[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 91 (Thursday, July 14, 1994)]
[House]
[Page H]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: July 14, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
              WHAT THE AMERICAN PEOPLE EXPECT OF CONGRESS

  (Mr. DURBIN asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. DURBIN. Mr. Speaker, former heavyweight boxing champion Joe Lewis 
used to say to his opponents, ``They can run, but they can't hide.''
  My Republican friends today have taken to the well to argue about the 
good old days of Republican leadership, the good old days of Reagan and 
Bush. Well, I happened to be in Congress during those so-called good 
old days: runaway deficits which our kids will continue to pay off for 
decades to come, broken promises time and again about the so-called new 
economic order, gridlock here on the floor of the House of 
Representatives so nothing could be done, excuses after excuses and 
pious speeches about balanced budgets and fiscal responsibility. Those 
were the so-called good old days of Reagan and Bush.
  The American people remember what happened during Bush's Presidency. 
We had the slowest economic growth in 50 years in this country, the 
slowest job creation since World War II.
  So last year President Clinton had the guts to stand up and say, ``We 
are going to do something about the deficit, and I will take the heat 
if necessary. I need Members of Congress to stand behind me to get the 
deficits created by Reagan and Bush under control.''
  The President could not get one Republican vote to support that 
effort. But the American people now know that those Members who stood 
behind the President and voted for that plan are people who can take 
credit for an economy that is starting to turn around.
  Think about yourself and your neighbors who have been able to 
refinance your home mortgage and save literally hundreds of dollars a 
month; 5\1/2\ million American families have been able to do it. Think 
about the fact that in my home State of Illinois we have the lowest 
unemployment this month that we have had in 15 years.
  Sure, there is a lot more to be done, but working together on a 
bipartisan basis to solve our economic problems, standing behind the 
President to really address these serious economic challenges is what 
the American people expect of Congress.

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