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Thursday, January 5, 2012

Newt Gingrich Takes Questions From NH Tea Party Voters



Meredith, NH
Thursday, January 5, 2012

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich holds a town hall meeting in Meredith, New Hampshire with local tea party backers. It's his fourth event of the day, following town halls in Littleton, Plymouth, and Lancaster.
Mr. Gingrich placed fourth in the Iowa caucuses, with about 13 percent of the vote.

Updated: Thursday at 8:47pm (ET)

2012 Legislative Calendar in the House

2012 U.S. House Calendar

2012 Senate Calendar 112th Congress

2012 Senate Calendar 112th Congress

2012 - 112th Congress Business Agenda

The links take you to pages that show all business done in 2011 and what is ahead in 2012. Lots of information available.


- Friday, January 6 (Daily)
Cover and Special Orders
112th Congress, 2nd Session. Also includes Special Orders. PDF | Text | More

Unfinished Business
112th Congress, 2nd Session. Also includes Table of Contents and other sections. PDF | Text | More

Union Calendar
112th Congress, 2nd Session. PDF | Text | More

House Calendar
112th Congress, 2nd Session. PDF | Text | More

Private Calendar
112th Congress, 2nd Session. PDF | Text | More

Calendar of Motions to Discharge Committees
112th Congress, 2nd Session. PDF | Text | More

Public Laws
112th Congress, 2nd Session. PDF | Text | More

Private Laws
112th Congress, 2nd Session. PDF | Text | More

History of Bills and Resolutions - House Bills
112th Congress, 2nd Session. PDF | Text | More

History of Bills and Resolutions - House Joint Resolutions
112th Congress, 2nd Session. PDF | Text | More

History of Bills and Resolutions - House Concurrent Resolutions
112th Congress, 2nd Session. PDF | Text | More

History of Bills and Resolutions - House Resolutions
112th Congress, 2nd Session. PDF | Text | More

History of Bills and Resolutions - Senate Bills
112th Congress, 2nd Session. PDF | Text | More

History of Bills and Resolutions - Senate Joint Resolutions
112th Congress, 2nd Session. PDF | Text | More

History of Bills and Resolutions - Senate Concurrent Resolutions
112th Congress, 2nd Session. PDF | Text | More

History of Bills and Resolutions - Senate Resolutions
112th Congress, 2nd Session. PDF | Text | More

Reported Bills and Resolutions Which Have Been Referred to Committees Under Time Limitations
112th Congress, 2nd Session. PDF | Text | More

Bills in Conference
112th Congress, 2nd Session. PDF | Text | More

Special Legislative Days
112th Congress, 2nd Session. PDF | Text | More

House Calendar for January 6, 2012 - 112th Congress, 2nd Session
112th Congress, 2nd Session. PDF | Text | More

House Calendar for January 6, 2012 - 112th Congress, 2nd Session
112th Congress, 2nd Session. PDF | Text | More

House Calendar for January 6, 2012 - 112th Congress, 2nd Session
112th Congress, 2nd Session. PDF | Text | More




- Senate Calendar (S. Cal.)
 Cover and Special Orders
112th Congress, 2nd Session.  Also includes Pending Business and other sections. PDF | Text | More

Senate Membership, One Hundred Twelfth Congress, Second Session
112th Congress, 2nd Session. PDF | Text | More

Committee Assignments
112th Congress, 2nd Session. Also includes Standing Committees. PDF | Text | More

Other, Select and Special Committees
112th Congress, 2nd Session. PDF | Text | More

Joint Committees of the Congress
112th Congress, 2nd Session. PDF | Text | More

Cross Index of General Orders Measures with Corresponding Order Numbers
112th Congress, 2nd Session. PDF | Text | More

General Orders
112th Congress, 2nd Session. PDF | Text | More

Resolutions and Motions Over, Under the Rule
112th Congress, 2nd Session. Also includes Bills and Joint Resolutions Read the
First Time. PDF | Text | More

