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Former Senators Byron Dorgan, (D-N.D.), and Bob Bennett, (R-Utah), discuss taxes and the unpopularity of Congress.
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-- in DC and for more we bring in a couple of vol level headed former senators have joined us a number of times talking today about what's been called by some of the worst congress ever.
Byron Dorgan a Democrat from North Dakota and Bob Bennett of Republican from.
You talk now with the law firm parent fox so before we talk about whether this is the worst congress ever or whether art Laffer is right about -- bipartisanship coming after the election.
What do we think of this debate tax hike or tax cut which is it senator Bennett or does -- not really matter.
Semantics don't really matter of economics -- what matters in the fact is.
If if you allow the tax bill that was passed -- ten year period -- years ago to expire.
Taxes will go up.
And there's there's there's no argument with that reality regardless of what you call such attacks -- -- -- would you -- -- -- come -- that agreed that senator -- for those that make -- 250000 dollars and above it is attacks.
Hi -- is it fair to at least -- that are now.
You know I I think it doesn't matter about that debate what matters is whether we get the fiscal policy right and put the country on -- attractive some future economic growth.
We had a real serious fiscal policy problem.
-- -- energy issues we need to deal with my need to fix the tax code with a lot of things do.
So having a debate about these might my guess is by the way that before the end of the year most all of this is gonna get kicked down in the next year at least for another six months -- -- We have a weak economy I don't expect to see at the end of this year -- cliff where.
You have substantial tax increases -- -- well you have substantially less the spending as well.
I thought it was interesting to hear -- -- -- -- speaking today get a minute ago talking about the fact that he thinks after the election will see.
All this bipartisan ship this at a Dorgan saying they'll probably kick the can down the road a little bit more the reference I made to the worst congress ever coming to you guys.
The Washington Post put out some -- statistics there.
Couple weeks ago and they had some charts which are kind of interest in looking at congressman number one and the passing a lot of -- senator Bennett.
I'm not that's a good or bad thing -- -- and getting a lot done they're not very popular -- not to look at this is a the the number of laws passed in congress is a chart over the years the popularity is ridiculous down -- 5%.
It is that something that's a fair.
Label on this congress the worst ever.
Well I since I have no.
Memory of what was going on prior to the civil war in some of the other congresses.
In our history I can't.
Can't accept the worst label ever.
It is a more gridlock congress and I have ever seen.
Failure to pass a budget.
Failure to pass appropriations bills.
-- used to be very routine regardless of who was in charge.
And to see that whole thing breakdown is is really very disheartening.
And I'm very sorry that that's where we are now I hope Arthur Laffer is right to.
I do feel that the Tea Party wave is receding.
And it's not going to be nearly as big a factor in this elections it was in 2010.
When it hurt you I didn't I geology yeah ideology.
Is still stronger.
In the political atmosphere now than it -- it used to be.
It once was that once you have an election you had at least a year before people started thinking about the next election.
And you can work together in that year period now we are that we are in the midst of the perpetual campaign.
The campaign for 2000 and fourteen will -- him.
The day the president is sworn in in 2012.
Have the next mid term election yeah -- I hope that that.
She doesn't produce further gridlock of the kind we've had.
Just a quick last word to -- senator Dorgan on the idea of getting things done that may be.
Senator Bennett's helpful art Laffer was more making -- prediction that will finally work in a bipartisan matter we think.
Whoever hundred hope that's the case but you know that the political -- the season is on -- everybody's chosen sides as senator Bennett said this is kind of a dysfunctional situation.
The American people deserve better let me just say with respect art Laffer when he talked about a recession I don't agree -- that but they reminded me of the guy that predicted ten of the last two recessions.
You know I I my sense -- we have slow growth but I think.
We're gonna come out of this and that we need some -- but we need of some bipartisanship in some good decisions for the future of the country but we get -- when we have you two gone together although your former members of congress at this point Byron Dorgan Bob Bennett it's always nice to have both beyond thanks a lot.
Thank you thank you.
