President Barack Obama's Inaugural Address in Washington D.C. on January 20th, 2009. Obama is the 44th President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama was the United States Senator from Illinois from January 2005 until November 2008. Obama changed procedures to promote disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act, directed the U.S. military to develop plans to withdraw troops from Iraq, and reduced the secrecy given to presidential records. He also issued orders closing Guantanamo Bay detention camp. The first 100 days of Barack Obama's presidency included his signing into law a $787 billion economic stimulus package.