Kent Conrad: “Let me recall for our colleagues that the Baucus amendment is to provide for the middle-class tax cuts to also address…”

“Let me recall for our colleagues that the Baucus amendment is to provide for the middle-class tax cuts to also address this anomaly in the estate tax, where it goes from $3.5 million per person of exemption back down to $1 million. It also contains additional funding for the Children's Health Care Program. There are other elements to the Baucus amendment, as well, that were enumerated by the Senator. I hope very much that our colleagues can support the Baucus amendment. It still leaves us with a slight balance in 2012 so that we are not back into deficit.”