Timeline Of The George W. Bush Presidency (2008–2009)
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The following is a timeline of the presidency of George W. Bush, from January 1, 2008 to January 20, 2009.


January 2008

*January 1 – At Texas State Technical College, President Bush and First Lady
Laura Bush Laura Lane Welch Bush (''née'' Welch; born November 4, 1946) is an American teacher, librarian, memoirist and author who was First Lady of the United States from 2001 to 2009. Bush previously served as First Lady of Texas from 1995 to 2000. ...
wish Americans "a happy and healthy 2008." *January 2 – President Bush announces his intent to nominate Jamsheed K. Choksy, Dawn Ho Delbanco, Gary D. Glenn, David Hertz, Marvin Bailey Scott, and
Carol M. Swain Carol Miller Swain (born March 7, 1954) is a retired professor of political science and Law of the United States, law at Vanderbilt University. A frequent television analyst, she is the author and editor of several books. Her interests include ra ...
as members of the National Council on the Humanities for terms lasting six years, and Jan Cellucci, William J. Hagenah, and Mark Y. Herring as members of the National Museum and Library Services board for terms lasting five years. *January 3 – United States National Security Advisor
Stephen Hadley Stephen John Hadley (born February 13, 1947) is an American attorney and senior government official who served as the 20th United States National Security Advisor from 2005 to 2009. He served under President George W. Bush during the second term ...
announces Bush will travel to the Middle East in five days to give President Bush a chance "to discuss with Israelis and Palestinians their efforts toward a negotiated peace and achievement of the President's vision of two democratic states, Israel and Palestine, living side by side in peace and security." *January 4 – President Bush signs S. 2436 for the establishment of commencement of Commissioner of Internal Revenue terms to have a designated date. *January 7 – President Bush delivers an address at Horace Greeley Elementary School in Chicago, Illinois during the morning. *January 8 – President Bush releases a statement noting that the following day will be the third anniversary of the signing of the comprehensive peace agreement in Sudan and states the commitment on the part of the US to continuing to adhere to the agreement. *January 9 – President Bush attends the welcoming ceremony at the Ben Gurion International Airport in Tel Aviv, Israel during the afternoon. *January 10 – President Bush delivers an address at the King David Hotel on the peace process in the Middle East during the afternoon. *January 11 – President Bush visits Yad Vashem during the morning, saying that he hopes those who visit will have "a sobering reminder that evil exists and a call that when we find evil, we must resist it." *January 28 – President Bush delivers his final State of the Union Address before a joint session of Congress. *January 30 – President Bush delivers an address on trade and the economy at the Robinson Helicopter Company in Torrance, California during the morning. President Bush authorizes federal aid to the state of Indiana after declaring the existence of a major disaster there. *January 31 – President Bush gives a speech on international collaboration against terrorism at Emerald at Queensridge in Las Vegas, Nevada during the morning. President Bush signs the Protect America Act Extension, giving the
Protect America Act The Protect America Act of 2007 (PAA), (, enacted by ), is a controversial amendment to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) that was signed into law by U.S. President George W. Bush on August 5, 2007. It removed the warrant requir ...
authority until the upcoming February 16.


February

*February 1 – President Bush signs a proclamation declaring February as "American Heart Month" at the Intercontinental Hotel and delivers an economic speech at Hallmark Cards, Inc. in
Kansas City, Missouri Kansas City (abbreviated KC or KCMO) is the largest city in Missouri by population and area. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 508,090 in 2020, making it the 36th most-populous city in the United States. It is the central ...
during the morning. First Lady
Laura Bush Laura Lane Welch Bush (''née'' Welch; born November 4, 1946) is an American teacher, librarian, memoirist and author who was First Lady of the United States from 2001 to 2009. Bush previously served as First Lady of Texas from 1995 to 2000. ...
discusses American Heart Month in a radio address. *February 4 – President Bush meets with his cabinet for discussions on the budget in the Cabinet Room during the morning. *February 26 – President Bush gives an address on his African trip to the Leon H. Sullivan Foundation at Marriot Wardham Park Hotel in D.C. during the morning. *February 27 – President Bush meets with
Prime Minister of the Czech Republic The prime minister of the Czech Republic (Czech: ''Předseda vlády České republiky'') is the head of the government of the Czech Republic. The prime minister is the de-facto leader of the executive branch, chairs the Cabinet and selects its m ...
Mirek Topolánek in the Oval Office during the morning. President Bush announces Sada Cumber as Presidential Envoy to the Organization of Islamic Conference in the Oval Office and meets with 2007 World Champion Boston Red Sox in the South Lawn during the afternoon. *February 28 – President Bush holds a news conference and meets with members of his economic group at the U.S. Department of Labor in Washington, D.C. during the morning. *February 29 – President Bush holds an Oval Office meeting with Secretary General of NATO Jaap de Hoop Scheffer to discuss Afghanistan during the morning. President Bush signs the Andean Trade Preference Extension Act of 2008, extending the Andean Trade Extension Act through the upcoming December 31, and H.R. 5478, allowing $1 coins to continue minting throughout 2008. President Bush proclaims March 2008 as "Irish-American Heritage Month".


