The 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 Clinton
President Clinton, speechwriters, and advisors editing the SOTU in the Family Theater on January 23, 1996
This is a 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.
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.
Learn more about the 1996 State of the Union on YouTube and from this transcript.