[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 135 (Saturday, November 20, 2004)]
[Senate]
[Pages S11709-S11710]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      ASSESSING THE LAST TWO YEARS

  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, as we near the completion of the 108th 
Congress, it is an appropriate time to look back over the last 2 years 
and assess where we are. I think by any standard these have been 2 
years marked by great achievement.
  We have kept Americans safe at home, strengthened our economy, and 
vigorously pursued the war on terror. I would like to take a look back, 
as I indicated, at the legislative accomplishments of the 108th 
Congress.
  Last year the Senate passed 11 appropriations bills left over from 
the previous Congress, and then pushed through all the normal 13 
appropriation bills as well as the emergency wartime and Iraq 
reconstruction supplemental appropriations bill. We responded with the 
necessary funds to suppress the California fires through a supplemental 
appropriations. In all, the Senate passed 27 appropriations bills into 
law last year in the first session alone.
  The Senate also pushed through the economic growth package, cutting 
taxes on American families by $350 billion, as well as a revolutionary 
new Medicare prescription drug bill for all of our seniors. The Senate 
banned the horrific practice of partial-birth abortion. We passed the 
Do Not Call registry at the Federal Trade Commission. We provided tax 
relief to military families. We passed the Healthy Forests Act, to stop 
the catastrophic wildfires that have raged across our country. We 
enacted free trade agreements with Chile and with Singapore, and passed 
the African Growth and Opportunity Act.
  The Senate passed the Federal Aviation Administration reauthorization 
to revitalize an air transport industry suffering from the effects of 
the terrorist attack of 9/11.
  After witnessing more than a decade of repression, the Senate passed 
the Burmese Freedom and Democracy Act.
  We secured significant resources to improve our nation's election 
systems, making it easier to vote and harder to cheat.
  We passed the President's faith-based initiative, funded the effort 
to eradicate the scourge of global AIDs, and acted to guard our 
children against abduction and exploitation by passing the PROTECT Act.
  We expanded NATO to include most of the former Warsaw Pact Countries 
and passed a significant arms reduction treaty with our enemy-turned-
ally, Russia.
  We took steps to bridge the digital divide by providing needed funds 
to historically black colleges, awarded a Congressional Gold Medal to 
UK Prime Minister Tony Blair, and affirmed the constitutionality of 
using the term ``under God'' in the Pledge of Allegiance.
  And that was last year. This year, in the second session of this 
Congress, we passed into law a pension relief and stabilization plan 
for private sector businesses, workers, and their retirees.
  We passed into law a bioshield act to improve countermeasures, like 
vaccines, to protect our people from biological, chemical or other 
terrorist attacks.
  We passed into law the Unborn Victims of Violence Act.
  We passed into law a Defense appropriations bill, the Defense 
Authorization bill, a Homeland Security appropriations bill, and a 
Military Construction appropriations bill.
  We passed a supplemental funding bill for operations in Iraq.
  And we are about to complete work on the nine remaining 
appropriations bills which successfully concludes action on all Fiscal 
Year 2005 spending bills.
  We have expanded trade opportunities with new free trade agreements 
with Australia and Morocco.
  We have also passed expanded assistance to families with the Working 
Family Tax Relief Act.
  We passed the Internet tax bill to prevent the imposition of 
capricious taxes on internet transactions.
  We expanded the educational opportunities for disabled children by 
passing an improved IDEA reauthorization.
  Also, we responded to the findings of the 9/11 Commission by 
implementing reforms in the Senate and are still considering as we 
finish this session intelligence reorganization measures which are in 
conference now and being discussed on both sides of the aisle.
  Last, we passed legislation to revise our tax laws to comply with 
international trade agreements and, thus, will remove the European tax 
on U.S. manufacturers. Of particular interest to the Senator from the 
Commonwealth of Kentucky, that measure included a buyout to aid our 
long-suffering tobacco growers, many of which reside in my State.
  These are the legislative accomplishments of a very productive 
Congress, of which we can be justifiably proud. I want to salute the 
effort of my colleagues who made it so, especially the members of my 
deputy whip team: Lamar Alexander, Wayne Allard, Conrad Burns, Ben 
Campbell, John Cornyn, Mike Crapo, Mike Enzi, Lisa Murkowski, Gordon 
Smith, John Sununu, Jim Talent, and Craig Thomas.
  I can't thank them enough for all their hard work, their sound 
counsel and their tireless effort to help win so many close votes. I 
particularly want to thank my chief deputy whip, Bob Bennett, my 
trusted adviser and dear friend for many years here in the Senate.
  But one man deserves particular recognition. During these tough times 
of economic challenges and armed conflict, America has had to 
decisively confront some monumental questions.
  Yet here, in the Senate, the majority had just a one vote margin--one 
vote.
  But America steered a steady course during the 108th Congress only 
because this Senate was able to deliver a ``yes'' when ``yes'' was 
needed--yes to economic recovery, yes to funding the war on terrorism, 
yes to a Medicare prescription drug benefit,--a resounding ``yes'' to 
getting the business of America accomplished.
  And here in the Senate, with the smallest of margins, on the toughest 
possible terrain, on the most pressing questions of our time, it was 
the tireless Bill Frist who delivered that ``yes'' time and time again.
  A truly remarkable performance by Senator Frist. He has earned 
certainly my greatest respect and I think the respect of virtually 
everyone in this body. We are also proud to call him our good friend.
  I also wish our good friend across the aisle, Harry Reid, great 
success as the new Democratic leader. He is a very able man, a very 
skillful legislator, and a worthy opponent. I and my colleagues look 
forward to working with him in the next Congress.
  Finally, we cannot conclude the 108th Congress without a sense of 
sadness. There are many--in fact there are too many--great Senators who 
are leaving this institution. I have already had an opportunity to 
express my goodbyes to Senator Nickles, Senator Campbell, and Senator 
Fitzgerald.
  I also wish a happy and healthy future to our colleagues across the 
aisle, Senator Daschle, Senator Breaux, Senator Hollings, Senator Bob 
Graham, Senator John Edwards, and Senator Zell Miller. Each of these 
men has made a lasting contribution to this marvelous institution.
  In closing, I also remember the greatest public servant of my 
lifetime, President Ronald Reagan, who, after 93 luminous years, 
departed the Nation he never lost faith in and that loved him so well.
  I yield the floor. I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.

[[Page S11710]]

  The assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. STEVENS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

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