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Bush to Hike School Spending, Takes on Labor Unions
President George W. Bush announced plans to increase federal funding for schools on Saturday, underscoring a sea change for Republicans who once wanted to abolish the Department of Education.
He also issued four executive orders that the White House said were aimed at fair and open competition in federal contracts. The most explosive one will effectively reduce the amount of money labor organizations can spend on political activities.
A day after authorizing the first major air strikes against Iraq in two years, Bush spent Saturday quietly "doing some work" at his ranch about 25 miles (40 km) from Waco, an aide said.
The president had his routine national security briefing. Neither he nor his spokespersons publicly addressed Iraqi President Saddam Hussein's threat to retaliate or international concern over the raids. The aide said National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice and White House Chief of Staff Andrew Card were at the ranch with Bush.
In his weekly radio address, Bush vowed to make the case for his proposed across-the-board $1.6 trillion tax cut when he addresses a joint session of Congress on Feb. 27. He said the budget he submits the next day would be "responsible" and signal that his administration would be "good stewards" of taxpayers' money.
But in the Democratic radio response, Rep. Charles Rangel of New York called Bush's tax cut "unfair" and said Democrats would offer their own "honest and responsible" budget.
Bush, who made education reform the cornerstone of his presidential campaign and the focus of his first week in the White House, is scheduled to take his message to Ohio, Tennessee and Missouri on Tuesday and Wednesday.
(www.chinadaily.com.cn)
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