The President and Mexican Ambassador Arturo Sarukhan delivered remarks at a Cinco de Mayo event in the East Room. The First Lady, the Vice President and Dr. Jill Biden also attended. Transcript Video
Day105/May 5th/Tuesday: The President released a statement on Global Health Initiative in which he announced: “…I am asking Congress to approve my Fiscal Year 2010 Budget request of $8.6 billion -- and $63 billion over six years -- to shape a new, comprehensive global health strategy. We cannot simply confront individual preventable illnesses in isolation. The world is interconnected, and that demands an integrated approach to global health.” Transcript
In the State Dining Room of the White House, the President and the Vice President met with Democrats serving on the Energy and Commerce Committees to discuss the American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009 (Climate Change Bill), energy independence, health care reform, and other legislative priorities.
The President and Vice President lunched at Ray's Hell-Burger in Arlington, Virginia. Video
The President met with Israeli President Shimon Peres at the White House.
Day106/May 6th/Wednesday: United States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and her special envoy Richard Holbrook met both privately and secretly with Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari, breakfasting with Zardari at the Willard Hotel. Later, Clinton met with both the President of Afghanistan Hamid Karzai and Pakistani President Zardari. Afterward, all three held a news conference.
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton held another news conference in the White House Briefing Room on her discussions with the President of Afghanistan and Pakistan. Among Secretary Clinton’s comments, she announced: “The Trade Transit Agreement memorandum of understanding that was signed today commits both countries to finalizing a trade transit agreement that deals with all of the obstacles and problems of goods and people crossing borders. It was started 43 years ago, and we're determined to bring it to a resolution. The kind of economic development that will spring up if we see increased trade and commerce between the two countries is one of the best ways that we can provide alternatives for those who might otherwise be dragged into this conflict.” Transcript Video
Both Karzai and Zardari, first separately, then together, met with the President of the United States. Afterward, President Obama, with Karzai and Zardari beside him, spoke about their meeting. Transcript Video
The President requested Congress provide $980 million of development aid for Afghanistan and, for Pakistan, $400 million in military aid, $500 million in economic aid and, over 5 years, $7.5 billion for Pakistani projects.
The President announced he will request Congress provide $1.4 billion to settle a discrimination lawsuit by black farmers who claimed they were improperly denied loans and credit by the U.S. Agriculture Department.
United States Secretary of Defense Robert Gates visited U.S. troops in Kabul, Afghanistan. Gates was there to meet with General David McKiernan to tell the General that Lieutenant General Stanley A. McChrystal will replace McKiernan as Commander of U.S. Forces in Afghanistan. The meeting would not be made public knowledge until May 11, 2009.
In a draft report from the United States Justice Department, U. S. Attorney General Eric Holder advised no prosecutions of the three authors (John Yoo, Jay Bybee and Steven G. Bradbury) of the prior administration’s torture memos. The report does recommend state bar associations consider disbarment proceedings against the three lawyers.
Day107/May 7th/Thursday: The President released his FY2010 budget that includes $130 billion for war funding, $530 billion for the Pentagon and a 2.9 percent raise for active and reserve military personnel. The President announced that the Office of Management and Budget, led by Peter Orszag and Rob Nabors, will go through the budget, ”…program by program, item by item, line by line, looking for areas where we can save taxpayer dollars. Today, the budget office is releasing the first report in this process: a list of more than 100 programs slated to be reduced or eliminated altogether. And the process is ongoing.” Half of the cuts proposed will be in defense spending that “…do nothing to keep Americans safe.” A total of 121 federal programs will be eliminated for a total savings of $17 billion. Transcript
The President met in the White House Oval Office with New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, the Reverand Al Sharpton and Newt Gingrich, former Speaker of the United States House of Representatives. They discussed education reform.
The President met in the Oval Office with Christina Romer, Chair of the Council of Economic Advisors.
The President met in the Oval Office with United States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
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