[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 153 (Wednesday, December 13, 2000)]
[House]
[Pages H12082-H12083]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 LET US MAKE CERTAIN UNITED STATES OF AMERICA IS GOVERNED TOGETHER BY 
                ONE PRESIDENT, ONE CONGRESS, ONE SENATE

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Florida (Mr. Foley) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. FOLEY. Mr. Speaker, first, as we are about to end the 106th 
Congress, let me commend the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Pease) for his 
great job of conducting the chair in so many situations. And I see we 
are joined on the floor today by Brian Kerns, his successor-elect, who 
will be sworn into this fine body in just a few weeks.
  I come from West Palm Beach, Florida; and I am proud of the fact that 
I am a Floridian. I am proud of the fact that Palm Beach County is my 
hometown.
  The last 5 weeks have been a difficult time for our community, for 
our State, and our Nation. There have been a lot of negative 
characteristics put upon my county by some suggesting we are a 
backwater community where we disrespect the rights of individuals, 
where we denied people the right to vote, where we denied people going 
to the polls. I take strong exception to some of those comments.
  Tonight we will hear from our two contestants in the Presidential 
election of 2000. I pray that both rise to the occasion that is 
necessary for the job that they sought, and that is to begin the 
healing of this Nation.
  Those that question the legitimacy of this election are only fanning 
the flames of discontent and will create a divide amongst us.
  We are all concerned and confused about the allegations being charged 
in Florida. But, in my heart, I know the truth and I feel compelled on 
this floor to at least suggest to America, it is time to rise above 
both the partisan bickering, the acrimony, and the endless character 
assassinations that have taken place, whether it be the United States 
Supreme Court, whether it be directed toward the Florida Supreme Court, 
whether it be directed to Katherine Harris, the Secretary of State, or 
Mr. Butterworth or any of the other individuals that were part of this 
historic and very unique election.
  The one thing I have heard consistently from my colleagues and from 
my constituents is that during the election contest there were things 
that they clearly wanted to establish: prescription drug coverage; 
improving Medicare; strengthening Social Security; eliminating the 
marriage penalty, the tax on marriages; doing away potentially with 
estate taxes, which we consider a punitive tax against the estates and 
the wealth created by the hard work of Americans.
  These were issues that resonated with each and every American; and 
they said, regardless of your party affiliation, I would expect, in 
fact I demand you to act on these pressing matters of national 
importance.
  So 5 weeks later we will hear a speech tonight; and, hopefully 
tomorrow, Congress, those still in the 106th, those preparing to join 
the 107th, can recognize that America is watching very carefully what 
we do here in this process.

[[Page H12083]]

  It will be not enough to stand on the House floor and rale against 
the other side of the aisle, be they Democrat or Republican, in an 
effort to spin your story in hope either to regain control of this 
process or to exert your legislative dominance because you are the 
majority party. It will not be enough to simply suggest that we can 
stall the process by which we hope to govern.
  It will take great individuals, who I know exist in this process. I 
know many of my colleagues personally. I have traveled with them. I 
spent time in their offices. I know their families. And I know the 
beautiful thing about this process is the fact that when we need to, as 
Americans first and foremost, we do in fact come together and handle 
the requisite task. We rise above Democrat, Republican, or Independent 
registration and we look for answers to solve our problems. We have 
done it in the past. I know we are capable of it.
  I will suggest to my colleagues, I am going to join with my entire 
Florida delegation and hopefully others, I know the gentleman from 
Arkansas (Mr. Hutchinson) suggested we look at the voting machines, 
look at the voting systems, look at the way we conduct voting in our 
country in every precinct, in every parish, in every community to find 
a way to do it better.
  We should not have a lingering aftereffect or aftertaste of a bad 
election or a bitter pill to swallow because we failed to do it 
properly and correctly. We are going to have to join our brethren in 
the State legislatures and county commissioners and try to find a way 
to fund the technology that exists.
  Many in the national media have been asking me, ``What are these 
machines like? What are they like?'' I said, ``Well, I can tell you 
they are antiquated. They were with us since the 1970s.''
  In Florida we play the Lottery from every 7-Eleven and every gas 
station in every hamlet in every community in the State, and on 
Saturday evening at 11 o'clock somehow we can figure out who the winner 
is after a million-plus tickets have been purchased; and we do so 
because technology exists to allow us to do that. And yet, in our 
voting machines, we are looking at a system that has created at least a 
sense of confusion amongst our constituents.
  So let us remedy today to look forward to the process of making it 
more fundamentally fair, but let us first challenge our colleagues to 
stand together tonight, after tonight, when the final speech is made, 
let us stand behind that person who will be our President and make 
certain that, as we assemble in January, the United States of America 
is governed together by one President, one Congress, one Senate.

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