[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 9 (Wednesday, January 24, 2001)]
[Senate]
[Pages S515-S516]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                           EXECUTIVE SESSION

                                 ______
                                 

  NOMINATION OF TOMMY G. THOMPSON TO BE SECRETARY OF HEALTH AND HUMAN 
                           SERVICES--Resumed

  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under the previous order, the Senate will now 
go into executive session and resume consideration of the nomination of 
Tommy G. Thompson, which the clerk will report.
  The legislative clerk read the nomination of Tommy G. Thompson, of 
Wisconsin, to be Secretary of the Department of Health and Human 
Services.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under the previous order, there will now be 10 
minutes each under the control of the Senator from Iowa, Mr. Grassley; 
the Senator from Montana, Mr. Baucus;

[[Page S516]]

and the Senator from Massachusetts, Mr. Kennedy.
  The Senator from Iowa.
  Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, I yield myself such time as I might 
consume.
  Mr. President, I, as I did yesterday, urge my colleagues to vote to 
confirm President Bush's nominee for Secretary of Health and Human 
Services, the outstanding Governor of the State of Wisconsin, Tommy 
Thompson.
  Statements made during yesterday's session by Senators from both 
sides of the aisle made it apparent that the qualities that have made 
Governor Thompson so successful in Wisconsin also make him an ideal 
choice to lead this very all-encompassing Department of Health and 
Human Services.
  Governor Thompson is a problem solver. He is an innovator and really 
is a leader with a record of success, particularly during the 14 years 
he has served as Governor of the State of Wisconsin.
  His record as Governor of the State of Wisconsin should show 
everybody that he is a person committed to improving the lives of real 
people. The impressive results he has brought about in his great State 
should inspire all of us. In fact, his success in welfare reform there 
inspired Congress to pass the Welfare Reform Act of 1996. He was, even 
while Governor, an advisor to many Members of the Congress who felt we 
ought to move people from welfare to work, move people from the fringe 
of our economic society to the center, to the mainstream of that 
society so they can benefit, as others do, from the dynamics of our 
economy.
  Most Wisconsinites--94 percent--have health insurance because of his 
leadership. The disabled and elderly persons needing long-term care 
have a state-of-the-art support system to turn to, thanks to Governor 
Thompson's leadership.
  Programs such as Pathways to Independence and Family Care are 
efficient and effective and are part of a reliable safety net program. 
They call the program he instituted in Wisconsin the Wisconsin Works 
Welfare Reform Program. It has helped the State reduce its welfare 
caseload by nearly 95 percent. Think of that: reducing the welfare 
caseload by 95 percent. This is good for government, but, most 
important, we do not have welfare reform to help government; we have 
welfare reform to help people.

  The program that has been before the country for the last 4 years is 
not doing everything we want it to do. It is not good to have people on 
the fringe of our society, people who know no other life than a public 
check coming from the welfare office. That is not a humane way to treat 
people. It is humane in our society to help people who cannot help 
themselves, but for those people who can help themselves--and people 
generally, if given the incentive, do want to help themselves--we have 
the responsibility to move them from the edge of society into the 
mainstream of society. That is exactly what happened in Wisconsin.
  More specifically, there was a program in place in Wisconsin before 
we adopted ours in Washington, DC, for the entire nation, and that 
program reduced the caseload by 95 percent.
  Governor Thompson's record in Wisconsin is, indeed, impressive, and 
we are prepared, I believe, to confirm his nomination. He will bring a 
wealth of knowledge, a very positive outlook, and an innovative style 
to the national debate on welfare reform and to Medicare improvements, 
including prescription drugs.
  Governor Thompson made it clear during his nomination hearings that 
he welcomes the opportunity to work with any Member, Republican or 
Democrat, who has a special interest or special concern. One only needs 
to listen to the glowing recommendations from the distinguished 
Senators from Wisconsin, both Democrats, to be assured of his 
commitment to bipartisanship. Such bipartisanship, if anything is going 
to get done, is dictated by the makeup of the Senate and the closeness 
of the Presidential election.
  More importantly, it is the way that Governor Thompson has worked in 
Wisconsin. Obviously, it is the way he is going to work with us.
  I look forward to his collaborative approach to getting the job done 
and urge my colleagues to join me in approving this nomination.
  I yield the floor and reserve the remainder of my time. Just in case 
there is an interest in speeding this nomination along, I am prepared 
to yield back any time I have left.
  Before I sit down, Mr. President, I have this request from the 
leader.

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