| Weekly Address: Congress Must Compromise to Stop the Impact of the Sequester In his weekly address, President Obama tells the American people that a series of harmful budget cuts—called the sequester—have taken effect because Congress failed to act. Because Republicans in Congress refused to compromise to close tax loopholes for the wealthiest Americans, hundreds of thousands of Americans will lose their jobs or see their paycheck reduced, and middle class families will be hurt. Congress must join the President now to replace these cuts with a balanced approach that reduces our deficit while also making smart investments in areas that help our economy grow. Watch this week's Weekly Address. 
In Case You Missed It Here’s a quick glimpse at what happened this week on WhiteHouse.gov: Call to Governors: On Monday, President Obama and Vice President Biden delivered remarks to the National Governor Association. The President drew attention to the importance of infrastructure and education, while praising the group for their great work and accomplishments across America. The President also urged the governors to push Congress to end the harmful and automatic budget cuts known as the sequester, set to take effect March 1. “As governors, you’re the ones who are on the ground, seeing firsthand every single day what works, what doesn’t work, and that's what makes you so indispensable,” he said. “Whatever your party, you ran for office to do everything that you could to make our folks’ lives better.” The First Lady and Dr. Biden also spoke and covered the importance of committing to our veterans in their transition to civilian life. Both highlighted states that have made progress in changing laws to make it easier for military spouses to attain new credentials when they move to a new state, and challenged all 50 states to follow through. Rosa Parks Statue: On Wednesday, leaders gathered at Capitol Hill to honor civil rights pioneer Rosa Parks with the unveiling of her statue. The piece marks the first full-bodied statue of an African-American woman inside the Capitol’s Statuary Hall. Over half a century ago, Parks courageously refused to give up her seat on a bus and became a catalyst for the civil rights movement. President Obama acknowledged she opened doors for millions by noting, “It is because of these men and women that I stand here today.” Defense Threats from Sequester: On Tuesday, President Obama traveled to Newport News Shipbuilding in Virginia to warn of the sequester and promote his solutions for deficit reduction. Watch the full speech here. “So these cuts are wrong. They’re not smart. They’re not fair,” said President Obama. “They’re a self-inflicted wound that doesn’t have to happen.” Let’s Move! Tour: This week, the First Lady launched the start of her Let’s Move! tour to celebrate the third anniversary of the initiative that is challenging childhood obesity. On Tuesday, the First Lady appeared on “Good Morning America” to discuss childhood obesity and introduce a new partnership that highlights healthier recipes through MyPlate, a way to learn about healthy eating. Taking Action: On Wednesday, Secretary of Education Arne Duncan and Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano hosted over 100 leaders to discuss making our schools and houses of worship safer through high-quality emergency management plans. In January, the President signed 23 Executive Actions to protect our communities and high-quality emergency management was a piece of this framework. Get Updates Sign up for the Daily Snapshot Stay Connected | 
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