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Bush annouces his intention to run
Bush declares his interest in the White House saying he will outline an optimistic message of expanding prosperity through lower taxes, reduced regulation, free and fair trade, and a strong defense. -
First Debate - Boston
While Bush criticized Gore for being the candidate of big government and of not getting anything accomplished in the last eight years, Gore attacked Bush’s tax plan and Social Security plan. -
Second Debate - North Carolina
The two focused mainly on foreign policy issues, of which GWB appeared to have a firm grasp. Though Gore scored points when he attacked the state of health care in Texas, polls indicated many saw Bush as the victor. -
Third Debate - Missouri
The candidates illustrated differences between their philosophies. -
Election Day
Americans cast their ballot for Presodent. Governor Bush and Vice President Al Gore each have close to an Electoral College majority. -
Bush sworn in as President
George Walker Bush is sworn in as the 43rd President of the United States. In his address, Bush pledges to “build a single nation of justice and opportunity” and says he’ll lead the nation with “civility, courage, compassion and character.” -
First Executive Order - Abortion
Bush signs an executive order reversing Clinton's decision in 1993 to restore federal financing of international family-planning groups that offer abortion or abortion counseling. Bush's action, which covers even groups that use their own money to pay
for abortions or abortion counseling, effectively
reinstates a policy that President Reagan put into place
and Bush's father continued. -
House passes Bush's tax cut
Bush's $1.6 trillion, ten-year tax cut plan is passed by narrow margin with no Republican defecting. -
Missile Defense
Bush proposes his missile defense shield. It is highly controversial and attacked by Democrats as unnecessary defense spending. -
The day America was attacked
Terrorists hijack four U.S. commercial airliners. Two of the planes are flown into and destroy the World Trade Center twin towers in New York City. Another plane is used to attack the Pentagon, while the fourth crashes in western Pennsylvania. President Bush is in Sarasota, Florida at Emma Booker Elementary School when he hears of the attacks. He asks for prayers and is immediately flown to Barksdale AFB, in Shreveport, Louisiana. -
Bush declares war
Bush meets with members of his National Security Council to discuss military options and strategy for war on terrorism at Camp David. He declares, “We’re at war,” at a photo op. -
Highest unemployment in 21 years
Unemployment shoots up from 4.9% to 5.4% representing the largest increase in 21 years, a reflection of the devastating economic impact of the September 11th terror attacks; some 415 thousand jobs were cut from payrolls. -
"No Child Left Behind"
In Hamilton H.S. gymnasium event, he signs the Education Reform Act (H.R. 1 - No Child Left Behind Act) after addressing
students on education and on the war on terrorism. -
Treaty of Moscow
In St. Andrews Hall, Bush and Putin sign the “Treaty of Moscow,” committing each nation to slash the number of strategic nuclear warheads in their active duty arsenals to between 1,700 and 2,200. -
Bush is re-elected for a second term
Bush was challenged in his re-election bid in 2004 by Massachusetts Democratic Senator John Kerry. The election was a good contest, but Bush's contention that the invasion of Iraq had made the world more secure against terrorism won the national political debate.
