What has Obama actually done as a Senator?

Question

OK, we're always talking about experience. And, words are cheap. So, what has Obama done in the US Senate that shows he can get things done and lead? PLEASE give me an example of something he's done and not something he has SAID.

p.s. My question is sincere. I really just don't know what he's done. I just hear him speaking and speaking about change. But, I want to know if he's actually done something... if his "inspiring" has actually manifested in great things while he's been a Senator.

Thanks!!!

Answer 1

IDK

The only ones who have money so they can do something good with it achieve success all on their own.

Did he have money? No. So no he hasn't done what John McCain has.

Answer 2

There's too much to list, so here's the link...happy reading, it's LONG.  This also includes his 8 years in the state senate (I think)...you might need to click a few links to find everything because apparently this isn't the whole deal.

By the way, I'm a moderate not a Democrat apologist, and I just found this in Google in less than five seconds.  Everyone else who says "not a d**n thing" or "he hasn't done anything" are just making themselves look pretty bad.

Answer 3

smoke cigarettes drink coffee "vote for me"  

Answer 4

Request leave to run for President.

Answer 5

Of the 15 bills Senator Obama sponsored or co-sponsored in 2005-7 that became law:

Two addressed foreign policy:

Promote relief, security and democracy in the Congo (2125)

Develop democratic institutions in areas under Palestinian control (2370).

Three addressed public health:

Improve mine safety (2803)

Increased breast cancer funding (597)

Reduce preterm delivery and complications, reduce infant mortality (707).

Two addressed openness and accountability in government:

Strengthening the Freedom of Information Act (2488)

Full disclosure of all entities receiving federal funds (2590)

Two addressed national security

Extend Terrorist Risk Insurance (467)

Amend the Patriot Act (2167)

One addressed the needs of the Armed Forces

Wave passport fees to visit graves, attend memorials/funerals of veterans abroad (1184).

Of the 570 bills Senator Obama introduced into the Senate during the 109th and 110th Congress  (Senate Bill numbers are in parentheses), they can be summarized as follows:

25 addressed Energy Efficiency and Climate Change

Suspend royalty relief for oil and gas (115)

Reduce dependence on oil; use of alternative energy sources (133)

Increase fuel economy standards for cars (767, 768)

Auto industry incentives for fuel efficient vehicles (1151)

Reduce green house gas emissions (1324)

Establish at NSF a climate change education program (1389)

Increase renewable content of gasoline (2202)

Energy emergency relief for small businesses and farms (269)

Strategic gasoline and fuel reserves (1794)

Alternative diesel standards (3554)

Coal to liquid fuel promotion (3623)

Renewable diesel standards (1920)

Reducing global warming pollution from vehicles (2555)

Fuel security and consumer choice (1994, 2025)

Alternative energy refueling system (2614)

Climate change education (1389)

Low income energy assistance (2405)

Oil savings targets (339)

Fuel economy reform (3694)

Plug-in electric drive vehicles (1617)

Nuclear release notice (2348)

Passenger rail investment (294)

Energy relief for low income families (2405)

21 addressed Health Care

Drug re-importation (334)

Health information technology (1262, 1418)

Discount drug prices (2347)

Health care associated infections (2278)

Hospital quality report cards (692, 1824)

Medical error disclosure and compensation (1784)

Emergency medical care and response (1873)

Stem cell research (5)

Medical Malpractice insurance (1525)

Health centers renewal (901, 3771)

Children’s health insurance (401)

Home health care (2061)

Medicare independent living (2103)

Microbicides for HIV/AIDS (823)

Ovarian cancer biomarker research (2569)

Gynological cancers (1172)

Access to personalized medicine through use of human genome (976)

Paralysis research and care (1183)

20 addressed Public Health:

Violence against women (1197)

Biodefense and pandemic preparedness and response (1821, 1880)

Viral influenza control (969)

End homelessness (1518)

Reduce STDs/unintended pregnancy (1790)

Smoking prevention and tobacco control (625)

Minority health improvement and disparity elimination (4024)

Nutrition and physical education in schools (2066)

Health impact assessments (1067, 2506)

Healthy communities (1068)

Combat methamphetamines (2071)

Paid sick leave (910)

Prohibit mercury sales (833, 1818)

Prohibit sale of lead products (1306, 2132)

Lead exposure in children (1811, 2132)

14 address Consumer Protection/Labor

Stop unfair labor practices (842)

Fair minimum wage (2, 1062, 2725, 3829)

Internet freedom (2917)

Credit card safety (2411)

Media ownership (2332)

Protecting taxpayer privacy (2484)

Working family child assistance (218)

Habeus Corpus Restoration (185)

Bankruptcy protection for employees and retirees (2092)

FAA fair labor management dispute resolution (2201)

Working families flexibility (2419).

