Life
Is Barack Obama’s presidency aging badly?
OPINION – The optimism of ‘Yes We Can’ and ‘Change We Can Believe In’ has turned into the pessimism of ‘if not now when’ and ‘if not you, who?’…
President Obama turns 50 years old today. More than half-way through his first term, is the Obama presidency going through a mid-life crisis? A mid-life crisis comes for many adults at a turning point in life (or an administration) where an individual takes stock of where they are and makes adjustments based upon where they believe they need to be.
Most people who go through this process will balance their successes in life such as career, family, and health, against challenges such as debt – personal or national and loss – familial or legislative.
As President Obama takes stock of the accomplishments of his administration there is a lot to be proud of. In 2009 he signed the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act into law. The data shows American women who work full-time are paid only 77 cents for every dollar paid to their male counterparts. African-American women make only 62 cents, and Hispanic women only 53 cents, for every dollar earned by white, non-Hispanic men.
Simply put, this legislation resets the 180 day statute of limitations for filing an equal-pay claim with every paycheck received, making it easier for women who have been discriminated against to seek redress.
He signed the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act making it easier to prosecute individuals and groups who engage in crimes motivated by a victim’s actual or perceived race, gender, disability, or sexual orientation. He signed the repeal of the controversial of the military’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy.
The Credit CARD Act was signed in 2009 along with the extension of the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), and the Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act making it easier for students to qualify for financial aid and increased Pell Grants making it easier for students to pay for college.
Many believe that the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act signed in 2010 could be the most significant piece of legislation enacted to date by the Obama administration. This law reforms the private health insurance industry and public health insurance programs, to improve coverage for those with pre-existing conditions, expands access to care for over 30 million Americans, and reduces the long term costs of the U.S. health care system.
In the minds of many these accomplishments, as significant as they are have not been enough. The optimism of “Yes We Can” and “Change We Can Believe In” has turned into the pessimism of “if not now when” and “if not you, who?”
