Dale Bumpers: “My first amendment simply says that the Finance Committee must come up with offsets of $115 billion to offset that…”

“My first amendment simply says that the Finance Committee must come up with offsets of $115 billion to offset that amount which is the cut in Medicare. I think it would be unseemly and extreme if we have to go home and tell our people that we cut Medicare by $115 billion to make the system more solvent and at the same time tell them the only way we could cut taxes under this budget agreement was to cut Medicare by $115 billion. So, Mr. President, I earnestly ask my colleagues to seriously consider voting to simply say to the Finance Committee, do not force us to go home and tell our constituents that we cut Medicaid by $115 billion and we used every dime of it--every dime of it--to offset all these tax cuts, many of which go to the wealthiest people in America. It is indefensible. It is inexcusable. I urge my colleagues to support this amendment.”