[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 122 (Tuesday, September 24, 2002)]
[House]
[Pages H6475-H6478]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          UNFINISHED BUSINESS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the order of the House of 
January 23, 2002, the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Gephardt) is 
recognized during morning hour debates for 30 minutes.
  Mr. GEPHARDT. Mr. Speaker, I rise to urge the Republican leadership 
to address the unfinished business of the American people's agenda. The 
House has a lot of work to do and not a lot of time in which to do it. 
In America today millions of hard working families face challenges in 
their daily lives.
  Since January, 2001, our Nation's economy has deteriorated 
dramatically and this House has failed to provide real relief to the 
families who need it most. We have seen the most anemic period of 
economic growth since Dwight Eisenhower was President. In 18 months the 
stock market has lost $4.5 trillion in value. More than 2 million 
people have lost their jobs. A wave of corporate scandals has eroded 
people's fundamental faith in our Nation's free markets and scores of 
corporations have become bankrupt.
  Consumer confidence dropped in each of the last 4 months and is at 
the lowest level since November, 2001. Our Nation's retirement security 
system has

[[Page H6476]]

also been undermined and in great difficulty. In 18 months Republican 
economic policies have taken $2 trillion from the Social Security Trust 
Fund. Baby boomers' retirement benefits have been jeopardized.
  In each of the last few years, prescription drug prices have soared 
more than 10 percent. Reliable prescription drug coverage eludes almost 
two-thirds of all Medicare recipients. On a daily basis, senior 
citizens face a choice between buying food, paying the rent, or buying 
their medicine. Senior citizens actually slice pills into halves 
because they cannot afford their full prescriptions.
  Faced with these challenges, the House Republican leadership has 
failed to address people's kitchen table concerns. In the last 18 
months this leadership passed an agenda that satisfied the special 
interests, misled the American people, and dismissed the interest of 
America's hard working families. But for bipartisan action after the 
September 11 terrorist attacks, Republicans amassed a record of 
nonachievement in this 107th Congress and failed to make a difference, 
a real difference, in people's lives.
  On the economy Republicans have demonstrated a devotion to special 
interest-driven tax cuts. In 2001, in a mammoth tax cut giveaway, 
Republicans gave the lion's share of the breaks to those who least 
needed tax relief. The Republican economic plan turned record surpluses 
into deep deficits for the decade ahead. The only surplus that is left 
is after they have squandered most of the Social Security surplus.
  The Republican economic agenda rejected the fundamental values that 
in the 1990s propelled the longest economic expansion ever recorded: 
Opportunity, responsibility, and community. In a so-called stimulus 
bill, the Republican agenda even tried to give Enron a $254 million tax 
break. For the economic victims of the September 11 attacks, the 
Republican agenda blocked the extension of unemployment benefits 
legislation for 5 months. For people who had lost jobs in this 
Republican recession, the Republican agenda blocked the extension of 
health care benefits legislation. This ideological agenda has blocked a 
modest, very modest, minimum wage increase even though in the 5 years 
since the last increase the minimum wage's real value has fallen 11 
percent.
  This agenda has done almost nothing positive for Americans. It has 
instead led to large layoffs, weakened America's manufacturing sector, 
and helped produce big losses in people's pensions, IRAs, and mutual 
funds across the board. Faced with this mounting tide of bad economic 
news, Republicans continue to support more special interest tax cuts 
for the wealthiest individuals. In April, in the middle of a recession, 
they voted to extend provisions in the spring 2001 tax cut bill that 
would not take effect until 2011. Think about it. As families face 
financial hardships, the Republican majority wasted valuable time 
trying to cut taxes for the wealthiest individuals starting 10 years 
from now, in 2011.
  In recent weeks they have wasted the House's time and people's money, 
passing the exact same tax cut all over again. Republicans sliced their 
10-year enrichment plan for the wealthy into individual tax cut pieces 
in order to distract attention from the absence of a real agenda that 
would address America's real problems.
  The sole passion of House Republicans has been to reward their 
wealthy political clientele for the next decade and beyond at the 
expense of every other need of the American people. Republicans pass 
one press release after the next and abdicate their responsibility to 
lead America. They seek to create the illusion of real life legislative 
progress on America's real problems where none exists. Perhaps more 
telling about their inability to carry out their responsibility to 
govern is that to date not a single spending bill has been sent to the 
President, just one week before the new fiscal year begins. In fact, 
since the August recess, this House has failed to pass a single 
spending bill and it is the House that must originate this important 
budgetary legislation.

