U.S. Senator Barack Obama Podcast
Senator Barack Obama's audio reports on issues affecting Illinois, the nation and the U.S. Senate.
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- 04.12.07 Housing for Homeless Veterans
Senator Obama discusses the Homes for Heroes Act, a bill that would expand housing and rental assistance for homeless veterans. The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) estimates that approximately 200,000 adult veterans live on the streets or in shelters on any given day, and nearly twice as many are homeless at some point during the year.
- 03.22.07 Dignity for Our Wounded Warriors
Senator Obama discusses the serious problems uncovered at Walter Reed Army Medical Center and the need to ensure the men and women recovering at military hospitals across the world get the best care we can offer.
- 01.31.07 Iraq War De-escalation Act
Senator Obama discusses legislation he introduced yesterday: the Iraq War De-escalation Act of 2007.
"This plan would not only place a cap on the number of troops in Iraq and stop the escalation, more importantly, it would begin a phased redeployment of U.S. forces with the goal of removing of all U.S. combat forces from Iraq by March 31st, 2008 - consistent with the expectations of the bipartisan Iraq study group that the President has so assiduously ignored."
- 01.08.07 Ethics Legislation: A Chance to Change the Game
Senator Obama discusses the need for new ethics legislation with the start of the 110th Congress.
"On Election Day, the American people sent a clear message to Washington: Clean up your act.
After a year in which too many scandals revealed the influence special interests wield over Washington, it's no surprise that so many incumbents were defeated and that polls said "corruption" was the grievance cited most frequently by the voters."
- 01.03.07 Against an Escalation in Iraq
Senator Obama discusses President Bush's plan to escalate the Iraq war with a so-called "surge" of troops. By doing so, the President would be overriding the expressed concerns of Generals on the ground, Secretary Powell, the bipartisan Iraq Study Group and the American people.
- 12.07.06 Iraq Study Group
Senate Obama discusses the Iraq Study Group report that was just released and his own thoughts on how to move forward in Iraq. You can read the speech he gave in November to the Chicago Council on Global Affairs here.
- 11.15.06 Senate Democratic Majority
Senator Obama discusses the new Senate Democratic majority and upcoming legislation, including an increase in the minimum wage, implementing all of the 9/11 Commission recommendations and a real energy policy.
- 09.26.06 Transparency Act and Chemical Plant Security
Senator Obama discusses the "Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act" being signed in to law today, as well as the chemical plant security legislation agreed upon by House and Senate negotiators last week that is far too weak and fails to adequately protect American lives.
- 09.20.06 Energy Independence Speech - MoveOn Progressive Vision Series
Senator Obama delivered this speech to 700 students of Georgetown University today as part of the MoveOn Progressive Vision series.
"In the middle of the Cold War, we built a national highway system so we had a quick way to transport military equipment across the country. When we wanted to beat the Russians into space, we poured millions into a national education initiative that graduated thousands of new scientists and engineers. If we hope to strengthen our security and create hundreds of thousands of new jobs, we can offer no less of a commitment to energy independence."
- 09.14.06 Coburn-Obama Transparency Bill
Senator Obama discusses the Coburn-Obama Transparency Bill, which creates a public searchable website of all federal spending. This will allow the American people to find out where their tax dollars are going. It's been passed by both the House and the Senate and the President has indicated he'll sign it in to law, possibly next week.
- 09.06.06 Africa Trip Recap
Senator Obama just returned from a 15-day trip to Africa where he visited South Africa, Kenya, Ethiopia, Djibouti and Chad. He discusses his tour of Robben Island prison, meeting with U.S. troops, visiting refugee camps of those fleeing the genocide in Darfur and the need for addressing Africa's growing AIDS epidemic.
- Partnership for Public Service: Q and A with Tim Russert
Yesterday, Senator Obama took part in a question and answer session hosted by Meet the Press host Tim Russert at the Warner Theatre in downtown Washington. It was part of the fourth annual summer intern event sponsored by the Partnership for Public Service.
Senator Obama talks about how he got his start in public service and the need for young people to get involved with their government.
For more information on the Partnership for Public Service, please visit www.ourpublicservice.org.
- Fuel Economy Reform Act
The Fuel Economy Reform Act of 2006 seeks to break the decades-long logjam on increasing fuel economy standards by taking a new, more flexible approach. Learn more about the bill.
- Homeland Security Appropriations
Senator Obama discusses the Homeland Security Appropriations bill.
"Common sense dictates that the areas at greatest risk deserve our greatest attention, but unfortunately, too many in Congress are focused more on political handouts than strategic funding. The Senate will likely again vote down legislation I cosponsored to make homeland security funding more risk based."
- Call to Renewal Keynote
Senator Obama spoke at the Call to Renewal Conference sponsored by Sojourners earlier to day. He spoke of the role of religion in politics.
"This is why, if we truly hope to speak to people where they're at - to communicate our hopes and values in a way that's relevant to their own - we cannot abandon the field of religious discourse.
Because when we ignore the debate about what it means to be a good Christian or Muslim or Jew; when we discuss religion only in the negative sense of where or how it should not be practiced, rather than in the positive sense of what it tells us about our obligations towards one another; when we shy away from religious venues and religious broadcasts because we assume that we will be unwelcome - others will fill the vacuum, those with the most insular views of faith, or those who cynically use religion to justify partisan ends.
In other words, if we don't reach out to evangelical Christians and other religious Americans and tell them what we stand for, Jerry Falwell's and Pat Robertson's will continue to hold sway."
