[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 10 (Thursday, January 25, 1996)]
[Senate]
[Pages S355-S356]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                           THE 104TH CONGRESS

  Mr. FAIRCLOTH. Mr. President, when I was elected to the Senate in 
1992, I was one of five Republican Senators elected that year. But, I 
was the only Senator who defeated a Democratic incumbent in the 
November election, in what many would consider a year dominated by 
Democrats.
  I was a new conservative voice, in a town where the Presidency and 
both Houses of Congress were controlled by liberal Democrats.
  During those first 2 years, I opposed many of the initiatives of the 
coming out of the Congress. I voted against President Clinton's budget, 
because I did not think raising taxes was the answer to cutting the 
deficit.
  I opposed raising taxes on Social Security.
  I opposed his health care plan, which I think would have nationalized 
health care in this country, which is the last thing we needed.
  But the elections in November 1994 changed all of this. For the first 
time in 40 years, the American people elected a Republican House and 
Senate. In my opinion, because of this, the changes have been dramatic.
  For years, popular initiatives that the American public have wanted 
have been stalled or bottled up in the Congress.
  The 104th Congress--the Republican Congress--has finally broken the 
logjam.
  Look at what this Congress has passed. It has been significant.
  We voted to apply to the Congress the employment laws that we pass 
which businesses have to put up with. As of a few days ago, many in 
Congress are getting a taste of the laws that we 

[[Page S356]]
have imposed on the employers of this country for many, many years. 
Many of the Congressmen are having trouble coping with them and have 
not even begun to understand the implications of what we passed.
  Both Houses have passed versions of a line-item veto for the 
President.
  Both Houses passed legislation to increase penalties for child 
pornography. This has been signed into law.
  Both Houses have passed new gift rules for Members of Congress and 
staff.
  Both Houses have passed and signed into law a bill restricting 
unfunded mandates that we place on States--one of our most important 
and best pieces of legislation.
  Both Houses of Congress have passed welfare reform, ending a 
destructive 30 year entitlement program, and replacing it with 
assistance that requires personal responsibility and work. Regrettably, 
the President vetoed the bill. He said he wanted welfare reform, and 
when we gave it to him he vetoed it.
  The Congress passed legislation to provide a tax credit for families 
with children. The Congress voted to repeal the Clinton tax increase on 
Social Security. But, again, the President vetoed both of them.
  The President also vetoed legislation that would balance the budget 
in 7 years. In fact, the President had to be forced after months--and 
three budgets, to finally produce a budget that was balanced using 
honest numbers.
  Mr. President, the first session of the 104th Congress was an active 
one--in which many important issues were addressed. I think the 
American people can be pleased with the job the Republican Congress has 
done.
  Certainly, it has kept its promises--more than any other Congress in 
my recent memory.
  Even the President seems to have picked up on the message of the 
Republican Congress. In his State of the Union, he said ``the era of 
big government was over.'' And we will make it over quicker, if he will 
stop vetoing the legislation that we pass.
  No longer are we talking about starting new Government programs, like 
health care, but we are talking about getting our fiscal house in order 
for the future and stability of this country.
  In the second session, there are a number of items I think we must 
tackle.
  We need to take up regulatory reform. Compliance with these 
regulations is costly. It is destructive and time consuming. Regulatory 
reform legislation would impose a cost benefit analyses for regulations 
with an annual cost of $50 million.
  The Senate also needs to vote on term limits as soon as possible. I 
am an original cosponsor of legislation to limit Senators to two terms.
  Finally, Mr. President, we need to take up the constitutional 
amendment to balance the budget. Probably no issue is more important to 
our country than this one. We are nearly $5 trillion in debt, and it 
will have to be increased right away. It is long past time that we pass 
the balanced budget amendment.

  Every year Americans work longer and harder just to pay their Federal 
taxes, and every year more and more of that money is being used to pay 
the interest on the debt. The debt grows, and the amount necessary to 
service it grows with it. We are truly imposing a massive financial 
burden on our children and progeny yet unborn. It is wrong, and it is 
our responsibility to stop it.
  In the Senate we fell only one vote short of passing a balanced 
budget amendment. I hope the majority leader will bring this issue back 
before the Senate before we adjourn, and I certainly hope that one of 
the Senators could be persuaded to change his view on this critical 
issue. It would mean more to the future and stability of this country 
than anything I can think of at this time.

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