Promises

Kept
President Obama’s
First Two Years in Office
“Let’s be the generation that

makes future generations

proud of what we did here.”

– President Barack Obama –

The challenges that President Obama and this

administration inherited were immense—two

wars, an economy in freefall, record deficits,

and a health care system in crisis. AlThough

there is still more work to do, we have made an

incredible amount of progress over the past

two years. Together, we have begun to lay a new

foundation for growth, building an economy

that works for all Americans.

 Promises Kept
the First Two Years in Office
“We meet at a moment of great uncertainty for America. The economic crisis we face is
the worst since the Great Depression. ... I know folks are worried. But I also know this—we
can steer ourselves out of this crisis.”
– B a r ack Ob ama
O ct o b er 20 0 8

REBUILDING OUR ECONOMY 500,000

2007
Q4
2008
Q1 Q2
THE ROAD TO RECOVERY
Q3 Q4
2009
Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4
2010
Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4

PRIVATE-SECTOR JOB LOSS | GROWTH

BUSH ADMINISTRATION OBAMA ADMINISTRATION

RECOVERY ACT
-500,000

The Recovery Act represented the largest infrastructure investment since

President Eisenhower, the largest education investment since President
-1,000,000

Johnson, and the largest clean-energy bill ever. It has saved or created as -1,500,000

many as 3.7 million jobs across America while creating a foundation for -2,000,000

future growth. PRIVATE-SECTOR U.S. JOB LOSS & GROWTH (OCT. 2007 TO DEC. 2010)
SOURCE: BUREAUOF LABOR STATISTICS 01/07/2011

WALL STREET REFORM

Wall Street reform empowered consumers and investors, put a stop to
An economy that had been shrinking for
predatory lending practices, brought shadowy Wall Street trades into the
light, and ended taxpayer-funded bailouts. nearly a year is now growing. After nearly two

years of job loss, our economy added more

MIDDLE-CLASS TAX CUTS
than one million private sector jobs in 2010.
The Recovery Act reduced taxes for 95 percent of working families,
putting more money in the pockets of Americans who need it most.
President Obama also worked to prevent a middle-class tax increase, “The stimulus alone represents a strikingly
while extending vital unemployment benefits for Americans who lost
progressive presidential legacy—rivaling the
their jobs through no fault of their own.
biggest reforms of the Clinton presidency.

CREDIT CARD REFORM And it passed on Obama’s 24th day in office.”

These reforms put a stop to unfair credit card practices. Reform banned
retroactive rate hikes, implemented new protections for students and young – Tim D i c k i n s on
people, and required credit card companies to explain their terms in plain O ctob e r 2 010
language.

BUILDING A CLEAN-ENERGY ECONOMY “The bailout of the auto industry protected

New emissions and fuel efficiency standards for American cars and historic
against absolute devastation in the economies
investments in clean-energy technologies are helping pave the way to a
more sustainable future, creating new jobs and entire industries here in of the Midwest. ... And it is now turning out to
America. be a huge financial boon for taxpayers.”

REBUILDING THE AMERICAN AUTO INDUSTRY – No rm O rn ste i n

The Obama administration acted decisively to invest in America’s auto O ctob e r 2 010
industry, preventing hundreds of thousands of job losses across the country
and revitalizing the backbone of America’s manufacturing sector.
“Let’s be the generation that finally tackles our health
care crisis. Let’s be the generation that says right here,
right now, that we will have universal health care in
America by the end of the next president’s first term.”
– B a r a ck O b a ma
S e p t emb e r 2 0 0 8

Historic Health Reform

AFFORDABLE CARE ACT
“All progressives since Theodore Roosevelt
The Affordable Care Act provides stability and security to Americans who have
insurance and provides affordable options for those who don’t. It lowers costs for wanted [health care reform], all Democrats
families, businesses, and America as a whole, provides the largest middle-class tax cut since Harry Truman fought for it, and only
for health care in our history, and puts an end to the worst insurance industry abuses.
Barack Obama got it. ... This is his huge

accomplishment.”
CHILDREN’S HEALTH INSURANCE
The expansion of the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) extended
coverage to another 4 million low-income children, increasing the total number of – Dou g l as B ri n kle y
O ctob e r 2 010
children covered by the program to more than 11 million.

