Politifact.com: The Obameter
- Supreme Court threw wrench in full Medicaid expansion
Thursday - 12/29/2016 - 03:13 PMThe Promise:
"Expand eligibility for the Medicaid and SCHIP programs and ensure that these programs continue to serve their critical safety net function."The Update: Compromise
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The Affordable Care Act's expansion of Medicaid eligibility hasn't been universal. - Housing promise only partially built out
Tuesday - 12/27/2016 - 04:13 PMThe Promise:
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Will support "efforts to create an Affordable Housing Trust Fund to develop affordable housing in mixed-income neighborhoods. The Affordable Housing Trust Fund would use a small percentage of the profits of two government-sponsored housing agencies, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, to create thousands of new units of affordable housing every year...Will also restore cuts to public housing operating subsidies, and ensure that all Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) programs are restored to their original purpose." - Through mix of federal standards and consumer actions, LED bulbs are growing fast
Monday - 12/19/2016 - 05:16 PMThe Promise:
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"I will immediately sign a law that begins to phase out all incandescent light bulbs - a measure that will save American consumers $6 billion a year on their electric bills." - Earmarks aren't just at 1994 levels -- they're officially gone
Monday - 12/19/2016 - 01:00 PMThe Promise:
"Barack Obama is committed to returning earmarks to less than $7.8 billion a year, the level they were at before 1994."The Update: Promise Kept
In the nearly seven years since we last looked at President Barack Obama's promise to return congressional earmarks to their 1994 level, a lot has happened.More | Talk | Read It Later | Share - Obama falls short on basic research funding goal
Monday - 12/12/2016 - 12:41 PMThe Promise:
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Will "support doubling federal funding for basic research over ten years, changing the posture of our federal government...to one that embraces science and technology. This will foster home-grown innovation, help ensure the competitiveness of US technology-based businesses, and ensure that 21st century jobs can and will grow in America." - Early proposals disappeared and never resurfaced
Monday - 12/05/2016 - 02:27 PMThe Promise:
"A "Use it or Lose It" Approach to Existing Leases. Oil companies have access to 68 million acres of land, over 40 million offshore, which they are not drilling on.More | Talk | Read It Later | Share - 'Green business sector' definition makes funding difficult to tally
Wednesday - 11/30/2016 - 02:50 PMThe Promise:
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"I will invest $150 billion over the next 10 years - $15 billion a year - to put America on the path of true energy security. This fund will fast-track investments in a new green energy business sector that will end our addiction to oil and create up to 5 million jobs over the next two decades." - No clear information on number of “green” jobs created
Monday - 11/14/2016 - 11:07 AMThe Promise:
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Will "create 5 million 'green' jobs; will invest $150 billion over ten years to deploy clean technologies, protect our existing manufacturing base and create millions of new jobs." - Recruitment numbers remain unclear ... bring out the red pen
Tuesday - 10/25/2016 - 02:09 PMThe Promise:
Will "create Teacher Residency Programs that will supply 30,000 exceptionally well-prepared recruits to high-need schools."
The Update: Compromise
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President Obama made a campaign promise to "create Teacher Residency Programs to send teachers to high-need schools." In 2012, we rated this a Compromise, because no specific numbers were available. - More oversight, but limits not ironclad
Wednesday - 10/12/2016 - 01:34 PMThe Promise:
"As president, Barack Obama would revisit the PATRIOT Act to ensure that there is real and robust oversight of tools like National Security Letters, sneak-and-peek searches, and the use of the material witness provision."
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The Update: Compromise
- The database was never developed
Wednesday - 12/28/2016 - 03:08 PMThe Promise:
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"Will create a 'contracts and influence' database that will disclose how much federal contractors spend on lobbying, and what contracts they are getting and how well they complete them." - Cancer Moonshot takes steps to unify federal agencies
Thursday - 12/22/2016 - 03:41 PMThe Promise:
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"As president, Barack Obama will immediately direct his Secretary of Health and Human Services, in collaboration with agency officials, academic researchers, cancer survivors and advocates for people with cancer, and state public health officials, to comprehensively examine the various cancer-related efforts of federal agencies, and provide recommendations to eliminate barriers to effective coordination across federal agencies and between the federal government and other stakeholders." - Disclosure, waiting periods are moot with all earmarks now on ice
Monday - 12/19/2016 - 01:00 PMThe Promise:
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Through the "Transparency and Integrity in Earmarks Act, will shed light on all earmarks by disclosing the name of the legislator who asked for each earmark, along with a written justification, 72 hours before they can be approved by the full Senate." - Not much additional funding since 2009
Monday - 12/12/2016 - 12:22 PMThe Promise:
Will provide "support to domestic automakers to invest $50 billion to retool their manufacturing facilities in America to produce [fuel efficient] vehicles."The Update: Promise Broken
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President Barack Obama did not make much progress on his pledge to invest in fuel efficient vehicles beyond his first year in office. - He presided over significant cuts, but not necessarily as high as promised
Monday - 12/05/2016 - 06:03 PMThe Promise:
