[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 148 (Friday, October 16, 1998)]
[House]
[Page H11027]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




         THE SURPLUS CONGRESS: HARDLY A RECORD TO BE SCOFFED AT

  (Mr. KINGSTON asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. KINGSTON. Mr. Speaker, this Republican Congress that has been so 
maligned by partisan Democrats has been the first Congress since 1969 
to balance the budget. It has been the first Congress to have tax cuts 
in 16 years. It has been the first Congress to reform and protect 
Medicare on a bipartisan basis. And the first Congress to have welfare 
reform and 40 percent of the people who were on welfare in 1994 are now 
independent, working. This is hardly a record to be scoffed at.
  What have we done this year? We have protected Social Security. We 
have stopped the Democrat practice of taking the surplus out of Social 
Security and spending it on roads and bridges. We have protected the 
family farm with the farm disaster bill. We have protected education by 
giving more power to local school boards and less from Washington 
bureaucracy. And we are on the verge of passing major drug legislation 
that will give strong interdiction, strong prevention and 
rehabilitation services. We think this is a solid legacy.
  This Congress will be remembered as the surplus Congress. I am proud 
that I played a part of it.

                          ____________________