[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 46 (Monday, April 5, 2004)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3623-S3624]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                                SCHEDULE

  Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, today the Senate will be in a period of 
morning business for Senators to make statements and to introduce 
legislation. There will be no rollcall votes during

[[Page S3624]]

today's session, and tomorrow the Senate will resume debate on the 
motion to proceed to S. 2207, the Pregnancy and Trauma Care Access 
Prevention Act of 2004. Last week I filed a cloture motion on that 
motion to proceed, and that vote will occur at 2:15 on Wednesday. That 
cloture vote will be the first rollcall vote during this week.
  I had hoped to reach agreement for us to begin this medical liability 
bill, but there was an objection from the other side of the aisle which 
has made this cloture necessary. I know Chairman Gregg and others will 
want to speak to the issue tomorrow, and I encourage all Members to 
listen closely to the debate.
  The whole issue of medical malpractice reform and medical liability 
has reached crisis proportions in this country, as will be discussed 
tomorrow. You can't go to any community that is not affected by the 
unnecessary and frivolous lawsuits that have been filed, which results 
in a poor quality of care, with less access, with physicians moving 
from communities--in fact, some physicians leaving their specialty or 
leaving the practice of medicine altogether.
  This week we will also try to finish the bill that has to do with 
manufacturing and jobs and taxation, a bill called the JOBS bill or a 
bill that is known as the FSC/ETI legislation. This is a very important 
bill that is directed at putting in sync our trade policy with what is 
actually carried out today in trade.
  We continue to have discussions on how to finish this legislation. 
Unfortunately, there are an inordinate number of amendments that keep 
coming from the other side of the aisle. Given the importance of this 
bill and the timeliness of it, it is imperative we find a way to 
complete the measure as quickly as we possibly can without having to 
consider an additional 30 or 40 amendments.
  Today I will offer a second cloture motion so we can have a vote this 
week to determine if Members are prepared to bring this bill to a 
conclusion.
  The House passed the conference report to accompany the Pension 
Funding Equity Act. That conference report should be arriving today, 
and we must act on that conference report. I will be talking to the 
Democratic leader about scheduling the pension bill this week. I 
understand there is a payment deadline on April 15 and, therefore, 
there is urgency for us to act quickly and to act this week before we 
will be on our recess next week. Again, there is a payment deadline of 
April 15, and thus I want to act on this pension bill this week.
  On yet another subject, the Commerce Committee is to file the 
legislation which is known as the indecency legislation. The House has 
acted, and we would like to expedite consideration of this bill as soon 
as we possibly can.
  Lastly, I remind everyone we have been working for some time on 
asbestos litigation. We will be bringing that bill to the floor after 
the Easter recess. I hope Senators will allow us to proceed to that 
measure and debate the underlying bill, an important bill that 
recognizes the asbestos litigation system is out of control today and 
people who should be compensated are not receiving their just 
compensation because of a lack of reform. It is an issue we have talked 
a lot about, an issue that has been addressed in committee, and an 
issue we should address and will address in the Senate.
  In a few moments I will be addressing issues surrounding health care 
security for our seniors.

                          ____________________