Days 91-100
- Day 91: President Obama Asks All Federal Government Departments to Dig Deeper for More Cost Savings
- Day 92: President Obama Preoccupied with Iran’s Defiance over Israel and Jailing of American Journalist for Spying
- Day 93: President Obama and Vice President Biden Announce New Plans for Clean Energy
- Day 94: President Obama Wants New Consumer Protection Laws on
Credit Card Issuers - Day 95: President Obama Says a Good Education is Fundamental to the American Dream
- Day 96: President Obama’s Weekly Address Proposes a Plan for Federal Employees to Help Trim Departmental Budgets
- Day 97: President Obama Authorizes a Public Health Emergency on
Swine Flu Outbreaks - Day 98: President Obama Directs 3% of GDP to Scientific Research and Development Innovation
- Day 99: President Obama’s First 100 Days as Dramatic as FDR’s
Historic First 100 Days - President Barack Obama Marks Historic First 100 Days
• Obama Aide Says “It’s been a very productive 100 days.” In a recent session with reporters a White House adviser said, "You would be hard-pressed to find another administration that's done so much in such a short period of time. It's been a very productive 100 days."
"Nobody will ever be able to accuse him of being an idle man during his first 100 days. According to political pundit, David Brinkley: "He's clearly showing himself to be a progressive in the tradition of Franklin Roosevelt, John Kennedy and Lyndon Johnson, with the moral core of Jimmy Carter”.
Obama’s first 100 Days have passed at break neck speed as he juggled with a trillion plus deficit against an $800 billion recovery plan. The recovery plan is extensive reaching virtually every sector of the country. In foreign policy, Obama has reached out with an olive branch rather than a baseball bat. These are clear signals to the world that his administration is not a cloned version of the previous government.
The innumerable polls from innumerable sources seem to agree that for most Americans, Obama has passed with flying colors in his first 100 Days. While the President may not have had time to fulfill all of his campaign promises his track record on what he has accomplished is impressive.
Obama himself would say of his first 100 Days, it has been a mix of the good, the bad and the ugly. Here is a snapshot of some of the main highlights and low lights of the past three months:
Highlights:
• The $ 787 billion stimulus package.
• The Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act (National Service Bill)
• Reversing course on stem cells.
• Foreign Relations mending, starting with closure of Guantanamo.
• An ambitious and progressive fiscal budget.
• Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act.
• Reversal of Bush’s policy of no federal protection for endangered wildlife.
Lowlights:
• The bank bailout, which just keeps getting uglier.
• Afghanistan, more troops but no military solution.
• Gun control, no ban on assault weapons.
• Torture – truth, lies and videotape.
This synopsis represents but a few of the balls that Obama has had to juggle. He continues to impress the international community and his ratings domestically hover around 64%. Not bad at all for the First 100 Days.
Obama on Day 99 of Historic First 100 Days
President Barack Obama sits on the cusp today of his first 100 days in office. He is often compared with Franklin D. Roosevelt, the 32nd president of the United States who was in office from 1933 to 1945. FDR became president at a time of economic crisis and high unemployment in the era of the ‘dirty thirties’, the Great Depression.
Roosevelt’s solution to boost the economy back then was the implementation of the New Deal. It was the FDR version of the Stimulus and Rescue Package of 2009. Roosevelt promised change in the first 100 days of his presidency.
So a tradition was born and every president since then has been measured by the first 100 days as the political yardstick. FDR managed to get 15 bills signed in his first 100 days, including a bill that paved the way for the end of prohibition.
Obama’s First 100 Days has been the most dramatic since the early days of FDR. Although Obama has succeeded with fewer large bills passed in this period he has also had numerous smaller but also important bills come across his desk.
Day 99 at the White House was fairly typical; that is, typical for the Obama White House with packed agendas for both the President and First Lady. Here are just three highlights from Washington today:
Obama Administration Reverses Bush’s Rule on Limiting Species Protections
The reversal means that federal agencies must confer with the government's wildlife experts before taking any actions that could impact threatened or endangered species. Wildlife in danger of extinction will "receive the full protection of the law."
Obama Administration Increases Homeowners’ Aid Plan
The Obama administration announced plans to offer mortgage lenders incentives to reduce borrowers' bills on second mortgages.
