Byron Dorgan: “I believe this past spring the Budget Committee sent out a wholly partisan document supported only by the Republicans…”

“I believe this past spring the Budget Committee sent out a wholly partisan document supported only by the Republicans after they refused to meet with the Democrat members of the committee. I don't think we are interested in a lot of finger pointing. I think the American people are interested in a question of who is going to offer proposals that constructively help this American economy. I am going to say some things about the House bill because the House bill is what comes to the conference. It is not a question of may or may not be good. The House bill is atrocious. Does anybody in this country think that, with an economy that is very weak, with an economy with a substantial overcapacity, the way to resolve the problems of this economy and provide lift and opportunity in this economy is to give Ford a $1 billion tax rebate check, or IBM, a $1.4 billion tax rebate check for corporate alternative minimum taxes paid going back to 1988? They won't do that for individuals who paid an alternative minimum tax but just for corporations at a time when there is overcapacity. Is there anyone who can find an economist who thinks this is going to help the American economy? It is not. How about the hundreds of thousands of people who have lost their jobs? Every economist will concede that one way to stimulate this economy is to help those people who have lost their jobs with extended unemployment benefits.”