[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 156 (Friday, October 31, 2003)]
[Senate]
[Pages S13705-S13706]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  RECENT ACCOMPLISHMENTS IN THE SENATE

  Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I wanted to take this opportunity while we 
are in the quorum call to come to the floor and comment briefly on what 
we have done in the last several days and look ahead as to next week. 
We won't actually be closing here for a little bit as we are working on 
a couple of issues.
  I want to thank everybody formally for the hard work they put forward 
this week. It was an aggressive week in terms of what we set out to 
accomplish, and we were able to finish everything we said we were going 
to do, with one exception, and that is set up to complete at the end of 
next week. People worked very late last night, with 14 rollcall votes, 
finishing close to midnight. I thank everybody for that commitment 
manifested over the last several days.
  The days have been very long. Everybody's schedules are full with 
activities not just on the floor. There is this constant balancing act. 
We had to deal with three or four issues and bills at the same time. It 
seems to individual schedulers of Senators that things are somewhat 
discombobulated. Despite all that, we were able to finish a number of 
issues.
  The Healthy Forests legislation was accelerated into the schedule 
because we had not planned exactly when we were going to do that. That 
took a lot of cooperation. We were able to take it to the floor and 
complete it, which is especially important with the recent fires that 
are and have been burning in California. As we have watched those 
images, we could not help but extend our prayers to the families, for 
the individuals who are so directly affected in that part of the 
country and also by fires in other States. With those images now that 
we see every morning, every night, and over the course of the day, we 
extend our heartfelt prayers to those affected.
  On the Foreign Operations bill, our majority whip did a tremendous 
job in ushering that bill through. We had the bill on the floor. We 
came to a point where we had certain challenges in terms of funding and 
paying for a particular very important amendment on HIV/AIDS, and the 
cooperation there on both sides of the aisle in being able to move off 
that bill for a period of time while that was resolved with the 
President pro tempore, chairman of the Appropriations Committee, 
Senator Ted Stevens, coming forward and working out a proposal that 
allowed us to reach out and send a strong message across the world that 
this little virus, HIV/AIDS, is something we are going to beat over 
time; and then, with all that cooperation, coming back to the floor and 
passing that amendment, and ultimately the Foreign Operations bill last 
night, gives me a great deal of satisfaction because it shows 
cooperation, partnership, working together, and the attention to 
people's schedules on the floor, an efficient use of everyone's time.
  I congratulate Senator McConnell, the majority whip, who did a superb 
job in that regard.
  The nomination of Michael Leavitt, now Administrator of the 
Environmental Protection Agency, was an issue we addressed, and it took 
a lot of work both behind the scenes and on the floor of the Senate. We 
were able to vitiate cloture and we were able to give him an up-or-down 
vote, which I would like to see more of in other nominations, and we 
will continue to fight for that. Michael Leavitt, now Administrator, 
got that up-or-down vote. That stresses the importance of having that 
sort of process of an up-or-down vote for all of the President's 
nominees.
  In the Leavitt debate, there were disagreements on various policy 
issues, but we had a qualified nominee at the time. He deserved that 
vote and he got it, and I was pleased that he was confirmed by a large 
bipartisan vote.
  The Iraq supplemental is coming to a close, and through the agreement 
last night, we will deliver on the President's request in terms of 
supporting our military women and men overseas and doing everything we 
possibly can from a legislative and financial standpoint to ensure 
their safety, but to maximize the safety of the Iraqi people and the 
reconstructive efforts promoted aggressively and entirely consistent 
with what Ambassador Bremer told us was necessary, our military leaders 
told us was necessary, our Commander in Chief told us was necessary.
  There are a number of issues we debated in terms of how we monitor 
the spending of this money, which has been resolved, and whether it 
should be grants versus loans. There was a lot of good debate, and the 
issue was ultimately resolved right where the President said it would 
be most useful. We will complete that Monday. There will be no rollcall 
vote because both sides of the aisle have agreed to that, but we will 
talk further about the issue Monday. By Monday early evening or late 
afternoon, that bill will pass and that will bring that issue to a 
close.
  We will spend a little time on the Interior conference report on 
Monday, and we will have a vote on that late Monday afternoon, 
somewhere between 5 and 6, probably 5:30 to 6 p.m.
  We have the fair credit reporting bill on which we have agreement to 
bring to the floor, and that will probably be Tuesday.
  Then we have the Internet tax moratorium which, as I said earlier 
this morning, I would have liked to have addressed today or last night, 
but because there are a number of Members who feel very strongly that 
we have to have a different time for debate, we all agree we will be 
doing that bill probably Thursday of next week. As I expressed this 
morning, my intention is to finish that either Thursday or Friday.
  Last night, we did act on the continuing resolution, and that will 
fund our Governmental operations until November 7, and that will allow 
us to continue our work on the remaining business.
  I also spoke earlier this morning about the urgency that I feel, 
which I want to express to my colleagues, to stay focused, to complete 
the appropriations process, as well as the work in the various 
conferences so we can adjourn at a reasonable time.
  All of this work--again, most of this is just from the last several 
days--means that we have had to work throughout the day each day this 
past week and into the evening.
  Also, because a lot of things we handle in wrap-up, and people are 
not generally aware because they are not done with a lot of fanfare but 
are done by unanimous consent of the entire body, I find it useful each 
evening when I close, but especially at the end of the week, to look at 
some of those bills.
  This week the Senate passed S. 1194, Senator Mike DeWine's Mentally 
Ill Offender Treatment and Crime Reduction Act. I mentioned earlier 
that Senator DeWine was instrumental in putting together the amendment 
on HIV/AIDS to the foreign operations bill, which we passed as well.
  The bill S. 1768, the National Flood Insurance Program 
Reauthorization Act, which was introduced by Senator Bunning, was 
passed.
  We are still hoping today to make progress on the military tax 
fairness bill. This bill is intended to hopefully level the playing 
field with respect to tax policy for many members of the Armed Forces. 
I know there is currently an objection, but I encourage those people 
who objected to in the next few minutes or hours, whatever it takes, 
look at that bill and hopefully be able to clear that as soon as 
possible.
  Senator Inhofe's bill, S. 1757 relating to the Kennedy Center 
reauthorization, was just cleared by both sides. There was another bill 
from Senator Specter and the Veterans' Committee, S. 1132, the veterans 
benefits bill, an important

[[Page S13706]]

bill that we need to finish as we approach November 11. That will be 
finalized shortly.
  The point is, we are able to proceed in a bipartisan manner, and we 
are making progress. We must continue to do that to get the needed work 
done as we try to work out or work through the host of complicated 
issues which are inevitable when we deal with legislation.
  We will continue to work across the aisle to do the necessary work of 
this body as we move through these final days.
  Again, we will not close the Senate until we work through a few 
remaining items of business, but I say thanks to my colleagues. We are 
making progress. We have a lot of work to do over the coming days, but 
we are going to be able to adjourn in a reasonable period of time if we 
stay focused and stay disciplined as we go forward.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

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