[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 32 (Tuesday, February 21, 1995)]
[House]
[Pages H1955-H1956]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              FEBRUARY 22, 50TH DAY OF THE 104TH CONGRESS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Pennsylvania [Mr. Fox] is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. FOX of Pennsylvania. Madam Speaker, Wednesday, February 22d marks 
the 50th day of the 104th Congress--the half-way point of the most 
successful ``100 Days'' periods in decades. We have conducted more 
committee hearings, held more votes, and debated the issues longer and 
harder than any Congress in recent memory. We made real progress on the 
Contract With America we pledged to enact. But most important is what 
all this activity means to families in our communities and our 
districts.
  It means with the passage of our crime bills that our communities and 
states will have the flexibility to decide how best to spend federal 
crime 
[[Page H1956]] prevention grants. We put an end to playing games with 
promises of 100,000 new police. Let us be clear--the 1994 crime bill 
never fully funded 100,000 new police. In six years, the money runs out 
and our communities are stuck with the bill. This year we reformed that 
law, so local municipalities have the flexibility to spend that money 
however it suits their crime-fighting needs--new police, crime 
prevention programs, new equipment, community policing, even a patrol 
car if that is the best way to fight crime. Those communities that have 
received initial grants will be funded under the current program.
  Our new crime bill goes even further. We provide incentive for States 
to ensure that violent criminals are incarcerated and we're requiring 
criminals convicted in Federal court to make restitution to their 
victims.
  This new Republican Congress promised a back-to basics approach in 
Washington, and we have been keeping that promise. We cut our budget, 
and slashed committee staff on our first day. We passed a bill 
requiring Congress to live under the same laws that every small 
business lives under.
  The House passed a balanced budget amendment to force Congress to 
live within its means. This is more than an accounting device to make 
some bureaucrats in Washington feel good. It is about our children and 
grandchildren and their futures, and about putting an end to the 
immoral practice of piling the national debt on our future generations. 
I hope the Senate follows the House's lead and passes the balanced 
budget amendment.
  For more than a decade, Republican Presidents have asked Democrat 
Congresses to grant them a line-item veto to control wasteful spending 
and outrageous pork projects. The Democrat-controlled Congresses never 
gave Presidents Reagan or Bush this tool. Just a few weeks ago, the 
Republican-controlled Congress extended this power to a Democrat 
President.
  We also passed the unfunded mandates proposal. That will prohibit the 
Federal Government from passing on the costs for each program to local 
and State Governments without Washington, DC, participating in the 
program at all.
  Last week, also restored some common sense to our national security 
and international relations policies. We passed a bill restricting the 
use of U.S. soldiers in U.N. missions. And we're requiring that U.S. 
soldiers be deployed to support missions only in our national 
interests. We have so few defense resources, we must ensure that we use 
them wisely. Our most precious national security resource--our men and 
women in uniform--must have the tools and training to be ready for any 
conflict.
  What has been most impressive about all these successes has been our 
ability to attract significant bipartisan support. These have not been 
razor-thin partisan fights that we have seen in past Congresses. The 
reason? We have passed these policies as supported by the American 
people and by a bipartisan Congress. We are not just passing bills, we 
are trying to get communities and families the tools to make their 
lives a little safer and the children a little less saddled with 
national debt. We are making government smaller, less costly and less 
intrusive.
  In the first 50 days of this Congress we have met that challenge, and 
we are looking forward to the future to finishing this, to get the 
contract finished in the next 50 days.


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