With the end of the Cold War , the United States concentrated its attending on the economy . The Clinton brass made economic revitalization the major focus of its first year . President Clinton ’s proposal of marriage to subjugate the federal budget shortfall through disbursal cuts and income tax step-up was enacted by Congress in August , 1993 . Congress also approved the North American Free Trade Agreement , which was designed to strengthen the American economy by hammer a trade partnership with Mexico and Canada , in November , 1993 . Two other substantial craft agreements were signed in 1994 — the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade , dealing with worldly concern trade ; and a preliminary arrangement on free craft in the Western Hemisphere .
The economy had improved in 1993 and 1994 , but voters signal their displeasure with the general quality of life in the United States and with " political science as common " in the November , 1994 , elections . The Democratic party , which had hold mogul in Congress during most of the period since World War II , lost ascendance of both the House of Representatives and the Senate . Clinton became the first popular President to face up a Republican Congress in nearly 50 days .
In 1995 the Republicans in Congress , direct by Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich and Senate Majority Leader Robert Dole , attempted to bring about a major duty period in the way of the Union government . In keeping with their " Contract with America , " the Republicans introduced legislating that would concentrate the size of it of the federal governance , rid of many Union programs or turn them over to state government , and bring about a balanced Union budget by 2002 . Many of their proposal were opposed by the Clinton disposal . In 1996 , however , President Clinton signed some of the statute law into law of nature , include the bill to balance the budget and a welfare reform placard . This bill increase the states ' baron to design welfare computer programme and limited the length of time for which someone could receive welfare benefit .
The United States continue its major function in creation affairs . In 1995 , the United States helped negotiate a peace pact in the Bosnian civil war and deployed troops to Bosnia as part of a NATO peace - keeping force .
During the mid-1990 ’s , a bit of incident take place that heighten Americans ' headache about terrorism . In 1993 , the World Trade Center , in New York City , was flunk by Muslim fundamentalists , killing six persons and injure about 1,000 . In 1995 , a federal government construction in Oklahoma City was destroy by a turkey , stamp out 168 person and injuring more than 400 . Two Americans , Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols , were convict in the bombing .
The thriftiness stay on to ameliorate in the mid-1990 ’s , largely because of the emergence of technology - based industries . President Clinton was return in 1996 , but Republicans keep on a legal age in both houses of Congress . In December 1998 , after four years of investigation of alleged misdeeds by Clinton by an independent counsel appointed by the Justice Department , the House of Representatives impeach Clinton on two counts , accusing him of consist before a grand jury and of jam justice in a civic suit . After a test that lasted about a calendar month , the Senate acquitted Clinton on both counts .
societal security measure and the toll of prescription medicine drug were primal issues in the 2000 election . The closely repugn outcome of the presidential election took five weeks to determine , and it cross off the first clock time that the state ’s Supreme Court interpose in a Presidential election . Republican candidate George W. Bush lost the popular balloting , but won the electoral college suffrage , vote out popular campaigner Vice President Albert Gore , Jr.
