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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- Opinion
Obama’s Next Act of Executive Overreach
Treating Congress as a nuisance rather than as a co-equal branch of government has been a hallmark of President Obama’s tenure. When confronted with congressional opposition to his priorities, Obama simply moves ahead with his agenda, stretching executive authority to its constitutional limits and beyond. A Pattern of Executive Overreach A few recent examples: When…Rachel Bovard -
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How Conservatives Reacted to Obama’s #KeystoneXL Announcement
President Barack Obama announced that his administration will not authorize construction of the Keystone XL oil pipeline during remarks at the White House on Friday. “This morning, Secretary Kerry informed me that, after extensive public outreach and consultation with other Cabinet agencies, the State Department has decided that the Keystone XL Pipeline would not serve the…Kate Scanlon -
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Obama’s NDAA Veto Puts Him in a Bind for Round 2
This week Congress should pass the 2016 defense authorization bill—again. It will be virtually identical to the one that President Obama vetoed just weeks ago. The only change: a $5-billion reduction in costs so it complies with the budget deal reached last week. But passage of the updated authorization is no done deal. If Obama sticks to his…Justin Johnson -
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Obama’s New Anti-ISIS Boots on the Ground in Syria: Too Little, Too Late?
There’s a lot of confusion about the announcement by the White House late last week about the upcoming deployment of U.S. special operations forces to Syria, especially after President Obama repeatedly promised—going back to 2013—no “boots on the ground.” If you’re perplexed by the news, don’t feel bad. There’s no shortage of people who are…Peter Brookes -
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9 Reasons Why Obama Just Made Wrong Decision on Keystone Pipeline
It took President Barack Obama only 2,604 days to reject the permit application for the Keystone XL pipeline. In a statement today, Obama said the pipeline “would not serve the national interest of the United States.” “America is now a global leader when it comes to taking serious action to fight climate change,” Obama added. “And…Nicolas Loris -
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Sen. Mike Lee: Congress Must Have a Say Before Obama Commits to ‘Unilateral’ International Climate Change Plan
Sen. Mike Lee warned the Obama administration on Wednesday that it should reconsider its plan to not submit for congressional approval an international climate change agreement that could be signed later next month. To avoid the inevitable objection of congressional Republicans, the Obama administration has indicated it plans to work-around the constitutional requirement that a…Josh Siegel -
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As Other Nations Look North, Obama Administration Falls Behind in Arctic
In U.S. Arctic policy, President Barack Obama has focused on climate change. He also officially changed the name of Mt. McKinley to Denali, a decision the administration is touting as one of its Arctic accomplishments. Yet while the Obama administration views America’s Arctic territory as little more than a location for rubber-stamping its climate agenda,…Tyler Hanley -
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What This College President Thinks Obama’s College Scorecard Is Missing
The U.S. Department of Education has released its “College Scorecard,” a searchable college-affordability database that President Obama described as containing “reliable data on every institution of higher education.” Unfortunately, that simply isn’t true. I can say so as a president of a college excluded from the scorecard. This scorecard generally poses risks to institutional autonomy and…Paul McNulty -
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Obama Announces Executive Action to Help Reintegrate Former Inmates Into Society
President Barack Obama announced a string of proposals Monday to help former inmates reintegrate into their communities in the latest extension of the White House’s push for criminal justice reform. Following a visit to a drug rehabilitation center in Newark, New Jersey, Obama unveiled small steps aimed toward easing the transition from prison to society,…Natalie Johnson -
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Two Reasons to Reject Obama’s ‘Clean Power Plan’ for Climate Change
It is difficult to see how a U.S. envoy to Paris for the climate deal will convince the United Nations that Americans support President Obama’s promise to cut carbon dioxide emissions. The cornerstone of Obama’s promise to the U.N. is called the “Clean Power Plan.” Developed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the plan is a…Katie Tubb -
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The Significance of Obama’s Move to Deploy American Troops to Help Fight ISIS in Syria
For the first time, President Barack Obama will deploy a small ground force to Syria to assist the fight against ISIS terrorists there. Though the White House is describing the move as an expansion of their current strategy to help local Syrian Arab and Kurdish forces fight ISIS, experts say the decision to send less…Josh Siegel -
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On Afghanistan, Obama’s Supporters and Detractors Not Whom You’d Expect
In response to what he called a “fragile” security situation in Afghanistan, President Obama recently announced plans to leave about 5,500 U.S. troops there when he leaves office. Yet more Americans paid attention to who was voted off “The Voice.” Many of us treat the battles in the birthplace of 9/11 like most other foreign…James Carafano -
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Jonah Goldberg Talks Obama’s Inability to Compromise
Putting politics ahead of policy is nothing new in Washington but author and commentator Jonah Goldberg says President Obama has taken it to a new level. In an interview with The Daily Signal, Goldberg said from gun control to immigration to budget battles, Obama may talk about compromise but at the end of the day,…Genevieve Wood -
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See How Your Senators Voted on the Boehner-Obama Budget Deal
Less than five days after it was introduced, the Senate passed the 144-page, two-year budget deal that suspends the debt limit until March 2017 and raises spending caps. The Senate passed the budget deal, 64-35, just after 3 a.m. on Friday. Thirty-five Republican senators opposed the deal, though it was not enough to stop the bill…Melissa Quinn -
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Find Out How Your Congressman Voted on the Boehner-Obama Budget Deal
Despite overwhelming opposition from the majority of Republicans, the House of Representatives voted to pass a two-year budget deal today that raises spending caps by $80 billion and suspends the debt limit through March 2017. The deal passed, 266-167, with support from moderate Republicans and all but one of the Democrats. Just 79 Republicans supported…Melissa Quinn -
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Lame Ducks, Lame Deal: The Boehner-Obama Budget Plan
When I had just started to raise a family, and I struggled to make my small business turn a profit, I had to make decisions about what bills to pay based on priorities and due dates. Sometimes, the struggle to balance the checkbook would be a painful one, and we had to do without some…Jim DeMint -
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Sens. Lee, Sessions Blast Boehner-Obama Budget Deal For Being ‘Drafted in Secret’
The chairman and former chairman of the Senate Steering Committee, a group of the most conservative senators, are urging their colleagues to oppose the budget deal crafted by congressional leaders on both sides of the aisle. Republican Sens. Mike Lee of Utah and Jeff Sessions of Alabama, the current and former chairs of the committee,…Melissa Quinn -
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What’s Wrong With Obama’s ‘Aggressive’ Plan to Limit School Testing
From the administration that brought you Common Core national standards and tests comes the news that the White House and Department of Education now are worried about too much testing in schools. Take the Obama administration’s concerns with a grain of salt, however: The new recommendations to cap assessments are unlikely to reduce any perceived…Lindsey Burke -
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Paul Ryan Will Support Boehner-Obama Budget Deal
Rep. Paul Ryan, the leading candidate to be the next House speaker, announced today he will support the budget deal negotiated by Speaker John Boehner and President Barack Obama. Ryan’s announcement comes a day after he criticized Boehner and Obama’s backroom dealmaking, which led to the spending package. In addition to raising the $18.1 trillion…Robert B. Bluey -
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Democrats Rally Around Boehner-Obama Budget Deal While Conservatives Resist
House Speaker John Boehner’s budget deal has earned him praise from the White House and congressional Democrats, but conservatives are unhappy with the package, saying the outgoing speaker “burned the barn down.” Flanked by Republican House leadership at a press conference this morning, Boehner officially announced the deal and said he was confident that the…Melissa Quinn