This article is the 47th in a continuing series chronicling the unfolding history of the Obama Administration. The writer's opinions are not offered, leaving the readers to arrive at their own conclusions.

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This article is the 47th in a continuing series chronicling the unfolding history of the Obama Administration. The writer's opinions are not offered, leaving the readers to arrive at their own conclusions.

"No longer will our country be denied the service of thousands of patriotic Americans who were forced to leave the military - -" regardless of their skills, no matter their bravery or their zeal, no matter their years of exemplary performance - -" because they happen to be gay.  No longer will tens of thousands of Americans in uniform be asked to live a lie, or look over their shoulder, in order to serve the country that they love."__Barack Obama, President of the United States of America, December 22, 2010. 

Day693/Dec18th/Saturday: In his Weekly Address, the President urged the United States Senate to heed the calls from prior U.S. Presidents George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton, every living Republican Secretary of State, NATO allies, and the leadership of the military: ratify the New Start Treaty with Russia. Transcript Video 

The President signed into law:

H.J.Res. 105 , making further continuing appropriations for fiscal year 2011. Source

H.R. 2480 , the "Truth in Fur Labeling Act of 2010," which eliminated the Federal Trade Commission's authority to provide an exemption from Federal fur product labeling requirements for articles of apparel with a relatively small quantity or value of fur; and provided an exemption from these requirements for fur products sold by an individual who trapped or hunted the animal where the revenue from these sales is not that individual's primary source of income

H.R. 3237 , which codified certain current laws related to national and commercial space programs as a new title 51 of the United States Code

H.R. 6184 , which extended through December 31, 2016, the United States Army's authority to accept and expend funds contributed by non-Federal entities to expedite the processing of permits

H.R. 6399 , which increased the number of positions under the jurisdiction of the Architect of the Capitol for which the Architect is authorized to fix the rate of pay; and made certain appropriated funds available to the Architect for the acquisition of real property for the use of the U.S. Capitol Police;

S. 3789 , the "Social Security Number Protection Act of 2010," which prohibited the use of social security numbers on government-issued checks

S. 3987 , the "Red Flag Program Clarification Act of 2010," which narrowed the definition of a creditor for purposes of implementing the so-called "red flags rule," i.e., Federal guidelines for use by financial institutions and creditors in establishing policies and procedures to mitigate identity theft risks. Source 

In a released statement , the President lamented a minority of Senators prevented the United States Senate from passing the DREAM Act, declaring, "It is disappointing that common sense did not prevail today. But my administration will not give up on the DREAM Act, or on the important business of fixing our broken immigration system. The American people deserve a serious debate on immigration, and it's time to take the polarizing rhetoric off our national stage." 

In a released statement , the President applauded the United States Senate for passing the Don't Ask, Don't Tell Repeal Act of 2010 , declaring, " Today, the Senate has taken an historic step toward ending a policy that undermines our national security while violating the very ideals that our brave men and women in uniform risk their lives to defend.  By ending "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," no longer will our nation be denied the service of thousands of patriotic Americans forced to leave the military, despite years of exemplary performance, because they happen to be gay. And no longer will many thousands more be asked to live a lie in order to serve the country they love ."

Day694/Dec19th/Sunday: The President delayed his departure for his Hawaiian Christmas vacation due to the United States Senate's imminent vote on the New Start Treaty.   

Day695/Dec20th/Monday: The President issued a Presidential Memorandum delegating to the Director of the Office of Personnel Management, " the functions and authority conferred upon the President by section 7301 of title 5, United States Code, with respect to providing appropriate workplace accommodations for executive branch civilian employees who are nursing mothers ." 

The President signed into law: S. 3817, the "CAPTA Reauthorization Act of 2010," which reauthorized through FY 2015 and made changes to the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act and related programs to prevent and treat child abuse and family violence, eliminate barriers to permanent adoption, and address the circumstances that lead to child abandonment. Source 

The President sent these nominations to the United States Senate:

Judith A. Ansley , of Massachusetts, to be a Member of the Board of Directors of the United States Institute of Peace for the remainder of the term expiring September 19, 2011 Bio

Judith A. Ansley , of Massachusetts, to be a Member of the Board of Directors of the United States Institute of Peace for a term of four years  (Reappointment) Bio

Ann D. Begeman , of Virginia, to be a Member of the Surface Transportation Board for a term expiring December 31, 2015 Bio

