[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 8 (Friday, January 13, 1995)]
[Senate]
[Pages S925-S927]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


               S. 2, THE CONGRESSIONAL ACCOUNTABILITY ACT

  Mr. LIEBERMAN. Mr. President, I would like to take this opportunity 
to explain to the Senate and my constituents my reason for missing two 
votes on Friday, January 9. These votes were on two separate amendments 
offered to S. 2, the Congressional Accountability Act.
  The first amendment, offered by Senator Exon, would have created a 
point of order against any budget resolution brought before the 
Congress that fails to set forth a glide path to a balanced budget by 
the year 2002. The amendment would also make out of order any budget 
resolution or amendment to the Budget Act that sets forth a level of 
outlays for fiscal year 2002 that exceeds the level of revenues for 
that fiscal year. This amendment is printed on page S540 of the 
Congressional Record of January 6, 1995.
  The second amendment in question was offered by Senator Simon. This 
sense-of-the-Senate resolution called on the Bridgestone/Firestone 
Corp. to reconsider its decision to hire permanent replacement workers 
and return to the bargaining table and bargain in 
[[Page S926]] good faith with the United Rubber Workers of America, the 
representative of their employees. This amendment is printed on page 
S557 of the Congressional Record of January 6, 1995.
  Mr. President, I was unavoidably absent from the Senate when rollcall 
votes were held on these two measures on the afternoon of the 9th. 
Earlier that day I felt compelled to leave Washington, DC in order to 
tend to an important family matter. I regret my necessary absence, and 
I would like to explain how I would have voted on these amendments and 
my thoughts on the substance of the amendments.
  Before any amendments were offered to S. 2, I decided to vote against 
the addition of all nongermane amendments that my colleagues might 
offer. As a sponsor of S. 2, I saw the need to move the bill though the 
Senate without the addition of nongermane amendments which would have 
slowed passage of the bill and possibly forced a lengthy and 
contentious conference between the Senate and the House. I felt it was 
in the interest of the entire Congress that we take quick and decisive 
action on S. 2. I am convinced that the best way for Democrats and 
Republicans to begin the 104th Congress is by promptly enacting this 
legislation, which helps restore the American public's confidence in 
our system of governance. I believe that quick enactment of the 
Congressional Accountability Act, which will require Congress to live 
by the same laws it imposes on the rest of the country, will go a long 
way toward achieving that goal. I was concerned that amendment to S. 2 
would force a lengthy conference and delay the bill.
  Had I not felt the need to vote against all amendments to S. 2 in 
order to expedite swift passage, I would have voted in favor of the 
Exon amendment to require a roadmap to a balanced budget by the year 
2002. While I wholeheartedly endorse the goal of a balanced budget, I 
have long been troubled by the fact that we have not come up with a 
coherent plan that will get us to that goal. As we all know, the devil 
is in the details, and the Exon amendment sought to get at those 
details. For this reason, I support the thrust of the Exon amendment, 
and I anticipate Senator Exon will offer it again when the Senate 
considers the balanced budget amendment to the Constitution.
  Mr. President, I would also like to note my support for the thrust of 
the Simon sense-of-the-Senate resolution. This resolution simply sought 
to express the collective view of the Senate that Bridgestone/Firestone 
should not replace thousands of its striking workers with permanent 
replacements. The resolution would have had no binding legal effect on 
the parties in dispute, but its intent was entirely consistent with the 
National Labor Relations Act, which requires parties in a collective 
bargaining dispute to negotiate in good faith. The Simon resolution 
asks Bridgestone/Firestone to resume good faith negotiations with its 
striking employees, and that is a goal I support.
  Mr. President, I would also like to note that I voted against the 
adoption of many amendments during consideration of S. 2 which I would 
ordinarily support. Among these are many of the amendments regarding 
campaign finance reform and the Levin-Wellstone-Feingold-Lautenberg 
amendment regarding a prohibition on gifts to members of Congress and 
their staff and full disclosure of lobbyists and their contacts. These 
were worthy measures which I have supported in the past, and I note 
that the majority leader has indicated he would bring to the Senate 
floor legislation prohibiting gifts and requiring full disclosure of 
lobbying, as well as comprehensive campaign finance reform in the early 
months of this 104th Congress.
  Mr. President, I would also like to take this opportunity to thank my 
colleagues who were instrumental in passage of the Congressional 
Accountability Act. Senator Grassley deserves enormous credit for his 
tireless efforts to build support for this legislation and his skilled 
stewardship of this bill on the Senate floor over the past week. Since 
the later years of the last decade my friend from Iowa has reminded 
this body on a continual basis that it cannot continue to maintain a 
double standard which is offensive to the public and injurious to our 
system of governance. Our success is due in large part to his 
longstanding commitment to this legislation. It was a privilege to work 
on this bill with him, both last year on our bill S. 2071, and on this 
year's version, S. 2.
  I would also like to thank Senator John Glenn, who moved this bill 
through the Governmental Affairs Committee in the 103d Congress and 
continued his work on this bill in the 104th Congress as the Democratic 
floor manager of S. 2. Like Senator Grassley, Senator Glenn's 
successful effort in the past week to move this bill through the Senate 
was the culmination of many years of work. Beginning in 1978 my friend 
from Ohio introduced legislation seeking to bring Congress under the 
same employment laws it imposes on the private sector, and so I see 
passage of this bill as the happy culmination of many years of work on 
the part of Senator Glenn. I would also like to note that immediately 
following Senate passage of S. 2, Senator Glenn proceeded to serve as 
the floor manager for the unfunded mandates bill. Acting as floor 
manager for one bill is difficult enough. Acting as floor manager for 
two complex pieces of legislation in immediate succession is a 
challenge that most Senators never face, and so I would like to commend 
Senator Glenn for his stamina, good humor, and willingness to tackle 
two intricate pieces of legislation at once.
  Mr. President, I should also mention my colleagues, in the House who 
originated this legislation. Congressman Christopher Shays, my friend 
and colleague from Connecticut, was the original author of the 
Congressional Accountability Act. He has been tireless in his advocacy 
of this legislation, and I would like to praise him for moving his bill 
through the House of Representatives not only last year, but also again 
on the first day of the 104th Congress. I offer him my congratulations 
on his great success.
  Last among my colleagues I would like to thank the majority leader, 
Senator Dole, for giving this bill privileged consideration as the 
first bill brought to the Senate floor in the 104th Congress. I believe 
the majority leader wisely saw that quick passage of this bill could 
help restore the public's faith in Congress and the ability of our two 
political parties to work together again, and I offer him my sincere 
thanks for choosing to designate the Congressional Accountability Act 
as S. 2.
  Finally, I would like to thank all the staff who worked tirelessly on 
this legislation. I would like to thank Melissa Patack, formerly of 
Senator Grassley's staff, who worked with my staff to formulate the 
first bill, S. 2071, which Senator Grassley and I authored in the 103d 
Congress. I would also like to thank Frederick S. Ansell of Senator 
Grassley's staff, who worked many long hours over the holidays to 
finish preparation of the bill for floor action in early January. This 
was an extremely demanding task, and I thank Fred for his sacrifice, 
patience, and good humor.
  I would also like to thank Lawrence B. Novey of the Governmental 
Affairs Committee. Larry worked many weekends and late nights in the 
103d Congress to coordinate the committee's
 hearings on this legislation, organize a markup, draft the committee 
report, and ready the bill for floor consideration in October. The bill 
the Senate passed on Wednesday is based largely on the committee-passed 
bill, so it is fitting that we recognize Larry's enormous contributions 
to the bill. Larry also spent many long hours over the holidays 
preparing the bill for floor action, and we are clearly the benefactors 
of his commitment, wide knowledge, and legal skill.

