[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 17 (Friday, January 27, 1995)]
[Senate]
[Page S1703]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                            MORNING BUSINESS

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                          DEMOCRATS, GET REAL

  Mrs. MURRAY. Mr. President, I am pleased today to bring to the 
attention of my colleagues a thoughtful opinion piece by our colleague, 
the Senator from Maryland, which appeared in the Washington Post on 
Sunday, January 22. She presents a road map that I believe can help all 
Senators, on both sides of the aisle, as we develop our priorities in 
this new Congress. I ask unanimous consent that Senator Mikulski's 
column be printed in the Record at this point.
  There being no objection, the column was ordered to be printed in the 
Record, as follows:

                [From the Washington Post, Jan. 22, 1995

                          Democrats, Get Real

                        (By Barbara A. Mikulski)

       Democrats need a new attitude and action plan to focus on 
     solving real problems. This attitude and plan must promote a 
     shared national vision to create good jobs and give help to 
     those who work hard, play by the rules and practice self-
     help. We need to create a new state of mind that--as 
     Americans--we can solve our nation's problems together.
       Democrats must stop being angst-addicted. We have too often 
     substituted agonizing for action, and it has paralyzed us. To 
     connect with middle-class Americans, we must think clearly 
     and act decisively. Democrats must focus on the day-to-day 
     needs of everyday Americans--their jobs, families and 
     opportunities. We also need to look at our country's long-
     term needs. We need to generate jobs with pay worth the 
     effort and education. We need to create a national readiness 
     that is based on competence and character.
       Democrats must focus on being politically effective, not 
     necessarily politically correct. We cannot use words from a 
     dated vocabulary. Political labels such as ``right,'' 
     ``left,'' ``liberal'' and ``conservative'' have become 
     cliches. Labels and stereotypes that go with them have little 
     meaning.
       Being politically effective means helping those who are 
     middle class stay there or do better. Being politically 
     effective means helping those who are not middle class get 
     there through hard work and practicing self-help. Worn-out 
     sound bites about the economy and crime weaken our 
     credibility and play into the hands of those who demonize our 
     ideas by blaming the victim, the government or both.
       Democrats must figure out what works. We must be advocates 
     for people and not automatically defend every government 
     program. Let's look at the mission of these programs. When 
     they serve their mission and help people, great. When they 
     don't, let's get rid of them. We cannot be a rescue squad for 
     every line item. Often, the good intentions of good people 
     have gone astray. Tinker Toy reforms ultimately created other 
     problems.
       One example is federal housing policy. We thought that if 
     we gave people housing, we would give them opportunity. Begun 
     during the New Deal, most federal housing programs were meant 
     to provide short-term shelter for people temporarily out of 
     work. But a series of complicated rules and boutique programs 
     has rewarded the wrong kind of behavior and made housing 
     projects Zip codes of pathology. Few residents can find work. 
     Crime and substance abuse are high.
       Some blame the victim. Some identify with the victim. But 
     Democrat's addition to other people's misery does not solve 
     their problems or substitute for national policy. While we 
     must acknowledge the pain of the impoverished, we must also 
     require them to take charge of their own lives. We must find 
     ways to reward those who work or get into a program for self-
     sufficiency.
       We must ensure that welfare rules do not destroy the 
     family. Democrats should stand up for the family--and that 
     includes men. We need to end the ``get the man out of the 
     house'' rule, which has pushed men out of the house so a 
     family can qualify for public benefits. Shortsighted 
     intentions have created rules that dismantle families, 
     emasculate men and deny their children a full-time father. 
     Being a dad is more than writing a child-support check.
       We've heard a lot about angry voters. Actually, I think 
     voters' anger stems from bewilderment and disillusionment. 
     This bewilderment and disillusionment is based on the fact 
     that their personal experience does not reflect what 
     statistics tell them. People are told that they are fortunate 
     to live in an economy of low unemployment, low inflation and 
     rapid growth. Yet, people are one downsizing away from 
     unemployment, their friends have been laid off, and their 
     standard of living continues to decline. At the same time, 
     people feel less secure in their homes, neighborhoods and 
     workplaces Children are killing children with guns carried 
     around in school backpacks.
       America's future deserves more thought and effort than 
     partisan bidding wars over tax cuts. It deserves more than 
     the pursuit of ``faddish'' ideas floated by think tanks. 
     Americans deserve real solutions to the complex problems of 
     an increasingly complex world.
       Democrats must join together to create this new attitude, 
     both within the Democratic Party and within the country--to 
     reward hard work, family stability and playing by the rules. 
     Together, we can begin to address the very valid concerns 
     Americans have about their futures, the futures of their 
     families and the future of their country.
     

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