"Restoring the Dream" goes far beyond its predecessor, "Contract With America." It talks in-depth about the accomplishments and minor failures of the then new Congress, and how the Clinton Administration will handle the bills passed by Congress. Each bill, representing the ten points outlined in "Contract With America," is followed with a detailed summary of why Congress believes the given bill is needed. Of some interest is, term limits, the Presidential line item veto, the Taking Back Our Streets Act, and the need for National Missile Defense. In an almost "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington"-esque style, Newt Gingrich went to Washington to take down the bad guys, bureaucrats. We all know their kind. Those who spend years upon years walking the corridors of the Capitol Building, out of touch with their voters and hometown, and seeing every event in a political sense. They are greedy, self-serving opportunists with no regard for the rest of America. The only solution to ridding Congress of these people is through term limits. "Restoring the Dream" talks of why Representatives should be limited to 4 terms in the House, and why Senators should be limited to 2 terms in the Senate. Interestingly enough, Congressional Republicans felt strongly about enacting a Presidential line item veto, even with a completely incompetent President, Bill Clinton. They knew it was in the best interest of the country and for the progress of democracy to quickly enact such legislation. They did. For those not acquainted with the concept of line item veto, it is when the President gives a warm reception to a bill passed by Congress, but finds one minor flaw and ends up having to veto the entire bill. With line item veto power, a President can veto certain mandates in a given bill, but still pass the bill in its modified form. This means more can get done for the people of America, and less partisan bickering on Capitol Hill. Urban areas have been deteriorating rapidly sense Lyndon B. Johnson's proclamation of his "Great Society" in the mid 1960s. Murders, drugs, gangs, and robberies have become all too common in America's largest cities. The Taking Back Our Streets Act addresses such concerns. Children must be taught at an early age that they are responsible for their behavior and punishments do follow for inappropriate or violent behavior. They need to grasp the American Dream and understand that they too, can contribute a great deal to society. Without such education, violence in our urban areas is inevitable. The Taking Back Our Streets Act stops crime in our cities dead in its tracks. Iraq, Iran, North Korea, and Sudan are just some nations attempting to obtain or already possessing nuclear missiles. The threat grows rapidly with each passing day, and the US currently has no system to protect its soil from a nuclear attack. National Missile Defense is a must for the modern and unpredictable world that we live in. The legislation mentioned in this book became the National Missile Defense Act of 1999, passed by both chambers of Congress, and signed into law by President Clinton.
