Max Baucus: “I oppose the pending amendment for several reasons. One, the bill before us is a Patients' Bill of Rights; it is not a…”

“I oppose the pending amendment for several reasons. One, the bill before us is a Patients' Bill of Rights; it is not a tax bill. We have already passed a tax bill. It was a big one, $1.35 trillion, just a short while ago. There could be an opportunity later to examine tax issues, but this is not the time to do it nor do I submit this is the place to do it. I oppose this amendment on jurisdictional grounds because the Finance Committee is the committee responsible for tax issues, and we will take up similar legislation at a later date, but this is not the time or the place for a tax provision. Also, Senator Grassley, the ranking member of the committee, agrees-- I have discussed this with him--this is not the time and place to include this legislation. The place is in the Finance Committee. That is the committee of jurisdiction over tax legislation. Senator Grassley, as do I, has a strong interest in addressing health care-related tax cuts, but rather in the context of the Finance Committee. He and I strongly urge the Senate to reject this amendment. This is not the time and place to offer tax amendments.”