Pres. Clinton was subpoenaed for possible dealings with the Whitewater Development Corp., which was part of the savings and loan scandal of 1989. On June 14 the U.S. Congress approved the beginning of hearings on this issue.
The U.S. launched its ambitious Clementine space project. A joint effort between the Strategic Defense Command and NASA, this lunar exploration lasted seven months, costing at least $175 million.
Clinton arranged for a visa for IRA leader Gerry Adams to visit the U.S. He had previously been denied a visa because of his links to IRA violence. On Oct. 3 the U.S. lifted the ban on communications between the U.S. government and Sinn Fein, the political wing of the IRA, because of Sinn Fein's Aug. 31 cease-fire declaration.
The chief of naval operations, Admiral Frank B. Kelso II, announced his plans for early retirement over charges stemming from the Tailhook sexual harassment scandal.
The National African-American Leadership Summit met in Baltimore. The meeting attracted a broad cross section of black civil rights and political leaders.
The U.S. announced an end to allowing Cuban refugees to enter the country, though many continued to try. On Sept. 9 the U.S. agreed to accept a limited number of Cuban refugees per year.
More than 300 Republican candidates for the U.S. House of Representatives met outside the Capitol building in Washington, DC, and signed what they called a “Contract with America,” a 10-point plan of conservative reforms designed to reverse expenditures for social welfare, “get tough on crime,” and add a balanced budget amendment to the constitution, among other objectives. GOP candidates for the U.S. Senate endorsed a similar plan.
Dee Dee Myers, the first woman and the youngest person to hold the post of White House press secretary, resigned, citing the difficulties confronting women and particularly young women in top-level government positions.
