Transcript President George Bush - Waverly

President George Bush
Exploring American History
Unit VIII - 1970’s - Today
Election of 2000
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Election of 2000
– Candidates:
• Republican- George Bush
• Democrat- Al Gore
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Campaign issues
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abortion
campaign financing reform
defense
economy/energy
education
gun control
environment
Health care
taxes
– Outcome- Closest in American
History. Between Nov. 8 and Dec.
13 after the Supreme ordered no
further recounts, there were various
recounts. 50,996,000 to 50,456,000
President George Bush
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43rd President- 2001- 2005 Republican
Who was he?
Domestic Policies
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$1.6 Trillion tax cut- primarily to help wealthy.
Sept. 11 Terrorist attack on World Trade
Center and the Pentagon have push
emphasis on foreign affairs.
Office of Homeland Security
Slow response to financial scandals- Enron
Signed corporate-fraud bill - July 2002
2003- cut taxes by $670 billion over 10 years.
Over 1/2 benefits go to 10% richest
Americans.
President George Bush
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Foreign Policies
– International Terrorism
• Taliban in Afghanistan
• Osama bin Laden and
al-Qaeda
• Axis of Evil- Iraq, Iran,
and North Korea.
• Operation Iraqi
Freedom- March 19,
2003 and the capture of
Saddam.
• High Tariffs on steel.
• Alienated many allies.
Election 2004 Bush v.
Kerry
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The Two Sides- Civil Rights
– Republicans- Bush - Cheney
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Has both opposed and supported affirmative action
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Backs constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage
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Supports "don't ask, don't tell" policy
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Opposes gay adoptions
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Opposes expanding federal law to cover sexual orientation
– Democrats - Kerry - Edwards
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Supports affirmative action policies
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Against gay marriage, backs benefits, rights for gay couples
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Favors allowing gay men and women to serve openly in military
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Supports adoption by gay men and lesbians
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Expand federal hate crimes legislation, assure equal
Election 2004 Bush v.
Kerry
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The Two Sides- International
Policy
– Republicans- Bush - Cheney
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Authorized war to oust Saddam Hussein regime
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Initially opposed U.N. involvement; now warming to idea
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Announced new policy of pre-emption in June 2002
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More than $1 billion proposed for reconstruction
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Co-sponsored "Road map" plan for peace process
– Democrats - Kerry - Edwards
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Supported the war; later said Bush misled nation
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Involve other nations more in Iraqi rebuilding, security
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Denounces threat of pre-emption; would seek global consensus
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Boost international efforts to secure peace, beat al Qaeda
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Improve social, economic, political conditions in region
Election 2004 Bush v.
Kerry
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The Two Sides- Taxes and
Spending
– Republicans- Bush - Cheney
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Supports investing some Social Security taxes in stocks
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Allocated funds to help states pay increased security costs
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Signed two tax cut bills so far; more tax cuts unlikely
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Reduce deficit by holding spending increases to 4 percent
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Says 2001, 2003 tax cuts have helped keep economy going
– Democrats - Kerry - Edwards
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Opposes privatizing Social Security
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Give priority to giving states fiscal aid to resolve crises
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Repeal tax cuts for wealthy; increase child tax credit
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Undo deficit trend with eye on corporate loopholes, spending
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Assist small businesses; train workers; infrastructure jobs
Election 2004 Bush v.
Kerry
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The Two Sides- Social Issues
– Republicans- Bush - Cheney
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Opposes except cases of rape, incest or to save woman's life
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Supports death penalty
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Reduce illegal drug usage by 10 percent over two years
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Protect gunmakers from lawsuits
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Signed NCLB; federal budget has not fully funded legislation
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Has cited Clarence Thomas, Antonin Scalia as model justices
– Democrats - Kerry - Edwards
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Supports a woman's right to an abortion; planning resources
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Opposes death penalty
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More police; aggressively target traffickers; fund treatment
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Close gun show loophole; require child safety locks
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Bar vouchers; fully fund NCLB, special ed., school building
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Appoint judges committed to law, civil and abortion rights
Election 2004 Bush v.
