![]() Bush also vetoed a bill that would have provided up to six months of unpaid family leave for workers with newly born or adopted children or for emergencies. He vetoed a new civil rights bill bolstering protections for minorities and women against job discrimination on the grounds that it would lead to quotas. In two areas, critics accused President Bush of reneging on his promise of a "kinder, gentler" nation. In other actions, Congress prohibited job discrimination against the disabled, required nutrition labeling on processed foods, and expanded immigration into the United States. For the first time since 1971, Congress considered child-care legislation, and ultimately, voted to provide subsidies to low-income families to defray the costs of childcare. Congress amended federal air pollution laws in order to reduce noxious emissions and acid rain. For the first time in eight years, the minimum wage was raised from $3.35 to $4.25 an hour. In his inaugural address, Bush signaled a departure from the avarice and greed of the Reagan era by calling for a "new engagement in the lives of others." He promised to be more of a "hands on" administrator than his predecessor, and he committed his presidency to creating a "kinder, gentler" nation, more sensitive and caring to the poor and disadvantaged.ĭuring his first years in office, President Bush and the Democratic-controlled Congress addressed many issues ignored during the Reagan years. At the end of a race that saw both candidates use negative campaigning, Bush was elected the 41st president of the United States with 56 percent of the popular vote. The campaign dramatized a development that had been reshaping American politics since the late 1960s: the growing power of media consultants and pollsters, who marketed candidates by emphasizing imagery and symbolism. Real differences between the candidates were submerged in a battle over character, abortion, prison furloughs, school prayer, and patriotism. ![]() Mudslinging and personal invective are nothing new in American politics, but the 1988 campaign was unusually vacuous and cynical. His Democratic opponent, Massachusetts Governor Michael Dukakis, was a serious, hardworking son of Greek immigrants. Bush won the Distinguished Service Cross during World War II, made a fortune in the Texas oil business, and then, went to Washington where he served as a Congressman, ambassador to the United Nations, envoy to China, and director of the CIA. ![]() In the 1988 presidential campaign, the Republican candidate, Vice President George Bush, was said to have the best resume in Washington. Digital History Printable Version The First Bush Presidency ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Details
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |