Max Baucus: “The amendment the Senator from North Dakota is offering, that I cosponsor, is a tax cut amendment. Most Members of this…”

“The amendment the Senator from North Dakota is offering, that I cosponsor, is a tax cut amendment. Most Members of this body like to cut taxes. That is what this amendment is all about. It is cutting taxes. Second, which group is getting the benefit of the tax cut under this amendment? Under the amendment offered by the Senator from North Dakota, cosponsored by myself, it is senior citizens who get the benefit of the tax cut. I join the Senator in offering this amendment. It repeals the 1993 tax of Social Security benefits, the tax this body imposed on certain senior citizens in 1993. We are currently debating a $350 billion tax cut reconciliation bill. This bill is about priorities, about values. That is what budgets are about. Part of the budget is $350 billion in tax cuts. The budget we are working under that was adopted by the Congress set those numbers. I am pleased there was a commitment to limit that reconciliation bill through conference to $350 billion. That was the commitment made by certain key Senators on this side. It is within this tax reconciliation bill we debate and decide how the changes in revenues and outlays affect our constituents. The debate is about who the $350 billion benefits: do we give more money to some taxpayers or others? The choices are real. We are here to make decisions. We are here to decide. We need to make sure our Nation's seniors receive a significant benefit.”