John Boehner, October 1, 2004

Ten years ago, the United States was poised to make a sweeping change in the leadership of its federal government. And we did. Propelled by the Contract with America and the strong national desire for fresh ideas, the Republican Party regained a congressional majority for the first time in more than a generation. I’ve had a unique opportunity to be both a member of the U.S. House leadership and a committee chairman during these past ten years. Looking back upon them, it really is remarkable to review just what we have accomplished -- often with the assistance of Democrat colleagues -- as a Congress and as a nation.

When the newly-shaped Congress took office in 1995, some major challenges stood ahead of us. The previous Congress and President Clinton had just approved the largest tax hike in America’s history. Welfare rolls were spiraling out of control. And billions of dollars were being poured into our nation’s public schools with absolutely no expectation of results.

Nearly a decade later, substantial reforms have taken hold.

Since the 1994 election, Congress has delivered major legislative initiatives affecting scores of issues important to American families. Whether between Republicans and Democrats in Congress or between the Republican Congress and former President Clinton, an often overlooked fact about many of these legislative reforms is that they were crafted and approved in a bipartisan manner.

Take, for instance, welfare reform. This is perhaps the most important and substantial accomplishment of the Republican-led Congress. Though he vetoed the legislation twice, President Clinton finally did sign our welfare reform legislation in 1996, and the results have been nothing short of dramatic. The number of people on welfare has decreased by 9 million. 3 million fewer families are on welfare today than a decade ago -- a staggering 57 percent drop. And employment of mothers most likely to go on welfare rose by 40 percent between 1995 and 2000.

Or take the issue of taxes. During both the Clinton and Bush Administrations, Congress has provided meaningful tax relief. In the past few years especially, this tax relief has kept our economic motor running during a time when it very well could have stalled. Income tax rates are lower. The Death Tax is being phased out. The marriage penalty has been eliminated. The child tax credit has increased to $1000 per child. Even teachers now have a special deduction for up to $250 in annual classroom expenses.

Speaking of teachers, in a truly historic bipartisan move, congressional Republicans and Democrats joined President Bush in 2001 and 2002 to approve the No Child Left Behind Act -- the most comprehensive education reform measure in more than three decades. Under this law, education resources have increased by nearly fifty percent. And for the first time ever, all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico have in place their own uniquely-designed accountability plans to track the progress of all of our nation’s students -- regardless of race, family income, or community.

From passing the Patriot Act and streamlining federal homeland security agencies to creating Health Savings Accounts so Americans can save tax-free for medical expenses and adding a prescription drug benefit to Medicare, the products of the last ten years in Congress are both impressive and encouraging. Congressional Republicans have shown that we can remain committed to our core ideals of a strong national defense, accountability in spending taxpayer dollars, and a more responsive federal government. And we’ve shown we can reach across party lines to make the reforms necessary to move our nation forward. I’m proud of what we have accomplished, and I’m optimistic about the work that remains ahead.

Congressman John Boehner, a Republican, represents Ohio's Eighth Congressional District, which includes Miami, Butler, Preble, Darke, and Mercer Counties.