During the past several years, President Obama and Congressional Democrats have been fighting hard on behalf of the American people. Working to secure economic stability, fairness, and opportunity and overcoming challenges largely inherited when President Obama took office. We can be proud of the following Democratic accomplishments: (excerpted from
DCCC). For a similar list showing the extent of Republican opposition to these efforts,
see here.
Ecomony:
- Economic Recovery Act: Saved the economy from the brink by creating and saving 3.5 million American jobs, providing tax cuts for 95% of American workers, and beginning to rebuild America’s road, rail, and water infrastructure, with unprecendented accountability. (Recovery Act more info here)
- HIRE Act: Creating 300,000 jobs with tax incentives for businesses hiring unemployed Americans, spurring small business investment, and unleashing investments to rebuild infrastructure
- Cash for Clunkers: Jump-starting the U.S. auto industry, with consumer incentives for trading in an old vehicle for one with higher fuel efficiency -- spurring the sale of 700,000 vehicles.
- Credit Cardholders' Bill of Rights: Ended predatory credit card practices.(more information about Wall Street Reform and the CARD Act)
Clean Energy:
- Made the largest investment in green technology in history.
- Raised fuel standards after years of stagnation and objection.
- Clean Energy Jobs bill that will make this generation a steward of the environment for generations to come.
Education:
- Student Aid & Fiscal Responsibility Act: Largest investment in college aid in history -- including expanding access to student loans -- while reducing the federal deficit by ending wasteful student loan subsidies to banks.(more information about Student Loan Reform here)
Fiscal Responsibility:
- Statutory Pay-As-You-Go: Restoring 1990s law that turned record deficits into surpluses; Congress must offset new policies that reduce revenues or expand entitlements.
Fighting Discrimination:
- Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act: Made equal pay for equal work more than a platitude. (more information here)
- Repealed Don’t Ask Don’t Tell: ends the discriminatory policy preventing gays and lesbians from serving in America’s armed forces (more info here)
- Enacted the Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Act: to extend federal protection to people who are victims of violent crime because of their gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability.
Health Care:
- Health Insurance Reform: Historic legislation putting American families and small business owners -- not the insurance companies -- in control of their own health care; lowering costs for middle class and small business; expanding health insurance for 32 million Americans; strengthening Medicare and lowering prescription drug costs; creating up to 4 million jobs; and reducing deficit by largest amount in almost two decades. (Affordable Care Act details here)
- Expanded SCHIP: increased health coverage to 4 million more low income American children and preserved coverage for 7 million children already enrolled.
Supreme Court:
- Appointed Supreme Court Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan: President Obama nominated and the Senate confirmed Associate Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan to the Supreme Court