The Contract with America was a document released by the Republican Party of the United States during the 1994 Congressional election campaign. Written by a team of representatives including Newt Gingrich, Robert Walker, Richard Armey, Bill Paxon, Tom DeLay, John Boehner and Jim Nussle, and in part using text from former President Ronald Reagan's 1985 State of the Union Address, and relying on polling from Frank Luntz, the Contract detailed the actions the Republicans promised to take if they became the majority party in the United States House of Representatives for the first time in 40 years. Many of the Contract's policy ideas originated at The Heritage Foundation, an influential conservative think tank. The Republican Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States of America, along with the Democratic Party. ... The U.S. House election, 1994 was an election for the United States House of Representatives in 1994 which occurred in the middle of President Bill Clintons first term. ... Newton Leroy Gingrich (born June 17, 1943), Ph. ... There are several notable Robert Walkers in hsitory Sir Robert Walker is a member of the British Privy Council. ... Richard Keith Dick Armey (born July 7, 1940 in Cando, North Dakota) is a former U.S. Representative and House Majority Leader from Texas. ... L. William Paxon (born April 29, 1954) is a politician from New York. ... Thomas Dale DeLay (born April 8, 1947) is a former member of the United States House of Representatives from Sugar Land, Texas. ... John Andrew Boehner (pronounced BAY-ner) (born November 17, 1949), is an American politician of the Republican Party who served as House Majority Leader in the 109th Congress, and a U.S. Representative from Ohios 8th congressional district, which includes a small part of the city of Dayton as... James Allen Jim Nussle (born June 27, 1960, Des Moines, Iowa) is an American politician. ... “Reagan” redirects here. ... Year 1985 (MCMLXXXV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link displays 1985 Gregorian calendar). ... 2003 State of the Union address given by U.S. President George W. Bush The State of the Union Address is an annual event in which the President of the United States reports on the status of the country, normally to a joint session of the U.S. Congress (the... Frank I. Luntz (born February 23, 1962) is a corporate and political consultant and pollster who has worked most notably with the Republican Party in the United States. ... The United States House of Representatives (or simply the House) is one of the two chambers of the United States Congress; the other is the Senate. ... The Heritage Foundation is a public policy research institute based in Washington, D.C., in the United States. ... This article is about the institution. ...

The Contract with America was introduced six weeks before the 1994 Congressional election, the first mid-term election of President Bill Clinton's Administration, and was signed by all but two of the Republican members of the House and all of the Party's non-incumbent Republican Congressional candidates. William Jefferson Bill Clinton (born William Jefferson Blythe III[1] on August 19, 1946) was the 42nd President of the United States, serving from 1993 to 2001. ...

Proponents say the Contract was revolutionary in its commitment to offering specific legislation for a vote, describing in detail the precise plan of the Congressional Representatives, and marked the first time since 1918 that a Congressional election had been run broadly on a national level. Furthermore, its provisions represented the view of many conservative Republicans on the issues of shrinking the size of government, promoting lower taxes and greater entrepreneurial activity, and both "tort reform" and welfare reform. However, pre-election, post-election and exit polls all showed that only about 30% of voters had even heard of the Contract. A Times Mirror poll found 7% were more likely to support Republicans as a result, while 6% were less likely.^{[citation needed]} Tort reform is the phrase used by its advocates who claim it is a change in the legal system to reduce litigations alleged adverse effects on the economy. ... Welfare reform is the name for a policy change in countries with a state-administered social welfare system to reduce dependence on welfare, as demanded by political conservatives. ...

When the Republicans gained a majority of seats in the 104th Congress, the Contract was touted as a triumph for Party leaders such as Minority Whip Newt Gingrich, Tom DeLay, and for the American conservative movement. Members of the 104th United States Congress: // States Alabama Senators Howell T. Heflin (D) Richard C. Shelby (R) Representatives 1. ... Newton Leroy Gingrich (born June 17, 1943), Ph. ... Thomas Dale DeLay (born April 8, 1947) is a former member of the United States House of Representatives from Sugar Land, Texas. ... American conservatism is a constellation of political ideologies within the United States under the blanket heading of conservative. ...

