THE PRESIDENT: How’s it going, Bagram? (Applause.) Well, you know, it turns out that the American people, they let me use this plane called Air Force One. And so I thought I’d come over and say hello. (Applause.)

Briefing by Secretary Clinton, Secretary Gates, Admiral Mullen on the announcement of the new START treaty

SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, thank you all very much. This is a good day for America and our security. And as President Obama just reiterated, it is one of the highest priorities of the Obama administration to pursue an agenda to reduce the threat posed by the deadliest weapons the world has ever known. President Obama set that forth in his speech at Prague last year. And today, he and President Medvedev reached an agreement to make significant and verifiable reductions in our nuclear arsenals.

Remarks by the President on the Announcement of New START Treaty

THE PRESIDENT: Good morning, everybody. I just concluded a productive phone call with President Medvedev. And I’m pleased to announce that after a year of intense negotiations, the United States and Russia have agreed to the most comprehensive arms control agreement in nearly two decades.

Readout of the President’s call with Russian President Medvedev

In a phone call this morning, President Obama and President Medvedev agreed to meet in Prague, the Czech Republic, on Thursday, April 8, to sign the Treaty between the United States of America and the Russian Federation on Measures to Further Reduction and Limitation of Strategic Offensive Arms (the “New START Treaty”).

Key Facts about the New START Treaty

Treaty Structure: The New START Treaty is organized in three tiers of increasing level of detail. The first tier is the Treaty text itself. The second tier consists of a Protocol to the Treaty, which contains additional rights and obligations associated with Treaty provisions. The basic rights and obligations are contained in these two documents. The third tier consists of Technical Annexes to the Protocol. All three tiers will be legally binding. The Protocol and Annexes will be integral parts of the Treaty and thus submitted to the U.S. Senate for its advice and consent to ratification.

Statement by the President on Iraqi Elections

I congratulate the people of Iraq for casting their ballots in this important parliamentary election. I have great respect for the millions of Iraqis who refused to be deterred by acts of violence, and who exercised their right to vote today. Their participation demonstrates that the Iraqi people have chosen to shape their future through the political process.

Statement by President Obama on the 40th Anniversary of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty

Forty years ago today, in the midst of a Cold War, the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) entered into force, becoming the cornerstone of the world’s efforts to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons. Today, the threat of global nuclear war has passed, but the danger of nuclear proliferation endures, making the basic bargain of the NPT more important than ever: nations with nuclear weapons will move toward disarmament, nations without nuclear weapons will forsake them, and all nations have an “inalienable right” to peaceful nuclear energy.

Executive Order– Providing an Order of Succession within the Department of Defense

By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including the Federal Vacancies Reform Act of 1998, as amended, 5 U.S.C. 3345 et seq., it is hereby ordered that:

Letter from the President to Congressional Committee Leadership

TEXT OF A LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT
TO THE CHAIRMEN AND RANKING MEMBERS OF THE HOUSE AND SENATE COMMITTEES
ON ARMED SERVICES AND APPROPRIATIONS AND THE CHAIRMEN AND
RANKING MEMBERS OF THE HOUSE COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN AFFAIRS
AND THE SENATE COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN RELATIONS

Remarks of Vice President Biden at National Defense University

Readout of The President and Vice President’s Meeting with Ambassador Hill and General Odierno

The President and Vice President met today with Ambassador Chris Hill and General Ray Odierno, Commanding General of the United States Forces-Iraq (USF-I), to review political, economic, and security developments in Iraq. They discussed the importance of broad participation in the upcoming Parliamentary elections and reaffirmed U.S. support for Iraqi efforts to promote national unity. They also discussed how to develop U.S. partnership with Iraq in sectors such as the economy and education. The Ambassador and General Odierno will also participate in a meeting on Iraq which the Vice President will chair with Principals on Friday.

Remarks by the President in State of the Union Address

Remarks by the First Lady at the Joint Armed Forces Officers’ Wives’ Luncheon

1:00 P.M. EST

MRS. OBAMA: Thank you, everyone. Thank you so much. All right, everyone, take a seat, and have a glass of wine — (laughter) — all right, because I’m going to sell you guys out. (Laughter.) They were passing around a little glass, and I was like, what’s that? (Laughter.) So please feel free. Don’t wait till I leave when the desserts come out to get the wine. (Laughter.)

Vice President Joe Biden in Iraq to Meet with Iraqi Leaders and Visit U.S. Troops

As part of his regular engagement with Iraq, Vice President Biden has arrived in Baghdad to meet with Iraqi leaders; receive updates from U.S. military and civilian leaders; and visit U.S. troops. During his trip, he will meet with Iraq’s President Jalal Talabani, Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, Speaker of the Council of Representatives Ayad al-Samarrai and other political leaders. He will also meet with the United Nations Secretary General’s Special Representative for Iraq Ad Melkert to discuss U.S. and international efforts to support Iraq, with a focus on the national elections scheduled for March 2010.

Press Briefing by Antony Blinken, National Security Advisor to the Vice President and Deputy Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs

10:45 P.M. (local)

MR. BLINKEN: Thank you, great. Well, thank you all. Thanks for being here. I know it’s late. We don’t want to keep you too long. In fact, we’re probably not allowed to keep you too long, given some of the rules. So let me just cover quickly the trip — what we’ve done so far, what we’re doing tomorrow, and then try and address any questions.

Vice President Biden Commends Shultz, Kissinger, Nunn and Perry on their Continued Work on Nuclear Non-Proliferation

Washington, DC – Vice President Joe Biden issued the following statement today:

“We welcome and support the continued contributions of George Shultz, Henry Kissinger, Sam Nunn and William Perry to our nation’s security. For decades, the leadership of these eminent statesmen has enhanced our nation’s liberty and prosperity, and their enduring commitment serves as an inspiration for our pursuit of the peace and security of a world without nuclear weapons. The greatest threat facing the American people today is the spread of nuclear weapons to additional states and to terrorists, and we will spare no effort in protecting the American people from this danger.

Remarks by the President to the Troops