1 00:00:01,560 --> 00:00:04,280 Speaker 1: The story of the Contract with America begins with new Gigrich. 2 00:00:04,519 --> 00:00:08,000 Speaker 2: When Nut came to Congress, he was very impatient, He 3 00:00:08,080 --> 00:00:11,879 Speaker 2: wanted to get things done. He was somebody who aspired 4 00:00:12,119 --> 00:00:12,879 Speaker 2: to leadership. 5 00:00:12,960 --> 00:00:16,040 Speaker 1: The Contract provided substance behind the rhetoric. 6 00:00:16,280 --> 00:00:20,920 Speaker 3: It's remarkable how wonderful winning is, and it can change 7 00:00:20,960 --> 00:00:29,480 Speaker 3: people's views of everything. 8 00:00:30,120 --> 00:00:32,440 Speaker 4: On this episode of News World, we're going to explore 9 00:00:32,440 --> 00:00:36,800 Speaker 4: a historic moment thirty years ago in November nineteen ninety four, 10 00:00:37,159 --> 00:00:40,120 Speaker 4: when the Republican Revolution took control of the House for 11 00:00:40,159 --> 00:00:43,480 Speaker 4: the first time in forty years, using a concept called 12 00:00:43,680 --> 00:00:47,760 Speaker 4: the Contract with America. It was a remarkable moment because 13 00:00:47,800 --> 00:00:51,920 Speaker 4: for forty years, the same party, the same ideology, the Democrats, 14 00:00:52,200 --> 00:00:54,400 Speaker 4: had been to control of the House without much challenge, 15 00:00:54,600 --> 00:00:57,320 Speaker 4: and suddenly, at the end of that forty years they 16 00:00:57,360 --> 00:01:01,120 Speaker 4: were defeated decisively and you had new people, new chairmen, 17 00:01:01,320 --> 00:01:04,959 Speaker 4: new leaders, a new speaker, all moving the country in 18 00:01:05,040 --> 00:01:09,039 Speaker 4: a significantly different direction. The gap between the liberalism the 19 00:01:09,040 --> 00:01:13,039 Speaker 4: Democrats and the conservatism of the Republicans meant that shifting 20 00:01:13,120 --> 00:01:17,000 Speaker 4: power in the House decisively shifted power in Washington made 21 00:01:17,040 --> 00:01:20,400 Speaker 4: it possible to reform welfare, to balance the federal budget 22 00:01:20,680 --> 00:01:23,119 Speaker 4: to have a whole series of changes that could never 23 00:01:23,200 --> 00:01:25,600 Speaker 4: have occurred without some kind of breakup of the old order. 24 00:01:25,959 --> 00:01:29,919 Speaker 4: And in that process, the Contract with America a specific 25 00:01:30,040 --> 00:01:32,760 Speaker 4: pledge to the American people that if you elect us, 26 00:01:32,880 --> 00:01:36,000 Speaker 4: we will do these things. That contract became the tool 27 00:01:36,319 --> 00:01:38,960 Speaker 4: which enabled us to end four decades of one party 28 00:01:39,040 --> 00:01:42,120 Speaker 4: rule and to create a period of dramatic reform and 29 00:01:42,200 --> 00:01:46,320 Speaker 4: dramatic change. I'm delighted to say that Fox Nation features 30 00:01:46,319 --> 00:01:49,480 Speaker 4: a special on the Contract with America. I think we're 31 00:01:49,520 --> 00:01:52,080 Speaker 4: once again in a period where there are big decisions 32 00:01:52,120 --> 00:02:07,120 Speaker 4: to be made, big questions to be answered. When you 33 00:02:07,200 --> 00:02:10,119 Speaker 4: look back on what happened with the Contract with America 34 00:02:10,800 --> 00:02:13,359 Speaker 4: and the nineteen ninety four election, it was a moment 35 00:02:13,400 --> 00:02:17,280 Speaker 4: of decisive change. When I say decisive, think about this. 36 00:02:18,440 --> 00:02:23,200 Speaker 4: For forty years, from the election of nineteen fifty four 37 00:02:24,120 --> 00:02:28,400 Speaker 4: to the election of nineteen ninety four, the Democrats controlled 38 00:02:28,400 --> 00:02:34,239 Speaker 4: the US House of Representatives. Now that included President Eisenhower's 39 00:02:34,240 --> 00:02:40,720 Speaker 4: re election, President Nixon's election, President Reagan's election and reelection, 40 00:02:41,320 --> 00:02:45,400 Speaker 4: and President George H. W. Bush's election. Yet, no matter 41 00:02:45,440 --> 00:02:48,200 Speaker 4: what the Republicans were doing at the presidential level, and 42 00:02:48,320 --> 00:02:52,000 Speaker 4: that included some control of the US Senate. They could 43 00:02:52,040 --> 00:02:56,600 Speaker 4: never break through in the House, and so suddenly here 44 00:02:56,639 --> 00:03:03,280 Speaker 4: we were. Forty years of Democratic control ceases in one evening. 45 00:03:04,480 --> 00:03:08,040 Speaker 4: And a major part of that was the adoption by 46 00:03:08,080 --> 00:03:13,160 Speaker 4: the House Republicans of a contract with America. A contract 47 00:03:13,160 --> 00:03:16,840 Speaker 4: that was important, first of all, because it was about 48 00:03:17,000 --> 00:03:20,560 Speaker 4: things the American people wanted. It was about balancing the budget. 49 00:03:20,720 --> 00:03:24,000 Speaker 4: It's about reforming the Congress. It was about reforming welfare, 50 00:03:24,280 --> 00:03:27,400 Speaker 4: it was about cutting taxes. Had a series of steps 51 00:03:28,400 --> 00:03:31,840 Speaker 4: that seventy or eighty percent American people really wanted to 52 00:03:31,840 --> 00:03:35,240 Speaker 4: have Congress take, and they really knew that the Democrats 53 00:03:35,240 --> 00:03:38,240 Speaker 4: had failed to take them. And so after forty years, 54 00:03:38,240 --> 00:03:41,800 Speaker 4: exhaustion had set in and they were ready for something new. 55 00:03:42,680 --> 00:03:47,520 Speaker 4: It was also historic because it shifted decisively the balance 56 00:03:47,520 --> 00:03:53,960 Speaker 4: of power. Think about this, for four decades, people knew 57 00:03:54,280 --> 00:03:57,240 Speaker 4: the Democrats had been in charge of the House. You'd 58 00:03:57,240 --> 00:03:59,520 Speaker 4: go out to recruit somebody to run for Congress, and 59 00:03:59,520 --> 00:04:02,680 Speaker 4: if you're a Republican, you know, and they know you're 60 00:04:02,720 --> 00:04:06,280 Speaker 4: recruiting them to serve in the minority. If you're a Democrat, 61 00:04:06,640 --> 00:04:08,560 Speaker 4: you know and they know you're recruiting them to serve 62 00:04:08,560 --> 00:04:12,080 Speaker 4: in the majority. So it was much easier for Democrats 63 00:04:12,120 --> 00:04:15,680 Speaker 4: to recruit, much harder for Republicans to recruit. And these 64 00:04:15,680 --> 00:04:20,960 Speaker 4: things become self fulfilling prophecies on the contract, on its importance, 65 00:04:21,000 --> 00:04:23,080 Speaker 4: on how it happened, I think it will be a 66 00:04:23,080 --> 00:04:27,279 Speaker 4: great Civics lesson because there were things that were done 67 00:04:27,360 --> 00:04:30,880 Speaker 4: that could be done again, but they were quite remarkable. 