WASHINGTON – A look at some of President Barack Obama's promises for his second term:
• Roll back Bush tax cuts for upper-income people, couples making over $250,000 and individuals making over $200,000, a failed 2008 promise. Ensure people making over $1 million pay at least 30 percent in taxes.
• Put government on a path to cutting deficits by $4 trillion over 10 years. First-term promise to cut deficits by half failed.
• Cut imports of foreign oil by half by 2020.
• End subsidies to the oil industry. "I will not let oil companies write this country's energy plan or endanger our coastlines or collect another $4 billion in corporate welfare from our taxpayers." A leftover promise.
• "As long as I'm president of the United States, Iran will not get a nuclear weapon." Using sanctions and negotiation, with force if needed. "We're going to make sure that if they do not meet the demands of the international community, then we are going to take all options necessary to make sure they don't have a nuclear weapon."
• End tax breaks for companies shipping jobs overseas.
• As his second priority after a deficit-cutting deal, achieve an immigration overhaul that sets a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants under certain conditions. An unfulfilled 2008 promise. Implemented a temporary measure in June letting up to 1.7 million young illegal immigrants stay and work for up to two years.
• Make higher education affordable for everyone, in part by halving the growth in college tuition over 10 years. Ensure by the end of the decade that the U.S. has more people with college degrees than any other country, recruit 100,000 math and science teachers in 10 years, help 2 million workers attend community college.
• "Continue to reduce the carbon pollution that is heating our planet." Latest iteration of a broken 2008 promise to enact a climate-change law.
• "When Obamacare is fully implemented, we're going to be in a position to show that costs are going down." Latest and much less ambitious iteration of failed 2008 pledge to cut average family premiums by $2,500 in first four years.
• Strengthen Medicare by reducing the cost of health care. Steps already taken under the health care law improve benefits while cutting payments to hospitals and other providers by more than $700 billion over a decade — cuts used to help working-age Americans get insurance. "I will never turn Medicare into a voucher."
• Double exports and create 1 million new manufacturing jobs in four years. Manufacturing jobs have been steadily declining for nearly two decades.
• Consolidate various federal agencies dealing with business issues into one new department led by a secretary of business.
• For victims of Superstorm Sandy: "We are going to be with them every step of the way in helping them to rebuild their lives."
• "Let's, especially, hire our veterans, because if you fought for this country and its freedom, you shouldn't have to fight for a job when you come home."
