Obama, Barack << oh BAH muh, buh RAHK >> (1961-…), became in 2009 the first African American president of the United States. He served as president from 2009 to 2017. In the 2008 presidential election, Obama, a Democrat, defeated Senator John McCain, a Republican from Arizona. In the 2012 election, Obama defeated his Republican opponent, former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney, to win reelection. Prior to his first election as president, Obama had represented Illinois in the United States Senate from 2005 to 2008. Before being elected to the U.S. Senate, Obama served for eight years in the Illinois Senate.
Obama had served only two years in the U.S. Senate before announcing his run for the presidency. During the 2008 presidential campaign, Obama’s opponents charged that he was too inexperienced to be president. Obama, however, pledged “a new kind of politics” and sought to represent a strong change in direction from the administration of President George W. Bush. Bush, a Republican, faced low approval ratings, due in part to a struggling economy and the unpopular Iraq War, which had begun in 2003.
During his first presidential campaign, Obama, the child of a Black Kenyan father and a white American mother, stressed that his mixed-race status gave him the perspective to understand Americans’ differing views on issues related to race and ethnicity. He spent his boyhood in Hawaii and Indonesia, and he said his experiences as an “outsider” helped him see the United States as others see it. He believed that such a viewpoint could help him repair the nation’s international reputation, which many people believed was damaged by the Iraq War.
In 2009, Obama won the Nobel Peace Prize. The Nobel Committee honored him for what it called his “extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples.” Obama became the third sitting U.S. president to win the award. Theodore Roosevelt won the prize in 1906, and Woodrow Wilson won it in 1919.
When Obama first took office in 2009, the nation was experiencing an economic crisis more severe than any since the Great Depression of the 1930’s. Obama continued and expanded economic stimulus programs begun under President Bush. Backed by Democratic majorities in both houses of Congress, Obama pushed through major health care reform legislation and ended the military’s policy that barred openly gay people from serving in the armed forces. After Republicans won a majority in the House of Representatives in 2010 and in the Senate in 2014, Obama faced outspoken opposition to many of his proposals.
Early life
Family background.
Barack Hussein Obama, Jr., was born on Aug. 4, 1961, in Honolulu. His first name comes from the Swahili word baraka, which means blessing.
Obama’s father, Barack Hussein Obama, Sr. (1936-1982), was born in the village of Nyang’oma Kogelo, near Kisumu, in western Kenya. His family were members of the Luo, one of the country’s largest ethnic groups.
Obama’s mother, Stanley Ann Dunham (1942-1995), was born in Kansas. She was named after her father, Stanley Dunham (1918-1992), a furniture salesman. Her mother, Madelyn (1922-2008), became a bank executive after the family moved to Hawaii during the late 1950’s. 
In 1959, Obama’s father traveled to Hawaii after earning a scholarship to the University of Hawaii, also spelled University of Hawai‘i. There he met Stanley Ann, called Ann, and the two married the next year. Initially, both sets of parents disapproved of the union. It was uncommon at the time for people of different races to marry.
When young Barack, called Barry, was 2 years old, his father left his family to study at Harvard University. Barry’s parents divorced in 1964, and the elder Obama later returned to Kenya, where he worked in several government positions. The father saw his son only once more before dying in a 1982 automobile accident in Nairobi, Kenya.
Boyhood.
Barry spent his earliest years in Honolulu with his mother in his grandparents’ home. Friends described Barry as a happy child who loved spending time at the beach with his grandparents, whom he called “Toot” and “Gramps.”
In 1967, when Barry was 6 years old, his mother remarried. Lolo Soetoro, an Indonesian student studying at the University of Hawaii, became Barry’s stepfather. The family soon moved to Jakarta, Indonesia. Barry attended two schools there. Ann worked as an English teacher and as an anthropologist.
Barry had eight siblings, including Maya, a teacher born in Indonesia to Barack’s mother and stepfather. In Kenya, Barack’s father had seven other children. They were Abongo, called Roy, an accountant; Auma, a social worker; Mark, a marketing consultant; David, who died in a motorcycle accident; Abo, a store manager; Bernard, a businessman; and George.
In 1971, Obama received a scholarship to attend the Punahou School, a well-known private school in Honolulu. He moved back to Hawaii to stay with his grandparents while attending school.
Obama excelled at his studies and made a diverse group of friends in the ethnic melting pot of Hawaii. But he sometimes struggled to define his racial identity as a Black child being raised by his white mother and grandparents. “I was trying to raise myself to be a black man in America,” he wrote, “and beyond the given of my appearance, no one around me seemed to know exactly what that meant.”
Obama was a reserve player on the Punahou School basketball team that won the state title in 1979. For his success at making long-range jump shots, his teammates gave him the nickname “Barry O’Bomber.”
College.
After graduation from high school, Obama enrolled at Occidental College in Los Angeles. He was popular among his classmates and became known as a serious student and an accomplished basketball player. While at Occidental, Obama participated in demonstrations to encourage the college to withdraw its investments from South Africa because of that country’s policy of apartheid (rigid racial segregation). Obama credited the experience with getting him involved in public policy issues.
During his time at Occidental, Obama began to call himself Barack, his given name. Friends said Obama made the change to be taken more seriously and perhaps also to feel a stronger connection to his African heritage. In 1981, Obama transferred to Columbia University in New York City. Obama received a bachelor’s degree in political science from the university in 1983. 
Community organizer.
In 1985, Obama moved to the South Side of Chicago to work for a community development organization in low-income African American neighborhoods. In this role, Obama worked to bring reform to schools and public housing, and to help residents organize for job-training and health-related issues.
About this time, Obama met his half-sister Auma. He later traveled to Kenya to visit his father’s country and to meet his extended family.
Law school.
Obama entered Harvard Law School in 1988 and graduated magna cum laude (with great honor) in 1991. In law school, he became the first African American to serve as president of the Harvard Law Review. Law Review members are selected on the basis of their grades and writing ability, and membership is a prized honor. The members prepare articles for publication and elect a president to oversee their work. As president of the Law Review, Obama gained praise from fellow law students, both liberal and conservative, for his willingness to provide a forum for differing viewpoints.
Obama’s family.
In 1989, while working as a summer associate at a Chicago law firm, Obama met Michelle Robinson (1964-…). Michelle was a lawyer who later became a hospital executive. The couple married on Oct. 3, 1992. They have two children: Malia (1998-…) and Natasha, commonly called Sasha (2001-…). Obama’s mother died of ovarian cancer in 1995. 
Early career
After graduating from Harvard, Obama practiced law in Chicago, specializing in civil rights issues. He also began teaching constitutional law at the University of Chicago. 
While still in law school, Obama had begun writing what became the autobiography Dreams from My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance (1995). In the book, Obama writes about his family. He describes the father from Kenya with whom he shared a name but barely knew; his strong-willed, idealistic mother; and his maternal grandparents who helped raise him. The book details his experiences as a community organizer in Chicago and how that work helped him find a place in the African American community.
