“In his eight years serving as President of the United States, President Obama will be remembered as a visionary of hope and one who has been relentless in his efforts to represent and protect the rights of people from different backgrounds.
“His legacy will reflect his characteristics of strength, courage, hope and leadership in rising above some of the darkest days our nation has seen; while confronted with domestic and international conflicts attempted to divide us in our values as Americans. Thanks to President Obama job creation has increased and the unemployment rate is the lowest it has ever been in nearly a decade. To further increase job creation the President placed a strong value on community colleges and programs that offered skill-based certifications, so they could be competitive in the job market due to technological advancements. His support of free and fair trade has been remarkable and vital to our district which serves as a major area for businesses and enterprise.
“President Obama will be remembered for his leadership on health care, passing the Affordable Care Act – covering 20 million Americans, without the barriers of pre-existing conditions and lowered the costs of prescription drugs and provides preventive services. Those also in our country who have a mental illness or struggle with an opioid addiction will benefit from the President’s most recent efforts to expand services, access to treatment and funding in research by signing the 21st Century Cures Act.
“Thanks to President Obama’s integrity and intellectualism he has been a role model for our youth. His creation of My Brother’s Keeper promotes a pathway to success for boys and young men of color by identifying programs that will mentor and educate these individuals on how to build a better life for themselves and their families while being involved in their communities. Additionally because of his strong beliefs on protecting the validity of scientific research in order to combat climate change, he showed the value to our youth by placing an emphasis on the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) industry. The President pushed for an investment in STEM research in our public schools and encouraged diverse candidates from underrepresented communities to apply for jobs in those fields. President Obama was also the first president to host an annual science fair at the White House for students in grades K-12 celebrating their experimentations and ingenuity.
“I am honored and thankful to have worked in Congress with President Obama and Vice President Joe Biden on legislation that has advanced economic opportunities for Texans and our nation. On behalf of the people in the 30th district of Texas, I join in thanking President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden for their service and upmost respect they have shown to the White House while serving as our leaders.
“In the President’s speech he reminded us and expanded on the idea of hope for the American values that we cherish and gave us strength to go forward and unite in finding ways to protect our democracy. Let us take part in his call of action to do as such.” - Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson
