Most Talked-About Controversies Linked to George W. Bush
A closer look at the most debated and controversial moments involving George W. Bush.
George W. Bush served as the 43rd U.S. President (2001-2009). A Republican and son of President George H.W. Bush, he previously served as the 46th Governor of Texas (1995-2000). His presidency was largely defined by the September 11th terrorist attacks, leading to the launch of the War on Terror, including military interventions in Afghanistan and Iraq. Domestically, he enacted education reform through the No Child Left Behind Act, as well as tax cuts and expansion of Medicare. His administration faced criticism for its handling of Hurricane Katrina and the financial crisis of 2008.
1991: Gulf War
The continued presence of U.S. troops in Saudi Arabia after the 1991 Gulf War was one of the stated motivations behind the September 11 attacks.
1995: Dickey-Wicker Amendment
In 1995, the Dickey-Wicker Amendment forbade federal funding for medical research involving the creation or destruction of human embryos.
June 10, 2000: Jesus Day Proclamation in Texas
On June 10, 2000, George W. Bush proclaimed Jesus Day in Texas, urging Texans to serve those in need.
August 9, 2001: Executive Order on Stem Cell Research Funding
On August 9, 2001, George W. Bush signed an executive order lifting the ban on federal funding for research on existing stem cell lines.
September 11, 2001: September 11 Terrorist Attacks
On September 11, 2001, the terrorist attacks reshaped the Bush administration, leading to the war on terror and the creation of the Department of Homeland Security.
December 2001: Osama bin Laden Escapes at Tora Bora
In December 2001, al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden escaped a battle in the mountainous region of Tora Bora, which the Bush Administration later acknowledged to have resulted from a failure to commit enough U.S. ground troops.
2001: Opposition to Kyoto Protocol in 2001
In 2001, George W. Bush stated his opposition to the Kyoto Protocol, citing that the treaty exempted 80 percent of the world's population and would have cost tens of billions of dollars per year.
January 29, 2002: State of the Union Address: Axis of Evil
In his January 29, 2002 State of the Union Address, George W. Bush asserted that an "axis of evil" consisting of North Korea, Iran, and Ba'athist Iraq was "arming to threaten the peace of the world", which became the basis for the Bush Doctrine.
November 2002: UN Weapons Inspectors in Iraq
In November 2002, Hans Blix and Mohamed ElBaradei led UN weapons inspectors in Iraq, but were advised by the U.S. to depart the country four days prior to the U.S. invasion.
2002: CIA's consideration of Enhanced Interrogation Techniques
Between 2002 and 2003, the CIA considered certain enhanced interrogation techniques, such as waterboarding, to be legal based on secret Justice Department legal opinions arguing that terror detainees were not protected by the Geneva Conventions' ban on torture
2002: Clear Skies Act Proposed in 2002
In 2002, George W. Bush proposed the Clear Skies Act, which aimed at amending the Clean Air Act to reduce air pollution through emissions trading programs.
2002: CIA Reports on Iraq's WMD Programs
In the latter half of 2002, CIA reports contained assertions of Saddam Hussein's intent of reconstituting nuclear weapons programs, not properly accounting for Iraqi biological and chemical weapons. Contentions that the Bush Administration manipulated or exaggerated the threat and evidence of Iraq's weapons of mass destruction capabilities would eventually become a major point of criticism for the president.
2003: CIA's consideration of Enhanced Interrogation Techniques
Between 2002 and 2003, the CIA considered certain enhanced interrogation techniques, such as waterboarding, to be legal based on secret Justice Department legal opinions arguing that terror detainees were not protected by the Geneva Conventions' ban on torture
2003: Taliban Regrouping
By early 2003, the Taliban was regrouping in Afghanistan, amassing new funds and recruits, despite initial success in driving them from power.
2003: Initiation of AIDS Relief Program and Invasion of Iraq
In 2003, President Bush initiated the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief and ordered the invasion of Iraq.
2003: Clear Skies Act Fails in 2003
In 2003, the Clear Skies Act failed to make it out of committee in Congress.
2003: Diplomatic Crisis and Iraq War
In late 2002 and early 2003, George W. Bush urged the United Nations to enforce Iraqi disarmament mandates, precipitating a diplomatic crisis and leading to the U.S. invasion of Iraq without UN approval. The Bush administration's claim that the Iraq War was part of the War on Terror had been questioned.
2004: 2004 Re-election Campaign
In 2004, George W. Bush ran for re-election with broad Republican support, emphasizing the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the USA PATRIOT Act, constitutional amendments against abortion and same-sex marriage, Social Security reform, and opposition to mandatory carbon emissions controls. He also proposed a guest worker program for immigrants.
2004: CIA Director Nomination and Purge
In 2004, following George Tenet's resignation, George W. Bush nominated Porter Goss as CIA director and ordered a purge of officers deemed disloyal, leading to the dismissal or resignation of many senior agents. The CIA was later accused of leaking classified information to undermine the 2004 election.
June 2005: Release of Military Records
In June 2005, the Department of Defense released all the records of George W. Bush's Texas Air National Guard service, addressing allegations about his service.
2005: Campaigning for Social Security Reform in 2005
In 2005, George W. Bush embarked on a national tour to campaign for his Social Security reform initiative, but public support declined due to political fallout from Hurricane Katrina.
2005: Social Security Reform Initiative in 2005
In 2005, George W. Bush outlined a major initiative to reform Social Security, including partial privatization and personal Social Security accounts, despite opposition from Congress.
2005: Operation Red Wings Failure
In 2005, the failure of Operation Red Wings in Afghanistan demonstrated that the Taliban had returned.