68 00:04:31,120 --> 00:04:32,920 Speaker 4: First of all, it was a team effort. It wasn't 69 00:04:32,960 --> 00:04:35,480 Speaker 4: one or two or three people. I ended up becoming 70 00:04:35,560 --> 00:04:37,839 Speaker 4: Speaker of the House, but that's because there was a 71 00:04:37,880 --> 00:04:41,120 Speaker 4: whole team. Congressman Bob Walker, who had been my ally 72 00:04:41,200 --> 00:04:44,880 Speaker 4: for years, played a major role in thinking through how 73 00:04:44,880 --> 00:04:45,640 Speaker 4: to make this happen. 74 00:04:45,880 --> 00:04:47,720 Speaker 1: We had a whole series of dinners in the basement 75 00:04:47,760 --> 00:04:51,360 Speaker 1: of Tortilla Coos to talk through how we were going 76 00:04:51,440 --> 00:04:57,159 Speaker 1: to make this into a real successful revolution. The people 77 00:04:57,200 --> 00:05:01,400 Speaker 1: who I remember being there were Dick r Me, Tom Delay, 78 00:05:01,600 --> 00:05:03,719 Speaker 1: Bill Paxson, Newton, myself. 79 00:05:04,080 --> 00:05:06,160 Speaker 2: They came out of there thinking that we can all 80 00:05:06,560 --> 00:05:09,839 Speaker 2: work together and trust each other to do the heavy 81 00:05:09,839 --> 00:05:11,400 Speaker 2: lifting and not cut and run on each other. 82 00:05:11,839 --> 00:05:14,760 Speaker 4: Congressman Dick Army, who was the chairman of the conference 83 00:05:14,800 --> 00:05:18,800 Speaker 4: and became the majority leader played a key role in 84 00:05:19,040 --> 00:05:24,120 Speaker 4: organizing the legislation. Dan Meyer, who today is working for 85 00:05:24,440 --> 00:05:27,880 Speaker 4: Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy, was at that time my chief 86 00:05:27,920 --> 00:05:32,080 Speaker 4: of staff, played a decisive role. Joe Gaylord, who's been 87 00:05:32,080 --> 00:05:35,960 Speaker 4: my partner on politics sincerely nineteen eighties. He was on 88 00:05:36,000 --> 00:05:39,640 Speaker 4: the whole journey with me year after year. Remember I 89 00:05:39,680 --> 00:05:43,080 Speaker 4: came into Congress in nineteen seventy eight and I said, 90 00:05:43,120 --> 00:05:45,839 Speaker 4: we need to become a majority. We've been a minority 91 00:05:45,880 --> 00:05:49,800 Speaker 4: for twenty four years. Well, we lost in eighty eighty two, 92 00:05:50,400 --> 00:05:55,640 Speaker 4: eighty four, eighty six, eighty eight, ninety two. You know, 93 00:05:55,640 --> 00:05:58,440 Speaker 4: I was getting a little tiring by that stage. Finally 94 00:05:58,480 --> 00:06:00,880 Speaker 4: we won in ninety four, and sometimes people, boy, you guys, 95 00:06:00,880 --> 00:06:04,920 Speaker 4: sure we're lucky. No, we were lucky, But more importantly, 96 00:06:05,560 --> 00:06:09,520 Speaker 4: we were prepared. We had grown a team ready to 97 00:06:09,520 --> 00:06:13,640 Speaker 4: go out and win the election. And frankly, it took 98 00:06:13,720 --> 00:06:16,719 Speaker 4: a team. It's a big country. One of the lessons 99 00:06:16,800 --> 00:06:19,919 Speaker 4: I think for the Republicans in Congress today is to 100 00:06:19,960 --> 00:06:22,839 Speaker 4: think about, how are you going to have big enough issues, 101 00:06:23,279 --> 00:06:25,600 Speaker 4: How are you going to recruit good enough people, How 102 00:06:25,600 --> 00:06:28,479 Speaker 4: are you going to run a national campaign where people 103 00:06:28,520 --> 00:06:30,760 Speaker 4: get up in the morning and say yes, I want 104 00:06:30,839 --> 00:06:34,800 Speaker 4: them to win. So this twenty fifth anniversary, I think 105 00:06:35,279 --> 00:06:38,320 Speaker 4: is a very useful moment before we get into the 106 00:06:38,360 --> 00:06:43,039 Speaker 4: actual twenty twenty campaign, to think about how politics works 107 00:06:43,040 --> 00:06:47,320 Speaker 4: in America, how government works in America. We picked up 108 00:06:47,360 --> 00:06:50,760 Speaker 4: fifty three seats that year. Nobody expected that. It was 109 00:06:50,760 --> 00:06:54,719 Speaker 4: a remarkable breakthrough. The Democratic Speaker of the House, Tom 110 00:06:54,760 --> 00:06:58,560 Speaker 4: Fowley lost. The Democratic Chairman of the Ways and Means Committee, 111 00:06:58,640 --> 00:07:02,279 Speaker 4: Dan Rostenkowski, who was in a very Democratic district in 112 00:07:02,360 --> 00:07:06,080 Speaker 4: downtown Chicago. Nobody thought he was in trouble. He lost 113 00:07:06,760 --> 00:07:09,720 Speaker 4: again and again. We were able to reach out and 114 00:07:09,800 --> 00:07:12,440 Speaker 4: we ran an all except three districts. Out of four 115 00:07:12,520 --> 00:07:16,640 Speaker 4: hundred and thirty five districts in nineteen ninety four, four 116 00:07:16,760 --> 00:07:20,560 Speaker 4: hundred and thirty two of them had Republican candidates. So 117 00:07:20,600 --> 00:07:23,640 Speaker 4: we were the most competitive we'd ever been in modern times, 118 00:07:24,320 --> 00:07:27,720 Speaker 4: and I think that took a real commitment. Now, the 119 00:07:27,760 --> 00:07:30,720 Speaker 4: Capitol Steps event was the second time we'd done that. 120 00:07:31,360 --> 00:07:34,679 Speaker 4: We actually did the first one back in nineteen eighty. 