John Boehner, October 18, 2002

Thinking back to the year 2000, no one could have predicted what was in store for the next two years. First came the historic presidential election that wasn’t completely resolved until more than a month after Election Day. That same election gave the Republican Party the narrowest of majorities in both the House and Senate. Then, just a few months into the new Congress, a senator from Vermont became an independent, giving the Democrats the majority in that chamber for the first time since 1995.

Partisan politics aside, the past two years certainly were among the most significant in our nation’s history. For a moment, just think about what these terms meant to you two years ago: September 11th, homeland security, Al Qaeda, anthrax, and Enron. We know all too well what they mean to us now.

The past two years certainly have affected all of us in ways we never could have imagined. All the while -- mindful of the ever-changing world around us -- each of us has continued on with our lives. America has carried on with its daily business. And so too has its Congress. As the 107th Congress prepares to wrap up business this year, I’d like to review some of the work my colleagues and I have done over the past couple of years.

First comes an accomplishment with which all of us in the Eighth District are especially familiar -- the No Child Left Behind education law. President Bush traveled to Southwest Ohio to sign the bill into law last January, culminating a year of intense, bipartisan work on this landmark legislation. No Child Left Behind gives more flexibility and resources to states, local schools districts, teachers, and parents than ever before. And for the first time ever, it holds our public schools accountable for the education they are -- or are not -- providing to our children. As we begin to implement the new law, we are taking steps toward our goal of giving every child a chance to learn.

The 107th Congress also worked with the President on producing the largest tax cut package in 20 years. This legislation cuts taxes for every working American -- and was the reason we received those rebate checks in the mail last year. It also repeals the death tax, brings marriage penalty relief, expands the child tax credit, and strengthens retirement and education savings. At a time when our economy is faced with uncertainty, this tax cut package has helped our country weather the storm, putting more money into our wallets when we’ve needed it most.

This year, Congress also sent to President Bush a tough, new corporate responsibility measure after we witnessed the collapses of Enron and Worldcom. This new law is designed to enhance investor confidence, reform the oversight of the accounting industry, and increase the availability of real-time financial information for our nation’s investors.

The three accomplishments I highlighted here are only the tip of the iceberg; we also made great progress on expanding free trade, protecting against bioterrorism, and showing our unity as we fight a global war on terrorism. But unfortunately, this Congress could have been even more productive but was stifled by inaction from the United States Senate.

In the past two years alone, the House has passed several bills which sit on the Senate side of the Capitol gathering dust. Pension security legislation. A Medicare prescription drug benefit. Stronger welfare reform. A comprehensive national energy plan. A measure expanding the role faith-based charitable organizations. And a bill to reorganize dozens of federal agencies into one, streamlined Department of Homeland Security. These bills represent President Bush’s top domestic priorities, but because of a handful of U.S. Senators, it may be another year or two before we see these bills become law -- if they ever do.

Looking back on the 107th Congress, I’ve got a great deal of pride in what we were able to accomplish, especially when you consider the unusual conditions here at home and throughout the rest of the world. However, I can’t help but think of what more we could have done if we had seen more action from the Senate. Hopefully, when my colleagues and I return to Capitol Hill next year for the 108th Congress, we will keep that fact in mind.

Congressman John Boehner represents the 8th Congressional District of Ohio in the U.S. House of Representatives.