[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 103 (Thursday, July 22, 2004)]
[Senate]
[Pages S8634-S8636]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         SENATE ACCOMPLISHMENTS

  Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, on a separate topic, I want to take a few 
moments before going out on recess, looking back over the last several 
weeks and sharing with my colleagues some of the very positive things 
we have been able to accomplish, positive issues and bills that will 
have a direct impact on people throughout America and also, indeed, 
throughout the world.
  We have had a productive year. Among our many legislative 
accomplishments, the Senate passed the Laci and Conner's law, the Crime 
Victims Act, the child nutrition reauthorization, and the Internet 
access tax moratorium. Each of these initiatives expresses our values. 
Each will help protect the American family.
  In this past month, since the last recess, we have been able to build 
on those successes. I commend my colleagues for their tremendous work, 
their hard work, each and every day over July.
  We had the opportunity today to receive the report from the 9/11 
Commission, and we have heard about it on the floor of the Senate 
today. We heard about it in our briefings today and yesterday. We have 
heard us all commend the 9/11 Commission for their efforts to produce a 
genuinely bipartisan document. That is the way it was received. In 
talking to the Commission members, that is the way each step along the 
way the 9/11 Commission acted: in a bipartisan manner.
  I have not had the opportunity to read the whole report. It is a 
large book people have had on the floor today. But I have read the 
summary and been in on the briefings. The only way I can describe it 
is, it provides a sobering account of the events leading up to 
September 11. It offers valuable recommendations--one I just referred 
to a few moments ago--for how America can better protect itself, how we 
can act to make America safer.
  I again thank the Commission members. They have worked hard over the 
last several months to produce this outstanding document, a document 
that will be invaluable in the months ahead as we deliberate. There 
will be a lot of deliberation, and the Democratic leader and I will 
comment on that a little bit later in a colloquy on how best to 
strengthen America's defenses.
  In the meantime, as we wrap up for the August recess and the 
conventions, I would like to take a moment to highlight a few of the 
recent legislative accomplishments. Yesterday I had the honor of 
attending the Rose Garden signing ceremony for Project Bioshield. It is 
an issue that was first proposed by the President in his 2003 State of 
the Union Address to Congress. As with his broader efforts to defend 
the homeland, President Bush has demonstrated once again his 
determination to protect the American people, to make America safer, 
and that is exactly what this bioshield legislation does.
  Because of the President's leadership, the Nation's defenses against 
biological threats, against chemical threats, against radiological 
threats will be substantially strengthened. Project Bioshield is a 
gratifying example of, once again, both sides of the aisle working 
together in the best interest of the American people. I commend the 
President for his leadership in the initial proposal, Chairman Gregg, 
Senator Kennedy, and all of my colleagues who worked together to craft 
this legislation, including Senator Hatch who was early to see the need 
for this initiative.
  Only 2 months ago our enemies detonated a sarin-laced roadside bomb 
in Iraq. Fortunately, their plan did not succeed in effectively 
dispersing the nerve agent. But it underscored the fact that these 
weapons exist, that we must be vigilant. Right here at home we had the 
anthrax assault, used as a weapon up and down the east coast not that 
long ago, resulting in panic, paralysis, and death. We have had anthrax 
here in the Nation's Capital. We have had ricin here in the Nation's 
Capital. Project Bioshield allows us to become proactive in developing 
a whole range of countermeasures.
  Earlier today--now about 12 hours ago--in keeping with our commitment 
to secure the homeland, the President signed another bill, a bill 
called the Law Enforcement Officers Safety Act of 2000. It is a product 
of a number of our colleagues. Our distinguished colleague from 
Colorado, Senator Campbell, has worked on this bill for years and 
years. It was developed in a bipartisan way, once again. On the House 
side, Congressman Duke Cunningham was a real leader on this particular 
bill. This bill had been a No. 1 legislative priority of our Nation's 
law enforcement officers, and I am proud of this bipartisan effort to 
support law enforcement and public safety. The law allows current and 
retired police officers to carry a concealed weapon in any of the 50 
States.
  What that means is that America will not allow the tens of thousands 
of trained and certified law enforcement officers who are out there 
serving us and out there protecting us every day across the country to 
be denied the potential opportunity to be called upon, if need be, with 
assistance. In a post-9/

[[Page S8635]]

11 world, it is imperative that we all use every resource possible to 
protect ourselves, and that includes America's men and women in blue.

