Senate Proceeding on Apr 29th, 2009 :: 7:22:55 to 7:42:55
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7:10:35 to 7:22:55( Edit History Discussion )
Speech By: John McCain

7:22:50 to 7:22:55( Edit History Discussion )

John McCain: as severe as this one if we experience the hyperinflation and the debasement of the currency that can only be the

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result of deficits as far as the eye can see. so, mr. president, i have great respect for the chairman of the budget committee and those who have worked hard on this issue. is is not american people will not pay a very heavy price for in the years to come. mr. president, i yield the floor.

7:23:18 to 7:23:38( Edit History Discussion )

Kent Conrad: mr. conrad: mr. president? the presiding officer: the senator from north dakota. mr. conrad: mr. president, there are a couple of things i would like to respond to. and i have respect for the senator from arizona, senator mccain. he and i came to this chamber at the same time. first of all, he said on reconciliation that i told him i was against it. in fact, i did not include it in

7:23:20 to 7:30:00( Edit History Discussion )
Speech By: Kent Conrad

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Kent Conrad: the budget resolution out of this senate. he said in the conference committee i voted for i would say this. i ted for the final agreement i did not vote specifically for reconciliation. i opposed it every step of the way publicly and privately i think it's a mistake. i've said so publicly and

7:24:03 to 7:24:23( Edit History Discussion )

Kent Conrad: privately. i believe reconciliation will not be used for health even though it's authorized under the conference report i believe as people examine what would actually happen using reconciliation, that they will be convinced that it's not the appropriate way to do health

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Kent Conrad: care. and i -- i really believe that at the end of the day, the reconciliation approach will not be used for health care reform. with that said, i want to make very clear -- and you can ask any of the participants -- i argued strenuously against

7:24:45 to 7:25:06( Edit History Discussion )

Kent Conrad: reconciliation every step of the way. it was not included in the resolution here which i had direct control it is included in the final conference president wanted it as an insurance policy, the majority leader wanted it as an insurance policy, the speaker of the house

7:25:07 to 7:25:28( Edit History Discussion )

Kent Conrad: wanted it and, frankly, although i have some influence, i don't have the ability to overcome the president of the united states, the majority leader, and the speaker of the house. the senator also questioned ten-year budget versus five year.

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Kent Conrad: let me repeat what i said before before. we have budget act. 30 of the 34 have been five-year budgets. and the basic reason for not hiding things, as was it's because of forecasts beyond five years, those forecasts are notoriously unreliable.

7:25:50 to 7:26:10( Edit History Discussion )

Kent Conrad: that's why times they've written a budget have done a five-year budget. frankly, the out-years five-year forecast are -- are not very credible. but years six through ten are throwing a dart. i mean, that's the reality. i used to forecast revenue for my state. i know something about

7:26:11 to 7:26:32( Edit History Discussion )

Kent Conrad: forecasting revenue and expenses expenses. and when you get beyond five years, you're in that doesn't exist. that's -- that's true -- totally guesswork. beyond that, the trajectory the country was on in the

7:26:33 to 7:26:53( Edit History Discussion )

Kent Conrad: president proposed. i believe we've got to do far better. that's why the ranking republican and i have proposed a task republicans with the responsibility to come up with a plan and if 12 of the 16 would agree, that plan would come to congress for a vote. not another study to sit on dusty she

7:26:54 to 7:27:14( Edit History Discussion )

Kent Conrad: vote. mr. president, the senator made another -- a number of other assertions with respect to this budget he termed it generational theft. let me just say, trajectory we're on -- it has nothing to do with this budget -- has everything to do with the

7:27:15 to 7:27:35( Edit History Discussion )

Kent Conrad: reality of the fiscal circumstance of this our spending is above our revenue. there is a structural g and the senator is absolutely right. if w allow that to play out uninterrupted, it will constitute generional

7:27:36 to 7:27:57( Edit History Discussion )

Kent Conrad: but this budget makes the first steps towards turning that around. reduces the deficit by two-thirds in dollar terms over the next five years. in terms of a share of gross domestic product, which the economists say is the best way to measure, it reduces the deficit by three-quarters, by

7:27:58 to 7:28:19( Edit History Discussion )

Kent Conrad: 75%, from 12% of g.d.p. to 3% of g.d.p. at 3% of g.d.p., you bas stabilize the growth of the debt. but high -- why are we in circumstance? why are we in this circumstance? we are because the previous administration doubl put this economy in the worst recession since the great depression, and now we've got to dig out.

7:28:20 to 7:28:40( Edit History Discussion )

Kent Conrad: the first thing we've got to do is give lift to the economy. yes, stimulus was passed, hundreds of billions of dollars to provide liquidity to the american economy because the only place it could was the governm we have learned in past economic wnturns if the government

7:28:41 to 7:29:02( Edit History Discussion )

Kent Conrad: fails to act, you could have a deflationary spiral that would suck the economy down like saw in the great depression. so in the short term, i make no apologies -- and i am known here as a deficit hawk, somebody that believes in balanced budgets, somebody who's fought for them my whole career -- but when you have a severe economic downturn,

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Kent Conrad: that is away from the government being the last resort. government providing the liquidity to the system to prevent a collapse. mr. president, responsi an iave said at every step in

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Kent Conrad: the second five years, we must do much more. the president has said that. the president is committed to it. so am i. if our colleagues are serious about entering into a long-term negotiation about entitlement reform and tax reform, count me in. count me in. it's got to be done. it's in the interest of the country.

