Senate Proceeding on Apr 29th, 2009 :: 5:31:00 to 5:35:00
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5:30:56 to 5:31:16( Edit History Discussion )

Kent Conrad: there of back and forth until we get there. and i think we are doing the american people a service by passing this and it's thanks to the chairman leadership. i yield the floor. mr. conrad: mr. president? the presiding officer: the senator from north dakota. mr. conrad: i want to thank

5:31:00 to 5:35:00( Edit History Discussion )
Speech By: Kent Conrad

5:31:17 to 5:31:40( Edit History Discussion )

Kent Conrad: the senator from rhode island, senator whitehouse, such a valuable member of the sen budget committee, as is pant of the chairperson -- as is the occupant of the chair who has newly joined us and is already making contributions to our work. we're delighted to have senator merkley, the occupant of the chair and a member of the senate budget

5:31:41 to 5:32:01( Edit History Discussion )

Kent Conrad: appreciate so much the efforts senator whitehouse, senator rkley in developing a budget resolution, that, by the way, in the conference committee our outline was largely followed in it is very close to what passed the senate and i think the reasons for that success are, number one, we did

5:32:02 to 5:32:24( Edit History Discussion )

Kent Conrad: capture the president's priorities of reducing dependence on foreign energy, a focus on excellence in education, providing for major health care reform that's absolutely critical to the country's future and at the same time cutting the deficit by two-thirds over the next five years, by three-quarters as measured by

5:32:25 to 5:32:46( Edit History Discussion )

Kent Conrad: product, and also providing very substantial middle-class tax relief. hundreds of billions of dollars, in fact over $700 billion of middle-class tax relief that is in this bget. i think we can be proud of that. and we have already budget earlier today pass in the house of representatives by a

5:32:47 to 5:33:07( Edit History Discussion )

Kent Conrad: very wide margin. i anticipate when we have our vote here that we will also p with a healthy margin. and i want to again thank senator whitehouse and senator merkley who are key members of the senate budget committee and did so much to help us fashion a document that can command the respect of our colleagues.

5:33:08 to 5:33:30( Edit History Discussion )

Kent Conrad: mr. president, for just one moment i'd like to, as we're waiting for senator grassley to arrive, indicate that there were a made that i want to respond to. first of all, that reconciliation could still be used for global climate change legislation. technically that's true, but

5:33:31 to 5:33:53( Edit History Discussion )

Kent Conrad: it's not going to happen. we have the absolute assurance of all of those who are in leadership positions in the house and the senate, the president of the united states -- in fact, the president has assured me directly -- directly -- that he would not allow that. so let's take that off the table. second, we have heard concern from our republican colleagues

5:33:54 to 5:34:14( Edit History Discussion )

Kent Conrad: about the use of i sharehose i've opposed the use of reconciliation for these purposes. but my own belief is health care will not use the reconciliation process. i believe health care will move in the regular order. they have until the committees of jurisdiction -- the committees

5:34:15 to 5:34:35( Edit History Discussion )

Kent Conrad: until october 15 to do so. i see now that senator durbin, who a member of our leadership, is here. and if he's ready to g request? i'd yield 15 minutes senator from illinois, senator durbin. mr. durbin: i want to thank

5:34:36 to 5:34:59( Edit History Discussion )

Kent Conrad: the chairman of the senate budget committee, senator conrad of north dakota, for only for yielding but also for his leadership in preparation of this important document. the budget resolution is kind of the blueprint. we pass this and then we go to work with the individual parts of it, but we have to get this done first, because the budget resolution t can spend in total.

5:35:00 to 5:35:01( Edit History Discussion )

Kent Conrad: and once we have that guidance,