Republicans didn’t just win around the country Tuesday night —
Republicans made history. The American people gave President Bush
and the Republican Party a national mandate for progress, not
further obstruction.

If anyone disagrees that this election gave Republicans a
mandate, look at the facts: Never before has the president’s party
won back the Senate in a president’s first mid-term election; never
before has a Republican president and only twice before has any
president’s party gained seats in the House — in any mid-term
election.

With this mandate the Republican Party will be able to pass
legislation the American people have been seeking. Without Tom
Daschle’s partisan delay tactics, the Senate will be able to pass
the creation of a Department of Homeland Security. The Department
will allow for all security agencies to fall under one umbrella,
making it easier for the sharing of information.

This will also give the president the ability to shift resources
and suspend collective bargaining if we are in a national security
crisis. This is a right every president since John F. Kennedy has
had, but liberal Democrats like Hillary Clinton have been trying to
take this right away and hamstring not only this president but also
future presidents.

We will finally be able to see the permanent elimination of two
of the most ridiculous taxes.

For those of you who may be unaware of this, when you die, the
federal government charges you a high tax — for dying! This
affects Wisconsin residents in particular, because if you are a
farm owner and you die and want to pass on the family farm to your
family, this oftentimes cannot happen, because the land is so
valuable and therefore heavily taxed. Most farmers are rich with
land, not cash. Just the concept of having to pay a fee for dying
seems incredulous, as it is not really a tax you can avoid.

Another ridiculous tax is a marriage tax. That is correct; your
taxes are higher if you get married. Making marriage a hardship
with higher taxes is something Republicans and many good Democrats,
like Zell Miller, are against. We should be promoting strong
families, not putting up roadblocks that discourage them.

A third and critical need Republicans must address is the
filling of all the vacant judicial seats in the federal government.
The entire Senate should hold hearings and confirm fair,
well-qualified and reasonable federal-court judges that will uphold
the law and not legislate from the bench.

More than 9 percent of all federal judgeships in America are
vacant. This is creating a significant backlog of court cases and
unnecessary delays. President Bush has nominated 11 judges to go
before the Senate over a year ago; only three of them have been
brought to a vote in front of the entire Senate.

These judges still waiting include Texas Supreme Court Justice
Pricilla Owen, former Assistant to the Solicitor General Miguel
Estrada and Justice Dennis Shedd. All of these candidates have
received the highest ratings from the left-leaning American Bar
Association, yet Daschle did not allow any of these candidates to
go to the Senate floor for a vote. Fifteen other Court of Appeals
nominees have yet to receive hearings.

Republicans need to give all of the president’s nominated judges
a fair and expeditious hearing. Those that are qualified will be
confirmed. If any are unqualified, they will be denied, but at
least they will have been given a fair hearing and a vote in front
of the entire Senate.

The history-making Republican victory Tuesday evening gives the
Republican Party a chance to make a positive difference for the
American people. For the next two years Republicans will have the
opportunity to pass effective legislation that will benefit all
Americans, regardless of skin color, class or income. Every
American, from children to seniors, could use effective programs
and laws that will give them every possible opportunity to succeed.
Republicans will introduce and pass legislation that will hopefully
do this. They have two years; it is time for Republicans to prove
they can really walk the walk. I think they will.

Matt Modell ([email protected]) is a senior
majoring in journalism and political science. He is in Washington,
D.C., this semester for an internship.