Larry Pressler: “I was pleased to participate in an event this morning which summarized the events of the 104th Congress up to this date.…”

“I was pleased to participate in an event this morning which summarized the events of the 104th Congress up to this date. It has been a very productive Congress. This Congress is near the end of passing a major health reform bill which will provide for portability of insurance. It will also provide that a person with a preexisting condition gets certain considerations. This Congress passed the first major welfare reform legislation since 1963 to initiate ``workfare'' and to help both the taxpayers and truly deserving welfare recipients. This Congress also passed a major telecommunications reform bill--a sweeping bill that will creates jobs and moves us into the wireless age. In addition, this Congress passed the freedom to farm bill which will end some of the bureaucracy and costliness of the farm program, helping both taxpayers and farmers, and will usher us into a new age of deregulated agriculture. The 104th Congress also passed several other bills of great note making the last 18 or 19 months probably the most productive of any 18 or 19 months that I have seen in the recent history of Congress. I think that this fiscally responsible approach this Congress has taken has resulted in a prosperity and a confidence in the business community across the country. The business community knows that there is an effort to balance the budget, and we are moving closer to it.”