  Republicans are failing at this most basic task because their 
misguided economic plan is starving important investments we can and 
must make in our families' futures, especially in educating our 
children. Their budget plan would force 50,000 kids from after-school 
programs that keep children safe. Republicans will leave children 
trailing behind in America. In fact, because some Republican moderates 
understand cuts will have to be made, they have been unable to bring 
key bills to the floor and now their strategy appears to be delay, 
delay, delay until after the November elections to avoid voters' wrath.
  This week the House will have to pass the first of what will probably 
be several continuing resolutions to try to fund the Federal 
Government. Republicans are simply kicking the can down the road, 
looking ahead to a possible lame duck session to fix their budgetary 
problems while they continue to deny the consequences of this deeply 
misguided economic plan.
  A lame duck session deprives voters of the legislative information to 
make an informed decision, and by delaying key spending decisions, 
Republicans are depriving critical resources to public schools, 
hospitals, homeland security, among other priorities.
  The House should not adjourn before holding a full debate on all of 
these spending bills and priorities. People deserve common sense 
solutions to the challenges that confront them. That is why I hope 
Republicans will at least accept our offer to convene a bipartisan 
economic growth summit to put together a plan that will cut the budget 
deficits, bring back responsibility and discipline, and get us back on 
the path to long-term economic growth and opportunity.
  Even now as we consider a resolution to go to war, there is an 
unwillingness to reconsider Republican economic and budgetary decisions 
made more than 1 year ago, before September, 11, 2001. Furthermore, 
Democrats support a 21st century energy agenda that creates jobs, 
protects the environment, and expands the economic pie for all of us; 
education investments to create the most trained and most highly 
skilled work force on the planet; a minimum wage increase for hard-
working families; and a second round of extended unemployment benefits 
because for over 1 million people their benefits have been exhausted, 
and by December, 1.5 million people will be in this position.
  Second, this House must have a free and fair debate about our 
Nation's Social Security future. Despite repeated promises to safeguard 
the surplus, the Republican leadership passed an economic plan that 
diverted $2 trillion from Social Security into other non-Social 
Security initiatives. Putting special interest tax cuts first, second, 
third, fourth, fifth, and sixth, Republicans broke our commitment to 
save Social Security first and jeopardized the baby boomers' Social 
Security benefits.
  Social Security is the greatest retirement security program ever 
conceived. Social Security puts food on people's table, shelter over 
people's head. It spells the difference between poverty and dignity in 
the lives of millions of senior citizens, surviving spouses, and people 
with disabilities. It represents the largest, most reliable income 
source for middle-income seniors.
  Republicans have at least five plans to privatize and cut Social 
Security benefits. These schemes make it clear: Either Republicans will 
have to cut benefits, divert trillions of dollars from other as yet 
unspecified programs, or they will have to do both things. According to 
one study, senior citizens, surviving spouses, and people with 
disabilities would see benefit cuts between 30 and 46 percent annually 
if the Republican privatization proposals get enacted. Therefore, I can 
think of few more crucial priorities than a full Social Security debate 
with a spotlight shining on Republican's privatization schemes.
  I am deeply disappointed that House Republicans seemingly do not want 
this debate and they do not want this vote. The Republican leadership 
is doing everything in its power to sweep Social Security under the 
carpet until after the November election. They understand just how 
unpopular the privatization agenda has become, especially since the 
near record drop in the stock market of the last months. The American 
people have a right to know the consequences that flow from this 
decision. They deserve a frank, honest

[[Page H6477]]

discussion about all of the Republicans' Social Security privatization 
proposals. As elected leaders, it is our obligation and our 
responsibility to hold this discussion before the November elections so 
the people, the people, can decide Social Security's future.