13 addressed the Needs of Veterans and the Armed Forces:

Improve Benefits (117)

Suicide prevention (479)

Needs of homeless veterans (1180)

Homes for veterans (1084)

GI Bill enhancement (43)

Military job protection

Dignity in care for wounded vets (713)

Housing assistance for low income veterans (1084)

Military children in public schools (2151)

Military eye injury research and care (1999)

Research physical/mental health needs from Iraq War (1271)

Proper administration of discharge for personality disorder (1817, 1885)

Security of personal data of veterans (3592)

12 addressed Congressional Ethics and Accountability

Lobbying and ethics reform (230)

Stop fraud (2280)

Legislative transparency and accountability (525)

Open government (2180, 2488)

Restoring fiscal discipline (10)

Transparency and integrity in earmarks (2261)

Accountability of conference committee deliberations and reports (2179)

Federal funding accountability and transparency (2590)

Accountability and oversight for private security functions under Federal

contract (674)

Accountability for contractors and personnel under federal contracts

(2147) Resctrictions awarding government contracts (2519)

10 addressed Foreign Policy:

Iraq war de-escalation (313)

US policy for Iraq (433),

Divestiture from Iran (1430)

Sudan divestment authorization (831)

Millennium Development Goals (2433)

Multilateral debt relief (1320)

Development bank reform (1129)

Nuclear nonproliferation (3131,977,2224).

9 address Voting/Elections

Prohibit deceptive practices in Federal elections (453)

Voter access to polls and services in Federal elections (737)

Voter intimidation and deceptive practices (1975)

Senate campaign disclosure parity (185)

Require reporting for bundled campaign contributions (2030)

Election jamming prevention (4102)

Campaign disclosure parity (223)

Presidential funding (2412)

Integrity of electronic voting systems (1487)

11 addressed Education

Increase access of low income African Americans to higher education (1513)

Establish teaching residency programs (1574)

Increase early intervention services (2111)

Middle school curriculum improvements (2227)

Public database of scholarships, fellowships and financial aid (2428)

Summer learning programs (116)

TANF financial education promotion (924)

Higher education (1642)

Build capacity at community colleges (379)

Campus law enforcement in emergencies (1228)

Support for teachers (2060).

6 addressed Hurrican Katrina

Hurricane Katrina recovery (2319)

Emergency relief (1637)

Bankruptcy relief and community protection (1647)

Working family tax relief (2257)

Fair wages for recovery workers (1749)

Gulf coast infrastructure redevelopment (1836)

5 addressed the Environment

Drinking water security (218, 1426)

Water resources development (728)

Waste water treatment (1995)

Combat illegal logging (1930)

Spent nuclear fuel tracking and Acountability (1194)

Asian Carp Prevention and Control Act (Introduced in Senate)[S.726.IS ]

4 addressed Discrimination

Claims for  civil class action based on discrimination (1989)

Domestic partnership benefits (2521)

Unresolved civil rights crimes (535)

Equality or two parent families (2286)

4 addressed Homeland Security

Judicial review of FISA orders (2369)

National emergency family locator (1630)

Amend US Patriot Act (2167)

Chemical security and safety (2486)

Answer 6

Nothing really. 143 days in the Senate, then ran for president.

Senators do not govern anything actually. They have committee meetings and "Legislative functions" where they give speeches and blow hot air mostly.

Answer 7

As a senator? I dunno but I don't support him. You can always find out at http://obama.senate.gov/  

Answer 8

Led the way in passing a new ethics reform bill, on the heels of the big Abramoff scandal.

Answer 9

Not a d**n thing.

Answer 10

looked really s**y

Answer 11

Not a d**n thing

Answer 12

Have you really not been paying attention to his campaign? Have you really not researched what he's done?

But you can definitely find where he's not a citizen can't you? But you can definitely find where he's Muslim can't you? Learn what's important and stick to it.  

Answer 13

Ok, let's talk politics.

What have YOU done as a voter? What changes have you specifically made by voting? I mean something major here... What has your singular vote done to chance the face of this nation?

Don't answer too quickly now....

OK now that we're past that, what do you expect Obama's 1 vote to do?

Voting makes a difference, as does Senate voting, but the majority still rules either way.

And honestly, what has ANY Senator in all of history really changed? And don't give me that "McCain's a maverick" c**p, he didn't CHANGE a d**n thing...

Answer 14

State senate :

Adds health insurance for 20,000 children, Welfare reform,

Earned income tax credit, increased minimum wage ($5.15 to

$6.50). Death penalty reform making interrogations be video

taped passed Senate 58-0, signed to law by governor who first

opposed Obama’s bill. Sponsored bill probing police profiling.

Obama opposed Iraq war publically, long before the invasion.

Accurately depicted it as undetermined length, undetermined

cost, undetermined objective, resulting as civil war. Same

assessment Bush Sr. & d**k Cheney both gave in early 90’s.

Federal senate :

Worked with republican senator Lugar to expand and author

program to locate & dismantle stray Russian WMD’s left over

from the cold war after the disbanding of the USSR.