Content of the Contract

The Contract's actual text was a list of actions the Republicans promised to take if they were in the majority following the election. During the construction of the Contract, Gingrich insisted on "60% issues", meaning that the Contract avoided making promises on more controversial and divisive issues, such as abortion or school prayer. According to Lou Cannon, more than half of its text was taken verbatim from Reagan's 1985 State of the Union Address. The promises were a conservative wish-list, made up of two parts. School prayer in its most common usage refers to state sanctioned prayer of students in schools. ... Lou Cannon is an American non-fiction author and biographer. ... 2003 State of the Union address given by U.S. President George W. Bush The State of the Union Address is an annual event in which the President of the United States reports on the status of the country, normally to a joint session of the U.S. Congress (the...

Government reform

On the first day of their majority, the Republicans promised to hold floor votes on eight reforms of government operations:

• require all laws that apply to the rest of the country also apply to Congress;
• select a major, independent auditing firm to conduct a comprehensive audit of Congress for waste, fraud or abuse;
• cut the number of House committees, and cut committee staff by one-third;
• limit the terms of all committee chairs;
• ban the casting of proxy votes in committee;
• require committee meetings to be open to the public;
• require a three-fifths majority vote to pass a tax increase;
• and implement a zero base-line budgeting process for the annual Federal Budget.

The Big 4, sometimes written as the Big Four, is a group of international accountancy and professional services firms that handles the vast majority of audits for publicly traded companies as well as many private companies. ... The most general definition of an audit is an evaluation of a person, organization, system, process, project or product. ... The process of creating the budget for the United States Government is known as the budget process. ...

Major policy changes

During the first 100 days of the 104th Congress, the Republicans pledged "to bring to the floor the [ten] bills, each to be given a full and open debate, each to be given a clear and fair vote, and each to be immediately available for public inspection". The text of the proposed bills was included in the Contract, which was released prior to the election. These bills were not governmental reforms, as the previous promises were; rather, they represented significant changes to policy. The main included tax cuts for businesses and individuals, term limits for legislators, social security reform, tort reform, and welfare reform. A term limit is a provision of a constitution, statute, or bylaw which limits the number of terms a person may serve in a particular elected office. ... Social Security in the United States is a social insurance program funded through dedicated payroll taxes called FICA (Federal Insurance Contributions Act). ...

Effects of the Contract

Some observers cite the Contract with America as having helped secure a decisive victory for the Republicans in the 1994 elections; others dispute this role, noting its late introduction into the campaign, and low level of voter recognition (around 30%). Whatever the role of the Contract, Republicans were elected to a majority, and several parts of the Contract were enacted, though most were not. Some elements did not pass the House, others died in the Senate, or Conference Committee, were vetoed by President Bill Clinton, or were substantially altered in negotiations with Clinton. This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... For other uses, see President of the United States (disambiguation). ... William Jefferson Bill Clinton (born William Jefferson Blythe III[1] on August 19, 1946) was the 42nd President of the United States, serving from 1993 to 2001. ...

Critics of the contract, including Clinton himself, shamefully referred to it as the "Contract on America". [1] (A "contract" on someone is a slang term for a contract killing). In most countries with judicial systems, a contract to kill a person is unenforceable by law (in the sense that the customer cannot sue for specific performance and the contract killer cannot sue for his pay). ...

As a blueprint for the policy of the new Congressional majority, Micklethwait & Wooldridge argue in The Right Nation that the Contract placed the Congress firmly back in the driver's seat of domestic government policy for most of the 104th Congress, and placed the Clinton White House firmly on the defensive. However, this may have changed following the government shutdown in late 1995, which the mainstream media overwhelmingly blamed on House Republicans. The Right Nation (ISBN 1594200203) is a book which charts the rise of the Republican Party in America since Barry Goldwaters defeat in 1964. ...

Implementation of the Contract

The Contract had promised 10 bills to implement major reform of the Federal Government. When the 104th Congress assembled in January 1995, the Republican majority sought to implement the Contract. // Elections for the 104th United States Congress were held on November 8, 1994. ...

In some cases (e.g. The National Security Restoration Act and The Personal Responsibility Act), the proposed bills were accomplished by a single act analogous to that which had been proposed in the Contract; in other cases (e.g. The Job Creation and Wage Enhancement Act), a proposed bill's provisions were split up across multiple acts. Most of the bills died in the Senate, except as noted below.

