PR: Buenas Tardes! Your White House Latino Update

Press Release:

Buenas Tardes!

We have a number of White House updates that impact Latinos!

On Wednesday, President Obama spoke at Scranton High School about the American Jobs Act and why passing the payroll tax cut for the middle class is so important. On Thursday, the Senate rejected an extension of the payroll tax cut that is set to expire at the end of the month. If Congress doesn’t act, taxes will go up on approximately 160 million Americans on January 31st. Use the tax calculator on the White House webpage to figure out how much more you would have to pay.

President Obama continued to take executive actions this week because We Can’t Wait for Congress:

• On Monday the President issued a Presidential Memorandum to modernize government records management; and on Wednesday Kathleen Sebelius, Secretary of Health and Human Services, announced a plan to accelerate the adoption of health information technology.
• Friday, President Obama announced nearly $4 billion of investment in energy upgrades to public and private buildings through the Better Buildings Challenge. These investments will accelerate progress toward the President’s goal of making America’s buildings 20 percent more efficient by 2020 and will also create tens of thousands of construction jobs.
• On Thursday, President Obama marked World AIDS Day by speaking at an event called “The Beginning of the End of AIDS.” The President announced that he is directing $50 million in increased funding for domestic HIV/AIDS treatment and care — an additional $15 million for the Ryan White program for HIV medical clinics across the country, and $35 million for state AIDS Drug Assistance Programs.When compared with all other racial/ethnic groups, Latinos are more likely to die from AIDS related complications within 18 months of HIV diagnosis.

As always, please share with your networks!

Agency Updates  

Millions of Seniors Saving Money on Prescription Drugs, Thanks to the Affordable Care Act
Over the weekend, a report by the Associated Press detailed how the Affordable Care Act is dramatically reducing drug costs for seniors who hit the prescription drug coverage gap known as the donut hole. This year, seniors are benefiting from a 50 percent discount on brand-name drugs in the donut hole.

Social Security Announces Expanded Spanish Language Online Services
We’re pleased to introduce you to our improved Spanish-language website, www.segurosocial.gov, and the expanded online services available in Spanish — including the ability to apply online for retirement and Medicare benefits, completely in Spanish.

Justice Department Launches Webinar Series on Avoiding Workplace Discrimination
The Justice Department announced the launch of a live webinar series on avoiding workplace discrimination. The webinars coincide with the 25th anniversary of the passage of the Immigration Reform and Control Act, which created the Office of Special Counsel for Immigration-Related Unfair Employment Practices (OSC).

Blog Highlights 

Miami Community is Ready to Go
December 6th, 2011
The United States has had 21 straight months of private sector growth, including adding another 120,000 jobs in November. But the road to recovery is not finished. There is still a long way to go.

The Importance of Education for the Success of America’s Latino Community
December 1st, 2011
Today at 2pm EST, I will be participating in LATINO Magazine’s 2011 Latino Youth Forumin Washington, DC. As a part of a panel made up of educators and community leaders, and moderated by CNN commentator Maria Cardona, we will be discussing a very real crisis plaguing the Latino community – the number of Latino students dropping out of school.

Over 200 Leaders Attend White House Hispanic Community Action Summit in Albuquerque
November 30th, 2011
The wellbeing of Hispanics in America is inextricably tied to the nation’s overall success. This message was heard loud and clear throughout the day on Saturday, November 12th at the White House Hispanic Community Action Summit held at the National Hispanic Cultural Center in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Report From The Field: A Broadband Bridge To Puerto Rico
November 30, 2011
According to NTIA’s National Broadband Map, less than half of Puerto Ricans have access to basic broadband service, which consumers increasingly need to apply for and get a job, access valuable education and healthcare information, and participate in today’s digital economy.

NPRC and DOT Working Toward an America of Opportunity
November 21, 2011
Just a few days ago we learned that, among the nation’s largest racial and ethnic groups, a greater share of Hispanics in 2010 lived in poverty than any other group.  So, when I say that nearly everyone in America knows someone looking for work, this is especially true among Latinos.

Meeting with Southwest Border Officials at the White House
November 16, 2011
Today I joined local law enforcement and elected officials from communities along the Southwest border at the White House for a roundtable discussion on the ongoing collaboration among federal, state and local partners to keep our border communities safe and secure while facilitating legal travel and trade.

From the Inland Empire to the White House: Building Community and Winning Our Future
November 10, 2011
On Nov. 5, 2011, more than 300 community stakeholders from the San Bernardino and Riverside counties (the Inland Empire) and others from Los Angeles and northern California joined several senior Obama administration officials for a White House Hispanic Community Action Summit at the University of California, Riverside, Riverside, California.

White House Fellows Program

The White House Fellows program is the nation’s most prestigious program for leadership and public service. Founded by President Johnson in 1964 to engage emerging leaders in public service, the Fellows Program provides exceptional young men and women with first-hand experience working at the highest levels of the federal government. Fellows spend one year in Washington, DC working in the offices of Cabinet Secretaries, White House staff, and other high level Executive Branch officials.

The Fellows Program is non-partisan, highly competitive and seeks people who have distinguished themselves through their work and dedication to public service. Many of the Fellowship Program’s alumni- Ambassador to El Salvador Mari Carmen Apone, former U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Secretary Henry Cisneros, President of Univision Cesar Conde, and best-selling author Charles Garcia – call the experience transformational.

To learn more, we invite you to view the White House Fellows video chat in which the Program Director Cindy Moelis and former Fellows Anish Mahajan and Erica Jeffries recently answered questions about the application and the Fellowship experience.

Applications for the White House Fellowship can currently be found online at www.whitehouse.gov/fellows. The deadline for completed applications is January 13, 2012.

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