Max Baucus: “The choice in the vote before us, about to occur in 15 minutes, is very simple. Do we want to proceed to help provide…”

“The choice in the vote before us, about to occur in 15 minutes, is very simple. Do we want to proceed to help provide the stimulus to the American economy? Do we want to help provide health insurance benefits to people who have lost their health insurance because of their lost jobs? Do we want to provide an extension of unemployment benefits? Do we want to help New York City, which has been wrecked and devastated by the tragedy of September 11? Do we want to give disaster assistance to farmers and ranchers whose incomes are lower year by year. Do we want to do these things or not? That is the sole question before us. That is all it comes down to. I am astounded that we hear these arguments that this is not an emergency. I have been in this body for 20-some years, and we have voted for many items designated as emergencies that were far less of an emergency than what has happened to our country since September 11.”