Clinton was reelected in 1996

Clinton was reelected with ease in 1996, helped along by a recovering and strengthening economy. Despite scandal being a constant presence in the White House—a fellow Arkansan who had served in the administration committed suicide; there were rumors of financial irregularities that had occurred in Little Rock; former associates were indicted and found guilty of crimes, and rumors of sexual impropriety involving the president persisted. The electoral vote was 379 to 159, and he won 49 percent of the popular vote to Republican Bob Dole's 41 percent and Ross Perot's 8 percent. Clinton's second term saw a continuation of the economy's robust growth, which finally set a record for the nation's longest peacetime boom. The first balanced budget since 1969 and the highest budget surpluses in the nation's history were being managed by the Clinton administration by 1998. In addition to record high house ownership rates, the thriving economy also resulted in the lowest jobless rate in over 30 years.

Hillary Clinton successfully steered the Foster Care Independence Act through Congress two years after helping to pass the Adoption and Safe Families Act a year later. The Republican Congress was persuaded to support the Balanced Budget Act of 1997 by Bill Clinton. He declared in October 1997 that he was acquiring hearing aids because of age-related hearing loss and prior musical training.