7:29:47 to 7:30:00( Edit History Discussion )

Kent Conrad: that's where we agree. mr. presidt, i see senator alexander is here, a very valued member of the budget committee, someone for

7:30:01 to 7:30:21( Edit History Discussion )

Lamar Alexander: we may not agree -- for whom i have high regard. we may not agree on every detail but i have great respect for the contribution he has made to the budget committee. how much time does the senator desire? mr. alexander: mr. president, not more t mr. conrad: i yield ten minutes off of senator gre time and say to the senator if

7:30:05 to 7:31:15( Edit History Discussion )
Speech By: Lamar Alexander

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Lamar Alexander: he requests more, we will be happy to extend it. mr. alexander: mr. president, i thank the senator, the chairman of the budget committee. i'm really here today to on a personal matter more than the budget. i made my comments on the budget this morni i was listening, though, to the senator from arizona and the

7:30:46 to 7:31:06( Edit History Discussion )

Lamar Alexander: senator from north dakota. i have he north dakota say he is opposed health care bill through the senate with 51 i heard him say that, and i agree with him and i know he stood up against some in the

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Lamar Alexander: party for doing that but if not mistaken there were three senate conferees and if the senator from north dakota voted

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Kent Conrad: "no" we woicht have the -- wouldn't have the reconciliatio mr. conrad: will the senator yield? mr. alexander: of course. mr. conrad: i had not agreed,

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Speech By: Kent Conrad

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Speech By: Lamar Alexander

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Lamar Alexander: i probably wouldn't be a conferee. there are certain things as higher powers and here. mr. alexander: that's a very honest response and i accept that but the point is, the point is, there are three members. if he said no, maybe he wouldn't be a conferees, but, there wouldn't be a reconciliation. but let me move to something

7:31:48 to 7:32:08( Edit History Discussion )

Lamar Alexander: more bipartisan than that. mr. president, on may 1, thomas imgram is leaving post of chief of staff for the alexander office and as staff director of the senate republican conference. i know what it is to be a staff member i the senate coming here in 1967 as senator howard baker legislative system back when

7:32:09 to 7:32:29( Edit History Discussion )

Lamar Alexander: each senator only had one. i know staff members are the lifeblood of this institution, that they regularly come and go and we senators are grateful for their service. tom's service here for the senate and for me, personally, is a goodeal more than the usual coming and going. tom and i first met in 1966 when

7:32:30 to 7:32:50( Edit History Discussion )

Lamar Alexander: i was a young volunteer on howard baker's senate campaign and tom was an even reporter for the "nationalville tennessean," such a democratic nip it was said tom was the first reporter ever assigned to cover a republican candidate on a regular basis. in fairness to the paper, there

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Lamar Alexander: hasn't been much to cover. senator baker in 1966 became the first republican senator in tennessee history. we had not elected a republican governor since the harding sweep in 1920. in 1974 tom served as press secretary for what could edge be described as -- could only be described as my upstart campaign

7:33:12 to 7:33:33( Edit History Discussion )

Lamar Alexander: for governor of tennessee and we did well for young guys winning the primary over more established figures but losing the general election. that was the watergate year. there were governors left in america after that debacle and i figured political career was over at a very young able.

7:33:34 to 7:33:54( Edit History Discussion )

Lamar Alexander: but in 1978, as things tend to do in politics, times and i was elect walking 1,000 miles across tennessee, in a red and black plaid shirt. tom, this time, was my successful campaign manager. he then managed my transition into the governor's office, served as chief of staff and

7:33:55 to 7:34:15( Edit History Discussion )

Lamar Alexander: deputy to the give for five years -- to the governor for five years and then left to form a successful business in nashville. during his business career he found time to help establish my office when i became president of the university of tennessee. he did the same when i became president bush's first education secretary. that's the first president bush's education secretary.

7:34:16 to 7:34:36( Edit History Discussion )

Lamar Alexander: the long and short of it is, when tom ingram has been around i have done my best work and perhaps so we know each other so well we operate independently toward the same goal and get twice as much done than either of us could do working alone. one of tom's gifts is team building.

7:34:37 to 7:34:58( Edit History Discussion )

Lamar Alexander: and a purposeful group. he has made sure each of us, senator hired us. washington staff and state staff spent three days in memphis a couple of weeks ago making sure that we understand as much as we can about the people and the needs of

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Lamar Alexander: city and biggest county. and as he leaves to reenter the private sector he has taken time to make sure that the new staff is well led and well organized and for that i'm especially grateful. tom's greater contribution may have been to the senate as a whole. he has helped out republican conference develop a clearer message.

