In 2001, President Bush became president of a nation at peace with a $600 billion surplus. When he left office, the United States had a record deficit ($2,000,000,000,000.00), the worst economy since 1933 and an America at war in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Obama's presidency has been far from perfect, but ask yourself, "Is the nation better now than it was in 2009?" It is difficult to imagine an answer that would not be "Yes." But beyond pulling the economy from a new Depression (this was the direction it was going according to Bush's own VP, Dick Cheney, and Bush's Fed Chairman, Ben Bernanke), ending the war in Iraq and "Not being George W. Bush", has President Obama had any other accomplishments?
If you think the answer is, "No", just read on....
Financial
- Dow Jones closed up 11% at the end of 2010 compared with January of 2010
- Remember the financial collapse of October 2008? We were on the verge of economic collapse. Obama brought us back from the brink.
- TARP succeeded in keeping financial institutions going
- Dow joans gained 30% in one year
- The Obama administration has gotten almost all of the $787 billion TARP paid back; in the end it will only cost about $25 billion
- Credit card reform
- Financial (bank) reform
- Extend Bush tax cuts through 2012
- 2009 through 2010 cut taxes for 95% of Americans
- Lowered estate taxes starting 2011
- Obama and congressional Democrats bailed out Detroit carmakers and passed an $862 billion economic stimulus bill that poured money into transportation systems, energy projects and education programs.
- Saved American auto industry
- recouped investment in GM and Chrysler (ex)
- American Recovery and Reinvestment Act: The $862 billion "stimulus bill" invested in transportation and energy projects, tax cuts and education grants.
- Wall Street reform
Employment - The stimulus created jobs
- The HIRE Act: A jobs bill that provided $18 billion in tax breaks for small businesses to spur hiring and $20 billion for transit and highways programs
- Unemployment benefits extended
- Auto companies bailout: Billions of dollars in government loans to struggling Detroit automakers Chrysler, General Motors and GMAC in an effort to save jobs. Saved General Motors; companies have largely paid back the loans.
Health
- Health care reform. The Obama health care bill expands access to care to 31 million people and makes healthcare cheaper for the 250 million who already have it. And it reduces the deficit by well over a trillion dollars over the next two decades. It has been called the biggest domestic achievement since 1965.
- ended DEA raids on medical marijuana dispensaries
- enacted the toughest anti-smoking laws the country has ever seen
- Ended the ban on stem cell research
- School lunch reform
- Food Nutrition and Safety Bill
- Timely action to prevent swine flu epidemic (m)
- Signed into law the health care bill for First Responders to 9/11
- Affordable Health Care for America Act: $940 billion in the first 10 years will create new health care exchanges, expand insurance coverage to 32 million people who have gone without, close gaps in Medicare prescription-drug coverage and forbid insurance companies from rejecting people for pre-existing conditions.
- On health care, The bill expands access to care to 31 million people and makes healthcare cheaper for the 250 million who already have it. And it reduces the deficit by well over a trillion dollars over the next two decades. Name a bigger domestic achievement since 1965.
Equality Issues - Signed into law the Lily Ledbetter Act for equal pay
- Signed into law hate crimes Legislation (Matthew Shepard Act)
- Signed into law the repeal of "Don't ask; Don't tell
Energy Programs - First investment in national rail system since....
- Dramatically increased investments in renewable energy
- Began construction on highspeeed national rail system
- Set tougher fuel-efficiency standards for cars
Ethics, Disclosure and Transparency
- Goal of transparency and the most transparent administration to date (websites, TARP, overseer, YouTube, etc.)
- issued the toughest ethics requirements for those working in his administration than any previous president
- Auto companies bailout: Billions of dollars in government loans to struggling Detroit automakers Chrysler, General Motors and GMAC in an effort to save jobs. Saved General Motors; companies have largely paid back the loans.
War and Peace
- Withdrew combat forces from Iraq
- Increased oversight in Afghanistan; election in 2009
- Negotiated START treaty with Russia to reduce stockpiles of strategic nuclear warheads.
Fighting Terrorism - Found and killed Osama bin Ladin; seized intelligence information
- Effectively oversaw the rescue of Amerircans from Somali pirates
- Helped Heal and console the nation after the Tucson, Arizona shooting
- Prevented terrorism (explosion in Times Square; arrest in Oregon; Underwear Bomber; MLK parade in Spokane)
- Appointed the first Latina Supreme Court Justice (3rd woman), a highly qualified jurist, Sonya Sotomayor
- Nominated Elena Kagan to the bench (only the fourth woman to be a Supreme Court justice)
Minority Issues
- Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor:Obama's first Supreme Court nominee was confirmed 68-31 by the Senate and became the first Hispanic justice on the court.
Environment - Bailed out Detroit carmakers and passed an $862 billion economic stimulus bill that poured money into transportation systems, energy projects and education programs.
- Obama also has set tougher fuel-efficiency standards for cars
- Omnibus Public Land Management Act: The most sweeping land-protection act in 15 years designated more than 2 million acres of public land huge tracts of desert and forest across nine states to be official "wilderness."
Children and Families
- Signed into law the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP)
- SCHIP covers more than 6 million children whose parents earn too much to qualify for Medicaid - the federal health insurance program for the poor - but who can't afford private insurance The vote in the Senate was 66-32. All those voting against the bill were Republicans, but nine Republicans voted in favor.extend the program to an estimated 4 million additional children, paying for it with a 61-cent-per-pack increase in the federal tax on cigarettes.
Education - Student Loan revise
- launched a $4.3 billion education initiative challenging schools to improve their performance, replacing "No Child Left Behind"
Foreign Relations
- New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) with Russia: The Obama administration and Russia negotiated a deal for each country to cut its stock of strategic nuclear warheads by 30%. Ratification is pending in the Senate.
- Improve America's image and reputation abroad and relations with NATO etc.
