After ticking off a list of achievements over his presidency and the past year, President Obama said he looks forward to a productive year in his final press conference before leaving for his family vacation.
“Since taking this office, I have never been more optimistic about the year ahead than I am right now, and in 2016 I’m going to leave it all out on the field,” he told reporters at the White House.
Obama noted that unemployment and uninsured rates are down, praised the recent climate agreement signed in Paris and the Supreme Court decision on gay marriage, and highlighted recent bill he signed reforming No Child Left Behind.
He also argued that the U.S. has kept up pressure on the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, calling on Americans to remain vigilant but refuse to be terrorized.
Among the unfinished business that Obama hopes to tackle next year: Closing the Guantanamo Bay detention center, reforming criminal justice laws and boosting job growth further. He said he may take executive actions in some cases but remains hopeful that he can get Republican lawmakers on board.
“Every battle I’ve had with Congress over the last five years has been uphill, and we keep on surprising you by getting stuff done,” he said.
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