Don Nickles: “I compliment my friend and leader. I say to the American public, Senator Domenici has done outstanding work on a very…”

“I compliment my friend and leader. I say to the American public, Senator Domenici has done outstanding work on a very difficult job. This is a tough process. He was right. I mentioned on the floor that the amendment that passed last night is being reconsidered. I don't want to be so presumptive as to say the $448 billion tax increase passed. It made a step towards passing, but it has not been finally passed. I appreciate your correcting me on that because the Senator is right. The amendment Senator Durbin offered would also increase taxes from the existing resolution, $418 billion. If you add the two together, it is $866 billion, well over half of the President's proposed tax reduction. I thank my friend and colleague. The Harkin amendment has not yet been adopted, but if it is, and a lot of people are working on the assumption that it is because it got an affirmative vote yesterday, the combined impact would be $866 billion, and 55 percent of President Bush's tax proposal just went out the door. That is not the way to stimulate the economy. I urge my colleagues to vote no on the Durbin amendment and vote in favor of Senator Bennett's amendment.”