Kerry
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The Two Sides- Health Care
– Republicans- Bush - Cheney
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Supports reducing drug costs for low-income patients
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Introduce private sector competition to reduce costs
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Supports adding drug benefit to Medicare
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Favors improving current system over government-based system
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Would place limits on patient lawsuits against HMOs
– Democrats - Kerry - Edwards
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Close loopholes; financial incentives to lower drug costs
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Fund all health care by rescinding tax cuts, cutting waste
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Tighten rules on drug companies; focus on seniors, vets
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Let people buy into govt. system, fund by reversing Tax cuts
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Allow patients to sue HMOs, collect money for damages
Election 2004 Bush v.
Kerry
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The Two Sides-Energy and
Environment
– Republicans- Bush - Cheney
• Favors opening refuge for gas and oil exploration,
drilling
• Proposed $1.7 billion to develop hydrogen-powered
fuel cells
• Supports market-based solution to improve air quality
• Supports 1.5 mpg increase for SUVs, light trucks by
2007
– Democrats - Kerry - Edwards
• Opposes oil exploration in Arctic refuge
• Promotes clean, renewable fuel sources, especially
ethanol
• Set goals, incentives to reduce dependence on fossil
The National Strategy for Homeland
Security and the Homeland Security Act of 2002
served to mobilize and organize our nation to
secure the homeland from terrorist attacks.
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Critical Mission Areas
– Intelligence and warning
– Border and Transportation Security
– Domestic Counterterrorism
– Protecting Critical Infrastructures and Key
Assets.
– Defending against Catastrophic Threats.
– Emergency Preparedness and Response.
Dept. of Homeland Security
Strategic Goals
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Awareness -- Identify and understand threats, assess vulnerabilities, determine potential
impacts and disseminate timely information to our homeland security partners and the
American public.
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Prevention -- Detect, deter and mitigate threats to our homeland.
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Protection -- Safeguard our people and their freedoms, critical infrastructure, property and
the economy of our Nation from acts of terrorism, natural disasters, or other emergencies.
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Response -- Lead, manage and coordinate the national response to acts of terrorism, natural
disasters, or other emergencies.
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Recovery -- Lead national, state, local and private sector efforts to restore services and
rebuild communities after acts of terrorism, natural disasters, or other emergencies.
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Service -- Serve the public effectively by facilitating lawful trade, travel and immigration.
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Organizational Excellence -- Value our most important resource, our people. Create a
culture that promotes a common identity, innovation, mutual respect, accountability and
teamwork to achieve efficiencies, effectiveness, and operational synergies.
The military objectives of Operation Iraqi
Freedom
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First, ending the regime of Saddam Hussein.
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Second, to identify, isolate and eliminate, Iraq's weapons of mass
destruction.
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Third, to search for, to capture and to drive out terrorists from the country.
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Fourth, to collect intelligence related to terrorist networks.
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Fifth, to collect such intelligence as is related to the global network of illicit
weapons of mass destruction.
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Sixth, to end sanctions and to immediately deliver humanitarian support to
the displaced and to many needed citizens.
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Seventh, to secure Iraq's oil fields and resources, which belong to the Iraqi
people.
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Finally, to help the Iraqi people create conditions for a transition to a
representative self-government.
Operation Iraqi Freedom Reasons
For
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Generally, Hussein is a proven threat to
international security, he is interested in
developing chemical, biological, and nuclear
weapons and has shown a willingness to use such
weapons on Iraq's neighbors but also against
Iraq's Kurdish population.
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Alternatives to invasion won't solve the problem.
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If Iraq were to acquire Weapons of Mass
Destruction it could threaten regional stability and
deter any potential military action against Iraq.
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Winning the war would be easy and the costs
would be minimal
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Removing Hussein would be consistent with the
goals of the war on terrorism.
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The Iraqi people would support this action
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Toppling Hussein will have little or no negative
impacts the region.
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If Hussein develops chemical, biological or nuclear
weapons he could give the weapons to terrorist
organization who could use those materials against
the United States or its allies.
Against
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Iraq is effectively contained.
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Inspections will work and were successful in
the 1990s.
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The United States' nuclear capability
currently deters Hussein from using WMD on
its neighbors.
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The costs of this war could be prohibitive.
Reports indicate that over 200,000 troops
could be needed and that the war could cost
$80 billion.
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Invading Iraq will hurt the war on terrorism.
A US attack will alienate Muslim countries
especially the Arab
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The conflict between the Israelis and the
Palestinians centers on cultural and territorial
issues that transcend political systems.
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Iran, fearing that it could be the next state to
be attacked, could nuclearize.
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Fears that Iraq would give WMD to terrorists
lack credibility.