[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 146 (2000), Part 16]
[House]
[Pages 23922-23923]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



         REPUBLICAN CONGRESS HAS WORKED TIRELESSLY FOR AMERICA

  Mr. STEARNS. Mr. Speaker, in this pivotal election, the American 
people will hear a lot of back and forth about who works harder for 
their country. Shakespeare wrote, ``What's past is prologue.'' And I 
believe no other phrase can quite describe both the achievements of the 
Republican Congress and its vision for America's future.
  In 1995 when Republicans took over here in the House of 
Representatives, one of the first orders of business for the new 
Republican majority was to declare that it was going to comply and be 
bound by the same laws with which all Americans are forced to comply.
  We reformed the bloated, inefficient welfare system which held 
captive many Americans who only wanted a better life for their 
families. Providing a welfare-to-work incentive for both individuals 
and businesses, the Republican-led Congress succeeded in dropping the 
welfare rolls to the lowest level in history. Congress extended health 
insurance under the Medicaid program for millions of uninsured 
children, giving them the proper care and attention that they deserve. 
The Republicans passed health insurance portability to guarantee 
working Americans that if they switched jobs or lost their jobs, they 
could continue with their current health coverage. We reformed the Food 
and Drug Administration, giving people quicker access to lifesaving 
drugs and medical devices and providing for better food quality.
  The Republican Congress enhanced criminal penalties for sexual crimes 
against children and established a nationwide tracking system for 
sexual predators. We also enhanced punishment for drug-induced rape. We 
boosted education by increasing funding and giving local school 
districts and States the flexibility to use Federal funds to best meet 
the needs of children.
  For seniors, Mr. Speaker, we passed legislation ending the Social 
Security earnings limit test which unfairly penalized senior citizens 
for simply trying to make a living. The House also voted to roll back 
the 1993 Clinton-Gore tax on Social Security benefits.
  We passed legislation to repeal the marriage penalty tax and the 
estate tax here. Sadly and unfortunately, the President vetoed both our 
bills and chose to turn his back on millions of Americans. We 
strengthened our national defense by increasing military pay and 
retirement benefits, enhancing health care benefits for veterans, 
providing the care and respect for our military which this 
administration has misused and forsaken.
  And let us not forget the budget, Mr. Speaker. The Republicans passed 
the Balanced Budget Act and bound our appropriations bills to spending 
caps. The Nation's checkbook is in the black and we have paid down the 
debt by nearly $270 billion.
  I would like to point out that the Democrats controlled the White 
House, the Senate and the House, right here in the 103d Congress. 
Instead of protecting Social Security, Medicare and providing for 
prescription drugs, the Democrats succeeded in increasing the Social 
Security tax on seniors, increasing the tax on gasoline, and increasing 
the overall tax burden on Americans. At the same time, the Democrats 
squandered the Social Security surplus. Before 1995, when Republicans 
took over here, the Democrats spent billions of dollars of the Social 
Security surplus as if it was a slush fund for Members of Congress.
  The Republicans, in sharp contrast, have chosen to lock the Social 
Security surplus away, making it untouchable for anything except Social 
Security. Last month, the House passed the debt relief lockbox which 
will continue our pledge to protect 100 percent of both Social Security 
and Medicare

[[Page 23923]]

while providing for $240 billion in debt reduction.
  The fact is, Mr. Speaker, that the Republican Congress has worked 
tirelessly for the American people. We have produced real solutions 
here in Congress. We have fought hard and passed legislation on welfare 
reform, better health care, better education, tougher criminal 
penalties, tax relief, a stronger defense, a balanced budget, debt 
reduction, and Social Security protection.
  We will not hear that, Mr. Speaker, from the folks on the other side. 
They refuse to state or admit the facts. They are afraid that the 
American people will see the truth, so I thought I would come on the 
floor this morning to set the record straight on the accomplishments of 
the Republican-led Congress.

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