Entry into politics
State senator.
In 1995, Obama began campaigning for a seat in the Illinois Senate. He won the November 1996 race and took office in 1997. In the state Senate, he focused on such issues as health care, poverty, crime, ethics, and education. For much of his early legislative career, Obama’s Democrats were the minority party in the state Senate. Many of his early proposals failed, but he became known as a politician who would listen respectfully to opponents and their views.
Obama did have some successes in the Illinois Senate, notably in ethics reform and criminal justice issues. In 1998, he sponsored legislation that banned nearly all gifts from lobbyists. The law also required lawmakers to report all contributions and expenditures into an electronic database. In 2003, Obama cooperated with law enforcement officials and conservative legislators to reform police procedures. They enacted new rules requiring the police to videotape interrogations and confessions in death penalty cases. The new rules came after reports showed that many inmates on death row had been innocent of their crimes.
United States senator.
In 2003, Obama decided to run for a U.S. Senate seat that was held by a retiring Republican. He easily won the Democratic nomination in 2004. In the November election, Obama faced Alan Keyes, a conservative commentator who before the campaign had been living in Maryland. Obama won the election with 70 percent of the vote. He took office in January 2005, becoming the only African American in the Senate at that time.
Convention speech.
The summer before the 2004 election, Senator John Kerry, the Democratic presidential nominee, asked Obama to give the keynote address at the Democratic National Convention in Boston. The speech solidified Obama’s status as a rising star within the party. He discussed what he called the “politics of hope,” saying, “It’s the hope of slaves sitting around a fire singing freedom songs; the hope of immigrants setting out for distant shores; . . . the hope of a skinny kid with a funny name who believes that America has a place for him, too.” 
Excerpt from Obama's 2004 Democratic National Convention speech
Legislative accomplishments.
In the Senate, Obama voted with his party on a majority of issues. But he also made a point of cooperating with Republicans on several issues. In 2006 and 2007, Obama worked with Senator Richard Lugar, a Republican from Indiana, on the Lugar-Obama threat reduction initiative. The act, signed into law by President Bush in January 2007, expanded the role of the United States in helping other nations destroy stockpiles of conventional weapons, including shoulder-fired missiles.
A second autobiography.
Obama’s second autobiographical book, The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream (2006), presented his views on the differences and similarities between Republicans and Democrats, as well as on such topics as values, religion, race, and foreign policy. He wrote that politics can reflect the common values and hopes that bind Americans together despite their different views.
The book took its name in part from a sermon titled “The Audacity to Hope” by Jeremiah A. Wright, Jr., the pastor of Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago. Obama had attended the church since the 1980’s.
Presidential nomination.
In February 2007, Obama held a rally in Springfield, Illinois, to announce that he would seek the 2008 Democratic nomination for president. His rivals for the nomination included Governor Bill Richardson of New Mexico, former U.S. Senator John Edwards of North Carolina, U.S. Representative Dennis Kucinich of Ohio, and U.S. Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York, a former first lady.
Late in 2007, Obama trailed Clinton by more than 20 percentage points in national polls. On Jan. 3, 2008, he scored a surprise victory in the Iowa caucuses, but Clinton won the New Hampshire primary about a week later.
A historic choice.
By February, most of the Democratic hopefuls had dropped out of the race, and the nomination came down to a contest between Obama and Clinton. The match-up ensured that for the first time, a major party would nominate either an African American or a woman candidate.
Clinton and Obama took similar positions on many issues, including immigration reform and tax policy. Both candidates offered similar plans regarding the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq. Obama stressed that he had strongly opposed the war even before it began. In 2002, when the administration of President Bush was proposing to invade Iraq, Obama gave a speech declaring: “I know that even a successful war against Iraq will require a U.S. occupation of undetermined length, at undetermined cost, with undetermined consequences . . . I am not opposed to all wars. I’m opposed to dumb wars.” Clinton, who had voted in Congress for the measure to authorize the war, claimed she had the greater experience to handle international crises.
Controversies.
Media coverage of the nominating campaign often centered on verbal blunders and other controversial remarks by the candidates or their associates.
Sermons by Obama’s pastor, Jeremiah A. Wright, Jr., drew heavy media attention. Wright had accused the U.S. government of creating HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, to harm African Americans. Wright also said that U.S. foreign policy was partly responsible for the September 11 terrorist attacks. Obama distanced himself from his pastor’s remarks, concerned that such accusations would undermine his message of racial unity. Obama left the church in May 2008.
Clinton, in turn, faced criticism for her claim of having been shot at by snipers upon landing in Bosnia in 1996. News coverage of the landing proved her story inaccurate.
Some of Obama’s opponents tried to take advantage of public fears regarding terrorism and Muslim extremist groups hostile to the United States. They spread rumors that Obama was a Muslim and often mentioned his Muslim-sounding middle name Hussein. Opponents also questioned Obama’s patriotism, noting that he had been critical of some U.S. foreign policy and did not wear a U.S. flag pin on his lapel. Later in the campaign, Obama began wearing such a pin, which earlier he had called a substitute for true patriotism.
Race in the United States.
On March 18, in a Philadelphia speech, Obama responded to the issue of race in the campaign, in part inspired by the heated reaction to his pastor’s remarks. Obama spoke of his racial identity and discussed such issues as white resentment of affirmative action programs and the continued legacy of discrimination against Black people. He asked Americans for their help to put aside such resentments and to focus instead on shared goals, such as better health care and economic and educational opportunities.
Securing the nomination.
The contest between Obama and Clinton intensified on February 5—a day known as “Super Tuesday” because almost half the states held nominating contests. Obama and Clinton ended the day nearly tied in the race for delegates to the national convention. In other February contests, however, Obama gained victories in a number of states. Some of the victories came in caucus states where Clinton had chosen not to seriously compete.
In May, Obama received praise for rejecting a “gas-tax holiday” proposed by both Clinton and McCain. Obama said the proposal—which called for the suspension of the federal tax on gasoline during the summer months—would jeopardize the transportation projects the tax funded and do little to reduce the costs of fuel. A survey of economists supported Obama’s stance, and public opinion polls at the time indicated that most voters agreed with him.
In early June, after the last primaries had concluded in South Dakota and Montana, Obama gained enough delegates to secure the Democratic nomination. He reached the necessary total with the help of so-called superdelegates—Democratic party leaders and officials who can vote for a candidate regardless of the results of their state’s primary election or caucus. A few days after the primaries ended, Clinton publicly conceded the nomination and promised to support Obama in the general election against McCain.
Political observers described the tight Clinton-Obama race as the longest and most expensive nominating contest in American history up to that time. Each candidate raised hundreds of millions of dollars, setting fund-raising records.