"I'll make sure the government does its part by cutting away spending we don't need. We've already cut a trillion dollars of spending we didn't need and we can do more.More | Talk | Read It Later | Share - Half of promise implemented, half not
Thursday - 12/01/2016 - 03:54 PMThe Promise:
"Will support entrepreneurship and spur job growth by establishing a small business and micro-enterprise initiative for rural America. The program will provide training and technical assistance for rural small business, and provide a 20 percent tax credit on up to $50,000 of investment in small owner-operated businesses.More | Talk | Read It Later | Share - Statistics fall short on both manufacturing jobs, exports
Monday - 11/14/2016 - 01:50 PMThe Promise:
"President Obama set a goal to create 1 million new manufacturing jobs by the end of 2016 and is working to double American exports over the next five years by promoting U.S.More | Talk | Read It Later | Share - Building promise gets an energy boost a little too late
Monday - 11/14/2016 - 11:12 AMThe Promise:
"Will make the federal government a leader in the green building market, achieving a 40 percent increase in efficiency in all new federal buildings within five years and ensuring that all new federal buildings are zero-emissions by 2025.More | Talk | Read It Later | Share - Some changes but still no direct subpoena power
Wednesday - 10/12/2016 - 02:08 PMThe Promise:
"Strengthen the Privacy and Civil Liberties Board with subpoena powers and reporting responsibilities."The Update: Promise Broken
The Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board is an independent agency that makes sure national intelligence efforts against terrorism don't infringe on people's privacy and civil liberties.More | Talk | Read It Later | Share - Enrollment, funding increases had good starts but didn’t last
Thursday - 09/22/2016 - 03:47 PMThe Promise:
"Will create a national "Make College a Reality" initiative that has a bold goal to increase students taking AP or college-level classes nationwide 50 percent by 2016, and will build on Obama's bipartisan proposal in the U.S.More | Talk | Read It Later | Share
- Marketplace today is similar to original vision, but not identical
Tuesday - 01/03/2017 - 04:58 PMThe Promise:
Create a "National Health Insurance Exchange to help Americans and businesses purchase private health insurance."
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The Update: Compromise
During the 2008 presidential campaign, Barack Obama promised to create a "National Health Insurance Exchange to help Americans and businesses purchase private health insurance." - Key observatory was launched in 2014 and is operating smoothly
Wednesday - 12/21/2016 - 03:52 PMThe Promise:
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Will work to launch "without further delay" the Global Precipitation Measurement mission, "an international effort to improve climate, weather, and hydrological predictions through more accurate and more frequent precipitation measurements." - Extension through 2020 passed with bipartisan support in 2015
Monday - 12/19/2016 - 01:27 PMThe Promise:
"Will . . . extend the federal Production Tax Credit (PTC) for 5 years to encourage the production of renewable energy."The Update: Promise Kept
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With some bipartisan help from Congress, President Barack Obama was able to keep his promise to extend an existing tax credit for wind energy in December 2015. - Energy efficiency rules help reduce, but don't demand, electricity use
Monday - 12/12/2016 - 12:30 PMThe Promise:
"Will set an aggressive energy efficiency goal—to reduce electricity demand 15 percent from DOE's projected levels by 2020. Implementing this program will save consumers a total of $130 billion, reduce carbon dioxide emissions by more than 5 billion tons through 2030, and create jobs.More | Talk | Read It Later | Share - Buildings are more efficient, but not as much as Obama promised
Friday - 12/09/2016 - 02:03 PMThe Promise:
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"Will establish a goal of making all new buildings carbon neutral, or produce zero emissions, by 2030. They will also establish a national goal of improving new building efficiency by 50 percent and existing building efficiency by 25 percent over the next decade to help us meet the 2030 goal." - Paris agreement signed and ratified
Thursday - 12/01/2016 - 10:14 AMThe Promise:
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"Will re-engage with the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC) – the main international forum dedicated to addressing the climate problem . . . will also create a Global Energy Forum of the world's largest emitters to focus exclusively on global energy and environmental issues." - Some limits on warrantless wiretaps but loopholes remain
Friday - 11/18/2016 - 02:12 PMThe Promise:
"Barack Obama opposed the Bush Administration's initial policy on warrantless wiretaps because it crossed the line between protecting our national security and eroding the civil liberties of American citizens.More | Talk | Read It Later | Share
- Graduation rates are up, but the United States still lags behind other countries
Wednesday - 11/02/2016 - 02:54 PMThe Promise:
"When I am president, we'll fight to make sure we are once again first in the world when it comes to high school graduation rates."The Update: Compromise
More | Talk | Read It Later | Share - Autism coverage mandate varies across states and health plans
Wednesday - 10/12/2016 - 04:37 PMThe Promise:
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"Will mandate insurance coverage of autism treatment and will also continue to work with parents, physicians, providers, researchers, and schools to create opportunities and effective solutions for people with ASD (autism spectrum disorders)." - IDEA school funding bills are in detention
Monday - 09/12/2016 - 03:05 PMThe Promise:
"Barack Obama has been a strong and consistent advocate for fully funding the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Congress promised to shoulder 40 percent of each state's "excess cost" of educating children with disabilities, but it has never lived up to this obligation.More | Talk | Read It Later | Share