Obama’s Pick for Health Secretary Wins Senate Confirmation
Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius was confirmed as Health Secretary in a 65-31 vote; she now officially leads the federal response to the swine flu outbreak.
- Obama Invests in Innovative Scientific Research and Development
President Barack Obama today pledged a huge investment for domestic innovative scientific research and development. The amount of money to support this goal is the equivalent of 3 percent of the nation's gross domestic product.
At the annual meeting of the Academy of Sciences, President Obama said his administration will double the budgets of primary agencies, including the National Science Foundation and the National Institute of Standards and Technology.
Obama stated that with an influx of capital scientists will have more success in developing renewable and alternative energy resources. He gave as examples ``solar cells as cheap as paint`` and green-friendly buildings that produce all the energy they use.
During his speech President Obama told the Academy:
"I believe it is not in our character, American character, to follow -- but to lead. And it is time for us to lead once again. I am here today to set this goal: we will devote more than 3 percent of our GDP to research and development. We will not just meet but we will exceed the level achieved at the height of the space race.
The commitment I am making today will fuel our success for another 50 years. This work begins with an historic commitment to basic science and applied research. At such a difficult moment, there are those who say we cannot afford to invest in science. That support for research is somehow a luxury at a moment defined by necessities. I fundamentally disagree.
Science is more essential for our prosperity, our security, our health, our environment, and our quality of life than it has ever been."
- President Obama has Country on High Alert Against Swine Flu
Obama’s senior advisor Valerie Jarrett said today that the President considers the swine influenza outbreak "very seriously," at a White House briefing on the spread of the disease around the United States.
Here at home this past week, there were some local cases of the illness reported in at least three states. In Mexico, the swine flu has killed over 80 people and another 1000 are sick. So far most of the cases in the U.S. have been ‘mild’ according to health officials. Many people who come down with swine flu have been tracked back to recent visits to Mexico. This explains why there are hot spots of the swine flu in many countries over much of the globe.
The U.S. government has declared a public health emergency. Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano says the declaration "sounds more severe than really it is. This is standard operating procedure and allows us to free up federal state and local agencies and their resources for prevention and mitigation.”
White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said today the outbreak "is of great concern to the White House” [but] he pointed out: "It's certainly not a time to panic."
Canada has issued a travel health notice, referring to multiple cases “...of severe respiratory illness with deaths in Mexico." However, Mexico's Tourist Board said over the weekend there are no restrictions on travel to the country.
The U.S. and the UK have not so far have issued any travel warnings or quarantines. South Korea says it will test airline passengers arriving from the United States. Japan’s Cabinet is expected to meet Monday to come up with workable means of keeping the virus out of the country.
The usual precautions for people are to wash hands frequently and avoid exposure if possible to others coughing and sneezing around you.
- Obama recruits federal employees for ideas that save money in government spending
President Barack Obama announced today a plan for federal workers to suggest ways to streamline their agencies' and departments' budgets. The President and his Cabinet are looking to eliminate millions from the federal budget and reduce the deficit. He acknowledged that American workers are the best source for ideas to make positive change. He also told agencies they could keep a part of the money they save.
In his weekly radio address, Obama said: "After all, Americans across the country know that the best ideas often come from workers, not just management. That's why we'll establish a process through which every government worker can submit their ideas for how their agency can save money and perform better. We'll put the suggestions that work into practice."
It’s been a long week for the administration focused on federal spending. The President said: "Earlier this week, I held my first Cabinet meeting and sent a clear message: cut what doesn't work. Already, we've identified substantial savings. And in the days and weeks ahead, we will continue going through the budget line by line, and we'll identify more than 100 programs that will be cut or eliminated."
"We cannot sustain deficits that mortgage our children's future, nor tolerate wasteful inefficiency. Government has a responsibility to spend the peoples' money wisely and to serve the people effectively."
Obama took office with a looming $1.3 billion budget deficit. He reminded the audience: "So much of our government was built to deal with different challenges from a different era. Too often, the result is wasteful spending, bloated programs and inefficient results."
- Obama Wants to Make Higher Education More Accessible
President Obama today said he wants to see changes in the current system of financial aid to college students. Under the existing rules the government backs private loans to college students. The President envisions direct financial aid to young people.
