[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 32 (Tuesday, February 21, 1995)] [House] [Pages H1955-H1956] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] FEBRUARY 22, 50TH DAY OF THE 104TH CONGRESS The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the gentleman from Pennsylvania [Mr. Fox] is recognized for 5 minutes. Mr. FOX of Pennsylvania. Madam Speaker, Wednesday, February 22d marks the 50th day of the 104th Congress--the half-way point of the most successful ``100 Days'' periods in decades. We have conducted more committee hearings, held more votes, and debated the issues longer and harder than any Congress in recent memory. We made real progress on the Contract With America we pledged to enact. But most important is what all this activity means to families in our communities and our districts. It means with the passage of our crime bills that our communities and states will have the flexibility to decide how best to spend federal crime [[Page H1956]] prevention grants. We put an end to playing games with promises of 100,000 new police. Let us be clear--the 1994 crime bill never fully funded 100,000 new police. In six years, the money runs out and our communities are stuck with the bill. This year we reformed that law, so local municipalities have the flexibility to spend that money however it suits their crime-fighting needs--new police, crime prevention programs, new equipment, community policing, even a patrol car if that is the best way to fight crime. Those communities that have received initial grants will be funded under the current program. Our new crime bill goes even further. We provide incentive for States to ensure that violent criminals are incarcerated and we're requiring criminals convicted in Federal court to make restitution to their victims. This new Republican Congress promised a back-to basics approach in Washington, and we have been keeping that promise. We cut our budget, and slashed committee staff on our first day. We passed a bill requiring Congress to live under the same laws that every small business lives under. The House passed a balanced budget amendment to force Congress to live within its means. This is more than an accounting device to make some bureaucrats in Washington feel good. It is about our children and grandchildren and their futures, and about putting an end to the immoral practice of piling the national debt on our future generations. I hope the Senate follows the House's lead and passes the balanced budget amendment. For more than a decade, Republican Presidents have asked Democrat Congresses to grant them a line-item veto to control wasteful spending and outrageous pork projects. The Democrat-controlled Congresses never gave Presidents Reagan or Bush this tool. Just a few weeks ago, the Republican-controlled Congress extended this power to a Democrat President. We also passed the unfunded mandates proposal. That will prohibit the Federal Government from passing on the costs for each program to local and State Governments without Washington, DC, participating in the program at all. Last week, also restored some common sense to our national security and international relations policies. We passed a bill restricting the use of U.S. soldiers in U.N. missions. And we're requiring that U.S. soldiers be deployed to support missions only in our national interests. We have so few defense resources, we must ensure that we use them wisely. Our most precious national security resource--our men and women in uniform--must have the tools and training to be ready for any conflict. What has been most impressive about all these successes has been our ability to attract significant bipartisan support. These have not been razor-thin partisan fights that we have seen in past Congresses. The reason? We have passed these policies as supported by the American people and by a bipartisan Congress. We are not just passing bills, we are trying to get communities and families the tools to make their lives a little safer and the children a little less saddled with national debt. We are making government smaller, less costly and less intrusive. In the first 50 days of this Congress we have met that challenge, and we are looking forward to the future to finishing this, to get the contract finished in the next 50 days. ____________________