121 00:07:34,720 --> 00:07:37,600 Speaker 4: It was a remarkable moment. I had been approached by 122 00:07:37,640 --> 00:07:41,400 Speaker 4: Republican National Committee Chairman Bill Brock with the idea that 123 00:07:41,920 --> 00:07:43,880 Speaker 4: maybe we could get all of our House and Senate 124 00:07:43,920 --> 00:07:48,760 Speaker 4: candidates to stand on the steps with Governor Reagan and 125 00:07:48,800 --> 00:07:52,440 Speaker 4: with George H. W. Bush as vice presidential nominee, and 126 00:07:52,600 --> 00:07:55,000 Speaker 4: pledged that we would do a set of things. I 127 00:07:55,080 --> 00:07:56,800 Speaker 4: really wanted to do it because I knew that my 128 00:07:56,880 --> 00:07:59,880 Speaker 4: good friend Mac Maddingly, who was running for the Senate 129 00:08:00,280 --> 00:08:03,040 Speaker 4: in Georgia, was going to come very close to beating 130 00:08:03,680 --> 00:08:06,440 Speaker 4: incumbent Senator Herman Talmodch who had a big scandal and 131 00:08:06,480 --> 00:08:09,400 Speaker 4: who'd had a very strong Democratic opponent in the primary, 132 00:08:09,760 --> 00:08:12,720 Speaker 4: but that probably Mac couldn't quite get the last two 133 00:08:12,800 --> 00:08:15,480 Speaker 4: or three or four percent, and he needed some boost 134 00:08:15,520 --> 00:08:18,640 Speaker 4: from Reagan to get over the top. And so we 135 00:08:18,760 --> 00:08:21,920 Speaker 4: put together an event, and in the fall of nineteen eighty, 136 00:08:21,960 --> 00:08:25,040 Speaker 4: for the first time ever, we had a chance to 137 00:08:25,080 --> 00:08:28,400 Speaker 4: bring all the Republican candidates together to commit to a 138 00:08:28,480 --> 00:08:31,960 Speaker 4: series of specific, big ideas, all of them based on 139 00:08:32,040 --> 00:08:36,880 Speaker 4: the Reagan campaign. And the result was we picked up 140 00:08:36,920 --> 00:08:40,760 Speaker 4: twelve US Senate seats, one controlled the Senate when nobody 141 00:08:40,760 --> 00:08:43,200 Speaker 4: thought we would. Six of those twelve we won by 142 00:08:43,240 --> 00:08:45,880 Speaker 4: a combined total of seventy five thousand votes. So you 143 00:08:45,960 --> 00:08:49,120 Speaker 4: can see that that Capitol Steps event really made a 144 00:08:49,120 --> 00:08:52,640 Speaker 4: big difference now in that setting. As we came up 145 00:08:53,040 --> 00:08:56,000 Speaker 4: through the years, and when we got to nineteen ninety four, 146 00:08:56,040 --> 00:08:58,120 Speaker 4: we said, well, let's learn some lessons from that, and 147 00:08:58,200 --> 00:09:01,079 Speaker 4: let me be clear. What we did was standing on 148 00:09:01,160 --> 00:09:05,679 Speaker 4: Ronald Reagan's shoulders. He'd campaigned on welfare reform since nineteen 149 00:09:05,760 --> 00:09:09,000 Speaker 4: sixty five running for governor. He was deeply committed to 150 00:09:09,040 --> 00:09:12,440 Speaker 4: a balanced budget. He believed in lower taxes. A lot 151 00:09:12,440 --> 00:09:16,080 Speaker 4: of the pieces of our concept grew out of Reagan 152 00:09:16,320 --> 00:09:19,240 Speaker 4: and his belief system, and that made it easier for 153 00:09:19,280 --> 00:09:23,040 Speaker 4: our members to rally together and decide that they wanted 154 00:09:23,080 --> 00:09:25,840 Speaker 4: to be part of this kind of a contract. Now. 155 00:09:26,320 --> 00:09:30,600 Speaker 4: We decided just instinctively that we wanted to do a contract. 156 00:09:30,880 --> 00:09:34,640 Speaker 4: The reason was people were used to candidates making promises. 157 00:09:35,280 --> 00:09:37,280 Speaker 4: We needed to have something different. We need to have 158 00:09:37,280 --> 00:09:40,400 Speaker 4: a flavor that said, look, we're really serious about this. 159 00:09:40,840 --> 00:09:43,560 Speaker 4: Because we wanted to convince a lot of people who 160 00:09:43,640 --> 00:09:46,320 Speaker 4: normally didn't vote in and off year that this was 161 00:09:46,360 --> 00:09:49,080 Speaker 4: worth their going out and voting for. So we called 162 00:09:49,080 --> 00:09:53,679 Speaker 4: it a contract. We really worked very hard to build publicity. 163 00:09:54,000 --> 00:09:56,839 Speaker 4: I come out of a school that believes that repetition 164 00:09:56,920 --> 00:10:01,480 Speaker 4: beats everything else. Partly I suspect because I represented Atlanta, 165 00:10:01,640 --> 00:10:04,080 Speaker 4: and the Coca Cola model was that you had to 166 00:10:04,120 --> 00:10:07,040 Speaker 4: hear the word Coca Cola seven times a week to 167 00:10:07,080 --> 00:10:10,640 Speaker 4: be reminded about a product which began in the eighteen seventies. 168 00:10:11,040 --> 00:10:14,120 Speaker 4: So I really understood the idea of a repetition, and 169 00:10:14,200 --> 00:10:18,520 Speaker 4: so we wanted all the way through. Starting in May June, 170 00:10:18,720 --> 00:10:20,880 Speaker 4: began talking about the idea of a contract, talking about 171 00:10:20,880 --> 00:10:23,280 Speaker 4: the ideas to go into it. We developed it. We 172 00:10:23,360 --> 00:10:26,840 Speaker 4: got Helly Barber and the Republican National Committee to pay 173 00:10:26,880 --> 00:10:29,840 Speaker 4: for two full page ad and TV Guide, the most 174 00:10:29,840 --> 00:10:33,080 Speaker 4: expensive ad ever taken on behalf of the House Republicans. 175 00:10:33,720 --> 00:10:35,960 Speaker 5: Newt's big idea was we're going to put an ad 176 00:10:35,960 --> 00:10:39,280 Speaker 5: and TV Guide. The idea was we're going to put 177 00:10:39,440 --> 00:10:42,880 Speaker 5: an insert in there about contract with America, and the 178 00:10:42,960 --> 00:10:48,679 Speaker 5: message is if you elect Republicans to run the House Representatives, 179 00:10:48,679 --> 00:10:51,920 Speaker 5: if we win the House Representatives, this is what we 180 00:10:52,000 --> 00:10:52,960 Speaker 5: pledge we'll do. 181 00:10:54,040 --> 00:10:56,160 Speaker 4: Now it's a sign of how the world has changed. 182 00:10:56,200 --> 00:10:59,959 Speaker 4: But back then TV Guide was the biggest magazine in America. 