White House, The

President Trump Signs Secure 5G and Beyond Act and Broadband DATA Act, Releases Statement

March 23, President Donald Trump signed into law the “Secure 5G and Beyond Act of 2020” (S 893). The Act requires the President to develop and implement a strategy for the adoption of secure wireless communications technology in the US and abroad.  The strategy will protect the American people from security threats to telecommunications networks and 5G technology.

President Trump Nominates William Bryan to be the Under Secretary for Science and Technology at DHS

[Press release] President Donald Trump announced his intent to nominate William Bryan of Virginia to be the Under Secretary for Science and Technology at the Department of Homeland Security.

The President’s Infrastructure Plan Will Help Bolster Broadband Access to Rural America

A task force created by President Donald Trump developed recommendations for promoting prosperity in rural America, and one of its key recommendations is to deploy high-speed internet access to this nation’s farms, factories, forests, and small businesses in rural America.

The Cost of Malicious Cyber Activity to the U.S. Economy

This report examines the substantial economic costs that malicious cyber activity imposes on the US economy. Successful protection against cyber threats requires cooperation across firms and between private and public sectors. 

Presidential Message on 9-1-1 Telecommunicators Day

Each year, approximately 240 million 9-1-1 calls are answered by the calm, reassuring, and professional voices of our Nations public safety communicators. These emergency dispatchers stand ready to respond to crisis, ensuring their fellow citizens receive the life-saving assistance they need. On National 9-1-1 Telecommunicators Day, we honor the invaluable contributions made by the dedicated men and women in emergency call centers throughout our great country.

Building a Stronger America: President Donald Trump’s American Infrastructure Initiative

President Donald Trump released his legislative goals to rebuild our Nation’s crumbling infrastructure. The six principles include:

President Trump Taps David Redl to Head NTIA

President Donald Trump announced his intent to nominate David J. Redl of New York to be Assistant Secretary for Communications and Information, Department of Commerce.

Redl is currently Chief Counsel at the US House of Representatives Commerce Committee. He serves as principal legal advisor to the Chairman and Members of the Commerce majority on communications and technology matters. Prior to his time with the Commerce Committee, Redl was Director of Regulatory Affairs at CTIA - The Wireless Association, where his work focused on spectrum policy, wireless broadband, and reducing regulatory mandates. Redl earned a BA in Journalism and a BA in Political Science from the Pennsylvania State University and a JD from the Catholic University of America. Redl is admitted to the New York and District of Columbia bars.

President Donald Trump Announces Intent to Nominate Intellectual Property Enforcement Coordinator and Administrator of the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs

President Donald J. Trump announced his intent to nominate key additions to his Administration:

  • Vishal J. Amin of Michigan to be Intellectual Property Enforcement Coordinator in the Executive Office of the President. Mr. Amin is currently Senior Counsel on the House Judiciary Committee. Earlier in his career, he served in the Administration of President George W. Bush at the White House, as Associate Director for Domestic Policy, and at the U.S. Department of Commerce, as Special Assistant and Associate Director for Policy in the Office of the Secretary. He received his bachelor's degree in neuroscience from Johns Hopkins University and his law degree from Washington University in St. Louis.
  • Neomi Rao of Washington, D.C. to be the Administrator of the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget. Ms. Rao is a professor at the Antonin Scalia Law School at George Mason University, where she founded and directs the Center for the Study of the Administrative State. Her research and teaching focuses on constitutional and administrative law. Currently a public member of the Administrative Conference of the United States, Ms. Rao has previously served in all three branches of the federal government. She served as Associate Counsel to President George W. Bush; counsel for nominations and constitutional law to the U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary; and law clerk to Justice Clarence Thomas of the U.S. Supreme Court. She practiced public international law and arbitration at Clifford Chance LLP in London. Ms. Rao received her JD with high honors from the University of Chicago and her BA from Yale University.

WH Memo: For the Heads of Departments and Agencies

This memorandum and the attachment provide an overview of the Executive branch's formal legislative coordination and clearance process. Adherence to the requirements of the clearance process serves the needs of the President by ensuring that agency legislative proposals and recommendations, as well as testimony, are consistent with his policies and programs.

