Player of the Week: Sen. Kent Conrad

Sen. Kent Conrad (D-N.D.) faces one of the most important weeks of his 25-year career in the upper chamber.

He is putting the finishing touches on a Democratic budget resolution for fiscal 2012 while seeking to craft a Gang of Six budget compromise.

{mosads}These simultaneous efforts have led to some long nights for the 63-year-old senator.

But this is crunch time for him, as he rejected an opportunity to become Agriculture Committee chairman late last year in order to keep his gavel at the Budget panel.

Conrad has long urged his colleagues to deal with the nation’s fiscal problems. Earlier this year, Conrad announced he would not seek reelection, stating, “There are serious challenges facing our state and nation, like a $14 trillion debt and America’s dependence on foreign oil. It is more important I spend my time and energy trying to solve these problems than to be distracted by a campaign for reelection.”

Asked on May 1 on “Fox News Sunday” about the Gang of Six plan, Conrad acknowledged time was running short. “If we don’t [release a plan soon], we’re simply not going to be relevant, because this debate marches on,” he said.

More than a week later, the Gang remains silent. Conrad has crafted his own budget that he says would cut $4 trillion from the deficit over 10 years, which mirrors the blueprint of the president’s fiscal commission. Last week, Conrad called his cuts to Medicare “modest,” especially when compared to the House GOP-endorsed reductions. 

The Hill reported last week that some in the Democratic Conference who have been briefed on Conrad’s plan are not enamored with the budget resolution, including Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Al Franken (D-Minn.). 

Conrad is in the last chapter of his congressional career, and arguably the most important. How he navigates this week and beyond will go a long way in determining if it has a happy ending.