President Clinton salutes the traditions of Jewish Americans -- traditions that embody the values that make America a great nation. The President shares with Jewish Americans their commitment to strong families, respect for education, and a strong Israel. The President supports the principle of religious liberty and he is protecting the rights of all Americans to practice their religion freely. He is working to create greater opportunity for Jews and for all Americans by:

	Signing the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, protecting the right of all Americans to practice their religion freely.
	Signing the Violence Against Women Act -- our nation’s first effort to reduce violence against women.
	Strengthening our investment in education by expanding Head Start, by signing the Goals 2000 Act, School to Work Act, Gun-Free Schools Act, Safe and Drug-Free Schools Act, and by working to link America’s classrooms to the Information Superhighway by the year 2000.
	Increasing access to college by reforming student loans, by creating AmeriCorps, and by expanding Pell Grants.
	Reversing the Gag Rule during his first week in office to provide women who use federally-funded clinics with the information they need to make informed reproductive choices, and signing the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act, which is now being implemented by the Department of Justice to ensure clinic safety.
	Making citizenship a reality for more people -- nearly 500,000 new citizens were sworn in during the last fiscal year.
	Making our streets safer by adding 100,000 police, by signing the Brady Bill, and by enacting the Assault Weapons Ban, as part of the President’s Crime Bill.
	Signing the Family and Medical Leave Act to enable workers to take up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave to care for a family member without fear of losing their jobs.
	Winning enactment of the largest deficit cutting plan in history -- cutting the deficit by more than half within four years. Our growing economy has created 10.5 million new jobs. We have the lowest combined rate of unemployment, inflation, and mortgage rates since 1968 and the highest level of home ownership in 15 years.
	Expanding the Earned Income Tax Credit to provide tax relief to 15 million working families.
	Ending welfare as we know it by signing the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Act. This bill includes time-limits and work requirements, gives states incentives to create jobs for welfare recipients, increases funding for child care, strengthens child support enforcement, and maintains the federal guarantee of nutrition programs and Medicaid coverage for pregnant women, children, and the disabled. Even before signing national welfare reform, the Clinton Administration granted waivers to 43 states to reform welfare on their own -- making work and responsibility a way of life for 75 percent of all welfare recipients.
	Increasing breast cancer research by 65 percent.
	Hiring more women to top government positions than any previous Administration -- 42 percent of the President’s appointees are women, six women hold Cabinet-level positions and 59 percent of President Clinton’s judicial nominees are women.
	Signing the Health Insurance Reform Act (Kassebaum-Kennedy Bill) which expands and protects access to health insurance by limiting exclusions for pre-existing conditions and allowing individuals to take their health insurance with them when they change or lose their jobs.
	Fighting for and signing into law the first increase in the minimum wage in five years to reward work and responsibility.
	Appointing Jewish Americans to the highest levels of his Administration, including his Cabinet: Secretary of Commerce, Mickey Kantor, Secretary of Labor, Robert Reich, Secretary of Agriculture, Dan Glickman, and U.S. Trade Representative, Charlene Barshefsky.

Standing with Israel

Under President Clinton’s leadership, the United States remains the world’s greatest force for peace, freedom, and democracy. President Clinton is working to keep the bond between Israel and the United States strong and vital by:

	Pushing for economic and military aid legislation that is so critical to the security of Israel.
	Championing peace efforts in the Middle East by negotiating the Israel-Jordan Peace Treaty and helping Israelis and Palestinians conclude and fulfill their first-ever peace agreement.
	Creating the U.S.-Israel Science and Technology Commission that is establishing unprecedented bilateral high-tech, scientific, and industrial cooperation.
	Organizing the March 1996 Summit of the Peacemakers in Egypt with 29 world and regional leaders to support the Middle East peace process and to counter terrorism.
	Negotiating a written agreement to end Hezbollah attacks on Israel and providing for restoration of calm, while protecting civilians on both sides of the Lebanon-Israel border.

Building on Our Progress

The Clinton Administration is committed to working with Jewish Americans to build a better future for our country and for our children. The President will continue to provide greater opportunity by:

	Fighting to balance the budget, while protecting our values and preserving our commitment to strengthen Medicare, Medicaid, education, and the environment.
	Proposing his Hope Scholarship Plan to make the first two years of college as universally available as high school. All students would receive a $1,500 refundable tax credit for full-time tuition in their first year and another $1,500 in the second year if they work hard, stay off drugs, and earn at least a B average in their first year. This $1,500 tax credit would pay for more than the full tuition cost at the average community college, making community college free for most students.
	Calling for a tax deduction of up to $10,000 per year for the cost of college tuition and training. More than 17 million students and more than 14 million working families stand to benefit from this proposal for tax relief for working families.
	Reforming affirmative action programs because President Clinton believes we need to mend affirmative action, not end it.
	Remaining a full and reliable partner of Israel.