Department of the Interiors’s Bureau of Land Management.

H.R. 3360, the “Cruise Vessel Security and Safety Act of 2010,” which establishes security and safety requirements for passenger cruise vessels.

H.R. 4840, which designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located in Columbus, Ohio, as the Clarence D. Lumpkin Post Office.

H.R. 5502, which allows issuers of gift certificates, store gift cards, and general-use prepaid cards to issue certificates or cards produced prior to April 1, 2010, that do not meet disclosure requirements scheduled to be effective on August 22, 2010, until January 31, 2011, subject to specified conditions.