Nearly 450 Obama Accomplishments, With Citations
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Took concrete steps to improve our counter-terrorism efforts.
http://bit.ly/1RATjAh
Making great strides in defeating the Islamic State without committing hundreds of thousands of troops or carpet bombing civilians, against Republican objections.
http://bit.ly/1TxBK5e
Established rules for data-sharing between the NSA and other intelligence agencies to improve the quality of information.
http://bit.ly/2iOnc1F
Signed law to better protect the children who live on military bases.
http://bit.ly/2k82nn7
Established program to provide more help for veterans with PTSD
http://bit.ly/2k5kSEm
Established a national anti-propaganda center, to go after the fake news epidemic.
http://bit.ly/2iXBy39
Improved Education and Educational Opportunities
Through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, invested heavily in elementary, secondary and post-secondary education.
http://1.usa.gov/gGRIAr
Created the Race to the Top program, which encouraged states to come up with effective school reforms and rewards the best of them.
http://bit.ly/NHtZ7L
Oversaw major expansion of broadband availability in K-12 schools nationwide.
http://bit.ly/fNDcj3
Oversaw major expansion in school construction.
http://bit.ly/fYwNrV
Signed an executive order that expanded recognition and funding for historically black colleges and universities.
http://on.thegrio.com/1rD50gc
Through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, put $5 billion into early education, including Head Start.
http://1.usa.gov/tzT2Rr
Signed the Democratic-sponsored Post-9/11 GI Bill, also known as GI Bill 2.0, to improve veterans’ access to education.
http://bit.ly/hPhG7J
Oversaw expansion of the Pell Grants program, to expand opportunity for low and middle income students to go to college.
http://bit.ly/hI6tXz
Signed and implemented the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, which provided an extra $12.2 billion in funds.
http://1.usa.gov/dQvtUe
Took major new steps to protect students from ineffective for-profit colleges through “gainful employment” measures, whereby schools have to demonstrate that its students actually find work to get federal aid.
http://1.usa.gov/jkzQe2
Repeatedly increased funding for student financial aid, and at the same time cut the banks completely out of the process, thus us creating greater accountability.
http://bit.ly/gYWd30 http://bit.ly/e9c7Dr http://bit.ly/eEzTNq
Reformed student loan program, to make it possible for students to refinance at a lower rate.
http://nyti.ms/dMvHOt
Created a rating system for colleges, so that those applying for student financial aid know better what they’re paying for.
http://bit.ly/14Dn7UL
Led a bipartisan effort to reform the federal approach to education and essentially repeal “No Child Left Behind.”
http://cbsn.ws/2780qXu
High School graduation rates have soared under Obama
http://huff.to/2diafzo
Restored the Adult View on Science and Technology
Created a Presidential Memorandum to restore scientific integrity in government decision-making.
http://1.usa.gov/g2SDuw
Opened up the process for fast-tracking patent approval for green energy projects.
http://bit.ly/j0KV2U
Through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, committed more federal funding, about $18 billion, to support non-defense science and research labs.
http://nyti.ms/fTs9t7
Obama EPA reversed research ethics standards which allowed humans to be used as “guinea pigs” in tests of the effects of chemicals, to comply with numerous codes of medical ethics.
http://bit.ly/bKgqdS
Conducted a cyberspace policy review.
http://1.usa.gov/gmbdvC
Provided financial support for private sector space programs.
http://bit.ly/fn8ucr
Oversaw enhanced earth mapping, to provide valuable data for agricultural, educational, scientific, and government use.
http://bit.ly/dNTRyP
Through American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, provided $500 million for Health Professions Training Programs.
http://bit.ly/ecQSgA
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Increased funding for community-based prevention programs.
http://bit.ly/frMPG3
Expanded space exploration and discovery options to include more players.
http://1.usa.gov/13qmZpm
Through the Connect America Fund, pushed through and received FCC approval for a move of $8 billion in subsidies away from telephone landlines to assist lower-income rural families in accessing broadband.
