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.