As President Barack Obama heads into the MTV youth town hall today, where he will discuss and take questions on the plight of young people across America, it’s important to remember what the Prez has done in just 18 months in office for our generation.
In 2008 record numbers of young people came out to vote and propelled Barack Obama to the Presidency…we did this, we got involved, we voted, we cared, we hoped, we dreamed. Since that cold morning in January of 2009, President Obama has gone to work for us, for our generation. And to prove how much President Obama has done for our generation, we’ve put together 10 ACCOMPLISHMENTS that have greatly helped our generation during this very tough time of our country’s history.
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10. Health Care Reform
President Obama was relentless during the health care debate and didn’t let Washington politicking distract him from the country’s goal of passing comprehensive health care reform.
How did it help young people? In many ways…
First, young adults will be allowed to remain on their parent’s health care plan until the age of 26, previously it had been 24. So, after graduating from college, many of us have been having a hard time finding a job. With the passage of health care reform, we will have a little more comfort knowing that we can stay on our parent’s healthcare until we find a job.
Second, health insurance companies can no longer discriminate based on pre-exisiting conditions. Children with pre-existing conditions cannot be denied coverage under the new reforms. To read a moving personal account, read this emotional blog from GlobalGrind’s co-President, Michael Skolnik.
Third, health insurance companies can no longer cap your benefits, so if you get a serious illness, the insurance company has to cover ALL of the expenses. 70% of people who go bankrupt in this company because of medical bills HAVE insurance. This will end with the new health care reform.
Up to 2.4 million young adults will gain coverage through the new law.
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9. Education Reform/Revolution
Like healthcare reform, education is an issue that the President has tackled during his first eighteen months in office. One of the biggest accomplishments of his administration that directly impacts our generation is the student aid reform that was passed.
For years, the federal Pell grant program for our generation to have access to higher education changed to a loan program. We were no longer receiving grants, we were forced to take out loans. What the President has done is restore the grant program and invest $2 billion into the system, so we can actually afford college. He also gave us a college tax credit last year, which 12.5 million people used to help pay for college.
On the primary and secondary education front, the Obama Administration, under the leadership of Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan, have created a competitive challenge to the nation’s school system, called ‘Race To The Top.’ Focusing on better teachers, higher graduation rates, a focus on math, science and technology, ‘Race To The Top’ has already seen tremendous progress. Obama and Duncan have been focusing on the 2000 high schools in this country that have a drop-out rate of 50% or higher, which are now been dubbed
