Max Baucus: “I wish to address my amendment No. 1831 to the Iraq supplemental appropriations bill. Mr. President, today, our Nation…”

“I wish to address my amendment No. 1831 to the Iraq supplemental appropriations bill. Mr. President, today, our Nation faces three simultaneous challenges. This amendment would address each. First, we need to support our troops and protect our national security. Second, we must not worsen our fiscal crisis. And third, we must work to restore our ailing economy. We are considering today a bill that, among other things, provides resources to support our troops. Now many of my colleagues have made the case, and made it well, that our government could well have avoided the quagmire that has become Iraq. And others of my colleagues have also made the case that the bill before us includes spending that is not appropriate for an emergency supplemental appropriations bill. The merits of these disputes aside, that is not the subject of my amendment. The bill before us includes funding that will help our fighting men and women who valiantly serve our Nation. For that reason, I, and I expect the vast majority of Senators, will support this bill. But as I noted at the outset, our entanglements in Iraq and Afghanistan are not the only challenges that face our Nation. We also face crises of fiscal solvency. And we also face a stagnant economy. This amendment would address these two challenges as well. As would the amendment offered by my colleague from Delaware, Mr. Biden, my amendment would pay for the spending in the bill before us today.”