[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 150 (2004), Part 12]
[Senate]
[Pages 16748-16749]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                     SENATE STANDARD OF MEASUREMENT

  Mr. THOMAS. Mr. President, of course we all have spent a good deal of 
time concerned about the direction we are taking here, the number of 
things we are accomplishing, the fact that many of the things we would 
like to do have not been accomplished. I think that is a legitimate 
concern. We ought to try to deal with some of those issues.
  On the other hand, there have been a number of things done, of 
course. I think we have had the most obstruction in the movement here 
that we have seen in many years. Many important issues have been 
stopped, have been obstructed, frankly, because our friends on the 
other side of the aisle did not want to go forward with these issues, 
or wanted to hold them up where they could add all kinds of unrelated 
amendments to them.
  The Class Action Fairness Act, of course, was blocked. The fairness 
in asbestos injury resolution was blocked. The Patients First Act, the 
energy policy--probably one of the most important issues we could have 
dealt with

[[Page 16749]]

this entire year is still there. Charity aid, recovery, and empowerment 
legislation, which gave strength to do things in the private sector, we 
were unable to do that; Personal Responsibility, Work, and Family 
Promotion Act; workforce investment; five judges were held up simply 
for the purpose of holding them up.
  It is too bad. It is something we need to change. We ought to be 
concerned here with issues, not politics, not Kerry, not Bush, but talk 
about what the issues are here and the things we ought to be doing. 
Politics, of course, is part of our lives, but so is accomplishing 
something in the legislature.
  We have done some things. The Omnibus appropriations bill for this 
fiscal year was passed this year. It was delayed but nevertheless 
passed. The Pension Stability Act had to do with changing the 
requirements for putting money into pensions. That made that better. 
The accountability, flexibility and efficiency--the transportation 
bill--again, one of the most important bills we could possibly pass, we 
passed it in the Senate but, unfortunately, it is still hung up in 
conference. The Internet bill which allows for the moratorium of 
taxation on the Internet, a good thing, was passed by the Senate.
  The Jumpstart Our Business Strength Act, of course, is one that is 
pending and ready to go, I hope, to the conference committee. This is 
the one that the WTO had the penalties on exports from the United 
States and we had a 3-percent reduction for those that exported goods 
and that gave us a penalty. Now we are changing that. There is also a 
great deal in that bill with regard to encouraging the economy to grow.
  So we have done a number of things. We have done some things to 
reduce the redtape and the consumer initiative, taxpayer protection, 
and IRS accountability that strengthens the protection the taxpayers 
have in terms of what information is made public on their taxes.
  Strengthening and improving health care; we did the project 
bioshield. These things have passed the Senate but have not been 
completed yet largely because we have not been able to go to conference 
on many of them.
  Here again we find obstacles in our way this year that we have never 
seen before. I guess it means we need to take a little look at our 
system.
  Keeping Americans safe at home--of course, we passed the unborn 
victims of violence bill that amends the Federal law regarding women 
who are assaulted, and an unborn child is killed, to allow the 
assailant to be charged.
  Flood insurance reform is very important. It amends the Flood Act to 
encourage damage mitigation. Homeland security has been something, of 
course, we have passed.
  Regarding crime, we have done a lot of things, even though we could 
do a great deal more, I am sure.
  Educational initiatives--the NASA Workforce Flexibility Act offers 
scholarships, incentives, for highly qualified students to move 
forward.
  IDEA reauthorization, the Individuals with Disabilities Act, is one 
that is very important to be reauthorized and moved through. It was 
passed by the Senate.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The time of the Senator has expired.
  Mr. THOMAS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to continue for 5 
more minutes.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  Mr. THOMAS. The point is, we have a problem with the process here. 
Obstruction is available. I don't think that is what is intended.
  At the same time, we have accomplished a good many things that 
certainly are important and that we need to recognize.
  I want to mention something that I believe is important, and that is 
taking a little look and having a way to have some measurement of the 
kinds of things that are brought up that are legitimately 
congressional--Federal kinds of issues.
  I understand everyone has issues they would like to bring up. 
Frankly, some of them are inappropriate to be here on the Federal 
level. We continue to have more spending; we have more government; we 
have more involvement in people's lives. One of the reasons is we have 
not set up some criteria to say this is a good idea, but is it the 
thing that ought to be done in the Federal Government as opposed to 
State government or city government or county government?
  Tom Feeney, from Florida, one of the House Members, put out an 
interesting idea. He has a little card like a credit card. It measures 
these things against issues.
  No. 1 is less government: Does the bill tend to reduce government 
regulations, the size of government, eliminate entitlements or 
unnecessary programs? That is one of the tests he has against the 
issue.
  No. 2 is lower taxes: Does the bill promote individual responsibility 
in spending or reducing taxes? It is a good idea to take a look at 
that.
  No. 3 is personal responsibility: Does the bill encourage responsible 
behavior among individuals and families, and encourage them to take 
care of their own issues to an extent? Remember, we don't want the 
government in our lives, yet things have to be done. It is a choice: do 
we do them ourselves?
  No. 4 is individual freedom: Does the bill offer opportunities for 
individuals to do those kinds of things?
  No. 5 is stronger families: Is it something that contributes to the 
family function, the family structure in our country, which is 
obviously one of the most important things we have?
  Finally, No. 6, does it add to domestic tranquility and national 
defense?
  I think those are interesting concepts, interesting measurements that 
one might take--in their own mind, of course. Each person would have a 
different view of how to deal with it but to see if what is before us 
meets some of these measurements and does these things.
  First, I think we are going to have to do something about the kind of 
obstructionism we have seen that moves to keep us from doing what we 
need to do. Second, we need to recognize we have done a number of 
things and passed them in the Senate. Unfortunately, they are not fully 
done. Maybe a little unrelated, but important to me, we ought to have 
some kind of standard we measure in our minds as to whether this is a 
legitimate thing, necessary thing, appropriate thing to be done at the 
Federal level or indeed should be done other places.
  Mr. President, I yield the floor.

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