March


April

*April 1 – President Bush holds a joint press conference with President of Ukraine Viktor Yushchenko at the House of Chimaeras in Kyiv, Ukraine. *April 4 – Noting the fortieth anniversary of the 1968
assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. Martin Luther King Jr., an African-American clergyman and civil rights leader, was fatally shot at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee, on April 4, 1968, at 6:01 p.m. CST. He was rushed to St. Joseph's Hospital, where he died at 7 ...
, Bush laments that America was "robbed of one of history's most consequential advocates for equality and civil rights" and calls for both mourning of King's death and celebrating his preaching of "justice and hope" in a statement. *April 5 – In Croatia, President Bush meets with Prime Minister of Croatia
Sanader Ivo Sanader (born 8 June 1953) is a former Croatian politician who served as Prime Minister of Croatia from 2003 to 2009. He is to date the second longest-serving prime minister since independence, holding the office for over five and a half yea ...
. *April 26 – President Bush attends the White House Correspondents' Association at the Washington Hilton Hotel in D.C. during the evening. President Bush speaks about the hardships students presently have in acquiring higher forms of education and the policies enacted by the Department of Education in response to this during his radio address. *April 28 – President Bush meets with President of Guatemala Alvaro Colom in the Oval Office during the morning for discussions on relations between their countries, the effectiveness of CAFTA, reforms presently being put in place by the Guatemalan government, and immigration. *April 29 – President Bush holds a press conference in the Rose Garden during the morning. President Bush meets with United Nations Special Representative to Afghanistan
Kai Eide Kai Aage Eide (born 28 February 1949 in Sarpsborg) is a Norwegian diplomat and writer. He was appointed the United Nations Special Representative to Afghanistan and Head of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) on 7 March ...
in the Oval Office and delivers a speech on National Volunteer Week in the East Room during the afternoon. *April 30 – President Bush hosts a ceremony for the Welcomes 2008 National and State Teachers of the Year in the Rose Garden during the morning. He welcomes the
New York Giants The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. ...
, winners of
Super Bowl XLII Super Bowl XLII was an American football game between the National Football Conference (NFC) champion New York Giants and the American Football Conference (AFC) champion New England Patriots to decide the National Football League (NFL) champion ...
, in the South Lawn during the afternoon.


May


June


July


August

*August 2 – President Bush discusses gas prices and the effectiveness of Congress in dealing with the issue during his radio address. *August 4 – President Bush delivers a speech at the Eielson Air Force Base in Alaska during the afternoon. *August 5 – President Bush announces his nomination of Mark V. Rosenker for Vice Chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board. *August 6 – President Bush meets with
Prime Minister of Thailand The prime minister of Thailand ( th, นายกรัฐมนตรี, , ; literally 'chief minister of state') is the head of government of Thailand. The prime minister is also the chair of the Cabinet of Thailand. The post has existed si ...
Samak Sundaravej in the Government House in Bangkok, Thailand during the evening.


September

*September 24 – President Bush delivers an address to the nation from the White House on the financial crisis. *September 29 – President Bush delivers an address on financial reform in South Drive during the morning. *September 30 – President Bush delivers a speech on the economy during the morning. President Bush signs the Need-Based Educational Aid Act of 2008 and the Federal Aviation Administration Extension Act of 2008 into law. President Bush announces his nomination of Robert W. McGowan to be Governor of the Board of Governors of the United States Postal Service and the nomination is sent to the Senate.


