President Bush's Accomplishments on Social Issues

I know at this time it is difficult to think well of the president after he has sold out conservativism, and the idea of limited government. I think it is important to remember what he has done on the social issues that are some important to all of us. The following list does not include the President's judicial nominees which are an important part of his record. The list also includes things he pushed for to varying degrees, but they are all part of his record. I think it is important to be thankful for what President bush did on these issues, especially as we think of the fights we will be engaged in by the end of January.

Advanced A Culture Of Life

• Worked to build a culture where every human life is valued and protected in law.
• Called for and signed the Partial Birth Abortion Ban Act of 2003 to outlaw partial birth abortion, and successfully defended this law before the Supreme Court.
• Signed the Born Alive Infant Protection Act, requiring that Federal law to recognize as an individual any infant born alive, including the survivors of abortion procedures.
• Created a separate criminal offense for any person who causes the death or injury of a child in the womb by signing the Unborn Victims of Violence Act of 2004.
• Prohibited foreign nongovernmental organizations that receive U.S. tax dollars for family planning from performing or promoting abortion. Restored the Mexico City Policy, ensuring international family planning programs are not indirectly subsidizing abortion or the promotion of abortion.
• Enforced the Kemp-Kasten anti-coercion law and ensured that no foreign assistance funds went to organizations or programs that support or participate in the management of a program of coercive abortion or involuntary sterilization.
• Issued a regulation to ensure health care providers are not forced to choose between practicing medicine and following their moral and ethical convictions.
• Ensured States have the option to provide vital health care services to promote healthy pregnancies for women and their unborn children who would otherwise be ineligible for coverage under the State Children’s Health Insurance Program.
• Protected the pro-life provisions in the annual appropriation bills by promising to veto any legislation that weakens current Federal policies and laws on abortion or that encourages the destruction of human life at any stage.
• Supported research on existing embryonic stem cell lines within moral boundaries while refusing to sanction the destruction of human life. The President vetoed two bills that would have authorized the use of public tax dollars for research that requires the destruction of human embryos.
• The discoveries that reprogramming technologies can be used to make adult cells function like other cells, including embryonic stem cells, that demonstrate the President’s policy has extended the frontiers of medicine without destroying human life.
• Signed the Stem Cell Therapeutic and Research Act of 2005, which created a new Federal program to collect and store cord blood and expands the current bone marrow registry program to also include cord blood.
• Signed the Fetus Farming Prohibition Act, which prohibits the solicitation or acceptance of tissue from fetuses gestated for research purposes.

Promoted Strong Family Values

• Remained firmly committed to protecting the sanctity of marriage consistent with the President’s steadfast belief that marriage is a sacred institution between a man and a woman.
• Called on Congress to pass an amendment to the Constitution that defines marriage as the union between one man and one woman.
• Supported abstinence education to help America’s youth build self-esteem, understand and aspire to healthy marriages and parenthood, and learn skills that will help youth make and follow through on good decisions. Increased funding for the Community-Based Abstinence Education from $20 million in FY 2001 to $108.9 million in FY 2008. Increased funding for abstinence education through the Adolescent Family Life program from nothing in FY 2001 to $13.12 million in FY 2008.
• The President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief includes meaningful funding for Abstinence and Be faithful (AB) programs and maintains the core principle of AB as part of an effective prevention approach.
• The PEPFAR law requires a report to Congress if less than 50 percent of funding to prevent sexual transmission in countries with generalized epidemics will be spent on AB programs.
• Led efforts to promote healthy marriages and successful parenting to improve the well-being of families throughout the Nation.
• The Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Administration for Children and Families Healthy Marriage Initiative provides couples with knowledge and guidance on sustaining healthy marriages and parenting relationships.
• Additionally, HHS’ Promoting Responsible Fatherhood initiative provides resources to help strengthen the role of fathers in the lives of children and families.
• Doubled the child tax credit and provided marriage penalty relief.
• Established the D.C. Opportunity Scholarships program, the first Federal school-choice program, which allows families to choose a private or religious school if it better meets their child’s needs.
• Signed into law the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act, to ensure that anti-gambling laws are enforced.
• Fought for and signed into law the Support Our Scouts Act, which prohibits Federal agencies from discriminating against youth organizations like the Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, and Future Farmers of America.
• Signed the Broadcast Decency Enforcement Act, which strengths the Federal Communications Commission’s effort to ensure broadcast decency standards on America’s radio and television airwaves.
• Signed into law a bill to provide for the Federal acquisition of the Mt. Soledad Veterans Memorial in San Diego, California, thereby preserving the integrity of war memorials that include religious symbols.

Launched Faith-Based And Community Initiatives

• Launched the Faith-Based and Community Initiative (FBCI) in January 2001 to strengthen America’s nonprofit sector and extend the impact of faith-based and other community organizations. This established a “level playing field” for faith-based groups and greatly expanded government partnerships with all frontline nonprofits through innovative models, such as vouchers and intermediary model grants.
• The Initiative has delivered results through grassroots partnerships including supporting recovery for more than 200,000 addicts, and matching mentors with more than 110,000 children of prisoners.
• Provided care for more than 10 million people affected by HIV/AIDS around the world through partnerships with local nonprofits, which have been central to the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief.
• Defended the rights of faith-based Federal grantees to hire people of the same faith by signing Executive Order 13279. The FBCI has worked to make Federal efforts to address human need more local, personal, entrepreneurial, and, most importantly, more effective.