Obama Presidency Oral History

Incite at Columbia University
The Obama Presidency as told by 450+ officials, activists, organizers, and extraordinary people from all walks of life.

  • Sylvia Burwell

    OMB Director and HHS Secretary

  • Tom Harkin

    US Senator from Iowa

  • Cecile Richards

    Planned Parenthood President

  • Nancy-Ann DeParle

    White House Deputy Chief of Staff

  • Lisa Jackson

    EPA Administrator

  • Neera Tanden

    Health Policy Advisor

  • Michael Minor

    Pastor and Healthcare Advocate

  • Arun Majumdar

    ARPA-E Director

  • Robert Trapp

    Newspaper Publisher and Correspondent

  • Steven Chu

    Secretary of Energy

  • Bill McKibben

    Environmental Activist

  • Sandra Fluke

    Reproductive Health Advocate

  • Christy Goldfuss

    Environmental Policy Official

  • Don Verrilli

    Solicitor General

  • Elizabeth Fowler

    Health Policy Official

  • Kathleen Sebelius

    Secretary of Health and Human Services

  • Art and Helen Tanderup

    Farmers

  • Todd Stern

    Special Envoy

  • Nancy Nielsen

    American Medical Association President

  • Aneesh Chopra

    US Chief Technology Officer

Sylvia Burwell
OMB Director and HHS Secretary
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Interviews released

Explore a special preview of interviews related to climate, energy, the environment, and healthcare.

Explore all interviews

Since 2019, Incite at Columbia University has interviewed hundreds of people to produce the official oral history of the Obama presidency. These in-depth interviews, conducted with those inside and outside of the administration, represent roughly 1,100 hours of audio and video that together form a comprehensive record of the Obama years.

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Stories

Each oral history interview contains dozens of stories. Explore these stories through prepared playlists—or save stories to make your own.

  • go to the interview
    Proposal of the healthcare reserve fund in the first budget and its role in healthcare reform negotiations Peter Orszag
    02:31
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    Involvement in promoting electronic health records in the Recovery Act Zeke Emanuel
    02:01
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    Efforts to ensure bipartisan support for the Affordable Care Act Kathleen Sebelius
    03:18
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    Working with Hillary Clinton on her presidential campaign and transitioning to Obama's team Neera Tanden
    06:14
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    Discussion on various versions of the public option in 2009 health care reform Nancy-Ann DeParle
    02:20
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    Public concerns and insurer challenges during ACA implementation Sylvia Burwell
    03:53
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    Al Gore's environmental stance and its impact during the Clinton administration Frances Beinecke
    02:39
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    Negotiations on healthcare reform and Obama's commitment to family Max Baucus
    04:45
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    Balancing Washington duties with direct engagement with the public Nancy Sutley
    02:39
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    Addressing energy issues in low-income communities during the Obama administration Arun Majumdar
    01:24
Explore all stories

Topics

From healthcare to the financial crisis to nuclear nonproliferation, each topic explored in this collection is brought to life by narrators from both inside and outside the Obama administration.

  • go to the Climate, Environment, and Energy
    Climate, Environment, and Energy
  • go to the Healthcare
    Healthcare
  • Latin America
    Coming soon
  • Atlantic Relations
    Coming soon
  • Financial Reform and Regulation
    Coming soon
  • Women and Girls
    Coming soon
  • Supreme Court
    Coming soon
  • Agriculture
    Coming soon
  • Transition
    Coming soon
  • Republican Opposition
    Coming soon
See more topics

Navigate

Navigate the interconnected events and places that make up this history, narrated by the stories of the people who lived it.



2009-17

Timeline
Map

News& Events

  • read full text: What a New Oral History Reveals About Obama, and the Tradeoffs He Made
    Peter Baker in The New York Times.
    NewsRead more
  • read full text: An Expansive View Into Obama’s Transformative Presidency
    Caroline Harting in Columbia News.
    NewsRead more
  • read full text: The Obama Presidency Inside-Out: A Conversation About Climate
    New York City
    On May 31, 2023, we gathered in New York City to celebrate the completion of the Obama Presidency Oral History project's fieldwork.
    EventRead more
See more news