Clinton's Forgotten Agenda

Bill Clinton, Monica Lewinsky and a whole cast of characters have filled the newspapers for the past several weeks with all the makings of a tabloid soap opera: sex, lies, videotape and a huge media frenzy. Yet, though the recent accusations may be sensational, it is important to remember that they are nothing more than speculation at this point. We simply don't yet know the facts of the case. They may not be fully available for months or years, if ever. Until we know more, any attempt to pass judgment on the President rests on little more than speculation, hype and an assumption of guilt.

Unfortunately, despite the recent media focus on the President, little attention has been paid to the most important thing of all: his agenda. Poll after poll shows that the American people believe the President's policy agenda is far more important than the alleged scandal. Last week, according to a CBS poll, the President's job approval rating was at a remarkable 73 percent soon after his State of the Union address. A majority of the American people seem to strongly support the President's policy agenda. In the coming months, our biggest concern should be that the recent saga will diminish the President's ability to implement it.

In his State of the Union address, Clinton outlined a plan of action in virtually every public policy area, including health care, social security, education and training, child care and campaign finance reform.

Clinton's agenda focuses on improving American education at all levels, from elementary school to college and beyond. He has already expanded Pell Grants and made the interest on student loans tax-deductible to make college more affordable and accessible. One of his proposals would reduce class sizes in the first to third grades by hiring more teachers and providing a school construction tax cut. He has also proposed a G.I. Bill for Workers, consolidating the multitude of federal job training programs into one skills grant to give unemployed workers the flexibility to choose the most suitable training program.

In health and child care policy, Clinton proposed an increase in the tobacco tax, an extension of the Family and Medical Leave Act to cover more workers and a Consumer Bill of Rights to empower patients and to end abusive practices by health insurance companies and HMOs. To ensure that Americans do not have to choose between their jobs and their children, the President proposed child care tax credits for working families and for businesses that provide child care for their employees. These proposals are crucial in helping ensure that welfare reform does not throw millions of our nation's poorest deeper into poverty.

As to campaign finance reform, which is long overdue, the President asked Congress to pass the McCain-Feingold bill to end the soft-money loophole which currently enables large and corrupting donations to funnel into national parties. Clinton also announced that he will ask the Federal Communications Commission to provide free or reduced-cost television time for candidates who voluntarily observe spending limits. These relatively modest proposals are the least that Congress can do to fix our broken campaign finance system.

The President also called on Congress to use any budget surpluses over the next few years to shore up the social security system. While the President should be commended for calling attention to this problem, it is important to note that the surpluses will not alone ensure the long-term solvency of social security. The President should propose a more fundamental restructuring of the program, coupled with a call for greater sacrifices today to ensure the survival of a strong safety net for our generation 50 years from now.

In the realm of foreign policy, the President rightly criticized Congress for our long-standing debt to the United Nations. As a world leader, the United States should be setting an example. Our refusal to pay our debts to the UN is an international disgrace. The UN is certainly far from perfect, but we should not be held hostage by a handful of right-wing extremists who believe we should have no part in the organization.

In the past few years, President Clinton has often been accused of not focusing on "big issues," but given political realities and the partisan nature of the current Congress, he is pursuing a prudent and well-thought-out course of action. If implemented, the plethora of relatively small-scale initiatives in his State of the Union message, when put together, will make a decisive impact on people's lives. For everyone, from students who need loans for college to parents who need child care, Clinton's proposals broaden the circle of opportunity and give people the tools they need to take control of their lives. When the current scandal fades, our future is what will matter.

Michael J. Passante '99 is president of the Harvard-Radcliffe College Democrats. Members of the College Democrats' executive board contributed to this article.