PRESIDENT WILLIAM J. CLINTON
Eight Years of Peace, Progress
and Prosperity
? Key Accomplishments
? Timeline of Major Actions
? Historic Economic Growth
? Strengthening American Families
? Expanding Education Opportunity
? Lowest Crime Rates in a Generation
? Improving the Nation?s Health Care
? Protecting Our Environment and Public Health
? Unleashing the New Economy and Expanding Access to Technology
? A Foreign Policy for the Global Age
? Building One America
? National Service and Philanthropy
The Clinton Presidency: A Historic Era of Progress and Prosperity
? Longest economic expansion in American history
The President?s strategy of fiscal discipline, open foreign markets and
investments in the American people helped create the conditions for a
record 115 months of economic expansion. Our economy has grown at an
average of 4 percent per year since 1993.
? More than 22 million new jobs
More than 22 million jobs were created in less than eight years -- the most
ever under a single administration, and more than were created in the
previous twelve years.
? Highest homeownership in American history
A strong economy and fiscal discipline kept interest rates low, making it
possible for more families to buy homes. The homeownership rate
increased from 64.2 percent in 1992 to 67. 7 percent, the highest rate
ever.
? Lowest unemployment in 30 years
Unemployment dropped from more than 7 percent in 1993 to just 4.0 percent
in November 2000. Unemployment for African Americans and Hispanics fell
to the lowest rates on record, and the rate for women is the lowest in
more than 40 years.
? Raised education standards, increased school choice, and doubled
education and training investment
Since 1992, reading and math scores have increased for 4th, 8th, and 12th
graders, math SAT scores are at a 30-year high, the number of charter
schools has grown from 1 to more than 2,000, forty-nine states have put
in place standards in core subjects and federal investment in education
and training has doubled.
? Largest expansion of college opportunity since the GI Bill
President Clinton and Vice President Gore have nearly doubled financial aid
for students by increasing Pell Grants to the largest award ever,
expanding Federal Work-Study to allow 1 million students to work their
way through college, and by creating new tax credits and scholarships
such as Lifetime Learning tax credits and the HOPE scholarship. At the
same time, taxpayers have saved $18 billion due to the decline in
student loan defaults, increased collections and savings from the direct
student loan program.
? Connected 95 percent of schools to the Internet
President Clinton and Vice President Gore?s new commitment to education
technology, including the E-Rate and a 3,000 percent increase in
educational technology funding, increased the percentage of schools
connected to the Internet from 35 percent in 1994 to 95 percent in 1999.
? Lowest crime rate in 26 years
Because of President Clinton?s comprehensive anti-crime strategy of tough
penalties, more police, and smart prevention, as well as common sense
gun safety laws, the overall crime rate declined for 8 consecutive
years, the longest continuous drop on record, and is at the lowest level
since 1973.
? 100,000 more police for our streets
As part of the 1994 Crime Bill, President Clinton enacted a new initiative
to fund 100,000 community police officers. To date more than 11,000 law
enforcement agencies have received COPS funding
? Enacted most sweeping gun safety legislation in a generation
Since the President signed the Brady bill in 1993, more than 600,000
felons, fugitives, and other prohibited persons have been stopped from
buying guns. Gun crime has declined 40 percent since 1992.
? Family and Medical Leave Act for 20 million Americans
To help parents succeed at work and at home, President Clinton signed the
Family and Medical Leave Act in 1993. Over 20 million Americans have
taken unpaid leave to care for a newborn child or sick family member.
? Smallest welfare rolls in 32 years
The President pledged to end welfare as we know it and signed landmark
bipartisan welfare reform legislation in 1996. Since then, caseloads
have been cut in half, to the lowest level since 1968, and millions of
parents have joined the workforce. People on welfare today are five
times more likely to be working than in 1992.
? Higher incomes at all levels
After falling by nearly $2,000 between 1988 and 1992, the median family?s
income rose by $6,338, after adjusting for inflation, since 1993.
African American family income increased even more, rising by nearly
$7,000 since 1993. After years of stagnant income growth among average
and lower income families, all income brackets experienced double-digit
growth since 1993. The bottom 20 percent saw the largest income growth
at 16.3 percent.
? Lowest poverty rate in 20 years
Since Congress passed President Clinton?s Economic Plan in 1993, the
poverty rate declined from 15.1 percent to 11.8 percent last year ? the
largest six-year drop in poverty in nearly 30 years. There are now 7
million fewer people in poverty than in 1993. The child poverty rate
declined more than 25 percent, the poverty rates for single mothers,
African Americans and the elderly have dropped to their lowest levels on
record, and Hispanic poverty dropped to its lowest level since 1979.
? Lowest teen birth rate in 60 years
In his 1995 State of the Union Address, President Clinton challenged
Americans to join together in a national campaign against teen
pregnancy. The birth rate for teens aged 15-19 declined every year of
the Clinton Presidency, from 60.7 per 1,000 teens in 1992 to a record
low of 49.6 in 1999.
? Lowest infant mortality rate in American history
The Clinton Administration expanded efforts to provide mothers and newborn
children with health care. Today, a record high 82 percent of all
mothers receive prenatal care. The infant mortality rate has dropped
from 8.5 deaths per 1,000 in 1992 to 7.2 deaths per 1,000 in 1998, the
lowest rate ever recorded.
? Deactivated more than 1,700 nuclear warheads from the former Soviet
Union
Efforts of the Clinton-Gore Administration led to the dismantling of more
than 1,700 nuclear warheads, 300 launchers and 425 land and submarine
based missiles from the former Soviet Union.
? Protected millions of acres of American land
President Clinton has protected more land in the lower 48 states than any
other president. He has protected 5 new national parks, designated 11
new national monuments and expanded two others and proposed protections
for 60 million acres of roadless areas in America?s national forests.
? Paid off $360 billion of the national debt
Between 1998-2000, the national debt was reduced by $363 billion ? the
largest three-year debt pay-down in American history. We are now on
track to pay off the entire debt by 2009.
? Converted the largest budget deficit in American history to the
largest surplus
Thanks in large part to the 1993 Deficit Reduction Act, the 1997 Balanced
Budget Act, and President Clinton?s call to save the surplus for debt
reduction, Social Security, and Medicare solvency, America has put its
fiscal house in order. The deficit was $290 billion in 1993 and
expected to grow to $455 billion by this year. Instead, we have a
projected surplus of $237 billion.
? Lowest government spending in three decades
Under President Clinton federal government spending as a share of the
economy has decreased from 22.2 percent in 1992 to a projected 18.5
percent in 2000, the lowest since 1966.
? Lowest federal income tax burden in 35 years
President Clinton enacted targeted tax cuts such as the Earned Income Tax
Credit expansion, $500 child tax credit, and the HOPE Scholarship and
Lifetime Learning Tax Credits. Federal income taxes as a percentage of
income for the typical American family have dropped to their lowest
level in 35 years.
? More families own stock than ever before
The number of families owning stock in the United States increased by 40
percent since 1992.
? Most diverse cabinet in American history
The President has appointed more African Americans, women and Hispanics to
the Cabinet than any other President in history. He appointed the first
female Attorney General, the first female Secretary of State and the
first Asian American cabinet secretary ever.
The Clinton Presidency:
Eight Years of Peace, Progress and Prosperity
1993
January 22 Abolished Restrictions on Medical Research and the Right to
Choose
As his first executive actions, President Clinton revoked the Gag Rule,
which prohibited abortion counseling in clinics that receive
federal funding to serve low-income patients. He also
revoked restrictions on a woman?s legal right to privately
funded abortion services in military hospitals, restrictions
on the import of RU-486, and restrictions on the award of
international family planning grants (the ?Mexico City
Policy?). The President also lifted the moratorium on
federal funding for research involving fetal tissue,
allowing progress on research into treatments for
Parkinson?s disease, Alzheimer?s, diabetes and leukemia.
(Executive Memoranda, 1/22/93)
February 1 Helped States Take the First Steps Toward Welfare Reform
President Clinton ordered the Federal Government to make it easier for
states to receive waivers from government regulations in
order to implement innovative welfare reform projects.
Between 1993 and the signing of the Welfare Reform bill in
1996, the Administration granted waivers to a record 43
states. Those waivers laid the foundation of the new
welfare reform law by strengthening work requirements,
time-limiting assistance and demanding parental
responsibility. (Presidential Directives 2/1/93)
February 5 Family and Medical Leave Act
The Family & Medical Leave Act -- the first piece of legislation the
President signed into law ? has enabled millions of workers
to take up to 12 weeks unpaid leave to care for a new baby
or ailing family member without jeopardizing their job. The
previous administration vetoed the bill twice. (PL 103-3,
signed 2/5/93)
March 3 ?Reinventing Government? Initiative Launched
President Clinton asked Vice President Gore to head the
National Performance Review aimed at making government work
better for less. The Vice President?s Reinventing
Government Initiative has resulted in 377,000 fewer civilian
employees in the federal government -- the lowest level
since the Kennedy Administration -- and reduced federal
spending as a share of the economy from 22.2 percent in 1992
to a projected 18.5 percent in 2000, the lowest since 1966.
April 1 Childhood Immunizations
The President launched a major childhood immunization effort to increase
the number of children who were being immunized. Since
1993, childhood immunization rates have reached all-time
highs, with 90 percent or more of America's toddlers
receiving critical vaccines for children by age 2.
Vaccination levels are nearly the same for preschool
children of all racial and ethnic groups, narrowing a gap
estimated to be as wide as 26 percentage points a generation
ago.
May 20 Motor Voter Registration Signed
The Clinton Administration made it easier for millions of Americans to
register to vote by allowing registration at the same time
they get a driver?s license. The Motor Voter law led to the
registration of more than 28 million new voters, more
registered voters than the passage of the 26th Amendment,
which lowered the voting age to 18 years. (PL 103-31, signed
5/20/93).
August 10 Clinton-Gore Deficit Reduction Plan Enacted
Passed without a single Republican vote, the Clinton-Gore Administration?s
economic plan established fiscal discipline by slashing the
deficit in half ? the largest deficit reduction plan in
history -- while making important investments in our
economic future, including education, health care, and
science and technology research. This legislation also
extended the life of the Medicare Trust Fund by three years.
Fiscal discipline established by the Clinton-Gore
Administration has turned the largest deficits in our
country?s history into the largest surplus. (PL 103-66,
signed 8/10/93)
Earned Income Tax Credit Expansion/Working Family Tax Cut
President Clinton succeeded in passing an expansion of the
Earned Income Tax Credit, giving a tax cut to 15 million of
the hardest-pressed American workers. In 1999, the EITC
lifted 4.1 million people out of poverty ? nearly double the
number lifted out of poverty by the EITC in 1993. (PL
103-66, signed 8/10/93).
Student Loan Reform
The Clinton-Gore Administration created the Direct Student
Loan Program, which cut red tape and administrative costs by
eliminating subsidies and bureaucracy in the Student Loan
Program. The program has saved taxpayers $4 billion since
1993 and allowed interest rate reductions for students. (PL
103-66, signed 8/10/93)
Empowerment Zone/Enterprise Communities Program
Created nine Empowerment Zones and 95 Enterprise Communities
with tax incentives and $100 million per EZ in discretionary
investment dollars to spur local community planning and
economic growth in distressed communities. At the
President?s request, Congress expanded the program in 1994,
1997, and again in 2000. To date, the EZ program has
leveraged over $10 million in additional private investment
into EZs. The EZ program represents the most ambitious
incentives program ever offered by the federal government to
promote private sector investment in distressed areas in
America.
Childhood Immunization Initiative
In 1992, less than 60 percent of two-year-olds were fully
immunized ? the third lowest rate in the Western Hemisphere.
The Clinton-Gore Economic Plan contained investments to
guarantee the health of children and prevent the easily
avoidable costs of preventable childhood diseases. Today,
the nation's overall immunization rate for preschool
children is the highest ever recorded.
September 21 AmeriCorps Community Service Initiative Enacted
AmeriCorps allows individuals to serve communities across the country while
earning money for college or skills training programs. Since
its inception, 150,000 volunteers have participated in
AmeriCorps; that means that more people have enrolled in
this Clinton Administration initiative in its first five
years than did in the Peace Corps? first 20 years. (PL
103-82, signed 9/21/93)
November 30 Brady Act Signed
After seven years of debate under previous administrations, the President
signed legislation requiring a background check before the
purchase of a handgun and establishing a National Instant
Check System. Since its enactment, the Brady Law has helped
to prevent a total of more than 600,000 felons, fugitives,
domestic abusers, and other prohibited purchasers from
buying guns. Since 1992, the gun-related crime rate has
declined by 40 percent. (PL 103-159, signed 11/30/93)
December 8 NAFTA Ratified
President Clinton worked to pass bipartisan legislation implementing the
North American Free Trade Agreement, creating the world?s
largest free trade zone. Since passage of NAFTA, the U.S.
manufacturing sector has created 400,000 jobs, and exports
to Canada and Mexico support 600,000 more jobs today than in
1993. (Signed 12/8/93)
1994
March 31 Goals 2000 Education Standards Enacted
This legislation provided assistance to states to implement high standards
and challenging curricula to help all children succeed.
Today, 49 states require students to meet tough standards in
core subjects, and 48 states test reading and mathematics
skills in elementary, middle and high school to ensure
students are meeting those standards. (PL 103-227, signed
3/31/94)
May 18 Head Start Reform and Creation of Early Head Start
President Clinton and Vice President Gore advocated for legislation
increasing Head Start participation and quality. The new
bill established minimum performance standards, strong
accountability and created the Early Head Start program for
children aged 0 to 3. The Administration has increased
funding for Head Start by more than 90 percent since 1993.
Head Start and Early Head Start will reach approximately
935,000 in 2001. (PL 103-252, signed 5/18/94)
September 13 Crime Bill Signed
Enacted the Clinton-Gore Administration?s tough and smart crime fighting
strategy. The Bill contained tougher penalties, including
?three strikes and you?re out? legislation, helped states
build more prisons and increased prevention and victims
rights. As a result, the overall crime rate has dropped for
8 years in a row ? the longest continuous drop on record ?
and is now at a 26 year low. (PL 103-322, signed 9/13/94)
Assault Weapons Ban
President Clinton and Vice President Gore overcame intense
opposition by the gun lobby to ban 19 of the most dangerous
assault weapons. Thanks in part to the Clinton-Gore
Administration?s efforts to take these dangerous guns off
the streets, overall gun violence has declined by 40 percent
since 1992. (PL 103-322, signed 9/13/94)
100,000 Community Police Officers
The Clinton-Gore Administration succeeded in passing a bill
authorizing local governments funding to hire and redeploy
100,000 community police officers. COPS helped contribute
to a decline that brought the overall crime rate to the
lowest level in 26 years. In 1999, crime fell for the
eighth consecutive year nationwide. (PL 103-322, signed
9/13/94)
Violence Against Women Act
The Clinton-Gore Administration fought for and signed this
bill, which contains new penalties, resources to prosecute
more domestic violence offenders, and quadrupled funding for
battered women's shelters. The Administration also
established a nationwide 24-hour Domestic Violence Hotline.
This initiative represents the first federal effort to
address domestic violence and violence against women.
Today, the number of victims of domestic violence has fallen
from 1.1 million in 1993 to 876,340 in 1998. (PL 103-322,
signed 9/13/94)
September 23 Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI)
Fund Created
Meeting an early campaign commitment, the President signed
legislation creating the CDFI Fund to support both
specialized financial institutions and traditional banks
that serve lower-income communities. As of late 2000, the
CDFI Fund had certified over 400 community development
banks, community development credit unions, housing and
business loan funds and venture capital firms as CDFIs. The
CDFI Fund has provided over $427 million in funding to
institutions that provide capital and financial services to
underserved markets.
October 20 Improving America?s Schools Act
This reauthorization of the 1965 Elementary and Secondary Education Act
ended the era of lower expectations for disadvantaged
children by insisting that all students be held to the same
high academic standards. The bill also strengthened
accountability for student performance and required states
to turn around low-performing schools.
October 31 California Desert Protection Act Signed
The largest land protection bill since 1980 protected nearly 8 million
acres of wilderness and created three new national parks.
(PL 103-433, signed 10/31/94)
December 8 GATT Ratified
The Clinton-Gore Administration worked with a bipartisan majority in the
Senate to pass legislation implementing the General
Agreement on Tariffs and trade (GATT). This agreement
allows American workers and businesses to compete in a
freer, fairer, and more effective global trading system.
(PL 103-465, signed 12/8/94)
1995
January 25 Called for National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy
In his State of the Union address, the President challenged
Americans to join together in a national campaign against
teen pregnancy. Both teen birth rates and teen pregnancy
rates are now at the lowest level on record.
January 31 Loans Preventing Economic Collapse in Mexico Issued
After Congress refused to act, President Clinton issued $20 billion in
emergency loans to Mexico to stabilize the country?s
financial markets. Loans from the United States and the
International Monetary Fund stopped the collapse of the
peso, prevented economic crisis, and helped the country
return to solid economic growth. Mexico repaid the loans
with interest three years ahead of schedule. U.S. taxpayers
made a net gain of nearly $580 million from the loan.
February 27 Federal Child Support Enforcement Expanded
The President issued an executive order stepping up federal
efforts to collect child support payments. The Clinton
Administration?s strategy of encouraging parental
responsibility and increasing child support enforcement
efforts has doubled collections of child support from $8
billion in 1992 to $16 billion in 1999. (Exec. Order 12953)
March 8 Executive Order Preventing Permanent Striker Replacement
Issued
In order to maintain fairness and balance between workers and management,
President Clinton issued an executive order preventing the
federal government from contracting with businesses that
hire permanent replacements for employees engaging in lawful
strikes. (Exec. Order 12954)
July 12 Religious Freedom in Schools Protected
In order to protect religious expression in public schools
while preserving the separation of church and state,
President Clinton issued an executive memorandum outlining
several principles of religious expression in schools. This
directive clarified that under our Constitution students are
free to express their religious views, pray and discuss
religion at school in a non-disruptive and non-coercive
manner and that teachers may teach about the importance of
religion in art, literature and history. At the same time,
schools and teachers may not endorse religious activity or
doctrine, nor may they coerce participation in religious
activity. (Exec. Memorandum 7/12/95)
August 10 First-Ever Comprehensive Plan to Reduce Youth Smoking
Proposed
The Clinton-Gore Administration proposed the first-ever
comprehensive plan to reduce youth smoking. The proposal
required young people to prove their age to buy cigarettes,
banned vending machines in places where minors can go, ended
the marketing of cigarettes and tobacco to minors, and
required the tobacco industry to fund an education campaign
to prevent kids from smoking. The proposal took effect when
new FDA regulations were announced on August 23, 1996.
December 14 Dayton Peace Accords Signed
Leaders of the rival factions in the Bosnian civil war signed a treaty to
end the nearly four-year-old conflict, formally approving
the pact they had initialed in November in Dayton, Ohio
after three weeks of U.S.-sponsored talks.
1996
January 23 National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy
The National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy was formed
in response to the President?s 1995 State of the Union.
Since President Clinton took office, teen birth rates have
dropped 18 percent, to the lowest level on record.
February 8 Telecommunications Reform Signed
President Clinton and Vice President Gore achieved the first major overhaul
of the telecommunications laws in 60 years. Reforms of the
1934 Telecommunications Act opened up competition between
local telephone companies, long distance providers and cable
companies; and required the use of new V-chip technology to
enable families to exercise greater control over the
television programming that comes into their homes. The Act
also contained the Vice President?s E-Rate proposal, which
provides low-cost Internet connections for schools,
libraries, rural health clinics and hospitals. (PL 104-104,
signed 2/8/96)
February 24 Encouraged the Adoption of School Uniforms
President Clinton took steps to offer support and make it
easier for schools to voluntarily adopt school uniform
policies. Schools across the nation have demonstrated that
school uniforms can lead to safer schools, more disciplined
and orderly classrooms, and free teachers to focus on
teaching and students to focus on learning.
April 24 Antiterrorism Law
The President signed the Antiterrorism and Effective Death
Penalty Act into law at a ceremony at the White House.
President Clinton first sent this legislation to Congress in
February 1995 and called for additional antiterrorism
measures and actions after the devastation of the federal
building in Oklahoma City. The 1996 law included measures
to combat terrorism at home and abroad including provisions
to provide broad Federal jurisdiction to prosecute terrorist
acts, bar terrorists from entering the United States in the
first place, toughen penalties over a range of terrorist
crimes and increase controls over biological and chemical
weapons.
May 17 Megan?s Law
The President signed Megan?s law to require states to notify communities
when a dangerous sexual predator resides or moves to the
community. The passage of Megan?s Law built on provisions
contained in the 1994 Crime Bill, the Jacob Wetterling
Crimes Against Children and Sexually Violent Offender
Registration Act, which promoted the establishment of state
sex offender registration systems for child molesters and
other sexually violent offenders.
July 16 Moving Welfare Recipients to Work
President Clinton took the first national steps to require
welfare recipients to move to work. An executive memorandum
issued by the President required participants in federal
training programs for welfare recipients to work to agree
to go to work within two years or face the prospect of
losing their federal assistance. (Exec. Memorandum 7/16/96)
August 3 Food Quality Protection Act Signed
This Act established the toughest standards for pesticide residues in food
ever, and for the first times required that the standards
take into account special risks to children. (PL 104-170,
signed 8/3/96)
August 6 Safe Drinking Water Act
Amendments to the Safe Drinking Water Act required the strongest standards
of safety and purity in America?s drinking water while
establishing a revolving loan fund to help communities
upgrade their water treatment facilities. (PL 104-182,
signed 8/6/96)
August 20 Minimum Wage Increased
President Clinton and Vice President Gore fought for and won a 90-cent per
hour increase in the minimum wage ? increasing wages for 10
million workers. This increase was the first in 6 years and
in 1996 it was the largest single-year increase ever. (PL
104-134, signed 8/20/96)
August 21 Kennedy-Kassebaum Health Insurance Reform (Health Insurance
Portability and Accountability Act)
This bipartisan health insurance reform bill prevents individuals from
being denied coverage because they have a preexisting
medical condition. It requires insurance companies to sell
coverage to small employer groups and to individuals who
lose group coverage without regard to their health risk
status. It also prohibits discrimination in enrollment and
premiums against employees and their dependents based on
health status. Finally, it requires insurers to renew the
policies they sell to groups and individuals. As many as 25
million people have benefited from the greater flexibility
that this law ensures. (PL 104-191, signed 8/21/96)
Requiring Mental Health Parity for Annual and Lifetime
Insurance Limits
To help eliminate discrimination against individuals with
mental illnesses, the President enacted legislation
containing provisions prohibiting health plans from
establishing separate lifetime and annual limits for mental
health coverage.
New Protections for Mothers and Newborns
The President signed into law common sense legislation that
requires health plans to allow new mothers to remain in the
hospital for at least 48 hours following most normal
deliveries and 96 hours after a Cesarean section.
Eliminating the Discriminatory Tax Treatment of the Self-
Employed
HIPAA increased the tax deduction from 30 percent to 80
percent for the approximately 10 million Americans who are
self-employed. The President also signed into law a
provision to phase it in to 100 percent in the Balanced
Budget Act of 1997.
Fighting Fraud and Waste in Medicare
The Kennedy-Kassenbaum legislation created a new stable
source of funding to fight fraud and abuse that is
coordinated by the HHS Office of the Inspector General and
the Department of Justice. Since its passage, nearly $1.6
billion in fraud and abuse savings has been returned to the
Medicare Trust Fund. Since 1993, the Clinton Administration
has assigned more federal prosecutors and FBI agents to
fight health care fraud than ever before. As a result,
convictions have gone up a full 410 percent saving more than
$50 billion in health care claims.
August 22 Welfare Reform Enacted
President Clinton kept his promise to end welfare as we know it by
requiring welfare recipients to work, limiting the time they
can stay on welfare, and providing child care and health
care to help them make the move from welfare to work. The
landmark bipartisan welfare reform law signed by the
President also enacted tough new child support enforcement
measures proposed by the President. Since January 1993, the
number of people on welfare has fallen by nearly 60 percent,
from 14.1 million to 5.8 million, the smallest welfare rolls
in 32 years, and millions of parents have joined the
workforce. (PL 104-193, signed 8/22/96)
September 5 Designated Commission to Design Patients? Bill of Rights
President Clinton created the National Commission on Health
Care Quality and charged it with studying the need for
consumer protections and ways to guarantee the quality of
care. Commission members represented government, consumers,
health care providers, insurers, and businesses. The
recommendations of the Commission formed the basis for the
Patients? Bill of Rights. (Exec. Order 13017)
September 18 Created Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument
The creation of this National Monument preserved unspoiled remote canyons
and extensive geologic and world-class paleontological
sites. President Clinton was the first President to
designate a National Monument since 1978 and throughout his
term the President has protected more land as national
monuments in the lower 48 states ? over 4.6 million acres ?
than any president in history. (Presidential Proclamation,
9/18/96)
1997
February 19 Launched Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign
The President unveiled his National Drug Control Strategy that set forth a
long-term national effort to reduce illicit drug use and its
consequences. Highlights of the Strategy included: a new
$175 million national media campaign targeting illegal drug
use by youth; 500 additional border patrol agents to stem
the flow of illegal drugs across the Southwest Border; and
$40 million for counter-drug programs in Peru ? the primary
cocaine source country.
March 4 Banned Federal Research on Human Cloning
Because of the profound ethical issues raised by advances in
cloning technology, the President issued a memorandum
prohibiting the use of federal funds to clone human beings
and urged the entire scientific and medical community to
adopt a voluntary moratorium on the cloning of human beings.
(Exec. Memorandum, 3/4/97)
April 24 Chemical Weapons Convention Ratified
The Senate ratified the Chemical Weapons Convention, which makes the
production, acquisition, stockpiling, transfer and use of
chemical weapons illegal. (Ratified 4/24/97)
May 20 Created the Welfare to Work Partnership
The Welfare to Work Partnership was launched at the
President?s urging to lead the national business effort to
hire people from the welfare rolls. Now 20,000 businesses
strong, the Partnership has helped an estimated 1.1 million
welfare recipients move to employment. Under Vice President
Gore?s leadership, the Administration has also done its fair
share, hiring 50,000 welfare recipients, and has fostered
partnerships between employers and community and faith-based
organizations that help families move from welfare to work.
