Obama’s First 100 Days

April 29, 2009, marked the end of President Barack Obama’s first 100 days in office. From economic stimulus plans to signing a presidential mandate for the closure of Guantanamo Bay, Obama has made headlines in economic, domestic and foreign policy. To better understand what has happened during these past three months and what may come, let’s look back at some of the most important events of the Obama administration’s policy.

Economic Policy

On day 25, February 13, the House of Representatives passed Obama’s $787 billion Stimulus Plan without any Republican support. Shortly after, the measure won approval in the Senate by a vote of 60-38. With Democrat control of Congress, it was significantly easier to override any Republican opposition, making this a controversial issue.

“We want to work together with the other side,” said John McCain (R-Ariz.). “And this is not the example that I think the American people want us to exercise.” However, Democrats begged to differ. “By investing in new jobs, in science and innovation, in energy, in education … we are investing in the American people, which is the best guarantee of the success of our nation,” said Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

On day 38, February 26, the Obama administration released an overview on its 2010 budget plan. This plan required a total of $3.55 trillion, which would be distributed among defense, economy, education, energy, health, homeland security, justice, taxes and transportation.

On day 64, March 21, the administration’s Treasury Department asked Congress to grant the government the power to seize and take over failing financial institutions as a means of ameliorating the dire economic situation.

“We must ensure that our country never faces this situation again,” Treasury Secretary Thomas Geithner told lawmakers. “To achieve that goal, the administration and Congress have to work together to enact comprehensive regulatory reform and eliminate gaps in supervision. We need to strike the right balance between encouraging investment and prudent risk-taking to get our financial system moving again,” he said.

Some believe that Obama should deregulate the market and let capitalism run its course, while others argue that our economy needs governmental intervention to recover from its current state. Some believe the stimulus package is Obama’s presidential campaign promises put into action, while others maintain that he ought to focus on the economy and refrain from spending money on non-urgent causes.

Domestic Policy

On day 15, February 14, Obama signed a children’s health insurance plan bill, which extended health coverage to four million additional uninsured children, providing a large increase to his plan to reformat the nation’s health care system. President Bush vetoed similar bills twice during his term. This boost in coverage will be funded by a 62-cent increase in the federal excise tax on cigarettes, which makes the total federal excise tax $1.01 a pack.

On day 49, March 9, President Obama lifted the restrictions on federal funding for stem cell research, fulfilling a campaign promise. “Medical miracles do not happen simply by accident,” Obama said. “They result from painstaking and costly research; from years of lonely trial and error, much of which never bears fruit; and from a government willing to support that work.” Although the moratorium on federally funded stem cell research will give many research institutions the tools they need to study embryonic cells, the moral objection many citizens have to harvesting cells from human embryos still remains.

On day 92, April 27, Obama called all Americans to volunteer and signed a $5.7 billion national service bill that triples the size of the AmeriCorps service program over the next eight years and expands ways for students to earn money for college through volunteering.

“I’m asking you to help change history’s course, put your shoulder up against the wheel,” Obama said. “And if you do, I promise you your life will be richer, our country will be stronger, and someday, years from now, you may remember it as the moment when your own story and the American story converged, when they came together, and we met the challenges of our new century.”

Foreign Policy

On day 39, February 27, Obama spoke at Camp Lejune in North Carolina to U.S. Marines about his plan to withdraw American combat forces from Iraq by August 2010, promising to drastically scale back one of the nation’s longest and costliest military efforts. The President also noted that approximately 50,000 troops would remain in Iraq to support the government and ensure security until the end of 2011.

From day 75 to 79 Obama visited with government leaders and the citizens of Prague and Turkey and U.S. soldiers stationed in Iraq. Speaking before 20,000 people outside the Prague Castle gates, he emphasized the dangers of illegal weapons and the U.S.’s commitment to establishing an international nuclear test ban treaty.

In Turkey, Obama addressed the Parliament and highlighted the U.S.’s desire to build a strong partnership regardless of religious differences. “The United States is not at war with Islam,” said Obama. “In fact, our partnership with the Muslim world is critical in rolling back a fringe ideology that people of all faiths reject.”

On April 7, Obama made an unannounced stop in Iraq to get a firsthand look at the conflict and express his gratitude to U.S. troops for their efforts. In his speech to the soldiers, the President focused on the critical role they are playing in ensuring the U.S. leaves Iraq with a safe and stable government.

Over the course of the Obama’s first 100 days in office he also met with an assortment of leaders from other countries, including Canada, Japan, Great Britain, China, Brazil, Ireland, Australia, Russia, South Korea, Jordan, Afghanistan and Pakistan. In the past few months, Obama has traveled to distant nations, encouraged our troops in the Middle East and at home and passed legislation that will forever change our economy, health care system and scientific abilities. Yet, the first 100 days are merely a snapshot of what is to come.