White House calls on Americans to petition federal government, 5,000 signatures to get there

HONOLULU—The White House is reminding us that the right to petition our government is guaranteed in the First Amendment to our Constitution. Throughout our nation’s history, petitions have served as a way for Americans to organize around issues that matter to them, and tell their representatives in government where they stand. Petitions have played an important role in many of the changes throughout our history, from ending slavery to guaranteeing women the right to vote.

The U.S. administration has asked Americans to think about the issues that matter to them and participate in letting the federal government know about it—this time made easier by a soon-to-be-released website that allows participants to create, share, and sign petitions at WhiteHouse.gov.

Anyone 13 or older can create or sign a petition asking the Obama Administration to take action.

If a petition meets the signature threshold, it will be reviewed by the Administration and an official response will be issued. The White House says it will send the petition to the appropriate policy makers in the Administration.

The initial threshold to get a response from the Administration is 5,000 signatures.

For more information, visit http://www.whitehouse.gov/WeThePeople.