Jan. 2007, major ethics/lobbying reform bill, w/ Russ Feingold

insisted tougher measures banning lobbyist gifts/ meals/ jets,

disclosure of earmark & contribution bundling to candidates or

committees; restricts retiring Congress from going into lobbying

Toured Kuwait, Jordan, Israel, Palestinian territories, he told

Palestinian Authority Abbas that US would never recognize

Hamas leaders until they renounced mission to attack Israel.

In Africa, publicly took AIDS test as example of responsibility

Obama cosponsored Secure Orderly Immigration Act by John

McCain. Passed 62-36. Makes undocumented persons who

have been here 5+ years only allowed to stay and apply for

citizenship, if pay back taxes, learn English and no criminal

record. 2 million undocumented persons who have been in the

United States for less than two years would be ordered home.

Called for increased fuel efficiency standards (3% / year)

10 years of senate experience (8 state senate 2 federal)

with much aisle crossing bi-partisan solutions. In state

senate, sponsored 780 bills, 280 were signed into law.

100% approval rating: League of Conservation Voters,

Planned Parenthood. National Education Association

gives him an “A” on their most recent scorecard.

His first year as U.S. Senator, Obama held 39 town hall

meetings throughout Illinois, and in senate, sponsored

152 bills and resolutions, and cosponsored 427 more.

Obama passed legislation with Republican Senator Jim Talent to

give gas stations a tax credit for installing E85 ethanol refueling

pumps. The tax credit covers 30 percent of the costs of switching one

or more traditional petroleum pumps to E85, which is an 85 percent

ethanol/15 percent gasoline blend.

After a number of inmates on death row were found innocent,

Senator Obama worked with law enforcement officials to require the

videotaping of interrogations and confessions in all capital cases.

His first law was passed with Republican Tom Coburn, a measure to

rebuild trust in government by allowing every American to go online

and see how and where every dime of their tax dollars is spent.

Obama created the Illinois Earned Income Tax Credit for

low-income working families in 2000 and successfully sponsored a

measure to make the credit permanent in 2003. The law offered

about $105 million in tax relief over three years.

Obama joined forces with former U.S. Sen. Paul Simon (D-IL) to pass

the toughest campaign finance law in Illinois history. The legislation

banned the personal use of campaign money by Illinois legislators

and banned gifts from lobbyists. Before the law was passed, one

organization ranked Illinois worst among 50 states for its campaign

finance regulations.

As a member of the Veterans' Affairs Committee, Senator Obama

has fought to help Illinois veterans get the disability pay they were

promised, while working to prepare the VA for the return of the

thousands of veterans who will need care after Iraq and Afghanistan.

He traveled to Russia with Republican d**k Lugar to begin a new

generation of non-proliferation efforts designed to find and secure

deadly weapons around the world.

Obama has been a leading advocate for protecting the right to vote, helping to reauthorize the Voting Rights Act and leading the opposition against discriminatory barriers to voting.

In the U.S. Senate, Obama introduced the STOP FRAUD Act to

increase penalties for mortgage fraud and provide more protections

for low-income homebuyers, well before the current subprime crisis

began.

Obama sponsored legislation to combat predatory payday loans,

and he also was credited with lobbied the state to more closely

regulate some of the most egregious predatory lending practices.

Barack Obama introduced the Patriot Employer Act of 2007 to

provide a tax credit to companies that maintain or increase the

number of full-time workers in America relative to those outside the

US; maintain their corporate headquarters in America; pay decent

wages; prepare workers for retirement; provide health insurance;

and support employees who serve in the military.

Obama worked to pass a number of laws in Illin

Answer 15

He has done a lot:

Do you think it is easy to write in "present" over 130 times and not vote on issues?

Do you think it is easy to go to church and cheer on Rev. Wright for over 20 years?

Do you think it is easy to s***w over the good people of ILL. and leave them with the highest taxes of any state?

Do you think it is easy to have secret meetings with Ayers?

Do you think it is easy to not salute our flag and write books about how you hate whites?

Answer 16

He has done nothing and herein lies the problem.

Answer 17

I would love to know too...

hmm i've noticed that none of the dems have taken this one on haha

Answer 18

Reading the entirety of the post about Obama's experience, he doesn't have a major bill that he spearheaded. He co-sponsored a few minor ones but that seems to be the limit. He has called for reform in a few areas, areas that need it. However, few if any had been followed up with actual legislation, sponsored by obama or not. But lets face it, a single senator will rarely have much impact. Senators aren't really leaders in the same way that a member of the executive branch is, like a governor, for example.

Bottom line, he calls for change but hasn't really actually done anything substantal

Answer 19

He voted twice for the born alive bill, saying it is acceptable to kill a baby born in partial birth abortion.

He voted "present most of the time, meaning not yes or no, just trying to appease everyone.

Answer 20

He has claimed to have had a hand in Campaign Finance Reform but Last I checked the Bill was introduced as McCain Feingold.  Hmmm that would mean, uh, I can't think of anything.  Sorry