[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 115 (Wednesday, September 22, 2004)]
[House]
[Page H7336]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[[Page H7336]]
                  THE REPUBLICAN CONTRACT WITH AMERICA

  (Mr. KINGSTON asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. KINGSTON. Mr. Speaker, 10 years ago the Republican Party put 
forth the Contract with America, and it was the first time that 
collectively Members of Congress had put forth an agenda. And certainly 
the Democrats did not like it, but 10 years later they are trying to do 
the same thing, and I applaud them. I think it is good to honestly show 
the folks what their platform is.
  Part of our platform, of course, was tax cuts. Does anyone think that 
we would have had tax cuts had the Democrats stayed in power?
  Part of our platform was welfare reform. There were 14 million people 
on welfare. Today there are about 4 million. Does anyone think that 9 
million people would be back in the workplace if it had not been for 
the Republican Contract with America?
  The military spending went from $260 billion to today $419 billion 
and restrengthened our military. Does anybody think that would have 
happened without the Republican Contract with America?
  And No Child Left Behind, our landmark education reform bill that put 
parents back in charge and teachers, not bureaucrats, in Washington. 
Does anyone think that would have happened without the Contract with 
America?
  These platforms are good. This debate is worth having. We have been 
in power for 10 years. There is a lot more we need to be doing. We are 
going to work for tax simplification and more tax reduction, and we 
need to get better control on spending. Both parties need to do that.
  Mr. Speaker, I am proud that we have been in power 10 years and proud 
of the accomplishments we have had in that period.

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