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 The Oval Office is where the President does the business of the country--signing bills and Executive Orders and meeting with staff, visitors, and guests. The Oval Office changes with each Administration, as each President brings personal mementos and favorite furniture or artwork, and each makes selections from the White House art collection. President Clinton chose to use the Resolute Desk, made from the timbers of the British ship, the HMS Resolute. Every President from President Hayes through President Dwight D. Eisenhower used the desk; it was first placed in the Oval Office in 1961 at the request of President John F. Kennedy. After being on exhibit for ten years at the Smithsonian Institution, the Resolute was put back into use by President Jimmy Carter. The Resolute was also used in the Oval Office by President Ronald Reagan and for a few months by President George Bush. On January 20, 1993, this historic desk was returned to the Oval Office once again, at the request of President Clinton. For almost two hundred years, the White House has stood as a symbol of the Presidency, the United States government, and the American people. Its history, and the history of the nation’s capital, began when President George Washington signed an Act of Congress in December of 1790 declaring that the federal government would reside in a district "not exceeding ten miles square…on the river Potomac." President Washington chose the site for the new residence, which is now 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. As preparations began for the new federal city, a competition was held to find a builder of the "President’s House." Although President Washington oversaw the construction of the house, he never lived in it. It was not until 1800, when the White House was nearly completed, that its first residents, President John Adams and his wife, Abigail, moved in. Since that time, each President has made his own changes and additions. The White House is, after all, the President’s private home. It is also the only private residence of a head of state that is open to the public, free of charge. The president would refocus America''s policy in Asia on friends and allies Would redefine relationship between China and U.S. as one of competitors, not strategic partners Supports ''one-China'' policy Supports the Taiwan Relations Act Supports the Taiwan Security Enhancement Act Opposes any further IMF loans to Russia Would work with Russia to achieve verifiable strategic arms reduction and prevent the spread of nuclear weapons Would press Moscow for an accurate inventory of all Russian nuclear material Would substantially increase funding for the Nunn-Lugar program in order to dismantle as many of Russia''s nuclear weapons as possible, as quickly as possible Would redirect American assistance, investment and loans to the Russian people, not to the bank accounts of corrupt officials Supports reaching out to a new generation of Russians through educational exchanges and programs to support the rule of law and a civil society. a list of american presidents with information about them
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