[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 12 (Wednesday, February 9, 1994)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: February 9, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
                  THE 1ST SESSION OF THE 103D CONGRESS

                                 ______


                          HON. LEE H. HAMILTON

                               of indiana

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, February 9, 1994

  Mr. HAMILTON. Mr. Speaker, I would like to insert my Washington 
Report for Wednesday, December 8, 1993, into the Congressional Record:

                  The 1st Session of the 103d Congress

       The recently completed first session of the 103d Congress 
     got off to a slow start and periodically faced partisan 
     flare-ups, shifting coalitions, and Senate filibusters, but 
     overall it was a productive session. Congress passed several 
     major initiatives and laid the groundwork for action on 
     others next year.


                    most significant accomplishments

       Of the dozens of measures enacted, two stand out as the 
     most significant.
       Deficit Reduction: By the narrowest of margins Congress 
     passed a major deficit reduction package, recently estimated 
     by the Congressional Budget Office to yield $433 billion in 
     deficit reduction over five years. The savings were split 
     between spending reductions and higher taxes, primarily for 
     upper-income individuals. Under the package, the projected 
     1998 deficit of $360 billion should fall below $200 billion. 
     The package has helped bring down long-term interest rates, 
     which in turn has helped stimulate the economy.
       NAFTA: the North American Free Trade Agreement passed in 
     the closing days with bipartisan support. It is scheduled to 
     take effect January 1, 1994, and will phase out tariffs among 
     the United States, Mexico, and Canada over 15 years. The 
     agreement creates the world's largest integrated trading 
     bloc, and is expected to increase our exports, produce a net 
     gain of U.S. jobs, and improve our competitiveness relative 
     to Japan and Europe.


                         other measures enacted

       Several other important initiatives were passed and signed 
     into law.
       National Service: The President's national service program 
     was approved giving young people up to $9,450 in college aid 
     in exchange for community service in areas such as teaching 
     and public safety.
       S&L Bailout: Congress provided $18 billion to depositors 
     who lost their accounts to failed savings and loans, bringing 
     the final bailout total to some $100 billion.
       Disaster Assistance: $5.7 billion in emergency assistance 
     was provided to midwestern states hurt by the summer 
     flooding.
       Voter Registration: The ``motor voter'' bill was approved 
     allowing citizens to register to vote when they get their 
     driver's license or to sign up by mail.
       Family Leave: A new law requires companies with 50 or more 
     employees to provide up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave to 
     workers to deal with newborns or family medical emergencies.
       Unemployment Benefits: Congress extended emergency 
     unemployment benefits for victims of the recession.
       Earned Income Tax Credit: A new law protects the working 
     poor and their families by expanding the earned income tax 
     credit.
       Brady Bill: A five-day waiting period for the purchase of 
     handguns was approved, similar to the waiting period already 
     in effect in Indiana.
       Women's Health: Congress approved a new research effort at 
     the National Institutes of Health focusing on women's health 
     needs.
       Student Loans: The federal student loan program was 
     overhauled; the application process was streamlined and loan 
     rates were lowered.
       Childhood Immunization: Congress established a new 
     immunization program to pruchase vaccines for uninsured, low-
     income children.
       Hatch Act Reform: Under a new law, federal and postal 
     workers will be allowed to engage in political activities in 
     their off hours.
       Super Collider: Funds were terminated for the 
     Superconducting Super Collider, a giant atom smasher being 
     built in Texas.
       Military Base Closings: To cut costs and streamline 
     operations, Congress allowed the closure of 35 major military 
     installations and nearly 100 minor ones.
       Somalia Withdrawal: Congress approved the President's plan 
     to remove nearly all U.S. troops from Somalia by March 31, 
     1994.
       Aid to Russia: $2.5 billion in assistance was approved for 
     the republics of the former Soviet Union, to help them shore 
     up their democratic and economic reforms.


                    measures moving through congress

       Several other measures passed at least one house during the 
     first session, and will require additional action next year.
       Campaign Finance: Differing House and Senate bills would 
     restrict special interest money and impose voluntary spending 
     limits on congressional campaigns.
       Crime: The House and Senate passed different anti-crime 
     measures which would fund more police officers and create 
     more boot camps for young offenders.
       EPA: A Senate-passed bill would elevate the Environmental 
     Protection Agency to Cabinet-level status.
       Education: The House voted to provide grants to states for 
     school improvement and to set national educational goals.
       Mining: House and Senate bills would impose royalties on 
     minerals extracted from federal lands.
       Lobbying Reform: The Senate passed a measure requiring 
     broader disclosure of lobbyists' activities.
       Striker Replacement: The House voted to bar employers from 
     permanently replacing strikers.
       Line-item Veto: The House approved a version of the line-
     item veto intended to improve the President's ability to 
     reject specific spending programs.
       Spending Cuts: The House approved $37 billion in additional 
     spending cuts over the next 5 years, with most of the savings 
     from reducing the federal workforce.
       Reinventing Government: The House approved a bill to 
     reorganize various federal departments and phase out obsolete 
     programs.


                         major issues next year

       During the first session Congress began work on several key 
     issues that will likely receive major attention next year.
       Health Care Reform: Perhaps the most important issue will 
     be dealing with President Clinton's massive plan to reform 
     the way Americans get medical care--including universal 
     coverage and cost controls.
       Welfare Reform: Congress will also take up the President's 
     welfare reform initiative, which is expected to focus on 
     limiting welfare benefits to two years followed by help in 
     entering the job market.
       Job Training: The President has promised a major job 
     retraining initiative to help displaced workers.
       Balanced Budget: A vote is expected on a constitutional 
     amendment requiring the federal budget to be balanced.
       Congressional Reform: Early action is expected on 
     recommendations to streamline committees, cut staff, reform 
     the budget process, and make Congress more accountable.


                               conclusion

       Thus my assessment is that the first session of the 103d 
     Congress had an unusually solid record of accomplishment. It 
     showed that Members are serious about breaking gridlock in 
     Congress and with the President. For the first time since 
     1969 there was not a single presidential veto. The level of 
     strife between Congress and the President was indisputably 
     lower. Some measures are incomplete, votes continue to be 
     hard to assemble, deep divisions were often apparent, and 
     many legislative battles were bitterly fought, but, in the 
     end, the results were striking and Congress responded to 
     voters who were sick of gridlock.

                          ____________________