Political Quotes

“I might say we have a basic disagreement on the likelihood that the States would all enact the tax promptly, but that certainly is an issue to be understood by all Senators. As to the funding, yes, the Senator is correct. The underlying bill which came out of the subcommittee, which I am privileged to chair, of which the distinguished Senator from Montana is the ranking member, did not have these funds. I and, as a ranking member, Mr. Baucus, joined Senators Byrd and Gramm, and the rest is history. This amendment was adopted very strongly in the Senate. I have to say as to the bill as it has been amended under the leadership of the distinguished chairman, the Senator from Rhode Island, we have had to make some modifications to the allocation in the underlying bill as we placed on top the Chafee amendment which added the funds derived from the Byrd-Gramm-Warner-Baucus amendment. I assure the Senator that with the funding profile in this bill of equity among the States, where we had a 90 percent return in the original bill out of subcommittee and now we have achieved, I think, in many instances a 91 percent return in the combination of the underlying bill and the Chafee amendment, such amendments as we put on, some today, are--I use the word not ``killer'' but ``destructive,'' out of my respect for my good friend.”