Clinton Eyes The Women's Vote

January 29, 1996

TIME Magazine

WASHINGTON -- President Bill Clinton intensified his campaign Monday to woo the women's vote by launching a multimillion-dollar private initiative to stem teen pregnany and by naming failed Surgeon General nominee Dr. Henry Foster as his special advisor on the subject. He also released a new study on the explosion in women-owned businesses.

While traditionally Democratic women's groups will surely applaud the teen initative, it may become a lightning rod for Republicans who rejected Foster's nomination last year because of controversy about abortions he performed as a Tennessee obstetrician. White House Press Secretary Mike McCurry said the new group probably will urge teens to use contraceptives if they have sex, a position sure to draw fire from the Christian Right.

Less controversial, the administration study on women-owned businesses gives Clinton an opportunity to appeal to an affluent slice of women voters. Between 1992 and 1994, the study found, the number of women-owned businesses grew from 6.4 million to 7.7 million, becoming a driving a force behind economic growth and job creation. Still, the study concluded: "Women-owned businesses face signficant obstacles, including limited access to capital, difficulty in competing for government contracts and lack of information about where to get assistance.

Copyright © 1997 AllPolitics All Rights Reserved
Terms under which this information is provided to you