Max Baucus: “the second problem with this amendment I would like to mention is that it begs the question of what our current Tax Code…”

“the second problem with this amendment I would like to mention is that it begs the question of what our current Tax Code is going to be replaced with. I must say there is something to the old adage that the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence. It is part of human nature to think that something else is always necessarily better than what we have. That somehow a sales tax, or a value-added tax, or a flat tax is necessarily going to be better than the current code. We all know, if we stop to reflect a little bit, that sometimes you get what you ask for and you don't like it because it didn't turn out the way you expected it to be. So all of us who, in my judgment--and I must say this sounds a little harsh--are being pandered to with this amendment and are listening and are somewhat tempted to believe in this amendment, should ask ourselves, realistically, how does life really work? When people promise something great on down the road, is it usually nearly as great as it is promised to be? Or to make the same point a little differently, if we are going to accomplish something that is good, generally it is through hard work and through rolling up sleeves and dealing with the difficult details. Not demagoging, pandering, or playing to the grandstand or to the crowd. That is basically how we get something done that makes sense. If this amendment is adopted, it is going to cause deep uncertainty in America.”