Don Nickles
The Public Record
Most widely reported
by number of sources- I urge our colleagues to vote to proceed to this appropriations bill. I cannot recall--and it may be that we have done it--somebody objecting to a motion to proceed to an appropriations bill. Maybe a couple years ago in dealing with an Interior bill, which I was actually a manager of, that had on it an issue on grazing, and there was some legislation on that bill. But I do not recall anyone objecting to proceeding to the bill, though. I have heard a couple colleagues on the other side of the aisle saying they had problems with one of the provisions in the bill relating to prohibiting President Clinton's Executive order dealing with striker replacements. If they do not like that language, if we proceed to the bill, they have the opportunity to amend it and strike that language if they have the votes. That is fine. That is the way we usually handle appropriations bills. There are some things in this appropriations bill I do not agree with and on which I plan on having an amendment. Not everything done in committee I agree with.9 sources1995govinfo.gov
- I wish to compliment my colleagues, Senator Hutchison, Senator Gramm, and Senator Domenici, for their statements in support of this alternative. I think this is a positive alternative. It is important to note for the Record, though, that neither one of these budgets cuts spending. Neither one of the budget alternatives we have before us cuts spending. I think we get so tied up in rhetoric and the use of current services baselines and projected CBO numbers that we forget the real facts and figures. The real facts are, under the Democrats' budget, spending is going to rise from $1.5 trillion to $1.8 trillion over the next 5 years. In the Republican alternative, we slow that growth down significantly; but spending still grows from $1.5 trillion to $1.7 trillion. So spending goes up under our plan too, just not as fast. I heard my colleague from Tennessee talking about the Republican substitute, that it gutted all of these social programs, and how catastrophic it would be to health programs. I looked at our health numbers, and this includes Medicaid. In 1995, we are going to spend $118 billion on health programs. Under the Republican substitute, which supposedly guts Medicaid, health spending grows to $150 billion--from $118 billion, in 5 years. I heard my colleague from Tennessee say Republicans are gutting Medicare, and we are going to close hospitals. Under our plan, Medicare grows from $154 billion in 1995 to $210 billion in 1999.6 sources1994govinfo.gov
- of all the freedoms we enjoy in this country, the ability to own, care for, and develop private property is perhaps the most crucial to our free enterprise economy. In fact, our economy would cease to function without the incentives provided by private property. So sacred and important are these rights, that our forefathers chose to specifically protect them in the fifth amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which says in part, ``nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation.'' Unfortunately, Mr. President, some Federal environmental, safety, and health laws are encouraging Government violation of private property rights, and it is a problem which is increasing in severity and frequency. We would all like to believe the Constitution will protect our property rights if they are threatened, but today that is simply not true. The only way for a person to protect their private property rights is in the courts, and far too few people have the time or money to take such action. Thus many citizens lose their fifth amendment rights simply because no procedures have been established to prevent Government takings. Mr. President, many people in the Federal bureaucracy believe that public protection of health, safety, and the environment is not compatible with protection of private property rights. I disagree.4 sources1994govinfo.gov
- I will tell my friend and colleague, if the majority leader is willing to take up the House-passed tax bill, I will work with him to come up with a limited number of amendments and see if we can't get that passed in the next couple of days. So if he will modify his request, and instead of using the bill he introduced, to make that the House-passed tax bill, I will work with him to come up with an agreement to limit the amendments and try to get it passed in a very expedited fashion.3 sources2002govinfo.gov
- I tell my friend and colleague from Nevada, I am happy to work with him to try to expedite consideration of the bill. I might note, the President sent the urgent supplemental request on March 21. It was just recently marked up--I believe, last week. So we have had it on the floor for a couple days. We have had a chance to review it. We did cooperate with the assistant majority leader to invoke cloture, which is unusual. I can't remember invoking cloture on an appropriations bill. Maybe the chairman of the committee remembers. It has probably happened, but it is not often. We did it in an effort to try to streamline it. There are a lot of people trying to pass a budget on this bill. I happen to be on the Budget Committee. I would like for us to consider a budget, but we haven't had a budget on the floor of the Senate yet. Some people were trying to rewrite the budget through the Appropriations Committee, and I questioned the wisdom of that. I was a little concerned about that. Invoking cloture eliminates the budget debate. We are not going to have four or five more proposals dealing with budgets and caps and budget rules, and so on. We will deal with appropriations bills. Now we have a list of amendments, a list of amendments germane postcloture. I will work with the Senator from Nevada to review that list. I don't know if we can possibly pass this bill tonight. I will try. I will work with him to try to do it. We will try to pass a good bill.3 sources2002govinfo.gov
