[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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