The 2008 election
In August, at the Democratic National Convention in Denver, Obama formally became the party’s presidential nominee. At Obama’s request, the delegates nominated Senator Joe Biden of Delaware as their candidate for vice president. Obama and Biden faced the Republican presidential nominee John McCain and his running mate, Alaska Governor Sarah Palin. 
Obama’s book Change We Can Believe In: Barack Obama’s Plan to Renew America’s Promise (2008) was published soon after the conventions. It details Obama’s ideas on how to fix the nation’s problems and contains the text of his major speeches.
During the general election campaign, both Obama and McCain worked to rally their political bases while reaching out to independent voters. Obama and other Democrats attempted to link McCain with President Bush, whose approval ratings were at record lows. They highlighted McCain’s similarities to Bush on such issues as taxes and the Iraq War, and they urged voters to reject a “third Bush term.” Meanwhile, Obama’s opponents argued that his pledges of “a new kind of politics” were unrealistic and that his policies, especially with regard to taxation and government spending, were too liberal.
Following the conventions, public opinion polls indicated that McCain’s choice of Palin as his running mate had energized the Republicans’ conservative base. However, in television interviews, she stumbled over a number of questions. Many Americans questioned Palin’s qualifications for the vice presidency.
Major issues during the campaign included energy policy, international affairs, and the economy. Both candidates pledged to reduce the nation’s dependence on foreign oil, but they differed on the steps needed to achieve such a goal. The candidates strongly contrasted in their views on the Iraq War and negotiating with hostile nations. Obama favored a timetable for withdrawing troops from Iraq and said the United States should not be afraid to negotiate with its enemies. McCain opposed a timetable and said that negotiations could hurt U.S. interests by legitimizing enemy regimes.
During the summer and fall, many financial firms suffered huge losses, largely related to risky mortgages called subprime mortgages. The economy slumped badly. In October, Congress passed legislation that provided up to $700 billion for the government to purchase bad debts from troubled lenders. Most political experts said the troubled economy helped Obama and the Democrats in the election. 
One of the greatest contrasts between Obama and McCain was the 25-year age gap separating them. In polls, many voters expressed concerns about McCain’s age. At 72 years old, he would have been the oldest president to be inaugurated for a first term. Obama, born during the “baby boom” generation following World War II (1939-1945), presented himself as a more youthful candidate and an agent of change in national government. His campaign used the effective slogan, “Change We Can Believe In.”
In the November election, Obama defeated McCain to become the nation’s 44th president. Obama received about 53 percent of the vote, compared to about 46 percent for McCain. Obama won each of the states that had voted for Senator John Kerry, the Democratic presidential nominee, in 2004. He also won several states that had voted for the Republican candidate in recent presidential elections, including Colorado, Florida, North Carolina, Ohio, and Virginia.
Obama was the third sitting U.S. senator ever to be elected president. Warren Harding, in 1920, and John F. Kennedy, in 1960, were the others. About a week after the election, Obama announced he would resign his Senate seat effective November 16.
Transition.
Within a month of his election, Obama announced his selections for a number of Cabinet positions. In January 2009, the Senate approved several nominees, including Hillary Clinton for secretary of state; Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano for secretary of homeland security; and Timothy F. Geithner, a former president of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, for secretary of the treasury. In a sign of cooperation between political parties that reflected a desire for continuity, Obama asked Robert Gates to stay on as secretary of defense. President Bush had appointed Gates to the post in 2006.
Obama’s first administration (2009-2013)
On Jan. 20, 2009, Obama was sworn in as president by John Roberts, chief justice of the United States. In his inaugural address, Obama struck a sober tone in listing the challenges the nation faced, including a troubled economy, political gridlock, and overseas conflicts. “Our challenges may be new,” he said. “The instruments with which we meet them may be new. But those values upon which our success depends—hard work and honesty, courage and fair play, tolerance and curiosity, loyalty and patriotism—these things are old. These things are true. They have been the quiet force of progress throughout our history. What is demanded then is a return to these truths. What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility.”
Domestic issues.
The economic crisis, which had grown more serious since the election, was Obama’s main domestic challenge.
Economic stimulus bill.
In February, Obama signed a $787-billion economic stimulus bill that was meant to shore up an economy reeling from high unemployment and slumping financial markets. The law, called the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, included investments in education, energy, science, and transportation projects. The act also included tax cuts and extended unemployment benefits. Obama said he hoped the measures would create or save 31/2 million jobs within two years.
Later in February, in his first formal address to Congress, Obama discussed the state of the nation’s economy. He spoke about his hopes for the economic stimulus package and said Vice President Biden would act to ensure its hundreds of billions of dollars were spent properly. Obama also laid out policy goals in the areas of education, energy, and health care. He said, “Now is the time to act boldly and wisely, to not only revive this economy, but to build a new foundation for lasting prosperity.”
First 100 days.
In April, political observers noted Obama’s accomplishments after his first 100 days in office. In addition to the massive stimulus bill, Obama’s response included measures to shore up the financial industry and to bail out troubled American automakers. He promised a major push to overhaul the nation’s education and health care systems. He lifted restrictions on the federal funding of stem-cell research, and he signed legislation making it easier for women to sue their employers for job discrimination.
Conservative criticism.
Obama’s opponents, including Republicans in Congress and commentators on conservative radio and television programs, criticized Obama’s policies, often calling his expansion of government spending “socialist.” On April 15, Tax Day in the United States, groups of conservatives held symbolic “Tea Parties” to express discontent with the government bailouts of the finance industry and opposition to Obama’s programs in general.
Court milestone.
In May, Obama nominated federal appeals judge Sonia Sotomayor to the Supreme Court of the United States. The Senate confirmed the nomination in August, and Sotomayor became the first Hispanic person to serve on the court. She replaced Justice David Souter, who retired.
Slow progress.
During the summer of 2009, administration officials noted improvements in the housing and manufacturing sectors of the economy. They said that such improvements indicated the stimulus plan was working. But by October, the nation’s unemployment rate had climbed to over 10 percent, the highest since 1983.
Health insurance reform.
Health care bills in Congress caused heated debate in 2009. In September, Obama outlined his proposals on health care reform before a joint session of Congress. Obama proposed making it mandatory for Americans to have health insurance and requiring employers to either provide coverage or help employees cover the costs of health care. He also supported a public option—that is, a nonprofit insurance plan set up by the government. Obama said the plan would force private insurance companies to lower costs. Republicans overwhelmingly opposed a public option, saying it would drive many private insurers out of business.
In his January 2010 State of the Union address, Obama asked lawmakers to put political differences aside and pursue goals shared by both parties. He said that common-sense reforms to the financial and health care industries were needed for the nation to create sustainable (lasting) economic growth. He said that the 2009 stimulus bill had saved millions of jobs and called for Congress to pass a bill that gave tax credits to companies that create jobs in the United States. He also pledged to extend tax cuts for the middle class and end tax breaks for oil companies and people making more than $250,000 a year.