“I will end this war in Iraq responsibly, and finish the fight against al Qaeda and the Taliban in
Afghanistan. …I will build new partnerships to defeat the threats of the 21st century: terrorism
and nuclear proliferation; poverty and genocide; climate change and disease. And I will restore
our moral standing, so that America is once again that last, best hope for all who are called to
the cause of freedom, who long for lives of peace, and who yearn for a better future.”

– B a r ack Ob ama
Au gust 28 t h, 20 0 8
NATIONAL SECURITY
ENDING COMBAT OPERATIONS IN IRAQ
We have ended our combat mission in Iraq and removed nearly 100,000 troops so
that we can focus on fighting al Qaeda and rebuilding our nation at home.

“In foreign policy, [President Obama] has set

TOWARD A WORLD WITHOUT NUCLEAR WEAPONS
The President reached the most important arms control agreement with Russia in the stage for engagement and multilateralism.
two decades. New START will reduce our nuclear arsenals, put inspectors on the He has reset relations with Russia, made
ground in Russia, and renew America’s leadership in pursuit of a world without
overtures to the Muslim world in his Cairo
nuclear weapons. President Obama also rallied the world behind a plan to secure all
nuclear material from terrorists within four years, fulfilling a key campaign promise. speech, and provided a philosophic discussion

of war, peace, and human rights in his Nobel

A NEW STRATEGY FOR AFGHANISTAN AND speech.”
PAKISTAN
The United States and our allies have gone on the offense in Afghanistan, in
– Dor is Kea rn s G oodwi n
Pakistan, and around the world to ensure that al Qaeda and other terrorists do not
Jan uary 2 010
have any safe place from which to plan future attacks on America.
“Now is the time to finally meet our moral obligation to provide every child a world-class
education, because it will take nothing less to compete in the global economy. ... I will not
settle for an America where some kids don’t have that chance.”
– B a r ack Ob ama
Au g ust 20 0 8
EDUCATION
REFORMING STUDENT LENDING “During his first two years in office,
President Obama signed into law student loan reform that makes college more President Barack Obama and his
affordable for students and families and will save American taxpayers roughly $68
Democratic allies in Congress
billion over the next 10 years.
compiled a substantial record of policy
Spurring innovation accomplishment—[including] major
Programs like “Race to the Top” and “Educate to Innovate” are giving American
changes in student loan programs,
schools and states the tools and resources they need to be successful.
among many others.”

A NEW GI BILL
The implementation of the Post-9/11 GI Bill increased educational opportunities for – Will i am G al ston
N ove m b e r 2 010
veterans by making college more affordable for returning service members.

“As president I’ll support the complete repeal of ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.’”
– B a r ack Ob ama
Oct o b er 20 0 8
CIVIL RIGHTS
REPEALING “DON’T ASK, DON’T TELL” “Less than halfway through his first
President Obama signed legislation that will bring an end to “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” term, Obama has compiled a remarkable
strengthening our national security and ending this discriminatory law.
track record. ... On the social front, he

PROTECTING AGAINST HATE CRIMES has improved pay parity for women and
The Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act gives law hate-crime protections for gays and
enforcement officials new tools to prosecute those who commit hate crimes.
lesbians.”

FAIR PAY FOR WOMEN – T i m D i c k i n s on

The Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act makes it easier for women to challenge unequal O ctob e r 2 010

pay practices, which helps all Americans earn a fair wage.

As we approach the halfway point of President Obama’s first term,

the list of accomplishments already dwarfs that of many of his predecessors. The actions taken by this administration and by Democrats
in Congress have eased the burden on middle-class families, making it easier for working parents to meet their families’ daily needs while
opening doors of opportunity for their children. Together, these accomplishments form a foundation for a new generation of prosperity,
a new era of possibility, and a new century of American greatness.

“This president has delivered more sweeping,

progressive change in 20 months than the previous two

Democratic administrations did in 12 years.”

– Tim D i c k i n s on
O ctob e r 2 010
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