http://lat.ms/vhRUEs http://bit.ly/129V3SY
In the wake of the West Fertilizer tragedy, formed the Chemical Safety and Security Working Group, to work on measures to prevent another such events.
http://1.usa.gov/18kHSlA
Established a Cyber Threat Intelligence Integration Center, a recommendation made by the 9/11 Commission, to coordinate efforts to fight cyber-crime and terrorism.
http://1.usa.gov/1A0aEoS
The Obama FCC, with his leadership, adopted strong net neutrality rules, to keep the Internet open and equal for everyone.
http://fcc.us/1MhTlIA
Ordered rules to speed up deployment of a more comprehensive broadband infrastructure.
http://1.usa.gov/M7rVpe
Set up a National Strategic Computing Initiative, to “maximize benefits of high-performance computing (HPC) research, development, and deployment.”
http://1.usa.gov/1IN3FZa
Ordered a federal level change in national earthquake standards.
http://1.usa.gov/1T5wGoR
Signed executive orders designed to strengthen government cybersecurity and prevent hackers from getting in.
http://usat.ly/1R0saIt
Took steps to combat the effects of climate change by committing the U.S. to developing long-term drought resilience measures.
http://1.usa.gov/1SMCuRY
Started the road to greater exploration of space by signing bill to encourage mining on asteroids and clarifying property rights in space.
http://bit.ly/1RV2la9
Officially joined the Paris Climate Accords, thus strengthening the effort and making it a more powerful commitment to climate change.
http://bit.ly/2jDgO1O
Signed bill to relieve California drought and to fix Flint’s water crisis.
http://bit.ly/2iYd0a4
Signed a bill to improve science and technology research and development.
http://bit.ly/2jd31vf
Signed the WIIN Act, which improves the country’s water infrastructure and which also protects the nation’s water supply to a greater degree.
http://bit.ly/2jd3r4Y
Improved Our Health and Safety
Eliminated Bush-era restrictions on embryonic stem cell research, and provided increased federal support for biomedical and stem cell research.
http://bit.ly/h36SSOhttp://ti.me/edezge
Led the enormous expansion of electronic medical records, which improves the availability and quality of care.
http://bit.ly/2k7JLmX Currently, 96% of hospitals use electronic health records, up from 9.4% in 2009.
Electronic health records led to greater efficiency, leading to greater healthcare savings.
http://on.wsj.com/2iGvL3h
Signed Democratic-sponsored Christopher and Dana Reeve Paralysis Act, the first comprehensive attempt to improve the lives of Americans living with paralysis.
http://bit.ly/fOi2rb
Expanded the Nurse-Family Partnership program, which provides home visits by trained registered nurses to low-income expectant mothers and their families, to cover more first-time mothers.
http://bit.ly/jRRRJc
Ordered that all vehicles be equipped with a rear-view camera by 2018, despite car makers’ complaints about cost.
http://bit.ly/2c3jAZi
Along with Democrats in Congress, ushered through and signed a bill authorizing FDA to regulate tobacco and order tobacco companies to disclose their ingredients and to ban cigarettes falsely labeled as “light.”
http://on.msnbc.com/fiKViB
Has overseen a 50% decrease in cost of prescription drugs for seniors.
http://bit.ly/e5b1iq http://1.usa.gov/fVNkt9
Eliminated the Bush-era practice of forbidding Medicare from negotiating with drug companies on price.
http://bit.ly/fOkG5b
Two weeks after taking office, signed Democratic-sponsored Children’s Health Insurance Reauthorization Act, which increased the number of children covered by health insurance by 4 million.
http://bit.ly/fDEzGv
Urged Congress to investigate Anthem Blue Cross for raising premiums 39% without explanation.
http://yhoo.it/e8Tj9C
Pushed through and signed Affordable Care Act, which expanded health insurance coverage greatly and ended many detrimental insurance company practices. He also established healthcare.gov.