We request that agency legislative proposals, letters, and testimony discussing or involving legislation be submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) as far in advance of a needed clearance as feasible. OMB runs a clearance process on these items, which requires sufficient time to review and coordinate with all relevant agencies, and offices in the Executive Office ofthe President. OMB Circular No. A-19 details the requirements and procedures for legislative coordination and clearance. The attachment summarizes the major elements and the essential purposes ofthe clearance process. We will be working with you to ensure the timely transmittal to Congress of legislative proposals necessary to support the President's legislative agenda and the Fiscal Year 2018 Budget. As decisions are made on these matters, we will be in contact about details related to the drafting, review, and clearance of these proposals.

Presidential Executive Order on Enforcing the Regulatory Reform Agenda

It is the policy of the United States to alleviate unnecessary regulatory burdens placed on the American people.

Within 60 days of the date of this order, the head of each agency shall designate an agency official as its Regulatory Reform Officer (RRO). Each RRO shall oversee the implementation of regulatory reform initiatives and policies to ensure that agencies effectively carry out regulatory reforms. Each agency shall establish a Regulatory Reform Task Force. Each Regulatory Reform Task Force shall evaluate existing and make recommendations to the agency head regarding their repeal, replacement, or modification. At a minimum, each Regulatory Reform Task Force shall attempt to identify regulations that:

  1. eliminate jobs, or inhibit job creation;
  2. are outdated, unnecessary, or ineffective;
  3. impose costs that exceed benefits;
  4. create a serious inconsistency or otherwise interfere with regulatory reform initiatives and policies;
  5. are inconsistent with the requirements of section 515 of the Treasury and General Government Appropriations Act, 2001 (44 U.S.C. 3516 note), or the guidance issued pursuant to that provision, in particular those regulations that rely in whole or in part on data, information, or methods that are not publicly available or that are insufficiently transparent to meet the standard for reproducibility; or
  6. derive from or implement Executive Orders or other Presidential directives that have been subsequently rescinded or substantially modified.

Presidential Executive Order on Reducing Regulation and Controlling Regulatory Costs

Regulatory Cap for Fiscal Year 2017. (a) Unless prohibited by law, whenever an executive department or agency (agency) publicly proposes for notice and comment or otherwise promulgates a new regulation, it shall identify at least two existing regulations to be repealed. (b) For fiscal year 2017, which is in progress, the heads of all agencies are directed that the total incremental cost of all new regulations, including repealed regulations, to be finalized this year shall be no greater than zero, unless otherwise required by law or consistent with advice provided in writing by the Director of the Office of Management and Budget. (c) In furtherance of the requirement of subsection (a) of this section, any new incremental costs associated with new regulations shall, to the extent permitted by law, be offset by the elimination of existing costs associated with at least two prior regulations. Any agency eliminating existing costs associated with prior regulations under this subsection shall do so in accordance with the Administrative Procedure Act and other applicable law.

The Obama Administration Digital Transition: Moving Forward

Over the past eight years, the President, the First Lady, and the Obama White House have used social media and technology to engage with people around the country and the world on the most important issues of our time. From the very beginning, our mission has been to reach people on the channels and platforms where they already spend their time. This work began before President Obama took office in 2009, and, now, this work will continue. As this Administration draws to a close, we wanted to share how you can continue to follow and engage with President Obama, the First Lady, and other Obama White House officials, as well as how you can find content posted over the past eight years after January 20, 2017. Moving forward, the President and First Lady can be followed on familiar handles: @BarackObama and @MichelleObama.

President Obama Announces More Key Administration Posts

President Barack Obama announced his intent to appoint the following individuals to key Administration posts:

Sylvia Orozco, Appointee for Member, National Museum and Library Services Board: Sylvia Orozco is Co-Founder and Executive Director of the Mexic-Arte Museum of Austin (TX), positions she has held since 1984. Orozco served on the Advisory Board of the Emma S. Barrientos Mexican American Cultural Center from 2008 to 2012 and the Mayor’s Community Cabinet in Austin from 2009 to 2011.

