Re: RE: Re: tax cut passes Congress (U.S.)

["Andrew Hagen" <xah@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

On Sat, 26 May 2001 20:48:24 -0400, Max Sawicky wrote:

>[...] it's a political victory for Bush.  He
>got everything he asked for, against the
>wishes of the Dem leadership in both
>Houses.  He got the defection of 10 or
>so 'moderates,' including the Dem head
>of the Finance Cttee.

Here is a condemnation of the tax cut bill by possibly the next Senate
Finance Committee Chairman, Kent Conrad (D-ND). He mentions that he
supported two alternative tax cuts, belying the notion that the
Democrats lost because they did not present their own plans.

<http://conrad.senate.gov/~conrad/releases/01/05/2001523955.html>

Conrad is indignant that the "budget surplus" is gone. In 2001 the
surplus exists only on paper. It's based on projections of better
economic times than these. Now, the pie has shrunk. In essence, there
isn't enough money to expand military and education spending, provide
prescription drugs under Medcare, and reduce the size of the national
debt.

<http://www.nytimes.com/2001/05/27/politics/27SURP.html>

The final vote was 58 to 33. The ranking member in the Finance
Committee, Max Baucus (D-MT), voted for the tax cut. Here is how each
Senator voted.

<http://www.senate.gov/legislative/legis_act_rollcall_today.html>

(If you are reading this after Saturday you might have to look H.R.1836
on senate.gov under roll call votes.)

Meanwhile, the Bush Administration says they won't change their policy
proposals in response to the Democratic takeover. Not a surprise. They
can't say otherwise, or they would be rolled. Interestingly, however,
they are floating a trial balloon about going after the Democrats. The
trial balloon is that Bush will put pressure on Senate Democrats who
are weak in the polls. Then, in 2002, they will wage a nationwide
campaign against "obstructionist" Democratic Senators. This is strange.
I thought obstructionists were supposed to be conservative.

<http://washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A79639-2001May25.html>

Additionally, the Republican Senators are floating a trial balloon
about tying up the Senate unless all Bush nominees get floor votes.
This article is also informative on the details of the power shift,
including new committee chairmen, committee assignments, and the like.
In short, nothing is decided yet.

<http://www.nytimes.com/2001/05/27/politics/27SENA.html>

We don't really know who the Democratic chairman of the Senate Finance
Committee will be. Here, though, is the curre
roster.

<http://www.senate.gov/committees/committee_detail.cfm?COMMITTEE_ID=430>


Andrew W. Hagen
xah@xxxxxxxxxxxxx