[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 150 (2004), Part 1]
[House]
[Pages 80-82]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                            FUTURE IS BRIGHT

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Turner of Ohio). Under the Speaker's 
announced policy of January 7, 2003, the gentleman from Florida (Mr. 
Foley) is recognized for 60 minutes as the designee of the majority 
leader.
  Mr. FOLEY. Mr. Speaker, I am delighted to be back here in our 
Nation's capital for the opening of the 108th second session of 
Congress.
  As we start a new year, we often pray for hope and optimism to help 
lift the Nation, to help guide the Nation, to help give it strength and 
to honor the character of this Nation that we all love so dearly.
  So it is troubling that when, in the first hour of the first day of 
the 108th second session, the negativity ringing in this Chamber is 
deafening, the criticism, the constant carping, the antagonism towards 
this President knows no boundaries. Yet the American public remains 
optimistic and hopeful because that is in our core nature. That is our 
core; that is who we are as people.
  There is a reason Howard Dean went down in ashes, in flames in Iowa 
yesterday, because for the last 11 months he has done nothing but 
characterize and criticize the President of the United States in 
negative tones. Consequently, John Edwards comes in second because he 
was at least talking about hopeful optimism, a spirit that is imbued in 
the character of this Nation and its people.
  As we proceed in this year of trials and tribulations, you have to 
look back at the past year and look forward to the future and hope 
that, rather than fighting one another, we can join together in finding 
solutions to our common problems.
  In the last hour and a half I have heard how bad the economy is. Yet 
at this time our Dow Jones Industrial Average is over 10,500; NASDAQ 
has passed the 2,000 threshold. Unemployment is dropping. Statistics 
prove it. Last month was not the best month; but anyone who follows the 
economy recognizes there is a lag behind employment and robust 
employment numbers and optimism in the sector that is gauged by Wall 
Street. Factory orders. Sale of durable goods. Light trucks. Look at 
the numbers. Real estate. First time home buyers. People's 401(k)s now 
back to where they were pre-1999. Their IRA's are gaining momentum 
again. Their financial status is better. Not perfect, not perfect, but 
better. And what fuels that basic surge in investor confidence? Well, 
that is the term. Investors' confidence.
  In order to have confidence, you have to have some optimism, and you 
have to have some hope that times will in fact get better. But if you 
listen to the cacophony of voices from the other side of the aisle, woe 
is me, and how desperate we are.
  It was telling, one of the speakers offered the President an olive 
branch moments ago. Why is it when they offer the olive branch, they 
always hand it to you with the thorns exposed?
  Can there not be a generous offer of helping together, solving 
Americans' problems? It has to be about criticizing virtually 
everything this administration has done.
  Look at Iraq and look at the strength of character that this 
President displayed in challenging one of the most evil dictators of 
our time. He is met with negative sound bytes and poll-driven babble 
about why we should not be there and why we should leave immediately. 
The gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Kucinich) and Mr. Dean eloquently made 
that point. The gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Kucinich) came in last and Mr. 
Dean was third. So clearly I think others, based on if you are taking 
polling statistics, 65 percent of the American public thought it was 
the right thing to do to liberate Iraq from Saddam Hussein.
  The President stood alone on that precipice trying to decide what was 
best for the people of this country, stood alone. And yet with the wind 
at his back, he has now been able to change fundamentally the way other 
nations look at us. Fundamentally. Libya is now in negotiations to turn 
over its nuclear secrets and arsenal and weaponry and technology. 
Libya. It was not that long ago that Muammar Khadafi was heading Libya, 
obviously with an eye towards destroying the Middle East. And now Libya 
is at least, hopefully, brokering negotiations as we speak.
  North Korea is sounding more conciliatory rather than beating their 
chests and threatening the annihilation of Japan or South Korea or 
other places. North Korea is now starting to talk about containment.
  Pakistan and India, who have been at odds for a long time, are 
talking about

[[Page 81]]

