This article is the 67th in a continuing series chronicling the unfolding history of the Obama Administration. The writer's opinions are not offered, leaving the readers to arrive at their own conclusions.
"A few hours ago I spoke with Iraqi Prime Minister Maliki. I reaffirmed that the United States keeps its commitments. He spoke of the determination of the Iraqi people to forge their own future. We are in full agreement about how to move forward. So today, I can report that, as promised, the rest of our troops in Iraq will come home by the end of the year. After nearly nine years, America's war in Iraq will be over."__Barack Obama, President of the United States of America, October 21, 2011
Day1001/Oct18th/Tuesday: the President, on the second day of his American Jobs Act bus tour, traveled to Guilford Technical Community College in Jamestown, North Carolina, where he held a roundtable meeting with and delivered remarks (transcript) to educators, then delivered remarks (transcript) to faculty and students. Video
The President traveled to Greensville County High School in Emporia, Virginia, where he delivered remarks. Transcript Video
The President declared a major disaster existed in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and ordered Federal aid to supplement commonwealth and local recovery efforts in the area affected by Tropical Storm Maria during the period of September 8-14, 2011. Federal funding was made available to affected individuals in the municipalities of Juana DÃaz, Naguabo, and Yabucoa, including grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses, and other programs to help individuals and business owners recover from the effects of the disaster. Federal funding was also made available on a cost-sharing basis for hazard mitigation measures for the entire commonwealth. Source
The President sent these nominations to the United States Senate:
Gina K. Ambercrombie-Winstanley , of Ohio, a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Minister-Counselor, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of Malta bio
Alfredo J. Balsera , of Florida, to be a Member of the United States Advisory Commission on Public Diplomacy for a term expiring July 1, 2014 bio
Julissa Reynoso , of New York, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Oriental Republic of Uruguay bio
Wendy M. Spencer , of Florida, to be Chief Executive Officer of the Corporation for National and Community Service bio
Robert E. Whitehead , of Florida, a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Minister-Counselor, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Togolese Republic bio Source
The President spent the night in Hampton, Virginia.
The United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced three sets of important reforms expected to save more than $1 billion every year in health care overhead and paperwork costs. The reforms were aimed at reducing unnecessary, obsolete, or burdensome regulations on American hospitals and healthcare providers. The reforms were expected to save doctors, nurses, and patients a lot of time and money:
1)Streamlining Conditions of Participation . "Conditions of Participation" are federal health and safety requirements that hospitals must meet in order to participate in the Medicare and Medicaid programs. The United States Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) estimated that the burden-reducing initiative will produce $940 million in annual savings to hospitals by giving hospitals more flexibility in deciding how to best treat their patients. Without compromising safety, these new rules would increase the time and resources hospitals and providers could devote to patient care by eliminating outdated, bureaucratic, and unnecessary requirements.
2)Reducing burdens on end-stage renal disease facilities and ambulatory surgical centers . The proposed Medicare Regulatory Reform rule would identify and eliminate duplicative, overlapping, outdated, and conflicting regulatory requirements for healthcare providers and suppliers, including end-stage renal disease facilities and ambulatory surgical centers. CMS estimated that first year savings would total $170 million and that another $37 million per year would be saved thereafter through the elimination of outdated standards and by ending requirements that these centers purchase and maintain unnecessary equipment.