http://www.healthcare.gov/
Through ACA, allowed children to be covered under their parents’ policy until they turned 26.
http://nyti.ms/fNB26V
Through the ACA, provided tax breaks to allow 3.5 million small businesses to provide health insurance to their employees.
http://nyti.ms/fNB26V
Through the ACA, millions of people receive help in paying their health insurance company premiums.
http://nyti.ms/fNB26V
Through the ACA, expanded Medicaid to those making up to 133% of the federal poverty level.
http://nyti.ms/ekMWpo (Note: except for those states whose Republicans refused to take the extra money.)
By 2014, the Affordable Care Act dropped the number of uninsured Americans by 22.3%, which amounts to more than 10.3 million people with insurance who didn’t have it before. Only 13.9% of Americans are uninsured, a drop from 18.9% in 2013.
http://on.msnbc.com/1r4kjGn
The Affordable Care Act has increased the life expectancy of Medicare greatly.
http://on.wsj.com/1yuNco6
Through the ACA, health insurance companies now have to disclose how much of your premium actually goes to pay for patient care.
http://nyti.ms/fNB26V
Medicare costs actually declined slightly, for the first time in decades in 2011, according to the Congressional Budget Office.
http://1.usa.gov/oMxpTh
Since passage of the ACA, health care inflation is at its lowest level since 1960.
http://1.usa.gov/1vXR0Ld
Created the HIV Care Continuum Initiative, to strengthen the government’s ability to respond to the continuing domestic HIV epidemic, after years of Republicans weakening the government’s ability to deal with the crisis.
http://1.usa.gov/1iLED0t
Signed bill that will provide health insurance premium support to workers who lose their health insurance due to foreign competition.
http://bit.ly/1evvVDF
In response to the confusion triggered by the Hobby Lobby decision, which essentially declared that corporations could have “religious rights” and lord them over employees, created new rules to give all women with insurance the right to free birth control.
http://on.wsj.com/1O44a1t
Implemented the National HIV/AIDS Strategy for 2015-2020, which is a follow-up to the first such strategy in US history, which he implemented in 2010.
http://1.usa.gov/1IXknHm
Took steps to improve the country’s approach to drug addiction and mental health.
http://bit.ly/2cJTHQ9
Signed and will implement new child safety standards for e-cigarettes.
http://bit.ly/1XaFCIS
Put into place the first mandatory rules regarding labeling of products containing genetically modified organisms (GMO)
http://bit.ly/2ciVlH7
Set up a White House Cancer Moonshot Task Force, in order to implement ways to develop a cure for cancer.
http://1.usa.gov/20AeKY4
Took steps to improve detection and treatment of mental health problems.
http://1.usa.gov/25HEDp5
Signed Trevor’s Law, which will allow for better tracking and study of cancer and disease clusters.
http://bit.ly/297uFJK
Signed a memorandum of understanding with Cuba to share healthcare information.
http://bit.ly/29mCojf
Expanded availability of Cuban cigars and Cuban run in the absence of a GOP Congressional bill lifting the Cuban embargo.
http://bit.ly/2esLtNE
Extended an incentive program for Big Pharma that was about to expire, that encouraged them to find cures for pediatric diseases.
http://bit.ly/2dF55t7
Signed a bill designed to improve research into and increase the availability of new treatments and drugs in the healthcare industry.
http://bit.ly/2iOQxZU
Made sure that health insurance coverage was guaranteed for eating disorders.
http://bit.ly/2iY6h05
Signed a law enforcement pact with Cuba, to foster greater cooperation between the two countries.
http://on.wkyc.com/2k7G9kS
Addressed Environment, Climate Change While Meeting Energy Needs
Doubled federal spending on clean energy research.
http://bit.ly/iN0sCE
Pushed through a tax credit to help people buy plug-in hybrid cars.
