Assessing the Last Two Years

ASSESSING THE LAST TWO YEARS -- (Senate - November 20, 2004)

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, as we near the completion of the 108th Congress, it is an appropriate time to look back over the last 2 years and assess where we are. I think by any standard these have been 2 years marked by great achievement.

We have kept Americans safe at home, strengthened our economy, and vigorously pursued the war on terror. I would like to take a look back, as I indicated, at the legislative accomplishments of the 108th Congress.

Last year the Senate passed 11 appropriations bills left over from the previous Congress, and then pushed through all the normal 13 appropriation bills as well as the emergency wartime and Iraq reconstruction supplemental appropriations bill. We responded with the necessary funds to suppress the California fires through a supplemental appropriations. In all, the Senate passed 27 appropriations bills into law last year in the first session alone.

The Senate also pushed through the economic growth package, cutting taxes on American families by $350 billion, as well as a revolutionary new Medicare prescription drug bill for all of our seniors. The Senate banned the horrific practice of partial-birth abortion. We passed the Do Not Call registry at the Federal Trade Commission. We provided tax relief to military families. We passed the Healthy Forests Act, to stop the catastrophic wildfires that have raged across our country. We enacted free trade agreements with Chile and with Singapore, and passed the African Growth and Opportunity Act.

The Senate passed the Federal Aviation Administration reauthorization to revitalize an air transport industry suffering from the effects of the terrorist attack of 9/11.

After witnessing more than a decade of repression, the Senate passed the Burmese Freedom and Democracy Act.

We secured significant resources to improve our nation's election systems, making it easier to vote and harder to cheat.

We passed the President's faith-based initiative, funded the effort to eradicate the scourge of global AIDs, and acted to guard our children against abduction and exploitation by passing the PROTECT Act.

We expanded NATO to include most of the former Warsaw Pact Countries and passed a significant arms reduction treaty with our enemy-turned-ally, Russia.

We took steps to bridge the digital divide by providing needed funds to historically black colleges, awarded a Congressional Gold Medal to UK Prime Minister Tony Blair, and affirmed the constitutionality of using the term "under God" in the Pledge of Allegiance.

And that was last year. This year, in the second session of this Congress, we passed into law a pension relief and stabilization plan for private sector businesses, workers, and their retirees.

We passed into law a bioshield act to improve countermeasures, like vaccines, to protect our people from biological, chemical or other terrorist attacks.

We passed into law the Unborn Victims of Violence Act.

We passed into law a Defense appropriations bill, the Defense Authorization bill, a Homeland Security appropriations bill, and a Military Construction appropriations bill.

We passed a supplemental funding bill for operations in Iraq.

And we are about to complete work on the nine remaining appropriations bills which successfully concludes action on all Fiscal Year 2005 spending bills.

We have expanded trade opportunities with new free trade agreements with Australia and Morocco.

We have also passed expanded assistance to families with the Working Family Tax Relief Act.

We passed the Internet tax bill to prevent the imposition of capricious taxes on internet transactions.

We expanded the educational opportunities for disabled children by passing an improved IDEA reauthorization.

Also, we responded to the findings of the 9/11 Commission by implementing reforms in the Senate and are still considering as we finish this session intelligence reorganization measures which are in conference now and being discussed on both sides of the aisle.

Last, we passed legislation to revise our tax laws to comply with international trade agreements and, thus, will remove the European tax on U.S. manufacturers. Of particular interest to the Senator from the Commonwealth of Kentucky, that measure included a buyout to aid our long-suffering tobacco growers, many of which reside in my State.

These are the legislative accomplishments of a very productive Congress, of which we can be justifiably proud. I want to salute the effort of my colleagues who made it so, especially the members of my deputy whip team: LAMAR ALEXANDER, WAYNE ALLARD, CONRAD BURNS, BEN CAMPBELL, JOHN CORNYN, MIKE CRAPO, MIKE ENZI, LISA MURKOWSKI, GORDON SMITH, JOHN SUNUNU, JIM TALENT, and CRAIG THOMAS.

I can't thank them enough for all their hard work, their sound counsel and their tireless effort to help win so many close votes. I particularly want to thank my chief deputy whip, BOB BENNETT, my trusted adviser and dear friend for many years here in the Senate.

But one man deserves particular recognition. During these tough times of economic challenges and armed conflict, America has had to decisively confront some monumental questions.

Yet here, in the Senate, the majority had just a one vote margin-one vote.

But America steered a steady course during the 108th Congress only because this Senate was able to deliver a "yes" when "yes" was needed-yes to economic recovery, yes to funding the war on terrorism, yes to a Medicare prescription drug benefit,--a resounding "yes" to getting the business of America accomplished.

And here in the Senate, with the smallest of margins, on the toughest possible terrain, on the most pressing questions of our time, it was the tireless BILL FRIST who delivered that "yes" time and time again.

A truly remarkable performance by Senator Frist. He has earned certainly my greatest respect and I think the respect of virtually everyone in this body. We are also proud to call him our good friend.

I also wish our good friend across the aisle, HARRY REID, great success as the new Democratic leader. He is a very able man, a very skillful legislator, and a worthy opponent. I and my colleagues look forward to working with him in the next Congress.

Finally, we cannot conclude the 108th Congress without a sense of sadness. There are many-in fact there are too many-great Senators who are leaving this institution. I have already had an opportunity to express my goodbyes to Senator Nickles, Senator Campbell, and Senator Fitzgerald.

I also wish a happy and healthy future to our colleagues across the aisle, Senator Daschle, Senator Breaux, Senator Hollings, Senator Bob Graham, Senator John Edwards, and Senator ZELL MILLER. Each of these men has made a lasting contribution to this marvelous institution.

In closing, I also remember the greatest public servant of my lifetime, President Ronald Reagan, who, after 93 luminous years, departed the Nation he never lost faith in and that loved him so well.

I yield the floor. I suggest the absence of a quorum.

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.

The assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.

Mr. STEVENS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

END