Obama stated it is his goal that within ten years, he wants to see America have "the highest percentage of college graduates" anywhere in the world. Obama said the country "used to have that" advantage.
The President said success in today’s economy and beyond requires a college degree or other training. The problem is that post-secondary education costs are rising at a time when many people can no longer afford to send their kids. Harkening back to one of Obama’s campaign promises, his proposal would end the Federal Family Education Loan program that costs taxpayers $15 million per day.
The White House administration is moving toward federal financial aid to go directly to students rather than have banks loan money to students. The point is to remove the “middle men” lenders who add to the cost of administering loan programs and therefore drive up the costs of borrowing. According to Obama this change would accommodate 8.5 million more students.
Obama noted that his proposal was sure to meet with resistance from many fronts. But he assured the audience at the White House today that while banks and lenders will be vehemently opposed with this change. He said as they are “...gearing up for battle. So am I.”
The President said: "There are few things as fundamental to the American dream or as essential as a good education.”
- President Obama to Move Forward on 'Strong and Reliable' Protections for Credit Card Users
President Obama said today he is prepared to deal with the consumer credit crunch that has helped fuel the economic crisis. The Administration is determined to pass a law that protects credit card consumers from practices such as sudden rate increases and high late fees. Obama stated that a new credit card law would mean using plain language for loan documents and credit card terms. It would eliminate the ubiquitous ‘fine print’ that catches many credit card customers off guard.
At a meeting of chief executives of leading credit card issuers at the White House today, President Obama told the group: "I trust that those in the industry who want to act responsibly will engage with us in a constructive fashion, and that we're going to get this done in short order."
Obama was not impressed with the argument from the credit card executives who claimed that reform rules ordered by the Federal Reserve deal with many of the issues raised by the President and Congress. The rules take effect in 2010. White House press secretary Robert Gibbs told reporters that President Obama “...disagreed with that case and believed that more needed to happen."
New bills are being prepared by the House and the Senate that provide consumers more protection in the credit card industry. The bills moving forward now are one facet of a comprehensive protection proposal for next year. Obama stated his economic advisers will look at all the proposals and work with Congress and the industry. The President was firm on having a strong bill for consumer protection ready for signing as soon as possible.
The White House says that U.S. credit card debt has increased by 25 percent in the past 10 years, reaching $963 billion by January. The average credit card debt per household was over $10,000 by the end of 2008.
- President Obama Marks Earth Day with new Initiative for Energy
- VP Biden: Everyday is Earth Day
President Obama Marks Earth Day in Newton, Iowa
President Obama was in Newton, Iowa to celebrate Earth Day. He chose today to announce a new initiative to lease federal waters to be used for generating electricity from wind and ocean resources.
The President disclosed the new plan which is to be run by the Interior Department. But he was quick to say that beyond the Earth Day project it is still necessary to develop a comprehensive energy plan that includes support for the development of alternative fuel sources, reducing dependence on foreign oil, dealing with climate change and creating new jobs.
Obama made an appearance at a wind turbine tower manufacturing plant in Newton. He emphasized that harnessed wind power can generate 20 percent of the country's electricity by 2030 and support 250,000 jobs. The President added it is part of "beginning a new era of energy exploration. In response to his critics, Obama said: “The real choice is between "prosperity and decline."
On an immediate basis, the United States needs to increase domestic production of oil and natural gas while developing alternative sources of energy. Over the long term new energy sources are needed to deal with climate change and in the process, strengthen the economy, Obama told the assembly.
Vice President Joe Biden on Earth Day
"Every day is Earth Day," said Biden during a visit today at a Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority training facility in Landover, Maryland.
Biden announced that $300 million in stimulus money will be allocated to state and local governments to help increase the numbers of clean and sustainable vehicles in cities across the country. The program is called the Clean Cities Alternative Fuel and Advanced Technology Vehicles Pilot Program.
In his announcement Biden said: "From advanced battery cars to hybrid-electric city buses, we're going put Recovery Act dollars to work deploying cleaner, greener vehicles in cities and towns across the nation that will cut costs, reduce pollution and create the jobs that will drive our economic recovery.”
