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(Mr. SMITH of Michigan asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. SMITH of Michigan. Mr. Speaker, as we draw this 104th Congress to a close, I think it is appropriate to remember where we were 2 years ago, before Republicans became a majority in this House. The Democrats were not talking about a balanced budget. In fact, the President's balanced budget at that time, 2 years ago, had a $200 billion deficit every year into the foreseeable future.

In 1995, the new Republican majority came in and insisted that Government do what Americans have to do in their personal family budgets--that being--balance the Federal budget. The Democrats, the President, did their focus groups, they took the polls. They decided, Americans do want a balanced budget. They think it is reasonable. Two years ago, nobody on the liberal side of the aisle was talking about a balanced budget, and now everybody is talking about it. That is progress.

The liberals and big Government advocates try to belittle this Republican Congress, and criticize the

Contract With America. We are going to celebrate our 2-year anniversary of the Contract With America today. Let us just remember that most of the brag items of accomplishments that President Clinton mentioned in his acceptance speech were passed by the Republican-controlled 104th Congress.

Mr. Speaker, I include for the Record the Contract With America items signed into law in the last 2 years.

The material referred to is as follows:

The Contract With America has significantly contributed in making the 104th Republican-led Congress one of the most productiver ever. Of 75 Contract legislative provisions considered in the House, 49 (65 percent) have been enacted by statute or rules change, 20 (27 percent) have been vetoed by President Clinton, and 6 (8 percent) await Senate action. The bottom line: two-thirds of the Contract is now law.

CONTRACT MEASURES SIGNED INTO LAW

Congressional Accountability Act--Applies civil rights and job protection laws to Congress. (H.R. 1)

Congressional Reforms--Host of `opening day' reforms approved as part of House rules, including a one-third cut in committee staff (saving $45 million), term limits for the Speaker and committee chairmen, a ban on committee proxy voting, a three-fifths vote requirement for tax increases, public and media access to committee meetings, and authorization for an audit of the House books.

Line-Item Veto--Gives the President line-item veto authority beginning January 1, 1997 to eliminate wasteful discretionary spending, targeted tax benefits, and new or increased entitlement programs. (H.R. 3136)

Mandatory Victim Restitution--Requires federal judges to order convicted criminals to pay restitution to their crime victims. (S. 735)

Effective Death Penalty Enforcement--Places reasonable limits on appeals filed by violent criminals seeking to overturn their convictions. (S. 735)

Criminal Alien Deportation--Improves current laws to make it easier for the government to deport criminal aliens. (S. 735)

Truth-In-Sentencing State Prison Grants--More than $400 million provided in FY '96 to help states build prisons, provided violent criminals serve at least 85 percent of their sentences. (H.R. 3019)

Local Government Law Enforcement Block Grants--$503 million provided in FY '96 to give local law enforcement officials greater flexibility in fighting violent crime in their communities. (H.R. 3019)

Sexual Crimes Against Children Prevention Act--Instructs the U.S. Sentencing Commission to increase the recommended penalties for making or trafficking in child pornography. (H.R. 1240)

National Security Revitalization--The FY '96 defense appropriations bill reversed Clinton's `hollow' military by restoring $7 billion in Clinton defense cuts and providing an additional $600 million for anti-missile defenses . (H.R. 2126)

Unfunded Mandates Reform--Ends intrusive federal mandates that require local governments (i.e., taxpayers) to pick up the costs. (H.R. 5)

Paperwork Reduction Act--Reduces federal reporting requirements by 40 percent over six years. (H.R. 830)

Regulatory Flexibility Act Amendments--Provides judicial review of the Regulatory Flexibility Act and allows expedited congressional review of new regulations costing more than $100 million. (H.R. 3136)

Small Business Tax Relief--Increases equipment expensing from $17,500 to $25,000 and clarifies the tax treatment of home office/product-sample storage costs. (H.R. 3448)

Securities Litigation Reform Act--Prevents class-action lawyers from abusing the rules to extort settlements from innocent companies whose predictions of corporate performance are not fulfilled. (H.R. 1058)

Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Act--Requires welfare recipients to work within 2 years or lose benefits, limits lifetime cash welfare to 5 years, gives states tools for reducing out-of-wedlock births, reforms the fast-growing food stamp program, and ends most welfare to non-citizens. (H.R. 3734)

Drug Abusers Collecting Welfare--Ends SSI payments to drug and alcohol abusers. (H.R. 3136)

Adoption Tax Credit--Allows up to a $5,000 tax credit to offset adoption expenses for families with adjusted gross incomes of less than $75,000 and prohibits adoption agencies from making placements based on race. (H.R. 3448)

Spousal IRAs--Increases from $250 to $2,000 the amount non-working spouses can contribute to IRAs. (H.R. 3448)

Social Security Earnings Limit--Phases in an increase of the earnings limit to $30,000 in 2002 for seniors who choose to work between ages 65 to 69. (H.R. 3136)

Long-Term Care Tax Incentives--Encourages more people to buy long-term care insurance and allows chronically or terminally ill individuals to receive life insurance benefits before death without a tax penalty. (H.R. 3103)

Housing for Older Person Act--Protects senior citizen communities from discrimination lawsuits by defining in law `senior-only' housing complexes. (H.R. 660)

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CONTRACT MEASURES VETOED BY THE PRESIDENT

A Balanced Budget by 2002--The balanced budget amendment included in the Contract required a balanced budget in 2002. Falling short by one vote in the Senate, Congress approved the Balanced Budget Act to balance the budget in 7 years. (Vetoed 12/6/95)

Family Tax Cuts--$500 per-child tax cut, marriage penalty relief, $1,000 eldercare deduction, and American Dream Savings Accounts. (Vetoed 12/6/95)

Economic Growth Tax Cuts--Reductions in capital gains and inheritance taxes, among others. (Vetoed 12/6/95)

Lawsuit Abuse Reform--Reforms product liability laws to lower litigation costs to employers and end abuses by trial lawyers. (Vetoed 5/2/96)

Ballistic Missile Defense --Protects America's cities from accidental or terrorist nuclear attack (Vetoed 12/28/95)

U.N. Command of U.S. Troops--Prohibits the president from placing U.S. troops under foreign command. (Vetoed 12/28/95)