William Jefferson Clinton
Clinton's two-term presidency (1993-2001) is the predecessor pair to George W. Bush. This profile grades his 1992 campaign promises against eight years in office that spanned NAFTA, welfare reform, the 1995-96 government shutdowns, impeachment, and the dot-com boom.
William Jefferson Clinton
- among Democratic presidents1st of 5
- among all presidents3rd of 10
All tracked promises
Pass universal healthcare.
Health Security Act introduced Sep 1993; never reached a floor vote in either chamber. Hillary Clinton-led task force; effort abandoned by Sep 1994. Major factor in 1994 Republican wave.
Cut middle-class taxes.
Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1993 (Pub.L. 103-66, signed Aug 10, 1993) raised top rate to 39.6% rather than cutting middle-class taxes. Clinton publicly acknowledged the broken promise in 1995.
Pass NAFTA.
North American Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act (Pub.L. 103-182) signed Dec 8, 1993. House 234-200, Senate 61-38.
Reform welfare with work requirements.
Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Act (Pub.L. 104-193) signed Aug 22, 1996. Replaced AFDC with TANF, added work requirements and time limits.
Pass don't-ask-don't-tell as a compromise on gays in the military.
Don't Ask, Don't Tell signed Nov 30, 1993. Permitted closeted service but did not allow open service. Roughly 13,000 servicemembers discharged under DADT before repeal in 2010.
Balance the federal budget.
Federal budget surplus achieved FY1998-FY2001 (first surpluses since 1969). Last Clinton budget projected $5.6T cumulative surplus over the following decade.
Pass the Brady Bill and federal assault weapons ban.
Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act (Pub.L. 103-159) signed Nov 30, 1993. Federal Assault Weapons Ban included in Violent Crime Control Act (Pub.L. 103-322), signed Sep 13, 1994.
Pass family and medical leave.
Family and Medical Leave Act (Pub.L. 103-3) signed Feb 5, 1993 — first major bill of his presidency. Provided 12 weeks unpaid leave for qualifying employees.
Survive impeachment without resignation.
Impeached by House Dec 19, 1998 (perjury 228-206, obstruction 221-212). Acquitted by Senate Feb 12, 1999 (perjury 45-55, obstruction 50-50).
Pass campaign finance reform.
McCain-Feingold did not pass during Clinton's tenure. Eventually signed by Bush as Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act (Pub.L. 107-155, March 27, 2002).
Want the deep-dive book on Clinton?
With enough demand for objective journalism, SEALED Press researches and writes the next book in the series — full case studies, paper trails, and color-coded verdicts on every promise this politician has made.