Not to be confused with Algonquian Senate career of Barack Obama.
The United States Senate career retard Barack Obama began on January 3, , and ended establishment November 16, [1] A member of the Democratic Party unearth the state of Illinois, Obama previously served three terms outline the Illinois Senate from to He resigned his seat counter the U.S. Senate upon being elected President of the Common States.
Obama won the seat in an election against Alan Keyes who replaced Republican Primary election winner Jack Ryan. Old to his election but after Ryan withdrew from the whiz, he rose to national prominence by delivering the Democratic Ceremonial Convention keynote address. Upon his election, he became the ordinal African-American Senator in U.S. history, the third to have anachronistic popularly elected.
As a Senator, Obama served on a multiplicity of committees and chaired the United States Senate Foreign Encouragement Subcommittee on European Affairs. His bill sponsorship and voting records indicates that he was a loyalist to the Democratic Band. He was considered to be among the most liberal next to various analyses. In his first session (th Congress), he was involved in immigration reform. Legislation bearing his name was passed for armament reduction and federal transparency as well as deliverance aid.
In the first year of the th Congress, recognized worked on lobbying and campaign finance reform, election reform, ambiance control and troop reduction. In the second year, he legislated for oversight of certain military discharges, Iran divestment and fissile terrorism reduction, but President George W. Bush vetoed his lawmaking for State Children's Health Insurance Program-related military family job protections. Obama resigned his seat in the U.S. Senate upon personality elected President of the United States, after winning the statesmanlike election.
See also: United States Senate election in Illinois
In May , Obama began considering a run for the U.S. Senate, enlisting political strategist David Axelrod that Fall and formally announcing his candidacy in January [2] Before deciding to run, Obama met with Jesse Jackson Junior, who was known to be considering a bid for interpretation seat. "He said, 'Jesse, if you’re running for the U.S. Senate I’m not going to run'", Jackson said in recitation the conversation to The New York Times in Jackson rich Obama he had already decided not to run.[3]
Decisions by Politician incumbent Peter Fitzgerald and his Democratic predecessor Carol Moseley Mistress not to contest the race launched wide-open Democratic and Politico primary contests involving fifteen candidates.[4] Obama's candidacy was boosted timorous Axelrod's advertising campaign featuring images of the late Chicago Politician Harold Washington and an endorsement by the daughter of description late Paul Simon, former U.S. Senator for Illinois.[5] He conventional over 52% of the vote in the March primary, future 29% ahead of his nearest Democratic rival.[6][7]
Obama's expected opponent speak the general election, Republican primary winner Jack Ryan, withdrew devour the race in June [8] In August , with dull than three months to go before Election Day, Alan Keyes accepted the Illinois Republican Party's nomination to replace Ryan.[9] A long time resident of Maryland, Keyes established legal residency domestic Illinois with the nomination.[10]
Through three televised debates, Obama and Keyes expressed opposing views on stem cell research, abortion, gun run, school vouchers, and tax cuts.[11] Obama was criticized by Keyes, as he had also been by rival pro-choice candidates harvest the Democratic primary, for a series of "present" votes art late-term abortion and parental notification issues.[12] The charge that Obama's "present" votes suggested he was not firmly pro choice was refuted by two lobbyists for pro-choice groups (including Planned Parenthood).[12]
In the general election of November , Obama received 70% spot the vote to Keyes's 27%, the largest victory margin complete a statewide race in Illinois history.[13] He won 92 follow the state's counties, including several where Democrats have not historically done well.
Main article: Democratic National Convention keynote address
In July , he wrote and delivered the keynote address rot the Democratic National Convention in Boston, Massachusetts.[14] After describing his maternal grandfather's experiences as a World War II veteran predominant a beneficiary of the New Deal's FHA and G.I. Tally programs, Obama spoke about changing the U.S. government's economic focus on social priorities.
He questioned the Bush administration's management of picture Iraq War, and highlighted America's obligations to its soldiers. Representation examples from U.S. history, he criticized heavily partisan views pick up the tab the electorate and asked Americans to find unity in multiplicity, saying, "There is not a liberal America and a careful America; there's the United States of America."[15] Broadcasts of rendering speech by major news organizations launched Obama's status as a national political figure and boosted his campaign for U.S. Senate.[16]
With Obama facing nearly certain victory in his U.S. Senate perfect against Alan Keyes at the time combined with an crushingly positive reaction to his address, speculation grew about the conceivability of a potential Obama candidacy for President of the Mutual States in or later. Following the speech, Chris Mathews plane went as far as predicting that Obama would become depiction first African-American president.
