Congress Budget for the United States Government for Fiscal Year 2009

Floor Speech

CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET FOR THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2009 -- (Senate - March 13, 2008)

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AMENDMENT NO. 4204, AS MODIFIED

Mr. CONRAD. In regular order, is my amendment next?

The PRESIDING OFFICER. Yes. There is now 2 minutes of debate equally divided prior to the vote on the Conrad amendment, No. 4204, as modified.

Mr. CONRAD. Mr. President, the alternative I have offered would provide for a reserve fund that would allow the repeal of the 1993 tax increase on Social Security benefits in a way that would protect Social Security and Medicare and not increase the deficit or the debt over the period of the resolution.

I urge my colleagues to support the amendment.

The PRESIDING OFFICER. Who rises in opposition? The Senator from Kentucky is recognized.

Mr. BUNNING. Mr. President, this is a very interesting amendment, since I have had this amendment the last two times a budget went through the Senate. Senator Conrad, the chairman of the Budget Committee, has offered this alternative, but I would note that it contains an instruction that he himself, as chairman, should come up with the savings.

This is a very odd instruction that we put in the budget resolution because it does not say where the savings will occur. I hope he has no intention of raising taxes on other Americans to pay for this amendment.

I urge a ``no'' vote on this amendment.

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Mr. BUNNING. Mr. President, there is a modification at the desk to my amendment. The Chairman has been notified.

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The amendment is so modified.

The amendment, as modified, is as follows:

On page 3, line 11, decrease the amount by $14,300,000,000.

On page 3, line 12, decrease the amount by $15,600,000,000.

On page 3, line 13, decrease the amount by $17,500,000,000.

On page 3, line 14, decrease the amount by $19,800,000,000.

On page 3, line 15, decrease the amount by $21,600,000,000.

On page 3, line 20, decrease the amount by $14,300,000,000.

On page 3, line 21, decrease the amount by $15,600,000,000.

On page 3, line 22, decrease the amount by $17,500,000,000.

On page 3, line 23, decrease the amount by $19,800,000,000.

On page 3, line 24, decrease the amount by $21,600,000,000.

On page 4, line 5, decrease the amount by $14,300,000,000.

On page 4, line 6, decrease the amount by $15,600,000,000.

On page 4, line 7, decrease the amount by $17,500,000,000.

On page 4, line 8, decrease the amount by $19,800,000,000.

On page 4, line 9, decrease the amount by $21,600,000,000.

On page 4, line 14, decrease the amount by $14,300,000,000.

On page 4, line 15, decrease the amount by $15,600,000,000.

On page 4, line 16, decrease the amount by $17,500,000,000.

On page 4, line 17, decrease the amount by $19,800,000,000.

On page 4, line 18, decrease the amount by $21,600,000,000.

On page 27, line 16, decrease the amount by $14,300,000,000.

On page 27, line 17, decrease the amount by $14,300,000,000.

On page 27, line 20, decrease the amount by $15,600,000,000.

On page 27, line 21, decrease the amount by $15,600,000,000.

On page 27, line 24, decrease the amount by $17,500,000,000.

On page 27, line 25, decrease the amount by $17,500,000,000.

On page 28, line 3, decrease the amount by $19,800,000,000.

On page 28, line 4, decrease the amount by $19,800,000,000.

On page 28, line 7, decrease the amount by $21,600,000,000.

On page 28, line 8, decrease the amount by $21,600,000,000.

On page 32, line 10, decrease the amount by $21,500,000,000.

On page 32, line 11, decrease the amount by $14,300,000,000.

Mr. BUNNING. This is the third time I have addressed on the Senate floor this amendment, the unfair tax that has been on the senior citizens of this country since 1993 when the additional 35 percent was put on. This time it is paid for, not like the last one we voted on. This time it is paid for in my modification.

It specifically states it is paid for by an across-the-board cut in discretionary spending. We do not touch the entitlement spending, but discretionary spending is cut by the amount of money we need to pay for this cut for our senior citizens.

This is the real cut of taxes for senior citizens. The last one was a ``cover some part of your body'' rather than the real kind of tax cut.

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator's time has expired.

The Senator from North Dakota.

Mr. CONRAD. Mr. President, there are real cuts, the Senator is right about that. This would cut, across the board by $21 billion, education, veterans' health, homeland security, law enforcement. If you want to do that, vote for the Bunning amendment.

I urge my colleagues to oppose it.

Mr. BUNNING. But the other one did not pay for it.

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