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Major Legislation

The President worked with Congress to enact four major pieces of homeland security related legislation:

The USA Patriot Act;
2. The Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act;
3. The Protect America Act; and
4. Modernization of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act.

More than 20 Federal agencies were merged together to create the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

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9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed was captured and is in custody. (I don’t credit Bush for that, but our military)

Iraqi forces have taken over security responsibilities from U.S. forces in more than two thirds of Iraqi provinces and helped reduce attacks to the lowest level in more than four years. (At what cost, and should we have been there to begin with?)

•More than six million children now attend Afghan schools, compared to fewer than one million in 2001; a third of these are girls who were previously barred from attending school. (no longer true, I believe)

The Afghan economy has doubled since 2001. (no longer true)

•President Bush implemented the largest reorganization of the Federal national security apparatus since 1947. (no points from me)

•More than 400 individuals and entities that posed a threat to America had assets frozen, transactions blocked, or were isolated from the U.S. financial system. (I’ll give him points for that)

•The increase in defense funding is the largest increase since the Truman Administration. (He gets MINUS points for that!)

Intelligence experts believe the 2006 plot to blow up multiple passenger jets traveling from London was only weeks from being carried out. (Like most of the “foiled” terror plots, let’s see proof)

The President launched a global threat reduction program that has removed enough material for more than 30 nuclear bombs from sites around the world. (Big points for that)

President Bush persuaded Libya to disclose and dismantle all aspects of its WMD and advanced missile programs and renounce terrorism. (Is this valid?)

The Administration dismantled the A.Q. Khan nuclear proliferation network, which had previously spread sensitive nuclear technology and capability to Iran and North Korea. (Points)

To protect against the danger of rogue regimes armed with ballistic missiles, the Administration withdrew from the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty and made missile defense operational. (That’s propaganda and bullshit—that’s not why we backed out)

This Administration halved the U.S. nuclear weapons stockpile by 2007—five years ahead of schedule. (BIG points)

The President’s Proliferation Security Initiative united more than 90 nations to cooperate to stop of the spread of weapons of mass destruction, their delivery systems, and related materials. (uhhh...no comment)

The United States persuaded the UN Security Council to require all UN members to take enforcement actions against the proliferation of WMD and related materials. (bullying tactics for his own agenda)

The President increased the budget for the National Endowment for Democracy by more than 150 percent since 2001. (Anyone wanna check out N.E.D.? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Endowment_for_Democracy --NO points!)

•The United States provided more than $1.5 billion in new funding for humanitarian and peacekeeping aid to Darfur. (BIG points for all the government’s activities in Africa!)

President Bush directed all senior U.S. officials serving in undemocratic countries to maintain regular contact with political dissidents and democracy activists to help give them a voice. (part of NED?)

Since 2001, the United States has provided $16 billion in food aid. (but we always do)

The MCC has now signed agreements, which seek transformational change in the development of recipient countries, for $6.7 billion in grant funding for 35 countries. (Anyone know what MCC is?)

The President committed $1 billion through the African Education Initiative and the Initiative for Expanded Education for the World’s Poorest Children to educate children in poor nations. (big points)

The United States has provided $10 billion for international disaster relief and other humanitarian efforts since 2001. (Again, we always do)

The President’s tax relief helped fuel growth that led to the largest three-year increase in revenues in 26 years. (oh, gawd, don’t get me STARTED!! Big-time negative points!)

A family of four earning $40,000 kept an average of $2,000 more of their own money in 2007 thanks to the President’s tax relief. (True?)

Americans with the highest incomes—the top five percent—pay a greater share of the total Federal income tax burden today than they did before the President’s tax relief. (I daren’t say anything, it would get foul)

Growth in exports, to a record $1.6 trillion, accounted for about half of U.S. economic growth in 2007. (Is this accurate?)

U.S. agriculture exports were $92.4 billion in 2007, up 74 percent from 2000. (Accurate? Unsubsidized?)

After-tax per-capita income increased 12 percent from 2000 to 2007. (and dropped like a rock in 2008, largely due to his economic policies?)

NCLB helped increase the percentage of first graders reading at grade level in 44 of 50 States. (do we all remember No Child Left Behind?)

•President Bush created a $100 million Teacher Incentive Fund to reward teachers who improve student achievement in high-need school districts. (excellent—looked it up, looks valid)

1.2 million more students are attending college in the 2008-09 year compared to 2001-02 thanks to a near doubling of Pell Grant funding to $16.2 billion and an increase of the largest maximum Pell Grant award to $4,700. (That’s cool, Obama’s doing the same thing, isn’t he?)

