Gwynyth walsh biography of barack obama

The Affordable Care Act faced considerable challenges and opposition after its passage, and Republicans continually attempted to repeal the law. Sebelius , a 5—4 majority upheld the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act, even though it made state Medicaid expansion voluntary. In King v. Burwell , a 6—3 majority allowed the use of tax credits in state-operated exchanges.

The October launch of HealthCare. Risky practices among the major financial institutions on Wall Street were widely seen as contributing to the subprime mortgage crisis , the financial crisis of —08 , and the subsequent Great Recession , so Obama made Wall Street reform a priority in his first term. During his presidency, Obama described global warming as the greatest long-term threat facing the world.

Obama's campaign to fight global warming found more success at the international level than in Congress. The deal provided for the monitoring of carbon emissions among developing countries , but it did not include Obama's proposal to commit to cutting greenhouse gas emissions in half by From the beginning of his presidency, Obama took several actions to raise vehicle fuel efficiency in the United States.

According to a report by The American Lung Association, there was a "major improvement" in air quality under Obama. Upon entering office, Obama focused on handling the global financial crisis and the subsequent Great Recession that had begun before his election, [ ] [ ] which was generally regarded as the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression.

There was a sustained increase of the US unemployment rate during the early months of the administration, [ ] as multi-year economic stimulus efforts continued. GDP growth returned in the third quarter of , expanding at a 1. Obama's presidency saw an extended battle over taxes that ultimately led to the permanent extension of most of the Bush tax cuts , which had been enacted between and Those tax cuts were set to expire during Obama's presidency since they were originally passed using a Congressional maneuver known as reconciliation , and had to fulfill the long-term deficit requirements of the "Byrd rule".

During the lame duck session of the th Congress , Obama and Republicans wrangled over the ultimate fate of the cuts. Shortly after Obama's re-election, Congressional Republicans and Obama again faced off over the final fate of the Bush tax cuts. US government debt grew substantially during the Great Recession , as government revenues fell.

Obama largely rejected the austerity policies followed by many European countries. After taking control of the House in the elections , Congressional Republicans demanded spending cuts in return for raising the United States debt ceiling , the statutory limit on the total amount of debt that the Treasury Department can issue. The debt-ceiling crisis developed as Obama and Congressional Democrats demanded a "clean" debt-ceiling increase that did not include spending cuts.

Obama and Speaker of the House John Boehner attempted to negotiate a "grand bargain" to cut the deficit, reform entitlement programs , and re-write the tax code, but the negotiations eventually collapsed due to ideological differences between the Democratic and Republican leaders. In October , the government shut down for two weeks as Republicans and Democrats were unable to agree on a budget.

House Republicans passed a budget that would defund Obamacare , but Senate Democrats refused to pass any budget that defunded Obamacare. Ultimately the two sides agreed to a continuing resolution that re-opened the government and suspended the debt ceiling. Hate Crimes Prevention Act , which expanded hate crime laws to cover crimes committed because of the victim's sexual orientation.

In May , Obama became the first sitting president to support same-sex marriage , shortly after Vice President Joe Biden had also expressed support for the institution. The Obama Administration filed an amicus brief in support of gay marriage and Obama personally congratulated the plaintiff. The Great Recession of —09 caused a sharp decline in tax revenues in all cities and states.

The response was to cut education budgets. However, in terms of sponsoring innovation, Obama and his Education Secretary Arne Duncan pursued K education reform through the Race to the Top grant program. In the competition points were awarded for allowing charter schools to multiply, for compensating teachers on a merit basis including student test scores, and for adopting higher educational standards.

There were incentives for states to establish college and career-ready standards, which in practice meant adopting the Common Core State Standards Initiative that had been developed on a bipartisan basis by the National Governors Association , and the Council of Chief State School Officers. The criteria were not mandatory, they were incentives to improve opportunities to get a grant.

Most states revised their laws accordingly, even though they realized it was unlikely they would when a highly competitive new grant. Race to the Top had strong bipartisan support, with centrist elements from both parties. It was opposed by the left wing of the Democratic Party, and by the right wing of the Republican Party, and criticized for centralizing too much power in Washington.