June 4 Individuals With Disabilities Education Act Reauthorized
The expanded IDEA applies the same high academic standards for all
children, ensuring that children with disabilities learn the
same things with the same curricula and the same assessments
as all other children. It also ensures that more children
with disabilities can be in regular classrooms and take part
in all school functions including field trips and
extracurricular activities. (Signed 6/4/97)
June 12 Established the Initiative for One America
To help facilitate a national dialogue aimed at narrowing America?s racial
divide, the President appointed a seven-member Advisory
Board on Race. Over the next 15 months, Board members,
individually and in teams, held hundreds of meetings
involving thousands of people in every region of the
country. They submitted several policy proposals that have
guided the Administration in its effort to close the racial
gaps that still exist in America. These include increased
civil rights enforcement, increased early childhood
education and undertaking efforts to make sure all Americans
benefit from our country?s prosperity. The work of the
Advisory Board also led to the creation of the One America
Office in the White House to promote the President?s goals
of educating the American public about race, encourage
racial reconciliation through national dialogue on race,
identify policies that can expand opportunities for racial
and ethnic minorities, and coordinate the work of the White
House and federal agencies to carry out the President?s
vision of One America.
July 16 Stronger Air Quality Regulations Released
The President approved the strongest air quality standards in history to
control pollution from smog and soot. The standards could
prevent 15,000 premature deaths every year and will improve
the lives of millions of Americans suffering from
respiratory illness. Enforcement of the new standards has
been delayed by court action. (7/16/97)
August 5 Balanced Budget Agreement Reached
In February, the President submitted the first plan to finish the job of
eliminating the deficit and the balanced budget in 27 years.
On August 5th, he signed the Balanced Budget Act of 1997,
which finished the job of eliminating the $290 billion
budget deficit. (PL 105-34, signed 8/5/97)
$500 per Child Tax Credit
As part of the Balanced Budget Agreement, the President
secured a $500 per child tax credit for approximately 27
million families with children under 17, including thirteen
million children from families with incomes below $30,000.
(PL 105-34, signed 8/5/97)
Children?s Health Insurance Program Created
At the urging of the Clinton-Gore Administration, Congress
invested $48 billion for the State Children?s Health
Insurance Program ? the single largest investment in health
care for children since the enactment of Medicaid in 1965.
This new program, together with Medicaid, will provide
meaningful health care coverage for up to five million
previously uninsured children ? including prescription
drugs, vision, hearing, and mental health services. Within
three years of enactment, all 50 states have implemented
S-CHIP programs, and over 2 million children have been
covered. In addition, the number of states covering
children up to 200 percent of poverty increased by more than
sevenfold ? to 30 states ? during that time. (PL 105-34,
signed 8/5/97)
Strengthening the Medicare Trust Fund
When the President came into office, Medicare was projected
to become insolvent in 1999. The Balanced Budget Act
extended the life of the Trust Fund by an additional 10
years resulting in the longest Medicare Trust Fund solvency
in a quarter century, extending the life of the Medicare
Trust Fund by a total of 26 years and offering premiums that
are nearly 20 percent lower today than projected in 1993.
Modernizing the Medicare Benefit Package
The BBA included a series of structural reforms which
modernize the program, bringing it in line with the private
sector and preparing it for the baby boom generation. These
reforms: waived cost-sharing for mammography services and
provided annual screening mammograms for beneficiaries age
40 and older to help detect breast cancer; established a
diabetes self-management benefit; ensured Medicare coverage
of colorectal screening and cervical cancer screening;
ensured coverage of bone mass measurement tests to help
women detect osteoporosis, and increased reimbursement rates
for certain immunizations to protect seniors from pneumonia,
influenza, and hepatitis.
HOPE Scholarships/Lifetime Learning Tax Credits
President Clinton proposed and passed the largest increase
in college opportunity since the GI bill. The HOPE
Scholarship provides a tax credit of up to $1,500 for
tuition and fees for the first two years of college. When
fully phased-in, the Lifetime Learning tax credit will
provide a 20 percent tax credit on the first $10,000 of
tuition and fees for students beyond the first two years of
college, or taking classes part-time. (PL 105-34, signed
8/5/97)
Welfare-to-Work Grants
Due to President Clinton's leadership, the Balanced Budget
Act included $3 billion over two years for Welfare-to-Work
grants to help states and local communities move long-term
welfare recipients and certain non-custodial parent in
lasting, unsubsidized jobs. This funding, used for job
creation, placement and retention efforts, has helped the
hardest-to-serve welfare recipients and promotes parental
responsibility among non-custodial parents who need to find
work to honor their responsibilities to their children.
Landmark Education Investments: America Reads, Charter
Schools, Education Technology
The President succeeded in doubling investments in education
technology, increasing charter school funding, expanding
Head Start to reach more than 800,000 children, and
increasing the maximum Pell Grant by 63 percent, to the
largest maximum award ever. The Budget also provided $300
million for the President?s America Reads Challenge.
Together, these programs are the most significant increase
in education funding at the national level in 30 years. (PL
105-34, signed 8/5/97)
Created 20 more Empowerment Zones and 20 more rural
Enterprise Communities
Following Congress? 1994 designation of Cleveland and Los
Angeles as EZs, the President requested a Round 2 of 20 new
EZs and 20 new rural Enterprise Communities. The Round 2
EZs received expanded tax-exempt bonding authority to
increase their ability to stimulate private-sector job
creation for low-income residents.
August 9 Created Smoke-Free Federal Workplaces
President Clinton issued an Executive Order protecting Federal Government
employees and members of the public from exposure to tobacco
smoke in the Federal workplace and encouraged Federal
agencies to establish programs to help employees stop
smoking. The Clinton-Gore Administration has also made our
nation?s health a priority by developing the first-ever plan
to protect our children from tobacco, raising the federal
tobacco tax, and by giving the American people their day in
court against the tobacco manufacturers who engaged in
decades of deception about the dangers of tobacco.
August 13 Required Drug Companies Provide Adequate Testing for
Children
President Clinton directed an important Food and Drug Administration
regulation requiring manufacturers to do studies on
pediatric populations for new prescription drugs ? and those
currently on the market ? to ensure that prescription drugs
have been adequately tested for the unique needs of
children.
August 27 America Reads Child Literacy Initiative Launched
The President set a national goal of making sure that every
child can read independently by the end of third grade. To
reach this goal, the President issued the America Reads
challenge, calling for one million tutors ? college,
university students, senior citizens, and private sector
employees ? to help children learn to read. In 1997,
Congress funded the initiative, with $300 million in grants
to help states improve children?s reading skills. More than
two million children have been tutored to read by national
service programs such as AmeriCorps, VISTA, and Foster
Grandparents.
October 9 Reached Agreement to Provide Child-Safety Locks With
Handguns
The President announced an agreement with eight of the
country?s largest gun manufacturers to include child safety
locks with all new handguns. The voluntary agreement was
reached after negotiations between the President, the gun
manufacturers and the American Shooting Sports Council. The
President had previously issued an Executive Memorandum
requiring federal law enforcement authorities to provide
child safety locks for their officers? firearms.
November 19 Adoption and Safe Families Act Passed
This bipartisan legislation enacted many of the recommendations of the
President?s Adoption 2002 report. In order to meet the
President?s challenge of doubling the number of adoptions by
2002, the Act provides incentives to states to permanently
place children in foster care. In 1999, 46,000 foster care
children were adopted ? more than a 64 percent increase
since 1996 and the biggest increase in adoptions since the
National Foster Care Program was created almost 20 years
ago. (PL 105-89, signed 11/19/97)
November 20 Endorsed the Recommendations of the Historic Quality
Commission.
In 1996, the President created a non-partisan, broad-based Commission on
quality and charged them with developing a patients? bill of
rights as their first order of business. In October of
1997, the President accepted the Commission?s recommendation
that all health plans should provide strong patient
protections, including guaranteed access to needed health
care specialists; access to emergency room services when and
where the need arises; continuity of care protections; and
access to a fair, unbiased and timely internal and
independent external appeals process. The work of the
Commission lay the foundation for subsequent administrative
and legislative initiatives to improve patient protections
and quality improvement.
November 21 FDA Reform Legislation Signed
The President supported and signed the FDA Modernization Act of 1997, the
first major food and medical products reform in 35 years.
The Act cut approval times of new drugs in half, simplified
the review process for medical devices, expanded
participation in experimental treatments for AIDS,
Alzheimer?s and cancer patients, and protected consumers by
ensuring accurate food labeling. (PL 105-115, signed
11/21/97)
December 16 NATO Expanded to Eastern Europe
Secretary of State Madeleine Albright signed protocols for the accession
of Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic into NATO. The
expansion of NATO to include these three former Warsaw Pact
nations was a historic step in ensuring peace and stability
in Eastern Europe. NATO expansion was ratified in May 1998
after it was approved by a strong bipartisan Senate
majority.
1998
January 7 Child Care Initiative
The President successfully initiated an historic effort to improve child
care for America?s working families. President Clinton?s
initiative responded to the struggles our nation's working
parents face in finding child care that they can afford,
trust, and rely on. The President?s initiative helped
working families pay for child care by more than doubling
funding for child care subsidies and nearly doubling funding
for Head Start; it built a supply of good after-school
programs that will serve 1.3 million children in 2001; and,
it is working to improve the safety and quality of care, and
promote early learning through the recently passed Early
Learning Opportunities Act.
February 20 Implemented the Patients? Bill of Rights for Federal Health
Plans
In order to ensure that 85 million Americans in federal
health plans benefit from essential health protections
developed by the President?s Health Care Quality Commission,
President Clinton ordered federal health plans to comply
with provisions of the Patients? Bill of Rights. The
President?s order guaranteed choice of providers and plans,
access to emergency services, participation in treatment
decisions, confidentiality of health information and a fair
complaint and appeals process. Medicare, Medicaid, S-CHIP,
the Indian Health Service, FEHBP plans, the Veterans
Administration facilities, and the Military Health System
are responding by ensuring that all protections that can be
extended under current law be provided.
April 11 Good Friday Peace Accords Signed
President Clinton helped conclude the Good Friday Peace Accords, a historic
peace agreement between all the major parties to the long
conflict over Northern Ireland. The accord represents the
best hope in a generation for a just and lasting peace in
Northern Ireland. (4/11/98)
July 16 Child Support Incentives
The President signed into law the ?Child Support Performance and Incentive
Act of 1998,? which built on prior legislative and executive
actions to improve child support collections by establishing
performance-based rewards for states on a range of key child
support goals. The Clinton Administration has taken great
strides in promoting responsible fatherhood; since 1992,
paternity establishment has tripled and child support
collections have doubled.
July 21 Improving Nursing Home Quality
In July of 1998, President Clinton initiated a new nursing home quality
initiative that ensures swift and strong penalties for
nursing homes failing to comply with standards, strengthened
oversight of state enforcement mechanisms, and implemented
unprecedented efforts to improve nutrition and prevent bed
sores. Finally, the Administration recently instructed
states to eliminate corrective periods during which nursing
homes could avoid the imposition of sanctions, such as
fines, when a nursing home is found to have caused harm to a
resident on consecutive surveys, in order to put additional
pressure on nursing homes to meet all health and safety
standards.
August 7 Workforce Investment Act
Long championed by President Clinton and Vice-President Gore, this
bi-partisan legislation was enacted to streamline and bring
greater accountability to our nation?s job training system.
(signed 8/7/98)
October 7 GEAR UP Initiative Created
In his 1998 State of the Union address, President Clinton urged Congress
?to support our efforts to enlist colleges and universities
to reach out to disadvantaged children, starting in the 7th
grade, so that they can get the guidance and hope they need
so they can know that they, too, will be able to go on to
college.? Congress enacted GEAR UP without a single
dissenting vote. GEAR UP provides intensive early
intervention services that have helped prepare up to 700,000
students at high-poverty middle schools for college. GEAR
UP was included in the Higher Education Amendments of 1998,
which also reduced student loan interest rates, saving
students about $50 for every $1,000 in debt; supported
partnerships between universities and school systems to
strengthen teacher preparation and quality; and created the
first federal performance-based organization to administer
student aid. (signed 10/7/98)
October 21 Class Size Reduction Initiative Launched
After initially refusing to provide any funding at all, Congress agreed to
provide $1.2 billion for the first year of the President?s
new initiative to hire 100,000 new teachers to reduce class
size in the early grades to a national average of 18. This
initiative is the first comprehensive effort to reduce class
size across the nation. (PL 105-277, signed 10/21/98)
21st Century Community Learning Centers
In 1998, a Clinton Administration initiative launched a
series of dramatic funding increases for before- and
after-school programs, turning a small demonstration program
into one of the most popular Federal education programs.
President Clinton won $846 million for the 21st Century
Community Learning Centers program for 2001, up from only $1
million in 1997, and it will serve about 1.3 million
children.
October 23 Wye Middle East Peace Agreement Signed
After nine days of negotiations at the Wye Conference Center in Maryland,
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian
Authority President Yasser Arafat signed an agreement that
will strengthen Israeli security, expand the area of
Palestinian control in the West Bank, and enhance
opportunities for the Israeli and Palestinian people.
(10/23/98)
October 27 Head Start Expansion and Reauthorization (Human Services
Reauthorization Act)
The reauthorization of Head Start paved the way for further quality
improvements, doubled participation in the Early Head Start
program and moved toward the President?s goal of providing
quality Head Start opportunities for one million children.
(PL 105-285, 10/27/98)
Individual Development Accounts
In addition to reauthorizing Head Start, the Human Services
Reauthorization Act of 1998 also created the Individual
Development Account Demonstration Program to encourage
low-income families to save for a first home, post-secondary
education or to start a new business. (PL 105-285,
10/27/98)
December 12 Global Warming Protocol Signed in Kyoto, Japan
With critical leadership from the Clinton-Gore Administration, 160 nations
agreed on the basic architecture of a strategy to combat
global warming on December 12, 1997. This agreement is the
first time that major nations of the world ever committed
themselves to a comprehensive plan to cut greenhouse gas
emissions.
December 16 Air Attacks on Saddam Hussein
Beginning December 16, 1998, American forces attacked Iraq?s nuclear,
chemical, and biological programs, and its military capacity
to threaten its neighbors. Saddam Hussein had announced
that he would no longer cooperate with UN inspectors to
conduct inspections that would guarantee that Iraq does not
try and rebuild its capacity to create weapons of mass
destruction.
1999
April 29 Education Flexibility Partnership Act of 1999 Signed
Ed-Flex is designed to help districts and schools carry out
educational reforms and raise the achievement levels of all
children by providing increased flexibility in the
implementation of federal education programs. In exchange,
states are required to demonstrate enhanced accountability
for the performance of all students.
March 12 Clarifying Over The Counter Drug Labels.
The President unveiled a historic new FDA regulation that, for the first
time, requires over-the-counter drug products to use a new
product label with larger print and clearer language, making
it easier for consumers to understand product warnings and
comply with dosage guidance. The new regulation provides
Americans with essential information about their medications
in a user friendly way and takes a critical first step
towards preventing the tens of thousands of unnecessary
hospitalizations caused by misuse of over-the-counter
medications each year.
April 27 Education Flexibility Partnership Act Signed
This legislation expanded the Ed-Flex demonstration program to enable all
states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the
territories to form Ed-Flex partnerships, giving states and
communities the ability to use federal resources in the ways
that best complement local efforts and innovation. Under
Ed-Flex, states can waive many of the requirements of
federal education programs in exchange for accountability
for results.
May 12 100,000 Officers Funded
Under budget and ahead of schedule, the President?s goal of
funding 100,000 officers was reached. The President's
successful community policing initiative has played a key
role in producing the longest continuous drop in crime on
record. In November 1999, President Clinton secured funding
for the first installment of his 21st Century Policing
Initiative over Congressional opposition. The new
initiative will fund up to 50,000 additional community
police officers by 2005 and equip them with new, advanced
tools to fight crime. (PL 106-113, signed 11/29/99)
June 16 Leading the World in Eliminating Child Labor
In June 1999, the President traveled to the International Labor
Organization Conference in Geneva, Switzerland to urge
adoption of an historic international convention that would
ban the worst forms of child labor. The next day, the Child
Labor Convention was unanimously adopted by delegates at the
conference. It represents the largest investment in American
history to end abusive child labor around the globe.
June 20 Achieving Victory in Kosovo
President Clinton led the NATO Alliance in a 79-day air war that expelled
Serb forces from Kosovo and restored self-government to the
province, ending a decade of repression and reversing
Slobodan Milosevic?s brutal campaign of ethnic cleansing.
In the face of Allied unity, American military superiority,
and strong Presidential leadership, Milosevic withdrew his
troops and permitted international peacekeepers to begin
returning refugees. (3/24-6/20/99)
October 29 Medical Privacy Protections Announced
President Clinton announced new regulations to protect the privacy of
personal medical records. The President?s action gave
consumers greater access to and control over their records,
restricted the disclosure of protected health information to
the minimum necessary, and established new disclosure
requirements for researchers and others seeking access to
health records.
November 12 Financial Modernization Legislation Enacted
President Clinton signed the Financial Modernization Act into law, finally
revamping a banking system that had been in place since the
Great Depression. The new law will increase innovation and
competition in the financial services industry, including
traditional banking, insurance and securities industries,
giving consumers greater choice and lower prices. The
President insisted that the new regulatory structure permit
banking institutions to expand into these newly authorized
lines of business only if they satisfactorily serve the
credit needs of their communities, and that the law include
many of the consumer privacy provisions he proposed. (PL
106-102, signed 11/12/99)
November 18 Expanded Federal Investment in After-School and Summer
School Programs
President Clinton signed a significant increase in 21st
Century Community Learning Centers, expanding the federal
investment in after-school and summer school programs from a
small pilot project. This initiative currently serves over
850,000 Americans nationwide, and will serve 1.3 million
children next year.
November 29 Work Incentives Improvement Act Signed
After months of congressional inaction, President Clinton insisted that
Congress pass the Work Incentives Improvement Act as a
condition of the budget agreement. This bipartisan Act
allows people with disabilities to maintain their Medicare
or Medicaid coverage when they go to work. This law
represents one of the most important legislative advances
for people with disabilities since the enactment of the
Americans with Disabilities Act. (PL 106-113, signed
11/29/99)
Leveraged $90 Billion in International Debt Relief
President Clinton has been an international leader in
recognizing and solving the debt problems of developing
countries. To meet the commitments he made at the G-7
Economic Summit in Cologne in June and at his address to the
IMF and World Bank Annual Meetings in September, President
Clinton secured funds from Congress to leverage over $90
billion of debt relief for developing nations. Along with
funds from other creditor nations, this plan tripled the
amount of debt relief available to the world?s poorest
nations. (PL 106-113, signed 11/29/99)
December 14 Enacted New Legislation to Help Young People Leaving Foster
Care
Today, when young people emancipate from foster care, they face numerous
health risks, but too often lose their health insurance.
The new law grants states the option for these young people
to remain eligible for Medicaid up to age 21. HHS issued
guidance to all State Medicaid Directors encouraging them to
take up this option. (Public Law 106-169)
2000
March 17 Historic Smith & Wesson Agreement
The President announced the Administration?s historic Agreement with
several cities and counties and the nation?s largest handgun
manufacturer, Smith & Wesson, to reform the way they design,
distribute and market their products. Among the key
provisions are new design standards to make guns safer and
prevent accidental shootings and gun deaths, such as locking
devices on handguns and the incorporation of smart gun
technology, and sales and distribution controls to help keep
guns out of the hands of criminals and to crack down on
illegal gun traffickers, such as cutting off dealers that
sell a disproportionate share of crime guns and not selling
to dealers who sell at gun shows unless background checks
are conducted.
April 7 Senior Citizen?s Freedom to Work Act Passed
In his January 1999 State of the Union Address the President stated that
?we should eliminate the limits on what seniors on Social
Security can earn.? In 2000, the House and Senate
unanimously voted to eliminate the retirement earnings test
for people above the normal retirement age. (PL 106-182,
signed 4/7/00)
April 15 Created New National Monument To Preserve Ancient Sequoias
President Clinton signed a proclamation creating the Giant Sequoia National
Monument. This 328,000-acre monument will ensure lasting
protection for 34 groves of ancient sequoias, the largest
trees on Earth. (4/15/00)
May 18 Africa Growth and Opportunity Act and the U.S.-Caribbean
Basin Trade Partnership Act Signed
Expands two-way trade and create incentives for the countries of
sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) and the Caribbean Basin to continue
reforming their economies and participate more fully in the
benefits of the global economy. This area forms the sixth
largest export market for the United States. (PL 106-200,
signed 5/18/00)
June 7 Providing Medicare Reimbursement For Costs Associated with
Participation in Clinical Trials.
The President issued an Executive Memorandum directing the Medicare program
to revise its payment policy and immediately begin to
explicitly reimburse providers for the cost of routine
patient care associated with participation in clinical
trials. HHS was directed to take additional action to
promote the participation of Medicare beneficiaries in
clinical trials for all diseases, including activities to
increase beneficiary awareness of the new coverage option
and actions to ensure that the information gained from
important clinical trials is used to inform coverage
decisions by properly structuring the trial.
June 9 Preserved Four Unique and Irreplaceable National Monuments
President Clinton signed proclamations creating four new national monuments
to protect federal lands representing unique, irreplaceable
pieces of America?s natural and cultural heritage. The four
are the Canyons of the Ancients National Monument in
southwest Colorado, the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument
in southern Oregon, the Hanford Reach National Monument in
south central Washington, and the Ironwood Forest National
Monument in southern Arizona.
June 30 Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act
Signed
This Act eliminated legal barriers to using electronic technology to form
and sign contracts, collect and store documents, and send
and receive notices and disclosures. It also contained
important protections making sure that consumers shopping
on-line are protected to the same extent as paper
transactions. (PL 106-229, signed 6/30/00)
July 1 Campaign Finance Disclosure Enacted
President Clinton signed the first new campaign finance reform legislation
in 20 years, closing a loophole that allowed tax-exempt
groups to use undisclosed donors to pay for political ad
campaigns. (PL 106-230, signed 7/1/00)
July 13 Plan Colombia Enacted
President Clinton proposed a new aid package to bolster democracy and
combat drug trafficking in Colombia. The agreement will
enhance alternative development, strengthen civil justice
and democratic institutions, and provide assistance aimed at
reducing the flow of cocaine and other narcotics to the
United States. (PL 106-246, signed 7/13/00)
October 10 China-PNTR Enacted
This Act was a crucial step to complete a major trade goal of the
Clinton-Gore Administration, opening China?s markets to
American manufactured goods, farm products and services by
allowing China to become part of the WTO, forcing it to
slash import barriers against American goods and services.
The United States agreed to maintain market access policies
we currently apply to China. (PL 106-286, signed 10/10/00)
October 24 Providing Health Insurance to Women With Breast Cancer
President Clinton enacted legislation to provide a new Medicaid option to
provide needed insurance coverage to the thousands of
uninsured women with breast and cervical cancer detected by
Federally supported screening programs. This new proposal
will help eliminate the current and frequently overwhelming
financial barriers to treatment for these women.
October 27 Victims of Trafficking and Violence Prevention Act of 2000
The President signed this landmark legislation, which expands and
strengthens the Violence Against Women Act, passed as part
of the Crime Bill in 1994. The legislation also provides
new tools and resources to combat the worldwide scourge of
trafficking in persons and helps American victims of
terrorism abroad to collect court-awarded compensation.
From 1993 through 1998, violence against women by intimate
partners fell by 21 percent. (PL 106-386, 10/27/00)
Reauthorizing the Older Americans Act
The Older Americans Act ensures that millions of seniors
nationwide have access to meals, nursing home ombudsmen,
legal assistance, elder abuse prevention, employment and
transportation services that are essential to their dignity
and independence. This legislation includes the National
Family Caregiver Support Program -- a key Administration
priority designed to provide respite care and other
supportive services to help hundreds of thousands of
families who are struggling to care for their older loved
ones who are ill or disabled.
November 13 New Worker Health And Safety Rules To Prevent Repetitive
Stress Injuries Announced
The new rule announced by the Administration is aimed at reducing
approximately 1.8 million repetitive stress injuries that
affect workers. Based on extensive scientific research and
public comment, the Administration?s proposal would save
300,000 workers the pain and suffering associated with these
injuries, and save American businesses $9 billion a year in
workers compensation and lost productivity. The final rules
will take effect January 16, 2001.
December 15 Passed $1.2 Billion for Emergency School Repairs
In the FY 2001 budget, President Clinton won passage of an
historic $1.2 billion initiative for emergency school
renovation. The initiative will help schools make
much-needed repairs, such as roofs, heating and cooling
systems, and electrical wiring. The assistance would be
targeted to high-need districts and includes $75 million for
public schools with high concentrations of Native American
students.
Passed the New Markets Initiative
The FY 2001 budget also includes historic bipartisan New
Markets and community renewal initiative -- the most
significant effort ever to help hard-pressed communities
lift themselves up through private investment and
entrepreneurship. With the help of the New Markets tax
credit, 40 strengthened empowerment zones and 40 renewal
communities, this initiative will spur billions of dollars
in private investment, and ensure that every American will
share in nation?s economic prosperity.
Budget Includes Important Investments in Health Care
The President?s longstanding commitment to expand access to
quality health care for all Americans is reflected in the FY
2001 budget, which includes a multi-billion dollar effort to
provide low-income children, seniors and people with
disabilities, and those leaving welfare for work, with
health care coverage. It also expands preventive benefits
like cancer and glaucoma screenings for Medicare
beneficiaries.
