[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 32 (Thursday, March 13, 1997)]
[House]
[Pages H951-H952]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         MORE ON BIPARTISANSHIP

  (Mr. GEPHARDT asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute.)
  Mr. GEPHARDT. Mr. Speaker, I rise to second the thought that the 
Speaker just made on the floor about the bipartisan retreat that 
happened this weekend in Hershey. It was a historic event,

[[Page H952]]

the only time that I know that Members from both sides of the aisle and 
their families have had a chance to take a 2-day period to understand 
how we could better work together to solve the problems that we are all 
sworn to try to solve for the American people.
  I think it succeeded, if for no other reason that human relationships 
were established that had not been established before. There has been 
tremendous turnover in the House. We have many, many new Members who do 
not know one another, and certainly older Members who do not know 
younger Members who have come in the last few years. I think those 
relationships were begun.
  David McCullough, the noted historian, gave a speech on the first 
afternoon that we arrived in Hershey that I will never forget, and I 
urge all Members to get a copy of the speech and read it. He reminded 
us of how difficult it was in the early history of the Congress to work 
together, how many times altercations broke out between Members, how 
difficult it was to find consensus, and how negative people were about 
the future of the Congress and the country.
  We have come a long way; we have a long way to go. Hershey is a 
beginning. From the Democratic side, I pledge our best efforts to carry 
the spirit of that meeting forward with tangible results in trying to 
work together better in a variety of ways. I thank all the Members who 
came, and I urge the House to entertain the idea of having a succeeding 
event for Members who could not come so that everyone can begin to show 
progress in this very important regard.
  I think the Speaker for allowing me to speak, and I look forward to 
being able to work on the projects that were begun in Hershey.

                          ____________________