Politics: Presidents in the 1990’s
By: A.W.
During the 1990’s the 41st and 42nd presidents, of the US, were in office. The 41st president was George Bush. He was president from1989 to 1993. The 42nd president was Bill Clinton. He was president from 1993 to 2001. Both helped the country in their own way.
George H. W. Bush
President Bush was elected president on January 20th, 1989. He was only in office during the 1990’s for three years. But, during those few years he accomplished many things.
In 1990 he signed a treaty with Mikhail Gorbachev, of the Soviet Union, eliminating the production of chemical weapon production. This treaty also started the destruction of any of these weapons already in the possession of these countries. Bush’s “greatest presidential success” is thought to be his response to the Iraqi president, Saddam Hussein’s invasion of Kuwait. Bush responded by leading a military strike that drove him out of the country, during 1990. Also during 1990, Bush signed in a law that enlarged Tumacacori National Monument and made it a Historical Park.
In 1991, William “Bill” Jefferson Clinton announced that he planned to run against Bush, for president, the following year. In 1993, there was a three way “race” in the presidential election. It was between the Democratic candidate Bill Clinton, the reform party’s candidate H. Ross Perot, and the former President George H. W. Bush. Bill Clinton ended up winning the election.
William “Bill” Clinton
President Bill Clinton was elected in 1993 after President George H. W. Bush. That year Clinton signed the “Don’t ask, don’t tell” law. This law prohibited any individually in the military from being openly or stating that they are gay or bisexual. It, as well, prohibited anyone from asking that individual if they are gay or bisexual. That same year Clinton also ordered a missile attack on the Iraqi headquarters, as a retaliation for the attempted assassination on former President George H. W. Bush.
During his time served as president, Clinton faced many problems. On of which was the economy. As a result, Clinton revealed his economic plan in 1993. He also signed the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act, as he tried to face another great problem, violence. Clinton continued to face this problem in 1994, as he signed the Assault Weapons Ban. This banned the use of these weapons for ten years.
In 1995, Clinton had emergency powers extend a loan of twenty billion dollars to Mexico. This was to prevent an economic disaster that started at the end of 1994. Later that year the president of South Korea, Kim Yong-sam, and Clinton held ceremonies dedicating The Korean War Memorial (in Washington), to those who fought so bravely.
The Summer Olympics took place in Atlanta, Georgia, in 1996, was opened by President Clinton. That same year there was another presidential election. In which Clinton won and began his second term serving as the President of the United States. In 1997, Clinton bared the funding for research in human cloning.
The greatest thing of Clinton’s career happened in 1998 when he is accused of sexual harassment. This began the Monica Lewinsky scandal. Paula Jones had accused and sued Clinton for sexual harassment against Monica Lewinsky. He had denied any relationship with Lewinsky. This scandal lead to his impeachment, which was later “acquitted” by the US Senate, determining him not guilty. Clinton was the second president to be impeached.
Although these are only a few facts and examples of the impacts these presidents had on the 1990’s, they greatly helped and hurt the nation during their terms as president.