The Clinton Presidency:
Historic Economic Growth
In 1993, President Clinton and Vice President Gore launched their economic
strategy: (1) establishing fiscal discipline, eliminating the budget
deficit, keeping interest rates low, and spurring private-sector
investment; (2) investing in people through education, training, science,
and research; and (3) opening foreign markets so American workers can
compete abroad. After eight years, the results of President Clinton?s
economic leadership are clear. Record budget deficits have become record
surpluses, 22 million new jobs have been created, unemployment and core
inflation are at their lowest levels in more than 30 years, and America is
in the midst of the longest economic expansion in our history.
President Clinton?s Record on the Economy: In 1992, 10 million Americans
were unemployed, the country faced record deficits, and poverty and welfare
rolls were growing. Family incomes were losing ground to inflation and
jobs were being created at the slowest rate since the Great Depression.
Today, America enjoys what may be the strongest economy ever.
? Strong Economic Growth: Since President Clinton and Vice President
Gore took office, economic growth has averaged 4.0 percent per year,
compared to average growth of 2.8 percent during the Reagan-Bush years.
The economy has grown for 116 consecutive months, the most in history.
? Most New Jobs Ever Created Under a Single Administration: The economy
has created more than 22.5 million jobs in less than eight years?the most
jobs ever created under a single administration, and more than were created
in the previous 12 years. Of the total new jobs, 20.7 million, or 92
percent, are in the private sector.
? Median Family Income Up $6,000 since 1993: Economic gains have been
made across the spectrum as family incomes increased for all Americans.
Since 1993, real median family income has increased by $6,338, from $42,612
in 1993 to $48,950 in 1999 (in 1999 dollars).
? Unemployment at Its Lowest Level in More than 30 Years: Overall
unemployment has dropped to the lowest level in more than 30 years, down
from 6.9 percent in 1993 to just 4.0 percent in November 2000. The
unemployment rate has been below 5 percent for 40 consecutive months.
Unemployment for African Americans has fallen from 14.2 percent in 1992 to
7.3 percent in October 2000, the lowest rate on record. Unemployment for
Hispanics has fallen from 11.8 percent in October 1992 to 5.0 percent in
October 2000, also the lowest rate on record.
? Lowest Inflation since the 1960s: Inflation is at the lowest rate
since the Kennedy Administration, averaging 2.5 percent, and it is down
from 4.7 percent during the previous administration.
? Highest Homeownership Rate on Record: The homeownership rate reached
67.7 percent for the third quarter of 2000, the highest rate on record. In
contrast, the homeownership rate fell from 65.6 percent in the first
quarter of 1981 to 63.7 percent in the first quarter of 1993.
? 7 Million Fewer Americans Living in Poverty: The poverty rate has
declined from 15.1 percent in 1993 to 11.8 percent last year, the largest
six-year drop in poverty in nearly 30 years. There are now 7 million fewer
people in poverty than there were in 1993.
Establishing Fiscal Discipline and Paying off the National Debt
President Clinton?s Record on Fiscal Discipline: Between 1981 and 1992, the
national debt held by the public quadrupled. The annual budget deficit
grew to $290 billion in 1992, the largest ever, and was projected to grow
to more than $455 billion by Fiscal Year (FY) 2000. As a result of the
tough and sometimes unpopular choices made by President Clinton, and major
deficit reduction legislation passed in 1993 and 1997, we have seen eight
consecutive years of fiscal improvement for the first time in America?s
history.
? Largest Surplus Ever: The surplus in FY 2000 is $237 billion?the third
consecutive surplus and the largest surplus ever.
? Largest Three-Year Debt Pay-Down Ever: Between 1998-2000, the publicly
held debt was reduced by $363 billion?the largest three-year pay-down in
American history. Under Presidents Reagan and Bush, the debt held by the
public quadrupled. Under the Clinton-Gore budget, we are on track to pay
off the entire publicly held debt on a net basis by 2009.
? Lower Federal Government Spending: After increasing under the previous
two administrations, federal government spending as a share of the economy
has been cut from 22.2 percent in 1992 to 18 percent in 2000?the lowest
level since 1966.
? Reduced Interest Payments on the Debt: In 1993, the net interest
payments on the debt held by the public were projected to grow to $348
billion in FY 2000. In 2000, interest payments on the debt were $125
billion lower than projected.
? Americans Benefit from Reduced Debt: Because of fiscal discipline and
deficit and debt reduction, it is estimated that a family with a home
mortgage of $100,000 might expect to save roughly $2,000 per year in
mortgage payments, like a large tax cut.
? Double Digit Growth in Private Investment in Equipment and Software:
Lower debt will help maintain strong economic growth and fuel private
investments. With government no longer draining resources out of capital
markets, private investment in equipment and software averaged 13.3 percent
annual growth since 1993, compared to 4.7 percent during 1981 to 1992.
To Establish Fiscal Discipline, President Clinton:
? Enacted the 1993 Deficit Reduction Plan without a Single Republican
Vote. Prior to 1993, the debate over fiscal policy often revolved around a
false choice between public investment and deficit reduction. The 1993
deficit reduction plan showed that deficit and debt reductions could be
accomplished in a progressive way by slashing the deficit in half and
making important investments in our future, including education, health
care, and science and technology research. The plan included more than
$500 billion in deficit reduction. It also cut taxes for 15 million of the
hardest-pressed Americans by expanding the Earned Income Tax Credit;
created the Direct Student Loan Program; created the first nine Empowerment
Zones and first 95 Enterprise Communities; and passed tax cuts for small
businesses and research and development.
? Negotiated the Balanced Budget Agreement of 1997. In his 1997 State
of the Union address, President Clinton announced his plan to balance the
budget for the first time in 27 years. Later that year, he signed the
Balanced Budget Act of 1997, a major bipartisan agreement to eliminate the
national budget deficit, create the conditions for economic growth, and
invest in the education and health of our people. It provided middle-class
tax relief with a $500 per child tax credit and the Hope Scholarship and
Lifetime Learning tax credits for college. It also created the Children?s
Health Insurance Program to serve up to 5 million children and made
landmark investments in education initiatives including educational
technology, charter schools, Head Start, and Pell Grants. Finally, it
added 20 more Empowerment Zones and 20 more rural Enterprise Communities,
included the President?s plan to revitalize the District of Columbia, and
continued welfare reform though $3 billion in new resources to move welfare
recipients to private-sector jobs.
? Dedicated the Surplus to Save Social Security and Reduce the National
Debt. In his 1998 and 1999 State of the Union addresses, President Clinton
called on the nation to save the surplus until the solvency of Social
Security is assured. He also repeatedly vetoed large Republican tax cut
bills that would have jeopardized our nation?s fiscal discipline. The
President?s actions led to a bipartisan consensus on saving the surplus and
paying down the debt.
? Extended Medicare Solvency from 1999 to 2025. When President Clinton
took office, Medicare was expected to become insolvent in 1999, then only
six years away. The 1993 deficit reduction act dedicated some of the taxes
paid by Social Security beneficiaries to the Medicare Trust Fund and
extended the life of Medicare by three years to 2002. Thanks to additional
provisions to combat waste, fraud and abuse and bipartisan cooperation in
the 1997 balanced budget agreement, Medicare is now expected to remain
solvent until 2025.
Clinton-Gore Economic Policy Has Dramatically Improved the Economy
?My colleagues and I have been very appreciative of your [President
Clinton?s] support of the Fed over the years, and your commitment to fiscal
discipline has been instrumental in achieving what in a few weeks will be
the longest economic expansion in the nation?s history.?
-- Alan Greenspan, Federal Reserve Board Chairman, January 4, 2000, with
President Clinton at Chairman Greenspan?s re-nomination announcement
?The deficit has come down, and I give the Clinton Administration and
President Clinton himself a lot of credit for that. [He] did something
about it, fast. And I think we are seeing some benefits.?
-- Paul Volcker, Federal Reserve Board Chairman (1979-1987), in Audacity,
Fall 1994
One of the reasons Goldman Sachs cites for the ?best economy ever? is that
?on the policy side, trade, fiscal, and monetary policies have been
excellent, working in ways that have facilitated growth without inflation.
The Clinton Administration has worked to liberalize trade and has used any
revenue windfalls to reduce the federal budget deficit.?
-- Goldman Sachs, March 1998
?Clinton?s 1993 budget cuts, which reduced projected red ink by more than
$400 billion over five years, sparked a major drop in interest rates that
helped boost investment in all the equipment and systems that brought forth
the New Age economy of technological innovation and rising productivity.?
-- Business Week, May 19, 1997
Opening World Markets to American Goods and Providing Leadership on
Globalization
President Clinton?s Record on Trade and Globalization: In 1992, 10 million
Americans were unemployed, new job creation was slow, and wages were
stagnant. Other nations? high trade barriers limited the ability of
American businesses and farmers to sell their goods abroad and hampered
economic recovery. Our trade policies failed to reflect our values by
failing to take into account the responsibility to protect our environment,
eliminate child labor and sweatshops, and protect the rights of workers
around the world. But today:
? 300 Trade Agreements: President Clinton has opened markets for U.S.
exports abroad and created American jobs through nearly 300 free and fair
trade agreements.
? The Most U.S. Exports Ever. Between 1992 and 2000, U.S. exports of
goods and services grew by 74 percent, or nearly $500 billion, to top $1
trillion for the first time.
? 1.4 Million More Jobs due to Exports: Jobs supported by American
exports grew by 1.4 million between 1994 and 1998, with jobs supported by
exports paying about 13 percent to 16 percent above the U.S. national
average. Jobs related to goods exports pay, on average, 13 to 16 percent
higher than other jobs.
? Lowest Inflation since the 1960s: Inflation is at the lowest rate
since the Kennedy Administration, in part because global competition has
kept prices low. It has averaged 2.5 percent under this Administration,
down from 4.6 percent during the previous administration.
To Create Trade Opportunities and Expand the Benefits of Globalization,
President Clinton:
? Won Ratification of the North America Free Trade Association (NAFTA)
in 1993, creating the world?s largest free trade zone of the U.S., Canada,
and Mexico. U.S. exports to Mexico grew 109 percent from 1993 to 1999,
while exports to the rest of the world grew by 49 percent.
? Won Approval of Permanent Normal Trade Relations with China. In 2000,
Congress ratified permanent normal trade relations with China. The
agreement will integrate China into the world economy through entry into
the World Trade Organization (WTO), open Chinese market to U.S. exports,
slash Chinese tariffs, and protect American workers and companies against
dumping.
? Successfully Completed the Uruguay Round. The 1994 Uruguay Round
transformed the world trading system, opening markets in a wide range of
industries, enabling the U.S. to enforce agreements more effectively, and
applying the rules for the first time to all WTO members (now 138 in
total).
? Fought for the First-Ever African and the Caribbean Basin Trade Bills.
The African Growth and Opportunity Act of 2000 will support increased trade
and investment between the United States and Africa, strengthen African
economies and democratic governments, and increase partnerships to counter
terrorism, crime, environmental degradation and disease. The legislation
will also create incentives for the countries of sub-Saharan Africa and the
Caribbean Basin to continue reforming their economies.
? Promoted Trade Opportunities for High Technology. The Clinton
Administration completed series of trade agreements on technology,
including the WTO?s commitment to duty-free cyberspace, keeping the
Internet free of trade barriers, in 1998; the global WTO agreements on
Financial Services and Basic Telecommunications in 1997; the global WTO
agreement on Information Technology in 1996; and a series of bilateral
agreements on intellectual property, high-tech products, services and other
sectors. These efforts are the building blocks of the New Economy.
? Secured Historic Debt Relief. In March 1999, President Clinton
presented a plan to a U.S.-Africa Summit in Washington that became the
basis for the G-7 agreement in Cologne, Germany (known as the Cologne Debt
Initiative). The plan would triple the amount of debt relief available for
poor countries, reducing their debt by about 70 percent ($90 billion), in
return for firm commitments to channel the benefits into improving the
lives of all their people. In September 1999, the President announced that
the U.S. would unilaterally exceed the terms of the G-7 initiative and
entirely cancel the $5.7 billion in U.S. government debt owed by qualifying
countries. In November 2000, President Clinton won $435 million from
Congress for U.S. participation in the Cologne Initiative.
? Dramatically Expanded U.S. Efforts to Fight Child Labor and Expand
Basic Education. In June 1999, the President traveled to the International
Labor Organization (ILO) conference in Geneva, Switzerland, to urge
adoption of an historic international convention banning the worst forms of
child labor. He won $30 million for ILO enforcement of child labor laws
and is fighting for a new initiative to promote basic education in areas of
the world where child labor is widespread. In 2000, at U.S. urging, the
G-8 countries endorsed the goal of universal basic education. President
Clinton brought other issues to the forefront of the international economic
agenda, including incorporating labor and environmental considerations in
the work of major international economic institutions, increasing U.S.
support for global efforts to fight HIV-AIDS and infectious diseases, and
closing the digital divide.
? Defused International Economic Crises. In 1995, after Congress
refused to act, President Clinton made $20 billion in emergency loans to
Mexico to stabilize the country?s financial markets. Mexico repaid the
loans in full, with interest, three years ahead of schedule. Following the
Asian and Russian financial crises in 1997 and 1998, the Clinton-Gore
Administration led a global effort to re-capitalize the International
Monetary Fund to allow it to more effectively deal with these problems.
President Clinton also insisted that the G-7 develop a set of measures to
restore confidence in the world financial system.
? Promoted U.S. Competitiveness. The Clinton-Gore Administration has
made key investments in education and training for American workers and
research and development. It has also maintained federal fiscal
discipline, helping to reduce interest rates, encourage private-sector
investment, and keep productivity high.
Rewarding Work and Empowering Communities
President Clinton?s Record on Rewarding Work: In 1992, unemployment reached
7.5 percent, the highest level in eight years. Unemployment and poverty
rates for African Americans and Hispanics were alarming: unemployment
reached 14.2 percent for African Americans and 11.8 percent for Hispanics,
and poverty rates for both groups were nearly 30 percent. But today:
? Higher Incomes at All Levels: After years of stagnant income growth
among average and lower-income families, all income brackets have
experienced double-digit income growth since 1993. The bottom 20 percent
saw the largest income growth at 16.3 percent.
? Lowest Poverty Rate in 20 Years: Since Congress passed President
Clinton?s Economic Plan in 1993, the poverty rate declined from 15.1
percent to 11.8 percent last year, the largest six-year drop in poverty in
nearly 30 years. There are now 7 million fewer people in poverty than
there were in 1993. The child poverty rate has declined more than 25
percent, the poverty rate for single mothers is the lowest ever, the
African American and elderly poverty rates dropped to their lowest level on
record, and the Hispanic poverty rate dropped to its lowest level since
1979.
? Lowest Poverty Rate for Single Mothers on Record: Under President
Clinton, the poverty rate for families with single mothers has fallen from
46.1 percent in 1993 to 35.7 percent in 1999, the lowest level on record.
Between 1980 and 1992, an additional 2.1 million households headed by
single women were pushed into poverty.
? Smallest Welfare Rolls Since 1969: Under the Clinton-Gore
Administration, the welfare rolls have dropped dramatically and are now the
lowest since 1969. Between January 1993 and September of 1999, the number
of welfare recipients dropped by 7.5 billion (a 53 percent decline) to 6.6
million. In comparison, between 1981-1992, the number of welfare
recipients increased by 2.5 million (a 22 percent increase) to 13.6 million
people.
To Help All Americans Benefit from Prosperity, President Clinton:
? Ended Welfare as We Knew It. In 1996, President Clinton signed
legislation requiring welfare recipients to work, limiting the time they
can stay on welfare, and providing child care and health care to help them
begin work. It also enacted tough new child support enforcement measures
proposed by the President. In 1997, President Clinton won the
welfare-to-work tax credit to encourage employers to hire long-term welfare
recipients and $3 billion in additional resources to help communities move
long-term welfare recipients into lasting, unsubsidized jobs.
? Rewarded Work by Expanding the Earned Income Tax Credit. In 1993,
President Clinton succeeded in winning passage of an expansion of the
Earned Income Tax Credit, giving a tax cut to 15 million of the
hardest-pressed American workers. In 1999, the EITC lifted 4.1 million
people out of poverty, nearly double the number lifted out of poverty by
the EITC in 1993.
? Created Empowerment Zones. The 1993 Clinton-Gore economic plan
created nine Empowerment Zones and 95 Enterprise Communities to spur local
community planning and economic growth in distressed communities through
tax incentives and federal investment. The President won expansions of the
program in 1994, 1997, and again in 2000. To date, the 31 Empowerment
Zones and 95 Enterprise Communities have leveraged over $10 billion in new
private sector investment, creating thousands of new jobs for local
residents.
? Created Community Development Financial Institutions. In September
1994, the President signed legislation creating the Community Development
Financial Institutions (CDFI) Fund, a Clinton campaign proposal to support
specialized financial institutions serving often-overlooked customers and
communities. The Fund has certified over 400 CDFIs. It has provided over
$427 million to match investments in CDFIs and to encourage traditional
financial institutions to increase their lending, investment and services
in under-served markets.
? Strengthened the Community Reinvestment Act. In 1995, the
Administration updated the Community Reinvestment Act regulations to focus
on banks? actual service delivery, rather than on compliance efforts. From
1993 to 1998, lenders subject to the law increased mortgage lending to low-
and moderate-income families by 80 percent?more than twice the rate they
increased mortgage lending to other income groups.
? Encouraged Investment in America?s New Markets. In 1999, the
President went on two historic ?New Markets? trips to highlight the
continuing need to bring investment to impoverished inner cities, rural
communities and Native American tribal lands. In 2000, the President and
Congress worked together to pass this bipartisan initiative to stimulate
new private capital investments in economically distressed communities and
build network of private investment institutions to funnel credit, equity
and technical assistance to businesses in America?s new markets.
? Raised the Minimum Wage. In 1996, President Clinton and Vice President
Gore fought for and won a 90-cent per hour increase in the minimum wage,
helping 10 million workers.
? Helped People with Disabilities Work. In 1999, President Clinton
insisted that Congress pass the Work Incentives Improvement Act as a
condition of the budget agreement. This bipartisan law allows people with
disabilities to maintain their Medicare or Medicaid coverage when they
work.
Modernizing for the New Economy through Technology and Consensus
Deregulation
To Capitalize on the Information Technology Revolution, President Clinton
and Vice President Gore Have:
? Modernized Financial Services Laws. In 1993, the laws that governed
America?s financial service sector were antiquated and anti-competitive.
The Clinton-Gore Administration fought to modernize those laws to increase
competition in traditional banking, insurance, and securities industries to
give consumers and small businesses more choices and lower costs. In 1994,
the Clinton-Gore Administration broke another decades-old logjam by
allowing banks to branch across state lines in the Riegle-Neal Interstate
Banking and Branching Efficiency Act of 1994. President Clinton fought for
and won financial modernization legislation, signing the Gramm-Leach-Bliley
Act in November 1999.
? Reformed Telecommunications. In 1996, President Clinton signed
legislation to open up competition between local telephone companies, long
distance providers and cable companies. The law also requires the use of
new V-chip technology to give families greater control over which
television programming comes into their homes.
? Created the E-Rate. With the leadership of Vice President Gore, the
Telecommunications Act contained the E-Rate initiative, which provides
low-cost Internet connections for schools, libraries, rural health clinics
and hospitals. More than 80 percent of America?s public schools have
benefited from the E-rate, which has helped connect 30 million children and
up to 47,000 schools and libraries to the Internet. The percentage of
public schools connected to the Internet has increased from 35 percent in
1994 to 95 percent in 1999. The percentage of classrooms connected to the
Internet has increased from 3 percent in 1994 to 63 percent in 1999.
? Increased Resources for Educational Technology by Over 3,000 Percent.
President Clinton and Vice President Gore increased our investment in
educational technology by over 3,000 percent, from $23 million in FY 1994
to $769 million in FY 2000, including training over 600,000 new teachers to
use technology effectively in the classroom.
? Paved the Way for Electronic Commerce. President Clinton fought to
eliminate legal barriers to using electronic technology to form and sign
contracts, collect and store documents, and send and receive notices and
disclosures, while ensuring that consumers on-line have the same
protections that they have in the paper world. He signed the Electronic
Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act on June 30, 2000.
? Creating Market Opportunities for Technology Firms. The Clinton-Gore
Administration adopted a market-led approach on e-commerce, making spectrum
available for digital wireless, and reforming Cold War export controls.
? Worked to Close the Digital Divide. Since 1992, the President and
Vice President have tripled funding for Community Technology Centers, which
provide access to computers and the Internet to low-income urban and rural
neighborhoods. President Clinton also challenged the private sector to
develop new business models for low-cost computers and Internet access to
make universal access at home affordable for all Americans. The Technology
Literacy Challenge Fund has provided $1 billion in federal resources to
help schools work with businesses and community organizations to put modern
computers, high-quality educational software, and affordable connections to
the Internet in every classroom. The Taxpayer Relief Act of 1997 created a
temporary tax deduction for donations of computers to elementary and
secondary schools.
? Forged Trade Agreements on High Technology. The Clinton
Administration completed series of trade agreements on technology,
including the WTO?s commitment to duty-free cyberspace, keeping the
Internet free of trade barriers, in 1998; the global WTO agreements on
Financial Services and Basic Telecommunications in 1997; the global WTO
agreement on Information Technology in 1996; and a series of bilateral
agreements on intellectual property, high-tech products, services and other
sectors; all soon to be capped by the opening of a major networked economy
initiative.
Investing in Educating and Training the American People
President Clinton?s Record on Investing in Americans:
? More Americans Are Enrolling in College: 66 percent of 1998 high
school graduates enrolled in college or trade school the next fall,
compared to 60 percent in 1990.
? More High School Students Are Preparing for College: The percentage of
high school graduates who have taken four years of English and three years
each of math, science, and social studies increased from 38 percent to 55
percent between 1990 and 1998. Research shows that high-quality academics
in high school is key to college success.
? More Americans Are Earning College Degrees: Over 32 percent of 25- to
29-year-old high school graduates had earned at least a bachelor?s degree
in 1999, up from 27 percent in 1990. In particular, white and African
American women have seen their college opportunities grow.
? Americans Are Becoming Lifelong Learners: 50 percent of adults
participated in formal learning in the year prior to a 1999 survey, up from
38 percent in 1991.
To Provide Americans with More, Higher-Quality Education and Training,
President Clinton:
? Created the College Tax Credits, the Largest Single Investment in
Higher Education since the G.I. Bill. A $1,500 tax credit for the first
two years of college, the Hope Scholarship will pay for nearly all of a
typical community college?s tuition and fees. The $1,000 Lifetime Learning
Tax Credit reimburses families for 20 percent of their tuition and fees (up
to $5,000 per family) for college, graduate study, or job training.
Starting in 2003, the credit will reimburse families for 20 percent of
their costs up to $10,000, for a maximum value of $2,000. This year, 10
million American families will save over $7 billion through the college tax
credits.
? Doubled Student Financial Aid. Students will receive over $50 billion
in federal grants, loans, and work-study aid this year, up from $25 billion
in 1993. President Clinton has consistently supported budget increases for
Pell Grants; this year, over 3.8 million needy students receive a Pell
Grant scholarship of up to $3,300, a $1,000 larger maximum grant than in
1993. The President won another increase for Pell Grants in the FY 2001
budget, bringing the maximum grant to $3,750. The President also won
increases in work-study funding to help one million students pay for
college.
? Created Direct Student Loans and Reduced Interest Rates. In the
Student Loan Reform Act of 1993, President Clinton won the Direct Student
Loan program to improve customer service and compete with guaranteed
lenders. It has saved taxpayers over $4 billion so far by eliminating
lender subsidies. President Clinton also fought to reduce interest rates
and fees in the Student Loan Reform Act of 1993 and the Higher Education
Amendments of 1998. As a result, students can expect to pay $1,300 less in
interest and fees for the average $10,000 loan than they would have in
1992. The student loan default rate is now 6.9 percent, down from 22.4
percent eight years ago.
? Created New Paths to College through GEAR UP, AmeriCorps, and TRIO.
President Clinton won the new GEAR UP initiative in the Higher Education
Amendments of 1998 which is already helping 700,000 low-income middle
school students prepare for college. Over 150,000 Americans have earned
money for college while serving their communities through President
Clinton?s AmeriCorps program, a campaign promise enacted in 1993. To help
disadvantaged youth prepare for and succeed in college, the TRIO programs
have grown by $342 million over the past eight years.
? Strengthened Elementary and Secondary Education. In 1994, President
Clinton reformed federal education initiatives in the Improving America?s
Schools Act and the Goals 2000 Act. The President?s new approach was
grounded in the principles that all of America?s students should meet high
academic standards and the federal government should make new investments
to help them meet those standards. The President has also fought to hire
100,000 teachers, promote educational technology, support charter schools,
build K-16 partnerships, and focus on early reading through America Reads.
? Passed the Workforce Investment Act of 1998. In 1992, President
Clinton and Vice President Gore proposed to streamline and bring greater
accountability to our nation's job training system. In 1998, they won
legislation to meet the needs of both America?s workers and businesses by
encouraging local control of training and employment programs; helping
customers locate assistance through one-stop centers; and empower adults to
receive the training they need.
Reducing Tax Burdens for Average and Hard-Pressed Working Families.
The Clinton Record on Reducing Taxes for Working Families:
? Lowest Federal Income Tax Burden in 35 Years: Federal income taxes as
a percentage of income for the typical American family have dropped to
their lowest level in 35 years.
? Higher Incomes even after Taxes and Inflation: Real after-tax incomes
have grown for Americans at all income levels, much faster than they did
prior to the Clinton-Gore Administration. Real after-tax incomes grew by
an average of 2.6 percent per year for the lower-income half of taxpayers
between 1993 and 1997, while growing by an average of 1.0 percent between
1981 and 1993.
To Cut Taxes for Working Americans, President Clinton:
? Expanded the Earned Income Tax Credit. In 1993, President Clinton
succeeded in expanding the Earned Income Tax Credit, giving a tax cut to 15
million of the hardest-pressed American workers. In 1999, the EITC lifted
4.1 million people out of poverty, nearly double the number lifted out of
poverty by the EITC in 1993.
