Firestreak said:
I can state some things he's accomplished.
He signed the Medicare Act of 2003, which added prescription drug coverage to Medicare (United States), subsidized pharmaceutical corporations, and prohibited the Federal government from negotiating discounts with drug companies.
As Republicans attempt to address confusion over the new Medicare prescription drug discount program scheduled to go into effect June 1, many seniors are already discovering that the program looks to be less helpful than promised. The new program includes 73 competing drug discount cards, each providing a different level of savings on a different selection of medications, and all subject to change. Among a number of retirees of different income groups, the initial reaction was incomprehension. "Even the person who came to explain it to us didn't understand it," Mary Shen, 77, at the Whittaker Senior Center on Manhattan's Lower East Side, told the New York Times. "It's not fair to expect seniors, who have enough difficulties already, to have to figure this out." Several prices posted on the Medicare website in mid-May were reportedly incorrect, and some drug companies said the government miscalculated what their cards would charge for certain prescriptions. Though Republican leaders claimed the cards would be an improvement on existing programs, some seniors have discovered that the new cards actually offer less coverage than certain state, union or consumer group plans. For some people, the cost of drugs under the new program could be 50 to 60 percent higher than what they currently pay. Critics charged that the discount cards were an attempt by the Bush administration to prevent the importation of cheaper prescription drugs from countries like Canada. Bush and Republican leaders pushed for the law in 2003 over the objections of many Democrats, who charged that the program offers limited benefits to seniors while providing large subsidies and other benefits for insurance companies, HMOs and drug manufacturers. For example, drug companies can change the prescriptions covered on a particular card or the prices at any time, while seniors can change cards only once per year.
Sources: "73 Options for Medicare Plan Fuel Chaos, Not Prescriptions," John Leland, The New York Times, May 12, 2004; "New Drug Card for Medicare Touted by GOP," Ceci Connolly, The Washington Post, May 4, 2004; "Medicare Drug Cards Rolled Out," William M. Welch, USA Today, May 4, 2004.
He signed the Partial-Birth Abortion ban.
Bravo. Like that was ever done when the life of the mother wasn't in danger.
He signed the the No Child Left Behind Act.
Having based much of his 2000 campaign platform on a school voucher program that was dismantled in Congress, Bush ultimately settled for his"leave no child behind" legislation mandating school accountability standards. According to the Associated Press, Bush is now facing criticism for "breaking his promise to provide state and local officials with all the money the legislation promised to fulfill the new mandate." Recently, perhaps in response to such criticism, Bush announced that he intends to push Congress to pass legislation that would establish a $75 million school choice incentive plan for several cities in 2004. Voucher plans have numerous critics, including teachers unions, who contend that they "would drain money from public schools and too often end up supporting religious schools," reports the Associated Press.
Source: Associated Press, "Bush Pushing for Vouchers at D.C. Schools," Jennifer Loven, July 1, 2003
Do-Not-Call Implementation Act, notice any drop in telemarketer calling you during dinner?
Whopty freakin doo.
Homeland Security Act of 2002, shouldn't have to explain this.
The American Civil Liberties Union charged the Bush administration with placing science under siege by overzealously tightening restrictions on information, individuals, and technology in the name of homeland security. Since the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks the government has actively increased the use of classifying information to keep it secret, including the use of the category "unclassified but sensitive" and extending classification authority to more departments, the ACLU said. The report lists other science restrictions, including limiting the access of foreign scholars to information, restricting their participation in some areas of research and tightening visa rules with the result of blocking or delaying visits to this country by foreign students and teachers. The ACLU charged the administration with trying to suppress information on such topics as global warming, mercury emissions and emergency contraception.
Source: Associated Press, "ACLU Says Bush is Restricting Science," June 21, 2005
The new personnel structuring system unveiled by the Bush administration earlier this year for use in the departments of Defense and Homeland Security is designed to undermine the unions of government workers, union leaders say. The new system allows supervisors to move employees and put new technologies into use without consulting employee unions; it also limits the role of the independent Federal Labor Relations Authority and gives internal labor relations boards more control. Though several unions are speaking out against the new personnel system, the White House is proposing legislation to change other government agencies to match the new system.
Sources: Washington Post, "Communication Breakdown Stokes Flap Between Homeland Security and Union," Stephen Barr, Feb. 14, 2005; Washington Post, "Civil Service System on Way Out at DHS," Christopher Lee, Jan. 27, 2005; Washington Post, "Bush Aims to Forge A GOP Legacy," Thomas B. Edsall and John F. Harris, Jan. 30, 2005; Federal Times Online, "The future of civil service: Reforms empower managers, set course for entire government," Tim Kauffman and Eileen Sullivan, Jan. 31, 2005
Bush was instrumental in the defeat of a Democratic-sponsored amendment to remove several provisions from the Homeland Security bill that Democratic senators labeled "'special interest' favors." Bush's last-minute calls to undecided senators ultimately tipped the balance against the amendment, which would have eliminated such boons to business as setting limits to the legal liability of a specific vaccine manufacturer, airport security equipment manufacturers and airport security providers and allowing companies that move offshore to evade U.S. taxes to bid for homeland security contracts.
Source: Washington Post, "Amendment to Homeland Security Bill Defeated," Helen Dewar, Nov. 19, 2002
Bankruptcy Reform Act of 2005, damn important when you look at companies that use bankruptcy over and over again to stay in business while running it competitors out of the market.
Imagine that. Bush helping Big business.
Gonna need a few more, as you have been grossly misinformed concerning most of the things he's accomplished.