  My thanks also go to Michael Fox and Peter Carson of Congressman 
Shays' staff, who first began work on the Congressional Accountability 
Act and produced H.R. 349, the very first version of the bill. By 
aggressively seeking a wide, bipartisan group of cosponsors and the 
consent of the House leadership in the 103d Congress, Peter and Michael 
assisted Congressman Shays in laying the political foundation of this 
bill, and made it that much easier for my staff to do the same in the 
Senate.
  Before concluding, I would like to offer many thanks to our Senate 
Legal Counsel, Michael Davidson, and his assistant counsel, Claire M. 
Sylvia. Mike and Claire provided invaluable counsel 
[[Page S927]] on a variety of matters, ranging from technical drafting 
points to constitutional issues surrounding this legislation. As 
always, their counsel was sound, impartial, and imbued with the wisdom 
and insight of a first-rate legal team. In addition to the gratitude 
that Senator Grassley and I owe Michael and Claire, I believe the 
Senate and indeed, the entire Congress, is indebted to them, because 
their counsel has improved the substance of this legislation so 
greatly. Michael Davidson and his staff are a great credit to the U.S. 
Senate.
  Finally, I would like to thank Fred Richardson and John Nakahata of 
my staff for their dedication to enactment of this bill. I know that 
the Senate's approval of this legislation on January 11 was 
particularly meaningful to both of them, but for very different 
reasons. For Fred I know it was a very happy coincidence that final 
passage of the Congressional Accountability Act came on his birthday, 
after nearly 2 years of work and countless drafts of the legislation. 
For John, it is with a mixture of deep personal regret and real 
happiness for John that I note that the day of final passage for S. 2 
was also John's last day of service in the Senate.
  While I am very happy to see John advance his career and new 
challenges at the Federal Communications Commission, it is with deep 
sadness that I see John leave my staff. John's energy, intellect, and 
reputation for unfailing professionalism is well known in the Senate, 
and his departure is a great loss to me and my staff. He will be deeply 
missed. But I am very pleased that John's final day happened to 
coincide with passage of this legislation to which he devoted so much 
time and energy. John's imprint can be found throughout the text of the 
bill and in the history of its movement through the Senate, and so I 
hope he leaves the Senate with S. 2 as a memento to his talents, 
energy, and understanding of the institution, and also with a sense of 
closure and success on a very complex and important piece of 
legislation. Thank you, John, for your years of service and your 
invaluable work on the Congressional Accountability Act.


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