- President Obama Condemns Iranian Leader’s Anti-Israel Rhetoric
- Obama Gravely Concerned Over Safety of American Journalist Jailed for Spying in Iran
President Obama Condemns Iranian Leader’s Anti-Israel Rhetoric
President Obama today condemned the anti-Israel rhetoric of Iranian leader Mahmoud Ahmadinejad who spoke on Monday at a U.N. anti-racism conference in Switzerland.
During his remarks, Ahmadinejad called Israel a "totally racist government". The Iranian leader blamed the West for creating "an entire nation homeless under the pretext of Jewish suffering ... in order to establish a totally racist government in occupied Palestine."
Throughout his diatribe, scores of international envoys left the room as Ahmadinejad said Israel has a "racist government" and has “committed genocide.”
Obama spoke to reporters following a White House meeting with Jordan's King Abdullah: “Iran is a very complicated country with a lot of different power centers. We will continue to pursue the possibility of improved relations and a resolution to some of the critical issues in which there have been differences, particularly around the nuclear issue."
The President’s disappointment with Iran over Ahmadinejad's remarks was clear. "Sadly, this is the kind of rhetoric that we've come to expect from President Ahmadinejad. Many of the statements that he’s made, particularly those directed at Israel, are appalling and objectionable."
President Obama expressed his concern that Ahmadinejad's comments were inflammatory and possibly detrimental “...not just with respect to the possibility of U.S.-Iranian relations, but to Iran's position in the world."
Obama Gravely Concerned Over Safety of American Journalist Jailed for Spying in Iran
President Barack Obama said Sunday he was "gravely concerned" about Roxana’s Saberi's safety and well-being and that charges of espionage were unfounded. Saberi was born to Iranian parents in the U.S. and travelled to Iran in 2003 as a journalist. Last week she was convicted of espionage and sentenced to eight years in prison. The proceedings were not made public and lasted only one day.
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said today Roxana Saberi is innocent and should be freed immediately: "We believe she should be freed immediately, that the charges against her are baseless and that she has been subjected to a process that has been non-transparent, unpredictable (and) arbitrary."
Ironically, on the same day that Iran shook its fist at the world again over Israel, the White House was hoping for a conciliatory end to Saberi’s case. Clinton expressed confidence in President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s request to Tehran’s prosecutor that Saberi be given access to a full defense on appeal.
There has been no comment from the White House since today’s earlier incendiary remarks by Ahmadinejad.
- President Obama Announces $100 million Savings Spree in Federal Government
President Obama met with his Cabinet today and gave them a mission to cut government spending by $100 million in the next three months.
Speaking at the White House today, President Obama said the federal government has "a confidence gap when it comes to the American people. We've got to earn their trust. They've got to feel confident that their dollars are being spent wisely."
The pronouncement today is one of the ways that Obama is seeking to change how the government operates and is perceived by Americans. One senior aide said it is the President’s “commitment to go line by line through the budget to cut spending".
As recess ended this week for the House of Representatives and Senate, Obama chose today to challenge his departments and agencies to cut $100 million. A paltry sum compared to the hefty trillions in the federal budget some critics charged.
White House press secretary Robert Gibbs was ready for the criticism saying the Obama administration knows that ordinary Americans would appreciate the savings effort in a trimmer government. Gibbs said flatly: "Only in Washington, D.C., is $100 million not a lot of money. It is where I'm from. It is where I grew up. And I think it is for hundreds of millions of Americans."
The President admitted: "None of these savings by themselves are going to solve our long-term fiscal problems. But taken together, they can make a difference, and they send a signal that we are serious about how government operates."
The White House issued a list of savings measures and how those savings add up. A few of the measures include:
- The Department of Homeland Security's plan to save an estimated $52 million over five years by purchasing office supplies in bulk.
- The Department of Agriculture's effort to consolidate 1,500 employees from seven locations into a single facility in 2011. Such a move has been estimated to save $62 million over a 15-year lease.
- The Department of Veterans Affairs will cancel or delay 26 conferences, saving nearly $17.8 million. The department also will use video-conferencing to cut costs.
- A Department of Education decision to increase the ratio of people using each printer is anticipated to save an additional $6.7 million. Cutting the ratio of computers per employee is expected to save another $2 million.
Obama also called upon Defense Secretary Robert Gates' plan to reform contracting procedures and eliminate billions in wasteful spending and cost overruns.
