[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 109 (Friday, June 30, 1995)]
[Senate]
[Page S9515]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[[Page S9515]]
REVIEW OF 104TH CONGRESS
Mr. DOLE. Finally, Mr. President, we have now completed 6 months work
in the U.S. Senate and the Congress.
Mr. President, as we prepare to return to our States for the July 4
recess, I wanted to take just a minute to review the last 6 months, and
to look ahead to the 6 that remain in this year.
When Republicans asked Americans to put Congress under new management
for the first time in 40 years, Mr. President, we promised that we were
a different way of doing business. We promised we would not stand for
the status quo. We promised we would bring change to Capitol Hill.
We have kept those promises. We have kept our word. We have brought
change to Capitol Hill.
One change we brought was in our work load. In past sessions,
Congress would convene in January, and then take it easy for a month or
two. This Congress put an end to that. We hit the ground running.
From January 5 through June 28, the Senate has been in session for
106 days, meeting for a total of 933 hours and 52 minutes--that is 21
more days and nearly 350 more hours than the Senate spent in session
from January 5 through June 30, 1993--the first 6 months of the fist
session of the 103d Congress.
What has the Senate accomplished in that time? Well, one thing we
have not done is pass more legislation than the previous Senate. And
that is a good thing. Because the people did not send us here to pass
more laws that mean more regulations and more Government. They sent us
here to rein in the Federal bureaucracy, and to return power to States,
to communities, and to the people.
And that is exactly what we have done.
we began by leading by example, passing the Congressional
Accountability Act, which will subject Congress to the same laws we
impose on everybody else.
We put an end to the practice of sending Federal mandates to our
States and local Governments, but not sending along the money to pay
for them.
We passed the Paperwork Reduction Act, which will help to reduce
redtape.
We passed the line-item veto legislation, which will result in the
reduction of unnecessary Federal spending.
We took the first step to reforming a civil litigation system that is
out of balance, out of control, and out of common sense.
In the wake of the terrible tragedy in Oklahoma city, we moved
quickly to pass antiterrorism legislation. Legislation that we can be
just as proud of 10 years from now, as we are today, and legislation
that included historic habeas corpus reform.
We passed a telecommunications bill that reduces Government
interference in that fast growing industry.
And, of course, we passed a historic budget resolution that sets
America on a 7 year path to a balanced budget.
This is just a partial list of legislation we have passed this
session. All in all, not a bad start.
And let me assure the American people it is just that. A start.
Republicans know we have much to do before the end of this first
session.
This includes regulatory reform. Welfare reform. A tough anticrime
bill. A congressional gift ban and lobby reform. And the appropriations
bills, which will offer final proof that we are serious about balancing
the budget. And speaking of that, we have not given up on passing the
balanced budget amendment.
Teddy Roosevelt once said that ``the best prize life has to offer is
the chance to work hard at work worth doing.'' I guarantee to my
colleagues that over the next 6 months we'll have an opportunity to win
that best prize, because we will continue to work hard at work worth
doing. The American people deserve no less.
Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that a listing of some of the
important legislation adopted by the Senate this session be printed in
the Record following my remarks.
There being no objection, the list was ordered to be printed in the
Record, as follows:
Bills Considered and Passed in the Senate (104th Congress)
H.R. 1(S. 2), Congressional Accountability.
H.R. 421, Alaska Native Claims Settlement.
H.R. 483, Medicare Select.
H.R. 517, Chacoan Outliers Protection Act.
H.R. 831, Self-Employed Health Insurance.
H.R. 889, Emergency Supplemental and Recissions.
H.R. 956, Common Sense Legal Reform.
H.R. 1158, Emergency Supplemental/Disaster Relief.
H.R. 1240, Sex Crimes Against Children Prevention Act.
H.R. 1345, D.C. Financial Responsibility and Management
Act.
H.R. 1380, Truth in Lending.
H.R. 1421, Statute References and Jurisdictional Changes.
S. Con. Res. 13, Budget Resolution (Domenici).
S. 1, Unfunded Mandates.
S. 4, Line Item Veto.
S. 103, Lost Creek Land Exchange Act.
S. 178, Reauthorization Act of 1995.
S. 184, Rare Disease Research Act.
S. 219, Regulatory Transition.
S. 244, Paperwork Reduction Act.
S. 257, Veterans of Foreign Wars (South Korea).
S. 268, Triploid Grass Carp Certification Inspections.
S. 273, Amend Section 61h-6, of Title 2, U.S. Code.
S. 349, Navajo-Hopi Relocation Housing Program.
S. 377, Elementary/Secondary Education (Indian Education).
S. 395, Alaska Power Administration.
S. 440, National Highway System Designation Act.
S. 441, Indian Child Protection and Family Violence
Protection.
S. 464, Reporting Deadlines.
S. 510, Native Americans Programs Act (Reauthorization).
S. 523, Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Act.
S. 532, Clarifying Rules Governing Venue.
S. 534, Interstate Transportation Solid Waste.
S. 652, Telecommunications.
S. 735, Terrorism.
S. 962, Extension, Middle East Peace Facilitation.
S. Con. Res. 67, FY96 Budget Resolution Conference Report.
Mr. DOLE. Mr. President, I might add, that list does not include many
of the nominations we have acted on, too.
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