? Created the $500 per Child Tax Credit. In 1997, President Clinton
secured a $500 per child tax credit for 27 million families with children
under 17, including 13 million children from families with incomes below
$30,000.
? Won the Hope Scholarship Tax Credit. President Clinton proposed tax
credits for college tuition in 1996 and signed them into law in 1997 as
part of the balanced budget agreement. The Hope Scholarship provides a tax
credit of up to $1,500 for tuition and fees for the first two years of
college, roughly equal to the cost of the average community college. It
will save American families $4.9 billion this year.
? Won the Lifetime Learning Tax Credit. Also enacted in 1997, the
Lifetime Learning tax credit provides a 20 percent tax credit on $5,000 of
tuition and fees (to be raised to $10,000 in 2003) for college and graduate
students and adults taking job training. It will reduce the cost of
college and job training for American families by $2.4 billion this year.
? Established Education IRAs. The 1997 balanced budget agreement also
created Education IRAs. For each child under age 18, families may now
deposit $500 per year into an Education IRA in the child's name. Earnings
in the Education IRA accumulate tax-free and no taxes will be due upon
withdrawal if the money is used to pay for college. The law also allowed
taxpayers to withdraw funds from a traditional IRA without penalty to pay
for higher education for themselves or their spouse, child, or even
grandchild.
? Created Empowerment Zones. President Clinton created Empowerment Zones
and Enterprise Communities in 1993 and expanded them in 1994, 1997 and
again in 2000 to spur economic growth in distressed communities through tax
incentives and federal investment. To date, the 31 Empowerment Zones and
95 Enterprise Communities have leveraged over $10 billion in new private
sector investment, creating thousands of new jobs for local residents.
? Simplified Pension Rules. In 1996, President Clinton signed the
SIMPLE (Savings Incentive Match Plan for Employees) plan into law,
simplifying and expanding retirement plan coverage for small businesses.
? Simplified Tax Laws and Protected Taxpayer Rights. President Clinton
signed the Taxpayer Relief Act of 1997 to simplify the tax laws and enhance
taxpayers? rights. The law has saved families and businesses millions of
hours be simplifying and reducing paperwork, such as allowing a tax
exclusion for income from the sale of a home.
? Closed Tax Loopholes. To ensure that all taxpayers pay their fair
share, the Clinton Administration addressed the use and proliferation of
corporate tax shelters by proposing several remedies to curb the growth of
such shelters by increasing disclosure of sheltering activities, increasing
and strengthening the substantial understatement penalty, codifying the
judicially-created economic substance doctrine, and providing consequences
to all parties involved in an abusive sheltering transaction.
PRESIDENT CLINTON?S ECONOMIC POLICIES HAVE MADE A DIFFERENCE
Trade Expands Opportunity for American Workers
?Harley-Davidson is growing rapidly, and sales to other countries is one
reason why. President Clinton?s efforts to open foreign markets have made
a difference and helped create jobs at Harley-Davidson.?
-- Bobby Ramsey began working at the Harley-Davidson York plant in 1972 and
is now responsible for inspecting all incoming motorcycle parts prior to
the assembly process. Since 1995, Mr. Ramsey has also been his union?s
Chief Shop Steward, which entails handling all second step grievances of
workers and helping represent his co-workers to management. U.S. exports
of motorcycles and parts have grown by 15 percent a year from 1987 to 1998,
reaching one-third of industry sales. Harley-Davidson will export 22
percent of the motorcycles produced in Mr. Ramsey?s plant. By 2003,
Harley-Davidson expects to double production from 1996 levels largely
because of exports, creating new jobs for American workers.
?Kodak and its employees have experienced significant gains because of
NAFTA. The NAFTA has enabled Kodak to realize considerable tariff savings
and to make production decisions based on rational economic grounds rather
than on tariff considerations. For example, the agreement has enabled
Kodak to transfer a high-cost sensitizing operation for color negative film
from Mexico to Rochester, New York. In all, NAFTA has been a win-win-win
for Kodak?s operations in Canada, Mexico and the United States.?
-- Dan Carp, President and CEO of the Eastman Kodak company, credits NAFTA
with Kodak?s rapid growth in export sales. Eastman Kodak manufactures high
technology imaging products for sale in 160 countries. Under NAFTA,
Mexican duties on film and photo paper have been reduced from 15 to 30
percent to 6 to 9 percent, and they will be eliminated by 2004. Kodak?s
exports to Mexico have more than doubled since 1993, creating greater
stability and more job opportunities for Kodak?s 54,000 employees.
Making the Dream of Homeownership a Reality
?I feel true independence in owning my own home. To those who think it?s
impossible: It is possible. Don?t let anyone talk you out of it.?
-- Lucy Vocu, a teacher and single mother. Lucy Vocu has lived on the Pine
Ridge reservation all her life. In 1985, Lucy got her GED, and in 1994,
she graduated from Oglala Lakota College with a Bachelor of Science in
Elementary Education. She currently works for the Shannon County school
system at Wolf Creek School. Her children, Grace, 15, and Jacob, 7, spend
a lot of time using their computer. Jacob recently tracked tornadoes on
the Internet. Lucy is a first-time homeowner. She moved from a
two-bedroom rental house into this new three-bedroom home, which offers
more privacy. Lucy is excited about being a new homeowner and, if her
budget allows, she hopes to add to her new home a swing set for Jacob and a
basketball net for Grace.
?The social workers at Marion House, which has received funding from HUD's
homeless grants, helped me get back on my feet. They counseled me on how
to find a job and helped me learn the skills I would need to stay employed.
Today I am newly married, and I have been working the last four years as a
secretary for a social service agency. And I am delighted to say . . . I
am a homeowner. Because of your leadership President Clinton, and because
of your commitment to providing funding for homeless programs across the
country, there will be hope and optimism in place of despair.?
-- Christa Spangler, of Baltimore, MD, December 23, 1998. Christa Spangler
was a formerly homeless woman who hit rock bottom in 1994 when she was
forced to live in her car. Previously, she had lost custody of her
children, and spent eleven years in and out of halfway houses, rehab
clinics, and hospitals. She found her way to Marion House, a Catholic
transitional housing program for homeless women and children. Christa is
now married, working as a receptionist and living in her own home. Federal
resources pay 25 percent of the Marion House budget.
Empowerment Zones Are a Potent Weapon Against Poverty
?I am living proof that the Empowerment Zone works! If it wasn?t for the
Empowerment Zone, I would have never have had the chance to buy this
building or to expand my business. We are fighting the war against poverty
throughout our neighborhoods and cities, but we have a very potent weapon ?
the Empowerment Zones. And we will use that weapon to win this war
because, after all, our future and our children?s future depends on it. We
must never give up hope.?
-- Nancy Santana, 37, is a single mother of three who lives in North
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She used resources and a loan she obtained
through her local Empowerment Zone to move from welfare to start her own
business, Nancy Santana?s Cleaning and Maintenance Services. Four years
later, her business employs over 25 people, many of whom she recruited off
of welfare.
Community Development Financial Institutions Expand Economic Opportunity
?President Clinton?s efforts have been very helpful to me. I had trouble
getting funding from other sources. The Enterprise Corporation of the
Delta has worked with me and people in my community, helping us improve our
position in life. Now, I can get into this business, where otherwise I
could not have.?
-- Ephron Lewis co-founded Lewis & Sons Rice Processing ? the only
African-American-owned rice processing company in the country ? with his
father. The construction of his plant was made possible by a loan and
technical assistance from the Enterprise Corporation of the Delta, a
community development financial institution supported by the Department of
Housing and Urban Development. He now farms roughly 3,000 acres, producing
rice, wheat and soybeans.
Encouraging the Growth of Small Businesses
?I started my small consulting and legal firm with the principle that
everyone should have a shot at the twin American dreams of owning your own
business and owning your own home. I look for the dreamers, the ones who
want to be a part of this country in the best way, but who don?t have the
tools and information they need. I hope to be an instrument of growth and
change in Brooklyn?s Latino community through increased business
opportunities. This SBA loan will allow me to set up an office outside my
home, close to where I can make the most of the services I have to offer.?
-- Enealia Nau, Small Business Owner from Brooklyn, NY. Enealia Nau is a
first-generation American who operates a small business consulting firm
from her home in Brooklyn. After putting herself through college and law
school, Ms. Nau started her consulting firm that focuses on the legal and
financial needs of the minority communities from which she draws her
clients. Ms. Nau helps families from minority communities realize the
American dream through starting their own businesses ? from beauty shops to
corner stores ? and buying their first homes. She has seen many clients
start from nothing and build prosperous lives for their families through
small businesses, including one client who started with a small "bodega"
and now owns one of the largest grocery stores in Brooklyn.
Expanding Economic Opportunity by Closing the Digital Divide
?Bridging the technology gap in Indian Country is a major challenge, and I
am grateful for the attention that the Clinton Administration has given to
this critical issue. The National Congress of American Indians is building
on the initiatives announced during the President's Digital Divide tour
stop at the Navajo Nation in April 2000 through its Tribal Leaders Digital
Divide Task Force, funded through the AOL Foundation. Through the Task
Force, we are actively working with industry, federal officials, and others
to forge a new tribal-based partnerships and policy recommendations to
close the technology gap.?
-- Susan Masten, President, National Congress of American Indians, and
Chairwoman, Yurok Tribe. Susan Masten has served as a strong advocate for
the betterment of Native communities on a local, state and national level
for 22 years.
?Community technology centers provide low-income individuals with skills
training and the ability to produce their dreams. They are also an
important entryway to the technology industry. We think of President
Clinton as our first angel investor; his Administration's work has been
fundamental to Plugged In and to the community technology center movement.?
-- Magda Escobar, Executive Director, Plugged In, East Palo Alto,
California. East Palo Alto, a low-income community, is located in Silicon
Valley, the epicenter of the technological revolution. Plugged In trains
teenagers and employs them in a web design business; provides a creative
arts and technology studio and after-school program; and provides community
members with access to computers and telecommunications equipment to
increase their employment opportunities.
The Clinton Presidency:
Strengthening American Families
In 1992, the economy was stagnant. Middle class families were working
harder for less money. Unemployment reached 7.5 percent, the highest level
in 8 years, with record layoffs doubling or tripling unemployment rates in
many communities. Family wages lost ground to inflation between 1988-92,
yet the federal government failed to move to create jobs, raise wages, and
put America back to work. New jobs were being created at the slowest rate
in decades. Because losing a job meant losing the family?s health
insurance, middle class families could lose their savings, their homes or
become trapped in a broken welfare system trying to cover health costs.
Moving Families from Welfare to Work
THEN: Families
became trapped in a broken welfare system.
In 1992 a broken welfare system made it virtually impossible to move from
welfare back to work, trapping families in a cycle of dependency.
There were 13.6 million people on welfare when President Clinton came
to office ? 5.5 percent of the population. Just seven percent of
those on welfare were working. And the federal government was doing
little to encourage parental responsibility. For example, only $8
billion in child support was collected through federal and state
efforts, and teen birth rates were increasing dramatically.
NOW: More families than ever move from welfare to work.
The landmark welfare reform signed by President Clinton in 1996 has
transformed the welfare system to one that promotes work and
responsibility, while protecting children.
3 Under the Clinton-Gore Administration, the welfare rolls have been cut
by nearly 60 percent to the lowest level since 1968, dropping to 5.8
million people or 2.1 percent of the population. Today, most recipients
are expected to work, millions of parents have left welfare for jobs, and a
record 33 percent of current welfare recipients are now working -- five
times as many as in 1992.
3 The President launched The Welfare to Work Partnership to lead the
private sector effort to hire people from the welfare rolls. Now over
20,000 businesses strong, the Partnership has helped an estimated 1.1
million welfare recipients move to employment.
3 Under Vice President Gore?s leadership, the Administration has also
done its fair share, hiring nearly 50,000 welfare recipients since March
1997 and fostering partnerships with community and faith-based
organizations that help families move from welfare to work and succeed on
the job.
3 The Administration has put in place tough child support enforcement
measures to hold absent parents accountable, while helping low income
fathers go to work and meet their responsibilities and federal and state
child support collections doubled to nearly $16 billion in 1999.
3 To help families make the transition from welfare to work and support
low-income working families, the Clinton-Gore Administration provided
nearly 200,000 new housing vouchers, helped families meet their nutritional
needs, improved transportation options through grants to communities and
made it easier for families to own a reliable car without losing food
stamps, and invested in child care.
Welfare to Work is Helping Americans Build Better Lives
?I have made a better life for my girls and myself. Just because a person
was on welfare, doesn?t mean that they can?t get out and work. They just
need a chance and because of the President?s leadership on this issue, I?m
living proof that it can be done.?
-- Rhonda Costa, Salomon Smith Barney, New York, New York. Rhonda Costa
didn?t dream much when she was on welfare. She spent her days trying to
pay her bills with a $280 a month welfare check and her nights shielding
her two daughters from stray gunfire in a one-bedroom apartment. Rhonda
decided to change her life after her oldest daughter told Rhonda to get up
and do something with her life. She enrolled with Wildcat Service
Corporation, a New York service provider that trains welfare recipients for
jobs. After a 16-week training course, Rhonda was hired by Salomon Smith
Barney, and through a promotion has been an office manager for two years
and has an assistant of her own. Through Salomon Smith Barney?s tuition
reimbursement program, Rhonda is taking a class at Borough of Manhattan
Community College for her business management degree.
The Welfare to Work Partnership is Mobilizing the Private Sector to Provide
Job Opportunities for Welfare Recipients
?As one of the founding members of the Welfare to Work Partnership, I knew
welfare reform was not going to work unless there were jobs in the private
sector open to people leaving welfare. I also knew that United needed to
set an example, so we set a goal of hiring 2,000 people from welfare by
2000. Our company has now exceeded that goal, because the President
understood how to encourage, cajole, and continually challenge the private
sector to step up to the plate and do their part. Through the Welfare to
Work Partnership, I believe the President achieved the single most
comprehensive mobilization of the private sector in peacetime ? over 20,000
companies have now hired over 1 million people who are leaving welfare and
taking the first step toward the American dream.?
? Gerald Greenwald, Chairman Emeritus, United Airlines and Chairman of the
Board, The Welfare to Work Partnership. United Airlines is one of the five
founding companies of the Welfare to Work Partnership. United has
implemented a volunteer mentoring program with current United employees
that help with workplace questions and offer encouragement. This strategy
has contributed to the company?s success in hiring welfare to work
employees, nearly doubling retention rates, and enhancing morale and
creating a better working environment for all United employees.
Promoting Responsible Fatherhood
?With the help of this [fatherhood] program I am proud to say that I am on
my way to a rewarding career in electronics technology and computer
science, and am again paying my child support regularly. I know that
Ricardo is proud of me, and I am glad that I can be a good role model for
him... I want to thank the President for supporting fathers and programs
for fathers like the one I am involved in.?
-- Carlos Rosas, St. Paul, Minnesota. Carlos Rosas enrolled in a fathers?
employment and training program operated by the Ramsey County Child Support
office in October 1996 when he was not earning enough money to keep up with
his child support obligation for his son, Ricardo. Carlos worked hard to
upgrade his skills and increase his earning power so he could meet his
child support responsibilities, save money to send Ricardo to college, and
improve his own future. In May 1999, Carlos graduated from St. Paul
Technical College and immediately landed a job as an electronics
technician. In July 2000, Carlos was hired by Check Technology Corporation
as a Systems Technician.
Helping American Workers with Transportation
?Because of my new, reliable car, I now will be able to get to and maintain
a full-time job...I know that this car will be very helpful in reaching my
goal of leaving public assistance and supporting my family on my own... I
am glad the President understands how important it is for people like me to
have reliable transportation as they are working to support their
families.?
-- Michael Alexander, of Westfield, New York. Michael is a 25-year-old
single father of two. He lives in an area with very limited public
transportation and since he did not own a car, it had been very difficult
for him to maintain steady employment. Through the help of a
federally-funded, county run program, EARNA CAR, he attended classes about
car maintenance, helped repair a donated car, worked out a manageable loan
payment with the help of a local bank, and was able to purchase a used
vehicle. Since he bought the car, Mr. Alexander has been able to secure
full-time employment and moved from welfare to work.
Helping Families Succeed on the Job And At Home
THEN: Working families forced to make choices between succeeding at
work and at home.
Working families faced special problems in attempting to succeed at home
and on the job. The Family and Medical Leave Act had been vetoed
twice, denying parents 12 weeks of leave to care for a newborn child
or sick family member. Paychecks of working families continued to
lose pace to inflation, dropping 4.3 percent in real value. Quality
child care for working families was increasingly difficult to find and
afford, and federal assistance served a small fraction of those who
needed help.
NOW: Families receive help making ends meet and caring for their families.
President Clinton has kept his promise to make it easier for families that
work hard and play by the rules to make ends meet and care for their
children.
3 President Clinton signed the Family and Medical Leave Act in 1993 ?
the first law he signed as President. Today, more than 20 million
Americans have taken unpaid leave to care for a newborn child or sick
family member.
3 To help hard-pressed working families, President Clinton passed a $500
per child tax credit, a $1 per hour increase in the minimum wage, and p
rovided tax cuts for 15 million working families by expanding the Earned
Income Tax Credit, which provides the average family receiving the EITC
with $1,000 per year.
3 The Clinton-Gore Administration has significantly expanded child care
opportunities for working families. They have more than doubled funding
for federal child care, which will provides assistance to 2.2 million
families next year. The welfare reform law signed by President Clinton
provided an additional $4 billion over six years, more than had ever been
spent before, in child care assistance to families moving from welfare to
work and other low-income families. The Administration has also provided
after-school opportunities to approximately 850,000 children so that more
parents know that their children are in safe learning environment during
the after-school hours, and this year?s budget agreement will expand
after-school programs to serve 1.3 million children. President Clinton and
Vice President Gore have nearly doubled funding for the Head Start program,
expanded the program to more than 160,000 additional children, enacted
critical quality improvements, and created the Early Start program targeted
to development of younger children. In 2001, Head Start will serve
approximately 935,000 children.
3 The President fought for and signed new legislation giving parents new
tools to protect their children from media violence by requiring the
installation of anti-violence screening chips (V-chips) in all new
televisions. The President also worked with the entertainment industry to
create a new ratings system for television programs and the computer
industry to establish ratings for video games.
3 The Clinton-Gore Administration also took on the tobacco industry by
developing the first-ever plan to protect our children from tobacco, and
calling on Congress to affirm the FDA?s authority to implement this plan.
3 President Clinton signed the Foster Care Independence Act. This law is
designed to help the 20,000 young people who leave foster care each year
when they reach age 18 without an adoptive family or other guardian. It
ensures that these young people will get the tools they need to make the
most of their lives by providing them better educational opportunities,
access to health care, training, housing assistance, counseling, and other
services.
Family And Medical Leave Act Helps Working Parents Succeed at Home
?There are no precise words to describe what the FMLA meant to our family .
. . Without this law, our family could never have made the precious
memories that we now hold so dear.?
-- Kenny Weaver, Father. In 1993, Mr. Weaver learned that a rare, incurable
cancer afflicting his 11-year-old daughter, Melissa, was worsening. At
Melissa's doctor's urging, he immediately asked his supervisors for 12
weeks of family leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act. For the next
seven weeks, Mr. Weaver and his wife spent every moment they could with
Melissa and her two younger sisters. They traveled to Chicago to see
relatives. They visited the Museum of Science and Industry. And, through
the efforts of the Make-A-Wish Foundation, they toured the White House and
met with President Clinton. Melissa died six days later, on October 2,
1993. Kenny Weaver says that without the Family and Medical Leave Act, he
would have had to choose between the emotional needs of his oldest daughter
and the economic needs of his two younger girls. But the law gave him the
job security he needed to share in the last weeks of his daughter's life.
Targeted Tax Cuts Helping Hard-Pressed Working Families
?With the Earned Income Tax Credit and the Child Tax Credit we were able to
pay off our debts, so we could afford the mortgage payments to buy a home
and we bought a used van that we fixed up. The EITC was worth a mortgage
payment for a month. That was a boost that my husband and I really
appreciated. It kind of rewarded the hard work he put in, just when we
really needed it.?
-- Jessica Cupp, Thurmont, Maryland, is a married mother of 2-year-old
triplet girls. The Cupp triplets were born 26 weeks into Jessica's
pregnancy at very low birth weights and with several medical problems.
Jessica was forced to give up her work at a childcare center in order to
care for her own three children. The Cupp family received Earned Income Tax
Credit refunds as well as child tax credits in 1998 and 1999 that they
would not have received had it not been for the 1993 EITC expansion and the
new child tax credit. This money has helped the family to pay off debt
accrued when the triplets were born, to move into a home more suited for
raising 3 children, to trade in their 2-door vehicle for a van, and has
allowed Jessica to stay home and care for their three growing daughters.
Providing Opportunities to Foster Care Children
?I have several younger foster siblings still at home? I have lots of hope
for their future ? and even more now with the passage of this bill. I have
no doubt that this action will have a positive effect on the thousands of
foster youth who leave care each year ? unable to return to their
families?I really hope that this bill will make the training and experience
that I had, possible for all youth in foster care around the United
States?[President Clinton?s] work in passing this bill has made these
things more possible. You did the right thing!?
-- Kristi Jo Frazier, Cincinnati, Ohio. Kristi Jo is a former foster child
who is studying education at Cincinnati State and Technical College. She
now lives on her own after successfully transitioning from foster care in
July 1998 into independent living.
Expanding Access to Quality Health Care
THEN: Cost and other barriers keep millions uninsured.
Millions of children could not access affordable and meaningful health
insurance, people with disabilities who wanted to work could not for
fear of losing their health insurance, and young people leaving foster
care could not retain the critical health insurance they needed to
make a healthy start as adults. Unlike many other American workers,
self-employed Americans received absolutely no tax assistance in
purchasing health care insurance. Every year, an estimated 25 million
Americans had breaks in their health care coverage because they
changed jobs, or were self employed, or had preexisting conditions
that could lead an insurance company to deny coverage.
NOW: Reform expands access for millions of Americans.
More than 2.5 million children have received health insurance as a result
of the enactment of the historic State Children?s Health Insurance
Program in 1997 ? the largest expansion of health insurance for
children since the creation of the Medicaid program. The President
has also enacted coverage expansions for people with disabilities who
wish to return to work and for the 20,000 foster care children aging
out of Medicaid eligibility every year. The President?s enactment of
the bipartisan Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act
gave Americans insurance portability protections when they switch or
lose jobs. The President has also enacted legislation that assures
that: annual and lifetime coverage limits can be no different for
mental health coverage than other benefits; new mothers can stay in
the hospital; drive-through mastectomies are eliminated; and genetic
discrimination against many Americans purchasing health insurance is
prohibited.?
More Children Have Access to Health Care
Thanks to the Children?s Health Insurance Program
?When we found the Healthy Families program, it was like a miracle. Now my
kids have a regular doctor who knows our family. I don?t have to worry
about taking them in for their school physicals or for their vaccinations.
They can run around and climb on things and jump off things and the only
thing I really need to worry about is if they get their clothes dirty.
Because of the Healthy Families program, my husband and I can make sure
that our kids grow up healthy.?
? Evelyn Alvarado, California, September 7, 1999. Before Evelyn?s
children ? Daniel (aged 13), Mary (aged 11), and Samuel (aged 8) ? enrolled
her children in California?s CHIP program (Healthy Families) in June 1999,
they were uninsured for eight years and only saw the doctor in emergencies.
Allowing Americans with Disabilities to Return to Work
Without Fear of Losing Insurance Coverage
?We have been waiting for so long to see this bill signed ? to watch as
this Administration? opens the door to employment for individuals with
disabilities all over America.?
? James Sullivan, New Hampshire, December 16, 1999. James is a C6
quadriplegic (partial use of his arms) who is in his mid thirties. Two days
before he turned 18, he broke his back diving into a wave. He is willing
to give up his SSDI check if he could go back to work and keep his personal
attendant services. If his state takes the Medicaid buy in option, the
Ticket to Work and Work Incentives Improvement Act will allow him to do
just that. He would like to get a job in the telecommunications industry
Progress for Working Families
? Expanded Earned Income Tax Credit: The EITC now lifts 4.1 million
working families out of poverty, which is nearly double the number of
people lifted out of poverty by the EITC in 1993. Among children, the EITC
reduced poverty by 17 percent in 1999 ? moving 2.3 million children out of
poverty.
? Lower Tax Rates for Middle-Income Families: The total tax burden
dropped from 24.5 percent in 1992 to 22.8 percent and is now at the lowest
rate since 1978. The total Federal tax rate for middle-income families
increased under the previous two administrations, rising from 23.7 percent
in 1980 to 24.5 percent in 1992.
? Teen Birth Rates Have Dropped To The Lowest Rate In 60 Years: The
number of births to teens declined from 60.7 per 1000 in 1992 to 49.6 in
1999 ? an 18 percent drop.
? Welfare Rolls Cut By Nearly 60 Percent: Welfare rolls have dropped by
8.3 million ? nearly 60 percent ? since 1993; from 14.1 million people in
1993 to 5.8 million today, to the lowest level since 1968. The percent of
people on welfare in 1999 who were working in 2000 increased to almost 40
percent ? nearly double the level in 1992.
? Record Child Support Enforcement Collections: Child support
collections have broken new records, doubling federal and state collections
from $8 billion in 1992 to nearly $16 billion last year.
? Lowest Child Poverty Rate Since 1979: The child poverty rate has
declined from 22.7 percent to 16.9 percent, a reduction of 25.6 percent ?
the biggest six-year drop in nearly 30 years (1964-1970). Child poverty is
now at its lowest rate since 1979.
? Increased Federal Child Care Assistance: Federal investments in child
care have doubled and will help parents provide care for 2.2 million
children in FY 2001.
? Expanded Head Start: Head Start will serve approximately 935,000
children in 2001 ? up from just over 700,000 in 1992.