- over the past few months we've seen the fall of Saddam Hussein's brutal regime coupled with the dawning of a new day for the Iraqi people. With major military combat operations in Iraq over and the security of our homeland bolstered, America and her allies are turning our efforts toward helping the Iraqi people build a free society. Like many Americans, I was thrilled and heartened by the dramatic images of U.S. troops helping Iraqi citizens tear down statues and paintings of Saddam Hussein. The Iraqi people needed our help, our tanks, our troops, and our commitment to topple Saddam Hussein. For the first time in their lives, many Iraqis are tasting freedom, and like people everywhere, they think it's wonderful. I'm proud of our military and America's commitment to make the people of the Middle East more free and secure. Our military men and women surely face more difficult days in Iraq, and the Iraqi people will be tested by the responsibilities that come with freedom. The thugs who propped up the previous regime and outside forces with goals of their own will seek to cause problems, stir up trouble and initiate violence. Freedom is messy--nowhere more so than in a country that has just shaken off a brutal dictatorship. But the journey towards a democratic Iraq has now been embarked upon. Like so many nations before it, Iraq now endures the growing pains common to a fledgling democracy.3 sources2003govinfo.gov
Sep 16, 2014
Uncle Sam is writing a check to Warren Buffett to produce windmills--$138 million.
Sep 16, 2014
If you do really good tax reform, you do not need energy tax issues. Let the marketplace work.
Sep 16, 2014
Congress passed a bad law called the Windfall Profits Tax. That motivated me to run for Senate more than anything else.
Sep 16, 2014
The administration's proposal would dramatically scale down the activity in the oil patch.
Sep 16, 2014
You cannot afford to make fossil fuels' tax equal to the enormous subsidy that wind currently receives.
Sep 16, 2014
The biggest economic boon to this country has been the explosion of oil and gas activity, primarily because of fracking.
Jun 11, 2012
If you no longer allowed intangible drilling costs to be expensed, you would shut down the shale revolution.
Jun 11, 2012
When we reduce capital gains and corporate dividends to 15 percent, we actually raise more money for the Federal Government.
Jun 11, 2012
I think for tax simplicity, you should allow every business to be able to expense certainly its wages.
Jun 11, 2012
You would give such a tax advantage to Total, BP, Lukoil, other international oil companies.
Jun 11, 2012
This happens to be--the shale gas revolution, as well as the oil revolution, is one of the best things that has happened in this country economically in years.
Jun 11, 2012
I do not defend 199, period. I think Congress--when you are rewriting the tax code, you should have a uniform corporate rate, not a lower rate for manufacturing.
Jun 11, 2012
We should not be giving advantages to our international competitors over our U.S.-based companies.
Apr 21, 2010
I think it would be a disastrous mistake for the Senate if you want the Senate to be a deliberative body.
Apr 21, 2010
The Senate is special for a couple of reasons, but amongst legislative bodies, it is really special because unlike the House and unlike most parliament procedures, members of the Senate have unlimited debate and unlimited opportunities to…
Apr 21, 2010
Lowering the threshold required for cloture, in my opinion, would be a mistake, because that is a threshold that almost by definition requires bipartisan involvement.
Dec 7, 2004
Last month we celebrated National Adoption Month. In 2003, Americans opened their hearts and homes to over 20,000 orphaned children born overseas. In order to adopt these children the families had to submit extensive paperwork and work…
Nov 19, 2004
I have absolutely loved working in the Senate. The Senate is a great institution. It is one of the true pillars of democracy in the world, one which people look to with great respect and admiration. I have always been proud to be called a…
Oct 11, 2004
I want to compliment Senator Grassley and Senator Baucus, and, frankly, all the conferees, for their work on this bill. There was a lot of work that went in on this bill. This bill has a lot of good provisions, and in this Senator's…
Oct 11, 2004
If we are going to do it, we should not do it through the Tax Code. I believe it should be done through the Armed Services Committee. I have great respect for Chairman Warner and Senator Levin. Let them have hearings on it. Let them decide…
Oct 10, 2004
I am not sure it is written that way. I am not sure it is a requirement that an employer has to give the money immediately to a service man or woman. I suspect that is your intent. I don't believe that is the way the amendment is written…
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