[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 72 (Wednesday, May 3, 1995)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6019-S6020]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      THE AGENDA AND OPPORTUNITIES

  Mr. THOMAS. Mr. President, I would like to continue our dialog that 
we, the freshmen, have had seeking to talk about the agenda, to talk 
about the opportunities that we have for the first time in 40 years to 
have a real opportunity to take a look at the programs that have been 
in place, programs that have simply been added to over a period of 
time, programs, obviously that had merit in the beginning, have some 
merit yet. But we have an opportunity to look at them, to look at ways 
to make them more effective and more efficient.
  We have an opportunity to respond to voters who, I think, in November 
said we want change, we need to make a change in Government. I think 
one of the measures of good Government is whether or not Government is 
responsive to the kinds of messages that we receive from voters.
  We want to take an opportunity to make Government programs work 
better. I think, unfortunately, there sometimes is a perception when 
you talk about change that those who want change simply want to toss 
out the programs and do nothing. That is not the case. The case is how 
do we do a better job of providing services to people? How do we be 
more effective?
  Welfare is an excellent example. No one is talking about throwing 
women and children and welfare fathers out on the street. What we are 
talking about is helping people to help themselves, find a way to be 
more efficient and to put people back into the workplace. That is what 
we are talking about.
  So we are talking about bringing the Government closer to the 
people--block grants to the States, moving more responsibilities to the 
States--so people can participate more in their Government.
  I do not think there is any question but what the voters in November 
said we want less Government and it should be less costly, that 
Government is too big and Government is too expensive.
  So, Mr. President, that is the kind of agenda that the 11 of us who 
are new to this body would like to pursue. Those are the kinds of 
things that we believe 
[[Page S6020]] should be considered and should be changed.
  All of us have had a 2-week recess. I was in Wyoming for that entire 
2 weeks and, I must tell you, I come back reinforced and rededicated to 
the idea that we need change. I heard from nearly everyone there: ``We 
are pleased with what has begun in Washington. We are pleased with the 
ideas.'' Certainly not everybody agrees with every detail. But the fact 
is that at least in my experience, people want us to move forward.
  To do that we are going to have to continue to make clear, I think, 
the perception of what we are seeking to do. And the opposition, those 
who are opposed to change, and obviously the direction and the agenda 
of the administration is to say to people who are asking for change, 
all they want to do is do away with programs. Their notion is going to 
be to create fear--fear of change--and we are going to have to do 
something about that.
  I think there are great debates, there are differences in view, 
clearly, of how people see the world, and there is a great deal of 
difference right here in this body among the Members. Some believe, 
genuinely and legitimately, that more Government is better, that we 
ought to have more money to spend, that the Government does a better 
job of spending money than do the taxpayers. On the other hand, most of 
us do not agree with that notion and want to make it smaller.
  There is a legitimate debate and there is a great debate. So we have 
an agenda, and in order to do that, Mr. President, we are going to have 
to move through that agenda. I respect the purpose of the Senate in 
terms of its ability to go into depth and it is a deliberative body, 
and that should be the case. But it should not be an obstructionist 
body. It should not be a body that simply ties up this great debate, 
but rather it ought to be out there and we ought to have an agenda and 
we ought to move forward.
  There are a number of things, certainly, that we clearly ought to 
talk about. We are talking about one of them now, and that is tort 
reform, something that needs to be done. We need also to talk about 
welfare reform. That is a legitimate thing we ought to do. We ought to 
take another look at crime. Clearly, health care needs some revision. 
We need to have regulatory reform. We need to balance the budget.
  These are the agenda items that we have a responsibility, Mr. 
President, to undertake. I think if those of us who were elected this 
year have any message, the message is let us move forward with these 
issues, let us talk about these issues. We are willing to accept the 
results, of course. But we are not willing to accept the idea that we 
do not have an agenda, that we are not going to deal with the questions 
that the American people have asked, that we are simply going to take 
up all our time in obstructionist kinds of activities, that the rapid 
response team is always going to be opposed to change. So that is where 
we are, Mr. President.
 I think we have the greatest opportunity, and I thought that last 
month. And I have to tell you, having spent 2 weeks in Wyoming, that 
notion, in my view, is simply reinforced that people do want us to go 
forward.

  Mr. President, I am not sure of the agenda. But the freshmen had a 
certain amount of time.
  I yield to my associate from Pennsylvania.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Pennsylvania is recognized.

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