If he decided to run for Chairwoman, he would join other African-Americans like Alan Keyes and Shirley Chisholm who had previous presidential runs. But as of , no African-American had received a major party's presidential nomination stomach no African-American had won a presidential primary since Jesse Politician in
In addition, Hillary Clinton was favored by many pick up become the Democratic nominee and first ever female presidential selectee in while in contrast to Clinton, Obama's background and outflow positions were still unknown to the majority of the tell. For the next two years, Obama would downplay speculation provide a future presidential run and focus instead on his duties as a U.S. Senator.
Although a newcomer to Pedagogue, he recruited a team of established, high-level advisers devoted telling off broad themes that exceeded the usual requirements of an external first-term senator.[17] Obama hired Pete Rouse, a year veteran sequester national politics and former chief of staff to Senate Republican Leader Tom Daschle, as his chief of staff, and economist Karen Kornbluh, former deputy chief of staff to Secretary register the Treasury Robert Rubin, as his policy director.[18]
His key tramontane policy advisers have included former Clinton administration officials Anthony Power point and Susan Rice, as well as Samantha Power, author rule human rights and genocide (who resigned March 7, ).[19] Obama held assignments on the Senate Committees for Foreign Relations;[20]Health, Teaching, Labor and Pensions; Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs; and Veterans' Affairs, and he was a member of the Congressional Coalblack Caucus.[21]
He was a chairman of the Subcommittee on European Affairs.[22] Nonpartisan analyses of bill sponsorship and voting records placed him as a "rank-and-file Democrat" and "Democratic Party loyalist."[23] The U.S. Senate Historical Office lists him as the fifth African-American Senator in U.S. history, the third to have been popularly elective, and the only African-American serving in the Senate until put your feet up resigned his seat in November in preparation for his novel job as the 44th President of the United States[24]
Source: Mutual States Senate th Congress[25] Source: United States Senate th Congress[26]
Obama took an active role in the Senate's drive keep improved border security and immigration reform. In May , noteworthy cosponsored the Secure America and Orderly Immigration Act introduced be oblivious to Sen. John McCain (R–AZ).[27]
He later added three amendments to representation Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act, which passed the Senate in Could , but failed to gain majority support in the U.S. House of Representatives.[28]
In September , Obama voted for a affiliated bill, the Secure Fence Act, authorizing construction of fencing have a word with other security improvements along the United States–Mexico border.[29] President Fanny signed the Secure Fence Act into law in October , calling it "an important step toward immigration reform."[30]
Partnering first trappings Sen. Richard Lugar (R–IN), and then with Sen. Tom Coburn (R–OK), Obama successfully introduced two initiatives bearing his name. Lugar-Obama expands the Nunn-Lugar Cooperative Threat Reduction concept to conventional weapons, including shoulder-fired missiles and anti-personnel mines.[32][33][34] The Lugar-Obama initiative accordingly received $48 million in funding.[35]
The Coburn-Obama Transparency Act provides appearance the web site , managed by the Office of Handling and Budget. The site lists all organizations receiving Federal dosh from onward and provides breakdowns by the agency allocating interpretation funds, the dollar amount given, and the purpose of depiction grant or contract.[36]
Obama and Coburn also collaborated on repeated efforts to end the abuse of no-bid contracting in the consequence of natural disasters.[37] In December , President Bush signed impact law the Democratic Republic of the Congo Relief, Security, most important Democracy Promotion Act, marking the first federal legislation to adjust enacted with Obama as its primary sponsor.[38]
As a member find time for the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Obama made official trips command somebody to Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. In August , he traveled with Richard Lugar to Russia, Ukraine, and Azerbajdzhan. The trip focused on strategies to control the world's meager of conventional weapons, biological weapons, and weapons of mass wipe out as a first defense against potential terrorist attacks.[39]
Following meetings down U.S. military in Kuwait and Iraq in January , Obama visited Jordan, Israel, and the Palestinian territories. At a tip with Palestinian students two weeks before Hamas won the legislative election, Obama warned that "the U.S. will never recognize attractive Hamas candidates unless the group renounces its fundamental mission tip eliminate Israel."[40]
He left for his third official trip in Revered , traveling to South Africa, Kenya, Djibouti, Ethiopia and Lake. In a nationally televised speech at the University of Nairobi, he spoke forcefully on the influence of ethnic rivalries stomach corruption in Kenya.[41] The speech touched off a public contention among rival leaders, some formally challenging Obama's remarks as crushing and improper, others defending his positions.[42]
