The President?s Jobs and Growth Act of 2003 will create jobs and grow the economy by:
Speeding up the 2001 tax cuts to increase the pace of economic recovery and job creation
Encouraging job-creating investment in America?s businesses by providing dividend and capital gains tax relief and giving small businesses incentives to grow
Providing $20 billion in aid to States for necessary services
Supporting Early Learning: No Child Left Behind targets resources for early childhood education so that all youngsters get the right start on reading and math.
Measuring Student Performance: A student's progress in reading and math must be measured in each of grades 3 through 8 and at least once during high school.
Providing Information for Parents: States and school districts must give parents detailed report cards on schools and districts, explaining which are succeeding and why.
Giving Options Over Failing Schools: Children will no longer be trapped in failing schools. If a school continues to fail some children will be able to transfer to higher-performing local schools, receive free tutoring or attend after-school programs.
Ensuring More Resources for Schools: Today, public schools spend an average $7,000 a year per student. Under President
Bush?s leadership federal funding for education has increased 59.8% from 2000 to 2003.
Creation of the Terrorist Threat Integration Center (TTIC): TTIC will merge and analyze all threat information collected domestically and abroad in a single location.
Launch of the Container Security Initiative: The Container Security Initiative establishes tough new procedures and created new partnerships with the world?s largest ports to target high-risk cargo before it leaves for our shores.
Signing of the Smart Border Declaration: The United States and Canada signed the Smart Border Declaration, outlining 30 action items for increasing security, enhancing joint law enforcement, improving physical and technological infrastructure, and facilitating the trade and movement of people between the two countries.
Launched the Homeland Security Command Center: a national 24-7 watch operation
Improvement of Airport Security: More than 50,000 newly trained federal screeners are deployed at our nation?s airports, where new baggage inspection equipment helped TSA institute 100 percent checked baggage screening.
Reorganizing the FBI: The FBI transformed into an agency focused on preventing domestic terrorism.
The President signed into law on December 3, 2003 the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003 that will improve the long-term health of our Nation?s forests and rangelands. The Bill that was passed with bipartisan support will:
Bolster early public participation in finding priority forest health projects to reduce hazardous fuels and restore damaged forest and rangelands. Projects will be selected using a collaborative process involving local, tribal, state, Federal and non-governmental entities.
Save the lives and communities of those who live around public forest and rangelands which have been neglected for decades by making forests healthy and saving endangered species;
Decrease the threat of destructive wildfires in wooded areas by accelerating the thinning and clearing of deadwood, which acts as fuel for such fires that threaten physical and financial wellbeing, water supply systems and the environment;
Provide funding within the Forest Service that will support technical, financial and related assistance to increase State?s ability to address issues on non-Federal forested land;
Issue clear guidance for court action against forest health projects, and comply with all environmental statutes.
President
Bush Signs Healthy Forests Initiative into Law
December 8, 2003: President
Bush Signs Historic Medicare Legislation
President
Bush today joined a bipartisan group of lawmakers to sign into law the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003. This historic legislation will help to create a modern Medicare system, allow for the biggest improvements in senior health care in nearly 40 years, and provide seniors with prescription drug benefits and more choices in health care.
President
Bush applauded Congress for keeping our promise to America?s seniors by giving seniors more choices, better benefits ? including prescription drug coverage ? and real savings.
Prescription Drug Savings for America?s Seniors
For the first time in the history of Medicare, a prescription drug benefit will be offered to all 40 million seniors and disabled Americans in Medicare to help them afford the cost of their medicines.
Seniors will start seeing help quickly. Beginning next year, seniors will save 10-25% off the cost of most medicines through a Medicare-approved drug discount card which they can use at their local pharmacy. Since the typical senior spends $1,285 annually on his or her medicines, the card could save a senior who lacks drug coverage as much as $300 annually. The drug card will provide savings until the full drug benefit goes into effect.
Beginning in 2006, seniors without coverage will be able to join a Medicare-approved plan that will cut their yearly drug costs roughly in half, in exchange for a $35 monthly premium. In many cases, the savings will be even greater.
Seniors with no drug coverage and monthly drug costs of $200 will save more than $1,700 on drug costs each year.
Seniors with no drug coverage and monthly drug costs of $800 will save nearly $5,900 on drug costs each year.
Seniors will be protected against high out-of-pocket costs with Medicare covering 95% of drug costs over $3,600 per year.
Low-income seniors will receive additional help paying for their medicines.
A $600 annual subsidy will be added to their drug discount card.
There will be no additional premium, no deductible and low co-payments ($2 for generic or $5 for brand-name drugs) for seniors with limited savings and incomes at or below 135% of poverty (individuals with yearly incomes under $12,123 and senior couples under $16,362).
There will be reduced premium, a $50 deductible, and 15% co-insurance (85% of their drug costs would be covered) for seniors with limited savings and incomes between 135% and 150% of the federal poverty level (individuals with yearly incomes under $13, 470 and senior couples under $18,180).
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