CONGRESS WRAPS UP SESSION

The Republican-led 104th Congress accomplished much despite its constant battles with President Clinton, U.S. Sen. Christopher "Kit" Bond says.

Political observers have described the past two years in Congress -- the first controlled by the GOP in 40 years -- as brutally partisan and a step above a brawl.

But Missouri's senior senator said it was the president who set much of the tone by refusing to compromise with Republicans.

"Rather than try to compromise, he fought us most of the way on many things," Bond said Monday as the Senate was wrapping up its work.

The House already has completed its business. Most House members have returned home to campaign for re-election.

Bond said Clinton was used to governing with Democratic lawmakers, as he did as governor of Arkansas.

"He never dealt with a legislative branch that had a different agenda," Bond said from Washington.

Still, Bond said the session was historic.

He said Republicans made most of the changes that people wanted when they put the GOP in power in 1994.

Bond said Congress passed two-thirds of the items listed in the House Republicans' "Contract With America."

"My goodness, we had a far higher scorecard than we ever had any reason to hope for," said Bond.

Major accomplishments included welfare reform and changes to the farm program, he said.

Farmers will be able to decide for themselves which crops to plant, Bond said. Subsidies and price supports for corn, other feed grains, cotton, rice and wheat will end.

The welfare reform measure puts government welfare programs in the hands of the states and limits eligibility.

Congress had to pass welfare reform three times before the president would sign it, Bond said.

Congress also gave some tax relief to small businesses.

But there were some failures. Republicans failed to secure a broad tax reduction for families, businesses and investors.

The GOP also lost the battle to balance the budget.

Clinton vetoed the tax cut and a seven-year budget-balancing plan.

Bond said the plan would have put entitlement funding on a sound track and would have saved Medicare.

Critics blamed the GOP for two shutdowns of some federal agencies in 1995, lasting a record 27 days.

But Bond blamed it on the president, who vetoed Republican-crafted spending bills.

Bond praised House Speaker Newt Gingrich for guiding much of the promised legislation through Congress.

He said Gingrich was roundly criticized by Democrats because he was a strong speaker.

Bond said both houses of Congress are headed down the same path of tax relief and returning power to the states.

MAJOR LEGISLATION PASSED BY 104TH CONGRESS

Welfare: Federal guarantee of aid to every person who qualified replaced by state programs financed partly by federal grants. Eligibility for welfare generally limited to five years. Food stamps, aid to legal immigrants scaled back considerably.

Minimum wage: Federal minimum wage will rise in two steps to $5.15.

Farms: Farmers to decide for themselves what crops to plant. Lump-sum payments to farmers end over seven years. Subsidies and price supports for corn, other feed grains, cotton, rice and wheat will end.

Congress: Most federal laws that impose requirements on states and local governments will have to include money to pay for them. Civil-rights and worker-protection laws now apply to Congress. Members and staff may no longer accept meals, travel or other gifts except for those with only token value.

Vetoed by the president: Seven-year plan for balancing the budget, a ban on certain late-term abortions, limits on damage awards alleging defective products.