Filters:
2008, Jan 22
Banned torture techniques approved by Bush.
2008-2016
Afghanistan War
- Surged troops from 30k when taking office to over 100k in 2011
- Drew troops down to 8.5k before leaving office.
- Combat operations officially ended in 2014.
- The troops remaining trained Afghans, and provided primarily air support for counterterrorism operations.
Iraq War
Ended the Iraq War in 2011
Troops
Came into office with 180k troops deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan and left with 90% recalled.
2008-2016
Appointed 300 federal judges, the most diverse appointments in history.
2009
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act
$787b bill, reversed the greatest economic crisis since the Great Depression, created 15.5 million new jobs, and dropped unemployment from 10% to 4.6%.
2009
Auto Bailout
Loaned $62b to the auto industry, in return for restructuring. The money was repaid with interest, and saved an estimated 2.5m jobs.
2009
Protected 548 million acres, and 1000 miles of rivers via the Omnibus Public Lands Management Act.
2009
Invested $90b in alternative energy research.
2009
Signed the Hate Crime Prevention Act, expanding hate crimes to include sexual orientation, gender, and disability.
2009
Expanded health care access for 4m more children via the CHIP program
2009, 2010
Appointed two Supreme Court justices. Sonia Sotomayor ( 2009 ), and Elena Kagan(2010)
2010
Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act
Established the CFPB to protect consumers, and regulated banks and Wall Street signficantly.
2010
Established higher fuel economy standards by 2025
2010
Oversaw the largest decrease in the federal prison population in over 30 years by reducing sentencing disparity in cocaine vs crack possession, and getting it applied retroactively.
2010
Cut the $1.4b "Star Wars" missile defense program
2010
Stopped subsidizing bank student loans, and took $36b of the savings to expand Pell Grant funding.
2010
Launched Opening Doors, the first national strategy to eliminate homelessness, which decreased veteran homelessness by nearly half.
2010
Mandated a $4.5b increase to funding school food programs, and raising nutrition standards.
May 2, 2011
Authorized Killing of Osama Bin Laden
2011
Ended federal support for defending of the Defense of Marriage Act.
2011
Created the Nuclear Security Summit, resulting in the removal of weapons grade enriched uranium from 16 countries. Signed a treaty with Russia, significantly reducing the number of warheads both countries have.
2011
Signed the FDA Food Safety Moderization Act, to expand the FDA's regulatory oversight and inspections.
2011
Oversaw the $14.5b rebuilding of New Orleans levees after Hurrican Katrina
Sept 20, 2011
Repealed Don't Ask, Don't Tell
2012
Contributed to significantly declining abortion rates by expanding access to birth control options through the ACA mandates.
2013
Forced Syrian President Assad to destroy his chemical weapons
2014
Affordable Care Act
32 million uninsured Americans gained coverage.
2014
Ended Cold War policies against Cuba, removing travel restrictions
2014
Prohibited employment discrimination against LGBTQ employees of federal contractors.
2015
Limit Power Plants Carbon Emissions
First EPA regulations on carbon pollution standards. By 2030 will reduce carbon emissions by 32%
2015
Invested $8b in expanding rural broadband access
2015
Achieved an agreement to prevent Iran from building nuclear weapons
2015
FCC established net neutrality rules
2015
Signed onto the Paris Agreement, a currently unenforced agreement between 190 states to pursue efforts to prevent global temperatures from increasing more than 2°C
2015
Signed the USA Freedom Act, reforming and increasing transparency of government surveilance activities.
2016
Reduced federal deficit from 9.8% to 3.2% of GDP
DOJ
Expanded civil rights actions against discrimination in housing, employment, and policing.