? Adoptions Have Increased: In 1999 alone, 46,000 foster care children
were adopted, an increase of nearly 65 percent since 1996.
The Clinton Presidency:
Expanding Education Opportunity
President Clinton and Vice President Gore have made improving education a
cornerstone of their Administration, working to ensure that all Americans
have the educational opportunities necessary to succeed in today?s global
information economy. Through their leadership, the President and Vice
President have helped raise expectations for all students, supported states
in developing and putting in place rigorous standards and systems of
assessment and accountability, and invested in proven strategies to improve
the educational performance of all students. President Clinton and Vice
President Gore?s commitment to invest more in our schools while also
demanding more from them more has led to remarkable progress in key areas
such as implementing standards and accountability, improving student
performance, closing the achievement gap, expanding access to technology,
and making higher education more affordable.
Raising Standards and Holding Schools Accountable for Results
THEN: Falling test scores and low expectations.
In 1992, test scores were falling and only 14 states had standards in core
subjects. In 1990, only 38 percent of graduating high schools seniors
had taken a core curriculum of four years of English and three years
each of Math, Science and Social Studies. Fewer than 80 percent of
the nation?s highest-poverty schools received Title I funds, which are
intended to aid the most disadvantaged schools. And students in many
disadvantaged schools faced watered-down curricula and low
expectations instead of high standards that challenged them to
succeed.
NOW: High standards, accountability and rising test scores.
President Clinton and Vice President Gore launched an era of education
reform based on setting high standards for all schools and students
and providing the support to meet them. Higher standards have begun to
pay off for America?s students. Since 1992, reading and math scores
on the National Assessment of Educational Progress have increased for
4th, 8th, and 12th graders, including those students in the highest
poverty schools. Math SAT scores are at a 30-year high.
3 President Clinton and Vice President Gore enacted Goals 2000 which has
helped States establish standards of excellence for all children, and
implement steps to meet those standards and to raise educational
achievement. Under the Clinton-Gore Administration, 49 states have
implemented standards in core subjects and the proportion of graduating
high schools seniors completing a core curriculum has risen to 55 percent.
3 The President enacted legislation targeting Title I funds to
high-poverty schools and requiring States and school districts to turn
around low-performing schools. Today, nearly all of the nation?s
highest-poverty schools receive Title I funds. In 1999, the President
enacted a new $134 million Accountability Fund, which is helping school
districts improve low-performing schools by investing in proven reforms.
Next year?s budget increases this fund to $225 million.
3 The Clinton-Gore Administration has worked to expand public school
choice and to support the growth of public charter schools. In 1993, there
was one charter school in the nation; today, there are more than 2,000.
3 President Clinton fought for a won a new initiative to repair
America?s schools, providing $1.2 billion for urgent school renovation.
The 2001 budget also provides much-needed repair funds to Native American
schools.
Clinton-Gore Reforms Are Improving America?s Schools
?Over the last eight years, President Clinton has proven a friend to
education. Increased funding for critical investments, such as teacher
development, greater resources and reduced class sizes, are just several
contributions. Because of new investments in teacher quality, the staff at
my school received intensive professional development in reading
instruction that led to more effective teaching and improved test scores in
all subjects. Additionally, our children now have access to the Internet
in all of our classrooms, and our class sizes are decreasing from 25 to 18,
allowing teachers to spend more time on individualized instruction and
encouragement.?
-- Ruth Summerlin, Principal, Bascomb Elementary School, Woodstock,
Georgia. Ruth Summerlin was the Principal at Beaufort Elementary School in
Beaufort, South Carolina for seven years before moving to Georgia.
Beaufort Elementary serves a predominantly low-income population of 573
students in grades Pre-K through 5, and six years ago was classified as one
of the worst 200 schools in South Carolina. After implementing a five-year
school improvement plan, Beaufort Elementary has now been named a Blue
Ribbon School. Test scores for the 1998-99 academic year indicated that
their students were above the district and state averages in both reading
and math. Beaufort has both after-school and summer school programs for
remediation in both reading and math.
Administration?s Efforts Produce Dramatic Charter School Expansion
?The charter school movement is one of the Administration?s most important
legacies. Its support for charter schools as a desirable and effective
form of public school choice has helped convince millions of people, from
State legislators to civil rights legend Rosa Parks to Arizona?s teacher of
the year Karen Butterfield, that the charter movement has great value. . .
. The dramatic expansion of charter schools from one State and one school
to 36 States and 1,700 schools is a direct result of the Administration?s
vigorous efforts.?
-- Joe Nathan, Senior Fellow and Director, Center for Social Change,
Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs, University of Minnesota
Improving the Quality of Education with High Quality Teachers
THEN: High class size and low investment in teacher quality.
Throughout the 1980s and early 1990s, the federal government cut and
continuously underfunded assistance for teacher recruitment and
training, setting the stage for anemic investments in this priority
for years to come. Large class sizes made it difficult for teachers
to maintain order or give students the personal attention they need to
ensure they learn the basics. In 1992, fewer than 80 percent of
English and Math teachers had a college major or minor in their
teaching field, and only 282 teachers were certified as National Board
Teachers as recently as 1995.
NOW: Helping communities hire 100,000 quality teachers to reduce class
size.
The Clinton-Gore Administration has made the recruitment, preparation, and
training of high-quality teachers a priority, and investments in these
programs have increased more than ten-fold since the 1980s. President
Clinton and Vice President Gore proposed and enacted the Class Size
Reduction Initiative, which is helping communities hire 100,000
qualified teachers to reduce class size in the early grades. They
created Troops to Teachers in 1994 to help improve public school
education by introducing the skills and experience of military service
members into high-poverty schools. They won $567 million for teacher
quality initiatives in the FY 2001 budget, investing in teacher
development, recruitment, and retention, expanding Troops to Teachers
to other mid-career professionals; and training early childhood
educators. Thanks in part to the Clinton-Gore Administration?s
support of the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, the
number of National Board Teachers has climbed to 4,804 in 1999. And
in 1999, 86 percent of English teachers and 82 percent of Math
teachers had a major or minor in their teaching field.
Clinton-Gore Reforms Are Improving America?s Schools
?I have seen many education initiatives come and go over my 20 years of
teaching but I have only a strong opinion on one. Anyone who teaches or
mentors a child wishes they had more time to impact their life. We however
cannot alter the laws of the universe and create more hours in the day.
The simple and doable solution for making this extra time is President
Clinton's class-size reduction initiative. Because we have more teachers
teaching reading we have more time with the students each years. I have
taught grades 1-5 but because of President Clinton?s vision, I am now a
reading initiative teacher. I can now work with staff and students at a
variety of ages and ability levels to meet the goals of our reading
program. The President?s initiative has made it possible to create
classrooms of 15 students or less at our school to ensure success for every
student. My students will learn better this year because I have more time
to spend with them and I will have more time thanks to President Clinton.?
-- Robin Davis, Elementary School Teacher. Robin Davis is a reading
teacher at Brooke Grove Elementary Olney, Maryland. She was hired with
funds from the President?s class size reduction initiative.
Expanding Access to Technology in Schools
THEN: Educational technology a low priority.
A decade ago, computers were largely luxuries found only in the most
affluent school districts. In 1993, only three percent of classrooms
had computers that were connected to the Internet, and in 1994 only 35
percent of public schools had Internet access. Students had little
opportunity to learn to use computers and to explore the Internet, and
the government had not mobilized its resources to expand the use of
technology in our schools.
NOW: Historic investments in educational technology lead to 95 percent of
public schools connected to the Internet.
Understanding the critical importance of incorporating technology into the
classroom and ensuring equal opportunity for students to benefit from
technology, the Clinton-Gore Administration made increasing access to
technology in our schools a top priority. President Clinton and Vice
President Gore created the E-rate and the Technology Literacy
Challenge Fund to help connect every school to the Internet, increase
the number of multimedia computers in the classroom and provide
technology training for teachers. In addition, with the Vice
President?s leadership the E-rate has secured low-cost connections to
the Internet for libraries, rural health clinics and hospitals,
providing discounts worth over $2 billion annually. The number of
classrooms connected to the Internet increased to 65 percent in 1999,
while the number of public schools connected rose to more than 95
percent. President Clinton and Vice President Gore increased our
investment in educational technology by over 3,600 percent ? from $23
million in FY 1993 to $872 million in FY 2001.
Education Technology Connects Students to New Opportunities
?The Internet allowed my students to go to a place and learn about
something they could never have done before. The Internet erases
boundaries of age and class. Everyone can access it in an equal way. In
Paradise, this is especially important because of the limitations some of
these children face.?
-- Beth Paterson, fourth-grade teacher at Paradise Elementary, California.
Paradise Elementary is a part of the Paradise Unified School District,
which serves Paradise and Magalia, an isolated and rural community in the
foothills of California?s Sierra Nevada Mountains with a significant
low-income population. The E-Rate has allowed Paradise to build $300,000
of network infrastructure, network computers and install T-1 lines.
Keeping Young People on the Path to Success
THEN: Too few students aim high, graduate from high school and attend
college.
In 1992, achievement for low-income high school students was lower than
that of the national norm. Just 62 percent of high school graduates ?
and only 44 percent of low-income high school graduates ? went on to
college.
NOW: College preparation efforts and college-going rates increase
President Clinton and Vice President Gore have invested in our young people
to keep them in school and on the path to a successful future.
President Clinton created GEAR UP, a nationwide college preparation
and mentoring initiative, to provide early, sustained intervention and
extra financial help to disadvantaged students. Now GEAR UP is
helping 700,000 low-income middle school children finish school and
prepare for college academically and financially; with increases
included in the FY 2001 budget, the program will help 2.1 million
students. Funding for the TRIO programs to help disadvantaged youth
prepare for college has increased by $342 million. President Clinton
has also increased investments in after school programs, which have
provided enriching after school and summer school opportunities for
850,000 school-age children in rural and urban communities and will
serve 1.3 million children nationwide with increases in this year?s
budget. In addition, the $15 million Advanced Placement Incentive
initiative encourages low-income students to take AP classes and tests
by paying test fees and strengthening instruction. The AP Initiative
has already helped over 100,000 students. In 1998, the number of high
school graduates going on to college had increased to 66 percent; by
1997, the number of low-income high school graduates going to college
was up to 51 percent.
GEAR UP Helps Students Aim High
?Now I know what it takes to fulfill my dream of becoming a teacher. I
am more focused than ever and there's no stopping me now!?
-- Toya Doe, 7th grade GEAR UP student at Sulzberger Middle School in
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Through GEAR UP, Toya has focused on her
studies, learned more about college, and has been introduced to mentors
and role models who can guide her in reaching her goals.
After School Programs Provide Safe Learning Opportunities for Students
?Juvenile crime is down 70 percent in Carbon County, Utah, and we can
thank the coordinated efforts of everyone. The after-school program
plays a major part in keeping our kids off the streets and out of
trouble.?
-- Judge Scott N. Johansen, 7th District Juvenile Court, Utah. In
Price, Utah, the 21st Century Community Learning Center program is
serving 11 sites and benefiting over 1,000 students in the Carbon School
District. The program's goal, to improve academic performance through
after-school activities, is being met through a wide range of activities
including tutoring, access to computers, extended library hours,
parenting skills, nutrition and health programs, and summer and weekend
remedial catch-up programs offered in conjunction with recreation
programs.
21st Century Community Learning Centers Improve Student Achievement
?I truly believe that these extra curricular activities, made possible
through the 21st CCLC grant, result in increased student achievement,
greater self-esteem in students, and improved self-discipline. Thank you
for making these opportunities possible for our students.?
? Alyce Wallace, Moulton Elementary Extended Learning Center, Des
Moines, Iowa
Opening the Doors of Higher Education to All Americans
THEN: Costs put college out of reach for too many students
With tuition costs skyrocketing, middle class families were struggling to
put their children through college. In 1992, only 43 percent of
students benefited from federal student grants and loans, and more
than 22 percent of student loan borrowers defaulted within two years
of entering repayment. The maximum Pell Grant award was $2,300, and
its value had not kept up with inflation.
NOW: Largest expansion of college opportunity since the GI Bill
To open the doors of college to all Americans, the Clinton-Gore
Administration enacted the largest investment in higher education
since the GI Bill. President Clinton and Vice President Gore created
HOPE Scholarships and Lifetime Learning tax credits, which were
claimed in 1999 by an estimated 10 million American families
struggling to pay for college. Lower student loan interest rates and
fees have saved students over $9 billion; the average $10,000 loan
costs a student $1,300 less now than it did in 1993. The student loan
default rate has fallen for seven straight years and is now a
record-low 6.9 percent. President Clinton expanded the Work-Study
program and increased the Pell Grant maximum award to $3,750 ? the
highest amount ever. In 1999, 59 percent of students benefited from
federal student grants and loans.
HOPE Scholarships and Lifetime Learning Tax Credits
Expand Family College Opportunity
?My son is studying for a master?s degree in chemistry, my daughter is a
freshman at the University of Virginia, and I hope to return to school to
finish my college degree in art history. It?s hard to afford that much
tuition, but the Hope Scholarship has made a real difference for my family.
In combination with Virginia's public colleges and other financial aid,
it?s really a good picture.?
-- Catheryn Moore, Virginia. In 1997, Catherine was attending Northern
Virginia Community College, her son was a sophomore at the University of
Virginia, and her daughter was a sophomore in high school. The Hope
Scholarship and Lifetime Learning tax credit won by President Clinton
helped make her continuing education -- as well as the college education of
her children -- more affordable for her family.
Direct Student Loans Make College Affordable for Students
?I never regret taking out student loans. I am a teacher. I affect young
minds every single day. But the reality is that I still have almost
$40,000 in student loans. As a teacher, I don?t make a lot of money. And
I also need to help take care of my mother, who has had numerous surgeries
and will undergo another this week, and support my brother. I appreciate
the help I?ve gotten meeting my responsibility to repay loans, such as
flexible payment plans and the economic hardship forbearance for temporary
tough situations in repaying your student loans. President Clinton has
also reduced student loan interest rates and made interest payments
tax-deductible.?
-- Raquel Talley, 28-year-old substitute teacher in Prince George?s County,
Maryland credits student loans with allowing her to earn a college degree
and enter a profession she loves. To earn her B.A. and M.A. from Virginia
Commonwealth University, she borrowed a total of $45,000 in direct student
loans and still owes about $38,000. Because she helps support her mother
and 30-year-old brother (who has diabetes) on her modest teacher?s salary,
she has twice enrolled in forbearance and is now enrolled in the extended
flexible repayment plan.
?I need to graduate from college to pursue my dream of a career in
information technology. That simply wouldn?t be possible without student
loans.?
-- Heather Ely, Junior at DePaul University. Heather is majoring in
computer information systems and hopes to pursue a career in the field of
information technology. Heather is financing her college education largely
on her own through both federal and private loans and a part time job at a
local restaurant.
Improving Education for All of America?s Children
? More States Have Set High Standards: In 1992, only 14 states had
standards in core subjects; today, 49 states have them and 48 have
assessments to measure student progress.
? Reading and Math Scores Have Increased: Since 1992, reading and math
scores on the National Assessment of Educational Progress have increased
for 4th, 8th, and 12th graders, including those students in the highest
poverty schools.
? Federal Funds are Targeted to Areas of Greatest Need: The percentage
of high-poverty schools receiving Title I funds rose from 79 percent in
1994 to 96 percent in 1998.
? More Schools are Connected to the Internet: The percentage of
classrooms with Internet access increased from 3 percent in 1994 to 65
percent in 1999. In addition, 95 percent of schools are connected to the
Internet, keeping us on track to reach our goal of connecting every school
to the information superhighway.
? Math SAT Scores are at a 30-Year High: The average SAT math score has
gone from 501 in 1992 to 514 in 2000, and the average verbal score has gone
from 500 to 505 while more students from diverse backgrounds are taking the
test than ever before.
? More High School Graduates Going to College: More high school
graduates than ever are going directly to college. Especially notable are
the increases in the college-going rate for low-income high school
graduates, from 44 percent in 1992 to 51 percent in 1997, and for African
American high school graduates, from 50 percent going directly to college
in 1992 compared to 59 percent in 1997.
? Doubled Student Financial Aid: Since 1993, student aid has doubled to
nearly $60 billion, including the tuition tax credits, and more students
are benefiting from federal student grants and loans ? 43 percent in 1992
compared to 59 percent in 1999. The maximum Pell Grant has increased from
$2,300 in 1992 to $3,300 in 2000.
? Reduced Costs on Student Loans: Lower student loan interest rates and
fees have saved students over $9 billion; the average $10,000 loan costs a
student $1,300 less now than it did in 1993. New direct student loans have
saved taxpayers over $4 billion so far by eliminating lender subsidies.
The Clinton Presidency:
Lowest Crime Rates in a Generation
America?s families and communities faced serious crime problems in 1992.
More violent crimes were reported in 1992 than ever before, with nearly two
million murders, rapes, robberies and aggravated assaults occurring in the
United States. Gun crime had skyrocketed to the highest point in 20 years
with more than half a million total gun crimes reported. Parents fought a
daily battle to keep their children away from drugs and gangs, as more
young people than ever were involved in violent crimes. In 1992 alone,
more than 850,000 children were victims of violent crime, and guns killed
5,379 children ? an average of nearly fifteen every day. Communities
struggled to fight crime, but the federal response remained bogged down in
partisan differences.
President Clinton and Vice President Gore enacted policies that imposed
tougher penalties and enforcement along with smart crime prevention
measures, funded more than 100,000 new police officers on America?s
streets, provided the leadership to pass common sense gun safety
legislation including the Brady Bill and assault weapons ban, and
implemented a comprehensive anti-drug strategy.
Support for Proven Local Solutions: 100,000 Community Police Officers
THEN: Communities struggled to fight rising crime rates.
Between 1989 and 1992, violent crime rates increased by 13 percent. In
1992, there were nearly two million murders, rapes and aggravated
assaults reported. Cities including Houston, Boston and New York
brought down crime rates with community policing, but most communities
lacked the resources to hire and redeploy enough police officers to
fight and prevent crime.
NOW: 100,000 new community police funded along with record investments in
local law enforcement.
President Clinton fought for and signed a plan to help communities across
the country move to community policing by funding the hiring and
redeployment of 100,000 new police officers over five years. The
Clinton-Gore Administration?s COPS initiative, passed as part of the
1994 Crime Bill, has provided more than 11,000 law enforcement
agencies funding to hire or redeploy more than 100,000 police
officers. In 2000, President Clinton won over $1 billion to help
communities take the next step and hire up to 50,000 more police
officers by FY 2005. The federal government has also made record
investments helping local authorities fight crime ? increasing funding
for state and local law enforcement by more than 300 percent since
1993. Overall crime rates has dropped every year under President
Clinton and Vice President Gore, the longest continuous drop on record
and crime is now at a 26-year low.
Community Policing Initiative is Improving America?s Neighborhoods
?By working in the same neighborhoods day-in, day-out, we developed real
ties to the community. We took real steps to fix problems in
neighborhoods. We formed partnerships. We problem solved. We prevented
crime... COPS money makes this possible... Thank you, Mr. President, for
making it possible to fulfill my dream. Thank you for making it possible
to return our police to their communities. Thank you for being the first
president to take the police truly seriously, to listen to us, and to give
us the tools we need to keep our people safe.?
? Corporal Irma Rivera, Arlington County Police Department, Arlington,
Virginia. Corporal Rivera has been with the Arlington County Police
Department since April 1992. Due to a COPS grant, she was able to join the
Community Based/Problem-Oriented Policing Section, which worked to rid
Arlington neighborhoods of gang and drug-related crime.
Common-Sense Gun Safety Laws: the Brady Act and the Assault Weapons Ban
THEN: Gun violence reaches record levels.
Gun violence reached its highest point in 20 years; a record 565,000
Americans were victims of gun crime in 1992. Murders by juveniles
increased by 65 percent between 1987 and 1993, reaching the highest
level ever in 1993. In 1992, an average of nearly 15 children every
day were killed by firearms through violence, accidents or suicides.
NOW: Common sense gun safety laws bring down gun crime by 40 percent.
President Clinton fought the gun lobby and won common sense gun safety laws
including the Brady Bill and the Assault Weapons Ban. Under the
Clinton-Gore Administration, overall gun crime has declined 40
percent, and firearms related homicides committed by juveniles have
dropped by nearly 50 percent. There were 227,000 fewer gun crimes in
1999 than 1992, and 1,246 fewer children were killed by guns than in
1992.
3 Background checks performed under the Brady Law have prevented more
than 611,000 felons, fugitives and domestic abusers from buying a gun.
3 The Assault Weapons Ban, passed as part of the 1994 Crime Bill, banned
the manufacture, sale and importation of 19 of the deadliest assault
weapons.
3 The Clinton-Gore Administration has worked with state and local
governments to increase prosecution of gun crime. Since 1992, the number
of federal firearms cases has increased 16 percent, and as a result of this
Administration?s unprecedented partnership with states and localities,
overall gun prosecutions - federal, state, and local combined ? are up 22
percent. In addition, federal gun offenders are serving sentences that are
about two years longer than in 1992 and the number of serious gun offenders
sent to federal prison for more than five years is up more than 41 percent.
3 Clinton-Gore Administration U.S. Attorneys in Richmond (Project Exile)
and Boston (Operation Ceasefire) were instrumental in innovative efforts to
crack down on armed drug traffickers, violent criminals, gang members and
violent youth which has helped to reduce crime in these cities. The
Clinton-Gore Administration has also implemented a comprehensive crime gun
tracing initiative ? the Youth Crime Gun Interdiction Initiative ? in 38
cities to trace crime guns and identify and arrest illegal gun traffickers.
3 Finally, to combat violence in schools, the Clinton-Gore
Administration enacted the Gun Free Schools Act, which requires schools to
adopt zero-tolerance policies toward guns in schools and expel students
bringing firearms to school. Over the 1996-98 school years, nearly 10,000
students were expelled from public schools for bringing a firearm to
school.
Common-Sense Gun Safety Laws Are Making America Safer
?President Clinton, you and your administration have helped make this
country safer through your support for the Brady law and the 1994 crime
bill and your persistence in pursuing common-sense laws and strategies to
reduce gun violence.?
-- James Brady, February 11, 2000. James S. Brady was shot along with
President Reagan and two law enforcement officers in an assassination
attempt in 1981. Although seriously wounded by the gunshot wound to the
head, Mr. Brady has actively lobbied for stronger gun laws.
?If my son Scott had not been shot by a classmate with a grudge and an
assault weapon over ten years ago, I might likely be a grandmom today...
With the leadership and perseverance of President Clinton, we won the fight
to pass the Assault Weapons Ban, and have taken an important step toward
preventing countless other families from suffering the way my family has.?
-- Bryl Phillips-Taylor. Bryl Phillips-Taylor lost her son, Scott, the
summer before he was scheduled to enroll in college at Virginia Tech in
1989. Scott was killed by a fellow student who held a grudge against him
after luring him into the woods and shooting him six times with an AK-47
assault rifle that he had taken from an unlocked gun storage shed. Since
then, Bryl has worked tirelessly to promote the passage of common sense gun
laws, including the successful passage of the 1994 Assault Weapons Ban.
Strong Gun Enforcement Reduces Violent Crime
"Five short years ago, Richmond was known nationwide for our high crime and
murder rates. Today, we?ve received national attention not for the
problem, but for the solution. We?ve attacked crime from all fronts, and
one of the most successful avenues has been through strong gun enforcement.
President Clinton shares my philosophy that America needs to send a strong
message to gun criminals that breaking gun laws will not be tolerated.
That?s why we worked with the Clinton Administration to create the nation?s
first ?Project Exile? program, a partnership at the federal and local
levels that has guaranteed that anyone caught with an illegal gun serves
five years in federal prison. Project Exile is now being replicated across
America by other communities, and gun prosecutions are up. Project Exile?s
success in getting tough on gun criminals is due in no small measure to our
partnership and President Clinton?s leadership in the fight to reduce crime
and gun violence"
? Colonel Jerry Oliver, Chief of Police, Richmond, Virginia. Colonel
Oliver is nationally recognized for his success in helping to dramatically
reduce crime in Richmond through innovative new partnerships and programs,
such as ?Project Exile.? Created through a partnership with the Clinton
Administration, U.S. Attorney Helen Fahey, Colonel Oliver and community
leaders, ?Project Exile? has helped take gun criminals off of the streets
of Richmond by ensuring that felons caught illegally carrying firearms
serve a minimum five year sentence in federal prison.
Tough and Smart Crime Fighting Policies: The 1994 Crime Bill
THEN: Political division blocks progress in fighting crime
While crime increased during the 1980s and early 1990s, Washington bickered
over false choices between punishment and prevention. This political
division blocked passage of a federal crime bill for six years. When
President Clinton took office, the violent crime rate had skyrocketed
to the highest point in 20 years, juvenile violence reached record
levels, and gang and drug violence were epidemic in many communities.
NOW: Tough and smart crime-fighting policies enacted
President Clinton launched a new approach to crime fighting that emphasized
both tough anti-crime measures like increased prosecution, more
prisons and stiffer penalties, as well as smart prevention measures
including expanding community policing, common sense gun safety laws,
increased drug treatment, and after-school programs. The 1994 Crime
Bill was a historic turning point in federal anti-crime efforts,
enacting the COPS program and banning the importation of 19 of the
most dangerous assault weapons. The Crime Bill also contained:
3 Stiffer criminal penalties including a federal
?three-strikes-and-you?re out? law and expansion of the death penalty for
killing a law enforcement officers and incentives for states to adopt
truth-in-sentencing for violent offenders.
3 Drug courts to provide increased judicial supervision and drug
treatment for non-violent offenders and boot camps for first-time young
offenders.
3 Increased funding for prison construction, and anti-drug and gang
programs.
3 A new law making it illegal for juveniles to own handguns.
3 Registration of sexually violent offenders with state officials upon
release from prison.
3 The Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), which quadrupled funding for
battered women?s shelters, increased resources to prosecute domestic
violence offenders, and established a nationwide 24-hour Domestic Violence
Hotline.
