Program Success Barack Obama Special Edition - Page 17

9.

Repealed “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”:

Ended 1990s-era restriction and formalized new policy
allowing gays and lesbians to serve openly in the military for
the first time.

10.

Toppled Moammar Gaddafi:

11.

Told Mubarak to Go:

12.

President Barack Obama talks with National Security Advisor Susan E. Rice in the Oval Office prior
to a phone call with President Vladimir Putin of Russia, Feb. 10, 2015.

Reversed Bush Torture Policies:

In March 2011, joined a coalition of European and
Arab governments in military action, including air power and
naval blockade, against Gaddafi regime to defend Libyan
civilians and support rebel troops. Gaddafi’s forty-two-year
rule ended when the dictator was overthrown and killed by
rebels on October 20, 2011. No American lives were lost.

On February 1, 2011, publicly called on Egyptian
President Hosni Mubarak to accept reform or step down,
thus weakening the dictator’s position and putting America
on the right side of the Arab Spring. Mubarak ended thirtyyear rule when overthrown on February 11.

Two days after taking office, nullified Bush-era rulings
that had allowed detainees in U.S. custody to undergo
certain “enhanced” interrogation techniques considered
inhumane under the Geneva Conventions. Also released
the secret Bush legal rulings supporting the use of these
techniques.

13.

Improved America’s Image Abroad:

President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama interact with Hilton banquet server Kitty
Casey during the National Prayer Breakfast at the Washington Hilton in Washington, D.C., Feb. 5,
2015.

With new policies, diplomacy, and rhetoric, reversed
a sharp decline in world opinion toward the U.S. (and the
corresponding loss of “soft power”) during the Bush years.
From 2008 to 2011, favorable opinion toward the United
States rose in ten of fifteen countries surveyed by the Pew
Global Attitudes Project, with an average increase of 26
percent.

14.

Kicked Banks Out of Federal Student Loan Program,
Expanded Pell Grant Spending:

As part of the 2010 health care reform bill, signed measure
ending the wasteful decades-old practice of subsidizing
banks to provide college loans. Starting July 2010 all
students began getting their federal student loans directly
from the federal government. Treasury will save $67 billion
over ten years, $36 billion of which will go to expanding Pell
Grants to lower-income students.

15.

Created Race to the Top:

With funds from stimulus, started $4.35 billion program
of competitive grants to encourage and reward states for
education reform.

16.

Boosted Fuel Efficiency Standards:

17.

International Response to Financial Crisis:

18.

President Barack Obama shows the Resolute Desk to a group of DREAMers, following their Oval
Office meeting in which they talked about how they have benefited from the Deferred Action for
Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, Feb. 4, 2015

Passed Mini Stimuli:

Released new fuel efficiency standards in 2011 that
will nearly double the fuel economy for cars and trucks by
2025.

To keep world economy out of recession in 2009 and
2010, helped secure from G-20 nations more than $500
billion for the IMF to provide lines of credit and other support
to emerging market countries, which kept them liquid and
avoided crises with their currencies.

To help families hurt by the recession and spur the
economy as stimulus spending declined, signed series of
measures (July 22, 2010; December 17, 2010; December
23, 2011) to extend unemployment insurance.
PROGRAM SUCCESS MAGAZINE PAGE:

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2015