[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 1 (Tuesday, January 25, 1994)]
[Senate]
[Page S]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: January 25, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
                  THE 2D SESSION OF THE 103D CONGRESS

  Mr. DOLE. Mr. President, I join with my friend, the distinguished 
majority leader, in welcoming back our colleagues and also our Senate 
Chaplain, Reverend Halverson, to the 2d session of the 103d Congress.
  I share the views expressed by the majority leader with reference to 
southern California. I have just spoken to Governor Wilson by telephone 
30 minutes ago. He indicated his interest and his concern about not 
moving so quickly that we do not have the accurate figures. But I 
assure my colleagues from California and the House delegation that the 
Republican leader will be happy to work with them.
  We do have an ambitious agenda to tackle this session, and we are 
ready to roll up our sleeves and go to work.
  I think everybody who went home during the recess got a pretty good 
idea what the American people are thinking about. I think the first 
thing they are thinking about is crime. The American people want 
decisive action on crime in America.
  There is also concern about welfare reform and, obviously, concern 
about health care reform.
  I think one thing that I, at least, picked up when I went home is 
that people reflect time and again that we have the best health care 
system in the world; let us not try to mess it up; it is the envy of 
the world. I think we need to be careful as we look at health care 
reform.
  And I would hope the President tonight would embrace the Senate-
passed crime bill and say this is a good bill. There are some 
provisions that probably are not that good. But I think primarily there 
are a lot of good provisions with reference to the victims of crime and 
also those who commit crimes with a gun, those who commit three violent 
crimes, and death for drug kingpins. There are a lot of good provisions 
that I think would stem the tide and indicate that we are serious about 
doing something.
  But, when it comes to spending taxpayers' dollars, of course we are 
going to have the balanced budget debate. I see one of the principal 
sponsors on the floor. That will take some time, as I understand it, 
looking at the Presiding Officer. I am not certain where the votes are. 
But, in addition, we have a 50-point plan on this side that we will be 
talking about, a 50-point plan to save $50 billion during the next 5 
years.
  And with reference to the deficit, it is forecast to be $180 billion, 
about $100 billion lower than expected. I think it is well to 
understand where the $180 billion came from: $50 billion came from new 
taxes, imposed by our colleagues on the other side of the aisle; only 
about $5 billion in spending cuts; the rest of it was reestimates, $38 
billion alone in reestimating the savings and loan costs.
  So, reestimates and $5 billion in cuts, and 10 to 1 in taxes is how 
that deficit has been reduced. I assume if you raise taxes enough, you 
probably will reduce the deficit some.
  We stand ready with our colleagues on the other side of the aisle, as 
we did on the North American Free-Trade Agreement, not only to 
cooperate but to vote and support the majority leader in every way we 
can. And when we have fundamental differences, it is our obligation as 
the minority, just as it was when the Democrats were in the minority, 
it is our obligation not just to oppose but to provide alternatives. 
Try to work it out, try to help, but where we have a basic, fundamental 
difference in principle then we will flatly oppose efforts if we think 
they are taking America in the wrong direction.
  So we look forward to the year ahead. We will be talking about 
specific issues outlined by the distinguished majority leader.
  We look forward to a busy year ahead, which will kick off tonight 
with the President's State of the Union Message and the Republican 
response. And I know the President is preparing his State of the Union 
Message, probably as we speak. And we look forward to hearing the 
President. It is important to have the President outline what his goals 
are for 1994. As I indicated earlier, where we can be helpful, where we 
think they are moving America in the right direction, certainly we want 
to be supportive and cooperative in every way that we can.
  So we are back. We are ready to go to work. We hope that we can 
accomplish many of the things outlined by the majority leader, and I 
thank the Chair and I yield the floor.

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