Hillary Rodham Clinton

Clinton’s love for art, especially sculpture, made her initiate Save America’s Treasures program. She was Founding Chair of the program, a national effort that matched federal funds to private donations to preserve and restore historic items and sites, including the flag that inspired “The Star-Spangled Banner” and the First Ladies Historic Site in Canton, Ohio. She was head of the White House Millennium Council, and hosted Millennium Evenings, a series of lectures that discussed futures studies, one of which became the first live simultaneous webcast from the White House. Clinton also created the first Sculpture Garden there, which displayed large contemporary American works of art loaned from museums in the Jacqueline Kennedy Garden. In the White House, Clinton placed donated handicrafts of contemporary American artisans, such as pottery and glassware, on rotating display in the state rooms.

Clinton became the first First Lady of the United States to be a candidate for elected office. Clinton won the election on November 7, 2000, with 55 percent of the vote. She was sworn in as United States Senator on January 3, 2001. Clinton has served on five Senate committees: Committee on Budget (2001–2002), Committee on Armed Services (since 2003), Committee on Environment and Public Works (since 2001), Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (since 2001) and Special Committee on Aging. She is also a Commissioner of the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe(since 2001).

After the September 11, 2001, attacks, Clinton sought to obtain funding for the recovery efforts in New York City and security improvements in her state. She subsequently took a leading role in investigating the health issues faced by 9/11 first responders. Clinton strongly supported the 2001 U.S. military action in Afghanistan, saying it was a chance to combat terrorism while improving the lives of Afghan women who suffered under the Taliban government. Clinton voted in favor of the October 2002 Iraq War Resolution, which authorized United States President George W. Bush to use military force against Iraq.

Senator Clinton voted against President Bush’s two major tax cut packages, the Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001 and the Jobs and Growth Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2003. Clinton voted against the 2005 confirmation of John G. Roberts as Chief Justice of the United States and the 2006 confirmation of Samuel Alito to the United States Supreme Court.

In 2005, Clinton called for the Federal Trade Commission to investigate how hidden sex scenes showed up in the controversial video game Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. Along with Senators Joe Lieberman and Evan Bayh, she introduced the Family Entertainment Protection Act, intended to protect children from inappropriate content found in video games. In 2004 and 2006, Clinton voted against the Federal Marriage Amendment that sought to prohibit same-sex marriage.

She won the election for second Senate term on November 7, 2006, with 67 percent of the vote. In her second term Clinton opposed the Iraq War troop surge of 2007. Clinton had been preparing for a potential candidacy for United States President since at least early 2003. No woman had ever been nominated by a major party for President of the United States. She announced her intentions to run for President of the United States on 20 January 2007 by forming a exploratory committee. She was supported by many celebrities for her 2008 presidential campaign – Steven Spielberg, Candice Bergen, Michael Douglas, Madonna, Reese Witherspoon, Melissa Etheridge, America Ferrera, Rob Reiner, Martha Stewart, John Grisham, Janet Jackson, Hugh M. Hefner, Elizabeth Taylor, Rosie O’Donnell, Sir Elton John and Jerry Springer. Sir Elton John raised $2.5m for her 2008 presidential campaign with a concert at New York’s Radio City Music Hall.

In the 2008 presidential nomination race, Hillary Clinton won more primaries and delegates than any other female candidate in American history, but narrowly lost to Senator Barack Obama. As Secretary of State, Clinton became the first former First Lady to serve in a president’s cabinet. She is the 67th United States Secretary of State, serving in the administration of President Barack Obama.

Clinton has received many awards and honors during her career from American and international organizations for her activities concerning health, women, and children. Between 1992 and 2008, the former First Lady appeared on 24 covers of Time magazine setting a record unmatched by any other woman. Received the “Best Spoken Word Album” Grammy Award in 1997 for the recording of her book “It Takes A Village: And Other Lessons Children Teach Us”. “Living History”, her 2003 memoir of her life with President Bill Clinton, including his relationship with Monica Lewinsky, is the fastest selling non-fiction book ever. She even pardodied the closing scene of “Made in America”, the series finale of “The Sopranos” (1999), for her presidential campaign, entering a diner followed by her husband and daughter (June 2007).