U.S. Senator (for a couple of more weeks) Bill Frist of Tennessee, Majority Leader (for the same remaining couple of weeks) has come out with a stirring defense of the Republican Congress since 1994. It is impressive (see below). It also is a tad late for the election campaign of 2006.

The Republican Congressional Index: A Dozen Years Of Success

From The Economy To Crime To Education, A Look At The Numbers Shows Great National Progress Since Republicans Assumed Control Of Congress In 1994

ECONOMIC GROWTH

Size Of U.S. Economy: Up 42.1%
Per Capita Personal Income: Up 59%
Federal Tax Liability, Married Couple, Two Kids, Average Income: Down 79.4%
Chapter 11 Bankruptcies: Down 47%

Gross domestic product, constant 2000$: $7,835.5 trillion (1994); $11,134.8 trill (2005)

GDP percent change based on real 2000$: 2.5% (1995); 3.5% (2005)

Per capita GDP, constant 2000$: $30,958 (1994); $38,392 (2004)

Number of employed in civilian labor force: 123,060,000 (1994); 139,252,000 (2004)

Per capita personal income, constant 2000$: $24,731 (1994); $30,524 (2004)

Unemployment rate: 5.6% (Nov. 1994); 4.4% (Oct. 2006)

Chapter 11 bankruptcies: 1,755 (1995); 935 (2004)

Homeownership rate: 64.0% (1994); 68.9% (2005)

U.S. foreign export in goods and services: $703.3 billion (1994); $1.272 trillion (2004)

Average net compensation (constant 2004$): $29,037 (1994); $34,198 (2004)

Interest rate, 30-year, fixed-rate conventional mortgage: 8.35% (1994); 5.58% (2006)

Jobs created since January, 1995: 19,548,000 (October, 2006)
# of countries with populations of less than 19.5 million: 148 (2005)

Number of days lost by labor work stoppages: 5,020,000 (1994); 3,344,000 (2004)

Patents issued to U.S. Residents: 64,400 (1995); 94,100 (2004)

Federal tax liability: married couple, two dependents, with adjusted gross income of $35,000: $2,768 (1995); $570 (2001)

Effective federal income tax rate: married couple, two dependents, with adjusted gross income of $35,000: 7.9% (1995); 1.6% (2001)

Net farm income: $46.7 billion (1994); $82.5 billion (2005)

CREATION OF WEALTH

Dow Jones Industrial Average: Up 322%
S&P 500 Index: Up 304%
NASDAQ: Up 318%

Dow Jones Industrial Average: 3,808.87 (11/08/94); 12,278.41 (12/7/06)

S&P 500 Index: 463.06 (11/8/94); 1,407.29 (12/7/06)

NASDAQ Composite Index: 762.31 (11/8/94); 2,427.69 (12/7/06)

Number of households owning mutual funds: 30.2 million (1994); 54 million (2005)

Percent of households owning mutual funds: 30.7% (1994); 47.5% (2005)

Total assets in the IRA market: $1.056 trillion (1994); $3.667 trillion (2005)

Assets in 401(k) plans: $675 billion (1994); $2.443 trillion (2005)

CRIME AND LAW ENFORCEMENT


Violent Crime: Down 34%
Murder Rate: Down 38%
Robberies: Down 40%
Aggravated Assaults: Down 32%
Property Crimes: Down 26%
Burglaries: Down 30%
Larceny Theft: Down 24%
Auto Theft: Down 30%


All crimes: 39,926,000 (1995); 24,312,000 (2003)
Number of crimes declined: 39.1%

Violent crime rate per 100,000: 714 (1994); 469 (2005)

Murder rate per 100,000: 9.0 (1994); 5.6 (2005)

Personal crimes (pickpockets, etc.): 10.4 million (1995); 5.6 million (2003)
Number of personal crimes declined: 46.47%

Personal crime rate, per 1,000 persons age 12 or older: 46.2 (1995); 23.3 (2003)
Personal crime rate declined: 49.6%

Violent crimes: 1,857,670 (1994); 1,390,695 (2005)
Number of violent crimes declined: 33.5%


EDUCATION

More Funding, More Graduates, Fewer Dropouts, More Technology In Classrooms

Total expenditures of educational institutions (constant 2003-2004$): $623,481 million (1994-95); $865,500 million (2003-04)

Total expenditures of elementary & secondary schools (constant 2003-2004$): $365,913 million (1994-95); $514,300 million (2003-04)

Percent of persons 25 or older completing high school or higher: 81.7% (1995); 85.2% (2004)
Percent of African-Americans 25 or older completing high school or higher: 73.8% (1995); 81.1% (2004)