Nils Maarten Parin Daulaire , of Virginia, to be Representative of the United States on the Executive Board of the World Health Organization Bio

John A. Lancaster , of New York, to be a Member of the Board of Directors of the United States Institute of Peace for the remainder of the term expiring September 19, 2011 Bio

John A. Lancaster , of New York, to be a Member of the Board of Directors of the United States Institute of Peace for a term of four years  (Reappointment) Bio

Terry Lewis , of Michigan, to be a Member of the Board of Directors of the Overseas Private Investment Corporation for a term expiring December 17, 2011 Bio Source 

The President informed the United States Senate of his withdrawal of the nominination of Beatrice A. Hanson (bio) of New York, to be Director of the Office for Victims of Crime, which was sent to the Senate on December 23, 2009. Source 

Vice President Joe Biden announced his longtime aide and Deputy Press Secretary Annie Tomasini would leave at the end of the year, returning to her hometown of Boston, Massachusetts, for a position at Harvard University. She would be succeeded by Amy Dudley, former   Delaware Senator Ted Kaufman's press secretary.  Source

Day696/Dec21st/Tuesday: The President met with members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus in the Oval Office. Readout of the Meeting 

In a released statement , the President congratulated Iraq's political leaders, the members of the Iraqi Council of Representatives, and the Iraqi people on the formation of a new government of national partnership. 

In a released statement , the President applauded the vote of the United States   Federal Communications Commission (FCC) on its majority vote to preserve Net Neutrality, declaring, "Today's decision will help preserve the free and open nature of the Internet while encouraging innovation, protecting consumer choice, and defending free speech. Throughout this process, parties on all sides of this issue -" from consumer groups to technology companies to broadband providers -" came together to make their voices heard. This decision is an important component of our overall strategy to advance American innovation, economic growth, and job creation." 

In a released statement, the President applauded this day's adoption by the United Nations (UN) of an amendment offered by the United States to ensure that "sexual orientation" remained covered by the United Nations resolution on extrajudicial, summary, and arbitrary execution, declaring, "Killing people because of their sexual orientation cannot be rationalized by diverse religious values or varying regional perspectives. Killing people because they are gay is not culturally defensible -" it is criminal." 

The President spoke by telephone with British Prime Minister David Cameron . Cameron reiterated his condolences on the death of Richard Holbrooke and agreed with the President on the importance of sustaining joint efforts on Afghanistan.The President reviewed the conclusions of the Afghanistan Pakistan Annual Review and the Prime Minister reported on his observations from his trip to Afghanistan.They discussed next steps in preparing for the start of transition in early 2011 as agreed on at the NATO Summit in Lisbon and the importance of increasing regional support for Afghanistan. They also discussed their close ongoing counterterrorism cooperation in light of current threats and the December 20, 2010 arrests of terrorism suspects in the United Kingdom.  Source 

The President and Vice President Joe Biden each spoke by telephone to Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki to congratulate him on the formation of an inclusive government of national partnership that reflected the results of the national election. The President underscored U.S. support for a long-term partnership with Iraq and his desire to strengthen cooperation with the Iraqi government and people in a range of fields according to the bilateral Strategic Framework Agreement. Source 

The President declared a major disaster existed in the State of Arizona and ordered Federal aid to supplement State, Tribal, and local recovery efforts in the area struck by severe storms and flooding during the period of October 3-6, 2010. Federal funding was mades available to State, Tribal, and eligible local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations on a cost-sharing basis for emergency work and the repair or replacement of facilities damaged by the severe storms and flooding in the Sovereign Tribal Nation of the Havasupai Tribe. Federal funding was also made available on a cost-sharing basis for hazard mitigation measures for the Sovereign Tribal Nation of the Havasupai Tribe. W. Craig Fugate, Administrator, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Department of Homeland Security, named Michael L. Karl as the Federal Coordinating Officer for Federal recovery operations in the affected area. FEMA said additional designations may be made at a later date if requested by the State and warranted by the results of further damage assessments. Source 

The President proclaimed January 2011 as National Stalking Awareness Month.  Source 

