Jeff Bingaman: “in 1981, in his first inaugural address, President Reagan said: Government is not the solution to our problem…”

“in 1981, in his first inaugural address, President Reagan said: Government is not the solution to our problem; government is the problem. I came to the Senate 2 years later in 1983 with the firm belief that in most cases his statement was wrong. I believed then and I believe now that the Federal Government can be a constructive force for good, in protecting and maintaining the civil liberties of all Americans, in maintaining and strengthening our economy, protecting our environment, and in helping Americans live productive and fulfilling lives. As I look back over the last 30 years, many of the arguments that have consumed our time at the Senate, whether on questions of spending or taxes or regulation or fiscal policy, those questions have divided between those who saw government as the problem and those who believed it could and should be a constructive force for helping the American people deal with problems. I consider myself firmly in the second camp. In each of the major areas of national concern, I would like to be able to report progress for the country since I arrived in the Senate. Unfortunately, the record of progress is not so clear. In many areas, we have made progress, but there are also instances where we have lost more ground than we have gained.…”