Obama Watch: Week of Dec. 13
Take a photo flashback of the Obamas' year.
1 / 20
State of the Union - The president gave his very first State of the Union Address in late January. During his remarks, he trumped his proposals for stimulating the economy and jobs, and reducing the deficit.
2 / 20
HBCU Initiative - In February of this year, President Obama signed an executive order renewing the White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities. The provision establishes a special White House initiative on HBCUs to be housed with the Department of Education. Apart from the act, the budget for this fiscal year gives Black schools $98 million in new money.
3 / 20
Funding for Community Colleges - Also part of the Education Reconciliation Act passed in March, the Community College and Career Training initiative is set to receive $2 billion over four years. And through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, the Obama administration has given more than $3.5 billion in student financial assistance to low-income community college students and over $1 billion in workforce training programs at community colleges.
4 / 20
Health Care Overhaul - Following a fierce battle with Republicans, one of President Obama’s most historic wins was the passing of health care overhaul in March of this year. The law – the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act – aims to extend affordable health care for all citizens, while beefing up consumer protections (for example, putting an end to companies denying coverage of children based on pre-existing conditions). Many provisions under the new legislation kicked in September 23.
5 / 20
Student Loan Relief - Future student loan borrowers have some relief, due to the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act, passed in March. Students enrolling in 2014 or later can limit their payments to 10 percent of their income and have the debt forgiven after 20 years (10 years for public service workers).
ADVERTISEMENT
6 / 20
Kids’ Choice Award - First Lady Michelle Obama received the “Big Help” award this weekend at Nickelodeon’s Kids’ Choice Awards for her nationwide “Let’s Move” program aimed at fighting childhood obesity. While Mrs. Obama didn’t attend the ceremony in Los Angeles, she did send a taped message saying (in part) that she wants all young people to “grow up happy and healthy” so they are able to follow their dreams.
7 / 20
Mexico Visit - In April, the First Lady traveled Mexico where she visited the residence of President Felipe Calderón and his Mexican First Lady Margarita Zavala. After meeting privately with Zavala, Mrs. Obama toured the Museo Nacional de Antropologia (National Museum of Anthropology) with her. The two previously met when Zavala visited the U.S. in February.
8 / 20
Correspondents’ Dinner - Early in May, Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama attended the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner. Per tradition, the president did a little comedy routine. “I saw Michael Steele backstage when we were taking pictures – AKA Notorious GOP,” Obama said as the crowd laughed. Former presidential candidate John McCain was also a joke target.
9 / 20
Obama Addresses Hampton Grads - In May, the president addressed nearly 1,100 graduates of Hampton University, an HBCU in Virginia. More than 12,000 people were in attendance. During his speech, he championed the role of education in helping them face uncertainties in the economy as they go out and find jobs. "The good news is, all of you are ahead of the curve," Obama told the graduates. "All those checks you wrote to Hampton will pay off."
10 / 20
Let's Move! - In late May, first lady Michelle Obama played with kids on the South Lawn of the White House. The event was to kick-off the South Lawn Series, which are summer activities happening at the White House to promote physical activity and engage local students in support of Mrs. Obama’s “Let’s Move!” initiative.
ADVERTISEMENT
11 / 20
Anacostia Tearful Graduation Speech - In June, First Lady Michelle Obama delivered an emotional commencement address to graduates of Washington D.C.’s Anacostia High School. During her speech she talked about the sacrifices her parents made for her and her brother. In addition, she offered them encouragement in the face of adversity. “Perhaps there were those who wanted to write you off, maybe because of assumptions they made about you or your school or your community. But every day you're proving them wrong.”
12 / 20
July 4th - On the Fourth of July, the president and first lady hosted a barbeque on the White House lawn for members of the military and their families. Here, Obama delivers his remarks from the White House’s Blue Room balcony. "This is the day when we celebrate the very essence of America and the spirit that has defined us as a people and as a nation for more than two centuries," Obama told guests. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)
13 / 20
Wall Street Reform - In the wake of the recession, which saw the devastating fall of a few of the nation’s top financial institutions, the president signed the Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act this summer. The legislation, the biggest of its kind since the Great Depression, will end tax-payer funded bailouts in addition to enforcing consumer protections.
14 / 20
BP Oil Spill - One of the biggest events this year was the BP Oil Spill that began after an oil rig exploded in the Gulf of Mexico in April. Between that time and the time when the leak was finally capped in July, President Obama met with BP officials and citizens living the gulf to try to alleviate the effect of the spill. On July 16, President Obama made a statement on the capping of the BP well in White House’s Rose Garden. The cap stopped oil from releasing into the Gulf. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)
15 / 20
Bill Signing/Town Hall - The president signed the Fair Sentencing Act in the Oval Office Aug. 3. The legislation narrows the disparity between sentences for crack cocaine possession and those for powder cocaine. Following the signing, he hosted a town hall at the White House along with the Forum with Young African Leaders.
ADVERTISEMENT