Bill Clinton served as the 42nd President of the United States from January 20, 1993, to January 20, 2001. His two-term administration oversaw strong economic growth and budget surpluses while also facing major political controversies, including impeachment and acquittal in 1998–1999.
Domestically, Clinton presided over a period of sustained economic expansion, reduced unemployment, and several major policy initiatives—most notably passage of NAFTA, welfare reform in 1996, and balanced budgets that produced federal surpluses in the late 1990s. His administration also advanced legislation on crime, gun control, and family leave while benefiting from the technology-driven boom of the decade.
Clinton’s presidency is also marked by controversy: a personal scandal led to his impeachment by the House in 1998 and acquittal by the Senate in 1999, which shaped public debate about character and accountability. On foreign policy he expanded U.S. engagement, including NATO interventions in Bosnia and Kosovo, leaving a mixed legacy of increased international involvement and contested domestic politics.
Signed NAFTA (1993); Enacted 1996 Welfare Reform (Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Act); Achieved federal budget surpluses in the late 1990s; Led NATO interventions in Bosnia (1995) and Kosovo (1999); Impeached by the House (1998) and acquitted by the Senate (1999); Signed key domestic laws including the Brady Bill and Family and Medical Leave Act
Key highlights and dated events associated with this presidency.
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President Bill Clinton delivered the 1998 State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress.
Delegates at the UN Climate Change Conference in Kyoto adopted the Kyoto Protocol on December 11, 1997, and the Clinton administration publicly welcomed the accord as a major step toward addressing global warming.
President Clinton delivered the U.S. statement to the 52nd UN General Assembly in New York, urging international cooperation on economic stability, peacekeeping, arms control, and environmental protection.
On 1997-08-31 President Clinton issued a public statement mourning the death of Diana, Princess of Wales and offering condolences to her family and the British people.
President Clinton signed the Taxpayer Relief Act of 1997 into law, enacting major tax cuts including a child tax credit and reductions in capital gains tax rates.
President Clinton signed the Balanced Budget Act of 1997 into law on August 5, 1997, completing a congressional budget agreement that included spending caps, changes to Medicare and Medicaid, and welfare and tax provisions.
At the NATO summit in Madrid on July 8, 1997, alliance leaders extended formal invitations for Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic to begin accession negotiations, a move President Clinton supported as part of post–Cold War enlargement.
On July 1, 1997 the United Kingdom formally transferred sovereignty over Hong Kong to the People's Republic of China, and President Clinton issued a White House statement reaffirming U.S. obligations under the United States–Hong Kong Policy Act and expressing continued U.S. concern for Hong Kong's autonomy and rights.
In Printz v. United States, the Supreme Court held that the federal government may not require state and local law enforcement officers to perform background checks under the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act.
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that significant portions of the Communications Decency Act of 1996 were unconstitutional, invalidating federal restrictions on 'indecent' Internet communications.
The Supreme Court held that Congress exceeded its Section 5 enforcement powers under the Fourteenth Amendment when it enacted the Religious Freedom Restoration Act as applied to the states.
President Clinton hosted the 1997 Group of Eight leaders' summit in Denver (June 20–22), convening heads of state to discuss global economic issues and cooperation.