  In addition, Republicans must complete the unfinished business of the 
American people's prescription drugs agenda. Right now they are trying 
to run out the clock on the crucial challenge of prescription drug 
prices. I have talked to hundreds of senior citizens who have urged the 
Congress to cut prescription drug prices down so hard-working families 
can afford them. In this Congress Republicans have failed these 
families while protecting the profits of the biggest drug makers that 
support their campaigns.
  In July Republicans passed a sham bill written by the prescription 
drug lobby. They refused even to let us vote on our Democratic 
alternative. They rejected a real Medicare prescription drug benefit 
rooted in the right values, a benefit available and affordable to all, 
and 100 percent available, reliable and guaranteed. The Republican bill 
represented a fraud and a farce. It was not worth the paper it was 
written on. It covered barely a fraction of America's senior citizens, 
put the benefit in the hands of private insurance companies, and took a 
dangerous first step toward privatizing Medicare. On a party-line vote, 
it passed the House. Days later I was in Missouri and I saw commercials 
underwritten by the pharmaceutical lobby. The spots praised Republican 
candidates for supporting the Republican prescription drug bill fraud. 
That bill secured the profit priorities of our Nation's drug makers 
over, and at the expense of, our Nation's senior citizens. It is the 
same special interest Republican story line on the issue of 
prescription drug prices.
  This summer the Senate, 78 to 21, passed a good, bipartisan bill that 
will close loopholes used by drug makers to stifle competition, keep 
prescription drug prices high, and maximize industry profits. This 
simple legislative step could cut prescription drug prices by about 60 
percent. According to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, it 
would save consumers $60 billion in prescription drug prices each year. 
In the House, Democrats are circulating a petition to discharge the 
Senate-passed bill because Republicans also refuse to debate this. Not 
surprisingly, the pharmaceutical lobby is starting an advertising blitz 
attacking the Senate bill, scaring people with the canard that if this 
bill is enacted, somehow, magically, medical and pharmaceutical 
advances will come to a grinding halt. The drug companies continue to 
fund Republican campaigns as a reward for Republican actions and 
inactions on this high-priority agenda item.
  The special interests can afford to pay for this largess. Since 
January the big drug makers earned more than $37 billion in 
prescription drug sales. On this issue the special interests have 
seized and controlled the agenda.
  Before adjournment we must make this the people's House again. We 
must not let it be the pharmaceutical companies' subsidiary corporate 
interest. We should and we must vote in this Congress to try to lower 
prescription drug prices for all Americans. Preventing more corporate 
scandals and bringing corporate criminals to justice is the fourth 
piece of unfinished business here in the House. Again, the reality, the 
sad reality, is that special interests have guided the Republican 
response to the whole basket of corporate accountability issues.
  Under Republican leadership thousands of Americans have lost jobs due 
to corporate misbehavior. In recent months Arthur Andersen fired 7,000 
employees, Global Crossing fired over 9,000 employees, WorldCom fired 
over 20,000, and Enron fired over 4,500. This is not part of a normal 
business cycle, to say the least. In recent months people's pensions 
lost $210 billion and State pensions lost $4 billion combined when 
WorldCom and Enron stock plummeted because their books had been cooked.
  In response to these awful mind-numbing developments, House 
Republicans passed watered-down special interest legislation to create 
the appearance of action when the truth was a failed Republican 
deregulatory agenda. Republicans blocked accounting industry reform for 
months until the pressure became so great they had no choice but 
capitulation. But they refused to impose stiff penalties on employers 
who mislead employees about the value of company stock. They failed to 
punish CEOs who run their companies into the ground. They blocked our 
efforts to eliminate tax breaks and Federal contracts that corporations 
still today receive by relocating overseas to avoid paying American 
taxes.
  In April Republicans passed a pension reform bill that failed to 
protect pensions from corporate abuse and indiscretions. One House 
Republican even acknowledged that the bill ``does little to protect 
people's pensions.'' It failed to give employees control over their 
nest eggs and retirement plans. It treated executive pensions better 
than employee pensions, maintaining two sets of rules. It offered 
employees no legal remedies when companies abused people's 401(k)s.
  I believe America has the greatest, most vibrant free enterprize 
system on the face of this planet. But for the sake of every consumer, 
every CEO, every employee and every investor, we must create one set of 
rules for all, reward hard work with fair play and ensure that 
corporate criminals pay the price. I will continue to stand on this 
floor and fight for comprehensive business, employees' and investors' 
bills of rights. Let us get it done today and restore people's faith 
after what has happened to their precious savings.
  Sadly, the Republican response to all these challenges is to ``run 
out the clock'' on the Congress, as one newspaper wrote over the 
weekend. I saw a headline just yesterday calling the Republican agenda 
an ``Avoidance Agenda.'' I quote Bob Novak: ``Apart from the war on 
terrorism, the Republican party,'' he says, ``flinches from standing 
for much of anything in the 2002 election.''
  To retain their majority, Republican leaders have created a playbook 
that reveals the failed Republican agenda and mocks the priorities of 
their constituents. In recent weeks even with misguided bills, 
Republicans seem incapable of taking any action.
  Republicans pulled an education tax bill, pulled the bankruptcy 
conference report. Now they waste time and over $100,000 a day of the 
people's money, according to one calculation, passing press release 
bills, one more obvious than the next. The nonsense of the House 
resolutions, as I would like to call them, will make zero impact on 
people's actual lives. The same can be said of other well-meaning 
resolutions that represent the lion's share of the legislative agenda 
with House Republicans in the majority.
  In this session the House has passed at least 40 suspension bills to 
bestow names on post offices. Under Republican leadership this House 
has considered the following resolutions, among others: Supporting the 
Goals of the Year of the Rose; Honoring the Invention of Modern Air 
Conditioning; recognizing the Significant Contributions of Paul Ecke, 
Jr. to the Poinsettia Industry, and for other purposes; Ensuring 
Continuity for the Design of the 5-cent Coin, Establish the Coin Design 
Advisory Committee, and for other purposes.
  At the rate we are going nobody is going to have any coins to 
redesign if we do not get this economy straightened out. This House is 
becoming irrelevant because people's kitchen table priorities are not 
being addressed on a constructive and bipartisan basis. Instead of 
wasting time on empty, meaningless gestures and then voting to allow 
the President's plans to privatize Social Security to take effect; 
sheltering unpatriotic offshore corporate tax havens from paying their 
fair share of taxes; blocking campaign reform; passing the largest gift 
to the wealthy in the history of this Nation in the form of massive tax 
breaks, without even considering a new economic plan; passing a gift to 
Enron and other oil and gas interests through a dirty energy bill; 
delaying and bending to corporate interest in addressing the corporate 
scandals and protecting pensions; delaying and then undoing the strong 
air safety rules Congress enacted to safeguard the public in the 
aftermath of September 11, Republicans should have been working with 
Democrats to address the American people's unfinished and important 
business.
  The American people want us to raise the minimum wage, protect 
investor

