Kent Conrad

Mr. CONRAD

Mr. CONRAD. Next up is Senator Wicker.

Mr. CONRAD. I yield the time in opposition to the Senator from New Jersey.

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 President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

Mr. CONRAD. Next up----

Mr. CONRAD. Why don't we just take it on a voice vote?

Mr. CONRAD. I think we have to do it by voice.

Mr. CONRAD. Mr. President, we are prepared to take that on a voice vote.

Mr. CONRAD. I move to lay that motion on the table. The motion to lay on the table was agreed to. Amendment No. 746

Mr. CONRAD. Mr. President, the next amendment is from Senator Udall of Colorado. If he could describe it in 30 seconds. Mr. Udall of Colorado. Mr. President, I wish to thank Senator Ensign for joining me in this amendment. This is a deficit-neutral reserve fund amendment that would help prevent forest fires. Our State budgets are facing economic wildfires. This would help State and private lands reduce fuel loads so we can prevent catastrophic forest fires. Let's stand with Smokey the Bear. Let's prevent forest fires. Vote for this amendment.

Mr. CONRAD. Mr. President, we are prepared to take this amendment on a voice vote.

Mr. CONRAD. Mr. President, next we go to the Lincoln-Kyl amendment.

Mr. CONRAD. Mr. President, I wish to remind all colleagues that the chairman's mark takes the estate tax exemption from $1 million per person in 2011 to $3.5 million, $7 million a couple. The proposal by the Senator from Arkansas would take it to $5 million, and $10 million a couple, reduces the rate from 45 percent to 35 percent. It is in a deficit-neutral reserve fund. The cost of this amendment from 2012 to 2021, when it is fully effective, is over $100 billion. Where does the money come from? Either by cutting spending somewhere else or raising other taxes. I urge my colleagues to reject the amendment.

Mr. CONRAD. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that notwithstanding the adoption of amendments Nos. 913 and 875, the amendments be modified with the changes at the desk.

Mr. CONRAD. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the list I send to the desk be the only amendments remaining in order to the budget resolution and managers' amendments which have been cleared by the managers and leaders and that a side by side be in order to any of the amendments on the list at the discretion of the managers and leaders; that the order in which the amendments are considered be determined by the managers; that upon disposition of all amendments, the Senate proceed to vote on adoption of the concurrent resolution, with the provisions of the previous orders remaining in effect.

Mr. CONRAD. Mr. President, we are prepared to go to the DeMint amendment.

Mr. CONRAD. I am sorry. Mr. President, next in order is the Durbin amendment and then the DeMint amendment. Senator Durbin. Amendment No. 974, as Modified

Mr. CONRAD. Mr. President, we have a number of amendments we can now take by unanimous consent: Burr No. 777, Hatch No. 962, and Dorgan No. 946. I ask unanimous consent that we approve Burr amendment No. 777, Hatch amendment No. 962, and Dorgan amendment No. 946.

Mr. CONRAD. Mr. President, next we go to an amendment by Senator DeMint with respect to the auto industry.

Mr. CONRAD. Mr. President, Senator Stabenow has the time in opposition.

Mr. CONRAD. Mr. President, we still have probably 30-some amendments left to do. We are working through a process to try to put together managers' packages that could clear the significant majority of those amendments, but we still have a number of amendments that will require votes. One of the lessons I hope we learn from this is to never do it again. That would be my strong recommendation. In just a moment, we will be prepared to have a managers' package. Amendments Nos. 901, 903, 886, 792, 958, 976, 867, 819, 960, 890, 733, 734, 939, 878, and 841, en bloc

Mr. CONRAD. Mr. President, I propose a managers' package that would involve Begich No. 901, Begich No. 903, Klobuchar No. 886, Alexander No. 792, Crapo No. 958, Hatch No. 976, Hutchison No. 867, Enzi No. 819, Barrasso No. 960, Barrasso No. 890, Crapo No. 733, Crapo No. 734, Hatch No. 939, Hatch-Dodd No. 878, and Murkowski No. 841. I ask that they be accepted by unanimous consent.

Mr. CONRAD. Mr. President, let me say that we are just about ready. I suggest the absence of a quorum.

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

Mr. CONRAD. Mr. President, we are prepared to go to DeMint amendment No. 967.

Mr. CONRAD. Chairman Inouye has the time in opposition.