Subjects on the Table
112th Congress, 2nd Session. Also includes Motions for Reconsideration. PDF | Text | More

Bills in Conference
112th Congress, 2nd Session. PDF | Text | More

Status of Appropriation Bills, First Session, One Hundred Twelfth Congress
112th Congress, 2nd Session. PDF | Text | More

- Friday, January 6 (Daily)  
Cover and Special Orders
112th Congress, 2nd Session. Also includes Pending Business and other sections. PDF | Text | More

Senate Membership, One Hundred Twelfth Congress, Second Session
112th Congress, 2nd Session. PDF | Text | More

Committee Assignments
112th Congress, 2nd Session. Also includes Standing Committees. PDF | Text | More

Other, Select and Special Committees
112th Congress, 2nd Session. PDF | Text | More

Joint Committees of the Congress
112th Congress, 2nd Session. PDF | Text | More

Cross Index of General Orders Measures with Corresponding Order Numbers
112th Congress, 2nd Session. PDF | Text | More

General Orders
112th Congress, 2nd Session. PDF | Text | More

Resolutions and Motions Over, Under the Rule
112th Congress, 2nd Session. Also includes Bills and Joint Resolutions Read the
First Time. PDF | Text | More

Subjects on the Table
112th Congress, 2nd Session. Also includes Motions for Reconsideration. PDF | Text | More

Bills in Conference
112th Congress, 2nd Session. PDF | Text | More

Status of Appropriation Bills, First Session, One Hundred Twelfth Congress
112th Congress, 2nd Session. PDF | Text | More

Sec. Panetta and Army Gen. Dempsey Press Conference

January 5,2012 Defense Department Department of Defense | Briefing Room Secretary Panetta and defense officials spoke to reporters at the Pentagon about U.S. military strategy in the 21st century. The new military strategy included $487 billion in cuts over the next decade. Secretary Panetta said that smaller military budgets would come with some tradeoffs and that the U.S. would take on "some level of additional but acceptable risk."

Rick Santorum Meet and Greet


Jan 5, 2012
Santorum Presidential Campaign Republican 2012 presidential candidate Rick Santorum had a meet and greet with lunch patrons of the Tilt'n Diner in Tilton, New Hampshire.


2012 - 112th Congress Business Agenda

The links take you to pages that show all business done in 2011 and what is ahead in 2012. Lots of information available.


- Friday, January 6 (Daily)
Cover and Special Orders
112th Congress, 2nd Session. Also includes Special Orders. PDF | Text | More

Unfinished Business
112th Congress, 2nd Session. Also includes Table of Contents and other sections. PDF | Text | More

Union Calendar
112th Congress, 2nd Session. PDF | Text | More

House Calendar
112th Congress, 2nd Session. PDF | Text | More

Private Calendar
112th Congress, 2nd Session. PDF | Text | More

Calendar of Motions to Discharge Committees
112th Congress, 2nd Session. PDF | Text | More

Public Laws
112th Congress, 2nd Session. PDF | Text | More

Private Laws
112th Congress, 2nd Session. PDF | Text | More

History of Bills and Resolutions - House Bills
112th Congress, 2nd Session. PDF | Text | More

History of Bills and Resolutions - House Joint Resolutions
112th Congress, 2nd Session. PDF | Text | More

History of Bills and Resolutions - House Concurrent Resolutions
112th Congress, 2nd Session. PDF | Text | More

History of Bills and Resolutions - House Resolutions
112th Congress, 2nd Session. PDF | Text | More

History of Bills and Resolutions - Senate Bills
112th Congress, 2nd Session. PDF | Text | More

History of Bills and Resolutions - Senate Joint Resolutions
112th Congress, 2nd Session. PDF | Text | More

History of Bills and Resolutions - Senate Concurrent Resolutions
112th Congress, 2nd Session. PDF | Text | More