The number of charter schools in the United States has doubled since 2000, thanks in part to an infusion of Federal funding. (“$198 million package designated to help set up, develop and expand charter schools across the nation”...)

Nearly 10 million Americans are enrolled in private Medicare Advantage programs, and virtually every county in America has a private plan option. (WHAT?!?! Total lie!)

Among seniors, the satisfaction rate with the drug benefit is close to 90 percent. (“SENIOR DRUG BENEFIT STINKS LIKE A PANDERING POLITICIAN”, to quote a senior-citizen website ( http://www.suddenlysenior.com/drugbenefitstinks.html: “Talk about Medicare fraud! Congress and the President are pulling off the hoodwink of the century. It's a $400 billion swindle. And you and I are the victims)

The President added preventive screening to Medicare to help diagnose illnesses earlier. (couldn’t find anything on it)

Since 2001, more than 1,200 community health centers have opened or expanded nationwide. (Which is true; it’s the “fulfillment of President Bush’s 2001 pledge to open or expand 1,200 community health centers”)

Nearly seven million more Americans now have coverage in HSA-eligible plans. (Health Savings Accounts: the Republican answer to Social Security)

The President’s first Executive Order established the White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives. Similar offices were established at 11 Federal agencies, and 35 Governors now have State offices or liaisons of their own. (AUGH!!! A fully-funded subsidiary of the Christian Church!)

More than 515,000 children received after-school tutoring through Supplemental Educational Services, many from faith-based and community providers. (mixed reviews: http://www.eduwonk.com/2009/04/sos-for-ses.html)

In response to Hurricane Katrina, National Service programs have given more than 5.4 million hours of service, directing 405,000 volunteers in recovery efforts. (Does HE get points for that?!?!—or minus points for Katrina?)

In 2007 alone, more than 2,200, or 87 percent, of partners in the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief were indigenous groups, and nearly one-quarter were faith-based. (no comment—when I hear “faith based”, I get suspicious)

The President also signed a GI Bill for the 21st century. This legislation significantly expanded education benefits and allowed those who have defended our country to transfer unused benefits to their spouses or children. (Seems to deserve major points, from what I can find)

The President committed more than $6 billion to modernize and expand VA facilities. (waaait a minute—wasn’t the VA found to be in horrendous shape somewhere along in there?)

VA’s polytrauma system of care was expanded to 22 network sites and clinic support teams to provide state-of-the-art treatment to injured veterans closer to home. (points, far as I can find out)

Under this Administration, DoD, in cooperation with VA, created the Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury to take advantage of cutting-edge medical technology. (???)

Ethanol production quadrupled from 2000 to 2007, and nearly $1 billion was invested to advance cellulosic ethanol made from switchgrass, wood chips, and other non-food sources. (no comment)

This Administration launched the Nuclear Power 2010 Program and other significant efforts that helped encourage industry to submit 17 applications for 26 new nuclear reactors in the United States. (uh, new nuclear plants? My feelings on that are NO!)

The President’s $2 billion commitment to the Coal Research Initiative was fulfilled three years early. (“clean coal”—he and Obama no different)

$1.2 billion was invested in hydrogen and fuel cell vehicle research and development. (no comment)

Between 2001 and 2008, the United States committed more than $22 billion total to climate change technology research. (“The “$37 billion” number appears to be a “talking points” rhetorical device designed to create the impression that the administration is allocating a lot of funding to dealing with climate change. We consider this to be a misleading impression. We believe this Administration has eroded funding for scientific research and global observing systems; given a higher priority to coal and nuclear than to renewable energy and energy efficiency tehcnologies; scaled back international assistance; and consistently opposed robust, market-shaping tax breaks for clean, renewable sources while continuing multi-billion dollar subsidies for fossil fuels (coal, oil, and natural gas). http://www.climatesciencewatch.org/index.php/csw/details/climate_budge
t_part1/)

The new Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument protects more than 7,000 species. More than 220 Preserve America grants were awarded in more than 650 communities in all 50 States to protect America’s cultural and natural heritage. (I’m not sure what that means, but I’m skeptical)

Record funding was provided to repair and improve our national parks through the President’s National Parks Centennial Initiative, a priority of First Lady Laura Bush. (YES, they did...points to Laura)

Thanks in part to the creation of Project Safe Neighborhoods and innovative programs for enforcing Federal firearm laws, the overall rate of reported crimes reached a 30-year low in 2007. (Weirdly, this from a CANADIAN paper: “The overall crime rate decreased 7% in 2007, mainly due to a drop in non violent crimes. This is a 30 year low, continuing the general decline in police-reported crime since the rate peaked in 1991” Can’t find specifics for US)

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