183 00:11:00,640 --> 00:11:03,280 Speaker 4: Nobody in the House Republican Party, after forty years in 184 00:11:03,280 --> 00:11:06,920 Speaker 4: the minority, thought it was possible to get that kind 185 00:11:06,920 --> 00:11:11,480 Speaker 4: of attention, and so Haley Barber gave us a commitment 186 00:11:11,520 --> 00:11:15,040 Speaker 4: that really worked, and as a result, our members did 187 00:11:15,040 --> 00:11:17,840 Speaker 4: a sense of excitement. Now it also meant they had 188 00:11:17,880 --> 00:11:20,280 Speaker 4: to be for the contract. So one of the interesting 189 00:11:20,520 --> 00:11:24,040 Speaker 4: processes that we went through was convincing the members, look, 190 00:11:24,160 --> 00:11:26,160 Speaker 4: we're all going to go out here on the Capitol steps. 191 00:11:26,600 --> 00:11:29,360 Speaker 4: We're all going to sign the contract. And we had 192 00:11:29,360 --> 00:11:31,840 Speaker 4: a handful of members who didn't want to, but all 193 00:11:31,880 --> 00:11:34,760 Speaker 4: but three of them did sign it, and as a result, 194 00:11:35,040 --> 00:11:37,280 Speaker 4: you had a huge momentum of positive thought. 195 00:11:37,760 --> 00:11:41,199 Speaker 6: Today on these steps, we are for this contract as 196 00:11:41,280 --> 00:11:45,840 Speaker 6: a first step towards renewing American civilization. I'm going to 197 00:11:45,880 --> 00:11:48,560 Speaker 6: sign the contract now, as the last member to do so. 198 00:11:49,000 --> 00:11:50,600 Speaker 6: On behalf of the Republican Conference. 199 00:11:55,600 --> 00:11:58,920 Speaker 4: We had an actually pretty good rule of thumb for 200 00:11:59,000 --> 00:12:02,679 Speaker 4: what made an issue part of the contract. Member you 201 00:12:02,840 --> 00:12:06,120 Speaker 4: depicked tons of things, and I had two sets of rules. 202 00:12:06,840 --> 00:12:09,800 Speaker 4: The first one was not to put anything in which 203 00:12:09,840 --> 00:12:12,520 Speaker 4: would allow the Mayor Times in the Washington Post to 204 00:12:12,600 --> 00:12:16,080 Speaker 4: attack us as extremists. I personally believed in school prayer, 205 00:12:16,120 --> 00:12:19,480 Speaker 4: I personally very strongly committed on issues of life, but 206 00:12:19,559 --> 00:12:21,960 Speaker 4: I knew if we put those two in, the entire 207 00:12:22,000 --> 00:12:24,800 Speaker 4: thing would be distorted and our liberal news media would 208 00:12:24,800 --> 00:12:27,480 Speaker 4: attack us for putting together a right wing document, So 209 00:12:27,520 --> 00:12:32,120 Speaker 4: we avoided giving our opponents in the media an easy target. 210 00:12:32,920 --> 00:12:36,080 Speaker 4: The second thing we did is we had a ground rule. 211 00:12:36,679 --> 00:12:39,800 Speaker 4: Everything had to be at least seventy and preferably eighty 212 00:12:39,800 --> 00:12:45,040 Speaker 4: percent approval. We knew, for example, that there was overwhelming 213 00:12:45,080 --> 00:12:47,920 Speaker 4: support for welfare reform. The people believe in the work ethic, 214 00:12:48,280 --> 00:12:51,000 Speaker 4: they were tired of paying people to be dependent, and 215 00:12:51,160 --> 00:12:53,520 Speaker 4: so we were able to go out and we were 216 00:12:53,559 --> 00:12:57,320 Speaker 4: able to put together a welfare reform plank. And why 217 00:12:57,360 --> 00:12:59,840 Speaker 4: did that matter? Well, it mattered because if you're going 218 00:12:59,880 --> 00:13:01,800 Speaker 4: to run as a party which has not been in 219 00:13:01,840 --> 00:13:04,080 Speaker 4: power for forty years, if you're going to run one 220 00:13:04,160 --> 00:13:06,439 Speaker 4: hundred or one hundred and fifty candidates who've really never 221 00:13:06,480 --> 00:13:09,920 Speaker 4: been candidates before, you've got to give them things to 222 00:13:09,960 --> 00:13:13,679 Speaker 4: talk about. They give them a huge advantage. The Republicans 223 00:13:13,920 --> 00:13:17,679 Speaker 4: had to have talking points. We wanted our candidates mutually 224 00:13:17,720 --> 00:13:21,320 Speaker 4: reinforcing each other. So if you were out driving and 225 00:13:21,360 --> 00:13:25,320 Speaker 4: you happened to drive through Boise, Idaho, and you heard 226 00:13:25,360 --> 00:13:28,800 Speaker 4: one of our candidates on local drivetime radio. We wanted 227 00:13:28,840 --> 00:13:31,959 Speaker 4: their message to reinforce what you're going to hear later 228 00:13:32,000 --> 00:13:35,480 Speaker 4: on that day if you drove through Spokane, Washington. Plus, 229 00:13:35,520 --> 00:13:38,040 Speaker 4: we thought that the points we had come up with 230 00:13:38,080 --> 00:13:41,680 Speaker 4: in the contract were just more powerful than people would 231 00:13:41,720 --> 00:13:44,400 Speaker 4: find randomly on their own. So this was a very 232 00:13:44,440 --> 00:13:48,800 Speaker 4: serious and very concerted effort. So we wanted our candidates 233 00:13:49,080 --> 00:13:51,679 Speaker 4: to be able to go on drivetime radio back home 234 00:13:52,200 --> 00:13:55,960 Speaker 4: and have the interviewer say, so, how do you feel 235 00:13:56,000 --> 00:13:58,640 Speaker 4: about welfare reform? Oh, I'm really for a welfare reform. 236 00:13:58,679 --> 00:14:00,679 Speaker 4: I believe in work. How do you feel about a 237 00:14:00,679 --> 00:14:03,440 Speaker 4: balanced budget? I'm committed to a balance budget. When you 238 00:14:03,480 --> 00:14:05,559 Speaker 4: did three or four or five of those in a row, 239 00:14:06,080 --> 00:14:08,800 Speaker 4: that person driving to work listening to you is going well, 240 00:14:08,920 --> 00:14:12,000 Speaker 4: I agree with that one, and I agree with that one, 241 00:14:12,679 --> 00:14:15,800 Speaker 4: and I agree with that one, and all of a sudden, gone, gee, 242 00:14:15,840 --> 00:14:18,560 Speaker 4: you know, this candidate's pretty good. And that was a 243 00:14:18,800 --> 00:14:21,880 Speaker 4: big part of our underlying effort to put all of 244 00:14:21,920 --> 00:14:26,800 Speaker 4: this together. When we come back, we'll revisit election night 245 00:14:26,960 --> 00:14:52,880 Speaker 4: in November nineteen ninety four, when the Republicans took the majority. Now, 246 00:14:53,520 --> 