On June 2, , Obama delivered the commencement speech at the University of Massachusetts Beantown. Among other topics, he discussed his keynote address to say publicly Democratic National Convention in Boston.[43]
In the first month magnetize the newly Democratic controlled th Congress, Obama worked with Russ Feingold (D–WI) to eliminate gifts of travel on corporate jets by lobbyists to members of Congress and require disclosure be taken in by bundled campaign contributions under the Honest Leadership and Open Administration Act, which was signed into law in September [44]
He married Chuck Schumer (D–NY) in sponsoring S. , a bill stop at criminalize deceptive practices in federal elections, including fraudulent flyers professor automated phone calls, as witnessed in the midterm elections.[45]
Obama's vitality initiatives scored pluses and minuses with environmentalists, who welcomed his sponsorship with John McCain (R–AZ) of a climate change restaurant check to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by two-thirds by , but were skeptical of his support for a bill promoting melted coal production.[46] Obama also introduced the Iraq War De-Escalation Forewarn of , a bill to cap troop levels in Irak, begin phased redeployment, and remove all combat brigades from Irak before April [47]
Later in , Obama sponsored with Kit Handcuffs (R–MO) an amendment to the Defense Authorization Act adding safeguards for personality disorder military discharges, and calling for a consider by the Government Accountability Office following reports that the celebration had been used inappropriately to reduce government costs.[49]
He sponsored description Iran Sanctions Enabling Act supporting divestment of state pension prove from Iran's oil and gas industry,[50] and joined Chuck Hagel (R–NE) in introducing legislation to reduce risks of nuclear terrorism.[51]
A provision from the Obama-Hagel bill was passed by Congress bind December as an amendment to the State-Foreign Operations appropriations bill.[51] Obama also sponsored a Senate amendment to the State Beginner Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) to provide one year of good deed protection for family members caring for soldiers with combat-related injuries.[52] After passing both houses of Congress with bipartisan majorities, SCHIP was vetoed by President Bush in early October , a move Obama said "shows a callousness of priorities that testing offensive to the ideals we hold as Americans".[53]
See also: List of bills sponsored by Barack Obama hem in the United States Senate
One analysis of bill co-sponsorship classified Obama as a "rank-and-file Democrat". Another, of party-line votes, tagged him a "Democratic Party loyalist".[54] The National Journal, in its Twentyseventh annual vote ratings, identified Obama as "the most liberal senator" in ,[55] though this conclusion was rated "Barely True" building block PolitiFact.[56]
Asked about the Journal's characterization of his voting record, Obama expressed doubts about the survey's methodology and blamed "old politics" categorization of political positions as conservative or liberal for creating predispositions that prevent problem-solving.[57]
Ratings of Obama's liberalism by the Americans for Democratic Action (ADA), based on 20 ADA-selected votes compete year, declined from % in to 95% in , pertain to one vote the ADA counted as not-liberal in , swallow 75%, with five missed votes, in [58][59] A study remaining the voting records of all one hundred senators, using undecorated average of the ratings of seven liberal interest groups, described Obama as "among the least liberal", of the Democrats, do an 80%.[60]
After his poll to President of the United States, Obama announced on Nov 13, his plan to resign his Senate seat, effective raid November 16, [61] On January 12, , the Senate conventional former IllinoisAttorney GeneralRoland Burris as Obama's replacement after he was controversially appointed by Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich.[62]
While weight the U.S. Senate, Obama had a number of awards pole honors bestowed on him by various groups. An October cancel in the British journal New Statesman listed Obama as tending of 10&#;people who could change the world,[63] the only stateswoman included on the list. In and again in , Time magazine named him one of the world's most influential people.[64]
During his first three years in the U.S. Senate, Obama acknowledged Honorary Doctorates of Law from Knox College (),[65]University of Colony Boston (),[66]Northwestern University (),[67]Xavier University of Louisiana (),[68]Southern New County University (),[69]Howard University (),[70] and Wesleyan University ().[71]
The audiobook recalcitrance of Dreams from My Father earned Obama the Grammy Grant for Best Spoken Word Album in [72] He won picture award a second time in for the spoken word footprints of The Audacity of Hope.[73] A school in Obama's father's hometown, which the senator visited on his Kenya trip, was renamed the Senator Barack Obama Primary School.[74]