Local Partnerships are Reducing Crime in Boston
?The Clinton Administration has been a key partner in all of our efforts,
whether it's been through major grants, consistent public support for our
collaborative efforts or deploying personnel from federal agencies, such as
BATF, DEA, FBI, INS and the US Attorney, to work on task forces with us.
We are very grateful for this partnership.?
? Boston Police Commissioner Paul F. Evans, November 16, 2000. In the
early 1990?s, Boston faced a surge in homicides, gang-related crime, and
youth violence. To address their crime problems, the Boston Police
Department forged working relationships with Mayor Thomas Menino; local
probation officers, parole officers and prosecutors; local, state and
federal agencies; and each of Boston's neighborhoods. As a result, Boston
has reached its lowest violent crime rate since 1971, the number of
homicides is at its lowest point since 1961 and every year since 1993, the
number of juveniles killed by guns has decreased.
Violence Against Women Act Funding Supports
Domestic Violence Shelters and Services
?VAWA money that Esperanza has received in the past has assisted our
program with victims in the court system. In fact, with VAWA funding, we
were able to hire a court advocate who helps women obtain protection
orders, helps them with security, and provides translation services. I am
proud to say that our court advocate has helped about 1,500 women to
date... President Clinton is a very strong advocate who cares and supports
women everywhere. He is a person to be there to care when caring makes the
difference between despair and hope.?
? Connie R. Trujillo, Santa Fe, New Mexico. Connie Trujillo is a domestic
violence survivor and the Executive Director of Esperanza, Shelter for
Battered Families, one of the oldest battered women?s shelters in the
country. With Violence Against Women Act funding, Esperanza has been able
to hire a court-based advocate to assist victims in obtaining orders of
protection and in safety planning, and in one year, this advocate has
assisted about 1,500 victims in court.
Successful Drug Control Strategy: Prevention, Treatment and Enforcement
THEN: Ineffective drug control strategy leaves drugs flowing and
addicts untreated
The nation suffered from an unbalanced and ineffective drug control
strategy that left more than a million addicted individuals untreated,
and failed to cut the supply of drugs to America?s communities. In
1992, there were 1,302 drug-related murders, approximately 555 tons of
cocaine flooded the streets, and 62 percent of those who needed drug
treatment went untreated.
NOW: Balanced, effective anti-drug strategy
President Clinton placed a new emphasis on a balanced anti-drug strategy.
He elevated the Drug Czar to a cabinet-level post, replaced political
appointees with professionals and appointed four-star General Barry
McCaffrey as director of the office ? the first person with a drug
interdiction background to hold the post. Funding for anti-drug
efforts has increased by more than 50 percent ? from $12.2 billion in
1993 to $18.5 billion in 2000.
3 Prevention funding has increased by one-third, including a successful
Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign, the largest targeted media effort ever to
educate youth about the dangers of drug use.
3 Treatment funding is up 33 percent, and the treatment gap has closed
by five percent. To break the cycle of drugs and crime, President Clinton
funded Drug Courts to provide treatment for non-violent offenders and
helped to expand the number of Drug Courts from a dozen in 1994 to more
than 400 in October 1999. The number of federal inmates receiving
substance abuse treatment rose from 1,135 in 1992 to 10,816 in 1999, and
the Administration has encouraged states to adopt comprehensive drug
testing and intervention for prisoners and parolees.
3 President Clinton has also stepped up interdiction and enforcement
efforts. The Administration has increased the number of FBI, DEA, and
Border Patrol Agents and is working with allies to stop international
cultivation and trafficking. Seizures of cocaine, marijuana and
methamphetamine reached record levels in 1999. Drug-related arrests and
convictions also increased, with arrests up 46 percent and federal
convictions rising by more than 20 percent.
Drug Courts Are Reducing Crime and Drug Abuse
?President Clinton's historic expansion of drug courts across our nation
has played a vital role in our success in reducing crime and drug abuse in
our communities. Drug Courts across the United States are resulting in
increased sobriety and reduced criminality among drug using offenders. By
demanding accountability, but also providing rehabilitative services to
this drug using population, Drug Courts are creating safer and healthier
communities, while reducing the numbers of offenders in custody and the
financial costs to our communities.?
? Judge Jeffrey S. Tauber, President of the National Association of Drug
Court Professionals and Director of the National Drug Court Institute.
Judge Tauber initiated and presided over the design and implementation of
the Oakland Drug Court Program, one of the first in the nation, and was
also the first chair of the California Association of Drug Court
Professionals.
Progress For America?s Families and Communities in the Fight Against Crime
3 Crime Rate Drops Every Year: The overall crime rate has dropped for 8
years in a row ? the longest continuous drop on record ? and is now at a 26
year low.
3 Violent Crime Down Every Year: The violent crime rate is at its lowest
level in over two decades and is 30 percent lower than it was in 1992. In
1999, the homicide rate dropped to its lowest point since 1966. The murder
rate has dropped more than 38 percent since 1992.
3 Gun Crime Rate Drops Dramatically: Since 1993, the gun-related crime
rate has declined by more than 40 percent. The number of juvenile gun
offenders peaked in 1993, and has dropped 57 percent since then.
3 School Crime Rate Down: The school crime rate ? the number of thefts
or violent crimes committed at schools ? has decreased from 155 per 1,000
students in 1993 to 101 per 1,000 students in 1998. That?s a drop of
nearly 35 percent.
3 Domestic Violence Declines: The number of women experiencing violence
at the hands of an intimate partner declined 21 percent from 1993 to 1998.
3 Teen Drug Use Drops: Teen drug use has turned the corner, dropping for
the third year in a row. Youth marijuana use has dropped over 25 percent.
3 Record Levels of Federal Drug Seizures: Federal drug seizures have
increased to record high levels since 1993, including the highest level of
federal cocaine seizures ever ? a 10 percent increase over 1992 levels. In
1999, federal agents seized more than three times the amount of marijuana
than was seized in 1992.
3 Cocaine Supply Decreases: Coca leaf eradication in Bolivia, Colombia
and Peru increased by more than five times between 1992 and 1998. The
amount of cocaine available for consumption in the United States has
dropped by more than 30 percent since 1992.
3 Drug-Related Murders Cut in Half: The drug related murder rate has
been cut almost in half since 1992. Drug related murders are now at their
lowest level in over a decade.
The Clinton Presidency:
Improving the Nation?s Health Care
From the first days of his Administration, President Clinton has worked to
expand access to affordable, quality health care for all Americans. The
President has strengthened the Medicare program, increased access and
improved the quality of our nation?s health care system. President
Clinton?s balanced approach to increasing access to quality health care has
paid off for America, with the number of uninsured Americans declining for
the first time in 12 years in 1999.
Strengthening and Modernizing Medicare
THEN: Medicare expected to run out of money in 1999.
Eight years ago, the Medicare Trust Fund was expected to run out of money
in 1999. Health care fraud was contributing to rising costs and a
shaky financial future for the Medicare program. The President and
Vice President succeeded in passing measures to strengthen and
modernize Medicare, crack down on fraud, and protect the benefits of
today?s beneficiaries.
NOW: Medicare trust fund extended until 2025 with more options for patient
choice and preventive care.
President Clinton and Vice President Gore enacted the most comprehensive
Medicare reforms in history. They insisted on provisions in the
Balanced Budget Act of 1997 to protect, modernize and extend the life
of the Medicare Trust Fund, while offering new options for patient
choice and preventive care. The Balanced Budget Act also provided an
array of new weapons in our fight to keep scam artists and
fly-by-night health care out of Medicare and Medicaid. President
Clinton has assigned more federal prosecutors and FBI agents to fight
health care fraud than ever before. The Clinton-Gore Administration?s
work has extended the life of the Medicare Trust Fund until 2025.
Reforming the Insurance Market
THEN: Families lose coverage because of preexisting conditions and lack
of portability
In 1992, there were no Federal protections to ensure the portability of
health benefits for workers in between jobs or to prevent
discrimination based on health status. Every year, an estimated 25
million Americans had breaks in their health care coverage because
they changed jobs, or were self employed, or had preexisting
conditions that could lead an insurance company to deny coverage. A
technological revolution presented new challenges in safeguarding the
privacy of Americans? medical records.
NOW: Insurance market reforms help working families keep their insurance
coverage
President Clinton and Vice President Gore took on these new challenges and
enacted critical reforms to the insurance market that have helped
millions of Americans keep their health insurance.
3 In 1996 President Clinton and Vice President Gore enacted the Health
Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, which helps people keep
health insurance when they change jobs, guarantees renewability of
coverage, and ensures access to health insurance for small businesses.
3 The President enacted mental health parity provisions to help
eliminate discrimination against Americans with mental illnesses, and
instituted new protections for mothers and their newborns and women
recovering from mastectomies.
3 President Clinton also issued landmark Federal regulations protecting
the privacy of electronic medical records and issued an executive
memorandum preventing genetic discrimination in Federal hiring and
promotion actions.
3 President Clinton directed the federal government to ensure that the
important new benefits and rights that health care consumers receive under
the Administration?s proposed Patients Bill of Rights are guaranteed to
federal employees, veterans, Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries, and
individuals covered by the Indian Health Service and the Military Health
System, including choice of providers and plans, access to emergency
services, participation in treatment decisions, confidentiality of health
information and a fair complaint and appeals process.
Executive Action Guarantees Medical Privacy
?The Administration has made significant headway where Congress could not
[on medical privacy] to restore public trust and confidence in our nation's
health care system.?
-- Janlori Goldman, October 29, 1999. Janlori Goldman, considered to be
one of the leading medical privacy experts nationwide, directs the Health
Privacy Project at Georgetown University's Institute for Health Care
Research and Policy. The Project is dedicated to ensuring that people's
privacy is safeguarded in the health care environment.
Improving and Expanding Health Insurance Coverage
THEN: Barriers to coverage result in uninsured children, people with
disabilities and self-employed workers.
The number of uninsured ? especially uninsured children ? was growing.
People with disabilities who wanted to work could not for fear of
losing their health insurance, and young people leaving foster care
could not retain the critical health insurance they needed to make a
healthy start as adults. Unlike many other American workers,
self-employed Americans received absolutely no tax assistance in
purchasing health care insurance.
NOW: Barriers to health coverage removed for millions of Americans.
President Clinton came into office determined to expand access to health
care for all Americans. His work has led to the first decrease in the
number of uninsured Americans in at least twelve years.
3 President Clinton and Vice President Gore enacted the largest
investment in health care for children since 1965, providing health care
for up to five million children in working families with the State
Children?s Health Insurance Program. They also led aggressive outreach
efforts to enroll eligible children.
3 President Clinton enacted landmark legislation providing new health
insurance opportunities for working people with disabilities and enacted
new legislation to help young people leaving foster care keep their health
insurance, as well as legislation to assure that self-employed Americans
receive the same tax benefits as workers who have job-based health coverage
.
3 The Clinton-Gore Administration has improved quality and access of
long term care. The Clinton Administration has made ensuring the health and
safety of nursing home residents a top priority and has issued the toughest
nursing home regulations in the history of the Medicare and Medicaid
programs, requiring states to crack down on nursing homes that repeatedly
violate health and safety requirements and changing the inspection process
to increase the focus on preventing bedsores, malnutrition and resident
abuse. They also enacted legislation simplifying state options to expand
eligibility and design community based long term care programs, allowing
seniors and people with disabilities to receive care in their homes rather
than in institutional settings. And the Administration enacted legislation
allowing the Federal government to serve as a model employer by offering
quality private long-term care insurance to Federal employees.
3 In October 2000, President Clinton enacted the Breast and Cervical
Cancer Prevention and Treatment Act, which provides new treatment options
to low-income, uninsured women with breast and cervical cancer who are
diagnosed through federally sponsored screening programs.
Children?s Health Insurance Program Provides Security for Families
?When we found the Healthy Families program, it was like a miracle. Now my
kids have a regular doctor who knows our family. I don?t have to worry
about taking them in for their school physicals or for their vaccinations.
They can run around and climb on things and jump off things and the only
thing I really need to worry about is if they get their clothes dirty.
Because of the Healthy Families program, my husband and I can make sure
that our kids grow up healthy.?
-- Evelyn Alvarado, California, September 7, 1999. Evelyn Alvarado,
enrolled her children in California?s S-CHIP program (Healthy Families) in
June 1999. Before they enrolled in Healthy Families, Evelyn?s children ?
Daniel (aged 13), Mary (aged 11), and Samuel (aged 8) ?were uninsured for
eight years and only saw the doctor in the case of emergencies.
Ensuring that All Americans Have Access to Cancer Prevention and Treatment
The National Breast Cancer Coalition applauds this Administration for its
dedication and commitment to furthering substantive breast cancer policies
that move us closer to eradicating this disease. From enhancing access to
quality clinical trials, to enacting an optional Medicaid bill that would
ensure treatment for low-income women diagnosed with breast and cervical
cancer through federal programs ? the Clinton Administration leaves a
legacy of unprecedented progress for women with breast cancer, their
families and friends.
-- Fran Visco, President, National Breast Cancer Coalition
Improving Public Health
THEN: Low child immunization rates, neglected public health and
research
In 1992, America?s public health delivery system was badly in need of
repair: half of two year olds did not receive their immunizations,
infant mortality rates were too high, and funding for biomedical
research was inadequate.
NOW: Record child immunization rates, increased research funding, improved
public health
President Clinton and Vice President Gore have improved our public health
system and made investments that have given us a healthier America.
They have increased child immunizations, implemented new food safety
protections, increased research funding and became the first
Administration to take on the tobacco industry to reduce teen smoking.
3 President Clinton and Vice President Gore raised childhood
immunization rates to record levels by investing in the Childhood
Immunization Initiative in 1993. More than 90 percent of America?s
toddlers received the most critical doses of each of the routinely
recommended vaccines in 1996, 1997, and again in 1998. The infant
mortality is at an all-time low, and has declined by 15.2 percent since
1992.
3 The Clinton-Gore Administration improved the safety of food for all
Americans by seeking substantial funding for such initiatives as a
nationwide early-warning system for foodborne illness, increased
inspections, and the expansion of food-safety research, risk assessment and
education. The Administration has also put into place improved
science-based standards for meat, poultry, and seafood products and enacted
strict new standards for pesticide residues in food, including the first
pesticide standards aimed specifically at protecting children.
3 President Clinton and Vice President Gore have nearly doubled funding
for the National Institutes of Health, increasing our investment in NIH by
$10 billion since 1993, and they have strongly supported the efforts of the
National Human Genome Research Institute to map the entire human genome,
which will revolutionize health care in the future.
3 The Clinton-Gore Administration took on the tobacco industry by
developing the first-ever plan to protect our children from tobacco, and
calling on Congress to affirm the FDA?s authority to implement this plan.
The Clinton-Gore Administration has also made our nation?s health a
priority by establishing smoke-free federal workplaces, raising the federal
tobacco tax, and by giving the American people their day in court against
the tobacco manufacturers who engaged in decades of deception about the
dangers of tobacco.
Raising Immunization Rates to an All-Time High
Ensures a Healthy Future for All Children
?President Clinton and those in his administration have made immunizations
a priority since day one. ? By launching the Children's Vaccine Initiative
seven years ago, the Clinton Administration has increased vaccination rates
to an all-time high. As a result, many infants and children will not
suffer from such preventable diseases as polio and measles.?
-- Joe M. Sanders, Jr., M.D., Executive Director, American Academy of
Pediatrics.
Improving the Nation?s Health Care
? Strengthened the Medicare Trust Fund: Medicare is in the soundest
shape since 1975, with the life of the Trust Fund extended until 2025. In
1992, Medicare was expected to run out of money in 1999.
? Number of Uninsured Declines: From 1998 to 1999, the number of
Americans with health insurance rose by 1.7 million ? two-thirds of them
children. This is the first decline in the number of uninsured in at least
12 years.
? More Children Have Health Insurance: 2.5 million additional children
have access to health care because they have enrolled in the State
Children?s Health Insurance Program.
? Immunizations at All-Time High: Childhood immunization rates are at an
all-time high with more than 90 percent of America?s toddlers receiving the
most critical doses of each of the routinely recommended vaccines in 1996,
1997, and 1998.
? Infant Mortality at All-Time Low: Infant mortality has declined by
15.2 percent since 1992.
? Cancer Deaths Have Stopped Rising: For the first time, cancer death
rates have stopped rising, despite a growing and aging population.
? New AIDS Infections Declined: For the first time in the history of the
AIDS epidemic, new AIDS infections declined, and the latest data available
indicates a decrease in HIV/AIDS mortality of 42 percent.
? Improved Food Safety: From 1997 to 1999, illness from the most common
foodborne pathogens declined by 20 percent ? which means nearly a million
fewer Americans are suffering from foodborne illnesses each year. In
addition, infections from E. coli O157:H7 are down 22 percent due to
improved sanitation in slaughter and processing plants; and infections from
Salmonella enteritidis are down 50 percent due, in part, to Administration
efforts to decrease contamination in eggs.
? Lowest Teen Birth Rate on Record: The teen birth rate is the lowest
ever recorded, falling in each year of the Clinton-Gore Administration, for
an overall decline of 18 percent from 1992 to 1999. The teen pregnancy rate
is also at a record low.
? Extended Protections to People in HMOs: Protections included in the
Patients? Bill of Rights have been extended to 85 million people covered by
Federal health plans, and Medicare and Medicaid.
? Extended Insurance Coverage of Contraceptives: Insurance coverage of
contraceptives has been extended to approximately 1.2 million women of
childbearing age covered by federal health plans.
? Record High Levels of Biomedical Research: NIH supports the highest
levels of research ever on nearly all types of disease and health
conditions, making new breakthroughs possible in vaccine development and
use, the treatment of chronic disease, and prevention and treatment of
diseases such as diabetes, osteoporosis, heart disease, cancer, and
neurological diseases like Alzheimers and Parkinsons.
The Clinton Presidency:
Protecting Our Environment and Public Health
President Clinton and Vice President Gore came into office committed to
demonstrating that a strong economy and a clean environment go
hand-in-hand. Over the past eight years, the Clinton-Gore Administration
has proven it: we now have the strongest economy and the cleanest
environment in a generation. This Administration has invested in a common
sense and cost-effective approach of new technologies, tougher enforcement
of environmental laws, strengthening public health standards, and
protecting our irreplaceable national treasures. President Clinton?s
environmental strategy has given our nation the cleanest air and water in a
generation and the strongest economy in our nation?s history ? proving that
you can both protect the environment and grow the economy.
Producing Cleaner, Healthier Communities
THEN: Communities faced toxic waste dumps, dirty air and poor water
quality
In 1992, America?s communities faced serious environmental problems.
Lethargic federal clean-up efforts left 88 percent of the worst 1,200
toxic waste sites and their communities polluted after 12 years of
federal efforts. Nearly 40,000 urban industrial sites sat abandoned
with no federal strategy to redevelop them. Sixty-two million people
lived in areas with drinking water below federal standards; nearly 157
million people ? 62 percent of the country ? breathed air that failed
to meet federal standards.
NOW: More families live in cleaner, healthier communities
President Clinton and Vice President Gore brought a renewed commitment to
protecting and preserving the environment and today, more families
live in cleaner, healthier communities.
3 They strengthened the Safe Drinking Water Act, requiring America?s
55,000 water utilities to provide regular reports to their customers on the
quality of their drinking water.
3 The Clinton-Gore Administration adopted the toughest standards ever on
soot and smog, which could prevent up to 15,000 premature deaths each year.
They have announced significant reductions in tailpipe emissions from cars,
light trucks and SUVs as well as reducing the level of sulfur in gasoline
by 90 percent. Over the coming decade, these measures will cut
smog-causing pollution from new vehicles by 77 to 95 percent, preventing
4,300 premature deaths, 260,000 asthma attacks among children, and 173,000
cases of childhood respiratory illness each year.
3 The Administration also launched a long-term effort to restore
pristine skies and unspoiled views at the Grand Canyon, Yosemite, Acadia
and the Great Smoky Mountains National Parks and other natural treasures
that draw 290 million visitors a year. And they announced a strategy to
reduce harmful emissions of smog-causing nitrogen oxides and particulate
matter from heavy-duty trucks and diesel fuels by over 90 percent,
3 The Clinton Administration accelerated the cleanup of the nation?s
worst toxic waste sites, freeing scores of communities from environmental
threats and economic blight, completing clean-up of more than three times
as many Superfund sites in the past eight years as were cleaned in the past
eight. The President also launched initiatives to accelerate the cleanup
of brownfields and remove barriers to their redevelopment.
3 The Administration also expanded Americans? Right to Know about
environmental hazards in their communities by doubling the number of
chemicals that companies must report.
Critical Leadership for Clean Air
?Cleaning up big, dirty diesel trucks is critical to meet our nation?s air
quality goals and to protect the public health... We commend EPA
Administrator Browner and President Clinton for proposing this
forward-thinking effort.?
? John M. Coruthers, Jr., President, American Lung Association on the
Administration proposal to clean up all heavy-duty trucks and buses and
dramatically reduce sulfur in diesel fuel starting in the 2007 model year.
"A lot can be done by nurses like myself to educate children and parents on
how to live with asthma. It also takes strong leadership in government to
reduce the pollution that has often been linked to asthma. [President
Clinton is] a man who has used his high office to make cleaning the air and
protecting children?s health a priority.?
? Gloria Hackman, School Nurse, Maury Elementary School, Alexandria,
Virginia, Ms. Hackman administers the Open Airways For Schools class ? a
program to teach asthmatic children how to cope with asthma ? and spoke at
an event with the President to announce the final standards of the Tier
II/Low Sulfur Gasoline Rule, which will improve air quality by reducing
pollution from vehicles by up to 95 percent by 2009.
Brownfields and Superfund Initiatives Revitalize America?s Communities
?This is what urban revitalization is all about. This very site, which used
to be the scourge of Fairfield County, is now the region?s most exciting
new entertainment venue? I?d be genuinely surprised if there?s a more
dramatic example of success with brownfields reclamation than right here at
our ball park.?
? Mickey Herbert, majority owner, the Bridgeport Bluefish Baseball team,
Bridgeport, Connecticut, on the state of the art Harbor Yard sports complex
? a former Brownfield.
?This allows us to participate in a program that is national in scope and
touches just about every state? There are going to be many, many more
fields where kids can play on that wouldn?t be there except for EPA working
with the United States Soccer Foundation.?
? Herb Giobbi, Executive Director, U.S. Soccer Foundation on the EPA/USSF
partnership to help communities build soccer fields on former Superfund
sites.
Clinton-Gore Administration Empowers Communities by Expanding the
Right-to-Know
?I have seen firsthand how important it is for communities to know what
chemicals are being dumped into the environment. I applaud the Clinton
Administration for working to make sure that all communities can know ?
after all, this affects our health, our children?s health and our future.?
? Lorraine Ross, Clean Water Community Activist, San Francisco, California.
Lorraine Ross, fearing for the health of her family, started a campaign 18
years ago that led to the discovery that toxic chemicals had leaked from
underground tanks at a local corporation into a nearby drinking-water well.
?The President has been such an extraordinary leader in fighting for the
environment and protecting public health. Before ?right to know,? people
didn?t know what chemicals were being released into the environment. Now,
times are changing, people and companies are more aware and our communities
are better for it.?
? Doris McGuigan, Environmental Activist, Baltimore, Maryland.
Preserving America?s Treasures for Future Generations
THEN: America?s natural areas at risk
In 1992, many of America?s natural treasures were at risk of development.
A massive gold mine proposed not far from Yellowstone National Park
threatened the world?s first national park with toxic runoff and other
environmental harm. Many were calling for more oil drilling in
sensitive coastal areas and in areas like the Arctic National Wildlife
Refuge. More than half of the historic wetlands in the continental
United States had been lost.
NOW: Preserved and protected millions of acres of parks, monuments and
wilderness.
President Clinton and Vice President Gore have rededicated America to
wise stewardship of our natural resources with the goal of ensuring
that our generation will leave a better land for generations to come.
3 From the Red Rock Canyons of Utah to the Florida Everglades, President
Clinton and Vice President Gore have preserved millions of acres in
national parks, national monuments and wilderness areas.
3 The Clinton-Gore Administration has also launched major reforms to
reverse the loss of precious wetlands, setting a goal of a net increase of
100,000 acres of wetlands a year by 2005.
3 The President defended Yellowstone National Park from potential toxic
runoff from a proposed gold mine near the Park?s boundary, and acquired
land near the Park to expanded critical habitat for bison.
3 The Administration has also strongly opposed efforts to drill for oil
in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, and the President vetoed
legislation that would have opened the Refuge to new exploration.
3 President Clinton worked with Congress to provide dedicated and
protected funding for conservation and preservation programs, including his
Lands Legacy initiative. The agreement will nearly double our investment
in these programs, making it the largest annual investment in protecting
our green and open spaces since President Roosevelt set our nation on the
path of conservation nearly a century ago.
3 The Administration is now working to provide long-term protection for
more than 40 million acres of roadless areas within national forests.
3 In addition, President Clinton and Vice President Gore protected
America?s oceans and coasts by extending the moratorium on new oil leasing
off most of the U.S. coast through 2012, and permanently barred new leasing
in national marine sanctuaries. The U.S. was also the first nuclear power
to advocate a global ban on ocean dumping of low-level radioactive waste.
Leadership to Preserve National Treasures for Future Generations
?If my grandfather were here today, he would be overjoyed with what the
Forest Service, the Department of Agriculture, and the President are about
to do. Perhaps the greatest challenge in conservation in our generation is
to develop the political will to set aside enough of nature to sustain the
diversity of plants and animals we ultimately depend on.?
? Peter Pinchot, Conservationist. Peter Pinchot is the grandson of Gifford
Pinchot, the first Chief of the Forest Service under President Teddy
Roosevelt and one of American history?s most constructive land conservation
leaders.
