[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 84 (Monday, June 10, 1996)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6003-S6004]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       KEEPING CAMPAIGN PROMISES

  Mr. COVERDELL. Mr. President, I am just going to make a very brief 
statement to begin this hour. I understand the Presiding Officer would 
like to comment. So if he will allow me, I will make an opening 
statement, and then I will relieve him in the Chair so that he might 
make the remarks he chooses.
  Mr. President, I have always felt that there should be a relevance, a 
connection, a linkage between what a public policymaker contends or 
discusses in

[[Page S6004]]

the pursuit of office and what he or she does, if fortunate enough to 
achieve it. I think that much of the cynicism and anxiety that we have 
seen growing in our country can be tracked back to the failure of too 
many of us who seek public office relating what we said if we sought it 
to what we do if we achieve it.
  I believe this administration is particularly vulnerable on at least 
three major subjects. The first one is taxes. This administration came 
to America and said, ``We are going to lower taxes on the middle 
class.'' That is what was said. But what was done was that they were 
increased to unprecedented proportions.
  We talked about and have heard the administration talk about its 
grave concern over drugs and crime, and drug abuse or drug usage, under 
this administration's watch, have skyrocketed to epidemic proportions. 
Just last week, there was a perfect example, where the President has 
said, ``I am for a balanced budget,'' repeatedly, but stood foursquare 
in front of passage of the balanced budget amendment.
  So, as I said, Mr. President--and I want to reiterate it here this 
afternoon--it is important that there be a linkage, a connection of 
relevance between what we say as we pursue public office and what we do 
if we are successful enough to achieve it.
  Mr. President, I am going to relieve the Chair. I do not think I need 
to call for a quorum call. I will relieve the Chair so that he may make 
his comments.
  (Mr. COVERDELL assumed the Chair.)
  Mr. GRAMS. Mr. President, I want to follow up on some of the comments 
that you were making.

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