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1FarewellAddressBillClintonMyfellowcitizens,tonightismylastopportunitytospeaktoyoufromtheOvalOfficeasyourPresident.Iamprofoundlygratefultoyoufortwicegivingmethehonortoserve–toworkforyouandwithyoutoprepareournationforthe21stcentury.AndI’mgratefultoVicePresidentGore,tomyCabinetSecretaries,andtoallthosewhohaveservedwithmeforthelasteightyears.Thishasbeenatimeofdramatictransformation,andyouhaverisentoeverynewchallenge.Youhavemadeoursocialfabricstronger,ourfamilieshealthierandsafer,ourpeoplemoreprosperous.You,theAmericanpeople,havemadeourpassageintotheglobalinformationageaneraofgreatAmericanrenewal.InalltheworkIhavedoneasPresident—everydecisionIhavemade,everyexecutiveactionIhavetaken,everybillIhaveproposedandsigned,I’vetriedtogiveallAmericansthetoolsandconditionstobuildthefutureofourdreamsinagoodsociety,withastrongeconomy,acleanerenvironment,andafreer,safer,moreprosperousworld.Ihavesteeredmycoursebyourenduringvalues--opportunityforall,responsibilityfromall,acommunityofall.Americans.IhavesoughttogiveAmericaanewkindofgovernment,smaller,moremodern,moreeffective,fullofideasandpoliciesappropriatetothisnewtime,alwaysputtingpeoplefirst,alwaysfocusingonthefutureWorkingtogether,Americahasdonewell.Oureconomyisbreakingrecords,withmorethan22millionnewjobs,thelowestunemploymentin30years,thehighesthomeownershipever,thelongestexpansioninhistory.Ourfamiliesandcommunitiesarestronger.Thirty-fivemillionAmericanshaveusedtheFamilyLeavelaw;8millionhavemovedoffwelfare.Crimeisata25-yearlow.Over10millionAmericansreceivemorecollegeaid,andmorepeoplethaneveraregoingtocollege.Ourschoolsarebetter.Higherstandards,greateraccountabilityandlargerinvestmentshavebroughthighertestscoresandhighergraduationrates.Morethan3millionchildrenhavehealthinsurancenow,andmorethan7millionAmericanshavebeenliftedoutofofpoverty.Incomesarerisingacrosstheboard.Ourfoodanddrinkingwateraresaver.AndmoreofourpreciouslandhasbeenpreservedinthecontinentalUnitedStatesthanatanytimeanahundredyears.Americahasbeenaforceforpeaceandprosperityineverycorneroftheglobe.I’mverygratefultobeabletoturnoverthereinsofleadershiptoanewPresidentwithAmericainsuchastrongpositiontomeetthechallengesofthefuture.TonightIwanttoleaveyouwiththreethoughtsaboutourfuture.First,Americamustmaintainourrecordoffiscalresponsibility.Throughourlastfourbudgetswe’veturnedrecorddeficitstorecordsurpluses,andwe’vebeenabletopaydown$600billionofournationaldebt,ontracktobedebt-freebytheendofthedecadeforthefirsttimesince1835.Stayingonthatcoursewillbringlowerinterestrates,greaterprosperity,andtheopportunitytomeetourbigchallenges.Ifwechoosewisely,wecanpaydownthedebt,dealwiththeretirementofthebabyboomers,investmoreinourfuture,andprovidetaxrelief.Second,becausetheworldismoreconnectedeveryday，ineveryway，America’ssecurityandprosperityrequireustocontitunetoleadintheworld.Atthisremarkablemomentin2history,morepeopleliveinfreedomthaneverbefore.Ouralliancesarestrongerthanever.PeopleallaroundtheworldlooktoAmericatobeaforceforpeaceandprosperity,freedomandsecurity.Theglobaleconomyisgivingmoreofourownpeopleandbillionsaroundtheworldthechancetoworkandliveandraisetheirfamilieswithdignity.Buttheforcesofintegrationthathavecreatedthesegoodopportunitiesalsomakeusmoresubjecttoglobalforcesofdestruction,toterrorism,organizedcrimeandnarco-trafficking,thespreadofdeadlyweaponsanddisease,thedegradationoftheglobalenvironment.Theexpansionoftradehasn’tfullyclosedthegapbetweenthoseofuswholiveonthecuttingedgeoftheglobaleconomyandthebillionsaroundtheworldwholiveontheknife’sedgeofsurvival.Thisglobalgaprequiresmorethancompassion;itrequiresaction.Globalpovertyisapowderkegthatcouldbeignitedbyourindifference.Inhisfirstinauguraladdress,ThomasJeffersonwarnedofentanglingalliances.Butinourtimes.Americacannot,andmustnot,disentangleitselffromtheworldd.Ifwewanttheworldtoembodyoursharedvalues,thenwemustassumeasharedresponsibility.Ifthewarsofthe20thcentury,especiallytherecentonesinKosovoandBosnia,havetaughtusanything,itisthatweachieveouraimsbydefendingourvalues,andlaedingtheforcesoffreedomandpeace.Wemustembraceboldlyandresolutelythatdutytolead,tostandwithouralliesinwordanddeed,andtoputahumanfaceontheglobaleconomy,sothatexpandedtradebenefitsallpeoplesinallnations,liftinglivesandhopesallacrosstheworld.Third,wemustrememberthatAmericacannotleadintheworldunlesshereathomeweweavethethreadsofourcoatofmanycolorsintothefabricofoneAmerica.Aswebecomeevermorediverse,wemustworkhardertounitearoundourcommonvaluesandourcommonhumanity.Wemustworkhardertoovercomeourdifferences,inourheartsandinourlaws.Wemusttreatallourpeoplewithfairnessanddignity,regardlessoftheirrace,religion,genderorsexualorientation,andregardlessofwhentheyarrivedinourcountry___alwaysmovingtowardthemoreperfectunionofourfounders’dreams.Hillary,ChelseaandIjionallAmericansinwishingourverybesttothenextPresident,GeorgeW.Bush,tohisfamilyandhisadministration,inmeetingthesechallenges,andinleadingfreedom’smarchinthisnewcentury.Asforme,I’llleavethepresidencymoreidealistic,morefullofhopethanthedayIarrived,andmoreconfidentthanevertha