1996 State of the Union Address

The 1996 State of the Union Address was given by the 42nd president of the United States, Bill Clinton, on January 23, 1996, at 9:00 p.m. EST, in the chamber of the United States House of Representatives to the 104th United States Congress. It was Clinton's third State of the Union Address and his fourth speech to a joint session of the United States Congress. Presiding over this joint session was the House speaker, Newt Gingrich, accompanied by Al Gore, the vice president, in his capacity as the president of the Senate.

This speech occurred shortly after the federal government shutdown of 1995 and 1996 which had resulted from disagreements on the 1996 United States federal budget.

President Clinton discussed the economy and declared that "the era of big government is over," and continued, "but we cannot go back to the time when our citizens were left to fend for themselves. We must go forward as one America, one nation working together, to meet the challenges we face together. Self-reliance and teamwork are not opposing virtues -- we must have both."^[1] The president discussed welfare reform, the V-chip, education, community policing, crime, the environment, foreign relations, and the federal budget.

The Republican Party response was delivered by Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole of Kansas (who would go on to face Clinton in the 1996 presidential election). Dole stated that "[President Clinton] is the chief obstacle to a balanced budget and the balanced budget amendment... While the President's words speak of change, his deeds are a contradiction. President Clinton claims to embrace the future while clinging to the policies of the past."^[1][2]

Donna Shalala, the Secretary of Health and Human Services, served as the designated survivor.^[3]

See also

• 1996 United States presidential election

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to 1996 State of the Union Address.

Wikisource has original text related to this article:

1996 State of the Union Address

• Full video and audio, Miller Center of Public Affairs, University of Virginia.
• (full transcript), The American Presidency Project, UC Santa Barbara.
• 1996 State of the Union Response (transcript)
• 1996 State of the Union Response (video) at C-SPAN
• 1996 State of the Union Address (video) at C-SPAN

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Bill Clinton

• 42nd President of the United States (1993–2001)
• 40th and 42nd Governor of Arkansas (1979–1981, 1983–1992)

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Foreign policy	Clinton Doctrine North American Free Trade Agreement Oslo I Accord Israel–Jordan peace treaty Dayton Agreement 2000 Camp David Summit Cruise missile strikes on Iraq 1993 1996 Operation Infinite Reach Bombing of Yugoslavia 1998 bombing of Iraq International trips
Domestic policy	AmeriCorps Lead-Based Paint Disclosure Regulation National Voter Registration Act of 1993 One America Initiative Safe Drinking Water Act Amendments of 1996 White House Millennium Council
Economic policy	Health care plan Balanced Budget Act of 1997 Gramm–Leach–Bliley Act National Highway System Designation Act of 1995 Riegle-Neal Act Telecommunications Act of 1996 Communications Decency Act Section 230 Transportation Equity Act
Impeachment	Efforts 1996 United States campaign finance controversy Lincoln Bedroom for contributors controversy Clinton–Lewinsky scandal Starr Report Inquiry Trial

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• Between Hope and History (1996)
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• Saturday Night Live parodies of Bill Clinton
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