Legislative Agenda
LEGISLATIVE AGENDA -- (Senate - August 01, 2006)
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
Mr. McCONNELL. Will the leader yield for another question?
Mr. FRIST. I will be happy to.
Mr. McCONNELL. Does the leader share my view that one of the things we hear the most from our constituents as we go about the country is: Why can't you people in the Senate do things on a bipartisan basis? And I heard the leader indicate earlier that we obviously have bipartisan support for the Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act, we have bipartisan support for the tax extenders, bipartisan support for the minimum wage, and, yes, bipartisan support for a permanent reduction in the death tax.
Why in the world--with bipartisan support for all of these three measures which the leader has put on the agenda for the last week before the August break--why in the world shouldn't we come together on a bipartisan basis and do something together that would be overwhelmingly popular with the American people? We have seen the poll data on the death tax. Even after Americans understand it does not apply to them, they hate the tax and despise it because they think they shouldn't have to visit the IRS and the undertaker on the last day. And we are not even, as the Senator from New Hampshire pointed out, permanently repealing it, which would be our first choice but, rather, getting a permanent reduction. The minimum wage is overwhelmingly approved, and we have taken Senator Kennedy's figures. What part of ``yes'' do our friends on the other side not understand?
So I would just ask my friend, the majority leader, if he can think of any rationale why the Senate, any reason why the Senate should not come together--with bipartisan support existing for all of these measures--this week and have one of the Senate's finest moments, operating on a bipartisan basis to do some series of things that are important for America?
Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I would just very briefly respond that my distinguished colleague from Kentucky really captures the point. Not only is it bipartisan support, but it is bipartisan majority support for each of these. Remember, for a total repeal, we got, in essence, 55 votes--for total repeal--and we are coming back with the compromise. The extension of the tax relief and the long list I went through are issues we have addressed before, and we are extending them because they are so popular in terms of bipartisan support. And the minimum wage increase is an issue that has bipartisan majority support.
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/C?r109:./temp/~r109fgafYb