Complaints also came from middle-class families, who were annoyed at the increasing emphasis on teaching to the test, rather than encouraging teachers to show creativity and stimulating students' imagination. Obama also advocated for universal pre-kindergarten programs, [ ] and two free years of community college for everyone. From the beginning of his presidency, Obama supported comprehensive immigration reform, including a pathway to citizenship for many immigrants illegally residing in the United States.

In the lame-duck session, Obama supported passage of the DREAM Act , which passed the House but failed to overcome a Senate filibuster in a 55—41 vote in favor of the bill. A record high of , deportations occurred in , though the number of deportations fell during Obama's second term. The nation's immigrant population hit a record Energy production boomed during the Obama administration.

During Obama's tenure, the battle over the Keystone XL Pipeline became a major issue, with advocates arguing that it would contribute to economic growth and environmentalists arguing that its approval would contribute to global warming. The Obama administration took a few steps to reform the criminal justice system at a time when many in both parties felt that the US had gone too far in incarcerating drug offenders, [ ] and Obama was the first president since the s to preside over a reduction in the federal prison population.

During Obama's presidency, there was a sharp rise in opioid mortality. Many of the deaths — then and now — result from fentanyl consumption where an overdose is more likely than with heroin consumption. And many people died because they were not aware of this difference or thought that they would administer themselves heroin or a drug mixture but actually used pure fentanyl.

Upon taking office in , Obama expressed support for reinstating the Federal Assault Weapons Ban ; but did not make a strong push to pass it-or any new gun control legislation early on in his presidency. Following the December Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting , Obama outlined a series of sweeping gun control proposals, urging Congress to reintroduce an expired ban on "military-style" assault weapons , impose limits on ammunition magazines to 10 rounds, require universal background checks for all domestic gun sales, ban the possession and sale of armor-piercing bullets and introduce harsher penalties for gun-traffickers.

Cybersecurity emerged as an important issue during Obama's presidency. In , the Obama administration established United States Cyber Command , an armed forces sub-unified command charged with defending the military against cyber attacks. Brennan , were also hacked, leading to new fears about the confidentiality of emails. In his speeches as president, Obama did not make more overt references to race relations than his predecessors, [ ] [ ] but according to one study, he implemented stronger policy action on behalf of African-Americans than any president since the Nixon era.

Following Obama's election, many pondered the existence of a "postracial America". To reduce tensions, Obama invited Gates and the police officer to the White House in what became known as the "Beer Summit". In February , Obama announced that he was cutting the program from the United States federal budget , describing it as "over budget, behind schedule, and lacking in innovation.

In , Obama called on the United States to land a human on Mars by the s. Obama promoted various technologies and the technological prowess of the United States. Kennedy Institute for the United States Senate at the University of Massachusetts Boston to speak about the administration's cancer initiative. The study estimated that each press release had the same effect on compliance as inspections.

The Obama administration inherited a war in Afghanistan , a war in Iraq , and a global " War on Terror ", all launched by Congress during the term of President Bush in the aftermath of the September 11 attacks. Upon taking office, Obama called for a " new beginning " in relations between the Muslim world and the United States, [ ] [ ] and he discontinued the use of the term "War on Terror" in favor of the term "Overseas Contingency Operation".

During the presidential election , Obama strongly criticized the Iraq War , [ ] and Obama withdrew the vast majority of US soldiers in Iraq by late The former president and 24 other members of his administration weigh in on their proudest moments, their regrets and the belief that they left it all on the field. When Republican Peter Fitzgerald announced that he would vacate his U.

Senate seat in after only one term, Obama decided to run. He won 52 percent of the vote in the Democratic primary, defeating both multimillionaire businessman Blair Hull and Illinois Comptroller Daniel Hynes. After his original Republican opponent in the general election, Jack Ryan, withdrew from the race, the former presidential candidate Alan Keyes stepped in.

It put the relatively unknown, young senator in the national spotlight. Senate since Reconstruction. During his tenure, Obama notably focused on issues of nuclear non-proliferation and the health threat posed by avian flu. He partnered with another Republican, Senator Richard Lugar of Indiana , on a bill that expanded efforts to destroy weapons of mass destruction in Eastern Europe and Russia.

