George W - University of Virginia



George W. Bush Chronology

(2001-)

2000 (before inauguration)

November 7 Americans voted in the 2000 presidential election; vote differentials in several states were exceedingly close, with the Democratic and Republican candidates disputing many of those counts, leaving the final result inconclusive.

December 12 In a 5-4 ruling, the U.S. Supreme Court stopped recounts of votes in several contested Florida counties. The Democratic candidate, Vice President Albert Gore Jr., conceded the election, leaving George W. Bush, the Republican candidate, as President-elect.

2001

January 20 George W. Bush is inaugurated as the forty-third President.

January 22 In one of his first policy decisions, President Bush decides to reinstate the ban on aid to international groups performing or counseling on abortion. The ban was initiated by former President Ronald Reagan but was not enforced during the Clinton administration.

January 29 President Bush create by executive order the Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives. The new office will work to ease regulations on religious charities and promote grass-roots efforts to tackle community issues such as aid to the poor and disadvantaged.

March 29 The Bush administration affirms its decision to abandon ratification of the Kyoto Protocol, an international treaty between 180 countries to reduce global warming by setting limits on industrial emissions.

April 1 A U.S. spy plane flying over the South China Sea is clipped by a Chinese fighter jet, forcing the American plane to make an emergency landing on Chinese soil. The incident strains diplomatic ties between the two nations, as the United States demands that China return both the plane and its crew to American authorities.

April 4 The Miami Herald and USA Today release a comprehensive review of the 2000 presidential election recount efforts in Florida. The review shows that even if Democratic candidate Albert Gore Jr. had succeeded in getting the recounts he wanted, President Bush would have won Florida by 1,665 votes.

April 20 The third Summit of the Americas convenes in Quebec City, Canada. President Bush meets with leaders from thirty-four countries in the Western Hemisphere to discuss the creation of a hemisphere-wide free trade zone, which the President has pledged to establish by 2005.

April 25 President Bush signals a change in relations with China by officially pledging military support for Taiwan in the event of an attack by China. This is the first time a presidential administration publicly acknowledges a position that had previously been implicitly accepted.

June 7 President Bush signs a $1.35 trillion tax cut into law. Although the tax cut falls short of the $1.60 trillion the administration was seeking, it does slash income tax rates across the board and provides for the gradual elimination of the estate tax.

August 9 President Bush addresses the nation to outline his plans for federal funding of stem cell research. The new policy allows for government funding of research on already extracted stem cells, but prohibits the extraction of additional stem cells from human embryos.

September 11 Terrorists hijack four commercial jets and crash them into the World Trade Center in New York City, the Pentagon, and the Pennsylvania countryside. It is the worst attack on American soil since Pearl Harbor, with fatalities number over 3,000. Addressing the nation twelve hours after the attacks, President Bush vows to hunt down those responsible for them.

September 20 President Bush appears before a joint session of Congress to outline the administration’s plans to bring down world terrorism. He states that every nation must take sides in the international conflict against worldwide terrorist networks. He also warns Americans to prepare for a protracted campaign against terrorism.

The President appoints Pennsylvania governor Tom Ridge to the new cabinet-level post of director of the Office of Homeland Security. Governor Ridge will be in charge of coordinating the efforts of more than forty federal agencies to secure the United States against future terrorist attacks.

October 7 Speaking from the Treaty Room of the White House, President Bush announces the commencement of military action in Afghanistan, an operation code-named “Enduring Freedom.”

December 2 Enron Corporation files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, the largest bankruptcy case in American history. The beleaguered company, once the world’s premier energy trading and services firm, files for court protection after watching its stock price plummet as a result of accounting issues relating to its operations. The Bush administration has ties to key Enron executives, including CEO Kenneth Lay, but denies any involvement.

December 13 After conferring with the National Security Council, President Bush notifies Russia of his intention to withdraw from the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty.

2002

January 8 President Bush signs a landmark education reform bill into law. The act offers local authorities greater flexibility in spending federal dollars, but requires standardized math and reading tests.

Sources

1. “Chronology: November 7-December 18, 2000.” In Bush v. Gore: The Court Cases and the Commentary, edited by E. J. Dionne, Jr. and William Kristol. Washington, D.C.: Brookings Institution Press, 2001. Also available on the web at:

2. . “President George W. Bush: The First 100 Days.” Available at:



3. Grunwald, Michael. “Terrorists Hijack 4 Airliners, Destroy World Trade Center, Hit Pentagon; Hundreds Dead.” Washington Post 12 Sept 2001, p. A1.

.4. Milbank, Dana. “Bush Unveils 'Faith-Based' Initiative.” Washington Post 30 Jan 2001, pg. A1.

5. Seelye, Katharine Q. “The President’s Decision: The Overview.” New York Times 10 August 2001, pg. A1.

6. Simendinger, Alexis. “The Power of One.” National Journal 34 (2002); 230-35.

7. Transcripts of President Bush’s addresses and announcements, available at

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