March 2006: Obama's Criticism of Debt Ceiling in March 2006
In March 2006, then-Senator Barack Obama criticized raising America's debt limit as a sign of leadership failure.
July 19, 2006: Veto of Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act
On July 19, 2006, George W. Bush used his veto power for the first time to veto the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act, which would have permitted federal funding for embryonic stem cell research.
August 2006: Ruling Against NSA Surveillance Program
In August 2006, a U.S. district court judge ruled that the NSA electronic surveillance program was unconstitutional.
October 9, 2006: North Korea's Nuclear Detonation
On October 9, 2006, North Korea's detonation of a nuclear device further complicated Bush's foreign policy.
October 17, 2006: Signing of the Military Commissions Act
On October 17, 2006, Bush signed the Military Commissions Act of 2006 into law, allowing the U.S. government to prosecute unlawful enemy combatants by military commission rather than a standard trial.
2006: Call for Temporary Guest-Worker Program
In 2006, George W. Bush urged Congress to allow over twelve million illegal immigrants to work in the U.S. through a "temporary guest-worker program," while also seeking funds for border security and deploying National Guard troops.
2006: Funding Cut for NIH in 2006
In 2006, funding for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) was cut due to rising inflation, marking the first such cut in 36 years.
2006: Taliban Insurgency
In 2006, the Taliban insurgency in Afghanistan appeared larger, fiercer, and better organized than expected, leading to large-scale allied offensives with limited success.
January 2007: Troop Surge in Iraq
In January 2007, President Bush launched a surge of troops in Iraq.
January 17, 2007: End of President's Surveillance Program
On January 17, 2007, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales informed U.S. Senate leaders that the President's Surveillance Program would not be reauthorized by the President, but would be subjected to judicial oversight.
March 2007: Additional Troops to Afghanistan
In March 2007, George W. Bush commissioned 3,500 additional troops to Afghanistan due to the unexpectedly large and fierce Taliban insurgency.
June 2007: Support for Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act
From May to June 2007, George W. Bush strongly supported the Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2007, envisioning a legalization program, guest worker program, and enhanced border enforcement.
June 28, 2007: Defeat of Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act
On June 28, 2007, the Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act was defeated in the Senate, causing a rift within the Republican Party and leading George W. Bush to express disappointment over the failure of one of his key domestic initiatives.
July 6, 2007: Ruling Vacated on NSA Surveillance Program
On July 6, 2007, the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit vacated the August 2006 ruling against the NSA electronic surveillance program on the grounds that the plaintiffs lacked standing.
2007: Veto of State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) in 2007
In 2007, George W. Bush vetoed the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) legislation, which would have expanded federally funded healthcare benefits to children of low-income families, viewing it as a move toward socialized health care.
March 8, 2008: Veto of Bill on Intelligence Oversight and Interrogation
On March 8, 2008, Bush vetoed H.R. 2082, a bill that would have expanded congressional oversight over the intelligence community and banned the use of waterboarding.
March 10, 2008: Congress Files Lawsuit Over Subpoenas
On March 10, 2008, the Congress filed a federal lawsuit to enforce their issued subpoenas related to the U.S. Attorney firings.
June 9, 2008: Articles of Impeachment Introduced
On June 9, 2008, Representative Dennis Kucinich introduced 35 articles of impeachment against President Bush on the floor of the House of Representatives.
July 31, 2008: Court Ruling on Congressional Subpoenas
On July 31, 2008, a United States district court judge ruled that George W. Bush's top advisers were not immune from Congressional subpoenas.
September 2008: September 2008 Financial Crisis
In September 2008, the financial crisis became more serious with the government takeover of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the collapse of Lehman Brothers, and a federal bailout of AIG for $85 billion.
December 2008: Shoe-Throwing Incident in Iraq
During Bush's last visit to Iraq in December 2008, Iraqi journalist Muntadhar al-Zaidi threw both of his shoes at him during an official press conference.
2008: Bush's Legacy and the 2008 Financial Crisis
George W. Bush's handling of the 2008 financial crisis is seen by critics as proof that he was unfit to be president.
April 2009: Release of Secret Memos on Interrogation Tactics
In April 2009, the ACLU sued and won release of the secret memos that had authorized the Bush administration's interrogation tactics, including waterboarding.
May 2009: North Korea Restarts Nuclear Program
By May 2009, North Korea had restarted its nuclear program and threatened to attack South Korea.
2009: Classified Provisions of the President's Surveillance Program
As of 2009, the provisions of the President's Surveillance Program remained highly classified.
March 2010: Report on False Pretenses About Iraq
In March 2010, Center for Public Integrity released a report that President Bush's administration had made more than 900 false pretenses in a two-year period about the alleged threat of Iraq against the United States, as his rationale to engage in war in Iraq.
2010: Historians Rank Bush Low in Survey
In 2010, a Siena Research Institute survey of historians, political scientists, and presidential scholars ranked George W. Bush 39th out of 43 presidents. Survey respondents gave Bush low ratings in areas like economics, communication, compromise, foreign policy, and intelligence.
2010: Justice Department Investigation Conclusion
In 2010, the Justice Department investigator concluded that though political considerations played a part in as many as four of the attorney firings, the firings were "inappropriately political" but not criminal.
June 2013: PRISM Program Publicly Revealed
In June 2013, the NSA's replacement for the President's Surveillance Program, referred to as PRISM, was publicly revealed by The Washington Post and The Guardian.
2082: Veto of H.R. 2082
On March 8, 2008, Bush vetoed H.R. 2082, a bill that would have expanded congressional oversight over the intelligence community and banned the use of waterboarding.
