David Thomas: “I actually thought that since it is under the process called reconciliation, governed by the rules of the Senate, by the…”

“I actually thought that since it is under the process called reconciliation, governed by the rules of the Senate, by the way, not the House, that anything that is done under the reconciliation process by definition cannot be permanent. In fact, on the one hand they criticize a number of provisions that expire. Frankly, when we are trying to stimulate the economy and we offer a reduction on depreciable assets, what we want them to do is make a decision to buy that truck, to buy that computer as soon as possible. That helps stimulate the economy. That helps create jobs. If we leave the offer to reduce the cost on depreciation for the entire decade, a decision can be made anytime during the decade. The whole concept of a stimulus is to get decisions that will be made sometime in the decade near the current time. Those are supposed to expire. But for the gentleman to say that some of these provisions are permanent tells me there is an underlying fear on the other side of the aisle that, notwithstanding the statutes will expire, they will not be in the majority when they expire.”