The Fiscal Responsibility Act

An amendment to the Constitution that would require a balanced budget, unless sanctioned by a 2/3 vote in both houses of Congress (H.J.Res.1, passed by the US House Roll Call: 300-132, 1/26/95; rejected by the US Senate Roll Call: 65-35, 3/2/95, two-thirds required), and provide the president with a line-item veto (H.R.2, passed by the US House Roll Call: 294-134, 2/6/95; conferenced with S. 4 and enacted with substantial changes 4/9/96 [2]). The United States Constitution has been amended on 18 occasions—with a total of 27 individual successful amendments—since the Constitution was completed in 1787. ... In government, the line-item veto is the power of an executive to nullify or cancel specific provisions of a bill, usually budget appropriations, without vetoing the entire legislative package. ...

The Taking Back Our Streets Act

An anti-crime package including stronger truth-in-sentencing, "good faith" exclusionary rule exemptions (H.R.666 Exclusionary Rule Reform Act, passed US House Roll Call 289-142 2/8/95), death penalty provisions (H.R.729 Effective Death Penalty Act, passed US House Roll Call 297-132 2/8/95; similar provisions enacted under S. 735 [3], 4/24/96), funding prison construction (H.R.667 Violent Criminal Incarceration Act, passed US House Roll Call 265-156 2/10/95, rc#117) and additional law enforcement (H.R.728 Local Government Law Enforcement Block Grants Act, passed US House Roll Call 238-192 2/14/95).

The Personal Responsibility Act

An act to cut spending for welfare programs by means of discouraging illegitimacy and teen pregnancy. This would be achieved by prohibiting welfare to mothers under 18 years of age, denying increased AFDC for additional children while on welfare, and enacting a two-years-and-out provision with work requirements to promote individual responsibility. H.R.4, the Family Self-Sufficiency Act, included provisions giving food vouchers to unwed mothers under 18 in lieu of cash AFDC benefits, denying cash AFDC benefits for additional children to people on AFDC, requiring recipients to participate in work programs after 2 years on AFDC, complete termination of AFDC payments after five years, and suspending driver and professional licenses of people who fail to pay child support. H.R.4, passed by the US House 234-199, 3/23/95, and passed by the US Senate 87-12, 9/19/95. The Act was vetoed by President Clinton, but the alternative Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Act was enacted 8/22/96. Aid to Families with Dependent Children is a welfare program administered by the United States Department of Health and Human Services. ... The Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (PRWORA, Pub. ...

The American Dream Restoration Act

An act to create a $500-per-child tax credit, begin repeal of the marriage tax penalty, and creation of American Dream Savings Accounts to provide middle-class tax relief. H.R.1215, passed 246-188, 4/5/95.

The National Security Restoration Act

An act to prevent U.S. troops from serving under United Nations command unless the president determines it is necessary for the purposes of national security, to cut US payments for UN peacekeeping operations, and to help establish guidelines for the voluntary integration of former Warsaw Pact nations into NATO. H.R.7, passed 241-181, 2/16/95. The United Nations has authorized 61 peacekeeping missions as of 2005. ... Unofficial Seal of the Warsaw Pact Distinguish from the Warsaw Convention, which is an agreement about airlines financial liability and the Treaty of Warsaw (1970) between West Germany and the Peoples Republic of Poland. ... NATO 2002 Summit in Prague. ...

The "Common Sense" Legal Reform Act

An act to institute "Loser pays" laws (H.R.988, passed 232-193, 3/7/95), limits on punitive damages and reform of product-liability laws to prevent what the bill considered frivolous litigation (H.R.956, passed 265-161, 3/10/95; passed Senate 61-37, 5/11/95, vetoed by President Clinton [4]). Another tort reform bill, the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act was enacted in 1995 when Congress overrode a veto by Clinton. The English Rule is a rule regarding assessment of attorneys fees arising out of litigation. ... Tort reform is the phrase used by its advocates who claim it is a change in the legal system to reduce litigations alleged adverse effects on the economy. ... The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (PSLRA) implemented several significant substantive changes affecting certain cases brought under the federal securities laws, including changes related to pleading, discovery, liability, and awards fees and expenses. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ...