History of Bills and Resolutions - Senate Resolutions
112th Congress, 2nd Session. PDF | Text | More

Reported Bills and Resolutions Which Have Been Referred to Committees Under Time Limitations
112th Congress, 2nd Session. PDF | Text | More

Bills in Conference
112th Congress, 2nd Session. PDF | Text | More

Special Legislative Days
112th Congress, 2nd Session. PDF | Text | More

House Calendar for January 6, 2012 - 112th Congress, 2nd Session
112th Congress, 2nd Session. PDF | Text | More

House Calendar for January 6, 2012 - 112th Congress, 2nd Session
112th Congress, 2nd Session. PDF | Text | More

House Calendar for January 6, 2012 - 112th Congress, 2nd Session
112th Congress, 2nd Session. PDF | Text | More




- Senate Calendar (S. Cal.)
 Cover and Special Orders
112th Congress, 2nd Session.  Also includes Pending Business and other sections. PDF | Text | More

Senate Membership, One Hundred Twelfth Congress, Second Session
112th Congress, 2nd Session. PDF | Text | More

Committee Assignments
112th Congress, 2nd Session. Also includes Standing Committees. PDF | Text | More

Other, Select and Special Committees
112th Congress, 2nd Session. PDF | Text | More

Joint Committees of the Congress
112th Congress, 2nd Session. PDF | Text | More

Cross Index of General Orders Measures with Corresponding Order Numbers
112th Congress, 2nd Session. PDF | Text | More

General Orders
112th Congress, 2nd Session. PDF | Text | More

Resolutions and Motions Over, Under the Rule
112th Congress, 2nd Session. Also includes Bills and Joint Resolutions Read the
First Time. PDF | Text | More

Subjects on the Table
112th Congress, 2nd Session. Also includes Motions for Reconsideration. PDF | Text | More

Bills in Conference
112th Congress, 2nd Session. PDF | Text | More

Status of Appropriation Bills, First Session, One Hundred Twelfth Congress
112th Congress, 2nd Session. PDF | Text | More

- Friday, January 6 (Daily)  
Cover and Special Orders
112th Congress, 2nd Session. Also includes Pending Business and other sections. PDF | Text | More

Senate Membership, One Hundred Twelfth Congress, Second Session
112th Congress, 2nd Session. PDF | Text | More

Committee Assignments
112th Congress, 2nd Session. Also includes Standing Committees. PDF | Text | More

Other, Select and Special Committees
112th Congress, 2nd Session. PDF | Text | More

Joint Committees of the Congress
112th Congress, 2nd Session. PDF | Text | More

Cross Index of General Orders Measures with Corresponding Order Numbers
112th Congress, 2nd Session. PDF | Text | More

General Orders
112th Congress, 2nd Session. PDF | Text | More

Resolutions and Motions Over, Under the Rule
112th Congress, 2nd Session. Also includes Bills and Joint Resolutions Read the
First Time. PDF | Text | More

Subjects on the Table
112th Congress, 2nd Session. Also includes Motions for Reconsideration. PDF | Text | More

Bills in Conference
112th Congress, 2nd Session. PDF | Text | More

Status of Appropriation Bills, First Session, One Hundred Twelfth Congress
112th Congress, 2nd Session. PDF | Text | More

2012 Senate Calendar 112th Congress

2012 Senate Calendar 112th Congress

2012 Legislative Calendar in the House

2012 U.S. House Calendar

Hoyer Statement on Defense Strategic Review

January 5, 2012

 WASHINGTON, DC - House Democratic Whip Steny H. Hoyer (MD) released the following statement today on the strategic review released by the Department of Defense: 

“This Administration has pursued a strong national security policy that has achieved significant victories in eliminating Al-Qaeda leaders and decimating the group’s operational capabilities. It engaged in successful cooperation and coordination with our NATO allies in Libya without losing a single American life and brought our troops back from Iraq with dignity. Today’s announcement follows a strategic review of defense policy and aims to strengthen our Armed Forces’ ability to address the challenges of a changing global security environment. In line with this new strategy, the defense budget will adapt to ensure that our military has all the resources it needs to support the changing mission, while at the same time contributing to comprehensive deficit reduction. Our deficits themselves represent a national security threat that must be addressed, further reason why it is important to achieve a big and balanced solution this year. This new strategy recognizes that our military continues to be the greatest in the world and a source of pride for all Americans.”

