Max Baucus: “I am happy to learn from the Senator from North Dakota he favors my amendment or at least he says it would not cause any…”

“I am happy to learn from the Senator from North Dakota he favors my amendment or at least he says it would not cause any injustice to his central mission. My main point is, the regular order does work here. In 1990, 1993, 1997, Congress passed reconciliation budget resolutions that worked, and I believe, frankly, we have it within ourselves as Senators to do the same again, to pass a budget resolution through reconciliation to get the deficit under control, working with the President. I very much hope the President, in his State of the Union Message and his budget that is placed in the Congress, starts to get the budget under control. Very much of this depends upon the President and working with the Congress. It is not just Congress. I urge all of us to remember the regular order has worked in the past. It has worked several times. The Andrews Air Force Base agreement was put through regular order. Regular order does work, and that is what we as Senators should do. We are not bureaucrats. We are Senators.”