The Job Creation and Wage Enhancement Act

A package of measures to act as small-business incentives; capital-gains cuts and indexation, neutral cost recovery, risk assessment/cost-benefit analysis, strengthening the Regulatory Flexibility Act and unfunded mandate reform to create jobs and raise worker wages. Although this was listed as a single bill in the Contract, its provisions ultimately made it to the House Floor as four bills: There are very few or no other articles that link to this one. ...

• H.R.5, requiring federal funding for state spending mandated by Congressional action, and estimated by the Congressional Budget Office to cost more than $50m per year, was passed 360-74, 2/1/95. This bill was conferenced with S. 1 and enacted, 3/22/95[5].

• H.R.450 required a moratorium on the implementation of Federal regulations until June 30, 1995, and was passed 276-146, 2/24/95. Companion Senate bill S. 219 passed by voice vote, 5/17/05, but the two bills never emerged from conference[6].

• H.R.925 required Federal compensation to be paid to property owners when Federal Government actions reduced the value of the property by 20% or more, and was passed 277-148, 3/3/95.

• H.R.926, passed 415-14 on 3/1/95, required Federal agencies to provide a cost-benefit analysis on any regulation costing $50m or more annually, to be signed off on by the Office of Management and Budget, and permitted small businesses to sue that agency if they believed the aforementioned analysis was performed inadequately or incorrectly.

The Congressional Budget Office is a federal agency within the legislative branch of the United States government. ... Cost-benefit analysis is an important technique for project appraisal: the process of weighing the total expected costs against the total expected benefits of one or more actions in order to choose the best or most profitable option. ... The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) is a body within the Executive Office of the President of the United States which is tasked with coordinating United States Federal agencies. ...

The Citizen Legislature Act

An amendment to the Constitution that would have imposed 12-year term limits on members of the US Congress (i.e. six terms for Representatives, two terms for Senators). H.J.Res.73[7] rejected by the U.S. House 227-204 (a constitutional amendment requires a two-thirds majority, not a simple majority), 3/29/95; RC #277. The United States Constitution has been amended on 18 occasions—with a total of 27 individual successful amendments—since the Constitution was completed in 1787. ...

Other sections of the Contract

Other sections of the Contract include a proposed Family Reinforcement Act (tax incentives for adoption, strengthening the powers of parents in their children's education, stronger child pornography laws, and elderly dependent care tax credit) and the Senior Citizens Fairness Act (raise the Social Security earnings limit, repeal the 1993 tax hikes on Social Security benefits and provide tax incentives for private long-term care insurance).

References

• John B. Bader; Taking the Initiative: Leadership Agendas in Congress and the "Contract with America" Georgetown University Press, 1996
• Timothy J. Barnett; Legislative Learning: The 104th Republican Freshmen in the House Garland, 1999
• Mona Charen, Burton W. Folsom Jr., Alonzo L. Hamby, Jeff Jacoby, Deroy Murdock, Sally C. Pipes, John J. Pitney Jr., William A. Rusher and Mike Siegel. "100 Days That Shook the World: The Historical Significance of the Contract with America" in Policy Review. Issue: 73. 1995. page 18+. conservative commentary
• Linda Killian; The Freshmen: What Happened to the Republican Revolution? Westview Press, 1998
• Douglas L. Koopman; Hostile Takeover: The House Republican Party, 1980-1995 Rowman & Littlefield, 1996
• John Micklethwait and Adrian Wooldridge. The Right Nation (2004)
• Nicol C. Rae; Conservative Reformers: The Republican Freshmen and the Lessons of the 104th Congress M. E. Sharpe, 1998

The Right Nation (ISBN 1594200203) is a book which charts the rise of the Republican Party in America since Barry Goldwaters defeat in 1964. ...

Sources

• Text of the Contract, from the U.S. House website
• The Contract with America: Implementing New Ideas in the U.S., from the Heritage Foundation
• Beyond the Contract, criticism of the Contract from Mother Jones magazine
• Contract on America's Environment, criticism of the Contract from the Sierra Club
• Twelve years later, myths about the Contract persist, mixed picture from A.B. Stoddard of The Hill.
• Ignoring evidence to the contrary, USA Today editorial asserted 1994 "Contract with America" was "effective ... in bringing Republicans to power", Media Matters For America cites variety of polls (including NBC/Wall Street Journal) showing low public awareness of Contract.