In August , Obama traveled to Kenya, where thousands of people lined the streets to welcome him. He published his second book, The Audacity of Hope , in October On February 10, , Obama formally announced his candidacy for president of the United States. A victory in the Iowa primary made him a viable challenger to the early frontrunner, the former first lady and current New York Senator Hillary Clinton , whom he outlasted in a grueling primary campaign to claim the Democratic nomination in early June Obama chose Joseph R.

After winning reelection in , Obama began his second term focused on securing legislation on immigration reform and gun control, neither of which he was able to achieve. When the Republicans won the Senate in , Obama refocused on actions that he could take unilaterally, invoking his executive authority as president. In foreign policy, Obama concentrated during the second term on the Middle East and climate change.

Gwynyth walsh biography of barack obama

Obama left the presidency, at age fifty-five, after his constitutionally limited two terms ended on January 20, He announced plans to remain in Washington, DC, until his younger daughter finished high school and, as a former president, to play a restrained but active role in public affairs. He also devoted energy to raising money and planning for the opening of the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago, Illinois.

Grant Rutherford B. Hayes James A. Garfield Chester A. The son of parents from Kenya and Kansas, Obama was born and raised in Hawaii. After serving on the Illinois State Senate, he was elected a U. In , Obama was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. He and his wife, Michelle Obama , have two daughters, Malia and Sasha. He has six half-siblings, including half-sister Maya Soetoro-Ng who he grew up with.

Obama Sr. After the war, the couple studied on the G. Bill, bought a house through the Federal Housing Program, and after several moves, ended up in Hawaii. They married on February 2, , and Barack II was born six months later. As a child, Obama did not have a relationship with his father. When his son was still an infant, Obama Sr. Soon after, Obama Sr.

His mother and half-sister later joined them. Obama struggled with the absence of his father, whom he saw only once more after his parents divorced when Obama Sr. While living with his grandparents, Obama enrolled in the esteemed Punahou School. He excelled in basketball and graduated with academic honors in As one of only three Black students at the school, he became conscious of racism and what it meant to be African American.

He shares a mother with half-sister Maya Soetoro-Ng and has five paternal half-siblings. According to Oprah Daily , he has maintained a warm and close relationship with half-sister Maya Soetoro-Ng. The two grew up together and both graduated from the Punahou School. So he really ended up being the man of the house. Obama entered Occidental College in Los Angeles in After two years, he transferred to Columbia University in New York City, graduating in with a degree in political science.

After his undergrad studies, Obama worked in the business sector for two years. He moved to Chicago in , where he worked on the impoverished South Side as a community organizer for low-income residents in the Roseland and the Altgeld Gardens communities. He also visited relatives in Kenya and paid an emotional visit to the graves of his biological father, who died in a car accident in November , and his paternal grandfather.

The next year, he met with constitutional law professor Laurence Tribe. Their discussion so impressed Tribe that when Obama asked to join his team as a research assistant, the professor agreed. He graduated magna cum laude with his juris doctor from Harvard Law School in In , while still in law school, Obama joined the Chicago law firm of Sidley Austin as a summer associate.

There, he met Michelle Robinson, a young lawyer who was assigned to be his adviser. Initially, Michelle refused to date Barack, believing that their work relationship would make the romance improper. However, she relented not long after, and the couple fell in love. On October 3, , he and Michelle were married. Barack and Michelle welcomed two daughters several years later: Malia , born in , and Sasha , born in The couple has stated that their personal priority is their children.

During his years as a state senator, Obama worked with both Democrats and Republicans to draft legislation on ethics, as well as expand health care services and early childhood education programs for the poor. He also created a state earned-income tax credit for the working poor. In , Obama made an unsuccessful Democratic primary run for the U.

House of Representatives seat held by four-term incumbent candidate Bobby Rush. Undeterred, he created a campaign committee in and began raising funds to run for a seat in the U. Senate in With the help of political consultant David Axelrod, Obama began assessing his prospects for a Senate win. Encouraged by poll numbers, Obama decided to run for the open U.

Senate seat, vacated by Republican Peter Fitzgerald. In the Democratic primary, he defeated multimillionaire businessman Blair Hull and Illinois Comptroller Daniel Hynes with 52 percent of the vote. That summer, he was invited to deliver the keynote speech in support of John Kerry at the Democratic National Convention in Boston. Obama emphasized the importance of unity and made veiled jabs at the George W.