Pete Domenici

Might I say, Senator Nelson, I forgot, and I want to second the motion that the best way to get growth in an economy is to have lower marginal rates.

Well, I would just say that, sometimes when we are working on trying to solve this fiscal problem, the recognition that a long-term fix is what is needed puts many people in the position that they do not know how you do that and do it now.

It cries out for flexibility to save money, to do things right, to prevent harming people when they do not have to be.

But that is compared to current policy--current policy. If we would compare your plan to current law, it is actually a tax cut.

I think without a doubt there is an awful lot of restraint in this economy because people have to spend all their time doing things that are unproductive--like filling out tax forms.

You cannot imagine being on my side of the aisle now, where I cannot do what you do.

If it is adopted, or something close to it, you will have fixed, in our opinion, a major problem with Medicare.

If indeed you intend to have a bipartisan solution, then obviously you have to do some of the things we are talking about, some give-and-take.

It has fallen to me since I left the Senate, for almost half of the time that I have been gone, that I have devoted time and energy to trying to come up with ways and means to help this great Nation get out of the terrible dilemma that we…

I think it is very important, for some of you who have gone through lame duck, to make sure that you know it is not the best choice of an arena to which you would assign the solution of major problems.

Together, you go with a tax proposal and a proposal that reforms Medicare. When you combine the two, you get bipartisan support.

I want to say to all of you that what we have produced by way of a budget, a plan, should really be taken seriously by all of you.