Presidency

The Presidency George W. Bush 
 * //Brief Biography: // ** Many people think President Bush was a good during his first term as President for his second time going in. This is what he did before he was campaigning, running the world. He got along with many people and congress was conservative, so that helped him very much. It helped him because the Supreme Court was more conservative at this time also. Then he began to run for a second term as President and he got elected. He was going up against John F. Kerry. He got many people to vote for him and they liked him from his first term and many did not like John Kerry or trust him because they already knew what George Bush was like from the first term. During his Presidency he needed to have surgery and while this two and a half hour surgery went on Dick Cheney was the President. Bush had to deal with Hurricane Katrina and try as best as he could to make it better and give billions of dollars to restore New Orleans. He also had to deal with the War in Afghanistan and Iraq which was very difficult and he said how he would like to get out of the war safely but obviously that did not happen. He said that it would not happen quickly or even while he was still President and he was correct. As of now, we are still in the War with those two countries. Many people started to not like him or trust him as a President. His ratings went way low. Bush had a legacy though. He kept the country safe during the September 11, 2001 attack. He has acted in the best interest of our country. He also states that there was danger we faced and still more to come ahead but with the courage of the people we will never fail.

//** Executive Orders: **// Signed: January 18, 2007 || Further Amendment to Executive Order 12866 on Regulatory Planning and Review || Signed: January 24, 2007 || Strengthening Federal Environmental, Energy, and Transportation Management || Signed: February 14, 2007 || Trial of Alien Unlawful Enemy Combatants by Military Commission || Signed: March 6, 2007 || Establishing a Commission on Care for America's Returning Wounded Warriors and a Task Force on Returning Global War on Terror Heroes || Signed: March 7, 2007 || Extending Privileges and Immunities to the Permanent Observer Mission of the Holy See to the United Nations || Signed: April 2, 2007 || Renaming a National Forest in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico || Signed: April 4, 2007 || Establishing an Emergency Board To Investigate a Dispute Between Metro-North Railroad and Its Maintenance of Way Employees Represented by the International Brotherhood of Teamsters || Signed: May 16, 2007 || Protecting American Taxpayers From Payment of Contingency Fees || Signed: January 22, 2008 || Establishing the President's Advisory Council on Financial Literacy || Signed: February 29, 2008 || President's Intelligence Advisory Board and Intelligence Oversight Board || November 18, 2008 || Amendments to Executive Order 9397 Relating to Federal Agency Use of Social Security Numbers || December 18, 2008 || Adjustments of Certain Rates of Pay || Signed: January 9, 2009 || Providing an Order of Succession Within the Department of Transportation || Signed: January 16, 2009 || Granting Reciprocity on Excepted Service and Federal Contractor Employee Fitness and Reinvestigating Individuals in Positions of Public Trust ||
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-U.S. Troop Readiness, Veterans' Care, Katrina Recovery, and Iraq Accountability Appropriations Act, 2007 -Fair Minimum Wage Act of 2007 -Dismissal of U.S. Attorneys controversy -Foreign Investment and National Security Act of 2007 -Implementing Recommendations of the 9/11 Commission Act of 2007 -Protect America Act of 2007 (PAA) -Honest Leadership and Open Government Act -Water Resources Development Act of 2007 -Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 -Economic Stimulus Act of 2008 -Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008 -Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 -Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2008 -FISA Amendments Act of 2008 -Tom Lantos Block Burmese JADE (Junta's Anti-Democratic Efforts) Act of 2008 -Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008 || -America's Climate Security Act of 2007 -Automotive industry crisis of 2008–2010 -Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2007 -Deceptive Practices and Voter Intimidation Prevention Act of 2007 -Voting rights of citizens in the District of Columbia -Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) -Executive Branch Reform Act -Global Warming Pollution Reduction Act of 2007 -Habeas Corpus Restoration Act of 2007 -Iraq War De-Escalation Act of 2007 -Medicare Prescription Drug Price Negotiation Act -Personal Use of Marijuana by Responsible Adults Act of 2008 -Public Safety Employer-Employee Cooperation Act of 2007 -State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) || **//Vetoes://** May 1, 2007: U.S. Troop Readiness, Veterans' Care, Katrina Recovery, and Iraq Accountability Appropriations Act of 2007 June 20, 2007: Stem Cell Research Act of 2007 October 3, 2007: State Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2007 November 2, 2007: Water Resources Development Act of 2007 November 13, 2007: Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act December 28, 2007: National Defense Authorization Act March 8, 2008: Intelligence Au​thorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 May 21, 2008: Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 June 18, 2008: Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 July 15, 2008: Medicare Improvement for Patients and Providers Act of 2008 //Regular//: 11 //Pocket:// 1 //Total//: 12 //Overriden//: 4
 * //**Legislation Supported**// || //**Legislation Opposed**// ||
 * -House Page Board Revision Act of 2007

