Bob Dole was a partisan but it was he and Pat Moynihan that saved the Social Security System.
Thomas Daschle
The Public Record
★ Featured Quote
November 5, 2025
Look, Dick Cheney and I disagreed on just about everything.
— Thomas Daschle
Most widely reported
by number of sources- let me commend the distinguished Senator from Massachusetts for his eloquent remarks and his leadership on this issue. This issue obviously is one of great importance to all of us, but it is not the only problem that is created as a result of this continuing resolution. The problem is not just education; the problem is funding for the environment, the problem is in funding for housing, for parks, for reservations, for veterans hospitals. This situation is getting worse and worse because we have not been able to pass the appropriations bills that directly address the many funding issues that this continuing resolution does in a very inefficient and unsatisfactory way. The 75 percent funding level represents the largest cut in education in history, Mr. President. Others stated that, but it bears repeating. We are cutting $3.1 billion out of education this year. There is no other time and no other situation that we have ever cut education that deeply. That is what this continuing resolution represents. It means cuts in reading and math programs for the disadvantaged students in title I. It means deep cuts in technology. It means cuts in our efforts to bring about meaningful school reform and the Goals 2000 and national education goals that are really a bipartisan effort that we called for all the way back in 1989. It means deep cuts in teacher development and training. It means cuts--in some cases elimination--of safe and drug-free schools.…5 sources1996govinfo.gov
- I am proud to announce to the Senate today the names of the young men and women who have been selected to receive special awards from the American Automobile Association. Three safety patrollers will receive the 2000 AAA School Safety Patrol Lifesaving Medal Award. This award is the highest honor given to members of the school safety patrol. There are roughly 500,000 members of the school safety patrol in this country, helping in over 50,000 schools. Every day, these young people ensure that their peers arrive safely at school in the morning, and back home in the afternoon. Most of the time, they accomplish their jobs uneventfully. But, on occasion, these volunteers must make split-second decisions, placing themselves in harm's way to save the lives of others. The heroic actions of this year's recipients exemplify this selflessness, and richly deserve recognition.5 sources2001govinfo.gov
- today Senator Johnson and I are introducing the Homestake Mine Conveyance Act of 2001 to enable the construction of a new, world-renowned science laboratory in the Black Hills of South Dakota. Last Year, the Homestake Mining Company announced it is closing its gold mine in Lead, SD after 125 years of operation. This mine has been an important part of the economy in the Black Hills, and its closure presented South Dakota with a serious challenge. New opportunities for Lead became possible, however, when we learned that a group of prominent scientists had identified the mine as a potential site to establish a national underground science laboratory. Composed of some of the foremost researchers in the country, the National Underground Science Laboratory Committee found that Homestake's unique combination of depth, geologic stability and outstanding infrastructure made it an ideal location for an underground laboratory that could support groundbreaking new scientific research. In just the last few months, a $281 million proposal to construct the laboratory has been submitted to the National Science Foundation. As I learned, tiny particles known as neutrinos hold the answer to fundamental questions about the nature of the universe.3 sources2001govinfo.gov
- today I am introducing the Wind Cave National Park Boundary Revision Act. Wind Cave National Park, located in southwestern South Dakota, is one of the Park System's precious natural treasures and one of the Nation's first national parks. The cave itself, after which the park is named, is one of the world's oldest, longest and most complex cave systems, with more than 103 miles of mapped tunnels. The cave is well known for its exceptional display of boxwork, a rare, honeycomb-shaped formation that protrudes from the cave's ceilings and walls. While the cave is the focal point of the park, the land above the cave is equally impressive, with 28,000 acres of rolling meadows, majestic forests, creeks, and streams. As one of the few remaining mixed-grass prairie ecosystems in the country, the park is home to abundant wildlife, such as bison, deer, elk and birds, and is a National Game Preserve. The Wind Cave National Park Boundary Revision Act will help expand the park by approximately 20 percent in the southern 'keyhole' region. This land currently is owned by a ranching family that wants to see it protected from development and preserved for future generations. The land is a natural extension of the park, and boasts the mixed-grass prairie and ponderosa pine forests found in the rest of the park, including a dramatic river canyon. The addition of this land will enhance recreation for hikers who come for the solitude of the park's back country.3 sources2002govinfo.gov