?To save these last, vast pieces of wild country from haphazard development
means that my sons? children will have room as we do, to get lost or find
their bearings, to meet in themselves some long forgotten ancestor?s
resourcefulness and grit, to take heart?Mr. President thank you for
protecting this magnificent place for our future generations.?
? Ann Walka, Conservationist, Flagstaff, Arizona, on the proclamation of
the Grand Canyon ? Parashant National Monument.
Managing and Using the Oceans Wisely
?If we are to protect, manage and use the oceans wisely, we must understand
how they work. We are pleased to see that research is an important
component of the Administration?s agenda and applaud their efforts.?
? Robert B. Gagosian, Director, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods
Hole, Massachusetts.
Protecting the Environment and Growing the Economy
THEN: Environmental opponents force choices between clean environment
and strong economy.
In 1992, special interests and polluters defeated progress by saying that
America could not protect the environment and grow the economy. The
false choice between the economy and the environment resulted in weak
standards and lax enforcement that failed to hold polluters
responsible. Meanwhile, the country had just begun to take steps to
reward conservation and tap the economic potential of environmental
technology and business. Little was being done in this country to
address climate change. Opponents were seriously challenging the
science, and businesses opposed any climate action. Many questioned
whether economies could grow and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
NOW: Strongest economy in a generation and a cleaner environment.
President Clinton and Vice President Gore were determined to prove that a
strong economy and a clean environment go hand-in-hand. They worked
to grow green businesses by encouraging and rewarding new
environmental technologies and significantly increased efforts to hold
polluters accountable. Sound, common-sense approaches to climate
change are putting the United States and other nations on the path to
a clean energy future, ensuring a healthier environment while creating
new opportunities for strong, sustainable growth. These efforts are
expanding markets for renewable technologies, reducing air pollution,
and serving as a powerful example to American businesses and consumers
who can reap substantial benefits from clean energy.
3 The Clinton Administration launched the Climate Change Technology
Initiative to spur the development of clean energy technologies to reduce
greenhouse gas emissions that lead to global warming while saving money and
creating jobs.
3 The Administration also launched the National Environmental Technology
Strategy to strengthen partnerships with the environmental business
community and expand the federal government?s role in spurring innovation
and growth in the industry. The Administration has also worked to promote
the export of U.S. technology and expertise overseas. Since 1993, exports
based on environmental technology and industry have more than doubled.
3 The Administration has secured more than $13 billion over the past
eight years for scientific research to ensure that our strategy for climate
change is founded on the best possible science.
3 The Administration has launched more than 50 major initiatives to
improve energy efficiency and develop clean, renewable energy sources --
steps that will reduce greenhouse gas emissions and other emissions while
saving money and creating jobs. Over the past three years, the President
has secured more than $3 billion ? a 50% increase in annual funding -- to
research and develop clean energy technologies.
3 The Administration has forged thousands of new partnerships with major
industries to promote voluntary, cost-effective efforts that can achieve
significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. These include the
Partnership for a New Generation of Vehicles (PNGV), the Partnership for
Advancing Technology in Housing (PATH), Energy Star, Climate Wise, and
Industries of the Future.
3 President Clinton has made the Federal government a cleaner, more
efficient energy consumer ? contributing to a 21 percent energy reduction
since 1985 and a 24 percent reduction in carbon emissions relative to 1990
levels. In 1999 alone, the Federal government reduced its annual energy
bill by $800 million. By 2010, the resulting energy savings will reduce
annual greenhouse gas emissions by an amount equal to taking 1.7 million
cars off the road - and save taxpayers over $750 million a year.
3 New energy-efficiency standards, implemented by this Administration,
for heating and cooling equipment, water heaters, lighting, refrigerators,
clothes washers and dryers, and cooking equipment will cut the average
appliance?s energy use by 30 percent. By 2010, these energy conservation
measures will have saved consumers almost $50 billion and avoided
cumulative greenhouse gas emissions of more than 225 million metric tons.
3 In 1997, with critical leadership from Vice President Gore,
representatives of more than 160 nations agreed on the basic architecture
of an international strategy to combat global warming. This historic
agreement -- the Kyoto Protocol -- sets strong, realistic targets for
reducing greenhouse gas emissions from industrialized countries,
establishes flexible, market-based mechanisms to achieve them as
cost-effectively as possible, with binding legal consequences if countries
fail to meet them. The Kyoto Protocol remains a work in progress. Through
ongoing negotiations, the Administration has worked with other nations to
turn the treaty?s broad concepts into working realities so this important
treaty can be ratified. The Administration has promoted broader engagement
in 55 developing countries in this global effort, with impressive results
in key countries such as China, India, Argentina, Bolivia and Kazakhstan.
3 President Clinton and Vice President Gore have significantly increased
enforcement of environmental laws. Last year, EPA assessed a total of
$228.3 million in civil and criminal penalties, the most ever assessed and
$87 million more than in 1992. In addition, the EPA referred 241 criminal
cases to the Justice Department, 322 defendants were charged and 2,500
total months of sentences were handed down, more than doubling enforcement
activity in each category over 1992 levels.
Climate Change Technology Task Force is Moving America Toward Reducing
Green House Gases While Growing the Economy
"The Clinton Administration deserves credit for seeing energy efficiency
for what it is - an energy source that is essential for the economic health
of our nation. The Climate Change Technology Initiative in particular is
spurring new clean energy technologies that are paying off like a gusher
for the American people. The important choices on energy and climate must
be made with a clear eye on the contribution to the environment, the
economy, national security, and international competitiveness delivered in
the past and promised for the future by energy-efficiency."
? David M. Nemtzow, President, Alliance to Save Energy
Protecting the Environment and Improving Public Health
? More Americans Have Safe Drinking Water: The number of Americans with
safe drinking water has increased by 23.2 million since 1993. In 1993, 79
percent of Americans lived in areas with tap water that meets all federal
standards. Today, more than 90 percent live in areas served by systems
that meet all federal standards.
? More Americans Breathe Clean Air: The number of Americans living in
communities meeting clean air standards has increased by 44 million since
1992. New strong standards on smog and soot could prevent up to 15,000
premature deaths a year, and improve the lives of millions of Americans who
suffer from respiratory illnesses
? More Than Three Times as Many Toxic Waste Sites Cleaned: Since 1993,
the Administration has completed more than 620 cleanups of Superfund sites
? more than three times as many as were completed in the previous 12 years.
Cleanup is completed or underway at 92 percent of all Superfund sites.
? Redeveloping Brownfields Sites: The Clinton-Gore Administration has
leveraged more than $2.3 billion in private sector investment, and
generated 6,400 jobs through the brownfields redevelopment initiative.
? Protected More Land than Any Administration in History: The
Clinton-Gore Administration has protected more land as national monuments
in the lower 48 states ? more than 4.6 million acres ? than any
Administration. President Clinton has created 11 national monuments ?
including Grand Staircase-Escalante in Utah; Grand Canyon-Parashant in
Arizona; Agua Fria in Arizona; Giant Sequoia in California; and the
California Coastal monument ? and has expanded two others.
? Doubled the Number of Chemicals Reported: President Clinton has
doubled the number of chemicals subject to reporting in the nation?s Toxic
Release Inventory. The number of facilities subject to reporting has
increased by 10 percent. Since 1992, emissions of the toxic chemicals from
manufacturers have decreased by more than 20 percent.
? New Jobs in the Environmental Industry: Since 1993, 130,000 new jobs
have been created in environmental industries such as recycling, renewable
energy, waste management and environmental clean-ups.
? More Than Doubled Exports Based on Environmental Technology: Since
1993, exports based on environmental technology and industry have more than
doubled, increasing from $9.4 million in 1993 to $20 million in 1999.
? Record Penalties for Polluters: Record civil and criminal penalties
were assessed against polluters by the EPA last year. In FY 1992, the EPA
referred 107 criminal cases to the Department of Justice, 150 defendants
were charged and a total of 1,135 months of criminal sentences were handed
down. In FY 1999, the EPA referred 241 criminal cases to the Justice
Department, 322 defendants were charged and 2,500 total months of sentences
were handed down. In addition, $228.3 million worth of civil penalties
were assessed in FY 1999, the highest amount ever. In FY 1992, combined
civil and criminal penalties totaled just $141.4 million.
The Clinton Presidency:
Unleashing the New Economy ? Expanding Access to Technology
President Clinton and Vice President Gore came into office with an agenda
to use the revolution in information technology to improve Americans?
quality of life and reinvigorate the economy. Since 1993, they have made
smart investments in science and technology that have helped build the New
Economy. The Clinton-Gore Administration?s work has created a strong
economy spurred by new technologies, increased access to computers and the
Internet to share the benefits of the new economy, and put in place a
strong research and development strategy that will continue to pay off in
the years to come.
Investing in Science, Technology and Biomedical Research
THEN: American
technological edge begins to erode.
America was on the cusp of a new Information Age. The U.S. edge in
technology was beginning to erode in some of our prominent industries,
in part due to the lack of a coherent plan on how to effectively tap
information technology?s potential. The Cold War had ended, but the
government continued to invest most of the federal research dollars
into defense, rather than into civilian research that directly
contributes to long-term economic growth, creates jobs, improves
education and protects the environment. In 1993, only 42 percent of
the federal government?s research and development investments went to
civilian research.
NOW: Technology powering strong economic strength.
President Clinton and Vice President Gore wanted to use information
technology to improve Americans? quality of life and reinvigorate the
economy. They increased funding in civilian research and development
by 43 percent, without significantly reducing the investment in
defense research, and increased R&D support to universities by 53
percent. President Clinton also made investments to spur private
sector innovation, help improve our environment, and improve the
nation?s health.
3 Between 1993 and 2000, President Clinton invested an additional $10
billion in a range of science and technology programs included in the 21st
Century Research Fund. This includes the largest increase ever for the
National Science Foundation, which supports much of the research that
trains the next generation of America?s scientists and engineers. President
Clinton also fought for the Next Generation Internet, which is connecting
universities and national labs at speeds that are 1,000 times faster than
today?s Internet, and major increases in long-term information technology
research. In 2001, investments in the 21st Century Research Fund will
total $44.9 billion.
3 The President worked with Congress to extend the Research and
Experimentation tax credit for another five years, through 2004, the
longest expansion of this policy ever. Extending the tax credit will
encourage companies to undertake new multi-year research activities, secure
in the knowledge that the 20 percent tax credit will continue to be
available.
3 The Clinton Administration has invested in programs such as the
Climate Change Technology Initiative to develop clean energy to reduce the
pollution that can lead to global warming. This Initiative is a
comprehensive program of research investments and targeted tax incentives
to spur the development of clean energy technologies. The President has
also increased the investment in nanotechnology research, which is the
manipulation of matter at the atomic and molecular level. Nanotechnology
research could lead to breakthroughs such as the ability to store the
equivalent of the Library of Congress in a device the size of a sugar cube,
materials nearly 10 times stronger than steel and a fraction of the weight,
and the ability to detect tumors when they are only a few cells in size.
3 President Clinton and Vice President Gore have made unprecedented
investments in biomedical research, nearly doubling funding for the
National Institutes of Health since 1993 ? a $10 billion increase. As a
result, NIH supports the highest levels of research ever on nearly all
types of disease and health conditions, making new breakthroughs possible
in vaccine development and use, the treatment of chronic disease, and
prevention and treatment of disease. The President?s National Bioethics
Advisory Commission issued recommendations on ethical standards for the
conduct of stem cell research. Stem cells may one day be used to replace
cardiac muscle cells for people with heart disease, nerve cells for
hundreds of thousands of Parkinson?s patients, or insulin-producing cells
for children who suffer from diabetes.
3 As a part of overall NIH funding, President Clinton and Vice President
Gore have strongly supported the efforts of the National Human Genome
Research Institute to map the entire human genome. The completed map will
dramatically change medical care, opening new doors in the effort to learn
more about detection, treatment, and prevention of serious diseases. On
March 14, 2000, President Clinton announced that he and British Prime
Minister Tony Blair agreed on a statement of principle to ensure that
discoveries from the human genome are used to advance human health. Their
joint statement applauds researchers who have made their raw human genome
sequence data freely available to the global scientific community and calls
upon others to follow their lead.
Building the New Economy
THEN: Economic promise of technology.
In 1992, the technology revolution was just about to hit. Only 10 million
people worldwide were connected to the Internet, and as recently as
1994, just 24 percent of American households had a computer. The
United States exported $24.9 billion in computer equipment in 1992,
and the nation had not yet experienced the benefits of the coming
technology revolution.
NOW: Leadership has helped foster technology and fueled the economy.
President Clinton and Vice President Gore have fostered the tremendous
growth in technology in the past eight years and helped to ensure that
the New Economy has flourished, turning around the stagnant economic
growth of the 1980s. By August 2000, the number of American
households with a computers had grown to 51 percent, and over 200
million people worldwide are connected to the Internet ? opening a
world of possibilities to Americans. Exports of computer equipment
had grown to $41.4 billion in 1997, and the number of patent
applications increased by 40 percent since 1992. The increasing
prevalence of the Internet led to a growth in electronic commerce,
which has expanded the reach of small businesses by allowing them to
reach hundreds of millions of customers around the world.
3 President Clinton signed the Internet Tax Freedom Act, a 3-year
moratorium on Internet access taxes and taxes that discriminate against
e-commerce.
3 The Clinton Administration won an agreement in the World Trade
Organization to place a temporary moratorium on duties on electronic
transmissions, making cyberspace a ?duty-free zone.?
3 In October 1998, the President signed the Digital Millennium Copyright
Act, helping to protect America's intellectual property in cyberspace.
3 On June 30, 2000, the President signed the Electronic Signatures in
Global and National Commerce Act, which gives online contracts the same
force of law as paper contracts. Customers can finalize mortgages, sign
insurance contracts, or open brokerage accounts online.
3 The President and Vice President have encouraged the private sector to
protect individual privacy through self-regulation, third-party audits and
enforcement mechanisms. In just over a year, the number of commercial
Internet sites with privacy policies has increased from 15 percent to 66
percent.
3 President Clinton signed the Children?s Online Privacy Protection Act,
which requires commercial Web sites to get a parent?s permission before
collecting personal information from minors. In May 1999, Vice President
Gore announced the Parents? Protection Page, an important new commitment by
Internet companies to give parents the resources to protect their children
from inappropriate material on the Internet and the knowledge to supervise
and guide their children?s online activities.
3 President Clinton signed the first comprehensive telecommunications
reform legislation in over sixty years, which lowered prices, increased
customer choice, and sped the deployment of new technology.
Encouraging the Growth of the Internet and Electronic Commerce
?I want to acknowledge the contributions of President Clinton and Vice
President Gore in shaping the administration policy, and in legislation
supporting research and development that?s needed to make Internet a global
reality, and to continue its astonishing evolution.?
-- Dr. Vint Cerf,
Bridging the Digital Divide
THEN: Limited access to technology for most Americans.
In 1992, home computers were rare, and as recently as 1994 only three
percent of classrooms were connected to the Internet. Today, more
homes and schools are connected but a divide still exists ? 77.7
percent of households earning $75,000 or more have Internet access,
compared to 12.7 percent earning $15,000 or less.
NOW: Expanding opportunity created by technology.
As the first Administration of the Internet Age, President Clinton and Vice
President Gore have worked to make technology available for all
Americans. Since 1992, the President and Vice President have tripled
funding for Community Technology Centers, which provide computer and
Internet access in low-income urban and rural neighborhoods. The
President and Vice President are supporting innovative applications of
information technology for low-income families through the Department
of Commerce, such as telemedicine for prenatal care and distance
learning for people who have lost their jobs. The Administration has
challenged the private sector to develop new business models for
low-cost computers and Internet access -- to make universal access at
home affordable for all Americans. President Clinton mobilized major
public and private efforts to bridge the digital divide during his
third New Markets Tour, when over 400 companies and non-profit
organizations signed a ?National Call to Action? to bring digital
opportunity to youth, families, and opportunities. The Call to Action
sets goals such as ensuring that every child is technologically
literate, and making home access to the Internet as common as the
telephone.
Expanding Access to Computers and Technology Training
?Community technology centers provide low-income individuals with skills
training and the ability to produce their dreams. They are also an
important entryway to the technology industry. We think of President
Clinton as our first angel investor: his Administration?s work has been
fundamental to Plugged In and to the community technology center movement.?
-- Magda Escobar, Executive Director, Plugged In, East Palo Alto,
California. Magda Escobar?s community technology center shares the
opportunities created by the information revolution with residents of East
Palo Alto, a low-income community located in Silicon Valley, the epicenter
of the technological revolution. Plugged In trains teenagers in web
development to ensure that the opportunities of the technology revolution
are shared with the entire community.
?As we enter the Internet Century, nothing is more important than providing
our young people - all our young people - with the skills and resources to
thrive in this new age. We?re grateful for the support that we?ve received
from across the industry, the non-profit world and government. Something
exciting is happening here and the momentum is just beginning,?
-- Steve Case, Chairman of PowerUP and Chairman of AOL Time Warner.
PowerUP is a national initiative to provide underserved youth access to
technology and guidance on how to use it. In conjunction with President
Clinton's ?digital divide? trip in April 2000, PowerUP committed to
establishing 250 sites in 43 states at after-school locations such as Boys
and Girls Clubs, YMCAs, and K-12 schools.
Increasing Technology Access in Schools
THEN: Educational technology a low priority.
A decade ago, computers were largely luxuries in the most affluent school
districts. In 1994, only three percent of classrooms had computers
that were connected to the Internet, and in 1994 only 35 percent of
public schools had any Internet access at all. Students had little
opportunity to learn to use computers and to explore the Internet, and
the government had not mobilized its resources to expand the use of
technology in our schools.
NOW: Historic investments in educational technology lead to 95 percent of
public schools connected to the Internet.
Understanding the critical importance of incorporating technology into the
classroom, the Clinton-Gore Administration made increasing access to
technology in our schools a top priority. President Clinton and Vice
President Gore created the E-rate and the Technology Literacy
Challenge Fund to help connect every school to the Internet, increase
the number of multimedia computers in the classroom and provide
technology training for teachers. President Clinton increased
investments in educational technology and training from $23 million in
1993 to $769 million in FY 2000. In addition, with the Vice
President?s leadership the E-rate has secured low-cost connections to
the Internet for schools, libraries, rural health clinics and
hospitals, providing discounts worth over $2 billion annually. The
number of classrooms connected to the Internet has increased to 65
percent in 1999, and the number of public schools connected rose to
more than 95 percent.
The E-Rate is Opening New Doors for American Students
Victor Shen, Whittier, Alaska. Victor Shen, a 16-year-old high school
junior, is one of more than 30 million American children who are online
because of the Clinton-Gore Administration?s E-rate. Victor lives in
Whittier Alaska, which is isolated from the rest of the world for six
months out of the year because of its remote location and severe weather.
Victor was cut off from commerce, cut off from transportation, cut off from
society, and cut off from pursuing his dream for the future. Victor wanted
to grow up to be a mathematician, but his teachers didn?t have the best
resources to teach him; nor could they afford an Internet connection to
connect Victor to his dream. Thanks to Vice President Gore?s leadership in
securing the E-rate, Victor?s school is now connected to the Internet and
Victor is now connected to learning and connected to his dream. The
Whittier Community School is online because of the 90 percent discount they
received from the E-rate.
?The Internet allowed my students to go to a place and learn about
something they could never have done before. The Internet erases
boundaries of age and class. Everyone can access it in an equal way. In
Paradise, this is especially important because of the limitations some of
these children face.?
-- Beth Paterson, fourth-grade teacher at Paradise Elementary, California.
Paradise Elementary is a part of the Paradise Unified School District,
which serves Paradise and Magalia, an isolated and rural community in the
foothills of California?s Sierra Nevada Mountains with a significant
low-income population. The E-Rate has allowed Paradise to build $300,000
of network infrastructure, network computers and install T-1 lines.
Expanding Electronic Government
THEN: Limited electronic access to government.
In the early 1990s, the Internet was not widely available, but by the end
of the decade millions of Americans were online. In 1992, neither the
White House nor any Cabinet agency had a web page, and citizens were
unable to access government information online. President Clinton and
Vice President Gore have worked to ensure that the U.S. government
used information technology to bring government closer to the American
people.
NOW: Internet expands citizen access to government.
President Clinton and Vice President Gore have used the power of the
Internet to make government work better for people. They moved the
government online, and in October 1994 they unveiled the first White
House Internet page, which provides a road map to the federal
government. Today, every Cabinet department has a web site to make
information and services available to the American people at the touch
of a button. In September 2000, the Clinton Administration launched
FirstGov.gov, making all of the government's online resources
available and searchable at a single web site.
Expanding Access to Technology
? Increased Education Technology Funding: President Clinton and Vice
President Gore increased our investment in educational technology by over
3,600 percent -- from $23 million in FY 1993 to $872 million in FY 2001.
? Training Teachers to Use Technology: Grants supported by the
Department of Education are training over 600,000 new teachers to use
technology effectively in their classrooms.
? Connecting Schools to the Internet: The number of public schools
connected to the Internet has increased from 35 percent in 1994 to 95
percent in 1999. In addition, 63 percent of all public school classrooms
were connected to the Internet in 1999, up from 3 percent in 1994.
? Created the E-Rate: More than 80 percent of America?s public schools
have benefited from the E-rate, which has helped connect 30 million
children and up to 47,000 schools and libraries to the Internet.
? Tripled Funding for Community Technology Centers: President Clinton
and Vice President Gore tripled funding for Community Technology Centers to
reach at least 120 low-income communities, helping to close the digital
divide by providing computers and Information Age tools to children and
adults unable to afford them at home.
? Presidential Online Firsts: On June 30, 2000, President Clinton signed
the Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act with a ?smart
card,? marking the first electronic bill signing in history. He also moved
the tradition of the Saturday Presidential Radio Address online when he
held the first Saturday Web Address on June 24, 2000. President Clinton
was the first president to participate in an online chat, which was
moderated by the Democratic Leadership Council and held November 9, 1999.
On February 14, 2000, President Clinton participated in the first online
chat with a news organization in history, hosted by CNN.com. President
Clinton also became the first president to shop online in December 1999,
when he went Christmas shopping from his desk in the Oval Office.
The Clinton Presidency:
A Foreign Policy for the Global Age
President Clinton understood from the beginning of his presidency that the
most pervasive force in our world is globalization. He also understood
that while globalization is inexorable, its benefits must be harnessed to
advance our objectives of democracy, shared prosperity and peace. The way
for America to exercise its influence today is to build with our democratic
partners an international system of strong alliances and institutions
attuned to the challenges of a globalized world, to ensure this system is
genuinely open to all who adhere to clearly defined standards, and to be
ready to stand up for those standards when they are threatened. The broad
outlines of a foreign policy for the global age can?t be summed up on a
bumper sticker, but they are reflected in the principles that have guided
the Clinton foreign policy over the past eight years.
Our Alliances with Europe and Asia are the Cornerstone of Our National
Security, but They Must be Constantly Adapted to Meet Emerging Challenges.
These core alliances are today stronger and arguably more durable because
they are organized to advance an enduring set of shared interests, rather
than to defeat a single threat. President Clinton broke new ground in 1993
by welcoming our European and Asian allies? desire to play a more
responsible role while maintaining our troops and adapting our alliances in
both regions.
Working for a Peaceful, Democratic, Undivided Europe
? Revitalized, adapted and expanded NATO from a static Cold War alliance
to a magnet for new democracies, with new partners, members and missions;
adapted its command structure; admitted Hungary, Poland and the Czech
Republic; created Partnership for Peace.
? Led NATO in its first military engagement and stopped the killing in
Bosnia. The peace we brokered in Dayton has been sustained, a civil
society complete with active opposition parties and non-governmental
organizations is taking root, and national and local elections have taken
place throughout the country.
? Took military action in Kosovo to stop ethnic cleansing and regional
instability. Forced withdrawal of Serb forces and deployed an
international presence in Kosovo ? with a 47,000 strong NATO-led force
providing security for the province. Achieved the safe and unconditional
return of over 900,000 refugees, disbanded the Kosovo Liberation Army.
Adapting and Upholding our Alliance with Asia
? Updated our strategic alliance with Japan through adoption of the
Defense Guidelines and Joint Security Declaration to define how to respond
together to post-Cold War threats.
? Reduced the North Korean threat through deterrence, diplomacy.
Negotiated the October 1994 Framework Agreement to freeze and dismantle
North Korea?s dangerous nuclear weapons fuel production and a moratorium on
long-range missile testing in 1999.
? Strengthened cooperation with South Korea to move forward to engage
North Korea. Jointly engaged in Four Party Talks and established
Trilateral Group (the United States, Japan and South Korea) to coordinate
North Korea policy which helped create the conditions for an eventual
North-South dialogue.
Peace and Security for the United States Depends on Building Principled,
Constructive, Clear-Eyed Relations with Our Former Adversaries.
We must continue to be mindful of threats to the peace ? whether it is a
Russian move against Georgia or a Chinese move against Taiwan ? while
maximizing the chances that both nations evolve internally toward greater
democracy, stability and prosperity. To achieve both goals, we must
continue to seize on the desire of both Russia and China to participate in
the global economy and global institutions, insisting they accept the
obligations as well as the benefits of integration.
Building on Our Relationship with Russia
? Negotiated the exit of Russian troops from the Baltics, brought
Russian troops into NATO missions in the Balkans and won Russia?s active
support for a just end to the Kosovo war.
? Brought Russia into the G-8, APEC, and into relationships with NATO
and international financial institutions.
? Reduced the nuclear danger. Deactivated/dismantled over 1,700 nuclear
warheads, 300 missile launchers, 425 ICBM and SLBMs; strengthened security
and accounting of nuclear materials; purchased 500 metric tons of
weapons-grade uranium; reached agreement for the safe, transparent and
irreversible destruction of 68 metric tons of weapons-grade plutonium.
? Supported economic reform and the creation of a market economy. More
than 250,000 Russian entrepreneurs have received U.S. training, consulting
services or loans. Today 70 percent of the Russian economy is in private
hands.
