END OF GRIDLOCK BRINGS MORE REASONS TO GUARD POCKETBOOKS

Lawmakers staggered out of Washington last week, finished with the first session of the 103rd Congress and with many crowing about putting a stake in the heart of gridlock. In assessing the work of Congress during the first 10 months of the Clinton administration, some Americans might be excused, to lift a line from commentator George Will, for wishing the good name of gridlock restored.

The legacy of this much-ballyhooed session should be that of one grand achievement, one malignant tax package, one dodged bullet and numerous missed opportunities, broken promises and empty gestures.

Ironically, it was the principal components of gridlock -- a president of one party and legislators of another camp -- that propelled the session's most significant success, passage of the North American Free Trade Agreement. It took a highly unified effort by Republicans in the U.S. House to save President Clinton from defeat on NAFTA after the congressional leaders of his own party abandoned the cause. With trade walls coming down as a result of NAFTA, this measure holds the greatest promise for long-range economic benefit to the nation, though the president and his partisans could not get together on it.

What President Clinton and the congressional majority agreed on, however, was the mammoth tax increase that involves the collection of revenues today (and in some cases yesterday, with retroactive taxation) for the vague pledge of deficit reduction in the future. Nothing could be done in Washington that would more completely repress economic growth. And while the "tax-the-rich" mantra was sounded repeatedly as lawmakers and the chief executive promoted this package, persons of all income levels suffer as a result of a throttled economy. Remember, not only the rich pay taxes at the gas pumps.

Americans must still hold their breath to see how Congress will respond to President Clinton's proposals on reforming the nation's health care system. Legislators did not take up the matter during this session, and its enormous price tag might have intimidated even the most unflappable of spenders of public dollars. While some reforms are due a system that sees too many people unable to pay for adequate health care, the radical movement toward socialized medicine in America must be guarded against.

When Congress had an opportunity to do good work, it acted haltingly but occasionally well. Relief came from Washington in the aftermath of the summer's devastating floods, but midwestern legislators have a chore on the order of pulling teeth to get funding that will rebuild some levees taken out by the high water. This maddening fight pits the likes of U.S. Rep. Bill Emerson and U.S. Sen. Christopher Bond against the environmental lobby and bureaucrats, formidable foes. On another matter, though, Congress was able to cool administration plans for ending the military's ban on open homosexuality, fretting over the matter but ultimately not yielding.

Some issues never go away. Gun control and campaign finance reform roll around to Congress in cycles and lawmakers pondered both this session. The so-called Brady bill, providing for a five-day waiting period for the purchase of handguns, was a politically popular, highly symbolic piece of legislation that will have little or no impact in curbing violent crime in this nation. Congress put off debate on remodeling campaign finance laws, though any action taken would ultimately (and probably immediately) go out of style since candidates and contributors looking for ways to bypass the regulations have usually found a way to do so. Congress also began the year with intentions of restructuring the way it does business, but, fittingly, lawmakers didn't get around to it.

The joke goes that America is never safer than when Congress is out of session. Evading such cynicism seems healthy, since we hold some hope that Congress, as an institution, remains capable of good, even noble, work. But the supposed end of gridlock brings Americans more reasons to be suspicious of this elected body ... and more reasons to guard their pocketbooks.