Don Nickles

I have a couple of comments. I heard a statement in the budget debate on the floor. I would say, my staff has compiled the amount of spending that was in the amendments that were debated on the floor. Our Democrat colleagues offered…

He says the cost of this provision in 5 years is estimated at $8.7 billion, and over 10 years, $18.4 billion. That is a lot of money. We are going to say companies get a 40-percent tax credit if they do something in the realm of safety…

last night I observed, as I am sure many Americans did, Richard Clarke's statement on the program ``60 Minutes'' where he made some very strong allegations concerning President Bush and his lack of effort on the war on terrorism. I was…

This will increase spending, yes, and it will also increase taxes. We have had that debate several times. I guess we will have it several more times. I am happy to debate it. Some think individuals should pay more than corporations. I…

I thank Senate Domenici for his statement. This is a tough issue, and I want him to know that I understand the dilemma he is facing. I appreciate his willingness to work with me on this, and I give him my commitment to support a level of…

this is another one of these amendments-- we have had a dozen of them now--that says we are going to pay for this by increasing taxes on wealthy people. I don't know how many times we have to vote on it. Then I look at the spending. It…

I hope we do not need reconciliation to pass a debt limit. I do know it is important to pass a debt limit. This is a political season. Maybe people want to play games with it and offer unlimited amendments. I do not know that we would do…

we are continuing the assault on taxpayers. Next, in the not too distant future, we are going to be voting on a lot of tax increases. This would increase taxes by $13.7 billion and increase spending by $6.8 billion. That is a 40-percent…

tempers are starting to rise. This is not good for the cause. We are very close to the finish line. Senator Conrad and I have been working together very closely. We have agreed to a sense-of-the-Senate resolution by Senator Lugar and an…

I will speak on time off the resolution. My colleague keeps coming back saying we want to sock it to the wealthy. You don't do that in a budget resolution. You tell the committee to raise more taxes. I will tell you that all we are…

Basically they will want to increase spending everywhere. In this particular area we are increasing spending a lot. The Department of Homeland Security has a 15-percent increase, according to the Congressional Budget Office. That is…

I believe Senator McConnell. I am looking at the amendment. I can read the purpose, but I will tell my colleagues, you can put whatever purpose you want, but the net essence of the amendment is to increase taxes by $39 billion. I…

this amendment would do one thing. It would increase taxes by $39 billion over 5 years. That is really half of what we are assuming we are going to do to help American families. So this is going to cut the tax cut. That will mean, to…

Alan Greenspan said: Generic capabilities in mathematics, writing, and verbal skills are key to the ability to learn and to apply new skills and thus to earn higher real wages overtime. The avenues to acquiring those skills are many, and…

The Senator could add $4.9 billion because it says it would increase spending by $4.9 billion for 2005. If we add that to $13 billion, that is taking a $13 billion program to an $18 billion program. My very able staff did very good work. I…

The grant programs administered through the COPS Program were 100 percent earmarked in 2004 appropriations bills. The administration feels the earmarking has gotten out of hand and seeks to eliminate funding in favor of a new grant program…

I want to echo everything my colleague from North Dakota said. I know I have complained to Senator Byrd in the past about deliberations on the budget process. I said I dislike vote-aramas. In the past, management of budget bills has many…

I think it is good. I think it is good. My colleague from New Hampshire is not in the Chamber yet, but hopefully he will be here. I will make a couple of comments. One, we have assumed in the budget a significant increase for Pell grants…

I plan on yielding back additional time. I came in today thinking we should have 10 minutes on each side on every amendment today. I don't want to cut people off from being able to debate their amendments. My colleague from North Dakota is…

I have great respect and esteem for my neighbor from Arkansas, but this is an amendment that would increase taxes by $60 billion. I think we want to send out a clarion call to taxpayers: Look out. Our good friends on the Democrat side of…

My staff informs me it would increase from $4,050 to $5,100 under the Senator's amendment, and that would increase the cost by 48.2 percent. It is not just the maximum amount of the award. The maximum amount of the award would be going up…

this amendment offered by our friend from California increases taxes by $24 billion over 3 years. Basically it would wipe out all the tax relief we have in the bill in the year 2005 for the child credit and marriage penalty. But it doesn't…

I really want to tell our colleagues that generosity with time is coming to a close. We are going to start picking up the pace rather substantially. That means we are going to have a lot more votes. It means I am doing everything I can to…

this amendment increases taxes by $17.2 billion. It increases taxes next year by $13.2 billion. For the information of colleagues, we are assuming next year, on the reconciliation, which is all that is going to happen this year--or maybe…

I absolutely love a person who has intensity on issues. I love a person who likes to get things done. I love it when we actually do something that makes American families better. The tax bill we passed last year helps American families. It…