PART1
The 244 ACCOMPLISHMENTS
of PRESIDENT OBAMA
ETHICS
• Ordered the White House and all federal agencies to respect
the Freedom of Information Act and overturned Bush-era limits
on accessibility of federal documents (2009)
• Instructed all federal agencies to promote openness and
transparency as much as possible (2009)
• Placed limits on lobbyists’ access to the White House (2009)
• Placed limits on White House aides working for lobbyists after
their tenure in the administration (2009)
• Signed a measure strengthening registration and reporting
requirements for lobbyists (2009)
• Ordered that lobbyists must be removed from and are no
longer permitted to serve on federal and White House advisory
panels and boards (2009) * Note: After saying he would not hire
lobbyists, a few have been hired in the Administration
• Companies and individuals who are delinquent on their taxes
or owe back taxes are no longer allowed to bid for federal
contracts (2009)
• Initiated the “e-Rulemaking Initiative” (in cooperation with
Cornell University) to allow for online public “notice and
comment” of federal laws and initiatives (2010)
• Issued the “Open Gov Directive” ordering all Cabinet
departments to promote transparency and citizen participation
in their policies (2010)
• Signed extensions on banning lobbyists from serving on
agency boards (2010)
• Developed the “Don Not Pay List” with data on contractors and
recipients of federal funds who are deemed to be ineligible
because of fraud and abuse (2010)
GOVERNANCE
• The White House website now provides information on all
economic stimulus projects and spending, along with an
unprecedented amount of information on our government (2009)
• Ended the Bush-era practice of circumventing established FDA
rules for political reasons (2009)
• Ended the Bush-era practice of having White House staff
rewrite the findings of scientific and environmental regulations
and reports when they disagreed with the results (2009)
• Limited the salaries of senior White House aides (salaries cut
to $100,000) (2009)
• Has urged Congress to adopt “Pay-Go” (whereby each dollar
of spending is offset by a dollar in cuts or revenues, which was
used in the `90s but abandoned in the `00s) (2010)
• Has been holding open meetings with Republican leaders,
although they complain of a lack of access and information
(2010)
• Signed the Improper Payments Elimination and Recovery Act
(2010) * Note: To curb wasteful spending
• Tasked federal agencies to develop plans for disposing of
unneeded real estate and then to eliminate unnecessary or non-
economical lands, properties, etc. (2010)
NATIONAL SECURITY
• Phasing out the expensive F-22 war plane (which wasn’t even
used in Iraq/Afghanistan) and other outdated weapons systems
(2009)
• Announced his intention to close the detention facility at
Guantanamo Bay (2009) * Note: The closure has been delayed
due to massive opposition but it remains on the agenda.
• Stated his interest in housing terrorists at a new federal “super
max” facility in the US (2009) * Note: this has been delayed in
the face of massive opposition but it remains on the agenda
• Cut the expensive Reagan era missile defense program, saving
$1.4 billion in 2010 (2009)
• Cancelled plans to station anti-ballistic missile systems in
Poland and the Czech Republic (2009)
• Replacing long-range, expensive missile systems with more
efficient smaller systems (2009)
• Increased US Navy patrols off the Somali coast in response to
pirating (2009)
• Established a new cyber security office and appointed a cyber
security czar (2009)
• Ordered the first nation-wide comprehensive cyber threat
assessment (2009)
• Instituted a new Nuclear Posture Review, revising US nuclear
deterrence policy to encourage more nations to join the 1996
Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (2010) * Note: Components of
the policy include: a pledge to stop nuclear testing; a pledge to
not build a new generation of nucs; identifying nuclear
terrorism, rather than a launch from another nuclear state, as
the major threat; a pledge to not use nucs on a non-nuclear
state in a conventional conflict; etc.
• Executive orders to block payment, transfers, exports, etc… of
individuals and organizations support the regimes of North
Korea, Iran, Somali pirates, and other foreign threats (2010)
• Presidential Memoranda to extend certain provisions of The
Trading with Enemies Act which was to expire in September
2010 (2010) * Note: This includes freezing assets and banning
trade that benefits the Cuban regime; however further efforts at
normalizing travel to Cuba are supported
• Signed bill for southwest border security and increased funds
and agents on the Mexican border (2010)
• Signed the Comprehensive Sanctions, Accountability and
Divestment Act to deal with foreign regimes like Iran and North
Korea (2010)
IRAQ & AFGHANISTAN
• Began the phased withdrawal of US troops from Iraq (2009);
continuing the withdrawal (2010)
• Changed the US military command in the Afghan conflict
(2009)
• Tasked the Pentagon to reorganize US policy in Afghanistan;
the new policy includes 30,000 additional troops deployed,
priority training of Afghan forces, developing agriculture and
infrastructure, limiting aerial bombing, etc. (2009)
• Ordered the Pentagon to send additional helicopters to assist
US Marine units and Special Forces in Afghanistan (2009)
• Increased unmanned drone strikes on Taliban and al-Qaeda
targets in Afghanistan (2009)
• Ended the Bush-era “stop-loss” policy that kept soldiers in
Iraq/Afghanistan longer than their enlistment date (2009)
MILITARY & VETERANS
• Ordered the Pentagon to cover expenses of families of fallen
soldiers if they wish to be on site when the body arrives back in
the US (2009)
• Ended the Bush-era “blackout” imposed on media coverage of
the return of fallen US soldiers (2009) * Note: The media is now
permitted to cover the story pending adherence to respectful
rules and with the approval of the fallen soldier’s family
• Ended the Bush-era “black out” policy on media coverage of
war casualties (2009) * Note: Full information is now released for
the first time in the War on Terror
• Ordered better body armor to be procured for US troops (2009)
• Funding new Mine Resistant Ambush Vehicles (2009) * Note:
The old Hummers were very vulnerable to roadside explosives
and an alarming percentage of our soldiers lost in Iraq were on
account of IEDs
• Working to increase pay and benefits for military personnel
(2009)
• Improving housing for military personnel (2009)
• Initiating a new policy to promote federal hiring of military
spouses (2009)
• Ordered that conditions at Walter Reed Military Hospital and
other neglected military hospitals be improved (2009)
• Beginning the process of reforming and restructuring the
military to a post-Cold War, modern fighting force (2009) * Note:
Bush announced in 2001 his intention to do this but backed off
the reforms after 9/11, which include: new procurement policies;
increasing the size of Special Ops units; deploying new
technologies; creating new cyber security units; etc.