The President proclaimed January 2011 as National Mentoring Month. Source 

The President proclaimed termination of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) as a beneficiary sub-Saharan African country for purposes of section 506A of the Trade Act of 1974, effective on January 1, 2011, declaring: "Pursuant to section 506A(a)(3) of the 1974 Act, I have determined that the DRC is not making continual progress in meeting the requirements described in section 506A(a)(1) of the 1974 Act.  Accordingly, I have decided to terminate the designation of the DRC as a beneficiary sub-Saharan African country for purposes of section 506A of the 1974 Act, effective on January 1, 2011."   Source  

The President proclaimed necessary, in order to maintain the general level of reciprocal and mutually advantageous concessions with respect to Israel provided for by the United States-Israel Free Trade Area Implementation Act of 1985   (USIFTA), to provide duty-free access into the United States through the close of December 31, 2011, for specified quantities of certain agricultural products of Israel. Source 

The President proclaimed: " In order to implement the multilateral agreement negotiated under the auspices of the WTO to eliminate tariffs on certain pharmaceutical products and chemical intermediates, and to make technical corrections in the tariff treatment accorded to such products, the HTS is modified as set forth in Publication 4208 of the United States International Trade Commission, entitled "Modifications to the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States to Implement Changes to the Pharmaceutical Appendix" (Publication 4208), which is incorporated by reference into this proclamation ." WTO referred to the World Trade Organization. HTS referred to the Harmonized Tariff Schedule. Source

Day697/Dec22nd/Wednesday: The President delivered remarks at a signing ceremony at the United States Department of the Interior in which the President signed the Don't Ask, Don't Tell Repeal Act of 2010 into law. Transcript Video  

The President met with United States Secretary of the Treasury Tim Geithner in the Oval Office of the White House. Source 

The President held a news conference from the South Court Auditorium of the Eisenhower Executive Office Building EEOB). Transcript Video  

The President signed into law:

H.R. 3082 , which provided FY 2011 appropriations through Friday, March 4, 2011, for continuing projects and activities of the Federal Government by further amending Public Law (P.L.) 111-242, the Continuing Appropriations Act, 2011. The Act froze statutory pay adjustments for all executive branch pay schedules for a two-year period. It also generally prohibited executive departments and agencies from providing any base salary increases at all to senior executives or senior level employees, including performance-based increases. In addition, H.R. 3082 extended authority for current surface transportation programs to ensure that State departments of transportation and local transit agencies would be able to continue their ongoing infrastructure investments. Source Presidential Memorandum

S. 30 , which made it illegal to cause any caller identification service to knowingly transmit misleading or inaccurate caller identification information with the intent to defraud, cause harm, or wrongfully obtain anything of value  
S. 1275, which established a National Foundation on Fitness, Sports, and Nutrition as a nonprofit corporation to promote participation by private organizations in the activities of the President's Council on Fitness, Sports, and Nutrition, and to promote private donations to support those activities 
S. 1405, which redesignated the Longfellow National Historic Site in Massachusetts, as the Longfellow House-Washington's Headquarters National Historic Site 
S. 1448, which authorized 99-year leases on land held in trust for five Indian Tribes in the State of Oregon 
S. 1609, which authorized the U.S. Department of Commerce to approve a single fishery cooperative for the longline catcher processor subsector in the Bering Sea/Aleutian Islands Pacific cod fishery upon the request of licensees holding at least 80 percent of the licenses issued for that subsector 
S. 1774, which made Hotaru Nakama Ferschke eligible for an immigrant visa or for adjustment of status to that of lawful permanent resident 
S. 2906, authorized 99-year leases on land held in trust for the Kalispel Tribe and the Puyallup Tribe of Washington State 
S. 3199 , which reauthorized and expanded authorized research and public health activities related to the early detection, diagnosis, and treatment of hearing loss in newborns and infants 
S. 3794, which authorized the u.S. General Services Administration to transfer Federal surplus property to State agencies for distribution to certain veterans-related organizations 
S. 3860, which required reports on the management of Arlington National Cemetery 
S. 3984, which authorized appropriations for museums and libraries through FY 2016, and extended programs administered by the Institute of Museum and Library Services

S. 3998 , which extended through March 30, 2012, a pilot program for certain volunteer organizations that serve children to have fingerprint checks on applicants for positions as volunteers or employees processed through the Fingerprint Identification System of the Federal Bureau of Investigation