constructive engagement to solve their mutual problems relative to 
Kashmir.
  Think about it. Think about just those hot spots in the world where 
because of the President's strength of character in pursuing the evil 
of Saddam Hussein have we now started to recognize that only peace can 
be achieved through strength. Yes, it must have been lonely for this 
President when the rest of the free world was saying, I am not 
interested; let us not do that; let us not upset the apple cart; let us 
not bother Iraq. They are quiet now.
  To the contrary. If you are one of the 1 million people that have 
died in Iraq, I am not sure you consider it quiet. If you had your 
tongue cut out by Saddam Hussein's henchmen, I do not think you 
consider Iraq peaceful. If you were starved or imprisoned or murdered 
by the regime, I do not think you consider Iraq a place you would call 
home. Yet, because of the President's insistence on pursuing the course 
of action that would free and liberate the people of Iraq, we now have 
the dominoes falling in other areas of the world that are showing that 
the United States' strength is what is solving the perplexing and 
difficult challenges we face as a Nation and as a world power.
  I can remember during the last administration when there was a 
problem in Haiti, and I believe the U.S.S. Harlan was heading for 
Haiti, and because of a band of malcontents and miscontents and misfits 
who were on the dock waving brooms and pitchforks, our Commander in 
Chief then ordered the U.S.S. Harlan to turn around and not head into 
Haiti to bring peace and stability to Haiti.
  We turned around a naval vessel because we were nervous about the 
gathering of dissidents on a dock at Port au Prince. That visual image 
of our naval vessel turning around from a group waving brooms at our 
military power was a shot heard round the world because people looked 
at that as an abject instance of failure on behalf of diplomacy and 
democracy and America's commitment. So why would people be fearful of 
the United States?
  The first World Trade Center bombing was met with loud voices but no 
follow-up. Khobar Towers. The U.S.S. Cole. The war on terrorism was 
gathering strength for years before this President became our Commander 
in Chief. But only because of his leadership have we now seen progress 
in the theater and in the fight against terrorism. It seems like I turn 
on the TV every other day, and there is a critical commentary about 
homeland security; and yet we have not had another instance of 
terrorism in this country since September 11.
  September 11 remains vivid in my mind as I left that City of New York 
that morning, minutes before the first World Trade Center was struck by 
that aircraft. I had passed only 4 or 5 minutes before that first plane 
struck and had noticed those gleaming towers in that New York glorious 
morning. After that strike on American soil, this President knew his 
obligation and his duty was to protect the public, and he has done 
that.
  There is no perfect plan; but this President has marshaled his team, 
whether it be John Ashcroft or others, to help mobilize our law 
enforcement agencies for the fight ahead. Tom Ridge of Homeland 
Security and Asa Hutchinson have done a masterful job of bringing our 
Nation together to focus on our domestic tranquility.
  The economy, as I mentioned earlier, is improving steadily. And that 
optimism will bring jobs for the American people. This President will 
talk about jobs because it is important to him. He has mentioned it 
time and time again. He never gets credit from those on the other side 
of the aisle, but he consistently believes that full employment and a 
robust economy go hand in hand.
  This economy has improved. We were down at 7,200 on the Dow. We are 
now at 10,551, I believe, an hour ago. That is good news for the 
American investor. And it is good news for the American economy.
  Medicare. People keep moaning about the bill. Most have not read it. 
Most of the benefits of the bill will not become effective for a while, 
but there is an improving opportunity for seniors through the Medicare 
delivery of prescription drugs to their communities.

                              {time}  1445

  I woke up this morning to the moveon.org campaign commercial with 
soft money. It is interesting. They raising soft money with reckless 
abandon. George Soros gave $5 million to an organization headed by 
Democrats to destroy this President and demean him and demean the 
office, but they have moved on. Remember, they have moved on. They were 
there for the past President and they are there now as a vehicle to 
spend soft money, that old bugaboo that was so reviled by the other 
side of the aisle. Now they have found other ways to move money into 
new different camps and run the same negative ads but just not run by 
the political committees here in Washington. They are just committees 
that are closer to home, I guess.
  Health care is something we are concerned about, and the President 
will address that as well. He is concerned about health care. The 
President's concerned about health care, the delivery of health care, 
the availability, the affordability, and that will be discussed 
tonight.
  He is talking about the space program, and yes, there are those that 
question whether the space program has, or do we have the funding to 
move forward in the corridor of space, and let me challenge everyone to 
recognize what has occurred because of the space program. Whether it is 
the cellular phone or the Blackberry, it is the heart pacemaker, the 
microwave oven, Internet technology, all has come from a genesis of 
discovery of space. From the scientists and astronauts, from the team 
leaders, whether it is Johnson Space Center in Texas or Kennedy in 
Florida, these have been the pioneers that have brought about 
incredible opportunities in technological corridors to bring about a 
better way of life for all America. The discovery of cells and 
cancerous genes and things that may stem the tide of devastating 
illnesses and disease have been discovered in space. So this President, 
true to his mission of being an innovator and a leader, is challenging 
us to move forward. The clarion call to all, this final frontier, as 
was mentioned by John Kennedy, has not been conquered and will not be 
given up because of tight budget years.
  The President talks about immigration, and a lot of people are 
nervous about immigration. Obviously, again, they have not read the 
bill. They think there is a blanket amnesty. The President's leading on 
an issue that, yes, is politically polarizing but is an issue once 
again that he is not willing to have just out there in the abyss and 
not be discussed in practical solutions, rather than political sound 
bytes.
  Education. I have mentioned many times on this floor my father was a 
principal and a schoolteacher. So education is important to this Member 
of Congress, and this President has worked to make education the 
hallmark of his administration.
  So rather than continue to take the time of the Congress today, I 
just ask the other side of the aisle if rather than snappy sound bytes 
and eloquent rhetoric all directed to demonize this President, that if 
half the energy was going into developing constructive proposals to 
bring to the floor, we may be able to solve America's problems.
  In today's Roll Call, a newspaper that is all over the Hill, David 
Winston has the headline ``Democratic Hopefuls' Sniping Souring Their 
Images With Voters.'' It talks about, ``Twenty-four hours after the 
Iowa caucus grabbed the national spotlight for the Democrats, President 
Bush takes center stage tonight for the annual ritual of the State of 
the Union address. As Bush heads to Capitol Hill with the power and 
prestige of the presidency behind him, the Democrats are licking their 
wounds and heading to New Hampshire, some on CPR.
  ``In contrast, the President will report to the nation as a strong 
wartime leader,'' and I emphasize strong, wartime leader, ``as the 
economy comes roaring back, creating jobs, as his education 
centerpiece, No Child Left Behind, remains popular with the public,