Panetta’s ‘Balanced’ Defense Strategy Questioned Before It’s Out

 By Tony Capaccio
January 04, 2012 12:00 AM EST                Defense Secretary Leon Panetta is expected to outline how the U.S. military will increase its Pacific presence, a shift in emphasis that began with the Quadrennial Defense Review in February 2010. Photographer: Ali Al-Saad/AFP/Getty Images

The Defense Department promises to deliver tomorrow on pledges to create a “balanced” new U.S. military strategy that puts more emphasis on Asia even as defense budgets are cut. Critics say it can’t all be done.
A “balanced approach essentially means they are not doing anything bold at all,” Dov Zakheim, who was the Pentagon’s controller under President George W. Bush, said in an interview. “Everything gets cut.”
Defense Secretary Leon Panetta and Army General Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, will present at a news conference the Pentagon (USBODEFN)’s strategic review of U.S. roles and missions worldwide. The results will be parsed by allies and adversaries to assess where the U.S. may be pulling back, by military personnel wary of benefit cuts and by defense investors attempting to predict which contractors may benefit or lose out from the new priorities.
“We need to take a hard look” at all defense spending while maintaining U.S. military superiority, White House press secretary Jay Carney told reporters in Washington yesterday. President Barack Obama has met with Panetta on the issue seven times since September, including a session yesterday, Carney said.
When Panetta’s predecessor as defense secretary, Robert Gates, announced the review last year, he said it was important for the public and Congress to get a full understanding of strategic choices for the U.S. military as it faced $450 billion in additional reductions through 2021, including about $261 billion through 2017.
Taking on Personnel
Zakheim, who is an adviser to Mitt Romney, the former Massachusetts governor and Republican presidential candidate, said he is skeptical the administration is willing “to go after personnel accounts.”
“What they really need to do is look much more carefully at trimming operations and maintenance accounts, taking on personnel accounts in a serious way, taking on military retirement in a serious way,” he said. “The question is how far are they going to go?”
The Defense Department won’t rely on cuts in weapons programs as the main way to meet its spending-reduction goals, Deputy Comptroller Mike McCord said Nov. 30.
The number of uniformed personnel, compensation, retirement benefits and continued savings from efficiencies are getting more attention than major cuts in acquisition, according to McCord. The review is taking a “balanced” approach, he said.
Army, Marine Cuts
Panetta may outline troop reductions beyond those announced in February 2011.
The fiscal 2012 budget request called for 547,400 Army personnel and 202,100 in the Marine Corps. The current plan calls for reducing the force in 2015 and 2016 by 27,000 GIs and as many as 20,000 Marines.
Panetta is expected to outline how the U.S. military will increase its Pacific presence, a shift in emphasis that began with the Quadrennial Defense Review in February 2010, which called for the Air Force and the Navy to craft an air-sea battle concept.
The plan is intended to combine the strengths of the Navy and the Air Force for long-range strikes. It may employ a new generation of bombers, a new cruise missile and drones launched from aircraft carriers. The Navy also is increasing funding to develop unmanned submarines.
Obama Asia Pledge
Obama said in November, during a visit to Australia, that “reductions in U.S. defense spending will not -- I repeat, will not -- come at the expense of the Asia-Pacific” region.
