[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 20 (Wednesday, February 1, 1995)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E240-E241]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                     THE STATE OF THE UNION ADDRESS

                                 ______


                          HON. LEE H. HAMILTON

                               of indiana

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, February 1, 1995
  Mr. HAMILTON. Mr. Speaker, I would like to insert my Washington 
Report for Wednesday, February 1, 1995, into the Congressional Record.
                     The State of the Union Address

       There was a lot of pressure on President Clinton going into 
     his State of the Union Address, with many calling it one of 
     the most critical speeches of his presidency. Americans want 
     him to cooperate with Congress, but also to show he has 
     backbone and can stand up for his principles. The changes 
     voters called for in November have clearly put him on the 
     defensive and have left him struggling to find his agenda for 
     the next two years. The President spoke about where he wants 
     to take our country and how he intends to work with the new 
     Congress to accomplish his goals for the nation. He had mixed 
     success.
       Overview: President Clinton said the country is stronger 
     than it was two years ago, but he is concerned that not all 
     Americans shared in the gains. He insisted that government 
     should work better for average Americans.
       His overall emphasis was that we should work together for 
     the common good. He is clearly worried that the ``common 
     bonds of community'' have become ``badly frayed''--citizens 
     are working together less and shouting at each other more. He 
     stressed the shared responsibilities of government and 
     citizens. In contrast to his speech in 1994, he articulated 
     no new major federal programs. His speech was short on 
     demands for action, but long on appeals for responsibility 
     and comity.
       He endorsed some traditional programs--school lunch, Head 
     Start, clean air and water--and called for an increased 
     minimum wage and a national campaign against teenage 
     pregnancy. He considerably scaled back his goals for health 
     care reform. He sounded conservative themes when he advocated 
     downsizing government, cutting regulations, reforming 
     welfare, cutting taxes, and strengthening defense. He 
     attacked lobbyists, and called on Congress to pass lobbying 
     and campaign finance reform. He spoke only briefly about 
     foreign affairs, urging Congress to pass the Mexican loan 
     guarantees, the START II Treaty, and new legislation to 
     strengthen our hand against terrorists.
       Apparently the American people still listen to President 
     Clinton. Polls indicate that some 80% of viewers approved of 
     the direction he laid out for the country in his speech.
       Drawbacks: The speech was too long--eighty-one minutes. 
     This president clearly likes to talk; as usual, he spoke 
     easily and forcefully. He spoke with humor, extended a 
     conciliatory hand, and acknowledged his own mistakes.
       But I left the speech feeling that in some ways an 
     opportunity was lost. He had a chance to explain his core 
     principles to the American people in simple terms. Yet the 
     speech was clearly too long and too diffuse, and did not 
     convey forcefully his convictions and his agenda. It covered 
     some three dozen different programs and subjects, making it 
     hard for listeners to pick out a few central themes.
       Major Points: Politically his speech was right down the 
     middle--a very centrist speech. He avoided the extremes of 
     the right and the left, favoring a smaller, less costly 
     government but still acknowledging a role for government.
       The President stressed putting away partisan differences 
     and pettiness and working toward the common good. These 
     comments were well received by the American people, but the 
     partisan nature of Members' applause throughout the speech 
     instead might suggest a difficult year ahead.
       ``Opportunity'' and ``responsibility'' were words often 
     repeated, and he talked at length about a ``new covenant'' 
     between government and the American people: Government will 
     help them obtain the tools they need to improve their lives, 
     while in return asking them to take responsibility for 
     themselves and their communities. This means, 
     [[Page E241]] for example, asking welfare recipients to work 
     when possible and college students to perform community 
     service in return for student loans.
       He said that the federal government can be downsized. He 
     noted the 100,000 federal jobs he has already cut and pointed 
     out how changes already in the works will result in the 
     smallest federal workforce next year since the days of 
     President Kennedy. At the same time, he said that government 
     still has an important role to play. He does not view 
     government as the enemy, but as a partner: It should not do 
     things for us that we can do ourselves, but we should use 
     government to do those things we can only do together.
       The President said Congress should not go too far and roll 
     back the progress made on cutting the deficit, reforming 
     education, fighting crime, or improving public health and the 
     environment. He said the new Congress should not respond to 
     voter anger by taking it out on the most vulnerable in 
     society--particularly the elderly and young children. As the 
     President put it, we want lean government not a mean 
     government.
       The President stressed the need to prepare the American 
     people for the demands of the new global economy. He 
     mentioned vigilance on the deficit, reducing barriers to 
     American exports, and his Middle Class Bill of Rights to help 
     middle class families raise and educate their children, train 
     for higher paying jobs, buy a first home, and save for 
     retirement. He put a heavy emphasis on education as a key 
     investment in our country's future.
       The President was precise and forthright on some issues, 
     like welfare reform and tax cuts, and oblique on others, like 
     a balanced budget amendment, unfunded federal mandates, and 
     deregulation. At times he displayed forceful leadership, and 
     at other times he did not dispel the doubts about his 
     position and his leadership.
       What's Next: In the weeks ahead, the President must sharpen 
     his vision for America. And then he needs to follow through. 
     That will be the real test. Many Americans comment on a wide 
     gap between the Clinton promises and the Clinton performance, 
     and they question how long the President's positions will 
     stand. He needs a strong follow through and a sharply focused 
     agenda to build on the favorable reactions to his speech.
     

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