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
Obama Administration Seeks to Quell Fears About Syrian Refugee Program
Officials overseeing the government refugee program Syrian refugees would be part of to come to the United States sought Thursday to quell the American people’s fears about the program, calling it “rigorous” and “robust.” During a hearing held by the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration and Border Security, Obama administration officials who oversee the U.S…. -
news
Republicans Introduce Resolutions Declaring Obama’s Paris Climate Deal Should Need Senate Approval
Sen. Mike Lee on Thursday introduced a resolution “expressing the sense of Congress” that President Barack Obama should submit an international climate deal expected to be struck in Paris next month to the Senate for its approval. The measure was filed as a “concurrent resolution,” meaning it represents the views of both chambers of Congress,… -
news
Senate Republicans Vow ‘No Money’ for Obama’s International Climate Deal If Congress Can’t Approve It
Senate Republicans emphasized Wednesday that they will fight the Obama administration for the right to review an international climate deal expected to be struck in Paris next month. At a hearing of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, GOP lawmakers insisted they should be able to review and vote on a deal that… -
opinion
After Paris, Obama’s Abandonment of Leadership
On Nov. 12, President Barack Obama said of ISIS: “What is true is that from the start, our goal has been first to contain, and we have contained them.” On Nov. 13, ISIS-connected terrorists left 129 people dead and 352 wounded in Paris. ISIS naturally dominated Obama’s Monday press conference at the G20 summit in… -
news
Is Obama Doing Enough to Defeat ISIS? Experts Weigh In
In the aftermath of the Paris terror attacks, President Barack Obama is projecting confidence in his strategy against the Islamic State, arguing for patience and diplomacy over an escalation of military force. Critics, meanwhile, believe that America needs to respond more aggressively or risk losing its credibility, although most of these detractors stop short of… -
news
After Paris Attacks, This Senator Wants to Block Obama’s Syrian Refugee Plan
Congress should cancel President Obama’s “blank check” for resettling Syrian refugees here in the wake of the bloody Islamic State attacks in Paris that left hundreds dead or wounded, a prominent senator on immigration issues urged today. “Our track record on screening is very poor.”—@SenatorSessions Obama’s plan to include at least 1,000 Syrian refugees among… -
opinion
The Two Good Things in the Terrible Boehner-Obama Budget Deal
The recent Boehner-Obama budget deal is bad public policy. Formally known as the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015, it’s devoid of serious entitlement reform and allows the already crushing national debt to crash through a $18.1-trillion ceiling. Indeed, the debt literally jumped $339 billion the very same day President Obama signed the deal into law. But sometimes, even… -
opinion
Did Obama and Bibi Bury the Hatchet This Week?
It was a lot like one of those holiday family get-togethers. You know, one of those annual gatherings that are well-intentioned expressions of love and affection but are simultaneously pregnant with tensions built up over the years among the attending relatives. When that trying day of togetherness at Grandma’s house ends without the expected fusillade… -
opinion
Court Deals Third Blow to Obama’s Amnesty by Executive Action
On Monday night, a three-judge panel on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit struck a blow to President Barack Obama’s attempt to confer lawful presence and work authorizations on more than four million illegal immigrants. In a 2-1 decision, the panel ruled that a preliminary injunction that blocks Obama’s “Deferred Action for… -
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… -
news
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… -
opinion
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… -
opinion
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… -
opinion
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… -
news
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… -
opinion
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,… -
opinion
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… -
news
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,… -
opinion
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… -
news
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…