Washington Former President Bill Clintons aides were concerned early in his presidency about the health care overhaul effort, led by his wife, that never passed and a need to soften the image of Hillary Rodham Clinton, according to documents released Friday. Mrs. Clinton now is a potential 2016 presidential contender.
The National Archives released about 4,000 pages of previously confidential documents involving the former presidents administration, providing a glimpse into the struggles of his health care task force, led by the first lady, and other priorities such as the U.S. economy and the North American Free Trade Agreement.
Hillary Clintons potential White House campaign has increased interest in Clinton Presidential Library documents from her husbands administration during the 1990s and her own decades in public service. A former New York senator and secretary of state, Mrs. Clinton is the leading Democratic contender to succeed President Barack Obama, though she has not said whether she will run.
Fridays documents release included memos related to the former presidents ill-fated health care reform proposal in 1993 and 1994, a plan that failed to win support in Congress and turned into a rallying cry for Republicans in the 1994 midterm elections. As first lady, Hillary Clinton chaired her husbands health care task force, largely meeting in secret to develop a plan to provide universal health insurance coverage.
White House aides expressed initial optimism about her ability to help craft and enact a major overhaul of U.S. health care.
The first ladys months of meetings with the Congress has produced a significant amount of trust and confidence by the members in her ability to help produce a viable health reform legislative product with the president, said an undated and unsigned document, which was cataloged with others from April 1993. The document urged quick action, warning that enthusiasm for health reform will fade over time.
But the documents also showed the growing concerns among Clintons fellow Democrats in Congress. Lawmakers, it said, going to their home districts for the August break are petrified about having difficult health care reform issues/questions thrown at them.
By September 1993, Mrs. Clinton acknowledged the obstacles in a Capitol Hill meeting with House and Senate Democratic leaders and committee chairs. I think that, unfortunately, in the glare of the public political process, we may not have as much time as we need for that kind of thoughtful reflection and research, the first lady said, citing this period of challenge.
The documents also include detailed media strategy memos written as aides tried to soften Mrs. Clintons image.
Her press secretary, Lisa Caputo, encouraged the Clintons to capitalize on their 20th wedding anniversary as a wonderful opportunity for Hillary and also suggested she spend more time doing White House events celebrating first ladies of the past.
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