[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 97 (Monday, July 12, 1999)]
[House]
[Page H5354]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         REPUBLICANS IN CHARGE

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Schaffer) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. SCHAFFER. Mr. Speaker, returning today after a week-long Fourth 
of July district work period, I had an opportunity over that break to 
meet with so many Coloradans who celebrated the 223rd anniversary of 
the signing of the Declaration of Independence and the launching of our 
great Nation. Many of those individuals look forward to the future of 
our country with great hope and optimism for some who are disturbed 
somewhat by the tenor of the political process here in Washington, 
D.C., and that was emphasized perhaps most dramatically just this 
morning before I hopped on the plane to come back to Washington.
  I held a town meeting, as I do every Monday morning half the distance 
between Fort Collins and Loveland in my district. It allows 
constituents an opportunity to meet and discuss over breakfast the many 
issues facing us, but there was a woman who stood up and commented on a 
remark that she had seen, and I had seen it as well in the media, about 
a colleague of ours here in the House from the Democrat side of the 
aisle, said that there was a Member of the minority party, saw no 
reason for the Democrats to cooperate or to compromise or to work with 
the majority party in Congress; that it would be to their political 
advantage to see a Congress that did nothing.
  Well, it is the kind of disturbing comment that I think strikes most 
Americans as unfortunate certainly, and they are hoping that there are 
those who are willing to stand up in spite of those kinds of sentiments 
and lead the country regardless.
  The rantings of Democrats might lead one to believe Congress is doing 
nothing important, but important things are being accomplished despite 
Democrat opposition and liberal stonewalling.
  As my colleagues know, 7 months having passed since the bizarre 
series of events and criminal denials leading to the second impeachment 
of a sitting President, America is still reeling from its bewildering 
constitutional exercise. Self-serving claims of our liberal 
counterparts to the contrary, Mr. Speaker, America does not suffer a 
do-nothing Congress.
  Still, the several important Republican accomplishments seem to have 
been lost on the morass of most pathetic adventures at the White House. 
Much of the distraction can clearly be blamed on the unfortunate slide 
further into the gutter of a darkening American political culture. 
Months of intense persistence and live impeachment news coverage 
coupled with round-the-clock, Hollywood-style political analysis by 
neophyte pundits has cast a warped and unhealthy light on this 
Congress.
  Mr. Speaker, our democratic republic needs and craves active 
participation by citizens who earnestly care about our future, and now 
more than ever this pursuit must emanate from a genuine desire to 
secure a better America to ensure a stronger republic and honor those 
brave men and women who lived and died defending our great country.
  What we saw in 1998, however, was a sort of Jerry Springer show meets 
C-Span where the American people were given front row seats and 
encouraged to cheer whenever one politician threw furniture at another. 
To be sure, certain politicians supplied ample fodder for these 
exhibitions, and many I confess contributed directly to the further 
denigration of American politics. But there were many more in Congress 
who dutifully fulfilled their constitutional responsibility and took 
very seriously their oaths to preserve and protect our republic. These 
are the same Members who, despite the frenzied pressure and ridicule of 
the Oval Office and the media, advanced the vitally important process 
of governing.
  Mr. Speaker, Republicans can be proud. Our proposals to deliver a 
balanced budget are on schedule, including a much-needed replenishment 
of our national defense and programs. Republicans are also spearheading 
education initiatives to return autonomy to parents and States in 
managing their schools; and biggest of all, we have passed the balanced 
budget blueprint saving Social Security and Medicare while still 
providing much-needed tax relief for American families and their 
businesses.
  Furthermore, Mr. Speaker, the balanced budget amendment resolution, 
H.J. Res. 1, which I introduced on the first day of the 106th Congress, 
will constitutionally bind the government to spending no more than it 
collects in Federal revenues. Republicans will keep spending in line to 
allow us to begin paying down the massive debt accrued over 40 years of 
Democrat taxing and spending policies.
  But despite the surreal Clintonesque atmosphere which perverted the 
current political order in Washington, Mr. Speaker, there remain 
committed Republicans, loyal hard-working Americans who are 
legitimately concerned for our country and who wish to see it move 
forward for the good of our children. Our challenge now is to lead the 
rest of America to abandon Jerry Springer politics in favor of the same 
common sense and divine providence upon which our Founders relied when 
they launched the greatest republic in the history of human 
civilization.

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