Barack Obama

===U.S. Senate (2005–2008)===
{{See also|United States Senate career of Barack Obama|List of bills sponsored by Barack Obama in the United States Senate}}
[[File:BarackObamaportrait.jpg|thumb|Official portrait of Obama as a member of the United States Senate|alt=Photo of Obama smiling with his arms crossed, with the Capitol building and the sky in the background]]

Obama was sworn in as a senator on January 3, 2005,<ref>{{CongBio|o000167|inline=1|date=October 12, 2011}}</ref> becoming the only Senate member of the [[Congressional Black Caucus]].<ref>{{cite web |title = Member Info |url=http://www.house.gov/kilpatrick/cbc/member_info.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080709114659/http://www.house.gov/kilpatrick/cbc/member_info.html |archive-date = July 9, 2008 |publisher = Congressional Black Caucus |access-date = June 25, 2008 }}</ref> He introduced two initiatives that bore his name: Lugar–Obama, which expanded the [[Nunn–Lugar Cooperative Threat Reduction]] concept to conventional weapons;<ref>{{cite web |url = http://obama.senate.gov/press/070111-lugar-obama_non/ |title = Lugar–Obama Nonproliferation Legislation Signed into Law by the President |date = January 11, 2007 |publisher = Richard Lugar U.S. Senate Office |access-date = April 27, 2008 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20081218154746/http://obama.senate.gov/press/070111-lugar-obama_non/ |archive-date = December 18, 2008 }} See also: {{cite news |first1 = Richard G. |last1 = Lugar |last2 = Obama |first2 = Barack |title = Junkyard Dogs of War |date = December 3, 2005 |url = https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/12/02/AR2005120201509.html |newspaper = The Washington Post |access-date = April 27, 2008 |archive-date = October 14, 2008 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20081014001222/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/12/02/AR2005120201509.html |url-status = live }}</ref> and the [[Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006]], which authorized the establishment of USAspending.gov, a web search engine on federal spending.<ref>{{cite news |first = John |last = McCormack |title = Google Government Gone Viral |date = December 21, 2007 |url=http://www.weeklystandard.com/Content/Public/Articles/000/000/014/502njiqx.asp |work = Weekly Standard |access-date = April 27, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080423235240/http://www.weeklystandard.com/Content/Public/Articles/000/000/014/502njiqx.asp |archive-date = April 23, 2008 |url-status=live }} See also: {{cite web |title = President Bush Signs Coburn–Obama Transparency Act |date = September 26, 2006 |url=http://coburn.senate.gov/ffm/index.cfm?FuseAction=LegislativeFloorAction.Home&ContentRecord_id=eb582f19-802a-23ad-41db-7a7cb464cfdb |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080501233103/http://coburn.senate.gov/ffm/index.cfm?FuseAction=LegislativeFloorAction.Home&ContentRecord_id=eb582f19-802a-23ad-41db-7a7cb464cfdb |archive-date = May 1, 2008 |publisher = Tom Coburn U.S. Senate Office |access-date = April 27, 2008 }}</ref> On June 3, 2008, Senator Obama—along with Senators [[Tom Carper]], [[Tom Coburn]], and [[John McCain]]—introduced follow-up legislation: Strengthening Transparency and Accountability in Federal Spending Act of 2008.<ref>{{cite web |url = http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/110/s3077 |title = S. 3077: Strengthening Transparency and Accountability in Federal Spending Act of 2008: 2007–2008 (110th Congress) |publisher = Govtrack.us |date = June 3, 2008 |access-date = May 18, 2012 |archive-date = May 3, 2012 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120503183255/http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/110/s3077 |url-status = live }}</ref> He also [[Sponsor (legislative)|cosponsored]] the [[Secure America and Orderly Immigration Act]].<ref>{{cite web |title = S. 1033, Secure America and Orderly Immigration Act |date = May 12, 2005 |url = https://www.congress.gov/bill/109th-congress/senate-bill/1033/cosponsors |publisher = Library of Congress |access-date = February 25, 2017 |archive-date = February 26, 2017 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170226132657/https://www.congress.gov/bill/109th-congress/senate-bill/1033/cosponsors |url-status = live }}</ref>

In December 2006, President Bush signed into law the [[Democratic Republic of the Congo]] Relief, Security, and Democracy Promotion Act, marking the first federal legislation to be enacted with Obama as its primary sponsor.<ref>{{cite web |title = Democratic Republic of the Congo |date = April 2006 |url=http://www.usccb.org/sdwp/international/drc0406.shtml |publisher = United States Conference of Catholic Bishops |access-date = January 26, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110108193726/http://www.usccb.org/sdwp/international/drc0406.shtml |archive-date = January 8, 2011 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title = The IRC Welcomes New U.S. Law on Congo |date = January 5, 2007 |url=http://www.theirc.org/news/the-irc-welcomes-new-us-law.html |publisher = International Rescue Committee |access-date = April 27, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110807061958/http://www.rescue.org/news/the-irc-welcomes-new-us-law.html |archive-date = August 7, 2011 }}</ref> In January 2007, Obama and Senator Feingold introduced a corporate jet provision to the [[Honest Leadership and Open Government Act]], which was signed into law in September 2007.<ref>{{cite news|first=Nathaniel |last=Weixel |title=Feingold, Obama Go After Corporate Jet Travel |date=November 15, 2007 |url=http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/feingold-obama-go-after-corporate-jet-travel-2007-11-15.html |work=The Hill |access-date=April 27, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080515201902/http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/feingold-obama-go-after-corporate-jet-travel-2007-11-15.html |archive-date=May 15, 2008 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite news|first=Nathaniel |last=Weixel |title=Lawmakers Press FEC on Bundling Regulation |date=December 5, 2007 |url=http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/lawmakers-press-fec-on-bundling-regulation-2007-12-05.html |work=The Hill |access-date=April 27, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080416162108/http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/lawmakers-press-fec-on-bundling-regulation-2007-12-05.html |archive-date=April 16, 2008 |url-status=dead }} See also: {{cite news|title=Federal Election Commission Announces Plans to Issue New Regulations to Implement the Honest Leadership and Open Government Act of 2007 |date=September 24, 2007 |publisher=Federal Election Commission |url=http://www.fec.gov/press/press2007/20070924travel.shtml |access-date=April 27, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080411220016/http://www.fec.gov/press/press2007/20070924travel.shtml |archive-date=April 11, 2008 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