• Ended the Bush-era practice of awarding “no-bid” defense
contracts (2009)
• Improving benefits for veterans as well as VA staffing,
information systems, etc. (2009)
• Authorized construction of additional health centers to care for
veterans (2009)
• Suspended the Bush-era decision to purchase a fleet of Marine
One helicopters from suppliers in favor of American made
helicopters (2009)
• Ordered a review of the existing “Don’t ask, don’t tell” policy
on gays in the military (2010)
• New GI Bill for returning veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan
(2009)
• Signed bill providing assistance for caregivers of veterans
wounded in Iraq and Afghanistan (2010) * Note: The omnibus bill
does the following: Training, funding, and counseling for
caregivers; promoting pilot childcare programs for women vets
under treatment at the VA; independent oversight to prevent
abuse; readjustment counseling for National Guard and
reservist units; etc.
• Eliminated co-payments for veterans who are catastrophically
disabled (2010)
• Fulfilled campaign promise to have combat troops (90,000) out
of Iraq by August 31, 2010 (2010)
• Established a new interagency task force to assist veterans
owning small businesses (2010) * Note: The efforts include
promoting federal contract opportunities, improve access to
loans and capital, mentor assistance programs, etc.
• Signed The Families of Fallen Heroes Act, which covers the
moving costs of immediate family members of those lost in
service (military, intelligence, and security personnel) (2010)
FOREIGN POLICY
• Closed the Bush-era “secret detention” facilities in Eastern
Europe (2009)
• Ended the Bush-era policy allowing “enhanced interrogation”
(torture); the US is again in compliance with Geneva Convention
standards (2009) * Note: Obama has permitted some
controversial interrogation techniques to continue
• Restarted international nuclear non-proliferation talks and
reestablished international nuclear inspection protocols (2009) *
Note: Bush withdrew from non-proliferation talks and
dismantled the inspection infrastructure
• Reengaged in the treaties/agreements to protect the Antarctic
(2009) * Note: These were suspended under Bush
• Reengaged in the agreements/talks on global warming and
greenhouse gas emissions (2009) * Note: These were
suspended under Bush
• Visited more countries and met with more world leaders than
any president in his first six months in office (2009)
• Banned the export of cluster bombs (2009)
• Overturned Bush-era plans to increase the US nuclear arsenal
(2009)
• Authorized the Navy SEALS operation that freed by force the
US shipping captain held by Somali pirates (2009)
• Restored the US commitment to the UN population fund for
family planning; overturned the ban on providing funds
internationally for family planning (2009) * Note: The family
planning efforts were suspended under Bush
• Instituted a new policy on Cuba, allowing Cuban families to
return “home” to visit families (2009)
• Extended an offer of engagement (free from sanctions and
penalties) to Iran through December 31, 2009 (Iran did not
accept the offer) (2009)
• Sent envoys to the Middle East and other parts of the world,
reengaging in multilateral and bilateral talks and diplomacy
(2009)
• Authorized discussions with North Korea and the private
mission by former president, Bill Clinton, to secure the release
of two Americans held in prisons (2009)
• Authorized discussions with Myanmar and the mission by
Senator Jim Web to secure the release of an American held
captive (2009)
• Renewed loan guarantees for Israel (2009)
• Signed the USIFTA trade agreement with/for Israel (2009)
• Authorized a $550m advance for Israel (six months prior to the
scheduled date) in order to accommodate Israeli’s economic
and financial needs (2009)
• Continued agreements with Israel for cultural exchanges,
immigration, etc. (2009)
• Spoke on Arab television, spoke at an Egyptian university, and
met with Arab leaders in an effort to change the tone of US-Arab
relations (2009)
• Ordered the US to finally pay its dues to the United Nations
(2009)
• Attended the Summit of America’s meeting in Trinidad and
Tobago (2010)
• Dispatched several envoys and initiated talks with numerous
nations (2010)
• Signed a nuclear limitation treaty with Russia (2010) * Note:
The agreement calls for both countries to reduce their nucs by
one-third (1,500) and launch systems by half (800)
• Hosted nuclear non-proliferation summit for several nations
(2010)
• Executive Order to establish support offices in the State
Department to assist the governments of Pakistan and
Afghanistan (2010)
• Presidential Memoranda to continue drug interdiction support
with Columbia (2010)
