Kent Conrad: “I am relieved at what has been worked out here, because this will prevent this provision from ever becoming law. This…”

“I am relieved at what has been worked out here, because this will prevent this provision from ever becoming law. This provision never should become law. It would open up the possibility and potential for abuse. I want to repeat for the record that I have no doubt Senator Stevens would never have used this provision for an untoward purpose. I feel the same way about Chairman Young. The problem was this would have become the law of the land. There will be future chairmen of the Appropriations Committee. I think we all know enough about human nature that if there is potential for abuse, abuse is likely to occur. This is a place where we could have had very serious abuse, with the opening up of people's tax records and the use of those records to punish people, or to help people, or to do other nefarious things that should never be permitted in this country. So I am relieved this will not ever become law.”