[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 141 (Thursday, October 3, 1996)]
[Senate]
[Page S12409]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              RECORD ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF THE 104TH CONGRESS

  Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, before the 104th Congress does come to an 
end, I want to take this opportunity to thank all Senators for their 
cooperation and hard work with regard to many accomplishments of this 
Congress. This is one of the most productive Congresses in recent 
memory, maybe not in terms of absolute numbers but in terms of historic 
legislation. There is a long list.
  I personally was involved and enjoyed working on such bills as the 
telecommunications reform legislation, which was a mighty effort that 
had been in the making for 10 years. We had good bipartisan cooperation 
on that. We did get small business tax relief and, of course, we have 
all talked about welfare reform, health insurance reform, illegal 
immigration and the monumental task of putting together the omnibus 
appropriations bill without extensions of time, and we got it done.
  I think we should rightfully take pride as we went along with more 
and more bipartisan effort, not always cooperation but we were working 
together and we were able to get an agreement on a number of issues 
that looked as if we might not be able to just days or weeks ago.
  When I was first elected majority leader in June, the Senate was, 
frankly, in a logjam situation with regard to several key issues. It 
was with great cooperation and patience of all Senators, and especially 
my Republican colleagues, our leadership team, and, quite frankly, with 
the leadership on the other side of the aisle that we were able to 
resolve many of those outstanding issues in an orderly fashion.
  However, with triumph does come disappointment. That goes to the fact 
that the Senate was not able to address some of the issues that I 
really had hoped that we would address in a different way--the partial-
birth abortion ban veto vote which was disappointing, and I fully 
expect that matter will be considered again in the next Congress. But 
we had ample opportunity to debate and make our case. We had a vote, 
and in that one we just did not have enough votes to prevail, to 
override a veto.
  All in all, I believe that the entire membership of the 104th 
Congress can leave today proud of their accomplishments and return in 
January ready to take on the many new challenges that face us.
  Mr. DASCHLE. Mr. President, let me just make a couple of remarks 
prior to the time we finish our work today.
  Let me first begin by again congratulating the majority leader on his 
first few months in his new position. I would not characterize this 
Congress quite as he has, but I think we need to end on as positive and 
as bipartisan a note as we can.
  I congratulate him on many of his efforts over the last several 
months. I do believe this has become a more bipartisan and more 
cooperative and a more productive session in part because of the 
leadership that Senator Lott has demonstrated. I hope that we can work 
as successfully together in the new Congress.

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