SENATOR BOB DOLE TALKING POINTS WOMEN IN GOVERNMENT RELATIONS TUESDAY, MARCH 31, 1992 (End of Letterhead) *THANK YOU, JAN FOR THAT INTRODUCTION. YOU GAVE IT JUST THE WAY I WROTE IT. *I CONSIDER MYSELF SOMETHING OF AN EXPERT IN THE CATEGORY OF WOMEN IN GOVERNMENT RELATIONS. NOT ONLY AM I MARRIED TO SOMEONE WHO SPENT 25 YEARS IN GOVERNMENT SERVICE, BUT I ALSO HAVE THE PRIVILEGE OF REPRESENTING KANSAS WITH BOTH CONGRESSWOMAN MEYERS AND SENATOR KASSEBAUM. *I ALSO WANT TO RECOGNIZE YOUR PRESIDENT, MILLICENT GORHAM. AS YOU KNOW, MILLICENT IS WITH THE NATIONAL RURAL HEALTH ASSOCIATION, AND RURAL HEALTH IS AN ISSUE CLOSE TO MY HEART. *I DO WANT TO THANK MILLICENT AND ALL OF YOU FOR INVITING ME HERE TODAY. WHAT WITH THE REPUTATION OF CONGRESS THESE DAYS, l'M GLAD TO BE INVITED ANYWHERE. *YOUR THEME FOR THIS CONFERENCE-- "THE CHALLENGE OF CHANGE." --IS CERTAINLY VERY FITTING, BECAUSE EVERYWHERE YOU LOOK IN THE WORLD TODAY, YOU SEE CHANGE. *l'D LIKE TO SPEND A FEW MINUTES TODAY TALKING ABOUT SOME OF THOSE CHANGES, THEN I'D BE HAPPY TO TAKE YOUR QUESTIONS. *THE FIRST CHANGES THAT COME TO MIND ARE THOSE OCCURRING IN THE FORMER SOVIET UNION. *PRESIDENT BUSH IS GOING TO ANNOUNCE A NEW AIDE PLAN THIS WEEK, AND I THINK IT'S VERY IMPORTANT FOR THIS PLAN TO HAVE BI­PARTISAN SUPPORT. *WITH OUR RECESSION, IT'S TOUGH TO ADVOCATE SPENDING SOME MONEY HALF-WAY ACROSS THE GLOBE, BUT IN MY MIND IT'S THE VISIONARY THING TO DO... AND IT'S THE RIGHT THING TO DO. *STILL, WITH ALL THE CHANGES HAPPENING AROUND THE WORLD TODAY, THE ONE THAT SEEMS TO BE ON THE MINDS OF MOST AMERICANS IS CHANGING THEIR REPRESENTATIVES IN WASHINGTON, D.C. *NEARLY SIXTY YEARS AGO, WILL ROGERS WROTE, "THIS COUNTRY HAS COME TO FEEL THE SAME WHEN CONGRESS IS IN SESSION AS WE DO WHEN A BABY GETS HOLD OF A HAMMER. IT'S JUST A QUESTION OF HOW MUCH DAMAGE HE CAN DO BEFORE WE TAKE IT AWAY FROM HIM." *IF THIS MONTH'S POLLS OFFER ANY INDICATION, COME NOVEMBER, A LOT OF CONGRESSMEN MAY HAVE THEIR HAMMERS TAKEN AWAY. *AND THAT MAY BE FOR THE PUBLIC GOOD. THIS MORNING, YOU HEARD NICK CALIO TALK ABOUT THE PRESIDENT'S AGENDA. AND DESPITE WHAT THE MEDIA SAYS, HE DOES HAVE AN AGENDA. IT'S JUST NOT THE AGENDA OF THE DEMOCRAT LEADERSHIP IN CONGRESS. *I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOUR PARTISAN PREFERENCES ARE ...I SUSPECT THERE'S PROBABLY SOME DEMOCRATS, SOME REPUBLICANS, AND SOME WHO ARE FED UP WITH BOTH. BUT I AM THE SENATE REPUBLICAN LEADER ... IT'S MY JOB TO ADVANCE THE PRESIDENT'S AGENDA ... AND LET ME GIVE YOU A LITTLE EXAMPLE OF ALL l'VE TRIED TO ADVANCE. *OVER 1,100 DAYS AGO, THE PRESIDENT ASKED FOR LEGISLATION WHICH WOULD BRING HOPE AND JOBS TO OUR INNER-CITIES BY CREATING ENTERPRISE ZONES. *OVER 1,100 DAYS AGO, HE ASKED FOR A CAPITAL GAINS TAX CUT, WHICH WOULD CREATE JOBS WHILE INCREASING INVESTMENTS. *OVER 1,100 DAYS AGO, HE ASKED CONGRESS TO IMPROVE AMERICA'S COMPETITIVENESS IN OUR COMPLEX WORLD MARKET BY MAKING THE RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT TAX CREDIT PERMANENT. *OVER 1,000 DAYS AGO, HE ASKED CONGRESS TO PUT THEMSELVES IN THE CORNER OF LAW-ABIDING CITIZENS IN THE FIGHT AGAINST CRIME. HE ASKED FOR A TOUGH-ENFORCEABLE