George W. Bush served as the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009.
He is the son of George H. W. Bush, the 41st president, and the brother of Jeb Bush, the former governor of Florida.
He is a member of the Republican Party and a conservative leader.
He is known for his response to the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, his invasion of Iraq in 2003, and his economic policies that led to the Great Recession in 2008.
He is also an avid painter and has published several books of his artworks.
Some additional information about George W. Bush are:
- He was born on July 6, 1946 in New Haven, Connecticut.
- He graduated from Yale University in 1968 and Harvard Business School in 1975.
- He married Laura Welch in 1977 and they have twin daughters, Barbara and Jenna.
- He served as a pilot in the Texas Air National Guard from 1968 to 1974.
- He was the governor of Texas from 1995 to 2000.
- He won the presidential election in 2000 against Al Gore in a controversial vote recount in Florida.
- He launched the War on Terror after the 9/11 attacks and authorized the use of torture and warrantless wiretapping on suspected terrorists .
- He initiated the Iraq War in 2003 based on false claims of weapons of mass destruction and links to al-Qaeda .
- He signed the Patriot Act, the No Child Left Behind Act, the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act, and the Troubled Asset Relief Program into law .
- He faced widespread criticism for his handling of Hurricane Katrina in 2005, which caused severe damage and deaths in New Orleans and other parts of the Gulf Coast.
- He left office in 2009 with low approval ratings and a legacy of war, debt, and recession.
- He has since devoted himself to humanitarian causes, such as fighting AIDS in Africa, supporting veterans, and promoting democracy .
- He has also pursued his passion for painting and has exhibited his portraits of world leaders, wounded warriors, and immigrants .
George W. Bush policies
He enacted significant policies that affected the economy, health care, education, foreign affairs, and national security. Some of his major policies were:
- Tax cuts: He signed two major tax relief acts in 2001 and 2003 that reduced income tax rates, capital gains tax rates, and estate tax rates for most Americans. He claimed that these tax cuts would stimulate economic growth and create jobs1.
- Medicare prescription drug program: He expanded Medicare coverage to include a voluntary prescription drug benefit for seniors, known as Medicare Part D. The program was criticized for its high cost, complex design, and lack of negotiation power with drug companies12.
- War on terror: He launched a global campaign against terrorism after the 9/11 attacks, which killed nearly 3,000 people on U.S. soil. He invaded Afghanistan in 2001 to overthrow the Taliban regime and hunt down al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden. He also invaded Iraq in 2003 based on false claims of weapons of mass destruction and links to al-Qaeda. He faced widespread opposition and criticism for his handling of the wars, which resulted in thousands of casualties, human rights violations, and instability in the region123.
- No Child Left Behind Act: He signed a bipartisan education reform law in 2002 that aimed to improve student achievement and close the achievement gap among different groups of students. The law required states to set standards and test students annually in reading and math. It also imposed sanctions on schools that failed to make adequate yearly progress. The law was controversial for its high-stakes testing, lack of funding, and unrealistic goals12.
- Energy and climate change: He supported the development of domestic energy sources, such as oil, natural gas, coal, and nuclear power. He opposed the Kyoto Protocol, an international agreement to reduce greenhouse gas emissions that cause global warming. He also rejected mandatory caps on carbon emissions and favored voluntary measures by industries. He promoted alternative energy sources, such as ethanol, hydrogen, and solar power, but did not invest much in research and development123.
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