[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 11 (Friday, January 26, 1996)]
[Senate]
[Pages S392-S393]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     THE SUCCESSES OF THE PAST YEAR

  Mr. THOMAS. Mr. President, I was glad the leader spoke about optimism 
and the opportunity to do things. I want to talk just a little bit, if 
I may, in morning business about this past year and the successes of 
this past year.
  It seems to me that we have worked very hard. We have worked very 
long. We had to do a number of things to respond to the voters in 1994 
who said the Federal Government is too big and it costs too much. 
Anyone who thinks that making that change from where we have been is 
easy is a bit naive.

  So I think the Republican majority in this Congress has had great 
success. We restructured the debate in this country and have a whole 
new approach changing the direction of Congress and, frankly, changing 
the direction of the President. After 30 years of basically dealing 
with the Great Society and what this group has done time after time, 
which is talk about how much more we can spend, there has been no 
balanced budget for that whole time, but simply a rush to spend more 
and increase taxation. We have turned that around this year. We changed 
the debate from where it has been for a very long time.
  As to the continuing resolution, the President is probably going to 
sign it. They say this President is responsible. The Congress is 
responsible for spending, and it is our responsibility. We are the 
trustees that have that to do.
  I am, frankly, very proud of what we have done this year. For the 
first time, we presented a balanced budget to the President. 
Unfortunately, he vetoed it. I do not think the President wanted a 
balanced budget at that time. But now we are talking about how you 
reduce spending, how you reduce the size of Government rather than how 
much it could grow. For the first time, we will make today a 
downpayment on a balanced budget. We will have a budget at the end of 
this year that will be in keeping with our 7-year effort to do that. 
That is progress. That is, I think, a significant victory that should 
be claimed. It is the first step on the road to success.
  What about the change in the President's behavior? I think that is 
significant as well. Three years ago the President talked about more 
spending, and about investment. He talked about stimulating the economy 
through spending. And we had the largest tax increase in the history of 
the world. Two years ago we were talking about placing one-seventh of 
the entire economy under the jurisdiction of the Federal Government in 
health care. This year the President is talking about the era of big 
government being over. Now, if that is not a change. I am delighted for 
that. A year ago the President presented a budget none of which 
balanced. The President is under pressure, I think, from the Congress 
to present a balanced budget, and that is a movement forward.
  So I think this is a great victory for the American people and for 
future generations. Have we completed our victory? Of course not. Is it 
good enough? No. Is it a good start? Yes. We probably succeeded in 
three-quarters of what we set out to do. Did the President make the 
needed changes in entitlements? No. But he did make some accommodation. 
He talked about some choices in Medicare. He talked about some caps on 
Medicaid. He talked about a commitment to welfare. Those are changes. 
And until we make those, of course, there is no real budgeting. But 
that is where we have come.

  We are talking now about the end of big government. The debate is not 
about growth, but how we reduce the size of government. These are the 
things the President talked about before the election. But now we are 
back to that. I think that is great. I am excited by the opportunity to 
do that.
  Thomas Jefferson said that we do divide naturally in this country, 
regardless of what the party is called, between those who think there 
ought to be an elite governing and we take the money from the folks and 
provide the programs and those who believe people ought to take care of 
themselves and the Government's role is to create an environment in 
which the private sector can work. We are still divided that way. That 
debate, of course, will go on.
  So, Mr. President, I think today we ought to say we have had a very 
successful 1995. We have changed the debate. We are structured 
differently. We are talking about the possibilities of reduction 
instead of the certainty of increases. We are talking about a balanced 
budget, and we have begun and made a downpayment on that. There is a 
great deal to do, of course, but I believe we ought to recognize that 
we have made a victory, that we have made some real progress, and that 
we ought to move forward.
  There are other things we need to do. We need to deal with welfare. 
We need to deal with regulatory reform. We have some health reform that 
we ought to do. We have to empower the States to be able to do more of 
those things so there is flexibility and fit. We have to accept, 
probably most of all, the responsibility for paying for the benefits 
that we are now providing instead of putting it on the credit cards for 
our kids and our grandkids.
  So, Mr. President, I hear a lot of grumbling and wondering and 
confusion. It seems to me that we have had a good year. We have done a 
very difficult thing, and that is make a fundamental change in the 
direction that this Government is taking, one that I think is good for 
America, it is good for all of us as citizens and taxpayers and, maybe 
most of all, it is good for our kids and our grandchildren. 

[[Page S393]]

  Mr. President, I yield the floor.
  Mr. DeWINE addressed the Chair.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Ohio.
  Mr. DeWINE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to proceed for 10 
minutes.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  (The remarks of Mr. DeWine, Mr. Glenn, and Mr. Specter pertaining to 
the introduction of S. 1529 are located in today's Record under 
``Statements on Introduced Bills and Joint Resolutions.'')
  Mr. SPECTER addressed the Chair.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Pennsylvania.
  (The remarks of Mr. Specter pertaining to the introduction of Senate 
Joint Resolution 48 are located in today's Record under ``Statements on 
Introduced Bills and Joint Resolutions.'')
  Mr. SPECTER. Mr. President, in the absence of any other Senator on 
the floor, I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The 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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