[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 1 (Tuesday, January 20, 2004)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2-S3]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         AN OPPORTUNITY SOCIETY

  Mr. DASCHLE. Mr. President, Senate Democrats have set as our goal the 
passage of legislation that we call an ``Opportunity Society'' for all 
Americans--not just the privileged few. It includes proposals for more 
jobs--especially in manufacturing where we have lost nearly 2.5 million 
jobs just in the past 3 years--8,000 in my State of South Dakota. 
Nothing could create those jobs faster than early passage of a highway 
bill. We have already lost 90,000 jobs by the failure to take up the 
bill last year when the last bill expired. We can create over 800,000 
jobs this year if we act expeditiously.
  Not only do we believe in the need to create jobs but we want those 
jobs to pay a decent wage. Nothing can be more critical in that regard 
than to increase the minimum wage for the first time in 7 years.
  Democrats also believe this Senate should address the cost and 
availability of health care which is fast becoming the preeminent issue 
in our country. I have vivid recollections of my hundreds of 
conversations with South Dakotans throughout my State last year, 
conversations which revealed the anxiety and the physical and financial 
pain now experienced by so many with and without health insurance. We 
believe one of the very first steps in reaching this goal should be the 
passage of legislation which authorizes the Government to negotiate 
lower prices for all seniors on prescription drugs as we already do for 
veterans and military retirees.
  We will also advocate that this country devote far more attention to 
education, from preschool to higher education, with more resources and 
greater priority to fully funding childcare, title I, special 
education, and the No Child Left Behind Act.
  We are determined to see that the Senate addresses retirement 
security for all Americans by protecting our seniors' pensions and 
providing them with the confidence that their retirement income will 
not be squandered or lost because of corporate mismanagement. It is 
imperative that Social Security be protected, and we will continue to 
fight this year to see that it is.
  We also seek to provide opportunities here at home, and we ask that 
we not

[[Page S3]]

forget we are a nation at war and are asking a great deal of the men 
and women in our Armed Forces as well as their families. Democrats want 
to ensure that all of our Nation's reservists have access to quality 
health care. Democrats will try to make certain that no veteran has to 
choose between his disability pay and his retirement pay. We will seek 
to provide additional resources to end the lengthy waits at VA 
hospitals that are a fact of life for too many of our veterans today.
  It is also our hope that this session will allow us the opportunity 
early on to address a good energy bill. I have said on several 
occasions, should the MTBE liability immunity provisions be stricken 
from the provisions in the energy bill, there would be sufficient votes 
to pass it on the Senate floor. The decision is up to the majority.
  It is also our goal this year to pass the Mental Health Parity Act, 
welfare reform reauthorization, and the legislation to outlaw hate 
crimes.
  As I said, we hope we can do this and much more on a bipartisan 
basis.
  It is with sadness that I note the way the last session ended. The 
majority didn't seek consensus or cooperation of the Democratic caucus 
on either the Medicare bill or the energy legislation. It was a process 
designed to find agreement among those who already agreed not to bridge 
the differences or broaden support. It was marked by procedural abuses.
  Many Americans are still dismayed that the House kept the Medicare 
vote open for 3 hours while one Member actually admitted he was offered 
a bribe from another Member on the House floor to support the bill. 
That isn't how the American people expect us to do their work. We can 
do better. This year we must.

  While I am on matters that cause Democrats very grave concern, I am 
compelled to note the onerous recess appointment of Judge Charles 
Pickering. The President could not have started off this session of 
Congress in a worse way. The Senate has repeatedly rejected this 
nomination. The timing, during the Martin Luther King, Jr., weekend, 
also could not have been worse. It was a deplorable decision and one 
that is deeply regrettable on several levels.
  As we begin this session, our first order of business will be the 
consideration of the Omnibus appropriations bill. The Omnibus 
appropriations bill was once a good bill. In the Senate we were able to 
work out compromises. We accomplished many things and the process 
worked. But the administration intervened at the eleventh hour and 
demanded changes, laid down an ultimatum, and even forced the 
conference to take positions in direct conflict with earlier positions 
taken on rollcall votes in both the House and the Senate.
  Its insistence on provisions affecting the mad cow decision, overtime 
regulations, and media concentration made the bill unsupportable to 
many Senators. We should take the time to fix the bill's problems 
because they affect millions of American families. We owe it to them to 
take the time to do it right.
  I take a moment for some additional comments on matters unrelated to 
our legislative agenda. First, I know I speak for all Senators in 
expressing praise for our troops in Iraq for their inspiring 
demonstration of bravery and patriotism. Nearly 500 soldiers have died 
and 3,000 have been wounded since the war began. Our country owes them 
our debt of gratitude. I am particularly mindful of the sacrifices made 
by thousands of South Dakotans, including 800 who departed for Iraq 
during the recent holiday season.
  Recently, I attended a funeral for Chris Soelzer, a young man from 
Sturgis who lost his life in Iraq on Christmas Eve. He was a remarkable 
role model, a leader, and soldier. The agony felt by his family, 
friends, and his community is another poignant reminder of the horrific 
sacrifice that war demands.
  We honor those who are there and express our heartfelt gratitude for 
the job they continue to do under the most difficult of circumstances. 
While we praise them for finding Saddam Hussein and for continuing the 
effort to ensure democracy for the 23 million people of Iraq, we remain 
concerned that our troops face violent attacks daily and our troops and 
our taxpayers are bearing a disproportionate share of the burden.
  Second, I note the decision made by our colleague, Senator John 
Breaux, to retire at the end of this session. I have had the good 
fortune to work with Senator Breaux now for 25 years, 17 in the Senate. 
I am proud to call him a close friend.
  He will leave the Senate with many accomplishments, many admirers, 
and many good friends. He has earned our respect and affection by his 
manner, his work, and his never-ending desire to seek consensus and 
bipartisan achievement. For that reason, he will also leave a hole in 
this institution, one that will be very hard to fill. We thank John 
Breaux for his service to his country, his remarkable leadership, and 
his friendship. I wish Lois and John well in the months and years 
ahead.
  In the spirit of John Breaux, let me close by reiterating our desire 
to work in a constructive, bipartisan way for legislation that will 
truly create an ``opportunity society'' for all Americans. I look 
forward to the coming months and the challenges that we will confront 
as they unfold.
  I yield the floor.

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