In March 2010, Obama signed a historic health insurance reform bill extending coverage to about 30 million uninsured Americans. Obama said that the law reflected “the core principle that everybody should have security when it comes to their health care.” The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) expanded Medicaid coverage; provided a tax credit to help small businesses with health care costs; and prevented insurers from dropping coverage for patients with preexisting medical conditions. It created a system of health insurance exchanges in which insurance providers offer a variety of plans for uninsured and self-employed people to purchase. The law also contained cost-cutting measures intended to decrease long-term expenditures on health care. Provisions of the law were scheduled to take effect at various times between 2010 and 2020. No Republicans in Congress supported the bill.
Oil rig disaster.
In April 2010, an explosion on an offshore oil rig killed 11 people and caused about 134 million gallons (507 million liters) of oil from an underwater well to pour into the Gulf of Mexico, 50 miles (80 kilometers) off Louisiana. For nearly three months, the U.S. Coast Guard and BP, the well’s principal operator, worked to stop the flow of oil. BP engineers capped the well in July and permanently sealed it in September. Officials called the spill one of the worst environmental disasters in U.S. history.
Kagan appointed.
In May, Obama nominated U.S. Solicitor General Elena Kagan to replace retiring Justice John Paul Stevens on the Supreme Court. The Senate confirmed the nomination in August.
Wall Street reform.
Obama signed a sweeping financial reform bill into law in July. The Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act promised to bring openness to complex financial transactions and end taxpayer-funded bailouts of large financial institutions. It also created a new consumer protection agency to regulate financial services.
Fragile recovery.
In the summer of 2010, administration officials pointed to reports that said earlier stimulus plans had saved or created millions of jobs. The nation’s unemployment rate remained high, however, at about 9.5 percent. Other economic indicators, such as declining home sales, showed that the economic recovery was a fragile one.
Midterm elections.
In November 2010, voter frustration with the slow pace of the economic recovery contributed to a Republican takeover of the House of Representatives. Obama, who called the Democrats’ election experience a “shellacking,” vowed to work with Republicans on economic issues. He pledged, however, to block any efforts to overturn the landmark health insurance reform law. Later in November, a children’s book Obama wrote was published. Of Thee I Sing: A Letter to My Daughters (2010) tells about the inspiring lives of 13 important Americans.
Tax deal.
In December 2010, Obama signed a bill that represented a tax compromise with Republicans. The bill extended tax cuts—including those for the wealthiest Americans—passed during the administration of President George W. Bush. The bill also extended unemployment benefits and cut payroll taxes. Payroll taxes are the taxes workers contribute to the Social Security system.
Military ends gay ban.
Also in December, Congress passed, and Obama signed, a law ending the military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy. The policy had barred openly gay soldiers from serving in the armed forces. Many observers called the end of the policy a major civil rights achievement. A number of conservative lawmakers, however, expressed concern that the change would disrupt combat operations. The ban officially ended in September 2011.
Debt limit battle.
In 2011, Obama and leaders of both parties in Congress battled over whether to increase the nation’s debt limit. The debt limit is the amount the U.S. Department of the Treasury is allowed to borrow to meet government expenses. Republicans in Congress had insisted that an increase in the debt limit be paired with deep cuts in government spending. Many Democrats had called for spending cuts to be accompanied by increasing tax revenues.
In August 2011, both houses of Congress passed, and Obama signed, a bill that largely followed the Republican plan. The bill also created a new joint congressional committee that would recommend measures to further reduce federal budget deficits. Economic experts had warned that a failure to extend the nation’s borrowing authority would harm the already struggling economy. Jobless rates remained high—more than 9 percent—during most of 2011.
Economic proposals.
In September 2011, Obama proposed a $447-billion job creation plan to stimulate the economy. The plan included tax cuts, spending on roads and schools, and aid to states to preserve the jobs of teachers. Obama said he would fund the plan by increasing taxes on the wealthiest Americans and by eliminating tax loopholes for the oil and gas industry. In October, a Republican-led filibuster in the Senate kept Obama’s jobs plan from moving forward.
In his State of the Union address in January 2012, Obama spoke about his proposals to support education, domestic manufacturing, government reform, and economic “fairness.” He called for rules that would require the richest Americans to pay a tax rate of at least 30 percent of their income. The country’s economy continued to display signs of improvement in 2012. The nation’s unemployment rate had dipped below 9 percent in the fall of 2011. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the rate fell to 8.3 percent in January 2012 and 7.8 percent in September 2012.
Immigration policy.
In June 2012, Obama announced a new Department of Homeland Security policy regarding immigration. The policy allowed undocumented immigrants who came to the United States as children to avoid deportation if they met certain conditions. Such conditions included living in the country for at least five continuous years; having no criminal history; and earning a diploma from a U.S. high school or serving in the military. The undocumented immigrants who met the conditions could apply for a renewable two-year work permit. “It’s not a permanent fix,” Obama said of the policy. “This is a temporary stopgap measure that lets us focus our resources wisely while giving a degree of relief and hope to talented, driven, patriotic young people.”
Health care law upheld.
In a June 2012 ruling, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld key provisions of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. The health insurance reform law, which had become known as “Obamacare,” continued to be the subject of much political debate.
Fuel efficiency standards.
In August, the Obama administration issued new standards aimed at doubling the fuel economy of automobiles. The standards required cars and light trucks in the United States to average about 55 miles per gallon (23.4 kilometers per liter) of gasoline by 2025. Obama said that “these fuel standards represent the single most important step we’ve ever taken to reduce our dependence on foreign oil.”
Hurricane Sandy.
In late October 2012, Hurricane Sandy struck the eastern United States after causing great destruction in the Caribbean Islands. More than 100 people were killed, and millions of homes lost power. Coastal areas, particularly the New Jersey shore and New York City, suffered widespread damage. Obama visited areas affected by the storm and pledged federal resources to aid in the recovery.
Fiscal cliff.
In November 2012, Obama began holding meetings with lawmakers and business and labor leaders to discuss the so-called “fiscal cliff.” In August 2011, Obama had signed a compromise bill to increase the nation’s debt limit. The law provided for automatic spending cuts to occur by Jan. 2, 2013, if the president and Congress could not reach a comprehensive budget agreement. Failure to reach an agreement would result in deep cuts in defense and domestic spending, the elimination of several tax deductions, and the cancellation of extended jobless benefits. Obama’s payroll tax cut would expire, and income tax rates would return to levels that predated the tax cuts enacted under President George W. Bush in 2001 and 2003.
In early January 2013, Congress passed, and Obama signed, a bill averting the automatic tax raises and spending cuts of the fiscal cliff. Democrats in the House joined with Speaker John Boehner and about a third of the chamber’s Republicans to reach the compromise. The deal made permanent the Bush-era tax cuts for individuals earning less than $400,000 per year and couples earning less than $450,000. The bill also limited tax deductions for high earners, extended unemployment benefits, and increased payroll tax rates. The deal delayed for two months the threat of sequestration—that is, automatic spending cuts to federal programs.
