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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NAFTA officially went into effect on January 1, 1994, creating a tariff-free trading zone between the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
President Bill Clinton signed the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) Implementation Act, putting the U.S. into the trilateral free-trade pact with Canada and Mexico.
President Clinton signed the Fiscal Year 1994 National Defense Authorization Act, which included the 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' compromise on gay military service.
President Clinton signed the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act, establishing federal background checks and a waiting period for handgun purchases.
The U.S. Senate voted to approve the implementing bill for the North American Free Trade Agreement, completing congressional approval of the pact.
President Clinton hosted leaders of Asia‑Pacific Economic Cooperation economies in Seattle for the inaugural APEC Leaders' Meeting to discuss trade and regional cooperation.
The U.S. House passed the implementing legislation for the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) after a contentious floor debate and a narrow majority vote.
President Clinton signed the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA), which barred the federal government from substantially burdening a person's exercise of religion unless it demonstrated a compelling interest and used the least restrictive means.
On October 3–4, 1993, U.S. Army Rangers and Delta Force operators engaged Somali militiamen in Mogadishu during Operation Gothic Serpent after two Black Hawk helicopters were shot down, resulting in 18 U.S. soldiers killed and many wounded.
Clinton delivered a nationally televised speech to a joint session of Congress outlining his comprehensive health-care reform vision and formally transmitted the administration's Health Security Act to Congress.
President Clinton hosted the signing ceremony for the Israel–Palestine Declaration of Principles (Oslo I) at the White House, where Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and PLO Chairman Yasser Arafat publicly shook hands.
President Clinton signed the National and Community Service Trust Act into law, establishing AmeriCorps and expanding federal support for national and community service programs.