October

*October 1 – President Bush meets with General
David McKiernan David D. McKiernan (born December 11, 1950) is a retired United States Army four-star general who served in Afghanistan as Commander, International Security Assistance Force (ISAF). He served concurrently as Commander, United States Forces – Afg ...
in the Oval Office at the White House. President Bush gives public brief remarks on the meeting during the afternoon hours. *October 2 – President Bush meets with American business representatives at the Dwight D. Eisenhower Executive Office Building to discuss the Economic Rescue Package, saying afterward, "the House of Representatives must listen to these voices and get this bill passed so we can get about the business of restoring confidence." *October 3 – President Bush signs the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008. *October 4 – President Bush visits his childhood home in
Midland, Texas Midland is a city in and the county seat of Midland County, Texas, United States. A small part of Midland is in Martin County. At the 2020 census, Midland's population was 132,524. It is the principal city of the Midland, Texas metropolitan ...
and reflects on his past. *October 6 – President Bush delivers a speech on the administration's judicial appointments accomplishments and the economy at the Hilton Cincinnati Netherland Plaza in Cincinnati, Ohio. *October 27 – President Bush meets with President of Paraguay Fernando Lugo in the Oval Office during the morning. *October 29 – President Bush holds a morning meeting with
President of Iraqi Kurdistan The President of Kurdistan Region is the head of the autonomous region in northern Iraq. They are part of the Kurdistan Presidency Council. The current President of Kurdistan Region is Nechirvan Barzani, who assumed office on 10 June 2019. 1992 ...
Masoud Barzani Masoud Barzani ( ku, ,مه‌سعوود بارزانی, translit=Mesûd Barzanî}; born 16 August 1946) is a Kurdish politician who has been leader of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) since 1979, and was President of the Kurdistan Region of ...
in the Oval Office. *October 30 – President Bush delivers an address at the graduation ceremony for Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agents at the FBI Academy in Quantico, Virginia during the morning.


November

*November 4 – The
2008 United States presidential election The 2008 United States presidential election was the 56th quadrennial presidential election, held on Tuesday, November 4, 2008. The Democratic ticket of Barack Obama, the junior senator from Illinois, and Joe Biden, the senior senator from ...
takes place. The Democratic Party presidential nominee Barack Obama becomes president-elect after defeating the
Republican Party Republican Party is a name used by many political parties around the world, though the term most commonly refers to the United States' Republican Party. Republican Party may also refer to: Africa *Republican Party (Liberia) * Republican Part ...
presidential nominee
John McCain John Sidney McCain III (August 29, 1936 – August 25, 2018) was an American politician and United States Navy officer who served as a United States senator from Arizona from 1987 until his death in 2018. He previously served two terms ...
. * November 4 – The Democratic Party retains their majorities in the House of Representatives and the
Senate A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...
. *November 10 – President Bush meets with President-elect Barack Obama at the Oval Office to discuss the transition of power between the presidents. White House spokesman Dana Perino describes the meeting as "friendly" and "relaxed". *November 27 – President Bush favorably comments on the Iraq Council of Representatives approving the Strategic Framework and Security Agreements with the US: "Two years ago, this day seemed unlikely - but the success of the surge and the courage of the Iraqi people set the conditions for these two agreements to be negotiated and approved by the Iraqi parliament." *November 28 – President Bush issues a statement expressing sadness at the loss of American and foreign lives lost in the Mumbai attacks. *November 29 – President Bush condemns the attacks in Mumbai, India while speaking on the South Lawn of the White House during the afternoon.


December

*December 1 – President Bush delivers a speech on World AIDS Day in the North Lawn during the morning. President and First Lady Bush speak at a forum on Global Health at Newseum in Washington, D.C. during the morning. President Bush signs the United States Army Commemorative Coin Act of 2008. It requires the Treasury Department to mint and issue coins for the recognition of the US Army being founded in 1775 as well as commemorating the event. *December 3 – First Lady Laura Bush unveils the Christmas decorations at the White House for the eighth and final time. *December 4 – President Bush attends that year's National Christmas Tree lighting ceremony. *December 5 – President Bush delivers a speech on the economy on the South Lawn. *December 6 – President Bush attends the unveiling of a portrait of himself at the Union League of Philadelphia in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and delivers a speech. *December 8 – President and First Lady Bush act as hosts for the White House Children's Holiday Reception and Performance in the East Room during the morning. President Bush attends several briefings while in the office of the Director of National Intelligence and the National Counterterrorism Center in the afternoon. *December 9 – President Bush delivers an address on the evolution of American defense at the United States Military Academy in West Point, New York during the morning. President Bush issues a statement on Zimbabwe renewing his call for the removal of the leadership of Robert Mugabe. *December 16 – President Bush meets with President of El Salvador
Antonio Saca Elías Antonio "Tony" Saca González (born 9 March 1965) is a El Salvador, Salvadoran politician who was President of El Salvador from 1 June 2004 to 1 June 2009. He is currently serving a minimum 10-year prison sentence on corruption charges. ...
in the Oval Office of the White House. *December 17 – President Bush gives a speech at the U.S. Army War College in
Carlisle, Pennsylvania Carlisle is a Borough (Pennsylvania), borough in and the county seat of Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, United States. Carlisle is located within the Cumberland Valley, a highly productive agricultural region. As of the 2020 United States census, ...
during the afternoon. President Bush designates the day as "Wright Brothers Day". *December 18 – President Bush delivers a speech to the American Enterprise Institute at the Renaissance Mayflower Hotel in Washington, D.C. during the morning. *December 19 – President Bush delivers a speech on auto companies in the Roosevelt Room during the morning. President Bush meets with President of the State of Palestine
Mahmoud Abbas Mahmoud Abbas ( ar, مَحْمُود عَبَّاس, Maḥmūd ʿAbbās; born 15 November 1935), also known by the kunya Abu Mazen ( ar, أَبُو مَازِن, links=no, ), is the president of the State of Palestine and the Palestinian Natio ...
in the Oval Office of the White House during the afternoon. *December 20 – President Bush discusses auto companies during his radio address. *December 22 – President Bush travels to Walter Reed Army Medical Center. *December 23 – President Bush discusses the history of volunteering for the military during his radio address. *December 24 – On
Christmas Eve Christmas Eve is the evening or entire day before Christmas Day, the festival commemorating the birth of Jesus. Christmas Day is observed around the world, and Christmas Eve is widely observed as a full or partial holiday in anticipation ...
, President Bush calls members of the military. *December 30 – President Bush issues a statement on National Mentoring Month. *December 31 – President Bush issues a proclamation extending duty-free treatment to various agricultural and other programs in Israel.


