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
1996 State of the Union Address 1996 State of the Union Address The 1996 State of the Union address was given by President Bill Clinton to a joint session of the 104th United States Congress on Tuesday, January 23, 1996. The speech was the last State of the Union address of President Clinton's first term. This speech occurred shortly after the federal government shutdown of 1995 and 1996 which had resulted from disagreements on the 1996 United States federal budget. President Clinton discussed the economy and declared that "the era of big government is over," and continued, "but we cannot go back to the time when