[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 146 (2000), Part 17]
[Senate]
[Page 25473]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



                 MEANINGFUL LEGISLATIVE ACCOMPLISHMENTS

  Mr. REID. Mr. President, I find myself in amazement when I hear the 
Republican's spin that the Democrats played partisan politics in this 
Congress.
  The truth is, we have repeatedly asked for the Republican leadership 
to work with us so we could have meaningful legislative accomplishments 
for the people in Nevada and in other States represented in this body.
  These legislative accomplishments should include meaningful 
prescription drug benefits that help people--not the HMOs; a meaningful 
Patients' Bill of Rights--benefits to ensure the American people 
receive the urgent medical care they need rather than an HMO litigation 
protection bill; meaningful funding for education; that is, funding for 
school construction, repair, and modernization rather than denying 
States any Federal assistance to maintain our Nation's schools.
  We always hear that this takes away from local control. No one on 
this side of the aisle wants to take local control away from schools.
  We have many programs that we have worked on that have been very 
helpful in school districts.
  I have not heard a single person from the Clark County School 
District, the sixth largest school district in the country--basically 
Las Vegas--complain about too much Federal money, or too much Federal 
control. Quite the opposite. The calls I get are for more help, 
especially school construction and repair and modernization.
  I think we need a meaningful tax cut; that is, a significant tax to 
ensure we can still pay down the debt rather than a tax cut of such 
magnitude that we forget our current obligations; targeted tax cuts, 
for example, that would allow a child to go to school not based upon 
how much money the parents have but how much ability they have. A tax 
credit to allow the parents to deduct up to $10,000 a year per child 
would be most helpful to the American people. That is what we call a 
targeted tax cut. Of course, we need a minimum wage increase.
  Speaking of Governor Bush, the reason Governor Bush has not been an 
advocate for a minimum wage increase is the State of Texas has one that 
is almost $2 an hour less than the Federal minimum wage.
  In some States, the wages are much higher. You have some 
jurisdictions that have a minimum wage as much as $11 an hour. But here 
we don't. We have a $5.15 minimum wage. We want to increase it 50 cents 
an hour. We are getting all kinds of static for trying to do that. We 
need to do that.
  Campaign finance reform: Certainly with this campaign season, people 
understand how we have to do something to take money out of campaigns. 
We need to have campaigns more meaningful. It shouldn't be how much 
money you are able to raise. It should be what the merits of your 
claims are.
  As we get closer to Halloween, the debt of the American people should 
scare them more than any ghost. Instead of giving them treats, this 
Republican Congress, in my opinion, played a dirty trick on the 
American people. They are scheming to drive a stake through the heart 
of the positive Democratic agenda--an agenda that could make a real 
difference in the lives of working people.
  We do not have the legislative accomplishments that we need. Instead 
we have accomplishments that could have been.
  I know that there are others here wishing to speak. We have a limited 
amount of time.
  I see my friends from Illinois and Minnesota. I would be happy to 
yield my time to either of them.
  How much time does the Senator from Illinois desire?
  Mr. DURBIN. I would like to ask for 20 minutes.
  Mr. REID. How much time do we have, Mr. President?
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Forty-five minutes.
  Mr. REID. I give 20 minutes to the Senator from Illinois.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Illinois is recognized for 20 
minutes.
  Mr. DURBIN. Thank you, Mr. President. I ask the Chair to advise me 
when I have consumed 10 minutes.
  Thank you, Mr. President.

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