School shooting.
In December 2012, one of the worst mass shootings in U.S. history took place at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut. A gunman, whom authorities concluded was mentally ill, killed 20 young students and 6 employees at the school before shooting himself. Obama addressed the nation after the killings and later pledged to “use all the powers of this office to help advance efforts aimed at preventing more tragedies like this.” In January 2013, Obama unveiled a list of “executive actions” that address school safety, access to mental health services, background checks for gun purchases, and other steps to reduce gun violence.
Foreign affairs.
Soon after Obama took office in 2009, he addressed a number of diplomatic and military issues facing the United States. He eased restrictions on family travel to Cuba and remittances (money sent) to the island nation. Hillary Clinton, as secretary of state, contacted dozens of world leaders to discuss the administration’s approach to strategy and diplomacy.
In a major speech in Cairo, Egypt, in June 2009, Obama sought to repair the troubled relationship that the United States had with the Muslim world. Later that month, Obama condemned a violent crackdown by Iranian authorities against people protesting the results of that nation’s presidential election. Obama also criticized North Korea for conducting nuclear weapons and missile tests during the spring of 2009. He called North Korea’s actions “a grave concern.”
Iraq and Afghanistan.
In Iraq, in accordance with a U.S.-Iraq security agreement, U.S. combat troops withdrew from the country’s cities by June 30. United States and other coalition forces continued to provide air support and other assistance to Iraqi forces from bases outside of cities. In Afghanistan, about 20,000 U.S. troops were sent to that country during the spring and summer of 2009 in an effort to provide stability and push back the advances of Taliban militants. The Taliban is a militant Islamic political group allied with al-Qa`ida, the terrorist organization responsible for the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001 (see September 11 terrorist attacks).
In December 2009, in a speech at the U.S. Military Academy in West Point, New York, Obama announced he would send 30,000 additional troops to Afghanistan. He said the United States and its allies needed to bring the war to a “successful conclusion” to help prevent further Qa`ida attacks around the world. Some members of Congress, primarily Democrats, opposed the troop surge (increase) for strategic or economic reasons. Republicans generally supported the surge but largely disagreed with Obama’s stated plan to begin withdrawing U.S. troops from Afghanistan by 2011. Senator John McCain said that “a withdrawal date only emboldens al-Qa`ida and the Taliban.” Obama said that setting a date would hasten the training of Afghan security forces and signal to the Afghan government that the U.S. commitment was not open-ended. By the summer of 2010, the number of U.S. troops in Afghanistan had increased to nearly 100,000. For the first time since 2003, more soldiers were stationed in Afghanistan than in Iraq.
By the end of August 2010, all U.S. combat troops had left Iraq. About 50,000 soldiers remained in the country to combat terrorism, provide security, and train Iraqi troops. By December 2011, nearly all of the remaining U.S. troops had left Iraq. On December 15, a ceremony in Baghdad marked the official end of the Iraq War.
Libya.
In 2011, violent protests erupted in Libya against the regime of Mu’ammar al-Qadhafi. The protesters called for Qadhafi’s resignation, but he refused to step down. Continued protests led to an open, armed rebellion. In March, Libyan warplanes attacked rebel strongholds in several cities.
The United Nations (UN) Security Council voted to authorize a no-fly zone for Libyan warplanes over Libya. It also passed a resolution calling for “all necessary measures” to protect Libyan civilians. The United States joined an international force to help protect the Libyan people. Air strikes by United States, French, and British warplanes then hit Libyan government positions. In a nationally televised speech, Obama said the military intervention was necessary to prevent a massacre in Libya. As fighting continued, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) took over the military operations aimed at protecting civilians. By August, rebel forces controlled most of Libya, including Tripoli, the capital. Qadhafi fled the capital and went into hiding. In October 2011, Qadhafi was killed in his hometown of Surt (also spelled Sirte).
On Sept. 11, 2012, terrorists attacked a U.S. diplomatic mission in Benghāzī, Libya’s second largest city. The terrorists killed a U.S. ambassador and three other Americans. The attack coincided with protests over an anti-Islam video produced in the United States.
Death of bin Laden.
On the night of May 1, 2011, Obama announced on national television that the terrorist leader Osama bin Laden had been killed. Bin Laden, the leader of the al-Qa`ida terrorist network, had evaded capture since the 1990’s. In late April 2011, Obama had approved an operation to kill bin Laden at a compound in Abbottabad, in northern Pakistan. Early on the morning of May 2 (May 1 in the United States), a team of Navy SEALs shot and killed bin Laden in a nighttime helicopter raid. Obama called the death of bin Laden “the most significant achievement to date” in the effort to defeat al-Qa`ida. 
Syria and Iran.
In August 2011, Obama joined a number of European leaders in calling for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to step down from power. Beginning in March, Assad’s regime had violently cracked down on antigovernment protesters. Thousands were killed. Obama also issued an executive order tightening economic sanctions on Syria’s state-owned energy industries.
In late 2011 and early 2012, Obama announced sanctions against Iran’s oil industry and financial institutions. The sanctions, which were backed by European Union countries, were part of a response to Iran’s nuclear program. Western officials feared that Iran was working to build a nuclear weapon.
Summit talks.
In March 2012, Obama participated in a nuclear security summit in Seoul, South Korea. Weeks later, North Korea launched a rocket in violation of UN sanctions. In response, Obama canceled a food assistance program to the country. In April 2012, Obama attended the Summit of the Americas in Cartagena, Colombia. Obama promoted trade ties between the United States and Latin America. But Latin American leaders expressed frustration with the United States for its insistence that Cuba be barred from the meeting. Obama also faced criticism for the U.S.-led “war on drugs.”
East Asia.
In November 2012, Obama attended the East Asia Summit in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. He also visited Thailand and became the first serving U.S. president to visit Myanmar. Myanmar, also called Burma, was undergoing a transition from military to democratic rule. Administration officials said that Obama’s visit represented part of a “rebalancing effort” to increase American influence in Asia. Observers called the shift a response to the growing economic and military power of China.
The 2012 election.
In September 2012, Obama and Biden were renominated at the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Republicans nominated former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney for president and U.S. Representative Paul Ryan of Wisconsin for vice president. Key issues in the campaign included the economy, tax policy, health care reform, and foreign affairs. Obama held a comfortable lead over Romney in public opinion polls into the fall of 2012. Many observers criticized Obama’s sluggish performance in the contest’s first presidential debate in October, and the race grew close. In the November election, Obama defeated Romney by a decisive margin in electoral votes.
