Biography of Barack Obama (Part- 3)
Post-2014 Senate Election Status:
With the opposition Republican Party winning most Senate seats in the 2014 US Senate election, Obama faces another new challenge. As President of the Democratic Party, he sees Republicans occupying both chambers of Congress. He had to work in this condition for the last two years of his second term.
But he has done the same thing as Obama. The exchange of prisoners for the development of relations with Cuba, including the release of three Cuban spies – was made possible by Obama after the Senate election. But a few more steps he took to improve the relationship did not come to light in the end because of conservative Republican senators.
He has worked for the welfare of the people, free college education and tax reduction for the middle class. He warned that he would use the President’s special powers in his power if there were a possibility of repealing some of the laws he had introduced due to Republican dominance in the two chambers of Congress and the Senate. In a speech, he said: “We cannot put our families at risk by withdrawing health insurance, or repealing new laws imposed on Wall Street, or resuming our old fight against immigration. There is still work to be done to fix a shattered state system. And, if anyone wants to do that – and any such bill comes to my table, I will definitely exercise my veto power.”
In 2015, the Obama administration won two major victories from the US Supreme Court. The court ruled in favor of continuing the tax subsidy system for healthcare insurance under Obamacare. Without this tax benefit, purchasing health insurance would be a huge expense for billions of Americans.
In 2015, Obama announced that his administration, after lengthy negotiations with Iran, had agreed to keep its nuclear program at a peaceful level and to reduce its uranium stockpile. He made it possible by promising to ease sanctions on Iran, reopen its suspended bank accounts and increase oil sales.
When the Obama administration was rushing to Congress for approval of the deal, Obama visited his father’s country, Kenya, for the first time since becoming President. There he attended a dinner with thirty-six of his relatives, some of whom he met for the first time. “I am just proud to be the first American president to visit Kenya,” he told them. And, of course, I’m the first Kenyan-American President in the United States. ”
Clean Power Plan:
In August 2015, the Obama administration announced a clean power plan to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases. For the first time in the United States history, coal-fired power projects are specified to prevent carbon pollution. Obama called it “the biggest step in America’s history in the fight against global climate change.”
Under the auspices of the Environmental Protection Agency, the project stipulates that existing power plants will reduce their carbon dioxide emissions by 32 percent by 2030 and increase the use of wind and solar energy in power generation. Under the project, another legal directive was issued stating that each state would submit its initial project by 2016 and final project by 2016 to reduce carbon emissions.
However, several critics opposed Obama’s move. Among them were Kentucky Senator and Republican leader Mitch McConnell. He sent letters to the authorities in each state forbidding them to obey the law. States and private entities that rely on coal-fired power for their livelihoods are also expected to begin the process of legally challenging Obama’s move.
But despite the opposition, Barack Obama has remained steadfast in his stance on climate change. In a speech at the White House, he said, “We’ve heard these lame arguments before. They have been proven wrong every time.” He added: “We are the first to see the effects of climate change first, and the last generation to do something about it.”
Treaty of Paris:
In front of delegates from nearly 200 countries at a climate change conference in Paris in November 2015, Obama acknowledged that the United States is currently the world’s second-largest polluter. Therefore, it is their primary responsibility to do something about it.
Obama later expressed solidarity with the Paris Climate Agreement. All participating countries were responsible for reducing their country’s greenhouse gas emissions and researching alternative fuels.
He announced that by 2030, the United States would reduce its pollution levels by 25 percent. In September 2016, China and the United States, the world’s two largest carbon-producing countries, announced their formal support for the Paris Agreement. One month later, on October 5, 2016, the United Nations announced that a significant number of countries had expressed their support for the Paris Agreement; And the implementation of this agreement will start from November 8, 2016.
In this context, Obama said from the Rose Garden of the White House, “Today the world has seen that special moment. And if we keep those promises in the Paris Agreement, history will probably remember this moment as the beginning of a new era for the world.” He added: “I want America to be able to lead the world in this work. This is probably the only chance to save the only planet we (humans) have. ”
However, in June 2016, Obama’s successor Donald Trump withdrew the United States from the Paris Agreement.
In the wake of Trump’s move, Obama said: “Countries that adhere to the Paris Agreement will enjoy the benefits of the newly created workplace and industry. I still believe the United States should lead this good work.
But the American government, and this administration of America – without those who have joined hands with those few (unsigned) countries and rejected the future – our states, our cities and our institutions will come forward and (beyond my plan) do more to stay our rights He will lead the work to save the only planet.”
Firearms control:
Entering his final year as President of the United States, Obama held a press conference in January 2017 to announce some single guidelines on firearms control.
With tears in his eyes, he cited the brutal gunman’s attack on Sandy Hook Primary School children in 2012 and called on Congress and firearms control supporters to help him make his country a safer one.
Obama’s initiative included more research into the personal lives of firearms buyers, more stringent enforcement of firearms laws and more information on the mental health of gun-pistol buyers and dealers.
It has faced strong opposition from several Republican and Democratic members and several pro-fire groups such as the NRA. However, a 2015 survey found that most Americans favor stricter laws on the sale of firearms.
Shortly after the firearms press conference, on January 12, 2017, Obama delivered his last speech at the State of the Union.
As the first US president since 1928, Barack Obama visited Cuba on March 20, 2018. He was accompanied by his wife Michelle and two daughters on the three-day trip.
The purpose of Obama’s visit was to create a foundation for greater coexistence between the two countries. The process began in 2014 when Cuban President Raul Castro and Obama announced the start of a process to end the tensions between the two countries that had been strained since 1971.
Before leaving the White House on January 19, 2018, he traveled to his hometown of Chicago on January 10 to say goodbye.
At one point in his long speech, the first black President of the United States, citing his achievements in eight years, said: “If I told you eight years ago, America would turn the tide of the Great Depression, revive our machine industry, and set the record for the largest job creation in our history.” – If I told you we would start a new chapter in relations with the Cuban people, stop Iran’s nuclear weapons program without firing a single shot, end the alleged mastermind of 9/11 – If I told you we would win equality in the marriage system and give health to 20 million citizens Let me explain the right to insurance – if I had told you all this eight years ago, you might have said that our aspirations have gone a little higher. But that’s all we did. You have done all this. You have changed everything. Because of your hopes, and because of you, in almost every way, America is a better, stronger country than when we started. ”
But for now, those of you who are young in age or heart, I have one last wish for you as President – the same wish I wanted when you bet on me six years ago.
I urge you to believe. I’m not asking you to believe in my ability to make a difference – I’m telling you to believe in yourself. ”
“I have faith in this country,” he said at his last press conference as President at the White House. I trust the American people. I believe there is more good in people than bad.
I believe tragic events will happen. But even though evil exists on earth, if we work hard at the end of the day and are honest with the truth, the world will become a little better every moment.
And among the young people I’ve worked with, I’ve seen that good exist. I am very proud of them. And I am not staging any drama. All this, I truly believe.
I indeed talk a lot of nonsense behind closed doors in public. I get angry or frustrated like everyone else (sometimes), but deep down in my existence, I believe we’ll be fine.
We just have to fight for it, and we have to work hard without leaving everything in the hands of fate, and I know you (the youth) will help us achieve that.”
On January 19, 2016, one of the most popular and successful Presidents in the history of the United States, Barack Obama, took office in the White House for the last time.