[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 139 (Wednesday, October 7, 1998)]
[House]
[Page H9726]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     IT IS TIME FOR A NEW DIRECTION

  (Mr. PALLONE asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute.)
  Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, as the time runs out on the Congress, it is 
important to keep in mind that the Republican Congress has been a 
failed Congress.
  The Democrats are putting out a report today called A Failed 
Republican Congress, Partisanship Instead of Progress, and it details 
how Republicans have spent a lot of time driving their partisan agenda, 
but very little to help the American people.
  Mr. Speaker, Republicans have failed to act on the critical kitchen 
table issues that Americans really care about. We have had no managed 
care reform, no bill to reduce class size and modernize schools, no 
action to safeguard the surplus for Social Security, no bill to reduce 
teen smoking, no bill to reform our campaign finance system and no bill 
to increase the minimum wage for working families.
  Republicans have let down the American people. It is time for a new 
direction. Congress needs to put the public interest ahead of partisan 
politics. There is still a few days left here. I think we should see 
some action on HMO reform, on education initiatives and on safeguarding 
Social Security. So far we are seeing nothing.

                          ____________________