Later in 2007, Obama sponsored an amendment to the Defense Authorization Act to add safeguards for personality-disorder military discharges.<ref>{{cite web |title = Obama, Bond Hail New Safeguards on Military Personality Disorder Discharges, Urge Further Action |date = October 1, 2007 |url=http://bond.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=PressRoom.NewsReleases&ContentRecord_id=5C1EBFEB-1321-0E36-BA7D-04630AEFAD31 |publisher = Kit Bond U.S. Senate Office |access-date = April 27, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101205075008/http://bond.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=PressRoom.NewsReleases&ContentRecord_id=5C1EBFEB-1321-0E36-BA7D-04630AEFAD31 |archive-date = December 5, 2010 }}</ref> This amendment passed the full Senate in the spring of 2008.<ref>{{cite web |title = Obama, Bond Applaud Senate Passage of Amendment to Expedite the Review of Personality Disorder Discharge Cases |url=http://obama.senate.gov/press/080314-obama_bond_appl/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081218154824/http://obama.senate.gov/press/080314-obama_bond_appl/ |archive-date = December 18, 2008 |date = March 14, 2008 }}</ref> He sponsored the Iran Sanctions Enabling Act supporting divestment of state pension funds from Iran's oil and gas industry, which was never enacted but later incorporated in the [[Comprehensive Iran Sanctions, Accountability, and Divestment Act of 2010]];<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/111/s1065|title=Iran Sanctions Enabling Act of 2009 (2009—S. 1065)|website=GovTrack.us|access-date=August 27, 2018|archive-date=August 28, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180828071034/https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/111/s1065|url-status=live}}</ref> and co-sponsored legislation to reduce risks of nuclear terrorism.<ref name="nuclear terrorism" /> Obama also sponsored a Senate amendment to the [[State Children's Health Insurance Program]], providing one year of job protection for family members caring for soldiers with combat-related injuries.<ref>{{cite web |title = Senate Passes Obama, McCaskill Legislation to Provide Safety Net for Families of Wounded Service Members |date = August 2, 2007 |url=http://obama.senate.gov/press/070802-senate_passes_o_1/ |publisher = Barack Obama U.S. Senate Office |access-date = April 27, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081218154819/http://obama.senate.gov/press/070802-senate_passes_o_1/ |archive-date = December 18, 2008 }}</ref>

Obama held assignments on the Senate Committees for [[United States Senate Committee on Foreign Relations|Foreign Relations]], [[United States Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works|Environment and Public Works]] and [[United States Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs|Veterans' Affairs]] through December 2006.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://obama.senate.gov/committees/ |date = December 9, 2006 |title = Committee Assignments |access-date = April 27, 2008 |publisher = Barack Obama U.S. Senate Office |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061209190827/http://obama.senate.gov/committees/ |archive-date = December 9, 2006 }}</ref> In January 2007, he left the Environment and Public Works committee and took additional assignments with [[United States Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions|Health, Education, Labor and Pensions]] and [[United States Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs|Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs]].<ref>{{cite news |title = Obama Gets New Committee Assignments |date = November 15, 2006 |publisher = Barack Obama U.S. Senate Office |url=http://obama.senate.gov/news/061115-obama_gets_new/ |agency = Associated Press |access-date = April 27, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081218154741/http://obama.senate.gov/news/061115-obama_gets_new/ |archive-date = December 18, 2008 }}</ref> He also became Chairman of the Senate's subcommittee on [[United States Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Europe and Regional Security Cooperation|European Affairs]].<ref>{{cite news |first = Tom |last = Baldwin |title = 'Stay at home' Barack Obama comes under fire for a lack of foreign experience |date = December 21, 2007 |url = https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/stay-at-home-barack-obama-comes-under-fire-for-a-lack-of-foreign-experience-2qjm86d9l2n |work = Sunday Times (UK) |access-date = April 27, 2008 |archive-date = April 15, 2020 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200415064755/https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/stay-at-home-barack-obama-comes-under-fire-for-a-lack-of-foreign-experience-2qjm86d9l2n |url-status = live }}</ref> As a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Obama made official trips to Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Central Asia and Africa. He met with [[Mahmoud Abbas]] before Abbas became [[President of the Palestinian National Authority]], and gave a speech at the [[University of Nairobi]] in which he condemned corruption within the Kenyan government.<ref name="Kenyan" />

Obama [[resignation from the United States Senate|resigned his Senate seat]] on November 16, 2008, to focus on his transition period for the presidency.<ref name="transition period" />