[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 64 (Thursday, April 6, 1995)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E799-E800]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                 AN HONEST DIALOG WITH MY CONSTITUENTS

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                      HON. RODNEY P. FRELINGHUYSEN

                             of new jersey

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, April 5, 1995
  Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. Mr. Speaker, since the November election, there 
has been a lot of national attention on the U.S. House of 
Representatives, the Republican majority and the Contract With America.
  During all of this, I have been honored to serve 3 months as a 
Representative in Congress. It has been a time of both great change and 
opportunity. More than 7,000 constituents have taken the time to write 
or call me, visit my office or attend one of my town meetings.
  Having read each of their letters and listened to their concerns, I 
have learned that we share common goals--putting our Nation's fiscal 
house in order, and balancing the Federal budget, making Government 
more efficient and more accountable, and preserving programs that 
actually work, that serve the national interest and that take care of 
the most needy in our country.
  Unlike a lot of the media commentary on the contract and the 
speechmaking in Washington, their letters have expressed these concerns 
in very real terms.
  Families are worried about financing their children's college 
education but are also concerned about whether or not the future holds 
the same opportunities for their children that we enjoy.
  The people who serve the needy in our communities worry about Federal 
aid cuts but also feel they could do more with the money if there were 
less Federal strings attached.
  And, thousands of constituents just ask why the Federal Government 
cannot balance their budget like American families do. People just 
cannot comprehend, and quite frankly neither can I, a national debt of 
over $4.5 trillion and annual deficits of $200 billion.
  Many people have offered imaginative and sensible ideas about how to 
address these concerns and I sense a real willingness to try new 
approaches, including doing more with less if it means making real 
strides on our budget problems. Most important, there is once concern 
that weighs on all of us--our children's future and whether or not we 
leave them debt-free or debt-burdened.
  In the pass 3 months, many citizens feel that we in Washington have 
started the process of really listening, and taking real steps to 
address their concerns.
  Whether we agree or disagree on the specifics, the direction is 
clear:
  They want accountability. We changed the way Congress conducts 
business. We brought term limits to the House floor for the first vote 
ever. We required Congress to live by the same laws as everyone else. 
We opened all committee meetings to the public and press, and we 
limited chairmen to a term of 6 years, probably the single most 
effective way to dismantle the arrogance of power that characterized 
past Congresses.
  They want us to make the tough choices. We passed the balanced budget 
amendment and the line-item veto. And, we passed a first installment of 
$17 billion in real spending reductions.
  [[Page E800]] They want us to stop assuming that Washington knows 
best. We passed legislation eliminating unfunded mandates on the States 
and put a halt to Federal regulations and red tape while preserving 
national standards for health, safety and the environment.
  They are willing to try new approaches. We are all frustrated that 
Washington-imposed programs to solve the crises of crime and welfare 
have not worked. So, we proposed giving our States and local 
communities the flexibility and the resources to try new approaches. 
And, we have not overlooked the fact that the Government programs are 
not a substitute for personal responsibility or community involvement.
  In all, I have cast over 280 votes so far this Congress. I am told 
that not since 1933 has Congress been so active in voting on major 
issues. I weighed each vote individually and carefully and I know that 
there is still much room for improvement in many of our proposals as we 
work with the President and the Senate.
  While we have made a lot of progress, the Congress faces more tough 
choices in the next 100 days as we lay out a plan to balance the budget 
by 2002.
  The goal is clear--we must bring spending under control and allow all 
Americans to control more of their hard-earned money. It is the 
specific choices that will be tough and New Jersey will not be immune 
to them even as our delegation works to assure that we get our fair 
share.
  I remember the tough choices I had to make working on the budget in 
Trenton. As I did then, I will continue to listen to all my 
constituents and pledge to do my share to make these tough decisions 
with the utmost of care and fairness.
  I will do my best to explain our decisions, although I would forewarn 
that some media and political ``sound bytes'' often have more 
persuasive power than do the facts. We need an honest dialog with our 
constituents, and I welcome their ideas at all times.


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