S. 4005 , which authorized the U.S. Government to apply for, and Federal courts to issue, restraining orders at any time before or after the initiation of forfeiture proceedings by a foreign nation in order to preserve the availability of property in the United States subject to civil or criminal forfeiture under foreign law 

S. 4010 , which made Shigeru Yamada eligible for an immigrant visa or for adjustment of status to that of lawful permanent resident 
H.R. 1061, which provided for the transfer of Federal and non-Federal land to the United States to be held in trust for the Hoh Indian Tribe of Washington State 
H.R. 2941, which Reauthorized Johanna's Law to increase public awareness and knowledge with respect to gynecologic cancers 
H.R. 4337, which modified rules related to the tax treatment of regulated investment companies, including rules related to capital loss carryovers, dividends and other distributions, and excise taxes 
H.R. 5591, which designated the airport traffic control tower located at Spokane International Airport in Spokane, Washington, as the Ray Daves Airport Traffic Control Tower 
H.R. 6198, which made technical corrections to the Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act of 2005 
H.R. 6278, which allowed the District of Columbia to use Heritage Island and a portion of Kingman Island within the Anacostia River for recreational, environmental, or educational purposes in accordance with the Anacostia Waterfront Framework Plan and the Comprehensive Plan of the District of Columbia

 H.R. 6473, which extended through March 31, 2011, authorities to collect taxes that fund the Airport and Airway Trust Fund, make expenditures from the Airport and Airway Trust Fund, and make grants to airports under the Airport Improvement Program 
H.R. 6516, which made technical and conforming changes to the Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2010. Source 

The President declared a major disaster existed in the State of Vermont and ordered Federal aid to supplement State and local recovery efforts in the area struck by a severe storm during the period of December 1-5, 2010. Federal funding was made available to State and eligible local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations on a cost-sharing basis for emergency work and the repair or replacement of facilities damaged by the severe storm in Chittenden, Franklin, and Lamoille Counties. Federal funding was also made available on a cost-sharing basis for hazard mitigation measures statewide. Source 

The President sent the nominations of Agnes Gund , of New York, to be a Member of the National Council on the Arts for a term expiring September 3, 2016.  (New Position) to the United States Senate. Bio Source 

The President proclaimed January 2011 as National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month, culminating in the annual celebration of National Freedom Day on February 1, 2010.  Source 

The President telephoned   President Goodluck Jonathan of Nigeria to discuss the crisis in Cote d'Ivoire. The President congratulated President Jonathan for Nigeria's resolute leadership in standing squarely behind the people of Cote d'Ivoire and insisting that the internationally-recognized results of the November 28 election be respected. The President expressed admiration for the efforts of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in this regard, and informed President Jonathan about the steps the United States has taken recently, including U.S. imposition of travel sanctions on persons supporting or benefiting from former President Laurent Gbagbo's efforts to retain power. Source 

The President telephoned First Vice President of Sudan, Salva Kiir Mayardit to discuss the status of peace negotiations and underscore the United States' commitment to a peaceful and on-time referendum on Southern Sudanese self-determination that was only 16 days away. The President underscored the importance of Vice President Kiir's leadership during this volatile time period in Sudan's history and urged Kiir to engage seriously with the National Congress Party in the coming days to resolve the outstanding issues related to Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) implementation and take actions to prevent outbreaks of violence. Source 

The President announced United States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton would lead the delegation of Thomas A. Shannon, Jr., U.S. Ambassador to the Federative Republic of Brazil and Daniel A. Restrepo, Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Western Hemisphere Affairs to attend in Brasilia the Inauguration of Her Excellency Dilma Rousseff as President of the Federative Republic of Brazil on January 1, 2011.  Source

Day698/Dec23rd/Thursday: The President, on Christmas vacation, was in Honolulu, Hawaii through Sunday, January 2, 2011. Source 

The President and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev spoke by telephone. President Medvedev congratulated President Obama on the United States Senate's approval of the New Start Treaty . President Obama said the two leaders had a very productive year working together on new START, as well as Afghanistan, Iran sanctions, the 123 Agreement, issues related to the World Trade Organization (WTO), and the situation in Kyrgyzstan.  President Obama also underscored the importance of the United States and Russia working together to support a peaceful referendum in Sudan and a resolution to the impasse in Cote D'Ivoire that respects the results of the recent democratic election.  Source 