00:14:56,960 Speaker 4: election night was amazing because I knew him in local 247 00:14:57,000 --> 00:15:01,480 Speaker 4: talk radio. My good friend Sean Hannity agreed to be 248 00:15:01,600 --> 00:15:05,880 Speaker 4: the host for the election night in Georgia. The results 249 00:15:05,920 --> 00:15:08,680 Speaker 4: started to come in. We'd already been told on September 250 00:15:08,760 --> 00:15:11,560 Speaker 4: seventeenth that we were going to pick up fifty three 251 00:15:11,600 --> 00:15:15,160 Speaker 4: seats by Joe Gaylord, who really knew the country so well. 252 00:15:15,160 --> 00:15:18,280 Speaker 4: It was astonishing the fact that we had really followed 253 00:15:18,320 --> 00:15:20,240 Speaker 4: and tracked and had a pretty good sense of what 254 00:15:20,320 --> 00:15:23,800 Speaker 4: was going to happen. And on election night, as the 255 00:15:23,840 --> 00:15:26,600 Speaker 4: return started to come in, as we started to pick 256 00:15:26,680 --> 00:15:29,800 Speaker 4: up seats that nobody thought we could win, began to realize, 257 00:15:29,840 --> 00:15:33,520 Speaker 4: you know, this is going to come together. It was remarkable. 258 00:15:33,520 --> 00:15:36,920 Speaker 4: My two daughters, Jackie Cushman and Kathy Lebbers, were there. 259 00:15:37,000 --> 00:15:39,360 Speaker 4: They knew they were part of history. Many of our 260 00:15:39,400 --> 00:15:42,840 Speaker 4: friends who'd been major supporters Gay Gains, for example, who 261 00:15:42,840 --> 00:15:45,720 Speaker 4: had run go Pack and helped us grow the Modern Party, 262 00:15:46,120 --> 00:15:49,160 Speaker 4: Bou Callaway, who had run go Pack before Gay, they 263 00:15:49,160 --> 00:15:52,840 Speaker 4: were all there. All of my local supporters from Cobb 264 00:15:52,880 --> 00:15:56,240 Speaker 4: County and from around Georgia were there, People like Steve 265 00:15:56,320 --> 00:15:58,400 Speaker 4: Hanser and Mel Steely, who I taught with at West 266 00:15:58,400 --> 00:16:02,520 Speaker 4: Georgia College. It was a remarkable, remarkable evening. I think 267 00:16:02,560 --> 00:16:06,600 Speaker 4: that we were a little overwhelmed as the evening went on, 268 00:16:07,240 --> 00:16:10,560 Speaker 4: just by people calling for all over the country talking 269 00:16:10,600 --> 00:16:13,720 Speaker 4: with us and beginning to recognize that we actually were 270 00:16:13,760 --> 00:16:16,240 Speaker 4: going to have to organize the House and actually going 271 00:16:16,320 --> 00:16:18,920 Speaker 4: to have to do things. We've not been in a 272 00:16:18,960 --> 00:16:24,080 Speaker 4: majority for forty years. If you were under fifty eight 273 00:16:24,160 --> 00:16:27,760 Speaker 4: years of age, you'd never voted in an election that 274 00:16:27,840 --> 00:16:31,480 Speaker 4: had a Republican House majority. And if you were a hardcore, 275 00:16:31,600 --> 00:16:35,560 Speaker 4: solid Republican supporter, you were just giddy. 276 00:16:36,240 --> 00:16:51,160 Speaker 7: We're weddy, We're wedding, We're ready. Let me say first 277 00:16:51,160 --> 00:16:51,840 Speaker 7: of all. 278 00:16:53,200 --> 00:16:57,920 Speaker 6: That Halle Barber, who will go down in history I 279 00:16:57,960 --> 00:17:02,320 Speaker 6: think is one of the great National chairman of all time, 280 00:17:03,760 --> 00:17:08,280 Speaker 6: didn't tell you the whole story. This ad was in 281 00:17:08,400 --> 00:17:13,880 Speaker 6: TV Guide because Halle Barber and the Republican National Committee 282 00:17:14,480 --> 00:17:17,680 Speaker 6: paid I think it was two hundred and eighty thousand 283 00:17:17,720 --> 00:17:21,560 Speaker 6: dollars to put this in there. And when he said 284 00:17:21,720 --> 00:17:27,239 Speaker 6: if the House Republicans are willing to commit to real change, 285 00:17:27,640 --> 00:17:30,040 Speaker 6: I'll pay for the ad, an awful lot of folks 286 00:17:30,080 --> 00:17:34,199 Speaker 6: thought he had lost his mind. Most of them have 287 00:17:34,320 --> 00:17:36,680 Speaker 6: since told him, I'm glad they were that they thought 288 00:17:36,680 --> 00:17:42,480 Speaker 6: it up, but we would not be here as a 289 00:17:42,520 --> 00:17:51,600 Speaker 6: majority without Halle Barber and the Republican National Committee. 290 00:17:52,600 --> 00:17:54,080 Speaker 7: Peter Jenning, Good evening. 291 00:17:54,080 --> 00:17:57,080 Speaker 2: We begin tonight with the most straightforward reaction we've heard 292 00:17:57,119 --> 00:18:00,199 Speaker 2: all day for the results of yesterday's midterm election. The 293 00:18:00,200 --> 00:18:04,040 Speaker 2: Democratic Chairman David Wilhelms had simply, we got our butts kicked, 294 00:18:04,640 --> 00:18:07,640 Speaker 2: and you can see how badly by this. In every 295 00:18:07,760 --> 00:18:10,360 Speaker 2: race for the Senate, the House, and for governor yesterday, 296 00:18:10,720 --> 00:18:14,920 Speaker 2: not one incumbent Republican lost. Republicans are now the majority party, 297 00:18:14,960 --> 00:18:17,480 Speaker 2: both in the Congress and in the governor's mansions across 298 00:18:17,520 --> 00:18:20,680 Speaker 2: the nation. The only power base the Democrats still have 299 00:18:20,880 --> 00:18:23,280 Speaker 2: is the one that was not at stake yesterday, the 300 00:18:23,320 --> 00:18:24,520 Speaker 2: presidency itself. 301 00:18:24,680 --> 00:18:28,160 Speaker 4: After forty years of Democratic control of the House, Americans 302 00:18:28,160 --> 00:18:31,480 Speaker 4: grew wary of candidates saying one thing and doing another. 303 00:18:31,880 --> 00:18:35,040 Speaker 4: I had the opportunity to lead a team of Conservatives 304 00:18:35,160 --> 00:18:37,959 Speaker 4: hungry for the opportunity to take over the party and 305 00:18:38,040 --> 00:18:40,800 Speaker 4: the House and try a new way of governing. We 306 00:18:40,840 --> 00:18:43,200 Speaker 4: embarked on a listening tour to learn what was most 307 00:18:43,200 --> 00:18:46,960 Speaker 4: important in people's lives and from that create an agenda 308 00:18:46,960 --> 00:18:51,560 Speaker 4: worth voting for We promised Americans that if they voted Republican, 309 00:18:51,840 --> 00:18:56,000 Speaker 4: we would fight for ten important planks, each representing bills 310 00:18:56,119 --> 00:18:57,800 Speaker 4: we would bring to the floor in the first one 311 00:18:57,880 --> 00:19:02,040 Speaker 4: hundred days of office. And we neated the Contract with America. 