Barack Obama News
Read news, analysis, and commentary on Barack Obama, his administration’s legacy, and his continuing impact on national debates.
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- News
Conservatives, GOP Committee Chairs Back Away From Bill Allowing States That Like Obamacare to Keep Obamacare
PHILADELPHIA–Republican leaders in Congress appear to be backing away from a plan supported by four GOP senators that would’ve kept Obamacare in place for states that like the law. According to a senior Republican aide, GOP committee chairmen, as well as conservative lawmakers, are moving against the bill introduced earlier this week by Republican Sens….Melissa Quinn -
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Congressional Delay Threatens Obamacare Repeal
The effort to repeal Obamacare may be headed in the wrong direction. That it could be so was unthinkable just a few short weeks ago when the GOP triumphantly returned to our nation’s capital with majorities in the House of Representatives and the Senate and control of the presidency for the first time since the…James Wallner -
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House Speaker Paul Ryan Slates Obamacare Repeal for Spring
PHILADELPHIA—House Speaker Paul Ryan told House and Senate Republicans that lawmakers likely won’t repeal and replace Obamacare until March or April. Speaking in the first major session of GOP lawmakers’ joint retreat in the City of Brotherly Love, Ryan said Wednesday that the health care law wouldn’t be repealed and subsequently replaced until spring. “What…Melissa Quinn -
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How to Talk About Repeal and Replace of Obamacare
It’s no secret that conservatives love numbers. Numbers are often cited as reasons one, two, and three to change an existing law or introduce a new initiative. Numbers matter. Numbers should be used to defend whatever policy position you take. But Americans don’t care about numbers unless they know how those numbers affect them and…Beverly Hallberg -
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A Look at 4 of the GOP’s Obamacare Replacement Plans
As Republicans debate their strategy for repealing and replacing Obamacare, GOP lawmakers have been accused of failing to put forth a replacement plan for the health care law. But since President Barack Obama signed the Affordable Care Act into law in 2010, Republicans in both the House and Senate have unveiled a number of proposals…Melissa Quinn -
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8 Reasons Why Obamacare Should Be Repealed
As the debate over repealing Obamacare intensifies, it’s important to remember the law’s most glaring failures. Here are eight: 1) Costs Despite repeated promises of premium reductions, Obamacare has delivered major increases. In the employer-sponsored market, costs continue to increase. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, average family premiums for employer-sponsored plans have increased almost…Alyene Senger -
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Obama’s Nuclear Legacy Leaves America and Allies Less Safe
In his Jan. 11 remarks on nuclear weapons policy, the outgoing Vice President Joe Biden praised former President Barack Obama’s nuclear weapons policy. In reality, there are very few grounds for congratulations when it comes to Obama’s legacy. Take, for example, the Iran deal. Biden argued that the administration got the deal through a combination…Michaela Dodge -
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Victim’s Son Decries Obama’s Commutation of Puerto Rico Terrorist Group Leader
Joe Connor celebrated his ninth birthday four days before his father was killed in a bombing at New York’s landmark Fraunces Tavern in 1975. The bombing was the most notorious act of violence committed by Fuerzas Armadas de Liberación Nacional, or FALN, a terrorist group that in the 1970s and early ’80s waged an unsuccessful,…Josh Siegel -
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Obama’s Legacy Is a Weaker and More Divided America
Americans voted in November for seismic change, but our outgoing president is still as clueless as ever about the nation he governed. In his farewell speech-cum-lecture earlier this month, President Barack Obama proclaimed that he made America better by “almost every measure.” The statement goes far beyond optimism, and lands squarely in the realm of…Hans von Spakovsky -
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Amid Republican Criticism, Obama Defends Chelsea Manning Commutation
President Barack Obama used his final press conference to defend his decision to commute the sentence of former Army Pfc. Chelsea Manning, formerly known as Bradley Manning. “Chelsea Manning has served a tough prison sentence, so the notion that the average person who was thinking about disclosing vital classified information would think that it goes…Rachel del Guidice -
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Obama’s Commutation of Manning Sentence Sends a Horrible Message to Service Personnel
Exercising his authority under Article II, Section 2 of the U.S. Constitution, President Barack Obama commuted the court-martial sentence of convicted felon Chelsea Manning, formerly known as Bradley Manning. Although there is no dispute that Obama had the legal authority to commute the former Army private first class’ sentence, the president and his advisers had…Cully Stimson -
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Obama Told Us ‘Elections Have Consequences.’ Here’s One Way to Reverse His Liberal Legacy.
“Elections have consequences, and at the end of the day, I won.” These were the infamous words President Barack Obama used to scold congressional Republicans just three days after his inauguration in 2009, foreshadowing how he would approach policymaking for the next eight years. Rather than listening to and trying to work with Republicans, Obama…Sen. Mike Lee -
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Obama Isn’t Planning to Be as Silent as Bush in Post-Presidency
President Barack Obama says he appreciated George W. Bush’s silence during his eight years in office. Now, as the current president prepares for life outside the White House, his aides have given mixed messages about just how political Obama will be during the Trump administration. Obama has said speaking out on policy won’t be his…Fred Lucas -
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Obama’s Strange Pattern of Concessions to Cuba’s Communists
There seems to be something about Cuba’s military dictators that really fascinates our 44th president. Cuba was the first item President Barack Obama mentioned when he enumerated his foreign policy “achievements” in his farewell address; and with just a week to go, he has rushed anew to make concessions to the communists in Havana. The concessions…Mike Gonzalez -
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Why Obamacare’s ‘20 Million’ Number Is Fake
Liberals are notorious for caring about “groups” of people, but when it gets down to individual persons, not so much. You’re about to see this play out in spades as Democrats cry crocodile tears over the coming repeal of Obamacare. You hear it over and over again: “This will be catastrophic for the 20 million…Genevieve Wood -
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House Takes Major Step in Repealing of Obamacare
The House of Representatives took a major first step in repealing Obamacare, voting 227 to 198 on a resolution package that lays the framework for rolling back the health care law. “We’re moving forward with a yes today, because … nearly every Republican ever who has arrived here since 2010 since this horrible piece of legislation…Rachel del Guidice -
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What Happens for Consumers After Congress Repeals Obamacare
All the talk about congressional Republicans preparing to repeal Obamacare may have some Americans on edge, but GOP lawmakers say they intend to craft a plan that will phase out the health care law to ensure a “stable transition” for consumers who depend on it. Republicans say they want consumers to keep their health coverage,…Melissa Quinn -
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New Numbers Show Strong Support for Repealing Obamacare
Practically since Obamacare became law, Republicans in Congress have been promising to repeal it. The law has been consistently unpopular during that time as well. With the election of President-elect Donald Trump, it seems as though those promises and unpopularity are about to coalesce into real repeal. As the prospect of repeal becomes more and…Elizabeth Fender -
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What You Need to Know About the Process Republicans Are Using to Repeal Obamacare
There’s a lot of talk about the procedure Republicans are using to dismantle Obamacare, but what exactly is reconciliation and how does it work? Reconciliation is a budget tool used for legislation that changes taxes, spending, or the deficit. The procedure is especially powerful in the Senate, since a reconciliation bill only needs 51 votes…Melissa Quinn -
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Why Quick Repeal of Obamacare Should Come Before Replacement
When it comes to Obamacare, the buzzwords on Capitol Hill this week have been “repeal” and “replace.” As for the timing of which happens when, well, it depends on who you ask. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has said replace will follow “soon after” repeal. At The Heritage Foundation, we have echoed that plan. However,…Rachel Bovard