WebBill Clinton is an American politician from Arkansas who served as the 42nd President of the United States (1993-2001). United States presidential election of 1996 In 2000, the president signed legislation establishing permanent normal trade relations with China. He captured 49 percent of the popular vote to Republican Bob Doles 41 percent and Perots 8 percent; the electoral vote was 379 to 159. Kennedy was fresh off a successful European tour that included his famous Ich bin ein Berliner speech in front of a crowd of 450,000 in West Berlin. Bill Clinton In 1978, he was elected governor of the state. Afterward, he joined a Little Rock law firm. Presidents Bill Clinton Bill Clinton: Life After the Presidency By Russell L. Riley After Bill Clinton left the White House, he moved to Chappaqua, New York, the home-base of that state's junior member of the United States Senate, Hillary Clinton. Clinton was in high school math class when he learned that Kennedy had been assassinated in Dallas, Texas on November 22, 1963. Hillary served on the faculty of the University of Arkansas Law School before joining the Rose Law Firm in 1976. [152][153] Clinton's victory helped to cement Democratic presidential control in California, Vermont, Maine, Illinois, New Jersey, and Connecticut; all voted Democrat in every subsequent presidential election.[154]. Learn more about Clintons life and career. Notes Clintons life was a world away from that of the wealthy, urbane president, but, like many Americans, he deeply admired President John F. Kennedy and his family. [66] Clinton won, defeating Purcell by almost 7.4% of the popular vote. [28] He was unsure whether to run for governor or the Senate seat being vacated by John L. McClellan. He was charged with lying under oath to a federal grand jury and obstructing justice. Find History on Facebook (Opens in a new window), Find History on Twitter (Opens in a new window), Find History on YouTube (Opens in a new window), Find History on Instagram (Opens in a new window), Find History on TikTok (Opens in a new window), Bill Clinton: Family, Arkansas Political Career and First Presidential Campaign, Bill Clinton: First Presidential Term: 1993-1997, Bill Clinton: Second Presidential Term: 1997-2001, https://www.history.com/topics/us-presidents/bill-clinton. He was reelected in 1996, becoming the first Democrat since Franklin D. Roosevelt to serve two terms as president. Facility Rentals (501) 748-0454 Bill Clinton CLINTON BIOGRAPHIES [99][100] On election day, Clinton won the gubernatorial election for the fourth time. WebAs a result, Bill Clinton left office with historically high approval ratings for the job he had done as the 42nd President of the United States. [124] After coming in second place in New Hampshire, he delivered a speech labeling himself "The Comeback Kid", which re-energized his campaign. After conclusive evidence of the affair came to light, Clinton apologized to his family and to the American public. As president, he signed the North American Free Trade Agreement into law. In 1950, Virginia Blythe married car dealer Roger Clinton Sr. (1908-67) and the family later moved to Hot Springs, Arkansas. Lowest crime rate in 26 years Just 16 years old, .css-47aoac{-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;text-decoration-thickness:0.0625rem;text-decoration-color:inherit;text-underline-offset:0.25rem;color:#A00000;-webkit-transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;}.css-47aoac:hover{color:#595959;text-decoration-color:border-link-body-hover;}Bill Clinton was about to enter his senior year at Hot Springs High School. That same year, America launched air attacks against Iraqs nuclear, chemical and biological weapons programs. After narrowly losing to incumbent representative John Paul Hammerschmidt, he ran for the office of Arkansas Attorney General in 1976. His handling of the federal budget and the Bosnian War likely helped him keep his approval ratings high, and most of the polls showed him leading throughout 1996. Bill Clinton HISTORY.com works with a wide range of writers and editors to create accurate and informative content. A third-party candidate, Ross Perot (1930-), captured almost 19 percent of the popular vote. [115], Soon after the 1990 Arkansas gubernatorial election, there was again speculation that Clinton was a potential presidential candidate for the 1992 presidential election. WebAfter Bush was defeated in the 1992 presidential election, Kemp left government and became a sought-after speaker on the lecture circuit. [9][10] He continued attacking Hammerschmidt for his support of Nixon, which successfully helped him to garner the support of some moderate Republican voters. Al Gore a second term in office. [7] He led the primaries with almost 44% of the popular vote, against relatively better-known opponents, including Arkansas state senator Gene Rainwater. Bill Clinton He is married to Hillary Rodham Clinton, who represented the state of New York in the US Senate before becoming Secretary of State during the Obama administration. [84] He called the 1984 election a "public referendum on his educational reform". [148] Texas businessman Ross Perot, who had previously run in the 1992 presidential election as an Independent candidate, announced his candidacy for the 1996 presidential election as the Reform Party's candidate. On October 11, 1975, Clinton and Rodham were married in a small ceremony at their house in Fayetteville, Arkansas. Following the early failure of his health care reform initiative, President Clinton pursued a moderate but progressive domestic agenda. It was as if it was snuffed out.. His appointment of his wife to chair the Task Force on National Health Care Reform, a novel role for the countrys first lady, was criticized by conservatives, who objected both to the propriety of the arrangement and to Hillary Rodham Clintons feminist views. In the general election, Republicans nominated 73-year-old Senate majority leader, Bob Dole, as their presidential nominee. Clinton was a talented student but