1994-+Republican+Contract+for+America+g4


 * __ Republican "Contract for America" - 1994[[image:Republican_Logo.jpg width="187" height="144" align="right" caption="Republican Logo" link="http://afeatheradrift.files.wordpress.com/2009/02/republican_logo1.jpg"]] __**

Overview
The Contract with America was a document released by the United States Republican Party during the 1994 Congressiona election campaign. Written by Larry Hunter who was aided by Newt Gingrich, Robert Walker, Richard Armey, Bill Paxon, Tom DeLay, John Boehner and Jim Nussle, and used text from former President Ronald Reagan's 1985 State of the Union Address, 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. 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.

Central Issue
The Contract's 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, intending for the Contract to avoid promises on controversial and divisive matters like abortion and school prayer. 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.Most of the bills proposed to the senate died except for the following: The Fiscal Responsibility Act, The Taking back our streets Act, The Personal Responsibility Act, The National Security Restoration Act, The "Common Sense" Legal Reform Act, The Job Creation and Wage Enactment Act, and The Citizen Legislature Act. Other bills proposed included a Family Reinforcment Act and the Senior Citizens Fairness Act.

Conclusion
When the Republicans gained a majority of seats in the 104th Congress, the Contract was seen as a triumph for PartySome people say the Contract with America helped secure a victory for the Republicans in the 1994 elections; others say this role had noting to do with it due to its late introduction into the campaign. Whatever the role of the Contract, Republicans were elected to a majority of both houses of Congress for the first time since 1953, and several parts of the Contract were enacted.