95th Congress Statement by the President.

I want to congratulate the Congress on a record of accomplishment unmatched in more than a decade. The American people can be justly proud of the work this Congress has done in solving some of the Nation's most pressing problems.

When the 95th Congress assembled 21 months ago, its Members knew they had been elected to tackle the country's basic concerns. Our people wanted action to put the economy back on course, to deal with such long-neglected and critical problems as energy, to make our Government more efficient, and to equip our Nation for the challenges of a changing world.

Now that the Congress has adjourned, its Members can look back with satisfaction on the record that has been compiled. In these 21 months, the Congress has made progress on nearly all the crucial areas of concern to our people. This progress was made possible by the sense of cooperation, harmony, and trust that developed between my administration and the Congress. The accomplishments of this Congress truly reflect a commitment to executive-legislative cooperation that has been unparalleled in recent years.

The most important achievement is the national energy act, which, along with the creation of the Department of Energy, will give our Nation the tools we need to start down the road away from excessive dependence on foreign oil. The act will protect our consumers and producers, enhance our national security, and remove one of the most pressing causes of inflation and economic instability.

The Congress acted in other ways to ensure our economic future. The economic stimulus plan enacted last year has helped us make the fastest progress against unemployment in more than 25 years, and the Humphrey-Hawkins act sets goals for future noninflationary progress in the same direction. The improvements in the CETA program, the social security system, and the food stamp program all mean that the benefits of our economic progress will be more fairly shared among all our people.

At the same time, the Congress has shown an awareness of the urgent problem of inflation, demonstrating its sense of fiscal responsibility, especially in sustaining my vetoes of the public works and defense bills.

Every sector of our economy will feel the impact of bills passed during this Congress:

—For our rural areas, the Congress enacted an historic farm bill which has already brought new prosperity to our farmlands.

—For the people of our urban areas, the Congress enacted nearly all of the elements of our urban policy and provided responsible help to our largest city with the New York City Assistance Act.

—For all of us, the Congress has made steady progress toward a healthier environment through improvements in the clean air and water pollution acts and a landmark strip mining bill. At the same time, it has removed unneeded regulation in areas, such as the airline industry, where the market can do a better job.

Because of this Congress efforts, we now have the tools we need to make Government more efficient, through six reorganization plans, new Inspectors General, and the first reform of the civil service system in nearly a century. The ethics bill will help ensure that those who hold Federal offices always deserve the public's trust.

Finally, this Congress has shown that it understands that human justice and human rights are the irresistible trend of our times. It helped extend justice at home with its approval of the ERA deadline extension and the proposed amendment to grant full voting representation to the District of Columbia. It supported human rights abroad and insisted, through the antiforeign boycott legislation and the corrupt foreign practices bill, on a decent standard of conduct for American actions overseas.

Time and again, the Congress showed that it was willing to make courageous decisions to advance our national interest. History will prove the wisdom of congressional action on the Panama Canal treaties and the Turkish arms embargo. The world has already seen the dramatic progress toward peace in the Middle East that the Middle East arms sale helped bring about.

I extend my deep appreciation and congratulations to the congressional leadership, especially Majority Leader Robert Byrd and Speaker Tip O'Neill, for their extraordinary efforts on behalf of the American people. Of all the reasons for the 95th Congress success, the most important has been their wise and dedicated leadership. I look forward to working with them again in the 96th Congress.