Looking Back; Moving Forward

On March 4, 1789 the first session of Congress convened. More than two centuries later, January 7, 2003 marked the beginning of the 108th U.S. Congress. As always, this one brought new and unexpected challenges, but overall we were able to accomplish some good things for the American people. This column is a look back over the year and looks forward to what the second half of the 108th Congress in 2004 will achieve. Economic Security In May, President Bush signed into law the 2003 Jobs and Growth package to return $350 billion in tax cuts to the American people, building on the 2001 tax relief. The legislation accelerated many of the reductions that were being phased in over several years including my marriage penalty relief bill, an increase in the child tax credit and lower marginal rates. It also provided important relief for businesses and $20 billion to states where many are facing difficult budgetary shortfalls. I fought to adjust the allocation formula so that Texas ultimately received $1.3 billion to help balance the state budget, a full $100 million more than they were on track to get. The good news is that our policies to boost the economy are working. In October, employment rose by 126,000 for a total of 286,000 new jobs over a three-month period. Additionally, the real gross domestic product, or output of goods and services produced in the U.S., increased at an annual rate of 8.2 percent in the third quarter of 2003, building on a 3.3 percent increase in the second quarter. We experienced the fastest growth in nearly two decades. Other important indicators, such as new housing starts, which hit a 17-year high in 2003, and increased productivity, greater disposable income and a stock market that experienced gains of more than $2 trillion, all point toward a recovering economy. Putting people back to work is our highest priority. Domestic Security We kicked off the year by confirming our nation’s first Secretary of Homeland Security, Tom Ridge, passing national AMBER Alert legislation to more quickly recover kidnapped children and enacting a budget to provide a spending blueprint for Congress. Our “Healthy Forests” bill was adopted to help protect America’s public forests from catastrophic fires, diseases and infestations. We approved a record $2.4 billion in funding to combat the global HIV/AIDS epidemic devastating Africa and the Caribbean, and passed the “do-not-call” registry bill to protect consumers from unwanted phone solicitations (which is now held up in Federal Court). We also enacted free and fair trade bills with Chile and Singapore to open new markets to U.S. exports. In the final days of the session we were finally able to fulfill a promise made to America’s seniors by bringing Medicare up-to-date and offering a prescription drug benefit for the first time. We passed sweeping reforms that will provide choice, offer greater assistance for low-income Americans and create Health Savings Accounts that will benefit millions of Americans. National Security Perhaps the issue that most dominated 2003 was Operation Iraqi Freedom. In March we descended on Baghdad to remove the threat of Saddam Hussein. A democratic Iraq will stand as an example to all the Middle East and help ensure a safer world for future generations. We have stood firm in support of our troops, providing the necessary funds to fight the war and help the Iraqi people more quickly gain control of their own destiny. We also passed the Armed Forces Tax Fairness Act and the Fallen Patriots Tax Relief Act to help military families. Our efforts to eliminate terrorism continue in Afghanistan and points around the globe, and the passage of the Syria Accountability and Lebanese Sovereignty Act will help further our national security. Moving Forward As with every year there are some important issues that were not resolved. We were unable to pass a comprehensive energy bill, something I have advocated during my decade of service in the Senate. Though we didn’t get a bill this year, it is a top priority heading into 2004. The bill is long overdue and we will not give up the fight. It means increased energy independence, conservation and new jobs in our country when we need it most, and we won’t rest until we have an energy bill for the president to sign. We’ll also act to reauthorize highway legislation to create better highways and transportation systems, and hope to make progress on legislation I introduced to make Amtrak a viable, national alternative. In 2004 we’ll continue to fight for the fair treatment of judicial nominees and encourage up-or-down votes in the Senate to fill critical vacancies in our nation’s courts. We’ll also work to pass class action and asbestos litigation reform and continue working to create jobs. As we move forward, we’ll undoubtedly face new challenges and we’ll tackle them for the good of the American people.