[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 37 (Friday, March 7, 2003)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3372-S3374]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                                PROGRAM

  Mr. FRIST. For the information of all Senators, on Monday, the Senate 
will once again resume consideration of the Estrada nomination. We will 
continue to pursue an agreement to allow for an up-or-down vote which 
is the end point for this nomination. At 5 o'clock on Monday, the 
Senate will begin consideration of S. 3, the partial-birth abortion 
bill. A number of Senators have indicated they will be available to 
make their opening statements on that bill during Monday's session. As 
a reminder, the first rollcall vote of Monday's session will occur at 6 
p.m. on the nomination of Gregory Frost to be a U.S. District Judge for 
the Southern District of Ohio.
  I thank all Members for their attention.
  Mr. REID. Mr. Leader, Monday afternoon from 2 until 5 we will be on 
the Estrada nomination again. We have had a long, thorough debate on 
this matter. There has been some difficult dialog, but it has all been 
for the advocacy that should be present in the Senate. What this is 
leading up to is everything has gone so well at this point, we would 
hope--and I will be here virtually all the time that afternoon--that 
there would be no effort to try to sneak in a vote when somebody is not 
on the floor or anything like that. I think it would really take away 
from what has happened here. I continue to ask that question.
  I am not sure that there will be people from the Judiciary Committee 
available all that afternoon. That means I will have to cover that. 
There are times when I am indisposed for various reasons.
  Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, we can assure the other side that we will 
be engaged just in discussion on the Estrada nomination and have no 
intention to

[[Page S3374]]

be voting during that period. We will be continuing the very important 
discussion on the nomination itself.
  My goal in that discussion next week is to begin to talk, not to 
extend what has been a very good debate, but have a discussion on this 
nomination in terms of the constitutional significance of advice and 
consent. Monday, hopefully in the afternoon, some of that discussion 
will begin, and then also continue that through Tuesday.
  I do thank the assistant minority leader and really the whole other 
side of the aisle. We have had a productive week. We made real progress 
to complete the treaty yesterday, a very important initiative. I look 
forward to next week being a productive week.
  Mr. REID. Mr. President, if the Senator will yield, the other 
question I have is, I learned yesterday that there may be an effort on 
Tuesday morning from 11 to 12:30 to get back on Estrada, talking about 
some constitutional issues people think are there. That is fine. I was 
just wondering if that, in fact, is the case because the Judiciary 
Committee members want to plan their schedules if in fact that were the 
case.
  Mr. FRIST. That is the time that has been set aside, similar to 
today. There had been a request from both sides of the aisle today to 
spend time talking about the issue that has been discussed; that is, 
Iraq and the events there. Similarly, people have asked, well, we have 
been on Estrada, but why don't we take a period of time to give focus 
to the big issues that affect the institution in terms of advice and 
consent and balance of power. In response to that, we have set aside 
this period between 11 o'clock and 12:30 on Tuesday. It is my hope that 
we have many Senators here to participate in that debate because I look 
forward to it. The whole purpose is to set that period aside. We will 
discuss the best way to construct that between both sides.
  Mr. REID. Mr. President, through you to the leader, I extend my 
appreciation for his courtesy, as usual.

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