George W. Bush's first term as President of the United States

George W. Bush's first term as president of the United States began January 20, 2001 and ended January 20, 2005, with the beginning of his second term as president. On his first day in office, Bush moved to block federal aid to foreign groups that offered counseling or any other assistance to women in obtaining abortions. Days later, he announced his commitment to channeling more federal aid to faith-based service organizations. At the time, crit... more

George W. Bush's first term as president of the United States began January 20, 2001 and ended January 20, 2005, with the beginning of his second term as president. On his first day in office, Bush moved to block federal aid to foreign groups that offered counseling or any other assistance to women in obtaining abortions. Days later, he announced his commitment to channeling more federal aid to faith-based service organizations. At the time, critics feared this would dissolve the traditional separation of church and state. Bush created the White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives to assist faith-based service organizations. In a televised address on August 9, 2001, Bush would announce a national policy on stem cell research that authorized funding and research work, with federal restrictions over the use of human embryos. Bush would also successfully push for the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act, enacted in 2003 with bi-partisan support but criticized by pro-choice... less