Kent Conrad: “I am just going to take time off the amendment on our side, not speaking in opposition. I do want my colleagues to know…”

“I am just going to take time off the amendment on our side, not speaking in opposition. I do want my colleagues to know what is occurring here. I entirely agree with the Senator from Rhode Island in terms of his priorities, in terms of additional funding for IDEA. I just want to rise and make the point that I made on the previous amendment that used section 920 funding. The problem is there is no 920 money available. In fact, if we look at the budget, we see that 920 is already $500 million in the hole. So the result of this amendment, which seeks to add $2 billion, is really a nullity because what it is going to do in terms of what the appropriators see is on the one hand they will get $2 billion, on the other hand $2 billion will be taken away. So what happens, what do the appropriators do? We don't know what they will do. They could add $2 billion to this account and take $2 billion from other accounts. They could. They could just wind up doing nothing. That is the reality of the budget resolution. I know it is confusing to people. But I am entirely in sympathy with the Senator from Rhode Island in what he is seeking to do in terms of adding funding. The problem we have is using 920 as the function to fund these things because there is no money there. It is an across-the-board cut, and the appropriators will see no real increase. This becomes more than anything a statement of what one wants to accomplish.…”