Annette Evans Smith, Appointee for Member, National Museum and Library Services Board: Annette Evans Smith joined the Alaska Native Heritage Center (ANHC) in 2003, and has served as its President and CEO since 2011.In 2012, Ms. Evans Smith worked on the legislation that established the Alaska Native Language Preservation and Advisory Council.

Deborah Taylor, Appointee for Member, National Museum and Library Service Board: Deborah Taylor is Coordinator of School and Student Services at the Enoch Pratt Free Library, where she has worked since 1974 in various additional roles including as a Branch Librarian and Head of the Office of Children and Youth. Taylor is a member of the Voice of Youth Advocates Editorial Advisory Board and served as President of the Young Adult Library Services Association and Chair of the Coretta Scott King Book Awards. She received the Coretta Scott King-Virginia Hamilton Practitioner Award for Lifetime Achievement from the American Library Association in 2015.

Jonathan L. Zittrain, Appointee for Member, National Museum and Library Service Board: Jonathan L. Zittrain is a Professor of Computer Science at the Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences and the George Bemis Professor of International Law at Harvard Law School, positions he has held since 2010 and 2008, respectively. Zittrain is also Vice Dean for Library and Information Resources at the Harvard Law School Library and Co-Founder and Faculty Director of the Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society at Harvard University, positions he has held since 2012 and 1997, respectively.

New Lenses on the First Social Media Presidency

At the end of October, we shared our plans for preserving and passing on the digital history of the Obama administration, and invited the American people to “come up with creative ways to archive this content and make it both useful and available for years to come.” The White House social media archive tells the story not just of how we’ve used these platforms to engage with people wherever they are, but also of how the digital landscape has changed over the past eight years. Citizens, students, companies, and organizations answered this call to action—and today we’re excited to share some of their innovative archival projects with you.

Ensuring a Fair and Competitive Marketplace

President Obama discussed the importance of fair competition in the marketplace. The principle of fair competition isn’t a Democratic or a Republican idea – it’s an American idea.

Over the past eight years, the Obama Administration has taken many actions to keep the marketplace fair, including: defending a free, open, and accessible internet; cracking down on conflicts of interest by making sure professionals who give retirement advice do so in the consumer’s best interest; and – just this week – standing up for beef, pork, and poultry growers when they’re treated unfairly. The President believes our free-market economy only works when there’s competition and rules are in place to keep it fair, open, and honest. That’s what this is all about – ensuring that everyone has a chance to compete by leveling the playing field and keeping the rules clear and consistent. President Obama defended his network neutrality legacy: "My administration has done a lot to keep the marketplace fair. We defended a free, open, and accessible internet that doesn't let service providers pick winners and losers."

Connecting Students at Home

Today, as part of Housing and Urban Development’s ConnectHome initiative to bring high-speed internet to low-income households with school-aged children in HUD-assisted housing, T-Mobile, the City of New York, and the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) have committed to do their part to close the digital divide in New York. I joined Mayor Bill De Blasio, NYCHA, and T-Mobile executives to announce that 5,000 internet-connected tablets will be given to families with children living in public housing in the Bronx.

As President Barack Obama has said, programs like ConnectHome work because community leaders, nonprofits, and the private sector are all stepping up to do their part. Success will require everyone to be involved and engaged to ensure a bright future for our children. At HUD, we are proud to answer the President’s call to action to open the doors of opportunity to every American.

Supporting Innovation, Creativity and Enterprise: Charting a Path Ahead

Title III of the Prioritizing Resources and Organization for Intellectual Property Act of 2008, Pub. L. No. 110-403 (the “PRO-IP Act,” or the “Act”), mandates a coordinated approach to intellectual property enforcement policy. The Act requires development of a three-year National plan on enforcement of laws protecting copyrights, patents, trademarks, trade secrets, and other forms of intellectual property, with an emphasis on combatting counterfeit and infringing goods in the domestic and international supply chains.