Building on Our Relationship with China
? Helped maintain peace in the Taiwan Straits and worked with China to
maintain stability on Korean Peninsula.
? Brought China into global non-proliferation regimes ? Chemical Weapons
Convention, CTBT and Biological Weapons Convention.
? Negotiated terms for China?s entry into the World Trade Organization,
with Permanent Normal Trade Relations. Most constructive breakthrough in
U.S.-China relations since normalization in 1979 ? will entangle China more
deeply in a rules-based international system and change China internally.
Local Conflicts can have Global Consequences. The Purpose of Peacemaking,
Whether by Diplomacy or Force, Must be to Resolve Conflicts Before They
Escalate and Harm Our Vital Interests.
In a global age, arguments for peacemaking are even stronger: to defuse
conflicts before they escalate and harm our interests. America?s dominant
power is more likely to be accepted if it is harnessed to the cause of
peace.
? Middle East: Brought parties together at Camp David for first high
level discussions of all permanent status issues. Helped forge agreements
that led to the Declaration of Principles in September 1993 and the Interim
Agreement on Palestinian self-rule in September 1995. Brokered the Wye
agreement in October 1998, revitalizing the peace process after years of
stagnation. Helped broker the Sharm el-Sheikh Memorandum against terrorism
in September 1999, and the peace treaty between Jordan and Israel in
October 1994.
? Balkans: Stabilizing Southeast Europe by ending a decade of repression
and ethnic cleansing in Kosovo. Led NATO alliance to victory in air
campaign and ushering in international peacekeepers. Launched the
Stability Pact to strengthen democracy, economic development and security
throughout the region, and accelerating its integration with the rest of
Europe and freeing Europe from a permanent refugee crisis and source of
conflict.
? Greece and Turkey: Encouraged Greek-Turkish rapprochement. Strongly
supported Turkey?s European Union candidacy. Restarted talks toward a
comprehensive settlement on Cyprus.
? India and Pakistan: Helped them move from the brink of what might have
been a catastrophic war in July 1999.
? Northern Ireland: Helped broker the Good Friday Peace Accord, ending
decades of bloodshed and empowering the people of Northern Ireland to
determine their future.
? Peru and Ecuador: Worked with other regional governments to halt the
1995 border war between Peru and Ecuador.
? Eritrea and Ethiopia: Negotiated a final, comprehensive peace
agreement between Eritrea and Ethiopia, signed on December 12, 2000. The
agreement built upon the Cessation of Hostilities Agreement brokered by the
U.S. and the Organization of African Unity in June 2000, and brought to an
end what was at that time the largest conventional war on earth.
Not All Old Threats have Disappeared, but New Dangers, Accentuated by
Technological Advances and the Permeability of Borders, Require New
National Security Priorities.
One of the biggest changes we have brought about in the way America relates
to the world has been the change in what we consider important. The
Clinton Administration has defined a new security agenda that addresses
contemporary threats ? nonproliferation, terrorism, international crime,
infectious disease, environmental damage.
? Nonproliferation: Permanently eliminated nuclear weapons and their
delivery vehicles from Ukraine, Belarus and Kazakhstan. Signed the
Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty and achieved the indefinite extension
of the Non-Proliferation Treaty and ratification of the Chemical Weapons
Convention.
? Terrorism: Developed a national counter-terrorism strategy, led by a
national coordinator. Brought perpetrators of World Trade Center bombing
and CIA killings to justice. Prevented planned attacks against Millennium
celebrations.
? Cyber Security: Developed first national strategy to protect critical
infrastructure, bringing together private sector and government. Increased
funding on critical infrastructure protection by over 40 percent since
1998.
? Chemical and Biological Weapons: Strengthened international support
for and adherence to CWC/BWC. Equipped and trained first responders in 120
largest metro areas.
? Environment: Brought climate change issues into the mainstream of our
foreign policy. Negotiated Kyoto protocol in 1997 to establish a strong,
realistic framework to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in environmentally
strong and economically sound way.
? Infectious Disease: Made the international fight against deadly
infectious diseases a national security priority. Introduced the issue to
the U.S.-EU Summit, the United Nations Millennium Assembly, and the G-8
Summit in Okinawa and mobilized billions from our international partners.
More than doubled foreign assistance for HIV/AIDS. Working to accelerate
the development of vaccines for AIDS, malaria, tuberculosis, and other
major disease threats through the President?s Millennium Vaccine
Initiative.
? International Crime: Intensified interdiction efforts, cracking down
on drug lords and providing $1.6 billion in assistance for Colombia.
Combating trafficking in persons, especially women and children, with an
integrated strategy that focuses on prevention, prosecution of traffickers
and protection of and assistance to victims.
Economic Integration Advances Both Our Interests and Our Values, but Also
Accentuates the Need to Alleviate Economic Disparity.
As the first president who has understood the connections of the global
economy and its connection to our prosperity, President Clinton has led the
United States toward its greatest expansion in world trade in history ?
from $4 to $6.6 trillion a year. President Clinton has opened markets for
U.S. exports abroad and created American jobs through nearly 300 other free
and fair trade agreements, contributing to the longest economic expansion
in our history.
? Completed the Uruguay Round of the GATT negotiations and created the
WTO to reduce tariffs, settle trade disputes and enforce rules.
? Ratified the North America Free Trade Agreement, cementing strategic
trade relationships with our immediate neighbors. U.S. exports to Mexico
grew 109 percent from 1993 to 1999, compared with growth to the rest of the
world of 49 percent.
? Strong U.S. growth and maintenance of open markets was in no small
measure responsible for the recovery of the Asian economy which again is
fueling global growth.
? Helped rescue Mexico?s economy with $20 billion in emergency support
loans that were repaid in full with interest.
? Supported the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries Initiative at the G-7
Summit in Cologne in June 1999, to provide deeper multilateral debt
reduction for poor countries with unsustainable debt burdens.
? Won approval of Permanent Normal Trade Relations with China that will
integrate it into the world economy through entry into the WTO, open
Chinese market to U.S. exports, slash Chinese tariffs and protect American
workers and companies against dumping.
? Won approval of the Caribbean Basin Initiative enhancement legislation
to promote economic prosperity in Central America and the Caribbean.
? Launched and won approval for African Growth and Opportunity Act to
support increased trade and investment between the United States and
Africa, strengthen African economies and democratic governments, increase
partnerships to counter terrorism, crime, environmental degradation and
disease.
? Opened trade in information technology, telecommunications and
financial services through path-breaking WTO agreements that foster the
global diffusion of the New Economy.
? Normalized our relationship with Vietnam, culminating in the
completion of a Bilateral Trade Agreement that will serve as a roadmap for
economic restructuring in this country of 80 million people. This builds
upon our longstanding cooperation for a full accounting of all U.S. missing
in action.
The Clinton Presidency
Building One America
In 1992, Americans were struggling to maintain the sense of community and
respect for diversity that makes our nation strong. The economic gap
between haves and have-nots was increasing. Between 1980 through 1992, the
bottom 60 percent of Americans saw little if any increase in income,
unemployment for African Americans and Hispanics reached record highs, and
the poverty rate for African Americans remained at or above 30 percent.
Over the last eight years, President Clinton and Vice President Gore have
worked to bridge racial divisions and economic disparities.. They have
appointed the most diverse and inclusive administration in history,
launched initiatives to close economic and social gaps, and established the
One America office in the White House to build a strategy of closing
opportunity gaps and to promote understanding and reconciliation.
Appointed the Most Diverse Administration in History
THEN: Few
women and minorities in the top levels of government.
The impressive strides made by women and minorities had not been fully
reflected in the top levels of government. When President Clinton
came to office, there were just two women and two minorities in the
cabinet. Between 1976 and 1992, there were just 57 African Americans
appointed to federal judgeships, and in 1992, just 10 percent of the
federal bench were minorities and only 11 percent were women.
Comparatively, in 1990, women made up 51.3 percent of the population
while minorities made up 25.1 percent of the U.S. population.
NOW: Appointed the most diverse cabinet in history.
President Clinton appointed the most diverse Cabinet in history. Over the
past eight years, he has appointed seven African American Cabinet
Secretaries, and women make up 44 percent of Clinton Administration
appointees, including the first woman to serve as Secretary of State,
Madeline Albright, and the first to serve as Attorney General, Janet
Reno. The President also appointed the first Asian American to serve
in a Cabinet, Commerce Secretary Norman Mineta. The President has
appointed more African Americans to federal judgeships than were
appointed during the last sixteen years combined and 14 percent of all
Clinton Administration appointees are African American, twice as many
as in any previous Administration. President Clinton appointed three
times as many female judges as the two previous administrations and
the most Hispanic judicial nominees of any President. Record numbers
of people with disabilities are also serving in the White House and
throughout the Clinton Administration.
Closing Economic and Social Gaps
THEN: Economic gaps in American society expanding
The economic gap between haves and have-nots was increasing. Between 1980
through 1992, the bottom 60 percent of Americans saw little if any
increase in income, unemployment for African Americans and Hispanics
reached record highs, and the poverty rate for African Americans
remained at or above 30 percent.
NOW: Expanded opportunity and a strong economy improves conditions for all
Americans
Under President Clinton, unemployment and poverty rates have declined for
all groups, while family incomes have increased. The Clinton
Administration has worked to increase opportunity by expanding access
to higher education and job training, expanding loans to minority small
businesses, and launching efforts to close the digital divide and
expand new markets in underserved communities. Examples of progress
under the Clinton-Gore Administration include:
3 Under the Clinton-Gore Administration, the unemployment rate for
African Americans fell from 14.2 percent in 1992 to 7.3 percent today and
the African-American poverty rate has dropped from 33.1 percent to 26.1
percent in 1998 ? the lowest level recorded, and the largest five-year drop
in African-American poverty since 1967-1972. At the same time, the typical
African-American household?s income is up $3,317.
3 Unemployment for Hispanics fell from 11.8 percent in October of 1992
to 5.0 percent today. The Hispanic poverty rate has dropped from 29.6
percent to 25.6 percent ? the lowest since 1979. And over the past three
years, the income of the typical Hispanic household has risen $3,880 ? or
15.9 percent ? the largest three-year increase in Hispanic income on
record.
3 The Clinton-Gore Administration launched an initiative to end racial
and ethnic health disparities, setting a national goal of eliminating the
longstanding disparities by the year 2010 in six key health areas: infant
mortality, diabetes, cancer screening and management, heart disease, AIDS
and immunizations.
3 The Clinton-Gore Administration has fought hate crimes and racial
profiling by fighting for the Hate Crimes Sentencing Enhancement Act, which
increased penalties for hate crimes as part of the 1994 Crime Bill. As a
result of Presidential leadership, the number of law enforcement agencies
across the country reporting hate crimes to the Justice Department has
risen from 2,771 in 1991 to 12,122 in 1999 ? giving authorities a more
accurate picture of the problem. President Clinton is also working to end
racial profiling, by directing Cabinet agencies to collect data on the
race, ethnicity, and gender of individuals subject to certain stops by
federal law enforcement to help determine where and when racial profiling
occurs.
3 The Clinton-Gore Administration has fought to protect the rights of
all Americans, increasing funding for civil rights enforcement from $47.6
million in 1992 to $92 million in 2001. The President also ordered a
comprehensive review of federal affirmative action programs, which
concluded that affirmative action is still an effective and important tool
to expand educational and economic opportunity to all Americans. And
President Clinton focused the nation?s attention and resources to help stop
the rash of church burnings across the country, creating the National
Church Arson Task Force in 1995 to investigate these crimes, prosecute
those responsible, and speed the rebuilding process.
3 President Clinton has taken action to ensure fairness and equal
participation in our society for legal immigrants. In 1997 and 1998 the
President succeeded in restoring disability, health and nutritional
benefits for certain legal immigrants. The Administration?s English as a
Second Language/Civics Education Initiative provides limited English
speaking adults with instruction in both English literacy and critical life
skills necessary for effective citizenship and civic participation and the
Administration has significantly reduced the backlog of citizenship
applications.
3 President Clinton and Vice President Gore have improved relations
between the federal government and Native American tribes. In July 1999,
the President visited the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota to
encourage investment in Indian Country, making him the first sitting
President to visit a reservation since Franklin D. Roosevelt. The
President also issued executive orders promoting tribal sovereignty,
protecting sacred Indian sites, improving the academic performance of
American Indian and Alaska Native students and supporting the nation?s
tribal colleges.
3 The Clinton-Gore Administration has worked to ensure equal pay for
women and close the wage gap. They addressed the wage gap by winning $20
million in his FY 2001 budget initiative for the National Science
Foundation (NSF) to provide grants to post-secondary institutions and
partner organizations to promote the full participation of women in science
and technology fields. The Equal Opportunity Employment Commission
initiated an Equal Pay Task Force to provide assistance to field
enforcement staff in their development of cases involving equal pay and
employment discrimination in compensation.
3 President Clinton and Vice President Gore have worked hard to assure
equality of opportunity and full participation by persons with disabilities
. The Clinton-Gore Administration has vigorously defended the Americans
with Disabilities Act, worked with States to implement the Olmstead
decision to prohibit unjustified isolation of institutionalized persons
with disabilities, and fought for accessibility in public transportation,
housing, and technology. As part of the Administration?s work to improve
employment opportunities for people with disabilities, the President
created the Presidential Task Force on Employment of Adults with
Disabilities and signed the Ticket to Work and Work Incentives Improvement
Act.
Addressing the Wage Gap by Supporting Enforcement
?I am grateful that the EEOC is there to assist people like me who have
gone through so much in the workplace. It is never easy to confront
difficult or painful situations, but I hope that I can serve as an
example to women across the country who work hard to build their
professional career but still do not receive salaries equal to their
male counterparts. I would like to thank you, Mr. President, for your
leadership on this issue.?
-- Karen Simmons-Beathea, of Washington, DC, May 11, 2000. Karen
Simmons-Beathea was hired as the first Executive Director of Baltimore
Cable Access Corporation in 1993. Though she was continually promised
salary increases, she was kept at her starting salary throughout her
three years of employment at BCAC. In 1996, Ms. Simmons-Beathea
presented the board of directors with a study, which she alleged
demonstrated that she was significantly underpaid compared to male
executive directors in other markets, which operate community-based
cable television. A month after this presentation, the company
terminated her and replaced he with a less qualified male at a salary
higher than what she had been receiving. Ms. Simmons-Beathea filed a
complaint with the EEOC, was assigned an EEOC attorney, and settled her
case this year.
Launched the One America Initiative
THEN: America?s leaders lacked a coordinated effort to resolve
problems.
America was struggling to maintain the sense of community that makes our
nation strong. Even though the country was becoming more diverse,
serious economic and social gaps were prevalent, particularly among
minority groups. And too often political rhetoric expanded these
divisions rather than working to close them. Despite these problems,
there was no coordinated strategy to promote reconciliation and
address the economic and social divide in this country.
NOW: Working to build One America
President Clinton launched the One America initiative, and created a new
office in the White House to ensure that we have a coordinated
strategy to close the opportunity gaps that exist for minorities and
the underserved in this country. Examples of Clinton-Gore
Administration efforts to build one America include the following:
3 The One America initiative office helped resolve discrimination claims
against the Department of Agriculture. Due to procedural hurdles created by
previous administrations, several thousand African American farmers were
left without a filing remedy for alleged discrimination, which had occurred
years ago. Under the President?s leadership, legislation was passed which
overcame the statute of limitation problems blocking settlement of
discrimination claims. Currently pending claims are being expedited for
review to assure that justice is served. As of November 2000, farmers have
received over 323 million dollars in settlement fees from the federal
government.
3 Through the One America initiative, President Clinton has provided
leadership to corporate America, and the legal and faith communities to
action. The President?s call to action to the legal community to enlist
their support in the fight for equal justice resulted in the formation of
?Lawyers for One America,? a unique collaboration with a mission to change
the landscape for racial justice through increased pro bono service and
diversity within the legal community. Corporate leaders convened at the
White House to pledge to promote diversity, close the opportunity gap that
exists in America and lead our nation towards the goal of building One
America. And President Clinton met with a broad group of American
religious leaders to highlight new commitments and programs they have
pledged to undertake within the faith community to ensure that the nation?s
religious organizations are doing their part to expand diversity, end
racism and promote racial reconciliation in America.
3 In 1995, President Clinton created NCATF to coordinate the efforts of
federal, state and local law enforcement in the battle against arsons,
bombings and attempted bombings of places of religious worship. NCATF has
opened 945 investigations that have led to 431 arrests and 305 convictions
so far. The NCATF arrest rate is twice that of the general arrest rate for
arsons nationwide. Thanks to the successful coordination efforts of the
Clinton Administration, the number of arsons and attacks on places of
worship continues to decrease.
Increased Opportunity for All Americans
? Lowest African American and Hispanic unemployment rates on record,
with the unemployment rate for African Americans falling from 14.2 percent
in 1992 to 7.3 percent today. Unemployment for Hispanics has fallen from
11.8 percent in October of 1992 to 5.0 percent today.
? All groups of Americans, from richest to poorest, have seen their
incomes rise for three years in a row. The average income for the lowest
20 percent increased by 5.4 percent compared to an increase of 3.9 percent
for the highest 20 percent.
? Median household income increased for African Americans by almost 15
percent between 1993 and 1999. The median household income for Hispanics
is $30,735, the highest ever recorded, while the median household income
for Asian Americans is higher than the national average.
? Poverty rates are at record lows, with the African American poverty
rate down to the lowest level on record, the Hispanic American poverty rate
down to the lowest level since 1979, and the Asian American poverty rate as
low as it?s ever been. Poverty among African American children has also
dropped to the lowest level on record.
? Highest homeownership rate on record, reaching 67.2 percent in the
second quarter of 2000 ? the highest ever recorded. Minority homeownership
rates were also the highest ever recorded.
? Filed more cases to enforce fair housing laws than any other
Administration.
? Higher education achievement, with reading and math scores of
9-year-olds in the highest-poverty schools rising by nearly one grade level
on the National Assessment of Educational Progress between 1992 and 1996.
? Highest number of African American high school graduates enrolling in
college ever, increasing from 48 percent in 1992 to 59 percent in 1997.
Over the last 10 years, SAT test scores for college-bound African American
students have increased by a total of 13 points.
The Clinton Presidency:
National Service and Philanthropy
Through the 1980s, America?s sense of community and shared purpose began to
disintegrate. Between 1989 and 1993, charitable giving as a portion of our
economy declined and the number of people volunteering fell by more than 9
million. President Clinton and Vice President Gore have worked to create
new opportunities for community service, and provided leadership to develop
innovative partnerships between federal agencies and private nonprofits.
They have also worked to involve the private sector, challenging business
leaders to work with community groups, religious leaders and faith-based
partnerships to tackle problems like putting welfare recipients to work,
teaching children to read and closing the digital divide.
Restoring Community Service: AmeriCorps
THEN: No significant new investment in community service in a decade.
Previous generations of Americans had answered the call to service of their
country through programs such as the Civilian Conservation Corps, the
Peace Corps and VISTA. However, it had been more than a decade since
the federal government challenged the energy of Americans by putting
significant resources behind a meaningful effort to expand community
service opportunities. The Peace Corps and VISTA combined provided
just 10,000 service opportunities in 1993.
NOW: 200,000 Americans have served communities in AmeriCorps.
President Clinton created the AmeriCorps National Service Program in 1993,
his first year in office. Since then, AmeriCorps has brought
together nearly 200,000 people of all ages, racial, ethnic and
economic backgrounds to solve community problems and improve the
lives of Americans. And after a year of full-time public service,
AmeriCorps members receive education awards to help finance college
or pay back student loans. The President defended AmeriCorps from
numerous Congressional efforts to eliminate the initiative, and built
it into a successful program supported by Democratic, Republican and
Independent Governors across the country.
AmeriCorps Members Investing in their Community
?When I started tutoring first graders, I was scared?scared of the
responsibility, because it is so important for a child to get a good
foundation in education. One of the first students I tutored didn?t know
the alphabet. He was so nervous about trying but he wanted desperately to
learn. I worked with him for about 20 minutes every day in the classroom
and twice a week after school. Within a month, he wrote beautiful
sentences. Now he?s reading above grade level. I am proud to say that my
experience as an AmeriCorps member has given me the skills and confidence
to enter the classroom as a first grade teacher. Mr. President ? thank you
for giving young adults the opportunity to improve American communities
through national service. I just want to let you know that thousands of
AmeriCorps members are getting things done throughout the country but
especially right here in Philadelphia.?
--Ardelia Norwood-Ross, AmeriCorps Volunteer, Phialdelphia.. In her first
year as a corps member, Ardelia served at an elementary in South
Philadelphia running three literacy programs for students in first through
third grades, two of which she developed herself. Ardelia is currently
enrolled in a Master's program in elementary education and uses her
AmeriCorps awards from her two years of service to pay back her college
loans and pay for her graduate school study.
Teaching Children to Read: America Reads
THEN: Children?s reading scores drop during 1980s
Reading scores among young students dropped significantly during the 1980s.
Despite research demonstrating that reading to young children was the
best way to increase reading skills, in 1991, just 35 percent of
young children were read to at home every day.
NOW: Thousands of volunteers tutor children in America Reads
In 1997, President Clinton challenged Americans to unite to be sure that
every child can read well and independently by the end of the third
grade. So far, more than 1,400 colleges have committed more than
26,000 Work Study students to tutor children in reading, and nearly
one million children have been taught, tutored or mentored through
national service programs like AmeriCorps, VISTA, and Foster
Grandparents. President Clinton?s America Reads challenge also
sought to involve businesses, communities, pediatricians and child
care providers in helping recruit volunteers, organize book drives
and tutor young children in reading. President Clinton launched
America Reads as a volunteer partnership, then worked with Congress
to pass the Reading Excellence Act in 1998 to provide $260 million
and serve 1.1 million children annually. This national effort to
improve reading has made a great difference for children learning to
read. Today, more families are spending time each day reading to
their children. In 1999, 53 percent of children ages 3-5 were read
to daily by a family member. Reading scores are also going up,
especially in our highest poverty communities. From 1992 to 1996,
reading scores of nine-year-olds in highest poverty schools improved
by nearly one grade level, reversing a downward trend.
College Students Contributing to Their Communities through America Reads
?At California State University, Los Angeles, tutors participating in the
America Reads Challenge are part of a long-standing institutional
commitment to community service. Documented outcomes of the America Reads
project illustrate significant improvement in the literacy skills of the
children with whom we are tutoring. Our students and our neighbors are
benefiting from this relationship. Cal State, LA is proud to be a part of
the America Reads Challenge.?
-- Dr. James Rosser, California State University, Los Angeles
Increasing Charitable Giving
THEN: Charitable giving and volunteering declines.
Charitable giving as a portion of Gross Domestic Product declined from 1989
to 1993. The number of people volunteering fell from 98.4 million in
1989 to 89.2 in 1993, and the total number of volunteer hours dropped
by one billion over the same period.
NOW: Administration encourages philanthropy and charitable giving soars.
The Clinton-Gore Administration has worked to promote charitable giving and
philanthropy, hosting the White House Conference on Philanthropy in
October 1999, creating an Interagency Task Force on Nonprofits and
Government and working to build partnerships between government,
business and non-profit organizations. The strong economy has driven
a large share of the increase in philanthropy ? as individual wealth
has increased, the value of the stock in foundations has soared.
Charitable giving reached a record high in 1999, surging to more than
$190 billion, an increase of 43 percent since 1993; as a percentage
of GDP, charitable giving soared to 2.1 percent, the highest level in
almost three decades.
Drawing on the Private Sector:
THEN: America has more problems than federal resources.
In 1992, America faced high poverty rates; record numbers of people
unemployed or on welfare; serious environmental problems; and
record-high deficits. Government alone could not solve all of these
problems.
NOW: Clinton-Gore Administration draws on private sector partnerships.
President Clinton challenged corporate, religious and community leaders to
join together to solve major problems facing the country. The
Clinton-Gore Administration has provided important leadership to
develop vital partnerships with the private sector, including:
3 Through the President?s New Markets and Digital Divide initiatives,
corporations have pledged millions of dollars in assistance and development
commitments to bring economic development and high-tech training to
underserved urban, rural, and tribal communities.
3 The National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy, a private nonprofit
organization, was launched in response to the President?s 1995 State of the
Union in which he challenged parents and leaders across the country to come
together in a national effort to reduce teen pregnancy. The Campaign has
raised the visibility of this issue nationwide by enlisting the help of the
media and private advertising experts. The Campaign has also created a more
effective grassroots movement that brings together public, private,
nonprofit partners in states and local communities. Both teen pregnancy and
teen birth rates are now at record low levels.
3 The Administration?s efforts also resulted in the creation of the Fair
Labor Association, which includes apparel makers who have adopted a code of
conduct to eliminate child labor and sweatshop working conditions in
manufacturing plants throughout the world.
3 The President?s work with the entertainment industry led to the
voluntary adoption of a ratings system for television shows so parents can
be informed about the content of the programs their children are watching.
Service and Volunteerism Producing Progress for Communities
? Almost 200,000 AmeriCorps volunteers: Since 1993, nearly 200,000
AmeriCorps members have served our nation by building homes, responding to
natural disasters, helping to make our streets safer, and tutoring in
schools. More Americans have served in AmeriCorps in its first five years
than have served in the Peace Corps throughout its history. In addition,
nearly 500,000 senior citizens provide community service through Senior
Corps.
? America Reads volunteers teaching children to read: National Service
Participants have tutored nearly one million children, helping them learn
to read. Independent studies found that children involved in the program
improved their reading abilities more than the gain expected for children
at their grade level. Additionally, many students closed the gap and were
reading at or near the grade-level expectation.
? Charitable giving and volunteering have rebounded: Charitable giving
reached a record $190 billion in 1999, increasing 43 percent over 1993. As
a percentage of GDP, charitable giving reached 2.1 percent in 1999, the
highest level in nearly three decades. In addition, the number of
Americans volunteering reached an all time high in 1998, as an estimated 20
million more Americans volunteered than in 1993.
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