Max Baucus: “there have been several characterizations of this provision. It is not an earmark. It is treating all industries in…”

“there have been several characterizations of this provision. It is not an earmark. It is treating all industries in America the same, giving bonus depreciation to all American industries. It is treating them all the same. A few years ago, this industry was taken out for inexplicable reasons. This bill puts them back in, in an attempt to treat all industries the same. It makes no sense to take out one industry, when other industries get the benefit. It makes good sense to keep it in the bill so that all industries are treated the same. The Senator said this is 1 year, or a short period of time. That is true for all industries in this bill. The bonus depreciation provision we are talking about treats all industries equally, all for the same length of time. He suggests that if we put it in, why isn't it permanent? He is probably right. A lot of it should be permanent, but we have to pay for some of this. That is why it is not made permanent, as other provisions in the bill are not made permanent. So if all industries are treated the same, the film industry is like the auto industry and the steel industry, and other manufacturing industries; they are all the same. That is why this provision is in here, to correct a measure taken out a while ago--wrongly--which singled out an industry unfairly. This puts it back in so everybody is treated the same.”