Panetta said in a November speech that “even as we enhance our presence in the Pacific, we will not surrender our status as a global power and a global leader.”
Any Pentagon trade-offs “in one area” to beef up the Pacific “will bear consequences in another,” said MacKenzie Eaglen, a defense analyst with the Heritage Foundation in Washington, which opposes major cuts in defense spending.
“As DoD squeezes U.S. force posture in Europe, including bases, it will have a direct impact on the military’s ability to respond to future conflicts like the no-fly zone in Libya, rapid response in Afghanistan post-9/11, and treating the wounded out of Iraq the past decade,” she said in an e-mail. “There are no consequence-free decisions.”
Air Force, Navy
The commitment to Asia “is probably going to put more emphasis on the ‘AirSea battle’ versus land forces,” Robert Stallard, managing director of aerospace research for RBC Capital Markets in New York, said in an e-mail.
“This should mean that Air Force and Navy strategic assets come out relatively well, though we still expect to see budget pressure being felt in pretty much all areas,” he said. “I’m not sure Congress will be comfortable with the Army and Marine Corps being bill-payers for this.”
The strategy review also may revive debate about the Pentagon’s doctrine calling for the capability to fight two major conflicts almost simultaneously.
The Quadrennial Defense Review in 2010 deemphasized that commitment without abandoning it. It said planning should focus more closely on scenarios such as irregular warfare including conflicts involving insurgents or drug traffickers and even humanitarian disasters.
“However you modify that strategy, you won’t get into a position where, if you get engaged in a conflict, you won’t be able to do anything else,” William Lynn, who was then deputy defense secretary, said in an October interview. “You’ll never say, ‘Once I’m in a conflict, everything else I can’t handle.’”
Iran, North Korea
Zakheim said the Pentagon needs to explain clearly any modification in strategy to avoid sending the wrong message to Iran or North Korea.
“Suppose there is a threat from Iran and threat from Korea,” he said. “ What are we going to do? Ignore Iran or ignore North Korea?”
With budget cuts, the best the military can do is prepare to fight one major war while maintaining the capability to make life difficult enough to deter any second adversary tempted to make a move, John Nagl, a member of the Defense Policy Board, an advisory panel, said in an interview.
“It looks like we’re moving away from a two-war strategy,” said Nagl, who is president of the Center for a New American Security, a policy group in Washington. “Some capabilities are going to have to go.”
Budget Proposal
The Obama administration’s annual budget proposal will be released in February. Some details were contained in a Nov. 29 Office of Management and Budget document sent to the Pentagon that provided broad outlines for a fiscal 2013-2017 plan.
Defense spending (USBODEFN) in 2013 would be reduced about 1 percent from this year’s $518 billion spending plan before growing 1.8 percent in 2014 and 2.3 percent in 2015, dropping 1.9 percent in 2016 and rising 2.2 percent in 2017, according to the 23-page document.
The defense plan for 2012 to 2021 calls for $5.652 trillion in spending, according to the budget office. It calculated that the total defense cut mandated by budget-reduction legislation over those years is $488 billion, or about an 8.5 percent decrease.
That doesn’t include an additional $500 billion from automatic cuts that would take effect in January 2013 unless Congress stops the action.