[[Page H6478]]

rights, enact job training, pass Medicare prescription drugs, cut 
prescription drug prices, and extend unemployment benefits. People also 
want us to reform our elections and voting apparatus to ensure that 
every vote counts and that what happened in 2000 and 2002 in Florida 
and elsewhere never ever happens again.
  People want us to enact a real Patients' Bill of Rights with teeth 
and effectiveness and not the sham Republican legislation that is 
languishing and waiting in going to conference. They want us to help 
school districts across America get class size down to 18 students in 
each classroom. They want us to pass school construction to promote 
safety in every public school, create a stable learning environment and 
meet the staggering backlog of unmet school construction needs.
  People want us to close the pay gap between men and women. They want 
us to overturn new White House rules and restore real medical privacy 
protections to every American patient. They want us to make polluters, 
not taxpayers, foot the cleanup bill and maintain the Super Fund 
program that cleans up toxic waste. They want us to enhance our hate 
crimes law and provide more resources to States and local jurisdictions 
to help investigate and prosecute these heinous crimes. They want us to 
reinstate worker safety protections to prevent repetitive stress 
injuries in the workplace, just to name a few.
  This agenda is worthy of the American people's highest dreams and 
hopes for their family. It is worthy of people's real concerns that are 
there on a day-to-day basis. It is incumbent upon us all to stop 
wasting time in this House, to stop being irrelevant to the people's 
real agenda, and to get about the business of the American people's 
domestic security agenda. Let us do it on a bipartisan basis, let us 
enact an agenda that creates opportunity for all to fulfill their 
potential and let us not adjourn before it is done. Let us get to work.

                          ____________________