Accomplishments of the Obama Administration

There was a funny skit on Saturday Night Live in which a performer who resembles President Obama recited programs promised during the election campaign and then, one-by-one, said something like “that hasn’t happened.” Republicans have been making the same point, but, of course, without any humor. It is with ill grace that a party that has filibustered almost every initiative introduced by the President in Congress, now complains that many of the initiatives have not been enacted.

The Obama Administration has, as I said in my last commentary, saved this country from total financial collapse. The Republicans in Congress could not care less. Their aim is not the economic recovery of their country, but rather, regaining control of Congress and the White House. Some right-wing Republicans, like that buffoon Rush Limbaugh, would actually welcome the failure of our economy.

Many people who do not understand the financial basis of the American Economy are critical of the large amounts of money spent to bail-out the banks and Wall Street financial institutions. Those bail-outs were actually begun under the Bush Administration, which deserves credit for creating the TARP program and supplying needed funds to keep the financial institutions going. This effort was furthered by the Obama Administration with the approval of all major economic experts in America. If it had not been done, American would be an economic wasteland today.

Promptly after his inauguration, President Obama secured enactment of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, better known as the “Stimulus Bill.” It is thanks in part to this bill, and its effect of creating or saving over 640,000 jobs, that the recession is now ending and our economy is returning to robust activity.

There have been many other accomplishments. On January 29, 2009, the President signed the Lily Ledbetter Fair Pay Act which reversed an obnoxious Supreme Court decision and made it possible for working women to bring suit for long-standing pay discrimination.

On February 4, 2009, the President signed the Children’s Health Reauthorization Act which reinstituted a program providing health insurance for millions of children from lower-income families.

On May 20, 2009, the President signed the Helping Families Save Their Homes Act and the Fraud Enforcement and Recovery act, two pieces of legislation intended to ameliorate the effect of massive foreclosures around the country. The Fraud Enforcement and Recovery Act gives the federal government tools to crack-down on the kind of fraud that put thousands of hardworking families at risk of losing their homes despite doing everything right to live within their means.

On May 22, 2009, the President signed the Credit Card Accountability, Responsibility, and Disclosure Act of 2009. Congress has taken action to move-up the effective date of this law due to the fact that the banks have tried to avoid it by hastily raising interest charges.

Among other major legislative accomplishments of the Obama Administration there are the Weapons System Acquisition Reform Act, the Cash for Clunkers Act, extensions of the Unemployment Insurance Program, The Hate Crimes Bill, and the National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 2010 (in which the President was able to cancel a number of programs and weapons systems unwanted by the Pentagon).

Aside from these and many other items of legislation, the President has accomplished a great deal by means of executive orders, including the outlaw of torture, the requirement that the federal government invest in energy efficiency, reversal of the Mexico City Policy, and reversal of many of Bush’s executive orders including one permitting a claim after an administration ends of executive privilege for presidential records. President Obama’s initiatives in foreign affairs have improved the standing of America throughout the world and earned him the Nobel Peace Prize.

If you think that the Obama Administration has no important accomplishments, think again.