[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 1 (Wednesday, January 3, 1996)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1-S2]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           A REVIEW OF THE 1ST SESSION OF THE 104TH CONGRESS

  Mr. DOLE. Mr. President, I wanted to quickly review the historic 1st 
session of the 104th Congress, the first Republican Congress in 40 
years.
  On January 3, 1995, I spoke from this podium and outlined the agenda 
the Republican Senate would be advancing.
  Exactly 1 year has now passed since that day, and as we begin the 
second session of this Congress, I would now like to offer a progress 
report to the American people--detailing the promises we kept in 1995, 
and the work we hope to complete in 1996.
  As I said on the first day of this session, the primary goal of this 
Congress would not be to pass unnecessary new laws--but instead to 
remember a timeless one--the 10th amendment to our Constitution.
  That, of course, is the amendment that sets out the principle of 
federalism, stating that ``The powers not delegated to the United 
States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are 
reserved to the States, respectively, or to the people.''
  Shifting power out of Washington, and returning it to our States, our 
cities, our neighborhoods, and to the American people. That's what the 
10th amendment is all about.
  And that is exactly what the 104th Congress has been about since day 
one--and since Senate bill 1--which put an end to unfunded Federal 
mandates.
  That is what we were about when we passed landmark welfare reform 
legislation that will give our States the flexibility to design 
programs that best meet the needs of their citizens.
  And that is what we have been about these past few weeks, as we 
continue our fight for a balanced budget that will ensure a brighter 
future for our children and grandchildren.
  As budget negotiations continue, it is important to note that for as 
much as this Congress has accomplished in giving Government back to the 
American people, there is more we could have accomplished--had 
President Clinton not time and again stood in the way of fundamental 
change.
  In fact, it was President Clinton's active opposition that prevented 
the Senate by just one vote from joining the House in sending a 
balanced budget amendment to our States for approval. And it was his 
veto of the Balanced Budget Act of 1995 that put us in the situation we 
are now in.
  Had President Clinton not chosen to engage on a campaign to scare the 
American people, America's seniors would be beginning 1996 secure in 
the knowledge that Medicare was solvent.
  It seems to me that we have made some progress, but we need to make 
more, and whether or not that can be done will be determined, I assume, 
in the next very few days.
  It is also worth noting that President Clinton's misguided insistence 
on the status quo has prevented the enactment of much-needed regulatory 
reform legislation which would ease the burden of Government redtape 
and regulations on America's small business men and women.
  Let me make it clear that although we are very frustrated with the 
President's actions, we have not given up on a balanced budget or on 
regulatory reform.
  Something else we have not given up on is doing everything we can to 
help law-abiding Americans in the fight against crime and drugs.
  In the wake of the terrible tragedy in Oklahoma City, the Senate 
moved quickly to pass antiterrorism legislation. And at our insistence, 
this legislation included historic habeas corpus reform, which would 
put a limit on frivolous lawsuits that convicted felons use to clog our 
courts and delay justice.
  Republicans also included a number of tough anticrime provisions in 
the Commerce, State, Justice Department appropriations bill. 
Unfortunately, President Clinton vetoed the bill.
  I know that the distinguished chair of the Judiciary Committee, 
Senator Hatch, will continue to look for ways in which Congress can 
provide the leadership in the fight against crime that has been missing 
at the White House.

[[Page S2]]


  We took steps to do that just last month, when Speaker Gingrich and I 
announced the formation of a congressional task force on national drug 
policy.
  A series of national surveys have shown a very disturbing increase in 
drug use among America's youth. Drug use among young people was down--
way down--in the 1980's, when Presidents Reagan and Bush made the war 
on drugs a national priority. And these surveys show what has happened 
now that the Clinton administration has all but declared a cease-fire.
  The Speaker and I have charged this task force with convening the 
Nation's top experts, and coming up with an antidrug action plan which 
we can implement in the coming year.
  Earlier this year, the Speaker and I also asked Jack Kemp to chair a 
14-member blue-ribbon national commission on economic growth and tax 
reform.
  We asked the commission to start with a blank piece of paper, and to 
design a tax system that is flatter, fairer, and simpler--one that 
strengthens families, and one that encourages savings, investments, 
strong economic growth, and greater opportunity for all our people.
  The Kemp commission will issue its report next week, and I anticipate 
their recommendations will significantly advance the tax reform debate. 
Hopefully, these recommendations will lead us to a new system so we can 
end the IRS as we know it.
  We also made substantial progress this past year in our efforts to 
pass a line-item veto, to bring much-needed reform to America's 
telecommunications industry, and to restore some common sense to our 
civil justice system. With our House colleagues, we hope to put the 
finishing touches on both of these important issues early this 
year. That is still in conference. It is our hope, perhaps, if there 
should be a budget agreement, that might become part of the budget 
agreement. The Senator from Arizona, Senator McCain, and Senator Coats, 
on this side, have worked on this for years, as have many other of my 
colleagues, too.

  We have not given up on regulatory reform. We are just shy of the 60 
votes we need; we have 58. We are working with our colleagues on the 
other side of the aisle because this area affects real people. It costs 
the average American family about $6,000 per year. We believe in this 
case it should not be a partisan debate. So I hope we can come together 
on that.
  I also say with pride that just as this Republican Congress has 
insisted on returning power to the people, we also have made clear that 
Congress is not a ruling class that is above the people.
  While we were in the minority, Republicans fought for legislation 
that would subject Congress to the same laws we impose on everybody 
else. And once we were in the majority, we were able to do just that by 
passing the Congressional Accountability Act.
  With Republicans in the majority, Congress was able to enact into law 
legislation that will shine additional sunlight into the lobbying 
process, and we also placed a strict limit on gifts that Members of 
Congress and Senators can receive.
  And with Republicans in the majority, we were able to cut more than 
$200 million from the congressional budget--the largest cut in 40 
years.
  One thing we did not cut, however, was America's national security. 
Over the past few years, the Clinton administration has come 
dangerously close to gutting our national security budget, and this 
Congress reversed that ill-advised course.
  Let me conclude, Mr. President, by thanking all Senators on both 
sides of the aisle. Our first session was a lengthy one, and at times, 
the debates have been contentious.
  But I believe that all of us can take great pride in the fact that 
history will reflect we were all part of a truly revolutionary U.S. 
Congress:
  A Congress that kept its promises.
  A Congress that fought to change the status quo.
  A Congress that succeeded in bringing fundamental change to 
Washington, DC.
  A Congress that, above all, remembered the 10th amendment by 
returning power to our States and to the American people.
  Also, again, I trust that in this session, as it says in the 10th 
amendment, we will return power to the people.

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