June 1998

[admin]

Here’s a concise overview of key activities and events involving the Clinton administration and Democrats in June 1998:Major Political & Legislative FocusMicrosoft Antitrust Case Escalates: On May 18, 1998, the Justice Department (under Janet Reno) and 20 states filed a major antitrust lawsuit against Microsoft. Throughout June, this became a dominant issue for the Clinton DOJ. Preparations for the case intensified, with significant media coverage criticizing or defending the administration’s aggressive stance against Bill Gates’ company.
Patients’ Bill of Rights: Democrats in Congress, led by Ted Kennedy and Dick Gephardt, aggressively pushed the “Patients’ Bill of Rights” legislation. In June, House and Senate Democrats held multiple press events and introduced competing versions to the weaker Republican plan. Clinton strongly endorsed the Democratic version and threatened vetoes of GOP alternatives.
Tobacco Legislation Collapse: The massive McCain tobacco bill (supported by Clinton) effectively died in the Senate in mid-June 1998 after Republican opposition and intense lobbying. Clinton and Democrats blamed Republicans for killing a bill that would have raised cigarette prices and funded anti-smoking campaigns. This became a major Democratic talking point heading into the 1998 midterms.

Monica Lewinsky / Independent Counsel InvestigationJune 1998 was a relatively quiet month publicly on the Lewinsky front compared to January–May, but behind the scenes Kenneth Starr’s investigation continued aggressively:June 2: Grand jury testimony from Clinton aides (e.g., Nancy Hernreich).
June 9: Secret Service personnel testified (after a Supreme Court ruling in late May rejected their privilege claims).
June 25: Clinton’s personal secretary Betty Currie testified again.

The White House and Democratic operatives were in full damage-control mode, portraying Starr’s probe as partisan overreach.

Clinton’s Domestic & International ActivitiesJune 1–5: Clinton made a high-profile trip to the West Coast (fundraisers in California, Oregon; commencement address at MIT).
June 10: Signed the “Deadbeat Parents Punishment Act” expansion.
June 11: Issued a historic apology for the Tuskegee syphilis study (40th anniversary event with survivors).
June 25–July 2: State visit to China — one of the most significant foreign trips of Clinton’s second term (visits to Xi’an, Beijing, Shanghai, Guilin, Hong Kong; summit with Jiang Zemin). Democrats praised the engagement policy; Republicans heavily criticized Clinton for being soft on China’s human-rights record.

Democratic Party & Midterm StrategyJune 1998 marked the kick-off of serious 1998 midterm campaigning. Democrats were surprisingly optimistic (defying usual midterm losses for the president’s party) largely because:The economy was booming.
Clinton’s approval ratings remained above 60% despite the Lewinsky scandal.
Republicans were seen as overreaching with impeachment threats.

DCCC and DSCC fundraising events in June repeatedly used the “Patients’ Bill of Rights,” education funding, and Social Security protection as core messages.

Other Notable June 1998 EventsJune 4: Clinton vetoed a bill that would have canceled $250 million in UN arrears unless abortion-related restrictions were imposed.
June 22: Supreme Court ruled 6–3 in Clinton v. City of New York that the Line Item Veto Act (signed by Clinton in 1996) was unconstitutional — a legal defeat for the administration.
Ongoing IRS reform legislation (passed House in 1997, Senate debates continued into summer).

In short: June 1998 was a month of aggressive Democratic legislative pushes (health care, tobacco), continued Lewinsky-related legal maneuvering behind the scenes, the high-profile China trip, and early optimism among Democrats that they could defy historical midterm trends — which they ultimately did in November 1998 (gaining House seats for the first time for an incumbent president’s party since 1822).

https://x.com/i/grok/share/uB5ak3fEaEu9QrDp0BMhvO1s9