- our tribal colleges and universities have come to play a critically important role in educating Native Americans across the country. For more than 30 years, these institutions have proven instrumental in providing a quality education for those who had previously been failed by our mainstream educational system. Before the tribal college movement began, only six or seven out of 100 Native American students attended college. Of those few, only one or two would graduate with a degree. Since these institutions have curricula that is culturally relevant and is often focused on a tribe's particular philosophy, culture, language and economic needs, they have a high success rate in educating Native American people. I had the honor today of meeting with students, faculty and presidents from South Dakota's tribal colleges to talk about the educational needs of Native Americans and the role tribal colleges play in strengthening tribal communities. It, like so many of the meetings I have had with representatives of tribal colleges, was a fascinating conversation. I am consistently impressed by the enduring spirit, sense of community and hope for a better quality of life that these institutions support. After meeting these students and educators, I have no doubt that the future of Indian Country is in good hands. The results of a tribal college education are impressive.…3 sources2003govinfo.gov
- I join the majority leader and all the Members of our body in congratulating Senator Byrd on reaching this historic milestone. I thank him for his half century of service to the U.S. Congress. Seventeen thousand votes is an astonishing number. It is even more astonishing when you consider that Senator Byrd has now cast 652 more votes than the first runner-up, Senator Thurmond. He has served 2 years less than Senator Thurmond. Here is another remarkable statistic: In the last 45 years in the Senate, Robert Byrd has voted on 98.72 percent of the questions put before this body. He has missed only about 1 percent of all votes cast over 45 years--the second highest percentage of all Senators who have cast 10,000 votes or more. From July 25, 1984, through September 17, 1997--a period of more than 13 years--Senator Byrd did not miss one single vote. He cast 4,705 consecutive votes--the second highest consecutive vote total in Senate history. Of the 11,708 persons who have ever served in the U.S. Congress, only two have served longer than Robert C. Byrd.3 sources2004govinfo.gov
Compromise is the oxygen of democracy. And Bob Dole provided a lot of oxygen over those years he was in Senate leadership.
It will use Social Security and Medicare surpluses. It will create the same deficit situation, I promise you, as we have seen all through the 1980s and early `90s.
Senator Tom Daschle recently said he thinks Members of the Senate spend more time fundraising than they do working in Congress.
The American people, by survey after survey, say they want these tax loopholes closed when they are informed particularly of the loopholes which allow corporations to shift revenue to a tax haven.
The agriculture sector is in a unique position to lead and benefit from efforts to address climate change.
Federal action to establish a mandatory program to limit greenhouse gas emissions is sensible and will provide agricultural producers with significant new market opportunities.
It seems to me to make a lot of sense that there should be a Federal health board that has some oversight responsibility.
I look forward to returning to public service at a pivotal moment in American history.
Will we honor the unique American ideal that we are responsible for passing this country on to a generation in the future?
I have a sense that the time has come for real constructive bipartisan action on healthcare.
I commend President-elect Obama for selecting such an extraordinary nominee to lead the Nation's healthcare agenda.
I want to re-instate a science-driven environment. I want to take ideology and politics as much as humanly possible out of the process.
We have cost problems. We have access problems. But as you rightfully point out in your question, we certainly have quality problems.
Confirming the President's nominees is one of the most important Constitutional duties of the Senate.
It ought to be the choice of the disability community as to where they would like to get their care and to live their lives.
Our health care system is broken, and fixing it is one area where I hope the 80-20 rule comes into play.
The sustainable growth rate is an outdated system that basically incentivizes people using patient utilization rather than looking at healthy outcomes for reimbursement.
The flaws in our health system are pervasive and corrosive. They threaten our health and economic security.
One is defining our issues as clearly as we can. And before we can ever get to the solutions of healthcare, we have to make sure that we are all on the same page with regard to the problems of healthcare.
I think that the cost of the status quo, the cost of doing nothing may be the most expensive option of all.