http://bit.ly/j8UP5Y
Created a program to develop renewable energy projects on the waters of our Outer Continental Shelf that will produce electricity from wind, wave, and ocean currents.
http://1.usa.gov/fgfRWq
Reengaged in the climate change and greenhouse gas emissions agreements talks, and proposed one himself. He also addressed the U.N. Climate Change Conference, officially reversing the Bush era stance that climate change was a “hoax.”
http://bit.ly/dX6Vj3 http://bit.ly/fE2PxK http://nyti.ms/hfeqvv
Fully supported the initial phase of the creation of a legally-binding treaty to reduce mercury emissions worldwide.
http://bit.ly/eJ6QOO
Required states to provide incentives to utilities to reduce their energy consumption.
http://bit.ly/lBhk7P
Under Obama, our dependence on foreign oil has dropped to its lowest rate since 1985, and continues to drop.
http://1.usa.gov/1p6kTUy
Meanwhile, oil consumption is way down because of reduced driving and higher mileage standards.
http://ti.me/1z4HFG8
Improved siting, review and permitting stations for power plants, in an attempt to seriously improve the nation’s electric grid.
http://1.usa.gov/1l8zNqn
Reengaged in a number of treaties and agreements designed to protect the Antarctic.
http://bit.ly/fzQUFO
Created tax write-offs for purchases of hybrid and electric vehicles.
http://bit.ly/glCukV
Established a quadrennial review of our energy infrastructure, to encourage a modernization of the grid, and to encourage the transition away from fossil fuel use.
http://1.usa.gov/1nx2oMo
Mandated that federal government fleet purchases be for fuel-efficient American vehicles, and encouraged that federal agencies support experimental, fuel-efficient vehicles.
http://1.usa.gov/hmUSbk http://1.usa.gov/fLWq5c
Encouraged BP to pay $20 billion to establish Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund, to reduce the need for taxpayer funds to be used for compensation and clean up.
http://wapo.st/ds2BxT (Note: it took 20 years to get $1.3 billion for the Exxon Valdez spill. )
Oversaw and pushed through an amendment to the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 authorizing advances from Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund for the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.
http://1.usa.gov/yTRYVo
Actively tried to amend the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 to eliminate the liability limits for those companies responsible for large oil spills.
http://nyti.ms/bxjDi3
Became the first President to simply say “Climate Change is a fact,” and set up the first federal government protocols for dealing with the impacts of climate change.
http://1.usa.gov/1b7V67B
Initiated Criminal and Civil inquiries into the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.
http://nyti.ms/bVuB7a
Asserted federal legal supremacy to bar Texas from authorizing new refinery permits on its own.
http://bit.ly/ww8eMd
Set up new, stricter standards severely limiting power plant emissions, curring them to 68% of 2005 levels by 2030.
http://1.usa.gov/1mML2M3
Strengthened the Endangered Species Act.
http://bit.ly/hscjsH
Strengthened protection for wildlife, and expanded enforcement of laws against wildlife trafficking.
http://1.usa.gov/1fce1Ai
Obama EPA improved boiler safety standards to improve air quality, and save 6500 lives per year.
http://bit.ly/jYH7nt
Through the EPA, attempted to take steps to severely limit the use of antibiotics in livestock feed, to increase their efficacy in humans.
http://bit.ly/fBuWd2
Through new EPA regulations, he created a pretext for closing the dirtiest power plants in the country, by limiting emissions of mercury and other toxic gasses.
http://bit.ly/rQCIgA
Increased funding for National Parks and Forests by 10%
http://bit.ly/fbJPjY
Announced greatly improved commercial fuel efficiency standards.
http://1.usa.gov/oQiC1K
Signed a bill that allowed for increased regulations of a large number of chemicals and other toxic materials, allowing the EPA to make the use of certain toxic materials more transparent.
