[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 147 (Thursday, October 15, 1998)]
[House]
[Pages H10992-H10993]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF THE 105TH CONGRESS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Weller) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. WELLER. Mr. Speaker, it is hard to believe after two long, hard-
working years that the 105th Congress is now coming to a close. It is 
expected we should be rapping up our business probably in the next 24 
to 48 hours. I thought I would just take a few minutes and look back 
over the 105th Congress and talk about, frankly, some of the 
accomplishments that we have achieved.
  I represent a very, very diverse district. I represent the south side 
of Chicago and the south suburbs in Cook and Will Counties, bedroom 
communities as well as rural and farm towns.
  I find there is a pretty common message that comes out of these 
communities. That is, they are tired of partisan politics. They are 
looking for solutions. They want us to meet the challenges that we are 
sent to Washington to work on but to come up with solutions and then 
get those solutions achieved.
  I was thinking when I was first elected back in 1994, the gentleman 
who just preceded me in 1994, and we had an agenda. We were told time 
and time again that we could not achieve it. We were told we could not 
balance the budget. We were told that we could not cut taxes for the 
middle class. We were told that we could not reform the failed welfare 
system. We were told that the IRS was good the way it is, that we could 
not make changes.

                              {time}  1815

  But I am proud to say that in the 105th Congress that we have made 
some real accomplishments, coming up with solutions that work. I am 
proud to report, at the end of the 105th Congress and the last 2 years, 
we have balanced the budget for the first time in 28 years. We cut 
taxes for the middle class for the first time in 16 years. We reformed 
our welfare system for the first time in over a generation. Yes, we 
tamed the tax collector, reforming and restructuring the IRS for the 
first time ever.
  Now that we are in the final hours, I thought I would take talk about 
an additional accomplishment, some important accomplishments that 
affect folks back home, and that is in the area of education, 
priorities for our local schools.
  I am proud that, after 2 years in the 105th Congress, we have some 
pretty good accomplishments to take home. Thanks to this Congress, we 
now have

[[Page H10993]]

the lowest student loan interest rate in 17 years, making college 
affordable for middle class and working families.
  We have doubled the Pell grant twice of what it was when we were 
first elected, now making college more affordable for low-income 
students unable to qualify for student loans.
  We have increased funding for Head Start. We have increased funding 
for special education. Even while balancing the budget, education was a 
top priority last year, including this year as well; in fact, with last 
year's balanced budget, the first balanced budget in 28 years.
  We increase funding by 10 percent, a $5.4 billion funding increase. I 
am proud of that. Lowest student loan rates in 17 years, doubled Pell 
Grants, low income students, increasing funds for Head Start and 
special education, and making education a funding priority.
  I will say, though, I am disappointed. There are some initiatives 
that were passed by this House that the President did not support, so 
they are not going to happen. Education savings accounts to help 
families better afford additional cost and public education and better 
afford the opportunity to go to a private parochial school, 
unfortunately, the President vetoed that effort to help families better 
afford education for their children.
  Unfortunately because of the President's opposition and because of 
opposition from Members of his own party, an effort to give tax 
deferred status to prepaid college tuition programs unfortunately 
failed after we passed it out of this House, helping make college more 
affordable.
  In an effort to provide for school construction, bonding programs to 
help school districts in Chicago and the south suburbs and other 
growing areas add classrooms and fix the roof, unfortunately the 
legislation, $1 billion initiative which passed this House as part of 
the 90-10 plan, unfortunately we were not successful because of the 
President's opposition.
  But we have had a very important victory for local schools and a very 
important victory for education in the final days. I am glad to see 
that this Republican Congress and a Democratic President on the end of 
Pennsylvania Avenue can work together.
  The President talked earlier this year about the need to reduce class 
size, the need to hire additional teachers to accomplish that goal. 
Many of us in this House, in a bipartisan way, agreed with him.
  The question was how were we going to achieve that goal. Are we going 
to have this type of program micromanaged from a bureaucracy here in 
Washington, or are we going to give the resources to local school 
districts and local school boards and local school administrators and 
give them the flexibility how best to decide that type of priority.
  I am proud to say that we have reached an agreement. It is my 
understanding the President and the Republican majority have reached an 
agreement to provide $1.1 billion in funds to help schools, and 
decision making will be in the local districts how best to use those 
dollars. That is a big victory for education, a big victory for local 
education, local schools.

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