Max Baucus

Mr. BAUCUS

Mr. BAUCUS. This is the first I have heard this. I don't know what this is all about. Pending a better understanding of the request, I respectfully object.

Mr. BAUCUS. Mr. President, I ask all Senators to heed the words of the Senator from Connecticut. I think he is accurate. I think he is on target. The amendment before us, of which I am a cosponsor, is very simple. The answer of whether it should be adopted is also very easy. Getting to the point, the question is, Should we extend unemployment benefits to those millions of Americans who do not have jobs and whose unemployment insurance is about to expire? The provisions in Federal law that give unemployment insurance benefits will expire in a few weeks. The number of unemployed people is rising. These are people who have lost their jobs not because of their fault but because they have been laid off, because the economy is anemic. They lost jobs because their employers are laying them off. The question is, Should the Congress extend unemployment benefits? Should they extend unemployment benefits to these hard-working men and women who are not making a lot of money? They are basic wage earners. Should we extend unemployment benefits? To ask the question is to answer it: Of course, we should. I hear from the other side that maybe they will not look for jobs because they are getting additional benefits. They are not getting more dollars in benefits, they are just getting more weeks during which they can receive about $200 a week while they are looking for a job. The obvious answer to that charge is these are not good times. Two-hundred dollars a week is not a lot of money. I daresay no Member of this body can live on $200 a week. We are so used to living on more than $200 a week. I see the Presiding Officer smiling, knowing there is probably a little truth in that. I am suggesting we should do the obvious and extend unemployment benefits. Another argument I hear against this proposal is that it is not a stimulus to extend the period during which people get unemployment benefits. Of course it is a stimulus. Those people are going to spend that $200-a-week check. Of course, they are going to spend it. Economists will tell us that for every $1 of unemployment benefits, there is a multiplier effect of $2.15 to the economy; that is, for every $1, an additional $2.15 is spent in the economy. It is pretty simple. I also think it is pretty simple because we are paying for this by repealing the top bracket, repealing the acceleration of the reduction of the top tier. Some people say: That is a small business bracket. Those people are all small business people. We should do this to stimulate the economy. That is totally wrong. It is totally incorrect. Less than 5 percent-- probably 2 or 3 percent--of the people who receive benefits in the top bracket are small businesses. Let me put it differently; 2 to 3 percent of small businesses in America are in that top bracket. Just 2 to 3 percent. Most of the people in the top bracket are not small business. They are other people. They are very wealthy people. I have nothing against wealthy people getting a tax break. Everybody should get a tax break. It would be wonderful if we all could get a tax break. We are elected to make choices and set priorities. The economy today is not in great shape. This bill before us is designed and intended to stimulate the economy by reducing taxes. I suggest the right course would be, instead of giving the elite a tax break right now--a lot of them tell me they do not want it; they do not need it--take some of that money and extend unemployment benefits.

Mr. BAUCUS. I see Senator Dodd ready to speak. I suggest that he speak, and I will speak after him.

Mr. BAUCUS. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the pending amendments be temporarily laid aside so the Senator from Nevada may offer an amendment.

Mr. BAUCUS. I ask unanimous consent the Harkin amendment and the amendment by Senator Grassley be temporarily set aside, as well as the other amendments, so the Senator from Maine can offer her amendment.

Mr. BAUCUS. Mr. President, what is the parliamentary situation?

Mr. BAUCUS. I thank the Chair. Mr. President, I understand Senator Bunning yields back his time.

Mr. BAUCUS. Mr. President, I yield 10 minutes on the amendment to Senator Rockefeller.

Mr. BAUCUS. Technically, as I understand it, we should put aside pending amendments.

Mr. BAUCUS. Madam President, if I might ask the Senator to yield just for the sake of orderly process here in the Senate, as I understand it, the Senator means to offer her amendment. Is that correct?

Mr. BAUCUS. Yes. Amendment No. 595

Mr. BAUCUS. Mr. President, I inform the Senator from Iowa that he has 1 hour.

Mr. BAUCUS. Mr. President, under the rules, as I understand them, the author of the amendment has control of her time, which is 1 hour. I ask unanimous consent that the pending amendments be laid aside so that the Senator from Iowa, Mr. Harkin, may offer an amendment.

Mr. BAUCUS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that all pending amendments be temporarily set aside so the Senator from Louisiana can offer an amendment.

Mr. BAUCUS. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the reading of the amendment be dispensed with.

Mr. BAUCUS. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the pending amendment be temporarily laid aside so the Senator from Florida may offer an amendment.

Mr. BAUCUS. Madam President, I send an amendment to the desk and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. BAUCUS. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the pending amendments be temporarily set aside so I might offer an amendment.

Mr. BAUCUS. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

Mr. BAUCUS. I thank the Chair and I thank my good friend from Washington.

Mr. BAUCUS

Mr. BAUCUS. Mr. President, I urge the Senator, at this late hour, to speak briefly so everybody who wants to speak can. The bewitching hour arrives at about 10 minutes after midnight tonight.

Mr. BAUCUS. Mr. President, I yield 10 minutes off the remaining time on the bill to the Senator from North Dakota.

Mr. BAUCUS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the pending amendments be temporarily laid aside so I might call up amendment No. 612.

Mr. BAUCUS. Mr. President, I send the amendment to the desk.

Mr. BAUCUS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that further reading of the amendment be dispensed with.