This is IN THE NEWS in VOA
Special English. This week we look at
President Obama's first one hundred days in office.
The tradition of marking the first one
hundred days of a new president began with Franklin Delano Roosevelt. He was sworn-in as president seventy-six years
ago during the Great Depression -- the worst economic crisis in the country's
history.
|
Franklin Delano Roosevelt |
In
his first one hundred days in office, President Roosevelt worked with Congress
to pass a series of measures. They were
designed to re-build trust in the American economy, and help the unemployed and
those in danger of losing their homes and farms.
Since
then, the first three months of a presidency have been compared to Roosevelt's. Presidents are judged on their ability
to quickly demonstrate leadership and win congressional approval of their
proposals.
The
media and political observers have spent a lot of time examining Mister Obama's
first one hundred days in office. But
many of them admit the one hundred day mark is a meaningless number. Others say it is too soon to be judging the
work of the president.
On Wednesday, Mister
Obama marked his one hundredth day by speaking at a school in the state of
Missouri. He said he is proud of the
successes, but that more has to be done.
|
President Obama speaking at the White House Thursday about efforts to save Chrysler |
BARACK OBAMA: "Now, after one hundred days, I
am pleased with the progress we have made. But I am not satisfied. I am confident in the future. But I am not content with the present – not
when there are workers who are still out of jobs, families who still cannot pay
their bills."
Mister
Obama has dealt with many issues since becoming the nation's first African-American
president on January twentieth. He has
faced economic problems and worked to strengthen relations with other
countries. Congress passed his seven
hundred eighty-seven billion dollar economic recovery plan. The president has also taken steps to rescue
the struggling financial and automotive industries.
Since
taking office, Mister Obama has ordered the closure of the American detention
center at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. He set a
time limit for withdrawal of most American troops from Iraq, while increasing the
number of troops in Afghanistan.
Mister Obama also made efforts to
improve America's international image. He
received criticism from the Republican Party for offering talks with Iran and
Cuba. Republicans also criticized him
for shaking the hand of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez.
The party opposes
his plan to cut taxes for middle class Americans and use of government spending
to increase economic activity. Party
leaders warn that will result in a huge increase in the national debt.
Yet
studies show Mister Obama's public approval rating is above sixty percent. The president also increased his support in
the Senate this week. Long-time
Pennsylvania Senator Arlen Specter announced he is leaving the Republicans to
join the president's Democratic Party.
And
that's IN THE NEWS in VOA Special English, written by Brianna Blake. I'm Steve Ember.