SUPPORTER'S ARGUMENT FOR VOTING YES:Sen. GRASSLEY: The Senate voted to make sure that middle-class America didn't pay the AMT, and we did it without an offset, by a vote of [about 95%]. So here we are again with an opportunity to say to middle-class America that we are not going to tax the people who were not supposed to be hit by the AMT. This amendment gives us an opportunity to get over that hurdle that is in this budget resolution that, under pay-go, you would have to have an offset for the AMT. Unless my amendment is adopted, the 25 million families who will be hit by the AMT increase will get a tax increase of over $2,000 apiece. They deserve a guarantee of relief.OPPONENT'S ARGUMENT FOR VOTING NO: Sen. CONRAD: If you want to blow a hole in the budget as big as all outdoors, here is your opportunity--a trillion dollars not paid for, a trillion dollars that we are going to go out and borrow from the Chinese and Japanese. That makes absolutely no sense. I urge my colleagues to vote no.LEGISLATIVE OUTCOME:Amendment rejected, 47-51
Democrats voting on 08-S078 | ||
| Daniel Akaka | NO | HI Democrat Jr Senator |
| Evan Bayh | YES | IN Democratic Jr Senator |
| Jeff Bingaman | NO | NM Democrat Jr Senator |
| Barbara Boxer | NO | CA Democratic incumbent |
| Sherrod Brown | NO | OH Democratic challenger, U.S. Rep. |
| Maria Cantwell | NO | WA Democrat Jr Senator |
| Benjamin Cardin | NO | MD Democratic challenger, U.S. Rep. |
| Tom Carper | NO | DE Democrat Jr Senator |
| Bob Casey | NO | PA Democratic challenger, state treasurer |
| Hillary Clinton | NO | NY Democrat Jr Senator |
| Kent Conrad | NO | ND Democrat Sr Senator |
| Chris Dodd | NO | CT Democratic incumbent |
| Byron Dorgan | NO | ND Democratic incumbent |
| Russell Feingold | NO | WI Democratic incumbent |
| Dianne Feinstein | NO | CA Democrat Sr Senator |
| Daniel Inouye | NO | HI Democratic incumbent |
| Ted Kennedy | NO | MA Democrat Sr Senator |
| Amy Klobuchar | NO | MN DFL challenger, Hennepin County Attorney |
| Herbert Kohl | NO | WI Democrat Sr Senator |
| Patrick Leahy | NO | VT Democratic incumbent |
| Joseph Lieberman | NO | CT Democratic Jr Senator; Gore's VP nominee; ran for Pres. 2004 |
| Blanche Lambert Lincoln | NO | AR Democratic incumbent |
| Claire McCaskill | NO | MO Democratic Jr Senator; previously state Auditor |
| Robert Menendez | NO | NJ Democratic appointee; previously U.S. Rep. |
| Barbara Mikulski | NO | MD Democratic incumbent |
| Patty Murray | NO | WA Democratic incumbent |
| Ben Nelson | NO | NE Democrat Jr Senator |
| Bill Nelson | NO | FL Democrat Sr Senator |
| Barack Obama | NO | IL Democratic Jr Senator |
| Harry Reid | NO | NV Democratic incumbent |
| Ken Salazar | NO | CO Democratic Jr Senator |
| Charles Schumer | NO | NY Democratic incumbent |
| Debbie Stabenow | NO | MI Democrat Jr Senator |
| Jon Tester | NO | MT Democratic Jr Senator |
| James Webb | NO | VA Democratic challenger |
| Sheldon Whitehouse | NO | RI Democratic Jr Senator, previously attorney general |
| Ron Wyden | NO | OR Democratic incumbent |
Republicans voting on 08-S078 | ||
| Robert Bennett | YES | UT Republican incumbent |
| Kit Bond | YES | MO Republican incumbent |
| Sam Brownback | YES | KS Republican incumbent |
| Jim Bunning | YES | KY Republican incumbent |
| Richard Burr | YES | NC Republican Jr Senator; previously US Representative |
| Tom Coburn | YES | OK Republican Jr Senator; previously US Rep |
| Bob Corker | YES | TN Republican challenger |
| Michael Crapo | YES | ID Republican incumbent |
| Jim DeMint | YES | SC Republican Jr Senator; previously US Representative |
| John Ensign | YES | NV Republican Jr Senator |
| Chuck Grassley | YES | IA Republican incumbent |
| Judd Gregg | YES | NH Republican incumbent |
| Orrin Hatch | YES | UT Republican Sr Senator |
| Kay Bailey Hutchison | YES | TX Republican Jr Senator |
| James Inhofe | YES | OK Republican Sr Senator |
| Johnny Isakson | YES | GA Republican Jr Senator; previously US Representative |
| Jon Kyl | YES | AZ Republican Jr Senator |
| Richard Lugar | YES | IN Republican Sr Senator |
| Mel Martinez | YES | FL Republican Jr Senator; previously US Housing Secretary |
| John McCain | YES | AZ Republican incumbent |
| Lisa Murkowski | YES | AK Republican incumbent |
| Richard Shelby | YES | AL Republican incumbent |
| Olympia Snowe | NO | ME Republican Sr Senator |
| Arlen Specter | YES | PA Republican incumbent |
| John Thune | YES | SD Republican Jr Senator; previously US Representative |
| David Vitter | YES | LA Republican Jr Senator; previously US Representative |
| George Voinovich | NO | OH Republican incumbent |
Independents voting on 08-S078 | ||
| Bernie Sanders | NO | VT Independent challenger, U.S. Rep |
| Democrats:
YES 1; NO 36
Republicans: YES 25; NO 2 Independents: YES 0; NO 1 |