McKeon Warns President’s New Defense Strategy is “Lead From Behind”


 
News and Press Releases :: January 5, 2012
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE



Washington D.C. – House Armed Services Committee Chairman Howard P. “Buck” McKeon released the following statement today regarding the President’s new defense strategy:

"This is a lead from behind strategy for a left-behind America. The President has packaged our retreat from the world in the guise of a new strategy to mask his divestment of our military and national defense.  This strategy ensures American decline in exchange for more failed domestic programs. In order to justify massive cuts to our military, he has revoked the guarantee that America will support our allies, defend our interests, and defy our opponents.   The President must understand that the world has always had, and will always have a leader.  As America steps back, someone else will step forward.

"An honest and valid strategy for national defense can't be founded on the premise that we must do more with less, or even less with less.  Rather you proceed from a clear articulation of the full scope of the threats you face and the commitments you have.  You then resource a strategy required to defeat those threats decisively. One does not mask insufficient resources with a fuzzy world view and a strategy founded on hope and a hollow force. "

                                                                                          
______________________________________________________________

Fact Sheet:
Key Questions Raised by President’s New Defense Strategy

Today, the Department of Defense released new strategic guidance, “Sustaining U.S. Global Leadership: Priorities for 21stCentury Defense”.  This guidance is the culmination of an internal review directed by the President in April, 2011 following his direction to cut at least $400 billion from the military over the next 12 years.  While cuts of this magnitude were always on the President's agenda, and would likely have been reflected in his FY13 budget submission, the Budget Control Act of 2011 enacted  defense cuts proposed by the President.   The strategic guidance released today provides the Administration’s vision for implementation of these cuts.

Unfortunately, the Administration’s framework for implementation fails to learn from the lessons of past, is a significant departure from the strategy embraced by previous administrations – both Republican and Democratic, and fails to acknowledge the perilous global security environment, which may be the most dangerous we have witnessed in a generation.

Embraces the False Proposition that the Deficit Problem can be Solved on the Backs of the Military.  It is undeniably a national imperative to reduce the deficit.  But the only federal spending the President appears willing to reduce is that for our military.  We do not have to accept greater national security risk to reduce the deficit.  It is not, as the document puts it, a “national security imperative” to reduce the deficit “through a lower level of defense spending.”

Ignores our Continued Commitment of Forces in Afghanistan.  The strategy fails to acknowledge the nearly 100,000 forces who continue to fight in Afghanistan or the impact these austerity measures will have on their ability to successfully complete their mission, return home safely, and be reset.  Instead, the President appears fixated on ending our mission to save money.  In addition, the Administration has yet to examine how “…this strategy will influence existing campaign and contingency plans.” Rather, the President appears willing to embrace a strategy with an undetermined level of strategic and military risk. 

Repeats the Mistakes of the Past.  The United States did not choose the time and place of 9/11 attacks. We will not have the luxury of choosing a future conflict, but we do have the ability to prepare for the possibility – if we choose. The military responded admirably in 2001, but our force was ill prepared and too small.  The last ten years of war have taught us this lesson.  After every major conflict in the last century, the United States has cut its military, only to have to painstakingly rebuild it the next time our security is threatened.  Sadly, this strategy repeats the mistakes of the past.  The guidance states, “…U.S. forces will no longer be sized to conduct large-scale, prolonged stability operations,”  despite the fact that our mission in Afghanistan is not over and that history has taught us this is a perilous course – expensive in both lives and treasure.

Major Departure from Two War Strategy.  This strategy appears to walk away from the long standing commitment – across both Republican and Democratic Administrations -- to size the force to respond to two near-simultaneous major contingency operations.  The guidance states, “Even when U.S. forces are committed to a large-scale operation in one region, they will be capable of denying the objectives of – or imposing unacceptable costs on – an opportunistic aggressor in a second region.”  This appears to differ significantly from the previous defense strategy, most recently released by this Administration as part of the February 2010 Quadrennial Defense Review, which stated, “…U.S. military forces must plan and prepare to prevail in a broad range of operations that may occur in multiple theaters in overlapping time frames.  This includes maintaining the ability to prevail against two capable nation-state aggressors…”

Anti-access & the Asia Pacific.  The ability to ensure U.S. dominance in power projection is a priority that spans domains and regions, but is particularly critical in the Middle East and Asia Pacific.  Nevertheless, this guidance does not appear to prioritize capabilities to overcome anti-access/area denial challenges; rather, it merely states that Department of Defense “will invest as required”.  This is concerning, particularly in light of the strategy’s vision for a reduced global posture, which helps to ensure our ability to project power. While the strategy plans to rebalance forces toward the Asia Pacific, it provides no commitment to provide additional capabilities to this under-resourced region.  Rather, the shift toward Asia appears to come at the expense other regions, most notably the Middle East. This is a dangerous shift.