312 00:19:02,840 --> 00:19:06,800 Speaker 4: Because a campaign promises one thing, a contract is something 313 00:19:07,000 --> 00:19:09,920 Speaker 4: very different. We even added a scorecard on the planks 314 00:19:09,960 --> 00:19:13,080 Speaker 4: inside TV gun and if we didn't bring these bills 315 00:19:13,119 --> 00:19:15,840 Speaker 4: to the floor in the first hundred days, the American 316 00:19:15,920 --> 00:19:23,120 Speaker 4: people could kick us out. The importance of the first 317 00:19:23,240 --> 00:19:24,800 Speaker 4: hundred days was first of all, that it was a 318 00:19:24,800 --> 00:19:28,600 Speaker 4: model that President Franklin, Down and Roosevelt had used to 319 00:19:28,640 --> 00:19:32,480 Speaker 4: maximize getting things through back in nineteen thirty three. Second, 320 00:19:33,080 --> 00:19:37,360 Speaker 4: we wanted a deadline to force ourselves to work. Ironically, 321 00:19:37,400 --> 00:19:40,640 Speaker 4: the person who's written best about this is Senate Minority 322 00:19:40,680 --> 00:19:43,080 Speaker 4: Leader Chuck Schumer, who wrote a book back in two 323 00:19:43,119 --> 00:19:46,480 Speaker 4: thousand and seven. It was Schumer's view that the real 324 00:19:46,560 --> 00:19:50,199 Speaker 4: purpose of the Contract with America was to radicalize the 325 00:19:50,240 --> 00:19:53,639 Speaker 4: House Republican Party, that it was a management document, and 326 00:19:53,680 --> 00:19:56,240 Speaker 4: that was exactly right. I knew that it would be 327 00:19:56,280 --> 00:19:59,520 Speaker 4: powerful for us in terms of the election, but more importantly, 328 00:20:00,119 --> 00:20:02,840 Speaker 4: I didn't want to create a majority and have them 329 00:20:02,880 --> 00:20:06,120 Speaker 4: promptly run over to Georgetown, start going to lobby ast 330 00:20:06,160 --> 00:20:09,919 Speaker 4: cocktail parties, and become normal. I wanted them to consciously 331 00:20:09,960 --> 00:20:13,919 Speaker 4: be different, to be reform oriented, to be militant. And 332 00:20:13,960 --> 00:20:17,240 Speaker 4: that lasted about three years. We couldn't sustain it forever, 333 00:20:17,560 --> 00:20:20,479 Speaker 4: but for about three years we were very, very different, 334 00:20:20,800 --> 00:20:23,520 Speaker 4: and very much in the tradition of Henry Clay and 335 00:20:23,560 --> 00:20:31,639 Speaker 4: the Warhawks back in eighteen ten, we said, in the 336 00:20:31,760 --> 00:20:34,800 Speaker 4: first hundred days, we're going to vote in every one 337 00:20:34,800 --> 00:20:36,399 Speaker 4: of these. Now, I want to make a point about this. 338 00:20:36,760 --> 00:20:38,520 Speaker 4: I think it's very important to understand that we did 339 00:20:38,560 --> 00:20:43,359 Speaker 4: this very carefully. We promised what we could do. We 340 00:20:43,400 --> 00:20:47,040 Speaker 4: didn't promise what we couldn't do. We didn't promise we'd 341 00:20:47,080 --> 00:20:49,159 Speaker 4: pass everything because we knew we didn't have the votes. 342 00:20:49,880 --> 00:20:53,119 Speaker 4: But as the speaker, I could schedule everything. So we 343 00:20:53,160 --> 00:20:56,440 Speaker 4: said we will have a vote on everything in the 344 00:20:56,480 --> 00:20:59,400 Speaker 4: first hundred days, and we did. And on the House side, 345 00:20:59,440 --> 00:21:03,680 Speaker 4: we passed everything except the term limits, which did not 346 00:21:03,760 --> 00:21:07,359 Speaker 4: get a constitutional majority, but we passed a constitutional amendment 347 00:21:07,400 --> 00:21:11,360 Speaker 4: for balance budget. We passed every major bill. Now, imagine 348 00:21:11,480 --> 00:21:14,520 Speaker 4: when we sat down after election and we took stock. 349 00:21:15,359 --> 00:21:19,639 Speaker 4: We realized that the only Republican who had served in 350 00:21:19,720 --> 00:21:26,159 Speaker 4: a Republican House majority was Congressman Bill Emerson of Missouri, 351 00:21:26,600 --> 00:21:31,040 Speaker 4: who was a page in nineteen fifty four. There was 352 00:21:31,040 --> 00:21:34,320 Speaker 4: not a single congressman on the Republican side who had 353 00:21:34,320 --> 00:21:36,840 Speaker 4: served in a Republican majority. There were several Democrats who 354 00:21:36,840 --> 00:21:40,960 Speaker 4: had switched and become Republican, they'd served in Democrat majorities. 355 00:21:41,400 --> 00:21:43,560 Speaker 4: But it was remarkable. So give an entire team here. 356 00:21:43,560 --> 00:21:45,960 Speaker 4: And this is where Bob Walker was so important, because 357 00:21:46,040 --> 00:21:49,800 Speaker 4: Walker is a great parliamentary leader, understands the rules of 358 00:21:49,800 --> 00:21:53,800 Speaker 4: the House, and he literally spent December training our members. 359 00:21:54,280 --> 00:21:55,840 Speaker 4: We didn't have people who were used to being in 360 00:21:55,840 --> 00:21:58,760 Speaker 4: the chair, So how do you preside over the house? 361 00:21:59,040 --> 00:22:01,600 Speaker 4: How do you use the game? What are the procedures 362 00:22:01,640 --> 00:22:04,359 Speaker 4: you're following. So we went through all of that and 363 00:22:04,480 --> 00:22:07,720 Speaker 4: on the opening day we probably went a little bit overboard, 364 00:22:07,760 --> 00:22:10,680 Speaker 4: I'll be honest. We met to like two or three 365 00:22:10,760 --> 00:22:13,760 Speaker 4: in the morning. We did so much. I think we'd 366 00:22:13,840 --> 00:22:16,160 Speaker 4: been a little wiser, we might have spread that out 367 00:22:16,200 --> 00:22:20,000 Speaker 4: over three days. We were so excited, we felt like 368 00:22:20,040 --> 00:22:21,159 Speaker 4: we were making history. 