[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 98 (Thursday, June 15, 1995)]
[Senate]
[Page S8419]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        CARRYING OUT THE MANDATE

  Mr. INHOFE. Mr. President, I just want to make a few comments while 
we are waiting for those referred to by the Senator from South Dakota 
to come and be heard.
  Those of us who are in the freshman class have recently had a number 
of town hall meetings back in our respective States. As a matter of 
fact, I think I lead the group. I have had 77 since January.
  Last week, I had some, and I want to just reaffirm that, in spite of 
the fact there are many people who are here in the U.S. Senate who do 
not spend as much time back in the districts, back talking to real 
people, that the revolution that was voted on back on November 8, 1994, 
is very real and it is alive at home. Some people are skeptical and do 
not think things are going on the way they should be going on here.
  So I just share with you that I sometimes have a difficult time in 
conveying to people that the Senate is actually doing some things here. 
They hear about the House, they hear about the Contract With America, 
and some of the personalities over there that have dominated the 
national media. I have to remind people that in the first 3 months of 
this year in the U.S. Senate, we passed a number of reforms: One being 
the unfunded mandates reform; one being congressional accountability, 
forcing us to live under the same laws that we pass for other people; 
we also did a line-item veto; a type of moratorium on endangered 
species; we are getting ready to do regulation reform, to get the 
Government off the backs of the people who are paying for all the fun 
we are having up here.
  The Senate may be slower and more deliberate, but we are performing, 
and a revolution is going on here.
  But I say, Mr. President, that the people at home are just as adamant 
today as they were on November 8, 1994. The people at home are 
demanding that we do something about and carry out the mandate to 
eliminate the deficit. I think that they are a little impatient with 
the fact that we passed a resolution that would do this in 7 years, by 
the year 2002. I find it rather interesting the response that we are 
having right now as to the President coming out with his revised budget 
a couple of days ago.
  We have talked to people and told them the President had his budget 
before this body some 3 weeks ago, and it was the typical large tax-
and-spend, high-deficit budget that was rejected by this body, the U.S. 
Senate, by a vote of 99-0, and then Republicans passed our budget 
resolution which would eliminate the deficit by the year 2002.
  I think we were all taken aback and a little surprised when the 
President came out with his announcement a couple days ago. In essence, 
what he said was, Well, we tried my budget, and that did not work. I'll 
just join the Republicans. Some people thought maybe the train went by, 
but I do not think so. I think there is room on the caboose for the 
President, and he came out and said, ``Instead of that, let's not be 
quite as severe, let's do it over 10 years, not 7 years.''
  I cannot speak for the people of America, but I can speak for the 
people of Oklahoma. I am talking about Democrats and Republicans alike. 
People in Oklahoma think that even 7 years is too long. When you stop 
and realize what goes with high deficits, that means more Government 
involvement in our lives.
  Today, I will be going over and testifying in the other body on a 
Superfund bill. That is just one area of overregulation in our lives, 
of abuse, of bureaucracy on the businesses and the industries that are 
paying taxes to support this monster in Washington, and it is going to 
change.
  So I would like to give the assurance that there has been a change in 
the majority party that is controlling both the Senate and the House, 
and the Republicans are now in charge.
  As we talk to our fellow Republicans and remind them that the mandate 
that gave the Republicans a majority in the House and a majority in the 
Senate cannot be ignored, because if we ignore it we cannot fulfill the 
provisions of that mandate--that is, less Government in our lives, a 
balanced budget we can see in the near future, and the Government more 
in concert with what was foreseen by our Forefathers many years ago--if 
we do not carry out that mandate, the Republicans will not be in power.
  Right now, I honestly believe we are on schedule to carry out the 
mandates. I think the whole United States, and I know my State of 
Oklahoma, is rejoicing in this.
  It is not that the people who want more Government involved in our 
lives are bad people--they are not bad people; they are well-meaning 
people--but they have just forgotten what this country is all about.
  So we have a new era, and we are providing the leadership in that 
era. I was very pleased to see the President of the United States 
joining us 2 days ago when he came with his revised budget.
  I yield the floor. Mr. President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Coats). The clerk will call the roll.
  The assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. PRESSLER. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

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