[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 159 (2013), Part 9]
[Senate]
[Pages 12357-12358]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                     DOING WHAT IS GOOD FOR AMERICA

  Mr. REID. Mr. President, about 80 years ago when President Franklin 
Roosevelt first proposed Social Security as insurance against poverty 
in old age, the idea was controversial, new, never been done before, 
nothing like it. But in 1935, 97 Republicans joined Democrats in 
Congress to create one of the most successful programs--if not the most 
successful program--in the history of our country and in the world.
  Two decades, about sixty years later, President Dwight Eisenhower 
proposed the Nation's first interstate highway system, proposing the 
investment would pave the way for a new era of American growth.
  Why did Dwight Eisenhower do this? As a young major in the Army, he 
was directed to bring a convoy of troops and equipment across the 
country and he determined at that time something had to be done. The 
roads were nonexistent, and those that existed were not in very good 
shape. So when he became President, after having been such a successful 
leader of our efforts in World War II, he asked Congress to invest $50 
billion. Under present-day dollars, that would be about $500 billion. 
That meant almost 50,000 miles of new highways.
  There are still ideas out there we should do. Eisenhower, along with 
Roosevelt, did some things that were new and unique. But look back at 
what they did. Look at the good of Social Security. Look at the good of 
our interstate highway system.
  With the highway bill, back in 1956, the bipartisan vote wasn't even 
close. Listen to this: It passed the Senate 89-1. It was approved in 
the House of Representatives by a voice vote.
  About 40 years after President Roosevelt decided he should do 
something about taking care of people in their golden years here in 
America, President Harry Truman envisioned a program that would protect 
every senior citizen from illness and need. Well, 83 Republicans helped 
Lyndon Johnson and Democrats in Congress create Medicare. Democratic 
President Roosevelt, Republican President Eisenhower, Democratic 
Presidents Truman and Johnson were the reason we have Medicare. Since 
the law was enacted in 1965, poverty among seniors in this country has 
decreased and life expectancy has increased every 10 years because of 
Medicare.
  On each of these occasions I have talked about, and countless others 
throughout the course of American history, lawmakers--divided by 
political party--have united to pass important groundbreaking 
legislation. On the issues that matter most--when lives are at stake, 
when the country and the economy of the country is at stake, when 
America's competitiveness is at stake--lawmakers, divided by political 
party, have been drawn together by shared priorities. It is time to 
renew that tradition.
  Over the last 5 years, this Nation has dug its way out of the hole 
created by the great recession. I could go into reasons why the great 
recession happened, but let's drop that for now. It happened. We have 
an opportunity now to come together again, this time to lay the 
foundation for a stronger, smarter, and more competitive America.
  As Democrats and Republicans came together in the past to ensure the 
health and dignity of our Nation's seniors, as Democrats and 
Republicans came together to pave the way for a mobile and competitive 
economy, so Democrats and Republicans today must come together to build 
a future where hard work is all it takes to turn opportunity into 
prosperity.
  Yesterday President Obama laid out a roadmap to restore that promise 
for every American. The speech took an hour, but every minute of it was 
important. He laid out a vision to encourage responsible home 
ownership, to educate a new generation of workers, and to create jobs 
rebuilding Eisenhower-era roadways and bridges.
  Every day I am impressed by President Obama's focus on restoring a 
vibrant economy. And every day I am encouraged by his optimism that 
with a little cooperation and the help of a few reasonable Republicans, 
we can achieve that goal. We only need a handful of Republicans to 
break away from what has gone on this past 5 years. I look forward to 
hearing more details from the President about his proposals in the 
coming days and weeks.

[[Page 12358]]

  President Eisenhower understood that lawmakers--Republican or 
Democrat--should be drawn together by shared priorities. We should all 
play on the same team. This is what he said:

       I have one yardstick by which I test every majority 
     problem--and that yardstick is: Is it good for America?

  General Eisenhower was right then and he is right today.
  Throughout our Nation's history, Congress has used that same measure. 
But over the last 5 years, something has changed. When my Republican 
counterpart said his No. 1 goal was to defeat President Obama, the 
words ``at any cost'' were implied.
  Since 2009, Republicans have refused to join Democrats in the 
important job of legislating. It has worked. They have refused to join 
us in leading, preferring instead to stake out ideological territory or 
try to score political points. Republicans have balked at new ideas. 
But they have also balked at old ideas they once supported, solely 
because those ideas are now favored by President Obama. This kind of 
opposition for opposition's sake has resulted in gridlock and 
dysfunction and bitter bipartisanship, hostage-taking and standoffs.
  I was on a long interview on public broadcasting yesterday. They 
asked, What about the numbers of Congress being so low? I said, I 
haven't gotten a call from any of the pollsters, but if I had, I would 
agree with this number. Congress is dysfunctional, and that is unfair 
to the American people. It has made it almost impossible for Congress 
to advance the big ideas, to achieve the big things, to realize the big 
dreams it once could. But it is not too late for reasonable people from 
both parties and on both sides of the Capitol to change that. It is not 
too late for lawmakers, divided by political party but sharing the same 
priorities, to unite to pass important legislation.
  Like President Obama, I am an optimist. I remain hopeful despite the 
disagreements and difficulties over the last 5 years. I am hopeful my 
Republican colleagues are using the same yardstick as I am. And I know 
they are asking themselves, as I am, Is it good for America?

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