President Clinton discussed the economy and declared that "the era of big government is over," and continued, "but we cannot go back to the time when our citizens were left to fend for themselves.
"[1] The president discussed welfare reform, the V-chip, education, community policing, crime, the environment, foreign relations, and the federal budget.
The Republican Party response was delivered by Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole of Kansas (who would go on to face Clinton in the 1996 presidential election).
President Clinton claims to embrace the future while clinging to the policies of the past.
"[1][2] Donna Shalala, the Secretary of Health and Human Services, served as the designated survivor.