Raising public awareness and developing effective solutions begins with a detailed understanding of the nature of the problem presented. To advance a detailed understanding, the Act places special emphasis on teasing out the dimensions of the overall problem as part of the strategy-setting process. Specifically, the Act places as a core objective of the Strategic Plan the need to identify “structural weaknesses,” “systemic flaws,” and other “impediments” to effective IPR enforcement actions against the financing, production, trafficking, or sale of counterfeit or infringing goods.

The Strategic Plan is organized and divided into four main sections:

Section 1 provides an overview of how intellectual property serves as a material force behind U.S. economic growth, high-paying jobs, economic competitiveness, and creative expression.
Section 2 focuses on illicit IP-based activity in the online (digital) environment
Section 3 focuses on strategies designed to facilitate secure and lawful trade domestically and abroad.
Section 4 examines broader IP enforcement strategies
that bridge both online and trade-based threats, focusing on overarching governmental frameworks and policies that are critical to supporting robust intellectual property enforcement efforts in a rapidly changing environment.

A Year of Action Supporting Computer Science for All

Marking the 2016 year of progress, and kicking off the Computer Science Education Week 2016, the White House is announcing new actions in support of computer science education:

National Science Foundation (NSF) is announcing $20 million in planned investment in FY 2017 in support of CS education. These new investments will take place under the Computer Science for All: Researcher Practitioner Partnerships (CSforAll: RPP) program, building on NSF’s $25 million investment in FY 2016. The program aims to better understand, through research and development, how to provide high-school teachers with the preparation, professional development, and ongoing support that they would need to teach rigorous computer-science courses; and K-8 teachers with the preparation they would need to integrate computer science and computational thinking into their classrooms.

National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) will develop a CSforAll strategic framework in the coming year. The NSTC Committee on Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (CoSTEM) Federal Coordination in STEM Education Task Force’s (FC-STEM) Computer Science for All Interagency Working Group will develop a strategic framework to guide Federal efforts to support the integration of computer science and computational thinking into K-12 education.

Progress and Momentum in Support of TechHire Initiative

Since its launch, TechHire communities across the country have piloted fast-track training programs designed to give people skills that are in high demand by employers. So far over 4,000 people have been trained and connected to work opportunities with local employers, earning average salaries of well over median income. US Chief Technology Officer Megan Smith announced how private organizations will seize on this progress with new steps to meet the scale of the opportunity:

  • Expansion of TechHire to over 70 Cities, States, and Rural Areas.
  • Growth of theTechHire Action Network.
  • TechUP's Include.io 27-City Roadshow 2017.

President Obama Names Newt Minow Among Recipients of the Presidential Medal of Freedom

President Barack Obama named 21 recipients of the Presidential Medal of Freedom. The Presidential Medal of Freedom is the Nation’s highest civilian honor, presented to individuals who have made especially meritorious contributions to the security or national interests of the United States, to world peace, or to cultural or other significant public or private endeavors. The awards will be presented at the White House on November 22nd. One recipient was Newt Minow.

Minnow is an attorney with a long and distinguished career in public life. After serving in the US Army during World War II, Minow served as a Supreme Court clerk and counsel to the Governor of Illinois. In 1961, President Kennedy selected Minow, then 34, to serve as Chairman of the Federal Communications Committee, where he helped shape the future of American television and was a vigorous advocate for broadcasting that promoted the public interest. In the five decades since leaving the FCC, Minow has maintained a prominent private law practice while devoting himself to numerous public and charitable causes.

State Department’s Richard Stengel Tapped for Chairman of Broadcasting Board of Governors

President Barack Obama announced his intent to nominate Richard Stengel to be Chairman of the Broadcasting Board of Governors. Stengel is Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs, a position he has held since 2014.

Stengel served as Managing Editor of TIME from 2006 to 2013 and President and Chief Executive Officer of the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia from 2004 to 2006. Mr. Stengel was the Ferris Professor of Journalism at Princeton University in 1999. From 1992 to 1994, he collaborated with Nelson Mandela on his autobiography, Long Walk to Freedom. Mr. Stengel has written for many publications and is the author of several books. He began his career at TIME in 1981 as a writer and correspondent. Mr. Stengel received a B.A. from Princeton University and was a Rhodes Scholar at Christ Church at the University of Oxford.