, ▁ 2 0 0 6 , ▁Con rad ▁was ▁one ▁of ▁four ▁Democr ats ▁to ▁vote ▁in ▁favor ▁of ▁confirm ing ▁Judge ▁Samuel ▁Al ito ▁to ▁the ▁Supreme ▁Court . ▁ ▁F is cal ▁policies ▁On ▁April ▁ 1 7 , ▁ 2 0 1 2 , ▁Con rad , ▁a ▁strong ▁supp orter ▁of ▁the ▁Sim pson - B ow les ▁plan , ▁announced ▁his ▁plan ▁to ▁offer ▁a ▁version ▁of ▁it ▁that ▁he , ▁as ▁a ▁member ▁of ▁the ▁National ▁Commission ▁on ▁F is cal ▁Res p ons ibility ▁and ▁Reform , ▁helped ▁to ▁develop . ▁Law m akers ▁on ▁the ▁Senate ▁Bud get ▁Committee ▁could ▁be ▁forced ▁to ▁vote ▁or ▁modify ▁the ▁plan . ▁ ▁Con rad ▁was ▁known ▁for ▁his ▁deep ▁understanding ▁of ▁mon et ary ▁policies ▁and ▁budget ▁issues . ▁He ▁ident ifies ▁as ▁a ▁" def ic it ▁ha w k ", ▁supporting ▁a ▁bal anced ▁federal ▁budget , ▁but ▁continues ▁to ▁support ▁farm ▁subs id ies . ▁He ▁voted ▁against ▁Republican ▁propos als ▁to ▁repe al ▁the ▁estate ▁and ▁alternative ▁minimum ▁tax es . ▁He ▁supported ▁lower ▁middle - class ▁tax es , ▁but ▁increased ▁tax es ▁for ▁people ▁making ▁more ▁than ▁$ 1 ▁million ▁per ▁year . ▁In ▁ 2 0 1 0 ▁he ▁supported ▁extending ▁the ▁exp iring ▁Bush ▁tax ▁cut s ▁" at ▁least ▁until ▁the ▁economy ▁is ▁clearly ▁recover ing ." ▁ ▁Con rad ▁was ▁very ▁vocal ▁in ▁his ▁opposition ▁to ▁the ▁sp ending ▁policies ▁of ▁the ▁George ▁W . ▁Bush