369 00:22:22,080 --> 00:22:27,200 Speaker 8: So with partnership, but with purpose, I passed this great 370 00:22:27,320 --> 00:22:34,160 Speaker 8: gavel of our government, with resignation, but with resolve, I hereby, 371 00:22:34,280 --> 00:22:40,240 Speaker 8: in forty years of democratic rule of this House, I 372 00:22:40,359 --> 00:22:44,920 Speaker 8: now have the high honor and distinct privilege to present 373 00:22:45,000 --> 00:22:48,400 Speaker 8: to the House of Representatives our new Speaker, the gentleman 374 00:22:48,440 --> 00:22:50,080 Speaker 8: from Georgia, Newt Gingrich. 375 00:22:55,160 --> 00:22:57,919 Speaker 4: The second day we were there, we put the Thomas 376 00:22:58,000 --> 00:23:01,159 Speaker 4: system online at the Library of Congress, so any American 377 00:23:01,440 --> 00:23:04,840 Speaker 4: anywhere in the country, at no cost, with no lobby, 378 00:23:05,200 --> 00:23:08,159 Speaker 4: could go online, for example, and see bills in One 379 00:23:08,160 --> 00:23:11,000 Speaker 4: of my proudest moments was when Bill Archer, the Chairman 380 00:23:11,040 --> 00:23:13,560 Speaker 4: of Ways and Means, got up and announced that he 381 00:23:13,640 --> 00:23:17,439 Speaker 4: had introduced the tax cut and that they read the 382 00:23:17,800 --> 00:23:19,960 Speaker 4: URL for to go and look up the tax cut 383 00:23:20,040 --> 00:23:24,040 Speaker 4: on the new Congressional Internet. And I was so proud 384 00:23:24,040 --> 00:23:27,800 Speaker 4: of that breakthrough because it meant that every American had 385 00:23:27,800 --> 00:23:31,320 Speaker 4: a chance to learn about their Congress on their terms 386 00:23:31,640 --> 00:23:35,359 Speaker 4: without having to pay anybody. So we really worked at it. 387 00:23:35,800 --> 00:23:37,600 Speaker 4: We went first of all in terms of this sheer 388 00:23:37,640 --> 00:23:40,560 Speaker 4: power and the change of how the system worked. We 389 00:23:40,600 --> 00:23:46,439 Speaker 4: went for forty years with no Republican being Speaker of 390 00:23:46,440 --> 00:23:51,680 Speaker 4: the House, no Republican majority. In ninety four we took control. 391 00:23:52,080 --> 00:23:55,359 Speaker 4: We kept it for twelve years until two thousand and six. 392 00:23:56,000 --> 00:23:59,760 Speaker 4: Then in twenty ten, with John Bayner's really remarkable leadership, 393 00:24:00,280 --> 00:24:02,920 Speaker 4: we took it back again and we kept it until 394 00:24:03,000 --> 00:24:06,480 Speaker 4: last year. So suddenly you went from a period where 395 00:24:06,520 --> 00:24:10,359 Speaker 4: they had controlled the House for forty years to a 396 00:24:10,400 --> 00:24:14,000 Speaker 4: period where for twenty out of the last twenty four years, 397 00:24:14,119 --> 00:24:18,520 Speaker 4: we have controlled the House. Now that's a real shift 398 00:24:18,560 --> 00:24:22,080 Speaker 4: in power, so real shift in whose moving ideas, whose 399 00:24:22,119 --> 00:24:25,880 Speaker 4: moving legislation, what's happening. Some of it was remarkably important. 400 00:24:25,880 --> 00:24:29,320 Speaker 4: I'll just give you one example. Welfare reform, which was 401 00:24:29,400 --> 00:24:32,400 Speaker 4: far and away the most important single domestic bill we passed, 402 00:24:32,960 --> 00:24:37,520 Speaker 4: changed the whole face of welfare. Before our Welfare reform bill, 403 00:24:37,920 --> 00:24:41,000 Speaker 4: every welfare office in the country train people and how 404 00:24:41,000 --> 00:24:44,280 Speaker 4: to be dependent, how to maximize getting money from the government, 405 00:24:44,600 --> 00:24:48,840 Speaker 4: how to avoid work. After we passed welfare reform, they 406 00:24:48,880 --> 00:24:52,480 Speaker 4: became employment offices. They started training people, they started helping 407 00:24:52,480 --> 00:24:56,119 Speaker 4: people find jobs. The miraculous result was that in the 408 00:24:56,160 --> 00:24:59,600 Speaker 4: first couple years, we had the largest decline in the 409 00:24:59,680 --> 00:25:03,479 Speaker 4: number of children in poverty in American history because their 410 00:25:03,520 --> 00:25:07,080 Speaker 4: parents went to work. God salaries began to rise. Life 411 00:25:07,080 --> 00:25:09,480 Speaker 4: got better, and so I look at things like that 412 00:25:09,560 --> 00:25:12,399 Speaker 4: and I think, you know, the Contract did make a 413 00:25:12,400 --> 00:25:16,240 Speaker 4: big difference. It was a remarkable moment. I'm very proud 414 00:25:16,280 --> 00:25:19,879 Speaker 4: to have been part of it. It is possible to 415 00:25:20,040 --> 00:25:25,320 Speaker 4: have an idea oriented campaign to offer big reforms, to 416 00:25:25,480 --> 00:25:28,280 Speaker 4: rally the American people and to move the country in 417 00:25:28,320 --> 00:25:32,080 Speaker 4: the right direction. And remembering the twenty fifth Anniversity of Contract, 418 00:25:32,160 --> 00:25:37,400 Speaker 4: I think is really an important thing to do. Next 419 00:25:37,720 --> 00:25:40,880 Speaker 4: we'll talk about the legacy of the Contract and why 420 00:25:40,920 --> 00:25:57,879 Speaker 4: it's still important today. 421 00:25:59,119 --> 00:26:00,600 Speaker 7: This is a night to celebrate. 422 00:26:01,000 --> 00:26:04,080 Speaker 6: So I just want to share one, just one story 423 00:26:04,119 --> 00:26:08,600 Speaker 6: with you, because I thought it was so amazing. 424 00:26:10,880 --> 00:26:13,000 Speaker 7: We were on the House floor last night. 425 00:26:14,680 --> 00:26:18,000 Speaker 6: We were down to the last vote. 426 00:26:18,240 --> 00:26:20,800 Speaker 7: We had defeated the Democrats. 427 00:26:20,119 --> 00:26:25,200 Speaker 6: Substitute, and we had defeated the Democrats motion to recommit. 428 00:26:30,880 --> 00:26:35,960 Speaker 6: And I never ever before fully understand how much they 429 00:26:36,040 --> 00:26:41,560 Speaker 6: love bureaucrats and hate tax cuts. There we were on 430 00:26:41,640 --> 00:26:44,840 Speaker 6: the House floor, we were about to vote. I was 431 00:26:45,000 --> 00:26:47,240 Speaker 6: about to get my voting card out. I was excited. 