John BrennanJohn Brennan, Assistant to the President for Counter-Terrorism and Homeland Security, telephoned   Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh to emphasize the importance of taking forceful action against Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula in order to thwart Al-Qaeda's plans to carry out terrorist attacks in Yemen as well as in other countries, including in the United States.  Source 

The United States Department of the Interior restored the authority of its Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to identify and recommend new areas for protection, reversing a 2003 former U.S. President GeorgeW. Bush policy that had excluded wilderness as a criterion Land Management applied in managing federal lands for the public benefit. "The new Wild Lands policy affirms the B.L.M.'s authorities under the law -- and our responsibility to the American people -- to protect the wilderness characteristics of the lands we oversee," the bureau's director, Bob Abbey, said in a statement. Source

Day699/Dec24th/Friday: The President continued his Christmas vacation in Hawaii. 

The week's West Wing Week was released.

Day670/Dec25th/Saturday: In his Weekly Address, the President and First Lady Michelle Obama wished families across the country a "Merry Christmas" and encouraged everyone to support the troops and their families during the holiday season. Transcript Video 

The President, in a released statement, condemned the, "" outrageous terrorist attack in Khar, Pakistan. Killing innocent civilians outside a World Food Program distribution point is an affront to the people of Pakistan, and to all humanity."

Day671/Dec26th/Sunday: The President received a briefing on ongoing counter-terrorism efforts from National Security Staff Senior Director for Counterterrorism Nick Rasmussen and Deputy National Security Advisor for Strategic Communications Ben Rhodes. The President was also briefed on the tragic traffic accident that took the lives of a number of American citizens in Egypt and the U.S. government's ongoing efforts to support the victims and their families. Source

Day672/Dec27th/Monday: The President issued an Executive Order that established an exception to the competitive hiring rules for certain positions in the Federal civil service for students and recent graduates through the merger of the Internship Program and the Recent Graduates Program with the Presidential Management Fellows Program into the Pathways Programs.

Day673/Dec28th/Tuesday: The President continued his Christmas vacation in Hawaii.

Day674/Dec29th/Wednesday: The President signed into law:

H.R. 6398 , which provided for permanent Federal deposit insurance coverage for Interest on Lawyers Trust Accounts, the interest earned used by States to support legal aid for low-income individuals 
H.R. 6517, the "Omnibus Trade Act of 2010," which extended the Andean Trade Preference Act Trade Adjustment Assistance 
S. 3386, the "Restore Online Shoppers' Confidence Act," which protected online consumers from unfair and deceptive sales tactics on the Internet by:  (1) requiring companies that offer goods or services on other companies' websites to meet certain requirements before charging consumers' financial accounts; (2) prohibiting companies from transferring their customers' billing information to companies that are offering goods or services on their websites; and (3) requiring companies that use "negative options" (i.e., require consumers to take an affirmative action to reject goods or services) to meet certain minimum requirements 
S. 4058, "Helping Heroes Keep Their Homes Act of 2010," which extended enhanced protections for service members relating to mortgages and mortgage foreclosures through December 31, 2012. Source 

The President, with the United States Senate closed until January 5, 2011, announced these recess appointments:

William J. Boarman,   for Public Printer of the United States

Matthew J. Bryza, for Ambassador to the Republic of Azerbaijan, Department of State

James M. Cole, for Deputy Attorney General, Department of Justice

Norman L. Eisen, for Ambassador to the Czech Republic, Department of State

Robert Stephen Ford, for Ambassador to the Syrian Arab Republic, Department of State

Francis J. Ricciardone, Jr., for Ambassador to the Republic of Turkey, Department of State Source&Bios

Day675/Dec30th/Thursday: The President continued his Christmas vacation in Hawaii.

Day676/Dec31st/Friday: In a released statement, the President congratulated Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych on the recent shipment of highly enriched uranium from Ukraine for secure disposal in Russia. 

The White House released visitor records that were generated in September 2010, including several visitor records generated prior to September 16, 2009 that were requested by members of the public during November 2010 pursuant to the White House voluntary disclosure policy. The release brought the grand total of records that the Obama White House had thus far released to over 950,000 records that can be viewed at the White House Disclosures section . 

The week's West Wing Week was released.

[Author's note: all days in these chronicles are full days. The Obama Inauguration on January 20, 2009 was a half-day, so not counted.]

Authors Bio:
Retired, Robert Arend was president of an AFSCME local from 1997-2007.