Obama’s second administration (2013-2017)
On Jan. 21, 2013, Obama marked the start of his second term with an inaugural address on the steps of the U.S. Capitol. He spoke of the need for the nation to come together to address immigration policy and climate change. He said that “a great nation must care for the vulnerable” and invest in “the generation that will build its future.” He said, “Being true to our founding documents does not require us to agree on every contour of life. It does not mean we all define liberty in exactly the same way or follow the same precise path to happiness. Progress does not compel us to settle centuries-long debates about the role of government for all time, but it does require us to act in our time.”
Domestic issues.
Obama laid out the goals for his second administration during his State of the Union address in February 2013. He called on both Republicans and Democrats to come together to reduce budget deficits and make meaningful reforms to the tax code and entitlement programs. He also urged congressional action on gun control, immigration, jobs, and early childhood education. In January, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta announced that the Department of Defense was lifting the ban on women serving in combat roles.
Cabinet.
In January 2013, the Senate confirmed John F. Kerry, a long-time Massachusetts senator, as the successor to Hillary Clinton as secretary of state. In February, former Nebraska Senator Chuck Hagel succeeded Leon Panetta as defense secretary, and Jack Lew replaced Timothy Geithner as treasury secretary. In the following months, a number of other Cabinet positions also changed hands.
Gun-related violence.
During a February speech at a Chicago school, Obama addressed the roles that parents and communities must take to curb the cycle of urban gun violence. Obama’s hometown had experienced a spike in homicides during the previous year.
On April 17, Obama said it was “a pretty shameful day for Washington” after the Senate failed to pass a measure to expand background checks for firearms sales. Obama blamed the National Rifle Association for misleading the public on the measure, which nonetheless had strong support in public opinion polls. Opponents of the bill said that it infringed on rights guaranteed by the Second Amendment to the Constitution of the United States.
Environment.
Also in February 2013, members of Obama’s administration met with Canadian officials to discuss the Keystone XL Pipeline, a northern extension of the Keystone Pipeline System. Supporters of the controversial pipeline, which would extend to the oil sands fields of the Canadian province of Alberta, pointed to its potential to create jobs and reduce oil imports from the Middle East. Opponents protested that the development of the oil sands would produce huge amounts of the heat-trapping gases that contribute to climate change. Obama rejected the pipeline proposal in November 2015, referring to studies that suggested the project would create few permanent jobs and fail to significantly reduce oil imports. In 2017, Obama’s successor, Donald Trump, allowed planning work for the pipeline project to continue.
In June 2014, the Environmental Protection Agency proposed rules that would cut greenhouse-gas emissions from electric power plants. The plan aimed to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 30 percent, from 2005 levels, by 2030.
The sequester.
A set of federal spending cuts known as the sequester took effect on March 1, 2013. In early January, Congress had passed a budget agreement that delayed the sequester for two months. Obama and congressional leaders said that they hoped to reach a deal to avert the automatic cuts, but no such deal came to pass. The sequester would trim spending for certain domestic and military programs by about $85 billion by October 2013 and about $1.2 trillion through 2021.
Terror and tragedy.
Terrorist violence marred the running of the Boston Marathon on April 15, 2013. Two homemade bombs exploded near the finish line of the historic race, killing 3 and injuring more than 200. After the bombing, two terrorist suspects allegedly killed a law enforcement officer and wounded several others. On April 19, one of the suspects was killed, and the other was captured.
On April 17, a fire and explosion at a fertilizer plant in the town of West, Texas, killed 15 and wounded 260. Most of the people killed were volunteer firefighters. In 2016, investigators with the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives determined that the fire had been intentionally set.
Obama addressed the nation on the night of April 19. He praised the efforts of Massachusetts law enforcement personnel and honored the resolve of Bostonians. He also said that “Our thoughts, our prayers are with the people of West, Texas, where so many good people lost their lives.”
Economy.
The U.S. economy continued to experience a modest recovery in Obama’s second term. The nation’s unemployment rate fell to 7.6 percent in April 2013. Many economists warned, however, that the budget sequester would slow job growth. The unemployment rate fell to 7.4 percent in July. Late that month, Obama asked congressional Republicans to support a “grand bargain” pairing investments in middle-class jobs with cuts in corporate tax rates. The president’s political opponents, however, called the plan a rehash of proposals that Republicans had previously rejected.
Stock market indexes reached record highs in 2013, but many Americans remained concerned about the strength of the nation’s economic recovery. The unemployment rate fell to 6.7 percent in December. The rate fell further, to 6.3 percent, in April 2014. It fell to 5.1 percent by August 2015. The rate stood at 5 percent in March 2016. When Obama left the White House in January 2017, the rate stood at 4.7 percent.
Political controversies.
A series of controversies dominated news headlines in May 2013. The Republican-controlled House of Representatives held hearings on the 2012 terrorist attack on the U.S. diplomatic mission in Benghāzī, Libya. Republicans accused the Obama administration of bungling its response to the terrorist raid. Obama called the hearings a politically motivated “sideshow.”
Republicans also held hearings to investigate accusations that Internal Revenue Service (IRS) employees had inappropriately subjected conservative organizations to extra scrutiny in reviewing the groups’ applications for tax-exempt status. Also in May 2013, news organizations criticized the administration’s “overreach” after learning that Justice Department officials had seized telephone records of editors and reporters. The department had obtained the records while searching for the source of leaks that revealed to reporters details about a foiled terrorist plot in Yemen and classified information about North Korea’s nuclear program. Obama ordered a review of the department’s actions and said that the case illustrated the challenge of reconciling press freedoms with national security concerns.
In June, Obama was again on the defensive as he sought to allay the public’s concerns about surveillance programs carried out by the National Security Agency (NSA), an agency within the U.S. Department of Defense. Classified details of the programs, which monitored certain telephone and Internet activities domestically and abroad, had been revealed by Edward Snowden, a former NSA contractor. Obama stressed that the data collection activities required the approval of the U.S. Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court and said that the programs had effectively disrupted terrorist plots.
Eric Shinseki, secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), submitted his resignation in May 2014 following revelations of substandard care in the VA’s health care facilities. According to news reports, VA employees had manipulated records to obscure long wait-times for veterans awaiting medical appointments. Robert McDonald succeeded Shinseki in July.
Shutdown.
In September 2013, House Republicans passed a federal budget bill that stripped funding for the implementation of the Affordable Care Act, the health insurance law commonly known as Obamacare. The Democrat-controlled Senate rejected the House’s insistence that the budget defund the health law, and Obama accused Republicans of “holding the economy hostage.” The failure of Congress to agree to a funding plan for the fiscal year beginning Oct. 1, 2013, resulted in a partial shutdown of many federal agencies. On October 17, Obama signed a bill ending the shutdown.
Obamacare rollout.
Key parts of the federal health insurance reform law were set to take effect on Jan. 1, 2014. The law allowed states to run their own marketplaces for consumers to sign up for health insurance plans. By Oct. 1, 2013, the opening day for consumers to seek insurance coverage, about half the states had formed their own marketplaces or created state-federal partnerships. In states where authorities did not set up state exchanges, individuals were to rely on the federal insurance marketplace. Users of healthcare.gov, the website for the federal exchanges, soon encountered serious glitches, however, and the website’s problems made national headlines. State marketplaces operated with less trouble.
