Chuck Schumer: “I commend them for their effort. They are trying to do something that is extremely difficult. They are trying to be both…”

“I commend them for their effort. They are trying to do something that is extremely difficult. They are trying to be both responsible in a plan in terms of how much they will provide, in terms of helping people who need help, but at the same time, they are trying to be as fiscally, I guess they would say responsible--I would say as minimal as possible. I would say, yes, if you just look at the plan and say which one should cost the least, the Hagel-Ensign plan is there. If you look at all the other things we do in the budget and then say we don't have any money for this, repeal of the estate tax comes to mind, which I believe both of my colleagues have supported--and most have supported--and ask if it is an either/or proposition if you want to be fiscally responsible, which would people choose? A more generous plan. I think that cost us $600 billion in the President's budget to make that permanent. Putting together a generous plan and not repealing the estate tax, or repealing the estate tax and having this minimal plan, my guess is that 80 or 90 percent of the American people would reject the plan put forward by my colleagues from Nebraska and Nevada. I guess if I had to think of the rubric of the plan, they are trying to be compassionate conservatives.”