Reduction in Nuclear Deterrent.   The current security environment has unprecedented levels of proliferation, from Iran to North Korea, and with the very real possibility of proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction to non-state actors.  The strategy does not make clear how a smaller nuclear force, in terms of both numbers and role in U.S. strategy, will provide a successful deterrence.   The strategy is also silent on the importance and planned investments in modernization, which is key to maintaining a credible deterrent that can be deployed forward.

Retreat from U.S. Global Force Posture.  The strategy abandons a half a century of U.S. global force presence, on the seas and at the invitation of our allies, that has been the guarantee of global security and has ensured continued U.S. economic supremacy.  This forward presence also forms the underpinning of the United States’ ability to project power.  The strategy fails to provide alternatives to mitigate the risk created by the vacuum, other than unidentified “creative solutions” that the guidance acknowledges will be required.

Enduring Risk for the Industrial Base.  By embracing “reversibility” as a key part of the decisions that resulted in this strategic guidance, the Administration openly acknowledges that it is assuming greater risk.  This includes not only strategic and military risk, but risk for the industrial base.  The only mitigation provided within this guidance is that “the Department will make every effort to maintain an adequate industrial base and our investment in science and technology.”  It is clear that the cuts will come at the expense of not only today’s military, but the future force.  The lack of sustained investment will result in the shuttering of elements of the industrial base and the divesture of capabilities that may not be reversible in time.

COURTESY OF HOUSE ARMED SERVICES COMMITTEE
CHAIRMAN BUCK MCKEON (R-CA)

Rick Santorum Town Hall Meeting and A Meet and Greet

January 4, 2012

Rockingham County Nursing Home Republican 2012 presidential candidate Rick Santorum held a town hall meeting at a nursing home in Brentwood, New Hampshire. In his remarks he criticized President Obama for "systematically destroying the work ethic ... by the narcotic of government dependency."

House Democratic Leaders on the Economy and Jobs

U.S. Capitol
House Democratic leaders called on House Republicans to present jobs legislation.
31 minutes |



President Obama on Defense Strategic Review

January 5, 2012

Defense Department Department of Defense | Briefing Room White House

President Obama and Defense Secretary Leon Panetta spoke to reporters at the Pentagon about U.S. military strategy in the 21st century. The new military strategy included $487 billion in cuts over the next decade. President Obama said that the cuts would come from planned spending increases and that the U.S. would maintain a budget that is roughly larger than the next 10 countries' military budgets combined.

Mitt Romney Town Hall in Manchester, NH

January 4, 2012

Romney Presidential Campaign Republican 2012 presidential candidate Mitt Romney held a town hall meeting in Manchester, New Hampshire. Former presidential candidate, Senator John McCain, also spoke and lent his endorsement. 48 minutes

Jon Bon Jovi in the (White) House

 
 
 
 
 
 
January 5th, 2012
 
12:59 PM ET

 

 


t1main.becky
Mr. Jon Bon Jovi spent some time at the White House this morning to meet about summer jobs for youth, but we never saw him to ask him how the meeting went.
According to Bon Jovi's tweet:
"Jon is at the White House with @JonCarson44- to tell us about his work with @JBJSoulFound, @Servedotgov andhttp://wew.serve.gov/council."
The White House announced today their new initiative called "SummerJobs+" which is a call for businesses to hire low-income and at-risk youth for summer jobs. The project, launched through the Department of Labor, hopes to create 250,000 jobs by the start of summer, with at least 100,000 of which will be paid jobs and internships, according to a White House statement.
We're still not sure exactly how Jon Bon Jovi fits into the overall initiative but his foundation, the Jon Bon Jovi Soul Foundation based out of Philadelphia has the goal to "'recognize and maximize the human potential in those affected by poverty and homelessness by offering assistance in establishing programs that provide food and affordable housing while supporting social services and job training programs," according to the group's website.
There's no word on if he made a quick stop in the Oval Office while he was here.