http://usat.ly/2911hA4
Announced a huge increase in average fuel economy standards from 27.5mpg in 2010 to 35.5mpg starting in 2016 and 54.5 starting in 2025
http://1.usa.gov/qtghsW
Facilitated investment in industrial energy efficiency to create jobs and strengthen US manufacturing while saving businesses $100 billion over a decade.
http://1.usa.gov/WsIgbx
Set up the Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council to oversee Gulf Coast restoration efforts after the 2010 BP oil spill. The money to fund the restoration efforts comes from fines against BP.
http://1.usa.gov/Rxjb29
Engaged in the most comprehensive plan to combat climate change in a generation.
http://bit.ly/13lXhET
Ordered energy plants to prepare to produce at least 15% of all energy through renewable resources like wind and solar, by 2021.
http://reut.rs/fV155p
Oversaw the creation of an initiative that converts old factories and manufacturing centers into new clean technology centers.
http://bit.ly/mjnq2R
Guided a 418% increase in solar power capacity between 2010 and 2014.
http://bit.ly/1rHkWJC
As of May 2015, 74% of new electrical capacity was provided by solar and wind power.
http://bit.ly/1T5r0LC
Bypassed Congress and ordered EPA to begin regulating and measuring carbon emissions.
http://bit.ly/froaP5
Oversaw a tripling in the use of wind power to generate electricity. The US now leads the world in increased wind power capacity.
http://www.worldwatch.org/node/5448
Ordered the federal government to incorporate climate resilience and climate science into all international development in which the United States engages.
http://1.usa.gov/YV1EpW
Fast-tracked regulations to allow states to enact fuel efficiency standards that exceeded federal standards.
http://nyti.ms/e8e94x
Fast-tracked increased fuel economy standards for vehicles beginning with the 2011 model year. It was the first time such standards had been increased in more than a decade.
http://politi.co/hiaPKM
Oversaw establishment of an Energy Partnership for the Americas, to create more markets for American-made biofuels and green energy technologies.
http://bit.ly/lZp73y
Obama EPA reversed a Bush-era decision to allow the largest mountaintop removal project in US history.
http://bit.ly/lP3yEL
Ordered the Department of Energy to implement more aggressive efficiency standards for common household appliances.
http://1.usa.gov/g3MTbu
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Obama EPA ruled that excess CO2 is a pollutant.
http://bit.ly/iQTSNN
Closed a deal with China to limit carbon emissions to slow down climate change.
http://nyti.ms/1xzyS8K
Blocked all oil and gas drilling in Bristol Bay, Alaska, one of the most pristine environments in North America
http://lat.ms/13xUVFD
Signed an Executive Order to improve environmental efforts in the Arctic region and to combat climate change by better coordinating the efforts of the 23 federal agencies operating in the area.
http://usat.ly/ZEzLzE
Vetoed a bill to fast track construction of the parallel Keystone XL pipeline.
http://nbcnews.to/1DVDFo7
Expanded clean water regulations to more stringently protect all of the nation’s waterways, even when states fail in their duty.
http://bit.ly/1RdQpTc
Signed an Executive Order committing the federal government to lead the way in building a sustainable economy. It’s his fifth doing just that.
http://1.usa.gov/1EzO2ne
Banned the use of antibiotics in food served in US Government-run cafeterias and ordered agencies to only use antibiotic-free meat.
http://bit.ly/1G1vUxi http://bit.ly/1KHkl4N
Developed new rules to address climate change and to create a significant boost to clean energy.
http://bit.ly/1UnQcuR
Negotiated and signed a virtually Republican-Proof global agreement on climate change, with 190 countries signing on.
http://bit.ly/1RkjVG8
Became one of 196 countries that signed onto a UN Framework on Climate Change.
http://unfccc.int/2860.php
Ordered a moratorium on new coal leasing on federal land, and they will examine the whole leasing process.
http://wapo.st/23Q6en8
Signed a bill to better protect pipelines and to authorize greater oversight.
http://bit.ly/291woja
Signed an order turning more than 87,000 acres of Maine Woods into the North Woods National Monument.
