Max Baucus: “this amendment essentially creates a false choice. This amendment basically says either you are for funding the mandates…”

“this amendment essentially creates a false choice. This amendment basically says either you are for funding the mandates or you are for sufficient Federal enforcement to the exclusion of the other but not for both, which is a false choice. Obviously, we in this U.S. Senate want to fund the mandates and we want sufficient enforcement of the provisions. Obviously, we want both. Obviously, the solution is to deal with those enforcement issues first and enforcement in the best, most reasonable way; second, deal with the mandates in the best, most reasonable way but not have a 100-percent linkage between the two. The 100-percent linkage in this amendment creates a false choice. It is either black or white. It is all or nothing. This amendment creates an all-or-nothing, very artificial, very constrained situation. Either we are for totally funding the mandates under this amendment or if we are not for totality in every case under this amendment we are not for Federal law enforcement. I do not think that is where the Senate wants to be.”