Barack Obama signed the law creating the United States Semiquincentennial Commission.
The commission was established by the United States Semiquincentennial Commission Act of 2016. Its purpose was to plan and coordinate national observances for the 250th anniversary of American independence in 2026.
Obama was president from 2009 to 2017, so he signed the act during his second term. The commission is a congressional, nonpartisan body rather than a presidential campaign organization.
A common mix-up is confusing the commission with the White House Task Force on Celebrating America's 250th Birthday, which was created later, in 2025. The commission's work began years earlier and includes planning events, commemorative coins, postage stamps, and other national projects.