http://bit.ly/2ciWDCc
Signed into law a measure directing the Department of Transportation to issue guidelines for minimum standards for underground storage of natural gas.
http://bit.ly/291AdjL
Established the Northern Bering Sea Climate Resilience Area in an effort to preserve the Bering Sea and to protect the people who live in the area and depend on the sea for their lives.
http://bit.ly/2k8cpEP
Permanently banned offshore oil and gas drilling in many areas of the Arctic and North Atlantic, to preserve the environment and stave off climate change.
http://bit.ly/2jDcLm7
Infused a lot of extra money to assist Texas in its study of better hurricane protection.
http://bit.ly/2iP9Mm1
Created national parks in Nevada and Utah to do as much as possible to preserve the environment before the Trump debacle.
http://bit.ly/2jdbj6t
Pledged $500 million to United Nations Climate Fund that Trump promised to de-fund.
http://bit.ly/2jCEiUH
Signed a pact with Cuba to coordinate resources in cases of oil spills.
http://reut.rs/2jcZsp7
There’s So Much More!
Nominated Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan to the Supreme Court. Sotomayor is the first Hispanic Justice in the court’s history, and the women represent only the third and fourth women to serve on the court, out of a total of 112 justices.
http://huff.to/eOChg6http://bit.ly/i02wgP
Appointed the most diverse Cabinet in history, including more women than any other incoming president.
http://bit.ly/dX6vNB
Loosened the rules and allowed the 14 states that legalized medical marijuana to regulate themselves without federal interference.
http://huff.to/eQfa7j
Signed national service legislation, increasing funding for national service groups, including triple the size of the Americorps program.
http://bit.ly/idgQH5
Signed a bill that provided $4.3 billion in additional assistance to 9/11 first responders.
http://bit.ly/o7cWYS
Placed major restrictions on the ivory trade in a bid to prevent the wholesale slaughter of elephants in Africa.
http://ti.me/292Z4Gg
Signed a bill that will seriously curb the use of animal testing and establish alternative testing methods.
http://bit.ly/28Z5AuS
Signed the Claims Resolution Act, which provided $4.6 billion in funding for a legal settlement with black and Native American farmers who had been cheated out of government loans and natural resource royalties in the past.
http://1.usa.gov/dGppUa
To help those communities devastated by Hurricane Sandy, issued an executive order setting up the Hurricane Sandy Rebuilding Task Force, and asked Congress to approve $60 billion in supplemental assistance to aid in storm recovery.
http://1.usa.gov/134L7hl
Produced 23 Executive actions designed to make it easier for law enforcement to identify those who shouldn’t have guns, thus helping them enforce the law.
http://on.wsj.com/SX9xaZ
Expanded trade agreements to include stricter labor and environmental agreements in trade pacts like NAFTA.
http://bit.ly/etznpY
Oversaw funding of the design of a new Smithsonian National Museum of African American History, which is scheduled to open on the National Mall in 2015. He protected the funding during budget negotiations.
http://on.fb.me/fD0EVO http://bit.ly/ff5Luv
Oversaw and passed increased funding for the National Endowment for the Arts.
http://bit.ly/dFb8qF
Expanded the authority of Customs to improve enforcement of trade and customs laws and to better coordinate said enforcement among various agencies.
http://bit.ly/1S5pun7
Was voted most admired man of the year for 2016.
http://ti.me/2jDauHt
And Did You Know?
Despite the characterizations of some, Obama’s success rate in winning congressional votes on issues was an unprecedented 96.7% for his first year in office. Though he is often cited as superior to Obama, President Lyndon Johnson’s success rate in 1965 was only 93%.
http://n.pr/i3d7cY
And of course…
Despite the odds, became the first black president and then, was reelected by a wide margin.
Acted with grace and dignity for right years and restored a proper level of dignity to the office of the president.
Also, left office with an approval rating above 60%, 20 points higher than his “replacement” has going into the office.