[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 86 (Wednesday, June 28, 2006)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6599-S6600]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       RESPONSE TO THE CHECKLIST

  Mrs. HUTCHISON. Mr. President, I have listened to part of the 
previous presentations. I think the impression has been given that if 
we just had a Democratic Senate we could accomplish so much more. But I 
think in the process of making such a presentation many things have 
been overlooked or not quite stated in a factual way.
  Let me start by saying what has been said--that Republicans have cut 
$12 billion from college student aid, frozen Pell grants for higher 
education. Nothing could be further from the truth. The Republican 
Congress, since President Bush has been in office, has dramatically 
increased the absolute commitment to helping lower income students, 
many who are first-time college graduates in their family, and we are 
helping at the Federal level to an extent never seen before.
  For instance, Pell grants will grow by $240 million. The number of 
recipients will increase by 59,000 to 5.3 million students. Funding for 
Pell grants rose from $8.8 billion in 2001 to $13 billion in 2006. In 
2006, the Department of Education expects to make over $77 billion in 
grants, loans, and other aid to over 10 million students. It is a fact 
that we are increasing Pell grants. We are increasing the number of 
students who are eligible for Pell grants. We need to be honest when we 
are talking about what the difference would be if there were a 
Democratic Senate versus the Republican accomplishments.
  In addition, the Department of Education in 2006 will make or 
guarantee more than $60 billion in new student loans, a $4 billion 
increase over the previous year. That is a huge accomplishment in just 
one year.
  In addition, one of the things this Senate is focusing on currently 
is trying to get more of our students into the areas of math, science, 
and engineering because that is where the jobs are in the future. To 
make sure our students from low-income areas are able to pursue this 
type of career and to give them special attention, we have added a 
SMART grants program for Pell-eligible students that will give them a 
bonus if they pursue a degree in math or science, or a foreign language 
deemed to be critical for national security. We have taken steps so 
low-income students, only Pell grant-eligible students, will get this 
bonus to move in the direction of good jobs in our country.
  It is important to stay on the facts and talk about some of the 
things we have tried to do. ``Tried to do is key.'' Many of the things 
I have heard in the last hour about what the Democrats would do if they 
were in charge were somewhat amusing because we have tried to do those 
very things; it is the other side of the aisle who has kept us from 
achieving those goals. Consider association health plans--small 
business health plans that would give millions of workers the 
opportunity to have affordable health care. Because they work for small 
businesses--maybe 10 employees or 20 employees--that employer cannot 
afford to offer health insurance options because the options are too 
expensive, and employers are not eligible for the big plans that bring 
the cost down.
  We brought to the Senate floor, after trying for years, we passed 
legislation out of committee and brought to the Senate the small 
business health plans that would give millions of employees of small 
businesses the opportunity to have affordable health care. It was the 
Democrats, by an overwhelming majority of their caucus, who voted 
against association health plans again and again.
  Making health care more affordable is a goal we have. One of the most 
important things we can do this year is to broaden the number of people 
who have health care coverage in our country. If the Democrats would 
sit down and work with us, we could do that. We cannot do it by 
ourselves. I am very concerned when it is implied that a Democratic 
Congress could produce this when it is the Democrats who have 
obstructed Republican initiatives.
  Border security. I live in a border state. We have a northern border 
and a southern border. Since I came to the Senate, we have probably 
quadrupled the number of Border Patrol agents in both the northern and 
the southern sectors. We have put billions into more border control 
facilities, into surveillance techniques that extend the reach when you 
cannot have a person every mile. You cannot have a person every mile, 
but you can certainly extend your reach with infrared and UAVs. This is 
very helpful. We have put our money into this area, and we have made it 
a focus. Securing our border is going to continue with a Republican 
Congress.
  Tax cuts. I have heard many people say: How can you have tax cuts 
when we have deficits and so many needs in our country? Let's put the 
facts on the table. Every time in recent history when we have had tax 
cuts in this country--from President Kennedy, President Reagan, and 
President Bush--the revenue of our country has increased. It happened 
again after the tax cuts of 2003. When people can keep more of the 
money that they have worked for and earned in their pocketbooks, they 
will either reinvest it in capital, which will increase jobs and 
prosperity and, therefore, revenue to our country; or they will save 
it, which does the same thing; or they will spend it and create new 
opportunities for jobs in the manufacturing sector.

  That is exactly what has happened when the Republicans, over the 
objections of the Democratic caucus, did push through tax cuts giving 
marriage penalty relief, giving lower tax brackets for every American 
who pays taxes, giving a 15-percent capital gains and dividends rate, 
giving relief across the board to the people who are earning the money 
in this country that has caused a revenue increase.
  Therefore, the deficit of this country is going to be $100 billion 
less this year than we thought might happen. If we do not continue the 
tax cuts, it will be a tax increase, and that will stall the economy. 
We will see the jobless rate rise and our economy will be adversely 
impacted. So tax cuts are a difference that we will see with a 
Republican-controlled Congress.
  Now I will talk about energy. One of the things we have done in this 
Congress, which has not gotten very much play, is the Energy bill that 
was passed through the leadership of Senator Pete Domenici as chairman 
of the Energy Committee. For the first time in 10 years, we passed a 
significant Energy bill last year through this Republican-led Congress. 
The focus was on renewables, tax credits for renewables, increased 
investment in research into renewable energy.
  Anyone who has filled up a gas tank, anyone who runs a small business 
and has higher costs of electricity and natural gas knows we have an 
energy crisis in this country. One of the reasons why is because we are 
over 60 percent dependent on foreign sources for our energy needs. 
These foreign sources are unreliable. We need to do what Americans do. 
That is, stand up and take control of our destiny. That means we are 
going to create energy that is renewable and clean, that protects the 
environment, energy such as biodiesel, made from soybeans; energy such 
as ethanol, made from corn. Wind energy is producing almost 10 percent 
of the electricity in my home State of Texas and Texas is a big State. 
It is very important that we have the wind energy credits we passed in 
that tax bill because it has enhanced energy resources

[[Page S6600]]

in our country. This is a significant contribution to diversifying our 
energy sources, and it is so important for our country.
  My point is this: This Republican Congress has been a steady hand at 
the wheel. We have supported America's commitment in the war on terror. 
We have made it a policy that we will not leave when our commitment is 
not fulfilled. And when it is, and when the generals on the ground say 
Iraq can secure itself and Afghanistan can do it by themselves, we will 
then leave. We want to do that. We do not want to stay indefinitely in 
Iraq or Afghanistan, but we want to keep the terrorists where they are. 
We will keep our commitment to lower taxes and clean energy. We will 
keep our commitment to the small business people who are working in 
America and contributing to the economy. They are the heart of our 
country. That is what a Republican Congress would do. That is what we 
are going to continue to fight for.
  I hope, rather than saying a Democratic Congress would do it 
differently, when they have blocked so many of the things we have done, 
they would cross the aisle and say: Let's do these things together. We 
can do something bipartisan. People in this country do not care about 
Republicans or Democrats. They want results. We can do it if we work 
together across the aisle instead of making so many issues political 
that do not need to be.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Missouri.

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