Sam Gibbons: “as the 106th Congress comes to a close, I would like to highlight the achievements of this Republican Congress…”

“as the 106th Congress comes to a close, I would like to highlight the achievements of this Republican Congress, achievements which I think make a difference in the lives of millions of Americans. This Republican Congress is paying down the national debt, boosting education funding, and providing prescription drug coverage for millions of seniors, just to name a few of its significant accomplishments. To expand on these, Madam Speaker, we reduced the national debt by more than $500 billion, that is half a trillion dollars, and devoted 100 percent of the Social Security and Medicare Trust Funds to strengthen retirement security. Also, Republicans increased funding for education by more than $2 billion over the last year. We have given parents and local school officials, not Washington bureaucrats, more control over Federal education dollars. Madam Speaker, we have also worked to ensure that in America no senior has to choose between putting food on the table and medicine in the cabinet. Our Republican $40 billion plan establishes a voluntary, affordable prescription drug benefit that is available to every senior. I am confident that history will be as good to this Republican-led Congress as we have been to the American people.”