Hillary Rodham Clinton speaks about her health care plan at the Capitol building in 1993

He appointed his wife, first lady Hillary Rodham Clinton, to lead a committee to develop the plan. Critics argued that the plan would lead to socialized medicine. In the end, lawmakers decided that the plan would cost too much and would be too difficult to administer.

But President Clinton found support on other issues, including crime-fighting legislation. The measure included money for hiring more police officers and building more prisons.

Congress also passed his budgets for nineteen ninety-three and ninety-four that reduced federal spending.

But Clinton’s relations with Congress became more difficult after the nineteen ninety-four congressional elections. The fight over health care and other issues had only led to greater dissatisfaction with Washington. The elections were a big defeat for the Democrats in Congress.

FRANK SESNO: “A rising tide lifts all boats, or so they say, and Republicans are sailing right to victory in the House of Representatives, CNN estimating that the Republicans will take more than enough seats to take control of the House of Representatives for the first time in forty years, and here’s what’s interesting: It is cutting across all regions, it is cutting across all ages, it is cutting across literally all the candidates.”

CNN reporter Frank Sesno.