Kent Conrad

Mr. CONRAD

Mr. CONRAD. Mr. President, I yield to the Senator from Massachusetts, Mr. Kerry.

Mr. CONRAD. I move to lay that motion on the table. The motion to lay on the table was agreed to.

Mr. CONRAD. I ask for the yeas and nays.

Mr. CONRAD. Mr. President, may we have order?

Mr. CONRAD. I yield to the Senator from Iowa, Mr. Harkin, for the purpose of offering an amendment.

Mr. CONRAD. Mr. President, I yield to the Senator from California, Mrs. Feinstein.

Mr. CONRAD. Mr. President, I yield to the Senator from New York, Mrs. Clinton, for an amendment.

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 President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

Mr. CONRAD. Mr. President, I ask for the yeas and nays.

Mr. CONRAD. Mr. President, I yield to the Senator from New Jersey, Mr. Lautenberg.

Mr. CONRAD. I ask for the yeas and nays.

Mr. CONRAD. Mr. President, a number of times it has been indicated that the various amendments have been to increase taxes. Let us just be clear that all the amendments heretofore have been to reduce the tax cut, not to increase taxes. I now yield time to the Senator from Delaware, Mr. Carper.

Mr. CONRAD. Mr. President, let us be clear, the budget resolution does not make the determination for the Finance Committee on how this additional tax cut will be used. This amendment is very simple. It increases the tax cut by $146 billion. It does absolutely nothing about the Social Security tax--nothing--because a budget resolution does not make the specific determination. All we decide is what the instruction is to the Finance Committee for raising money and the Appropriations Committee to spend money. So this has absolutely nothing to do with the Social Security tax. The only effect of this amendment is to raise the tax cut $146 billion to over $1 trillion, all of it borrowed, every penny.

Mr. CONRAD. Mr. President, I yield to the Senator from Louisiana, Mr. Breaux. Amendment No. 420

Mr. CONRAD. I move to lay that motion on the table. The motion to lay on the table was agreed to.

Mr. CONRAD. Mr. President, I now yield time to the Senator from New York, Mrs. Clinton.

Mr. CONRAD. Mr. President, I yield now to the Senator from Connecticut, Mr. Dodd. Amendment No. 419

Mr. CONRAD. I move to lay that motion on the table. The motion to lay on the table was agreed to.

Mr. CONRAD. Mr. President, I yield now to the Senator from Iowa, Mr. Harkin, for the presentation of an amendment. Amendment No. 396

Mr. CONRAD. Mr. President, I yield to the Senator from Vermont, Mr. Leahy.

Mr. CONRAD. Yes.

Mr. CONRAD. We agree to that.

Mr. CONRAD. Mr. President, I yield time to the Democratic leader. Amendment No. 361 (Purpose: To fulfill the U.S. commitment to provide health care to American Indians and Alaska Natives)

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

Mr. CONRAD. Mr. President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.