DEATH PENALTY, AND AN END TO THE LEGAL SHENANIGANS BY WAY CRIMINALS CAN ESCAPE CONVICTION OR ENDLESSLY DELAY THEIR SENTENCING. *OVER 750 DAYS AGO, HE ASKED CONGRESS TO PUT THE DREAM OF HOME OWNERSHIP WITHIN THE REACH OF MORE FAMILIES BY PROVIDING FOR PENALTY FREE WITHDRAWAL IF IRA'S TO FIRST TIME HOME BUYERS. *OVER 750 DAYS AGO, HE ASKED CONGRESS TO REFORM OUR OUTDATED PRODUCT LIABILITY SYSTEM, WHICH HAS CREATED A BONANZA FOR LAWYERS, AND AN EXPENSIVE NIGHTMARE FOR BUSINESSES. *OVER A VEAR AGO, HE ASKED CONGRESS FOR A NEW NATIONAL ENERGY STRATEGY TO HELP BREAK OUR DEPENDENCE ON FOREIGN SOURCES. *OVER A VEAR AGO, HE SENT TO CONGRESS WHAT WAS HAILED BY MANY EXPERTS AS THE MOST FAR-SIGHTED AND FAR-REACHING REFORM OF OUR EDUCATION SYSTEM EVER PROPOSED. *IN EACH AND EVERY INSTANCE, CONGRESS HAS REJECTED THESE PROPOSALS. FEW OF THEM WERE EVEN ALLOWED THE COURTESY OF A VOTE ... MOST WERE JUST DISPATCHED TO A COMMITTEE AND WERE NEVER HEARD OF AGAIN. *AND IN SOME INSTANCES, CONGRESS PASSED LEGISLATION THAT WAS WORSE-LAST WEEK'S SO-CALLED ECONOMIC GROWTH BILL, FOR INSTANCE. *MY POINT HERE IS NOT TO SAY THAT THE REPUBLICANS ARE ALWAYS RIGHT OR THE DEMOCRATS ARE ALWAYS WRONG ...IT'S JUST TO SAY THAT THE DEMOCRATS CHARGE THAT THE PRESIDENT DOESN'T HAVE AN AGENDA DOESN'T HOLD WATER. HE HAS AN AGENDA. THE DEMOCRATS HAVE A DIFFERENT AGENDA. *SOME HAVE CALLED WHAT WE HAVE HAD FOR THE PAST TWELVE YEARS--THE WHITE HOUSE CONTROLLED BY ONE PARTY, AND AT LEAST ONE HOUSE OF CONGRESS CONTROLLED BY THE OTHER--AS GOVERNMENT BY PARALYSIS. *AND THEY'RE NOT FAR OFF THE MARK. I THINK THAT CAN BE SEEN IN THE RASH OF RETIREMENTS THIS YEAR, INCLUDING THAT OF MY COLLEAGUE SENATOR RUDMAN. THERE IS A VERY STRONG FRUSTRATION FACTOR ON CAPITOL HILL. *BUT THE VOTERS HAVE IT IN THEIR POWER TO CHANGE THAT THIS NOVEMBER. THEY CAN EITHER ELECT A DEMOCRAT PRESIDENT AND RETAIN DEMOCRAT CONTROL IN THE HOUSE AND SENATE, OR THEY CAN RE-ELECT PRESIDENT BUSH AND GIVE CONGRESSIONAL CONTROL TO THE REPUBLICANS. *OF COURSE, I HAVE MY OWN IDEAS ABOUT WHICH ONE IS BETTER, AND ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED THE LAST TIME THE DEMOCRATS CONTROLLED BOTH BRANCHES, BUT I WON'T GO INTO THAT. *I WILL SAY, HOWEVER, THAT IF VOTERS DO GIVE ONE PARTY CONTROL OF BOTH THE EXECUTIVE AND LEGISLATIVE BRANCHES, THEN THEY WILL TRULY KNOW WHO TO BLAME IF THINGS GO WRONG, OR WHO TO PRAISE, IF THINGS GO RIGHT. *CURRENTLY, WHEN THE BLAME IS PARCELED OUT FOR THE DEFICIT, THE S&L CRISIS, AND SO ON, EVERYONE POINTS TO SOMEONE ELSE. *ANOTHER WAY WE CAN BRING ABOUT CHANGE IN WASHINGTON IS TO CHANGE OUR CAMPAIGN FINANCE LAWS. *THE DEMOCRATS, UNFORTUNATELY, SEEM TO BE FOR THE STATUS QUO. THEY WANT TO LIMIT THE AMOUNT WHICH CONGRESSIONAL CANDIDATES CAN SPEND IN AN ELECTION--THEREBY ENSURING THAT CHALLENGERS CAN NEVER BEEN INCUMBENTS. AND THEY WANT THE BILL FOR CONGRESSIONAL CAMPAIGNS TO TAXPAYERS. *PRESIDENT BUSH AND THE REPUBLICANS WANT TO BRING ABOUT CHANGE BY PLACING STRICT LIMITS ON POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEES, WHICH GIVE OVERWHELMINGLY TO INCUMBENTS. *THAT SAID, I'll BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.