George H. W. Bush was the 41st president of the United States, serving from January 20, 1989, to January 20, 1993. A Republican and former vice president under Ronald Reagan, he led U.S. foreign policy through the end of the Cold War and the Gulf War.
Bush’s presidency is remembered chiefly for its foreign policy: he guided U.S. diplomacy during the collapse of the Soviet bloc, helped manage German reunification, and assembled an international coalition that liberated Kuwait in the 1990–91 Gulf War.
On the domestic front he signed major laws including the Americans with Disabilities Act and the 1990 Clean Air Act amendments, but his acceptance of a 1990 budget deal that raised taxes despite a campaign pledge hurt his political standing and contributed to his 1992 reelection defeat.
Led international coalition in the 1990–91 Gulf War to liberate Kuwait; Guided U.S. diplomacy during the end of the Cold War and German reunification; Signed the Americans with Disabilities Act into law (1990); Signed the Clean Air Act Amendments (1990); Agreed to a 1990 budget deal that included tax increases despite a campaign pledge
Key highlights and dated events associated with this presidency.
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President George H. W. Bush delivered the 1992 State of the Union Address to a joint session of Congress, outlining his priorities on the economy, deficit reduction, and post–Cold War foreign policy.
On December 26, 1991 the Soviet of the Republics of the USSR voted to dissolve the Soviet Union, and the Bush administration acknowledged the formal termination of the Soviet state and moved to address diplomatic and treaty implications.
On December 25, 1991 Mikhail Gorbachev announced his resignation as president of the USSR, and President Bush issued statements commending Gorbachev's role in avoiding large‑scale violence during the breakup.
On December 21, 1991 eleven former Soviet republics signed the Alma‑Ata Protocol establishing the Commonwealth of Independent States, and the Bush administration publicly expressed support for the formation as a step toward an orderly dissolution.
President George H. W. Bush signed the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Improvement Act of 1991, a major banking reform law responding to the savings-and-loan and banking crises.
On December 8, 1991 the leaders of Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus signed the Belovezha Accords declaring the Soviet Union had 'ceased to exist,' and President Bush issued a public statement welcoming the leaders' agreement and urging a peaceful transition.
On December 1, 1991, a nationwide referendum in Ukraine saw more than 90% of voters endorse independence from the Soviet Union.
The U.S. Senate confirmed President George H. W. Bush’s nominee William P. Barr to serve as Attorney General of the United States.
President George H. W. Bush signed the Civil Rights Act of 1991 into law, restoring and strengthening protections against workplace discrimination and authorizing monetary damages in certain cases.
President George H. W. Bush signed the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Improvement Act of 1991 into law on November 15, 1991.
President George H. W. Bush signed the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Improvement Act of 1991, a major banking-reform law responding to the savings-and-loan and banking crises.
The U.S. Senate confirmed Robert M. Gates to serve as Director of Central Intelligence, and he took leadership of the Central Intelligence Agency.