U.S. Senate (2005–2008)
See also: United States Senate career of Barack Obama and List of bills sponsored by Barack Obama in the United States Senate
Official portrait of Obama as a member of the United States Senate
Obama was sworn in as a senator on January 3, 2005,[147] becoming the only Senate member of the Congressional Black Caucus.[148] He introduced two initiatives that bore his name: Lugar–Obama, which expanded the Nunn–Lugar Cooperative Threat Reduction concept to conventional weapons;[149] and the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006, which authorized the establishment of USAspending.gov, a web search engine on federal spending.[150] On June 3, 2008, Senator Obama—along with Senators Tom Carper, Tom Coburn, and John McCain—introduced follow-up legislation: Strengthening Transparency and Accountability in Federal Spending Act of 2008.[151] He also cosponsored the Secure America and Orderly Immigration Act.[152]
In December 2006, President Bush signed into law the Democratic Republic of the Congo Relief, Security, and Democracy Promotion Act, marking the first federal legislation to be enacted with Obama as its primary sponsor.