George W. Bush is the 43rd
President of the United States. He was sworn
into office January 20, 2001, after a campaign
in which he outlined sweeping proposals to
reform America's public schools, transform our
national defense, provide tax relief, modernize
Social Security and Medicare, and encourage
faith-based and community organizations to work
with government to help Americans in need.
President Bush served for six years as the 46th
Governor of the State of Texas, where he earned
a reputation as a compassionate conservative who
shaped public policy based on the principles of
limited government, personal responsibility,
strong families, and local control.
President Bush
was born on July 6, 1946, in New Haven,
Connecticut, and he grew up in Midland and
Houston, Texas. He received a bachelor's degree
from Yale University in 1968, then served as an
F-102 fighter pilot in the Texas Air National
Guard. President Bush received a Master of
Business Administration from Harvard Business
School in 1975. After graduating, he moved back
to Midland and began a career in the energy
business. After working on his father's
successful 1988 presidential campaign, he
assembled the group of partners that purchased
the Texas Rangers baseball franchise in 1989.
He served as
managing general partner of the Texas Rangers
until he was elected Governor on November 8,
1994, with 53.5 percent of the vote. He became
the first Governor in Texas history to be
elected to consecutive four-year terms when he
was re-elected on November 3, 1998, with 68.6
percent of the vote.
Since taking
office, President Bush has signed into law bold
initiatives to improve public schools by raising
standards, requiring accountability, and
strengthening local control. He has signed tax
relief that provided rebate checks and lower tax
rates for everyone who pays income taxes in
America. He has increased pay and benefits for
America's military and is working to save and
strengthen Social Security and Medicare. He is
also committed to ushering in a responsibility
era in America, and has called on all Americans
to be "citizens, not spectators; citizens, not
subjects; responsible citizens building
communities of service and a Nation of
character."
The attacks of
September 11th changed America - and in
President Bush's words, "in our grief and anger
we have found our mission and our moment."
President Bush declared war against terror and
has made victory in the war on terrorism and the
advance of human freedom the priorities of his
Administration. Already, the United States
military and a great coalition of nations have
liberated the people of Afghanistan from the
brutal Taliban regime and denied al Qaeda its
safe haven of operations. Thousands of
terrorists have been captured or killed and
operations have been disrupted in many countries
around the world. In the President's words, "our
Nation - this generation - will lift a dark
threat of violence from our people and our
future. We will rally the world to this cause by
our efforts, by our courage. We will not tire,
we will not falter, and we will not fail."
President Bush
is married to Laura Welch Bush, a former teacher
and librarian, and they have twin daughters,
Barbara and Jenna. The Bush family also includes
their dog, Barney, and a cat, India.