In November, Obama acknowledged problems with the federal exchanges. He also offered a one-year reprieve to Americans who faced cancellation of health insurance policies that failed to meet the law’s minimum requirements. Under Obama’s directive, policy owners were allowed to keep such plans until late 2014. In April 2014, administration officials announced that more than 7 million people had signed up for health insurance under the law. The figure surpassed the administration’s goal for the initial sign-up period.
In June 2015, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld a key component of the health care law. Challengers had claimed that according to the law, only people living in states that had created their own insurance marketplaces are eligible for federal tax credits to pay for their coverage. Yet, people living in states that relied on the federal insurance marketplace were receiving subsidies as well. The justices’ 6-3 decision in King v. Burwell allowed people who had purchased coverage through the federal exchange to keep the tax subsidies that helped them afford insurance. “The Affordable Care Act is working, and it is here to stay,” Obama said in a statement from the White House.
Addressing the nation.
Obama addressed concerns about government surveillance and civil liberties issues in a January 2014 speech. He defended the mission of U.S. intelligence agencies and announced changes in the ways the government collects and analyzes bulk telephone records.
Later in January, in his State of the Union address, Obama urged Congress to support his initiatives to reduce unemployment and help the middle class. He also asked Congress to pass immigration reform and warned that the passage of new sanctions against Iran could undermine a nuclear deal with the Middle Eastern nation.
The Ebola virus.
A major outbreak of the Ebola virus took place in Africa in 2014, killing thousands. In October, Obama announced that he had appointed Ron Klain, former chief of staff for Vice President Biden, as the administration’s Ebola “czar.” Klain’s role was to help coordinate the responses of various federal and state agencies to any domestic occurrences of the virus.
2014 elections.
Voters delivered a setback to Obama and the Democrats in the 2014 midterm elections. Republicans gained control of the Senate and expanded their majority in the House of Representatives.
Action on immigration.
On November 20, in a nationally televised address, Obama announced that he had taken executive action to protect up to 5 million undocumented immigrants from deportation. The primary aim of the measure was to shield the parents of U.S. citizens from deportation and, should they pass background checks, allow them to work legally and pay taxes. Obama’s political opponents, primarily congressional Republicans, accused him of abusing the powers of his office. Obama, however, asserted that his actions were legal and necessary, and he urged Congress to pass comprehensive immigration reform. A group of 26 states soon filed a lawsuit opposing Obama’s executive action. In 2015, a federal judge issued a preliminary injunction (temporary order) blocking the measure’s implementation while the legal case proceeded. An appeals court later upheld the injunction. In June 2016, Supreme Court justices deadlocked, in a 4-4 tie, in their ruling on the case, leaving the appeals court’s ruling in effect.
Senate report on CIA methods.
In December 2014, the Senate Intelligence Committee released a report examining the interrogation practices used by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) against terrorist suspects in the years after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. The report documented numerous brutal interrogation practices. It also found that the CIA routinely misled the White House about the effectiveness of such methods in uncovering terror plots. Obama said that he welcomed the report, adding, “One of the things that sets us apart from other countries is that when we make mistakes, we admit them.”
State of the Union.
In his January 2015 State of the Union address, Obama hailed an improving economy and laid out an agenda for his last two years in office. Key proposals in the speech included revising the tax code as it pertained to businesses, ensuring paid sick leave for workers, expanding tax credits for child care, and offering free community college classes to eligible students. He also spoke of challenges related to developments in Cuba, Iran, Iraq, and Russia.
Climate change appeal.
In August and September 2015, Obama traveled to Alaska to urge world leaders and domestic legislators to address climate change. Alaska and other parts of the Arctic were experiencing severe wildfires, coastal erosion, melting glaciers, and thawing permafrost (layer of permanently frozen soil). Earlier in August, Obama unveiled new rules to limit and reduce carbon emissions from power plants—a factor that scientists recognize as a major contributor to climate change.
In December 2015, negotiators from 196 countries reached a climate agreement in Paris, France. The deal required all participating countries to limit greenhouse emissions in efforts to reduce global warming. In a speech hailing the deal, Obama called the agreement a “turning point” that “will mean less of the carbon pollution that threatens our planet, and more of the jobs and economic growth driven by low-carbon investment.”
Final State of the Union address.
Obama delivered his final State of the Union address in January 2016. He spoke of the strengths of the nation’s economy and said that the United States was well prepared to confront threats of terrorism and other international challenges. He expressed regret that he had not been able to repair the deep political divide between Democrats and Republicans. He also called for an end to gerrymandering (arranging of voting districts to favor a political party) and again asked the nation’s lawmakers to address increasing income inequality.
Supreme Court opening.
Supreme Court Associate Justice Antonin Scalia died in February 2016. The following month, Obama nominated U.S. Appeals Court Judge Merrick Garland to fill the vacancy on the court. Senate Republicans vowed, however, not to consider any Supreme Court nominees named by Obama during the final year of his presidency.
Orlando nightclub shooting.
Early on the morning of June 12, a gunman attacked a popular gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida. He shot about 100 people, killing 49, before he was killed by police. It was the deadliest shooting incident in U.S. history. The gunman—whom associates described as angry and bigoted toward homosexuals and other groups—claimed allegiance to an Islamist terror organization during the attack. Obama called the attack “an act of terror and an act of hate.”
A legacy of preservation.
More than any other president, Obama used the executive power provided to him under the 1906 Antiquities Act to protect areas of great ecological and historic importance. In his eight years in office, Obama created or expanded more than two dozen national monuments. In August 2016, Obama expanded the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument around the northwestern islands of Hawaii. The following month, he created the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument off the coast of Massachusetts. In December, he barred oil drilling in ecologically sensitive parts of the Atlantic and Arctic oceans. Later that month, he created Bears Ears National Monument in Utah and Gold Butte National Monument in Nevada.
The 2016 election.
In the 2016 presidential election, Democrat Hillary Rodham Clinton and Republican Donald Trump competed for the opportunity to shape domestic and foreign policy following Obama’s presidency. On November 8, Trump, a reality television star and New York-based real estate developer, defeated Clinton, a former first lady, senator, and U.S. secretary of state. Clinton captured the popular vote by nearly 3 million votes, but Trump won narrow victories in each of the so-called swing states (states that do not vote predictably Democratic or Republican) en route to a victory in the Electoral College. Trump, backed by Republican majorities in the House and Senate, promised to work to undo many of Obama’s achievements, most notably by repealing the health care reform law known as Obamacare.
Foreign affairs.
