Classroom Law Project Selecting the Next President

Handout 3

About Barack Obama

Barack Obama is the 44th President of the United States of America.

President Obama was born in Hawaii on August 4th, 1961, to a father from Kenya and a mother from Kansas. Growing up, he was also raised by his grandfather, who served in Patton's army, and his grandmother, who worked her way up from the secretarial pool to become middle management at a local bank.

After working his way through college with the help of scholarships and student loans, President Obama moved to Chicago, where he worked as an organizer to help rebuild communities devastated by the closure of local steel plants.

He went on to Harvard Law School, where he became the first African-American president of the Harvard Law Review. Upon graduation, he took a job teaching constitutional law at the University of Chicago. He also remained active in his community, leading a drive that registered more than 150,000 voters in Illinois leading up to the 1992 election.

Barack Obama was first elected to the Illinois State Senate in 1996. During his time in Springfield, he passed the first major ethics reform in 25 years, cut taxes for working families, and expanded health care for children and their parents. Elected to the U.S. Senate in 2004, he reached across the aisle to pass the farthest-reaching lobbyist reform in a generation, lock up the world's most dangerous weapons, and bring transparency to government by tracking federal spending online.

As President, Barack Obama has dedicated himself to putting Americans back to work and restoring economic security to middle-class families. He’s been driven by the basic values that make our country great: America prospers when we're all in it together, when hard work pays off and responsibility is rewarded, and when everyone—from Main Street to Wall Street—does their fair share and plays by the same rules.

Take the first step to join Obama for America, the President’s 2012 campaign, by signing up here for updates.

Accomplishments

·  Signed into law an economic plan that saved America from a depression, restored growth, and created or saved as many as 3.6 million jobs.

·  Signed into law landmark health insurance reform that holds insurance companies accountable, gives people and small businesses greater control of health care, and improves the quality of health care for all Americans.

·  Fought against Wall Street lobbyists to sign into law historic consumer protections and financial reforms that shield American families from unfair lending practices from credit card and mortgage companies, rein in the excesses of Wall Street, and work to prevent future financial crises.

·  Reformed the college loan system by ending subsidies to banks and using the money to make college more affordable. He also invested in community colleges that are providing Americans with the skills they need to succeed in today's economy.

·  Rescued the American auto industry, which saved millions of American jobs and helped GM and Chrysler become profitable again while repaying taxpayers.

·  Repealed “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” which makes it possible for individuals to serve in the military regardless of their sexual orientation.

·  Helped women get the equal pay they deserve by signing into law the Lilly Ledbetter Act.

·  Ended the war in Iraq, initiated a responsible drawdown of forces in Afghanistan, and ordered the operation that killed Osama bin Laden.

The President's Record

Barack Obama was elected President of the United States on November 4th, 2008, and sworn in on January 20th, 2009. He and his wife, Michelle, are the proud parents of two daughters: Malia, age 13, and Sasha, age 10. Another resident of the White House: the family dog, Bo.

Source:

Official Barack Obama campaign website,

http://www.barackobama.com/about/barack-obama?

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