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PRESIDENT WILLIAM J. CLINTON

                     Eight Years of Peace, Progress
                             and Prosperity

The Clinton Presidency: A Historic Era of Progress and Prosperity

                        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.

     --    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.
     --    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.
     --    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.
     --    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.
     --    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."

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."

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."

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.

     --    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.
     --    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 provided 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.
     --    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.
     --    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.
     --    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.
     --    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."

         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."

Progress for Working Families

                        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.

     --    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.
     --    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.
     --    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.
     --    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!"

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."

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."

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."

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

                        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.

     --    Background checks performed under the Brady Law have
           prevented more than 611,000 felons, fugitives and domestic
           abusers from buying a gun.
     --    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.
     --    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.
     --    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.
     --    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"

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:

     --    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.
     --    Drug courts to provide increased judicial supervision and
           drug treatment for non-violent offenders and boot camps for
           first-time young offenders.
     --    Increased funding for prison construction, and anti-drug and
           gang programs.
     --    A new law making it illegal for juveniles to own handguns.
     --    Registration of sexually violent offenders with state
           officials upon release from prison.
     --    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.

     --    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.
     --    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.
     --    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

                        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.

     --    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.
     --    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.
     --    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.
     --    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.

     --    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.
     --    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.
     --    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.
     --    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.

     --    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.
     --    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.
     --    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.
     --    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

                        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.

     --    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.
     --    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.
     --    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,
     --    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.
     --    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."

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.

     --    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.
     --    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.
     --    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.
     --    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.
     --    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.
     --    The Administration is now working to provide long-term
           protection for more than 40 million acres of roadless areas
           within national forests.
     --    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.

     --    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.
     --    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.
     --    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.
     --    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.
     --    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.
     --    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.
     --    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.
     --    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.
     --    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

                        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.

     --    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.
     --    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.
     --    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.
     --    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.
     --    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.

     --    President Clinton signed the Internet Tax Freedom Act, a
           3-year moratorium on Internet access taxes and taxes that
           discriminate against e-commerce.
     --    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."
     --    In October 1998, the President signed the Digital Millennium
           Copyright Act, helping to protect America's intellectual
           property in cyberspace.
     --    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.
     --    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.
     --    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.
     --    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."

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

                        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

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.

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.

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.

                         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:

     --    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.
     --    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.
     --    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.
     --    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.
     --    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.
     --    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.
     --    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.
     --    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.
     --    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."

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:

     --    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.
     --    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.
     --    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

                        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:

     --    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.
     --    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.
     --    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.
     --    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

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