[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 134 (Friday, September 26, 2003)]
[Senate]
[Pages S12101-S12102]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        THIS WEEK IN THE SENATE

  Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, although we have not been able to finish 
the DC appropriations this week, we have addressed a number of 
significant, very important issues over the course of the week.
  Earlier in the week, we finished the Interior appropriations bill, 
after a lot of great work, fantastic work and leadership by Senator 
Conrad Burns and the ranking member.
  In addition, we completed final action on three appropriations 
conference reports, those being the Department of Defense, Homeland 
Security, and the legislative branch bills. Those will now be sent to 
the President for his signature.
  I am also pleased that the Senate was able to respond, very 
appropriately and very quickly, on the Do Not Call legislation, 
although within several hours after passage, we had yet another 
setback, a setback in the sense that the will of the American people is 
being trumped by a decision made in a Colorado court on this issue of 
``do not call.''
  Earlier this week, a Federal judge in Oklahoma had ruled that the 
Federal Trade Commission had no authority to operate the Do Not Call 
Telemarketing Registry, which was just about ready to go into effect, 
and very quickly we responded with legislation. But then, last night, 
as most people know, a Colorado judge ruled that the registry 
restrictions were a violation of the first amendment.
  Even over the course of the morning, I can tell you, because of the 
number of phone calls that have come to me, and talking with 
constituents back home, as well as the news media, it clearly is the 
sentiment, the feeling of the overwhelming majority of Americans that 
these decisions make no sense.
  Americans this summer have signed up for that ``sound of silence'' in 
the evenings from that telephone ring right when they are sitting down 
for that very special time--dinner with their family--and there are the 
repetitive phone calls that start coming to them by telemarketers 
hawking the variety of wares with which we are all familiar.

  The daily lives of millions of people are interrupted each and every 
day--again and again--with that telephone ring interrupting meals and 
family time, interrupting their togetherness. You pick up the phone and 
hear the pitch.
  Every time I am in Tennessee, I hear about this. According to the 
FTC, as of

[[Page S12102]]

September 16--the most recent information available--677,669 Tennessee 
phone numbers have been registered with the National Do Not Call 
Registry; over 187,000 of those registered by phone and over 490,000 by 
the Internet alone.
  As for parents, it is, as we all know, one of those important 
interests, and we are committed to do something about that.
  Yesterday, with the leadership of Chairman Billy Tauzin in the House, 
the House responded with legislation. Chairman McCain, along with 
Senators Ensign and Dorgan and many others in this body, worked on 
legislation identical to the Tauzin bill. We passed that bill. The 
House passed their bill. We passed our bill. Yet we now have this 
Colorado ruling, from late yesterday, which goes counter to the will of 
the American people.
  At this juncture we will have to review the decision to determine how 
best to proceed, and for telemarketers how we can put--and we will 
figure out some way to do it--some sort of permanent busy signal on the 
phones of families in Tennessee and indeed across the country.
  Finally, earlier this week, we were able to schedule and give consent 
to Senator DeWine's Video Voyeurism Prevention Act. Several important 
authorizations were completed this week, including the one we just did 
with the Small Business reauthorization, as well as the authorization 
for the Federal Maritime Commission. Senators McCain and Snowe guided 
passage of those measures.
  We also successfully negotiated an agreement to allow for Senate 
passage of the U.S. Olympic Committee Reform Act. Senator Campbell and 
McCain engaged in that effort and pushed ahead.
  Just a few moments ago, we also confirmed formally a number of 
military nominations, including Gordon England to be Secretary of the 
Navy.
  I would like to say, also, that we confirmed six district judges this 
week. Again, steady progress has been made with respect to these 
judicial nominations. Yet I very quickly have to remind my colleagues 
that we have an additional 12 judges that are now waiting on the 
Executive Calendar. I will continue to work with the Democratic leader 
to schedule Senate votes on those remaining nominations.
  Let me close by saying--this is really to notify my colleagues--on 
the Executive Calendar we have a whole number of--too many, I think--
nonjudicial nominations that are pending for floor action.
  I know that individual Members may have specific concerns with some 
of these nominations, but I am also aware that Senators will hold these 
nominations so we cannot address them on the floor for unrelated 
issues. Because we are now coming down to the closing weeks of this 
session, I do hope and encourage each and every one of our Members to 
address, from their own perspective, these nominations, and if there is 
something holding up consideration from the floor, to work with us and 
to allow these individuals to be scheduled for votes. We have 
nominations, in fact, that have been on the Executive Calendar since 
March, again, waiting for us to act. I hope each of us will address 
this very important issue.
  I do thank my colleagues in advance for addressing this over the 
coming days.

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