[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 145 (1999), Part 1]
[Senate]
[Page 1077]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]


[[Page 1077]]

               THE PRESIDENT'S STATE OF THE UNION ADDRESS

  Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, let me speak briefly, because I see the 
Senators from Iowa and Minnesota are


here. Let me say, about the President's State of the Union Address last 
night, we are very proud of the fact that the Democratic leadership in 
the House and the Senate offered a battery of legislation supporting 
the President's goals. I was heartened by the fact that the President 
lifted our eyes from the drudgery of our Senate trial and spoke again 
to the many issues which really have brought us to Congress in an 
effort to try to improve the lives of Americans and American families.
  The President has taken a fiscally responsible approach by 
suggesting, for example, that as we stabilize Social Security we do not 
run up greater deficits. He is pledging a percentage of the future 
surpluses to stabilize and protect Social Security. That is a 
responsible approach and one which future generations will certainly 
applaud. He has made a similar commitment to the Medicare system, 
saying that some 15 or 16 percent of the surplus will be dedicated to 
make certain that it is solvent through the year 2020.
  I was heartened by two other things that the President suggested. At 
the turn of this century, as we embarked upon the 20th century, America 
distinguished itself and the world as a nation dedicated to public 
education. We became a nation of high school students, and during a 
span of some 20 years on average a new high school was built once every 
day in America. We democratized education, we created opportunity, and 
we created the American century.
  Will we do it again for the 21st century? President Clinton 
challenged us last night as a Congress to come together, Republicans 
and Democrats, dedicated to public education. I think we could and 
should do that. I am happy that he has shown leadership again in this 
important field.
  And finally, and this is on a personal note, for more than 10 years 
in Congress I have joined with many of my colleagues, including the 
Senator from Iowa, Senator Harkin, and Senator Wellstone from 
Minnesota, Senator Lautenberg from New Jersey, and so many others in 
our battle against the tobacco industry. We believe it is nothing short 
of disgraceful that we continue to have more and more of our 
adolescents in America addicted to this deadly product. The Senate 
dropped the ball last year. We had a chance to pass meaningful 
legislation to protect our kids, but a partisan minority stopped the 
debate. The tobacco lobby won.
  Now I hope that we can reverse that on the floor of the Senate and 
the floor of the House of Representatives. But if we cannot, President 
Clinton said last night we will join, as some 42 other States have, in 
court, suing the tobacco companies as a Federal Government for the 
costs that American taxpayers have incurred because of their deadly 
product.
  I salute the President for doing that. I applaud him for his 
leadership, again, in this field of issues that is fraught with 
political danger. I believe that his speech last night gave us some 
hope that we can move forward, even if Congress fails to do the right 
thing and protect our children.
  We stand at an important crossroads. There is no inherent reason why 
the change in calendar from 1999 to 2000 should matter. Some say it is 
just another year. But we humans find significance in that event, and 
the question is whether the 106th Congress, which will bridge the 
centuries, will be a Congress that will be remembered as a productive 
Congress that came together on a bipartisan basis to help Americans, 
not only today, but in generations to come.
  We have to continue to ask ourselves why we are here, how we can make 
America a better place, and the President's State of the Union Address 
gave us the direction.
  I yield the remainder of my time.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Iowa.

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