President Clinton’s State of the Union Addresses (or SOTUs) were based in Article II Section 3 of the U.S. Constitution which says that the President Shall from time to time give to the Congress Information of the State of the Union, and recommend to their Consideration such measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient.United States Constitution, Article II, Section 3. Following the Constitution and the tradition of former Presidents, President Clinton recommended policy goals (such as his plans for economic and healthcare reform) to a Joint Session of Congress in January or February each year. View Gallery State of the Union Photo Gallery 1993 State of the Union For more than anything else, our task tonight as Americans is to make our economy thrive again.President Bill Clinton, 1993 Address to Congress The records of David Kusnet, chief speechwriter in the White House from 1993 to 1994, describe input focusing on education reforms from Cabinet-level departments for the 1993 State of the Union. Watch the 1993 State of the Union Read a Transcript of the 1993 State of the Union Memorandum from Kevin Sullivan to David Kusnet concerning the 1993 State of the Union Address. January 4, 1993. Records of the Office of Speechwriting. Series: David Kusnet's Files. View in the National Archives Catalog Memorandum from Kevin Sullivan to David Kusnet concerning the 1993 State of the Union Address. January 4, 1993. Records of the Office of Speechwriting. Series: David Kusnet's Files. 1994 State of the Union And so tonight, let us resolve to continue the journey of renewal, to create more and better jobs, to guarantee health security for all, to reward work over welfare, to promote democracy abroad, and to begin to reclaim our streets from violent crime and drugs and gangs, to renew our own American community.President Bill Clinton, 1994 Address to Congress Carter Wilkie was a White House Speechwriter for the first two years of the Clinton administration. Wilkie’s research for the 1994 State of the Union includes lessons from past addresses as well as ideas and suggestions from outside advisors, the Cabinet, and White House advisors. Robert O. Boorstin worked as President Clinton’s chief speechwriter at the National Security Council from 1994 to 1995. Boorstin’s files for the 1994 State of the Union include ideas and suggestions from President Clinton, White House advisors, the Cabinet, and outside advisors. Boorstin’s files match themes in the 1994 State of the Union, such as economic accomplishments and the economic agenda, healthcare, foreign policy, and the crime bill. Watch the 1994 State of the Union Read a Transcript of the 1994 State of the Union Robert Boorstin's notes suggesting President Clinton’s early direction of the themes and goals of the 1994 State of the Union Address. Records of the National Security Council Speechwriting Office. Series: Robert Boorstin's Files. View in the National Archives Catalog Robert Boorstin's notes suggesting President Clinton’s early direction of the themes and goals of the 1994 State of the Union Address. Records of the National Security Council Speechwriting Office. Series: Robert Boorstin's Files. 1995 State of the Union Our New Covenant is a new set of understandings for how we can equip our people to meet the challenges of a new economy, how we can change the way our Government works to fit a different time, and, above all, how we can repair the damaged bonds in our society and come together behind our common purpose.President Bill Clinton, 1995 Address to Congress Don Baer was the Director of Speechwriting and Research and Chief Speechwriter for President Clinton from 1994 to 1995. Baer served as the Director of Strategic Planning and Communications and Assistant to the President from 1995 to 1997. Baer’s speechwriting files for the 1995 State of the Union include background articles, input, inserts, memos, outlines, suggestions from Cabinet Departments, and talking points. Antony (“Tony”) Blinken served as the Chief Foreign Policy Speechwriter in the National Security Council’s Speechwriting Directorate from 1994 to 1998. Drafts and inserts from Blinken’s files on the 1995 State of the Union focus on foreign policy and global trade. The files of Robert O. Boorstin, speechwriter at the National Security Council, also contain material for the 1995 State of the Union including background information and drafts focusing on topics such as campaign finance reform. Carolyn Curiel was a speechwriter for President Bill Clinton in 1993 before being promoted to Special Assistant and Senior Presidential Speechwriter to President Clinton in 1995. Curiel’s records include an outline and talking points for the 1995 State of the Union. Watch the 1995 State of the Union Read a Transcript of the 1995 State of the Union This is a memo from Don Baer to the White House Chief of Staff. The memo lists the themes and messages recommended for the 1995 State of the Union, January 19, 1995. Records of the Office of Speechwriting. Series: Carolyn Curiel's Files. State of the Union 1995. View in the National Archives Catalog This is a memo from Don Baer to the White House Chief of Staff. The memo lists the themes and messages recommended for the 1995 State of the Union, January 19, 1995. Records of the Office of Speechwriting. Series: Carolyn Curiel's Files. State of the Union 1995. 1996 State of the Union We have to go forward to the era of working together as a community, as a team, as one America, with all of us reaching across these lines that divide us—the division, the discrimination, the rancor—we have to reach across it to find common ground. We have got to work together if we want America to work.President Bill Clinton, 1996 Address to Congress Antony (“Tony”) Blinken’s files as a speechwriter for the National Security Council contain drafts, memos on speech themes, and working group notes for the foreign policy section of the 1996 State of the Union. Carolyn Curiel’s files as Senior Presidential Speechwriter include comments, drafts, input for the speech, and discussion with the President for the 1996 State of the Union Address. Michael Waldman was Assistant to the President and Director of Speechwriting from 1995 to 1999. Waldman’s files for the 1996 State of the Union contain comments, drafts, fact sheets, memos, news clips, outlines, outreach materials, outside contributor suggestions, and polls. Watch the 1996 State of the Union Read a transcript of the 1996 State of the Union Memo from the Central Intelligence Agency's Chief of Staff to the White House. The memo lists the themes and message that the CIA recommended for the 1996 State of the Union, December 21, 1995. Records of the National Security Council Speechwriting Office. Series: Antony Blinken's Files. View in the National Archives Catalog Memo from the Central Intelligence Agency's Chief of Staff to the White House. The memo lists the themes and message that the CIA recommended for the 1996 State of the Union, December 21, 1995. Records of the National Security Council Speechwriting Office. Series: Antony Blinken's Files. 