,_

1/17/98 5PM
PRESIDENT WILLIAM J. CLINTON
STATE OF THE UNION ADDRESS
UNITED STATES CAPITOL
. January 27, 1998 . .
Mr. Speaker, Mr. Vice President, members of the 1 05th Congress,
fellow Americans:. . . . (- o-
N\ ..
!ftte ail efc;:rl' predecessors jn anunbroken line reacHing bttel'-' 209 I I6fl8liot
. ..
\tii:Otti These are good times for America. With our economy growing,
our incomes rising, our social fabric mending, and our leadership in the unrivaled, the state
Five years ago, the American people chose a new direction for our natiori. '
..
We have freed ourselves from outdated orthodoxies and failed philosophies ofthe past.
. . .
.
My fellow Americans, vre Unemployment .rlmains the
lowest in a quarter has crea:r14 million new jobs. Inflation is low and
.
stable. Welfare and crime, teen pregnancy and divorce, all are dropping-AAfter stagnating for
two decades, wages are rising once again .

Investing in people
By imposing fiscal discipline, we have created the conditions for sustained growth. But
if our core value of equal opportunity for all is to remain vital in this new time, we must act to
make sure that all Americans can reap the rewards of prosperity. Today, in reality, the income
gap is an opportunity gap. It is a gap we must close.
First and foremost, every American must have access to the best education in the world.
More than an information age, this is an education age, in which knowledge determines how
much you earn and a diploma is only as valuable as the skills behind it.
~ ~
~ We are making the first two years of college as universal as a high school degree is today.
In the 19th Century opportunity came from a land grant; in the 21st Century opportunity will
come from a Pell Grant. Beginning January 1 of this year, for the very first time, when parents
write a tuition check, they will get a tax cut. Today, for the first time in our history, we can say
to every American, regardless of income: ifyou work hard, you can go to college.
Now our mission must be to improve our elementary schools and high schools. To keeP.
opportunity alive, we need a new ethic of education based on high standards, real competition,
strict accountability in our nation's public schools.
7
CLINTON LIBRARY PHOTOCOPY
Empowerment Zones, spearheaded by Vice President Gore, which have revitalized our cities and
rural areas. Empowerment works, and we should bring the urban renaissance to every corner of
the nation.
Leading the global economy
The third element of our strategy recognizes this reality: in the 21st Century, we will live
in a global economy. There is no turning back. Our only choice is whether to make tllis new
world work for us or against us. Today, America's exports are at a record high. Our businesses
and workers are outcompeting anyone in the world. We are better positioned than any nation on
Earth to reap the rewards of the global economy.
To stay strong, America needs a world that is strong. Fully one third of our econmnic.
growth comes from expanding exports- from selling to the 96% of the world's consumers who

live beyond our 'twill continue to press Congress for the po'Yei to make new trade .
. . iJ$; . ..
agreements that tear down barriers to American made goods. _
. .
.

And the new global economy -- driven by new technology -- poses new challenges for
our people.
More trade demands niore training and job opportunities, and quick, coordinated response
when factories close or jobs move. We mustinsist that our trading partners enforce basic labor
11
CLINTON LIBRARY PHOTOCOPY
I ' ! ' (' ,-.' ' ', ._, ' ' ' '_! ' ' " '
Withdrawal/Redaction Sheet
Clinton Library
DOCUMENT NO.
AND TYPE
001. draft
SUBJECTrriTLE
Race & leadership Insert (v. 3) (2 pages)
DATE RESTRICTION
nd P5
002. memo Anthony Blinken to Micheal Waldman, re: SOU Edits (4 pages) 01/23/98 P5
COLLECTION:
Clinton Presidential Records
Speechwriting
Michael Waldman
O ~ o x Number: 14477
FOLDER TITLE:
[State of the Union 1999- High Points of American Achievement 20th Century]: Inserts
Dan Brogden
2006-0469-F
sbl02
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