1996 State of the Union Address

1996 State of the Union Address

Full video of the speech as published by the White House
Date	January 23, 1996 (1996-01-23)
Time	9:00 p.m. EST
Duration	1 hour, 6 minutes
Venue	House Chamber, United States Capitol
Location	Washington, D.C.
Coordinates	38°53′23″N 77°00′32″W
Type	State of the Union Address
Participants	Bill Clinton Al Gore Newt Gingrich
Previous	1995 State of the Union Address
Next	1997 State of the Union Address

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

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

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

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

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

See also

• 1996 United States presidential election

References

1. Mitchell, Alison (January 24, 1996). "Clinton Offers Challenge To Nation, Declaring 'The Era of Big Government is Over'". The New York Times. Archived from the original on August 12, 2021. Retrieved December 23, 2011.
2. "THE REPUBLICAN RESPONSE BY SENATE MAJORITY LEADER ROBERT DOLE". PBS. January 23, 1996. Archived from the original on November 12, 2012. Retrieved August 23, 2017.
3. USA Today, Page A12. Feb 5, 1997

External links

• "House of Representatives" (PDF). Congressional Record. 142 (8). Washington, DC: United States Government Publishing Office: H768–H772. January 23, 1996. Retrieved August 19, 2024.
• "1996 State of the Union Address". C-SPAN. January 23, 1996. Retrieved August 19, 2024.
• "State of the Union Response". C-SPAN. January 23, 1996. Retrieved August 19, 2024.
• 1996 State of the Union Response (transcript)

Preceded by 1995 State of the Union Address

State of the Union addresses 1996

Succeeded by 1997 State of the Union Address