For the past seven years, Barack Obama has been the face of our nation. He’s our president, the leader of the free world, and an American. What he represents is different for each of us. Some love him, remember “obama girl” from 2008 ?
And some really don't, just ask Chris Christie, who recently called Obama a “petulant child” at a town meeting he was hosting. So whether you’re an Obama lover or not so much, he is our president and he has accomplished many feats during his presidency. Here are 5 examples of things we actually should be thanking Obama for.
1. Signed into Law the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act
In 2009, President Obama signed into law the first bill of his presidency, the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act. The act was an amendment to the Civil Rights Act of 1964. It changed the statute of limitations on filing an equal pay complaint by overturning a supreme court decision that restricted the amount of time a woman had to file a complaint. This action early on in his presidency cemented and proved his commitment to gender equality and equal rights.
2. Saved the Auto Industry
When president Obama took office, the American auto industry was failing, loosing jobs by the hundreds and thousands. President Obama made the decision to provide the US Auto Industry with support, financial and otherwise, on the grounds that they start building more fuel efficient cars. By doing so, he saved lots of jobs and created millions more as the auto industry continued to grow and is now prospering.
3. Eliminated Osama Bin Laden
In late April 2011, President Obama ordered the raid of Osama Bin Laden’s compound in Afghanistan. On May 2, 2011, Osama Bin Laden, leader of the terrorist organization Al Qaeda was eliminated by the United States Special Forces. The order by President Obama came after years of intelligence and investigation and proved successful.
4. Repealed “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”
In September 2011, President Obama repealed “Don’t As, Don’t Tell (DADT).” DADT was the United States Policy about military service by people who do not identify as heterosexual. The policy prevented military personnel from disclosing their sexual orientation if they were not heterosexual and barred openly gay, lesbian, or bisexual people from serving in the military. President Obama spoke of the repeal of DADT, saying, “as of today (September 20, 2011), patriotic Americans in uniform will no longer have to lie about who they are in order to serve the country they love.”
5. Passed Health Care Reform
On March 23, 2010, President Obama signed into law the Affordable Care Act, also know as Obamacare. The goal of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), is to provide affordable health care for all Americans. Among its many benefits, it eliminates discrimination based on “pre-existing” health conditions and gender, as well as letting children stay on their parent’s health insurance until the age of 26. According to the US Census Bureau, since the rollout of the ACA, the overall uninsured rate fell from 15.7 percent to 9.2 percent, the lowest in fifty years.
