[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 99 (Friday, July 16, 2004)]
[Senate]
[Pages S8402-S8403]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        THIS WEEK IN THE SENATE

  Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, this week we began with the consideration 
of a constitutional amendment on the institution of marriage, an 
important dialog, I felt, for this body. We had a good debate on both 
sides of the aisle on the definition of marriage. I thank my colleagues 
for keeping the debate on the subject, very civil, and handled in a 
very respectable way.
  I personally was disappointed we did not succeed in getting to the 
consideration of the text of the amendment. As to the timing of the 
amendment, people kept questioning again and again, Why did you bring 
it up now? It was clearly determined by the fact that we had activist 
judges, beginning in the middle of May, in Massachusetts who radically 
redefined what marriage over the thousands of years has been 
interpreted to be.
  Right now there are lawsuits pending in 11 other States, and it is 
just a matter of time before the definition of marriage between a man 
and a woman will be destroyed in all 50 States. Amending the 
Constitution to protect marriage is the only viable option left to 
Congress. It is a debate we did not seek, but it was one that was 
brought to us by another branch of Government by activist judges who 
determined what that definition is.
  It is important for the legislative branch, directly elected by the 
American people, to express itself on this issue. We simply are not 
going to shirk from our responsibility to protect marriage, and we 
deserve to have a say in the matter. Although we were blocked from 
bringing it to the floor, I can assure everyone it will be back. The 
issue is not simply going away.
  In addition, we completed last night the Australia free-trade bill, a 
very important bill managed by Chairman Grassley. The outcome of the 
vote was 80 to 16 last night on final passage.
  The significance of this bill was stated on the floor last night and 
it centers on the fact that two-way trade between the United States and 
Australia is at a level of about $28 billion each year. We have a 
little over $89 billion surplus with Australia, which is the greatest 
with any nation. More than 99 percent of our exports from Australia 
will enter duty-free once this agreement goes into effect.
  The agreement we approved yesterday in this body is expected to 
produce an increase of about $2 billion annually in trade for both 
nations. That means the bill we passed last night will result

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in the creation of about 40,000 new jobs in my own State of Tennessee.
  Australia is a very important market. Tennesseans exported more to 
Australia than to France last year. Tennessean companies exported $225 
million to Australia, which is approximately a 10-percent increase from 
1999.
  The bill itself is even more than increasing business opportunities. 
Australia indeed is one of our most steadfast allies and a key partner 
in the war on terror. I had the opportunity to talk to the Prime 
Minister of Australia last night after completion of the bill and 
thanked him for that support of the broad coalition that has been 
assembled across the world to fight this war on terror.
  Australians have fought beside Americans in every major conflict in 
the last 100 years, and this agreement strengthens that already close 
bond forged between two old friends.
  Thirdly, this week the Senate took an important step with respect to 
the FSC/ETI, the JOBS bill, by sending it to conference. The Senate had 
passed a bill. The House had passed a bill. There had been obstruction 
to going to conference, but we came to an agreement yesterday and the 
bill has been sent to conference. It is timely legislation. Every month 
we do not pass the legislation there is a 1-percent Euro tax or a 
tariff increase each and every month. It is now at 9 percent. That is 
unfair. It is unfair to consumers and it is unfair to manufacturers.
  Once we work this bill through conference and the President signs it 
and it becomes law, it will create jobs. So there has been real 
progress in that regard.
  Fourthly, this week we passed H.R. 4363, the Helping Hands for 
Homeownership Act. This bill came out of the Banking Committee, which 
is chaired by Senator Shelby, and it will go to the President's desk.

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