It is inevitable for constituents to criticize elected officials and to hold them accountablefor promises made while campaigning; criticism of enacted or proposed presidential legislation is no exception. With such recent tragedies as the shooting of Rep. Gabrielle

Giffords (D-Arizona) and with GOP efforts underway to stop President Obama’s Health

Care legislation, allow me to highlight some positive accomplishments set forth by the

Obama Administration. A recent report, released and written by Organizing for America,

a grassroots organization dedicated to supporting President Obama, aims to highlight the

many accomplishments enacted into law by our 44th President.

I’ve been reviewing some literature on this subject. “Promises Kept, President Obama’s First Two Years in Office” is a compilation of the

current administration’s legislative successes that I’ve come across recently. Sections highlighted include legislation

pertaining to the economy, health care reform, national security, education and civil

rights. Among the accomplishments highlighted are economic reforms such as the

Recovery Act, Wall Street reform, middle class tax cuts and credit card reform. Regarding

health care, we saw the Affordable Health Care Act and the expansion of the states

Children’s Health Insurance Program. National Security policies included ending

combat in Iraq and nuclear weapons reforms. For students, Obama enacted student

lending reforms and a new GI Bill for those who serve in our military. Civil rights

victories included a repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell and the Matthew Shepard and James

Byrd Jr. Hate Crime Prevention Act as well as fair pair for woman legislation including

the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act.

Despite some criticism that the President has not done enough or that he has tackled the

wrong issues, the list is very impressive and comprehensive. It is illogical to think that

the President can appeal to popular opinion or to the desires of Congress at all times,

therefore inevitably, some will be unsatisfied with the President’s agenda thus far.

Personally, I would have liked to see immigration reform and a more directed attempt

to assist homeowner’s who purchased homes during the housing bubble. I also would

have liked to have the President highlight other important legislation passed during his

first two years such as the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act (H.R.

1256) which allows the Food and Drug Administration to regulate the tobacco industry.

Evident of this exclusion is evidence that the report is not all inclusive of all that was

accomplished.

It does not have to be mentioned that there is much more to do but we must also bring

to light the many accomplishments of this current administration despite the many

challenges that Obama has been faced with including war, economic instability, high

unemployment and strong resistance to health care reform initiatives. By highlighting

the many positives, we as a people are encouraged that change will and does come

and that the aspirations of this country, bipartisan politics aside, is to uplift this nation

and improve the lives of its inhabitants which is exactly the direction that the policies

administered in the first two years have powerfully demonstrated.