In a little more than two weeks, U.S. President Barack Obama will say goodbye to the White House and conclude his eight-year tenure as president of the United States. Obama was elected in November 2008 in a sweeping wave of optimism and then was re-elected in 2012.
During those two terms, the president experienced his fair share of ups and downs. Obama faced fierce opposition from Republicans in the House of Representatives and in the Senate, which made passing legislation difficult for him, particularly in the later years of his administration.
As the world prepares for president-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration on Jan. 20 and Republican leaders have already taken the first steps to dismantle one of Obama’s signature pieces of legislation, the Affordable Care Act, the outgoing president’s legacy is being debated.
Carleton University political science professor Melissa Haussman spoke to CTV’s Your Morning from Ottawa on Thursday to share what she thinks were the highest and lowest points in Obama’s presidency.
Lowest points:
Gun control
Haussman said she believes the lowest point during Obama’s eight years in office was his inability to enact concrete gun control legislation. During his presidency, six of the 12 deadliest shootings in U.S. history took place, including the mass killing at an Orlando gay nightclub in 2016, the massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newton, Conn. in 2012 and the shooting at an office in San Bernardino, Calif. in 2015.
Haussman said the U.S. Congress is too “beholden” to the National Rifle Association (NRA) and their influence has made it difficult for Obama to pass substantial legislation, such as mandatory background checks for gun buyers. She also said there are far too many loopholes for gun shows, online sales and private transactions in the current legislation.
“We know guns are a huge problem in the United States. Hopefully the incoming president realizes it and tries to do something about it,” Haussman said.
Supreme Court appointment
The second-lowest moment in Obama’s presidency, according to Haussman, was his failure to appoint Merrick Garland to the U.S. Supreme Court. On Tuesday, Garland’s nomination officially expired, clearing the way for Trump to choose his own candidate to fill the vacant seat.
Haussman said that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and other republicans dug their heels in and refused to hold confirmation hearings for Garland’s appointment.
She said the seat is particularly important because the Supreme Court is almost evenly split between the two parties and the appointment could shift the balance of power.
The DREAM Act
In 2009, Obama re-introduced the DREAM Act (Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors), which would grant conditional residency to young undocumented immigrants who met certain conditions. Haussman called it a hot-button issue between Democrats and Republicans. She said that Obama introduced various versions of the act throughout his tenure, but the proposed legislation failed to pass in Congress.
“He really wanted to integrate a lot of immigrants who had come as young people and to give them the ability to work and stay in the country,” she said.
Highest points:
Obamacare
Haussman said the highest point in Obama’s presidency was the passing of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act or Obamacare, as it’s commonly known as, in 2010. The reforms ensured medical insurance coverage for approximately 95 per cent of Americans and provided care to 32 million citizens who didn’t have access to health care before.
Despite the Republicans repeated attempts to challenge the legality of the act and the incoming administration’s plans to dismantle the Affordable Care Act, Haussman said it’s still one of Obama’s most signature initiatives and his greatest achievement.
LGBTQ rights
In 2010, Obama’s administration repealed the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy which prevented gays, lesbians and bisexuals from openly serving in the U.S. military. The policy had been in place since 1993 and forced gay members of the U.S. armed forces to hide their sexual orientation.
Obama campaigned against the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) in 2008 and saw the controversial law repealed in 2013 after the U.S. Supreme Court deemed it unconstitutional. DOMA defined marriage as a union between a man and a woman and prevented same-sex married couples from being recognized by the government and enjoying the same federal benefits as heterosexual couples.
“He’s done more for the LGBT community, many people would say, than any previous president,” Haussman said.
Auto industry
At the start of Obama’s presidency in 2008, the U.S. auto industry was struggling and thousands of auto workers were being laid off. Haussman said that Obama came in and restructured the industry so that companies in need of federal bailout money would be required to file for bankruptcy first. This resulted in a smaller, more competitive industry that allowed jobs to return to the sector.
“That saved about a million jobs,” Haussman said. “(He had) a huge concern for jobs right from the start of his presidency.”
