The George W. Bush Presidency

1. The George W. Bush Presidency

2. As Clinton’s second term neared its end in 2000, his Vice President, Al Gore, ran for the Democrats against Republican George W. Bush for President. Although Gore won more popular votes than Bush, the electoral vote margin was too close to call. The election depended on Florida’s 25 electoral votes.

3. Because the vote in Florida was so close, state law mandated anautomatic recount. The Supreme Court case of Bush v. Goreended the recount. Bush was declared President.

4. Bush pursued an aggressive conservative agenda when he took office. He passed a series of tax cuts. Bush promoted the 2002 No Child Left Behind Act to raise national academic standards. In 2003, despite criticism, Bush worked with Congress to extend Medicare to cover prescription drugs for seniors.

5. No Child Left Behind Act • 2002 law aimed at improving the performance of schools through mandated sanctions against schools not reaching federal performance standards

6. September 11, 2001 On September 11, 2001, terrorists hijacked and crashed four airplanes. Two planes hit the World Trade Center in New York City. More than 3,000 people died as the twin towers collapsed.

7. Patriot Acta law passed after 9/11 that gave law enforcement broader powers in monitoring possible terrorist activities

8. Department of Homeland Security • Created by merging many departments and offices • Designed to eliminate bureaucracy and increase efficiency in response to an emergency

9. In response, the United States began a “War on Terror.” Bush first focused on the terrorists who perpetrated 9/11.

10. Osama bin Laden, leader of the al Qaeda network, was thought to be hiding in Afghanistan where the Taliban allowed him to operate. • Taliban – the Islamic fundamentalist faction that controlled most of Afghanistan from 1996-2001 • The United States and its allies sent forces to Afghanistan and overthrew the Taliban.

11. Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) • nuclear, biological, and chemical weapons intended to kill or harm on a large scale

12. Iraq War (2nd Gulf War) Bush turned his attention to Iraq, where many feared Saddam Hussein was stockpiling Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD). In 2003, U.S. and British forces invaded Iraq.

13. Saddam Hussein and many of his supporters were captured, but no weapons of mass destruction were ever found. Many Americans were troubled by the war, terrorism,& the budget.

14. The war continued in Bush’s second term. Although Saddam was overthrown, fighting broke out among three rival groups in Iraq. The country was consumed by chaos. Then, in 2004, the UN determined that Saddam had never possessed WMDs. Critics of Bush said he had misled Congress and the American people.

15. Saddam Hussein Captured “Like a Rat” • Saddam Hussein shuttered himself at the bottom of a narrow, dark hole beneath a two-room mud shack on a sheep farm, a U.S. military official stated. • Having opted not to travel with security forces or an entourage that might bring attention to him, only a Styrofoam square, dirt and a rug separated the deposed Iraqi leader from the U.S. soldiers who routed him from his hiding place Saturday night. "He was in the bottom of a hole with no way to fight back," said Maj. Gen. Raymond Odierno. "He was caught like a rat.” From CNN

16. Hurricane Katrina • In 2005, Hurricane Katrina devastated the U.S. Gulf Coast. • Federal response to the disaster was slow. Discontent grew. • The costliest natural disaster, as well as one of the five deadliest hurricanes, in the history of the U.S.

17. The Great Recession • Began when housing market collapsed in late 2008 • Bad/risky lending practices caused banks and financial companies to struggle • Financial struggles caused the stock market to drop, & unemployment to rise.

18. The Barack Obama Presidency

19. Affordable Health Care Act • Obamacare • Health Care Reform bill passed within one year – March 21, 2010. • Affordable Health Care Act has been controversial • Obamacare has survived several legal challenges.

20. The Great Recession in 2008 • The greatest economic crisis since the 1930s • Financial meltdown • Passed 1.2 trillion dollars in stimulation packages • Including infrastructure and education sections • Slow improvement at home and abroad

21. American Recovery and Reinvestment Act - 2009 An economic stimulus package enacted by Congress in 2009 & signed into law by President Obama. To respond to the Great Recession, the primary objective for ARRA was to save & create jobs almost immediately. Secondary objectives were to provide temporary relief programs for those most impacted by the recession & invest in infrastructure, education, health, and renewable energy. The Act included direct spending in infrastructure, education, health, & energy, federal tax incentives, & expansion of unemployment benefits & other social welfare provisions.

22. Federal Deficit • Increased spending to end the recession led to the government going deeper into debt. • Yearly Federal deficit has shrunk in recent years. • Total Federal Deficit has grown to over $17,600,000,000,000.00

23. Government Shutdowns 2013 & 2014 • Congress failed to pass a spending bill to allow government to continue to pay its bills. • Congress failed to pass a bill raising the amount that the government is allowed to borrow. • Millions of people affected by temporary layoffs or loss of government services