Percent of persons 25 or older with bachelor's degree or higher: 23.0% (1995); 27.7% (2004)
Percent of African-Americans 25 or older with bachelor's degree or higher: 13.3% (1995); 17.7% (2004)

Expenditure per pupil in public elementary and secondary schools (constant 2003$): $6,706 (1995-96); $8,044 (2002-03)

Public elementary and secondary pupil/teacher ratio: 17.3 (1995); 15.5 (2005)

Public school dropout rate: 12.0% (1995); 9.9% (2003)
Public school dropout rate, Hispanic students: 30.0% (1995); 23.5% (2003)

Federal revenues for public elementary and secondary schools: $18.34 billion (1993-94); $33.14 billion (2001-02)
Increase in federal revenues for public schools: 80.7%

Federal revenues for public elementary and secondary schools per student: $422 (1993-94); $695 (2001-02)

Students reporting carrying a weapon on school property: 11.3 (1993); 6.1 (2003)

Percent of public school classrooms with Internet access: 8% (1995); 93% (2003)

Higher Average Test Scores, Lower Achievement Gaps:

Average NAEP math scores for students, age 9: 231 (1994); 241 (2004)
Average NAEP math scores for students, age 13: 274 (1994); 281 (2004)
Average NAEP math scores for African-American students, age 9: 212 (1994); 224 (2004)
Average NAEP math scores for Hispanic students, age 9: 210 (1994); 230 (2004)
Average NAEP math score gap between white students and Hispanic students, age 9: 27 (1994); 18 (2004)
Average NAEP reading scores for African-American students, age 9: 185 (1994); 200 (2004)
Average NAEP reading score gap between white students and African-American students, age 13: 33 (1994); 26 (2004)
Average NAEP reading scores for Hispanic students, age 9: 186 (1994); 205 (2004)

FAMILY ISSUES

Poverty Rate Down, Welfare Recipients Down, Abortions Down, Divorce Rate Down

Number of legal abortions: 1,267,000 (1994); 854,000 (2002)
Decline in number of legal abortions: 32.6%

Legal abortions per 1,000 women: 23.7 (1994); 20.8 (2002)

Divorce rate: 4.6 (1994); 3.7 (2004)
Decline in divorce rate, 1994-2004: 17.4%

Poverty rate: 14.5% (1994); 12.7% (2004)
Decline in poverty rate, 1994-2004: 12.4%

Percent of children (under 18) living in poverty: 21.8 (1994); 17.8 (2004)
Decline of children (under 18) living in poverty, 1994-2004: 18.4%

Use of alcohol in last month by eighth graders: 24.6% (1994); 18.6% (2004)
Decline of alcohol use by eighth graders, 1994-2004: 24.4%

Use of tobacco in last month by high school seniors: 33.5% (1994); 25.0% (2004)
Decline of smoking by high school seniors: 25.4%

Use of tobacco in last month by eighth graders: 19.1% (1994); 9.2% (2004)
Decline of smoking by eighth graders, 1994-2003: 51.8%

Recipients of AFDC/TANF payments: 14,160,920 (1994); 4,449,811 (2005)
Decline of welfare recipients, 1994-2005: 68.6%

HEALTH AND SCIENCE

Infant Mortality Down, AIDS Deaths Down, More Spending On Research & Development

Infant mortality rate (infant deaths per 1,000 live births): 8.0 (1994); 6.9 (2003)
Decline in infant mortality rate: 13.8%

Births to teenage mothers (per 1,000 live births): 58.2 (1994); 41.7 (2003)

AIDS deaths rate per 100,000 (age adjusted): 16.0 (1994); 4.7 (2003)

Death rate for all cancers per 100,000 people per year: 212 (1994); 194 (2002)

Death rate for breast cancer per 100,000 people per year: 31 (1994); 26 (2002)

Death rate for prostate cancer per 100,000 people per year: 38 (1994); 28 (2002)

U.S. research and development expenditures (constant 1996$): $176.2 billion (1994); $253.2 billion (2003)

National Institute of Health appropriations: $11 billion (1994); $28.5 billion (2005)
Increase in NIH appropriations: 260%

National Cancer Institute appropriations: $2.1 billion (1994); $4.8 billion (2005)
Increase in National Cancer Institute appropriations: 232.2%

Private pharmaceutical research & development spending: $13.4 billion (1994); $39.4 billion (2005)
Increase in pharmaceutical research & development spending: 294%

SIZE OF GOVERNMENT

Federal civilian employees: 2.993 million (1994); 2.701 million (Nov. 2005)

Number of legislative branch employees: 33,367 (1995); 30,493 (Nov. 2005)
Decline in number of legislative branch employees, 1995-2005: 8.6%