The presidency of George H. W. Bush began at noon EST on January 20, 1989, when George H. W. Bush was inaugurated as the 41st President of the United States, and ended on January 20, 1993. Despite his defeat, Bush left office with a 56 percent job approval rating, and he remained popular with the public until his death in 2018. Faced with several issues, Bush refrained from proposing major domestic programs during his tenure. He did, however, make frequent use of the presidential veto, and used the threat of the veto to influence legislation.