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Lamar Alexander: and working wh bob russell, senator mark pryor's chief of staff he created a bipartisan chief of staff group that has been more successful at working across party lines than their bosses have been. the senator from illinois and i are part of group that meets every tuesday morning. there are

7:35:41 to 7:36:02( Edit History Discussion )

Lamar Alexander: us sometimes. there are more than 50 of the chiefs of staff who getting to on a regular bipartisan basis. more than half the chiefs are a regular part of the alliance. it's a remarkable number in this already-overorganized and busy place. 2078 came to the senate expecting to -- tom came to the

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Lamar Alexander: senate expecting to stay a few months and is leaving after six years. i'm grateful to him for that and the senate is a mr. president, i ask unanimous consent to include following my remarks an article from, about the chiefs of staff organization from "roll call,"

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Lamar Alexander: on march 10, 2009, and an article about tom's work that

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Kent Conrad: appeared in knoxville "new sentinel," last year. the presiding officer: without objection, so ordered. mr. alexander: i thank the president and i thank the chairman of the budget committee for the i yield the floor. the presiding officer: the senator from north mr. conrad: mr. president, i

7:36:35 to 7:42:40( Edit History Discussion )
Speech By: Kent Conrad

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Kent Conrad: really am serious weapon i say -- when i s he is a valuable member of the budget committee. he has made a real contribution and we thank him for it. mr. president, we now have exhausted all of the speakers th have given us notice on both sid. we're awaiting word on wh orot we are can go to

7:37:15 to 7:37:35( Edit History Discussion )

Kent Conrad: i'm hopeful we can go to a vote soon. but we'll need to hear from the leadership on both when that might be possible. mr. president, i think we've had a today. on the question of the

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Kent Conrad: i feel strongly that this is a responsible approach adopting the president's clear priorities of red foreign excellence in education, providing for major health care reform, all the while providing

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Kent Conrad: more than $750 billion of american people focused on middle-class taxpayers. and dramatically, reducing it by more than two-thirds in dollar terms by more than three quarters as a people of gross domestic product.

7:38:20 to 7:38:41( Edit History Discussion )

Kent Conrad: will stabilize growth of the debt. and, again, i am swift to say, mu terms of long-term deficit and debt reduction. i believe have a special process for intime and tax reform. as i've noted throughout this debate for the long term we're

7:38:42 to 7:39:02( Edit History Discussion )

Kent Conrad: on an unsustainable course in this country. that's a situation that is not the keation of president obama. the creation of president obama. that is a situation of the previous administration that inher rid inherited massive surpluses and turned them into massive debts.

7:39:03 to 7:39:23( Edit History Discussion )

Kent Conrad: that's a fact. there is no way to change that fact. the previous administration left this country in the deepest rescission since the great depression. and of course the deficit has skyrocketed as a result. that is not the fault of the president who has been in office for 100 days. he inherited this mess. he's expected to clean it up.

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Kent Conrad: and he has taken aggressive, vigorous action, to move us in the right direction. and the american people are responding. the there's been a tripling of the percentage of people in this country that believe we are now on the just in the 100 days of this

7:39:45 to 7:40:06( Edit History Discussion )

Kent Conrad: presidency. i was the second senator to endorse senator obama. the first senator to endorse him was his colleague from illinois, senator durbin. i was the second senator to endorse him. i've never endorsed in a presidential primary before. i did it because i saw something exceptiol in

7:40:07 to 7:40:27( Edit History Discussion )

Kent Conrad: i saw if him somebody that was not only very smart but extraordinarily calm; somebody who has the right temperament to deal with the crisis that president confronts. i must say i have been so proud to have been an early supporter

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Kent Conrad: of this president. because i the promise that he made to the american people to turn us in a new and better direction. he can." that was the motto i had when i first senate in 1986.

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Kent Conrad: when he found out, maybe he owes me royalties and i said, no, you don't owe me a thing. i am so pleased that he is the president of the united states at this moment in time. he has the right background, the right temperament, the right intelligence, the right character, to be our leader at

7:41:10 to 7:41:30( Edit History Discussion )

Kent Conrad: this extraordinary time of challenge. and so while our budget is quite different than his because we had $2 trillion less in revenue to write the budget, because of the changing forecast, because of the nature of down t able, we were able to preserve

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Kent Conrad: his key priorities and i'm proud of it. mr. president, member, senator gregg, is here and perhaps he can as to whether or not there are additional speakers or when we

7:41:55 to 7:42:17( Edit History Discussion )

Kent Conrad: might be prepared to vote. i note the absence of a quorum. the presiding officer: the clerk will call the roll. quorum call: mr. conrad: the presiding officer: the

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Kent Conrad: senator mr. conrad: i suggest the vote the presiding officer: the senate is in a mr. conrad: i ask unanimous consent the ca be dispensed. the presiding officer: without objection, so ordered. mr. conrad: i'd ask the

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Kent Conrad: senator, would he like

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Judd Gregg: additional time? time for debate or should we call the vote for 5:30 and yield back all time? mr. gregg: i'd like a few minutes. the presiding officer: the senatorrom new hampshire. mr. gregg: but first, i know that one of the senior staff members on the senator's, on the chairman's side, phil freedman is going through a difficult

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Speech By: Judd Gregg