Steve Cohen: “I think we also ought to take into account that this bill is not a panacea. It is possible it could even create as many…”

“I think we also ought to take into account that this bill is not a panacea. It is possible it could even create as many problems as it seeks to solve. We need to think carefully through the ultimate consequences as to how this all will work once it is in place. I mention this, Madam President, in connection with another subject I would like to talk just briefly about. We are confronted with a Contract With America. It is a contract that was signed by many of those in the House of Representatives; not by any, that I am aware of, here in the U.S. Senate. Nonetheless, I think there is great identification with many of the issues contained in the Contract With America, especially on the Republican side of the aisle. However, I think many of the issues contained in that contract will enjoy bipartisan support. The Contract With America is apparently on a very fast track in the House of Representatives. Frankly, the House can do that. The House is able to move far more quickly than we can, and that is because, under its rules, it is designed to move expeditiously. The Senate, by contrast, is a completely different institution. The Senate, by custom and institutional history, is designed to slow things down. It is designed to force Members to debate issues at greater length, to engage in discourse that will raise the level of interest on the part of our constituents, and to raise the level of scrutiny on the part of the national press corps.”