In international issues, Obama continued to face challenges related to a rebellion in Syria, the expansion of Iran’s nuclear program, threatening actions from North Korea, and provocative actions by Russia toward Ukraine. He brought tens of thousands of American troops home from Afghanistan beginning in 2013. The U.S. military operation to Afghanistan formally concluded at the end of 2014, replaced by a new operation to assist, train, and support Afghan government forces. By 2015, countering the activities of Islamic militants operating in Iraq and Syria became the major focus of U.S. foreign policy.
Syria.
In June 2013, administration officials announced that the United States would supply weapons to rebels opposing the forces of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. The officials said that the decision to arm the rebels was triggered by evidence that Assad’s government had carried out chemical weapon attacks against its enemies. Obama threatened U.S. air strikes against Syrian military targets after Assad’s forces allegedly killed hundreds of Syrian civilians in a chemical weapon attack in August. In September, American and Russian diplomats agreed to the framework of a deal in which Syria’s chemical weapon stockpiles would be destroyed by mid-2014.
Diplomatic issues.
In late June and early July 2013, Obama visited the African countries of Senegal, South Africa, and Tanzania. He joined former President George W. Bush at a memorial ceremony for Americans killed in a 1998 U.S. embassy bombing in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Obama also promoted efforts to expand Africans’ access to electricity.
Beginning in late June 2013, Obama faced criticism from European Union members after reports revealed that NSA surveillance programs had targeted dozens of foreign embassies and diplomatic missions. In August, Obama canceled a scheduled September meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, citing a lack of progress between the leaders on defense, trade, and human rights issues. Also factoring in Obama’s decision was Russia’s granting of diplomatic asylum to Edward Snowden, the former U.S. government contractor who leaked information about NSA activities. Also in August, political violence in Egypt called into question whether the Obama administration should continue providing economic and military aid to the nation’s military-led government.
In November 2013, during talks in Geneva, Switzerland, Secretary of State Kerry helped broker what many observers called a historic agreement regarding Iran’s nuclear program. The agreement was reached between Iranian officials and representatives of China, France, Germany, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States. It called for a reduction in economic sanctions after Iran demonstrated that it had dismantled facilities capable of producing weapons-grade nuclear material. The six nations finalized the agreement with Iran in July 2015. Congressional opponents of the deal vowed to pass a resolution in disapproval of the agreement. Obama, in turn, said that he would veto such a resolution if it were to pass.
In March 2014, Obama announced sanctions against a number of Russian political and business leaders. The sanctions were a response to Russia’s move to annex the Crimean Peninsula, a part of southern Ukraine, during a period of Ukrainian political turmoil. Also in March, Obama traveled to the Netherlands for a nuclear security summit before visiting Belgium, Italy, and Saudi Arabia. In April, and again in July, Obama expanded the sanctions against Russia. Also in April, Obama traveled to Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, and the Philippines to work on agreements related to defense, diplomacy, and trade.
In January 2015, Obama met with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a three-day visit to New Delhi, India. The two leaders discussed proposals on such topics as climate change, nuclear cooperation, and a defense partnership between the two countries.
Afghanistan.
Developments regarding Afghanistan dominated news headlines in late May and early June, 2014. Obama announced that the last U.S. troops would leave Afghanistan by the end of 2016. Days later, Obama announced that captured U.S. Army Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl had been freed by the Taliban in exchange for the release of five Taliban prisoners held at the Guantanamo detention camp. The prisoner exchange, which had been brokered via the government of Qatar, drew criticism from Obama’s opponents. Opponents, chiefly Republicans, charged that the administration had failed to notify Congress of the deal and given up too much in the exchange.
In October 2015, Obama announced—in contrast to previous statements—that U.S. troops would no longer exit Afghanistan by the end of 2016. His statement acknowledged that Afghan government forces lacked the training and personnel to withstand advances by newly emboldened Taliban fighters. In July 2016, Obama said that at least 8,400 U.S. troops would still remain in the country at the time his presidential term ended in January 2017. The U.S. military mission in Afghanstan concluded in August 2021, when the last U.S. troops left the country.
Islamic State.
In June 2014, Obama announced that the United States was considering ways to assist the Iraqi government in their efforts to combat incursions by militants in Mosul and other Iraqi cities. In August, Obama authorized air strikes supporting Iraqi security forces and Kurdish defense forces against militants in northern Iraq. In September, Congress approved Obama’s plan to train and arm moderate Syrian rebels fighting extremist Islamic militants. The Obama administration also worked to build an international coalition to fight the militants, who were operating in both Iraq and Syria under the name Islamic State (also known by the initials ISIS or ISIL). On September 23, the United States and five Arab allies launched air strikes against Islamic State strongholds in Syria. In February 2015, Obama asked Congress to approve his proposed authorization of military force against the Islamic State. One element of Obama’s proposal called for Congress to give U.S. forces “the flexibility to conduct ground combat operations” against ISIS in special or limited circumstances. By the summer of 2016, Obama had sent several hundred U.S. Special Operations Forces to Syria to aid in the campaign against ISIS fighters. When Obama left office in early 2017, more than 4,000 U.S. troops were assisting in the fight against ISIS in Iraq.
Cuba.
In a December 2014 speech, Obama announced a number of measures intended to normalize relations with Cuba. The measures included moves to restore diplomatic relations and to open travel and trade ties. They also included arrangements for the release of certain American and Cuban detainees who had been regarded as spies or political prisoners. Obama also said that he would advise Congress to lift the economic embargo on Cuba that was imposed in 1960. In April 2015, Obama met with Cuban leader Raúl Castro at the Summit of the Americas in Panama. Later in the month, Obama recommended that the State Department remove Cuba from its list of countries that sponsor terrorism. In July 2015, Obama announced that the two countries had agreed to reopen long-closed embassies in Washington, D.C., and Havana, Cuba.
In March 2016, Obama became the first U.S. president to visit Cuba since Calvin Coolidge made a journey there in 1928. In a speech from Havana, Obama said that both countries needed to move beyond historical hostilities and build new commercial and diplomatic relationships. “I have come here to bury the last remnant of the Cold War in the Americas,” he said. “I have come here to extend a hand of friendship to the Cuban people.”
Later years
After serving the nation for eight years as president, Obama became a private citizen after Donald Trump was inaugurated on Jan. 20, 2017. The Obama family moved into a private residence in Washington, D.C. They also worked with the Obama Foundation to increase civic participation and help guide the building of the Obama Presidential Center on Chicago’s South Side. A groundbreaking ceremony for the center, in Chicago’s Jackson Park, took place in September 2021.
In 2018, the Obamas started a production company called Higher Ground Productions. The company produces movies and documentaries for Netflix, a streaming media service. In addition, Obama wrote A Promised Land (2020), the first volume of a planned two-volume memoir about his presidency. In 2022, Obama won an Emmy Award for outstanding narrator for his work on the documentary series Our Great National Parks. He won the 2023 Emmy for outstanding narrator for the documentary series Working: What We Do All Day.
