Dale Bumpers: “Let me say to my colleagues that I didn't get a chance to ask for a division. So, if you want to stand on ceremony, if…”

“Let me say to my colleagues that I didn't get a chance to ask for a division. So, if you want to stand on ceremony, if you want to go home and tell the folks back home why you voted to continue giving billions of dollars worth of gold and silver away every year because of this little fine, distinguished point, you go ahead and do that. Be my guest. If you are looking for something to hang your hat on even though you would be entirely incorrect, you can do it. Do you know something else? The Senator from Alaska, the Senator from Nevada, the Senator from Idaho, and others who introduced this bill in this Senate, they have a royalty provision in their bill. That bill, like the bills I introduced, has been referred to the Senate Energy Committee, not the Finance Committee. Obviously my amendment does not contain a tax. So we raise this little fine diversionary point and we hope that people will forget that, since 1872, 243 billion dollars' worth of their property has been expropriated by the biggest corporations in the world--not in America, in the world. So, candidate, when you see a 30-second spot next year saying, ``He voted to continue this foul, outrageous, egregious practice, and the landowners of this country, the taxpayers who own it, you tax them for everything.'' How many times during the budget debate did I hear the cries about the ``poor, taxed American taxpayer?'' Go home and tell that taxpayer you were just kidding.”