was still vacillating over his future, debating possible careers in music, medicine, law, or even the ministry. In 1995, the administration brokered the Dayton Accords, which ended the war in Bosnia. He contested and won the 1984, 1986, and 1990 gubernatorial elections. The photograph of the young, impressionable teen and the soon-to-be-slain president appeared in campaign ads and news accounts of Clintons formative years. After graduating, the couple moved to Clintons home state, where he worked as a law professor at the University of Arkansas. In 1982, he won the governorship again and would remain in that office through 1992. He was charged with lying under oath to a federal grand jury and obstructing justice. [67][68], The general election was a re-match between Clinton and Governor White. Jan. 22, 1993 -- Signs orders overturning Reagan- and Bush-era restrictions on abortions. WebHe won the presidency of his freshman and sophomore classes. 1200 President Clinton Ave. After six weeks of debate, the legislature passed his agenda by a margin of one vote. In the years since leaving office, President Clinton has dedicated his time to leading the development of global initiatives through his Foundation. In 1998, the United States achieved its first federal budget surplus in three decades (the final two years of Clintons presidency also resulted in budget surpluses). WebBelow are the budgetary results for President Clinton's two terms in office: He had budget surpluses for fiscal years 19982001, the only such years from 1970 to 2023. Bill Clinton In Paula Jones vs Clinton, the Supreme Court rules that a president can be sued in a private matter involving events before he became president. In 1993, she chaired the Task Force on Health Care Reform. In high school, he took the name of his step father, Roger Clinton of Hot Springs, Arkansas. It Went Badly. In the years since leaving office, President Clinton has dedicated his time to leading the development of global initiatives through his Foundation. In 1998, the House of Representatives impeached Clinton on charges related to a sexual relationship he had with a White House intern. Hillary Diane Rodham was born on October 26, 1947, the first child of Dorothy and Hugh Rodham. [88], In his third term as governor, Clinton served as the chairman of the Education Commission of the States,[91] and the chairman of the National Governors Association from 1986 to 1987, bringing him to the attention of audiences beyond Arkansas. [13] In September, he was lagging in the polls with 23% support to Hammerschmidt's 59%. [62], Clinton said he lost the 1980 election badly because he had been out of touch with the people. We didnt know in the beginning whether he was dead. On February 12, 1999, the U.S. Senate acquitted the president of the charges and he remained in office. In 1993 he invited Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and Palestine Liberation Organization chairman Yasser Arafat to Washington to sign a historic agreement that granted limited Palestinian self-rule in the Gaza Strip and Jericho. Following his presidency, Clinton remained active in public life. Roosevelt. [4][5] At age 27, he was one of the youngest candidates for a congressional election in the nation. WebAfter Bush was defeated in the 1992 presidential election, Kemp left government and became a sought-after speaker on the lecture circuit. In foreign affairs, Clinton ordered a four-day bombing campaign against Iraq in December 1998 in response to Iraqs failure to cooperate fully with United Nations weapons inspectors (the bombing coincided with the start of full congressional debate on Clintons impeachment). [96] Long retired from politics, Faubus opposed Clinton's overly liberal policies. The William J. Clinton Presidential Center and Park in Little Rock, Arkansas, opened in 2004. [11] Clinton said, "If we had the kind of congress we needed years ago, then we would not be facing this sad prospect. We may earn commission from links on this page, but we only recommend products we back. [70] He proposed his plan for utility reform in Arkansas and supported the direct election of members of the Public Service Commission by a popular vote. After getting enough delegates to win the convention, Clinton shortlisted six potential vice presidential candidates, which included: Former Deputy Secretary of State Warren Christopher led Clinton's vice-presidential selection team. [72] Clinton defeated Governor White in the general election and became the first and only governor of Arkansas to be elected to non-consecutive terms.[73][1]. Jones had sued Clinton alleging abusive sexual advances which he was Governor of Arkansas. [19] He supported mandatory prison terms for some crimes and the creation of an ombudsman position in the attorney general's office. Bill Clinton Bill Clinton WebHead Start Reform and Creation of Early Head Start. Six weeks later, the students of Boys Nation passed a resolution against racial discrimination, and Clinton, who attended a then-segregated, all-white school but was a progressive Democrat, was one of the few Southern delegates who voted in favor. According to several of his fellow delegates, Clinton spent the bus ride back to the Boys Nation dorms talking about the event. Shortly before he left office, Clinton was roundly criticized by Democrats as well as by Republicans for having issued a number of questionable pardons, including one to the former spouse of a major Democratic Party contributor. [49], In late August, Clinton gave a speech at the 1980 Democratic National Convention. Al Gore a second term in office. The former President kept an office in New York City and maintained an active speaking schedule. WebBill Clinton served as the 42nd president of the United States (19932001) and as the 40th and 42nd governor of Arkansas (19791981; 19831992). Clinton appointed a number of women and minorities to top government posts, including Janet Reno, the first female U.S. attorney general, and Madeleine Albright, the first female U.S. secretary of state.