1997 State of the Union I come before you tonight with a challenge as great as any in our peacetime history, and a plan of action to meet that challenge, to prepare our people for the bold new world of the 21st century.President Bill Clinton, 1997 Address to Congress Speechwriter Jonathan Prince’s files contain drafts with President Clinton’s edits, outlines, suggestions from the Cabinet, and time tables for the 1997 State of the Union. The files of Michael Waldman, Director of Speechwriting, contain drafts, memos, and outlines for the 1997 State of the Union. Watch the 1997 State of the Union Read a transcript of the 1997 State of the Union Outline from January 28, 1997, shows which policy options were included in a draft for the 1997 State of the Union. Records of the Office of Speechwriting. Series: Michael Waldman's Files. State of the Union 1997 - The Original Drafts Volume I [Binder] [2]. View in the National Archives Catalog Outline from January 28, 1997, shows which policy options were included in a draft for the 1997 State of the Union. Records of the Office of Speechwriting. Series: Michael Waldman's Files. State of the Union 1997 - The Original Drafts Volume I [Binder] [2]. 1998 State of the Union My plan to balance the budget next year includes both new investments and new tax cuts targeted to the needs of working families, for education, for child care, for the environment.President Bill Clinton, 1998 Address to Congress Michael Waldman was Director of Speechwriting for the 1998 State of the Union. Waldman’s files contain drafts (including drafts annotated with the President’s comments), facts, policy memos, polling data, and researcher plans. Waldman’s files focus on themes of the 1998 SOTU such as the budget, the new economy, and drug control. Lowell Weiss was a Presidential speechwriter from 1997 to 2000. Weiss’s files for the 1998 State of the Union focus on the environment. Watch the 1998 State of the Union Read a Transcript of the 1998 State of the Union Draft of 1998 State of the Union that shows President Clinton’s handwritten edits. Records of the Office of Speechwriting. Series: Michael Waldman's Files. View in the National Archives Catalog Draft of 1998 State of the Union that shows President Clinton’s handwritten edits. Records of the Office of Speechwriting. Series: Michael Waldman's Files. 1999 State of the Union We must continue to support security and stability in Europe and Asia, expanding NATO and defining its new missions, maintaining our alliance with Japan, with Korea, with our other Asian allies, and engaging China.President Bill Clinton, 1999 Address to Congress Paul Glastris served as President Clinton’s primary speechwriter from 1998 until 2001. His files for the 1999 State of the Union include ideas, memos, notes, outreach materials, and research into previous SOTUs. These files focus on the themes of crime and education. June Shih was a Presidential Speechwriter from 1998 to 2000. Shih’s files for the 1999 State of the Union Address include background materials, drafts, and correspondence between speechwriters. The files of Michael Waldman, Director of Speechwriting in 1999, include drafts, facts, planning books, policy memos, polls, and quotes. Waldman’s files provide a comprehensive look at the themes in the 1999 State of the Union, including the elderly, foreign policy, and healthcare. Watch the 1999 State of the Union Read a Transcript of the 1999 State of the Union Logistics memo from Jordan Tamagni to Michael Waldman, the Director of Speechwriting requesting review of quotes and statistics for the 1999 State of the Union Address, December 30, 1998. Records of the Office of Speechwriting. Series: Michael Waldman's Files. View in the National Archives Catalog Logistics memo from Jordan Tamagni to Michael Waldman, the Director of Speechwriting requesting review of quotes and statistics for the 1999 State of the Union Address, December 30, 1998. Records of the Office of Speechwriting. Series: Michael Waldman's Files. 2000 State of the Union My fellow Americans, we have crossed the bridge we built to the 21st century. Now, we must shape a 21st century American revolution of opportunity, responsibility, and community.President Bill Clinton, 2000 Address to Congress Terry Edmonds worked as Director of Speechwriting for the 2000 State of the Union. His files contain background (including the final SOTUs of previous Presidents), calendars, correspondence, drafts, outlines, and schedules. Watch the 2000 State of the Union Read a Transcript of the 2000 State of the Union Draft outline for the 2000 State of the Union Address contains handwritten comments. These handwritten comments show the assignments for the various speechwriters, January 8, 2000. Records of the Office of Speechwriting. Series: James (Terry) Edmonds' Files. SOTU [State of the Union] 2K [4]. View in the National Archives Catalog Draft outline for the 2000 State of the Union Address contains handwritten comments. These handwritten comments show the assignments for the various speechwriters, January 8, 2000. Records of the Office of Speechwriting. Series: James (Terry) Edmonds' Files. SOTU [State of the Union] 2K [4]. More Archival Resources Archived Clinton Websites Visit the “State of the Union for Kids” archived website for historical facts on State of the Union messages. The “White House for Kids” section was added to the White House website in 1996. The White House for Kids section of the website was created as a space where children could use the White House website to learn about Presidential history, interesting facts about the First Family, and First Pets. United States House of Representatives Learn more about the history of the State of the Union Address from the United States House of Representatives.