[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 11 (Thursday, February 2, 2006)]
[Senate]
[Page S466]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                           DEFICIT REDUCTION

  Mr. REID. Madam President, through the Chair to the distinguished 
Senator from Kentucky, and to anyone within the sound of my voice, if 
there were ever a grating of nerves, it is the nerves of the American 
people by what this piece of legislation does to them. This legislation 
was named by the majority in conjunction with the President. It is 
called the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005. If there were ever Orwellian 
doublespeak, it is that.
  Using the numbers the majority placed in this bill, the budget 
Deficit Reduction Act of 2005--we are in 2006, but it was named and 
completed in 2005--it increases the deficit by $50 billion. The Deficit 
Reduction Act of 2005 increases the deficit by $50 billion using their 
numbers. So let's not talk about grating the nerves. If there were ever 
a grating of nerves, it should be the American people who are so 
concerned about what has happened to the economy of this country.
  In just a few days we are going to be asked to increase the debt 
ceiling from $8.2 trillion to whatever figure they pick, $9 trillion; 
``they'' meaning the majority. Talk about grating the nerves. We, the 
minority, need not be lectured on common courtesies as expressed by the 
distinguished Senator from Kentucky. There is no one in the Senate who 
is more bipartisan than the distinguished senior Senator from Montana 
who is the floor manager of this legislation. We are doing nothing but 
following procedure.
  Frankly, what happened yesterday didn't extend common courtesy. We 
were not allowed to offer a single amendment. If this is how we want to 
start the year, by pointing fingers, we can point fingers just as well 
as the majority. We chose not to do that yesterday. There wasn't a 
speech given yesterday about how we had been prevented from offering 
amendments, but the Senator from Kentucky comes out here this morning 
and lectures us on common courtesy and grating nerves. Any time that 
debate needs to take place, we will be involved.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The majority whip.
  Mr. McCONNELL. Madam President, I certainly don't intend to engage in 
a prolonged debate this morning. Let me repeat that we passed this bill 
about 5 weeks ago. A number of Democrats voted for it on final passage. 
The reason they voted for it is they know it is the only way to prevent 
a tax increase on many middle-class people who are counting on the tax 
relief that was passed several years back and hope that it will 
continue. My only point is, I say to my good friend from Nevada--and he 
is my good friend--we have been there and done that on this bill. To 
simply redo the same measure is arguably a waste of the Senate's time. 
Nevertheless, that is where we are. At some point this week we will 
complete, once again, the passage of this Tax Increase Prevention Act 
which will be to the substantial benefit of the American people.
  I yield the floor.

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