432 00:26:47,520 --> 00:26:50,719 Speaker 6: It was the final big vote of the contract, and 433 00:26:50,800 --> 00:26:55,200 Speaker 6: suddenly a Democrat jumped up. Now we had been debating 434 00:26:55,240 --> 00:26:59,240 Speaker 6: all day and every Democrat had said, this is a 435 00:26:59,320 --> 00:27:02,440 Speaker 6: huge tax cut. We can't afford it. This is a one 436 00:27:02,480 --> 00:27:04,880 Speaker 6: hundred and eighty nine billion dollar tax cut. We can't 437 00:27:04,880 --> 00:27:08,400 Speaker 6: afford it. This takes money away from bureaucrats and gives 438 00:27:08,400 --> 00:27:09,120 Speaker 6: it to children. 439 00:27:09,440 --> 00:27:10,520 Speaker 7: We can't afford it. 440 00:27:12,640 --> 00:27:15,240 Speaker 6: This takes more money away from bureaucrats and gives us 441 00:27:15,240 --> 00:27:19,320 Speaker 6: to entrepreneurs. It takes even more money away from bureaucrats 442 00:27:19,359 --> 00:27:20,840 Speaker 6: and gives it to senior citizens. 443 00:27:21,040 --> 00:27:22,679 Speaker 7: This is a horrible tax cut. 444 00:27:24,359 --> 00:27:27,680 Speaker 6: And at the last second one of the Democrats jumped 445 00:27:27,760 --> 00:27:30,119 Speaker 6: up and said, I have a point of order. 446 00:27:30,400 --> 00:27:35,679 Speaker 7: This is a tax increase. Now. 447 00:27:36,760 --> 00:27:38,720 Speaker 6: I thought it was one of the weirdest moments in 448 00:27:38,760 --> 00:27:43,240 Speaker 6: the history of the House. And then I realized that 449 00:27:43,400 --> 00:27:47,719 Speaker 6: was a Democrat from northern Virginia who represented bureaucrats and 450 00:27:47,800 --> 00:27:51,360 Speaker 6: resented the tax cuts, and he just couldn't get it. 451 00:27:52,480 --> 00:27:56,920 Speaker 6: So I just want all of you to know this 452 00:27:57,760 --> 00:28:02,840 Speaker 6: was the beginning. You made it possible. With your health, 453 00:28:03,200 --> 00:28:06,600 Speaker 6: we passed it. And with your health we're coming back 454 00:28:06,640 --> 00:28:10,560 Speaker 6: in May to even bigger and even better and even 455 00:28:10,600 --> 00:28:11,920 Speaker 6: more exciting. 456 00:28:11,640 --> 00:28:12,360 Speaker 7: Even thankful. 457 00:28:19,119 --> 00:28:23,320 Speaker 4: The Republican Revolution of nineteen ninety four really happened. I 458 00:28:23,359 --> 00:28:27,200 Speaker 4: think for three very different reasons. First, there had been 459 00:28:27,240 --> 00:28:31,600 Speaker 4: a group of younger activists Republicans who had been working 460 00:28:31,640 --> 00:28:37,480 Speaker 4: now for sixteen years to create a majority, and they 461 00:28:37,560 --> 00:28:40,840 Speaker 4: knew they had to go all out in order to 462 00:28:40,840 --> 00:28:45,120 Speaker 4: become a majority. Second, we were still standing on Ronald 463 00:28:45,120 --> 00:28:48,480 Speaker 4: Reagan's shoulders, and we knew, or at least we believed 464 00:28:49,200 --> 00:28:53,160 Speaker 4: that the core of Reaganism, welfare reform, the work ethic, 465 00:28:53,600 --> 00:28:57,880 Speaker 4: lower taxes, more economic growth, those kind of ideas we 466 00:28:58,080 --> 00:29:03,040 Speaker 4: believe deeply still appealed to a massive majority of Americans. 467 00:29:03,560 --> 00:29:08,280 Speaker 4: And Third, after forty years in power as a monopoly, 468 00:29:08,800 --> 00:29:12,240 Speaker 4: the Democrats had finally just gotten tired, and so they 469 00:29:12,280 --> 00:29:14,640 Speaker 4: were sort of in a position to be knocked out 470 00:29:14,680 --> 00:29:17,880 Speaker 4: of power. We had a bunch of hungry, aggressive, eager 471 00:29:17,920 --> 00:29:21,479 Speaker 4: people really wanting to get into power, and Ronald Reagan 472 00:29:21,520 --> 00:29:25,080 Speaker 4: had given us a set of ideas powerful enough and 473 00:29:25,320 --> 00:29:34,000 Speaker 4: clear enough to in fact enable us to win a majority. 474 00:29:34,080 --> 00:29:38,280 Speaker 4: I think the Contract remains important because first, it's proof 475 00:29:38,360 --> 00:29:41,120 Speaker 4: that you can change history. It's proof that something can 476 00:29:41,240 --> 00:29:45,320 Speaker 4: happen that hadn't happened in forty years. Second, it's proof 477 00:29:45,480 --> 00:29:49,440 Speaker 4: that you can be for big, positive ideas and actually 478 00:29:49,520 --> 00:29:53,280 Speaker 4: run an ideal oriented campaign and have the country respond 479 00:29:53,320 --> 00:29:57,520 Speaker 4: by electing you. And Third, it's important because it's a 480 00:29:57,560 --> 00:30:00,800 Speaker 4: reminder that it takes a team to run a country 481 00:30:00,800 --> 00:30:04,040 Speaker 4: the size of America, and that when that team came together, 482 00:30:04,520 --> 00:30:14,920 Speaker 4: the American people responded, thank you for listening. You can 483 00:30:14,920 --> 00:30:18,240 Speaker 4: watch the Contract with America's Special streaming now in Fox Nation. 484 00:30:18,880 --> 00:30:22,280 Speaker 4: Newtsworld is produced by Gangwish three sixty and iHeartMedia. Our 485 00:30:22,320 --> 00:30:26,160 Speaker 4: executive producer is Guarnsey Sloan. Our researcher is Rachel Peterson. 486 00:30:26,560 --> 00:30:29,000 Speaker 4: The artwork for the show was created by Steve Penley. 487 00:30:29,520 --> 00:30:32,520 Speaker 4: Special thanks to the team at Ginger three sixty. If 488 00:30:32,520 --> 00:30:34,920 Speaker 4: you've been enjoying Nutsworld, I hope you'll go to Apple 489 00:30:34,960 --> 00:30:37,880 Speaker 4: Podcasts and both rate us with five stars and give 490 00:30:37,960 --> 00:30:40,640 Speaker 4: us a review so others can learn what it's all about. 491 00:30:41,320 --> 00:30:43,800 Speaker 4: Right now, listeners of Newtsworld can sign up for my 492 00:30:43,960 --> 00:30:49,320 Speaker 4: three free weekly columns at gingwidthree sixty dot com slash newsletter. 493 00:30:49,920 --> 00:31:01,800 Speaker 4: I'm newt Gingrich. This is Newtsworld.