[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 159 (2013), Part 5]
[Senate]
[Pages 6879-6880]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




               UNANIMOUS CONSENT REQUEST--H. CON. RES. 25

  Mr. WYDEN. Madam President, I appreciate Senator Reid yielding me 
this time and Senator McConnell being on the floor for this, and I will 
be brief.
  As I discussed earlier this morning, yesterday's new report from the 
Congressional Budget Office highlights why it would be so important to 
have a conference committee between the House and the Senate go to work 
on the budget. What the Congressional Budget Office reported yesterday 
was a 24-percent reduction in the budget deficit--quite a remarkable 
projection. That, coupled with the improving jobs and housing numbers, 
we now have economic experts across the political spectrum--for 
example, people such as Glenn Hubbard, a leading Republican economist--
saying it is important for the Congress to look at these long-term 
economic challenges. In fact, we have economic experts of both 
political parties saying Washington ought to be doing more about the 
long-term economic challenges and not just have the day-to-day 
battling.
  Going to a budget conference will give us that opportunity. It will 
give us the opportunity to look at the 10-year budget window and 
particularly issues such as health care and taxes.
  So in the name of dealing with the long-term economic challenges 
highlighted by yesterday's projections, I ask unanimous consent that 
the Senate proceed to the consideration of Calendar No. 33, H. Con. 
Res. 25; that the amendment which is at the desk, the text of S. Con. 
Res. 8, the budget resolution passed by the Senate, be inserted in lieu 
thereof; that H. Con. Res. 25, as amended, be agreed to; the motion to 
reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table; that the Senate 
insist on its amendment, request a conference with the House on the 
disagreeing votes of the two Houses; and the Chair be authorized to 
appoint conferees on the part of the Senate; all with no intervening 
action or debate.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection?
  Mr. McCONNELL. Reserving the right to object, I ask unanimous consent 
that the Senator modify his request that it not be in order for the 
Senate to consider a conference report that includes tax increases or 
reconciliation instructions to increase taxes or raise the debt limit.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Does the Senator so modify his request?
  Mr. WYDEN. I do not. The point I have tried to make is the 
Congressional Budget Office didn't talk about the Senate relitigating 
past discussions.
  Mr. McCONNELL. Madam President, I have a parliamentary inquiry: Is 
that an objection?
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Does the Senator object to the modification?
  Mr. WYDEN. I do.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Objection is heard.
  Is there objection to the original request of the Senator from 
Oregon?

[[Page 6880]]


  Mr. McCONNELL. I object.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Objection is heard.
  The Senator from Oregon.
  Mr. WYDEN. If I could be recognized for another brief moment this 
highlights how unfortunate it is that we don't look to the future as 
the Congressional Budget Office projections laid out for us yesterday. 
The Congressional Budget Office didn't talk about relitigating past 
votes here in the Senate. They said specifically the deficit was 
significantly lower than earlier projected, and, on the basis of what I 
have cited, economic experts of both political parties are saying it is 
time to look to the long-term challenges, particularly Medicare and 
taxes. I came today to say that a budget conference would provide that 
kind of window: the opportunity to look particularly at long-term 
health care challenges such as chronic care and Medicare.
  I see my colleague from the Senate Finance Committee, who knows we 
have been talking about tax reform, Democrats and Republicans; again, a 
bipartisan opportunity we could achieve through a conference. I 
proposed that today, based on the new evidence from yesterday. 
Regrettably, we can't go to conference because it seems the leader on 
the other side will only go to conference if we can relitigate the 
stuff that happened in the Senate which he lost.
  I hope colleagues will look at that new Congressional Budget Office 
report. I hope they will look at the jobs picture, the housing starts, 
all of which seem to be improving in the short term. I hope they will 
pay more attention to what economic experts of both political parties 
are saying, which is we ought to be looking to our long-term 
challenges--particularly in health care and taxes--with the budget 
conference between the House and the Senate providing an opportunity to 
look at that 10-year window. We could do exactly what economic experts 
of both political parties are talking about. I think it is unfortunate 
we have not been given that opportunity today and I hope we will be 
given it in the days ahead.
  With that, I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from New York.
  Mr. SCHUMER. Madam President, first, I thank my colleague from Oregon 
for offering his proposal and am sorry it was rejected. We should be 
going to conference on the budget, there is no question about it. It is 
hard for us to understand how, on the other side, people have been 
railing for 4 years: You do not have a budget. And now we have a budget 
and they do not want to move forward. But that is not what I rose to 
speak about today.

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