January 2009

*January 3 – The
111th United States Congress The 111th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government from January 3, 2009, until January 3, 2011. It began during the last weeks of the George W. Bush administration, with th ...
convenes with the Democratic Party is retaining their majorities in the House of Representatives and the
Senate A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...
. *January 3 –
Nancy Pelosi Nancy Patricia Pelosi (; ; born March 26, 1940) is an American politician who has served as Speaker of the United States House of Representatives since 2019 and previously from 2007 to 2011. She has represented in the United States House of ...
is re-elected as
Speaker of the United States House of Representatives The speaker of the United States House of Representatives, commonly known as the speaker of the House, is the presiding officer of the United States House of Representatives. The office was established in 1789 by Article I, Section 2 of the U. ...
. *January 6 – In a joint session of the United States Congress, the results for the electoral college are counted. In his role as
President of the Senate President of the Senate is a title often given to the presiding officer of a senate. It corresponds to the speaker in some other assemblies. The senate president often ranks high in a jurisdiction's succession for its top executive office: for e ...
, Vice President
Dick Cheney Richard Bruce Cheney ( ; born January 30, 1941) is an American politician and businessman who served as the 46th vice president of the United States from 2001 to 2009 under President George W. Bush. He is currently the oldest living former U ...
reads the results and declares President-elect Barack Obama as the winner of the 2008 presidential election. *January 10 – President Bush attends the commissioning of the USS ''George H.W. Bush'' in
Norfolk, Virginia Norfolk ( ) is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. Incorporated in 1705, it had a population of 238,005 at the 2020 census, making it the third-most populous city in Virginia after neighboring Virginia Be ...
with his father, former President
George H. W. Bush George Herbert Walker BushSince around 2000, he has been usually called George H. W. Bush, Bush Senior, Bush 41 or Bush the Elder to distinguish him from his eldest son, George W. Bush, who served as the 43rd president from 2001 to 2009; pr ...
. *January 13 – President Bush holds his last cabinet meeting in the Cabinet Room, Bush noting accomplishments of the group, during the morning. *January 15 – President Bush delivers his farewell address in the East Room of the White House. *January 19 — President Bush made phone calls to former and then leaders on his final day in office as president as he prepares to leave for Barack Obama’s inauguration *January 20 – President Bush completes his two terms in office and leaves the White House for the final time as Commander-in-chief. *January 20 – Barack Obama is inaugurated as the 44th president of the United States, at noon EST. George W. Bush, who is now former president, returns to Crawford to begin his post-presidency.


References


External links


Miller Center G.W. Bush Presidential Timeline


See also

* Timeline of the George W. Bush presidency, for an index of the Bush presidency timeline articles {{DEFAULTSORT:Timeline of the George W. Bush presidency (2008-January 2009) Presidency of George W. Bush Presidency of George W. Bush
2008 File:2008 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Lehman Brothers went bankrupt following the Subprime mortgage crisis; Cyclone Nargis killed more than 138,000 in Myanmar; A scene from the opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing; ...
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