[[Page 82]]

and as a President who kept his promise to pass a prescription drug 
benefit for seniors. As Ronald Reagan said when he left office, `Not 
bad. Not bad at all.'
  ``Meanwhile, the Democratic presidential contenders have gone to the 
mattresses in the biggest family feud since the Hatfields and McCoys. 
The Democratic primary has become little more than a nasty snipe-a-
thon, leaving none of the candidates looking statesmanlike, much less 
presidential.''
  If my colleagues happened to watch Mr. Dean screaming at the TV 
today, they will realize this may not be the man we want close to the 
nuclear button. I added that. That is not in Mr. Winston's column.
  ``The endless bickering and name calling is beginning to take its 
toll on everyone in the race.
  ``The latest polls show not only that the Democratic presidential 
candidates are losing ground with voters overall,'' but they are also 
losing Democratic voters who have an increasingly unfavorable view of 
their own field.
  Let me continue because I think it is important to just lay this out 
as an observation made by Mr. Winston.
  ``A comparison of the two most recent CNN/USA Today/Gallup polls, 
taken January 2-5 and November 10-12, spells bad news for Democrats in 
two key measurements. First, with all voters, every one of the six 
candidates tested . . . saw little or no movement with their favorables 
since November, while their unfavorables increased.'' Why? Because 
America rejects pessimism, negativity and nastiness, and that is what 
we have had hurled at those in Iowa and we witnessed through the 
reporting of Fox and CNN and others.
  Let me finalize with this one. ``Dean led the pack in this dubious 
category with his unfavorables increasing more than his favorables by 
13 points to reach an unenviable 28 percent favorable, 39 percent 
unfavorable rating by all voters. But, every one of the Democratic 
candidates saw their favorable-unfavorable ratings get worse among the 
overall electorate.''
  They are running for the highest office in the land, and as time goes 
on and people get to know them more, they like them less, not because 
they are not pleasant people to look at and not because they are not 
educated. I am sure they all qualified in their educated endeavors, but 
why is America rejecting them? They are rejecting them because of their 
nastiness and their negativity and their pessimism because America, 
after all, is about optimism, about hope, about opportunity, about 
equality, about engagement, about being part of a bigger picture, a 
bigger world, a bigger place.
  So I do pray that as we conclude today that the minority party, that 
may be the permanent minority if they keep it up, rather than promising 
in speech to extend an olive branch, that they actually do it and give 
this President a chance. We will not always agree with this President 
as Republicans or Democrats, but I think in the final analysis, as we 
look at the man as a person, I have come to really admire his 
determination.
  When I heard those comments by Paul O'Neill, I thought back of 
several meetings we have had with multiple Members of Congress in the 
Cabinet room of the White House, and one foretelling day was about the 
Patients' Bill of Rights, a subject that I had worked on with the 
gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Norwood) and others in this country for a 
long time. As we sat around the room I was really taken aback by the 
depth of knowledge that President Bush had relative to the Patients' 
Bill of Rights. The discussion with lawmakers, the back and forth, the 
questions, the probative questions, the responses, whether we wanted to 
hear the answer or not, he gave it to us with what he believed was the 
best course of action for this particular piece of legislation. This 
was a President engaged in the minutia of debate, not a scripted card 
that was given to him by an aide, but something that inherently he 
understood, both intimately and through research and through interest.
  So as we hear the State of the Union tonight, as we enter 2004, let 
us hope that the optimism that I know will be contained in the speech 
becomes contagious, and let us hope that all of us as Members of this 
deliberate body can join together in trying to figure ways to make 
every American safer, Democrat, Republican or Independent, bringing 
together a better world where we are talking and communicating and 
helping each other in the Nation, whether it is the fight against AIDS 
in Africa or whether it is terrorism in the Middle East or whether it 
is freeing people from tyranny.
  Let us join together in a pledge that in order to form a more perfect 
union, we must be organized together as citizens first and politicians 
second. Our political parties are not the most important credential on 
this floor. Our most important credential is citizens, Americans, and 
hopefully patriots.
  I wish the President well tonight because his guidance and his 
expertise is needed by the American public, and I hope as young 
children hopefully are allowed to watch history and democracy in action 
here on the floor, we will see a President whose character cannot be 
questioned, whose administration has performed admirably, whose people 
have been at the forefront of the fight. I wish him well and I wish him 
success, and I know together, as Americans, his leadership, his vision 
will help every American find work in the new year.

                          ____________________