//** Supreme Court Appointments: ** // President Bush made no Supreme Court appointments during his second term.

**// Highlights, Criticisms, and Pitfalls // ** Bush had a few highlights in his Presidency. President Bush was going to be ambitious during his second-term of reshaping Social Security and sparking democracy. Bush signed into broad tax cuts, which should make the people feel better about their taxes. The no child left behind which was good for many schools. Bush had many criticisms in his Presidency. Many did not like what he did, but some liked him. Bush does not know how to handle money. Starting with Bush not handling the price of gasoline and it also does not help how the United States is not getting along with the Iraq people and the war going on between the two countries. Bush’s approval ratings dropped very low for his management of foreign policy. The ratings have fallen to the lowest level in the whole time he has been President. He was not good with the issues that have been on top of the national’s agenda for many months. Mostly this has to do with immigration and gasoline prices again. Two-thirds of the people said they have little to almost no confidence in Bush that he can end this war and for sure not responsibly if ended. Bush lastly had many pitfalls during his Presidency. Bush went into a record surplus while he entered to be the President then later after all of Clinton’s hard work Bush went to a record deficit in all of nation. He has many flaws and trying to understand their society, it did not help. There were many issues with Bush’s Presidency and he failed to make it clear that Muslim societies are overpoweringly split in intricate ways.

**// Foreign Relations //** On August 31, 2006 Bush insisted that there must be consequences for Iran's disobedience of demands that it stop enriching uranium. A month earlier, Ahmadinejad invited Bush to a debate on September 19 at the UN National Assembly about Iran’s right to enrich uranium. Tony Snow, the White House spokesman immediately rejected the invitation as ordered by Bush. Snow was later quoted as saying "There's not going to be a steel-gage grudge match between the President and Ahmadinejad." On November 2006, Ahmadinejad wrote a letter to the people of the United States showing some of his concerns. He said that there is an urgency to have a dialog because of the activities of the US administration in the Middle East, and that the US is concealing the truth about the currently reality. As of early 2007, Bush had already made the decision to attack Iran, even after the plea for understanding from Ahmadinejad. Because of President Bush’s actions, Ahmadinejad said "The American Empire in the world is reaching the end of its road, and its next rulers must limit their interference to their own borders," saying how Bush was the reason America went downhill as a country. Congress did not agree with the actions of Bush during his confrontation with Ahmadinejad, but the President overruled and made all decisions. President Bush made an important speech on September 19, 2006 at the UN about many foreign relation decisions. Bush challenged the Middle East to push for reform and choose freedom, all while trying to reassure Muslims that America isn’t at war with Islam, and respects the religion. He also pushed the Iranian government to end its nuclear program by talking about his concerns. He explained that a peaceful and liberated Middle East builds Western security. Bush also said that democratic changes take time. In May 2007, Iran's top diplomat Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki stated that Iran is "ready to talk" to the US. At this point, and there was important work to be done before the United States could drop a 28 year old stop on diplomatic relations. **

// Characteristics of Bush’s Presidency // ** Bush had many characteristics during his Presidency. Bush had a hard time getting along with Congress. A few politicians were trying to investigate Bush so they could get him impeached on the floor of the United States House of Representatives. At one point there was a vote and the House voted 251 to 166 and when it got to the Judiciary committee on July 25, there was no further action take. Bush and the Supreme Court got along pretty well because the Supreme Court was more Conservative at the time. This made it easier for Bush during his second term.

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