1985 State of the Union Address 1985 State of the Union Address The 1985 State of the Union address was given by President Ronald Reagan to a joint session of the 99th United States Congress on February 6, 1985. The speech was the first State of the Union address of President Reagan's second term, and his fifth altogether. He stated, "Our progress began not in Washington, DC, but in the hearts of our families, communities, workplaces, and voluntary groups which, together, are unleashing the invincible spirit of one great nation under God." He believed that volunteerism was a key element to the American community. The president
1995 State of the Union Address history. The president acknowledged many Americans of past and present in his speech. Among them were: The Republican Party response was delivered by Governor Christine Todd Whitman of New Jersey. This was the first response given exclusively by a state governor and, delivered in Trenton, the first outside Washington, DC. Conservative William Kristol called the address the "most conservative State of the Union by a Democratic president in history." Federico Peña, the Secretary of Transportation, served as the designated survivor. 1995 State of the Union Address The 1995 State of the Union address was given by President Bill Clinton to