  In addition to our efforts to improve security, this month we took 
important steps globally in terms of our economic standing in the 
world. Six days ago we passed the Australia free-trade agreement, and 
earlier this week we passed the Morocco free-trade agreement. I had the 
opportunity to talk to the King of Morocco today and reiterated to him 
the plus this trade agreement will be for the United States and workers 
in the United States, both the Australia and Morocco free-trade bills, 
but also to reiterate what the President of the United States had told 
the King of Morocco when he said: Trade is an important part of good 
foreign policy. It is an important part of making sure Americans can 
find jobs.
  The Australia agreement has a huge impact right here in the United 
States of America. It is expected to create as many as 40,000 new jobs. 
We can expect an increase of about $2 billion annually in trade for the 
United States and Australia by 2010. At $9 billion, our trade surplus 
with Australia counts as the largest with any nation. More than 99 
percent of our exports to Australia will enter duty-free once this 
agreement goes into effect. In my home State of Tennessee, Australia is 
a powerful market, a large market for our goods. In fact, Tennessee 
exports more to Australia than to France.
  With regard to Morocco, more than 95 percent of bilateral trade in 
consumer and industrial products will become duty-free. The Morocco 
agreement is the best yet of any United States free-trade agreement 
with a developing country.
  When it comes to a developing continent, earlier this month the 
President signed another very powerful bill in terms of its impact in 
Africa. The bill was the African Growth and Opportunity Act. I am 
especially pleased by this legislation. I have taken advantage of the 
opportunity of traveling to Africa on a regular basis where one could 
see upfront, firsthand, the direct impact of this Africa Growth and 
Opportunity Act when it was initially passed--now several years ago--
the impact it has had in the stimulation of jobs, creation of work. And 
for me, most importantly, it creates hope for a continent that 
otherwise becomes quite discouraged as it is plagued by so many other 
huge challenges.
  The Africa Growth and Opportunity Act, which we have passed and which 
is now the law of the land, is a win-win for the United States. It is a 
win for the African continent, and I would say a win-win for the world. 
The legislation has not only created new investment opportunities for 
American businesses, but it has helped create over 150,000 African 
jobs. When President Museveni from Uganda was here, he said: You use 
the figure of 150,000, our best estimates are that the impact is not 
creation of 150,000 African jobs, but 300,000 African jobs.
  It has helped to pump more than $340 million into the African 
economies and has forged a place for Africa in the global trade market. 
I hope other countries will look at the success of this program and 
reexamine their trade preferences toward Africa. I hope other countries 
will take this opportunity, looking at the leadership of the United 
States, to study their own trade relations with the region and do what 
we have done in this country, and that is improve them.
  Domestically, over the last several weeks we have passed a lot of 
legislation. In one area we had a significant breakthrough in 
confirming one of President Bush's judicial nominees. I mention this 
one in particular because the confirmation of Judge Jay Leon Holmes, 
who was confirmed to the U.S. District Court, ultimately had bipartisan 
support. But it took about 18 months of hard work, where there was a 
lot of attack and a lot of obstruction. Ultimately, Judge Holmes was 
confirmed this month.

  Unfortunately, today our Democratic colleagues voted against 
permitting three circuit court judges from getting an up-or-down vote. 
Judge Henry Saad, Judge David McKeague, and Judge Richard Griffin all 
received support from a majority of Senators, but not this new 
threshold of having to get a supermajority of 60 votes which is needed 
to break these unprecedented filibusters we have had this session.
  This brings to 10 the number of judges filibustered and, I would 
argue, as was argued earlier on the floor today, that is 10 too many. 
We would say that any is too many; that each of these judges deserves 
an up-or-down vote. People can vote how they want, for the judge or 
against the judge, but at least we should be given the opportunity to 
vote.
  We will also continue to fight for legislation that keeps America's 
economic recovery rolling along. We tried recently with class action--
we are going to come back to class action. I am not sure exactly when 
that timing will be, but I can tell you there is strong bipartisan 
support, and I think this body needs to come back as soon as practical 
and address class action reform.
  I was disappointed by the other side's decision to stop this 
important legislation because both sides--again, this is a bipartisan 
bill, and I am confident it can pass with more than 60 votes. These 
class action lawsuits, as we heard now 2 weeks ago on the floor, have 
grown exponentially. One recent survey found State court class action 
filings skyrocketed by 1,300 percent in 10 years.
  The result of all of this is a glut of claims that ends up clogging 
the courts, ultimately wasting taxpayers' dollars and inhibiting the 
innovation and entrepreneurship we all know is so critical to job 
creation.
  Election year politics should not get in the way of strengthening our 
economy. It is our duty to serve America's best interests and not to be 
serving special interests.
  When we return after the recess, we have a real challenge, and the 
challenge is to address all of the appropriations bills. I have been in 
conversation with the Democratic leader, the Democratic leadership, and 
Chairman Stevens, who has been in discussion with Senator Byrd, and all 
about the recognition that the month of September is going to focus, in 
large part, on these appropriations bills.
  We also need to turn our attention to finishing the FSC/ETI bill, the 
JOBS bill that we need to get to conference. We have actually appointed 
Senate conferees, and the House will be appointing their conferees. I 
am not sure if they will appoint them later tonight or when we get 
back. It is a very important bill.
  We have had a lot of discussions over the course of the day on the 
highway bill, and I think some progress, indeed, has been made on the 
highway bill. It is going to be challenging to do because we are a long 
way from any sort of consensus on that bill, but we all know how 
important it is.
  Although it has not been on the floor of the Senate every day, at 
some point there are discussions on the importance of having a national 
energy plan. I take this opportunity to mention it because a lot of 
people have said: This was filibustered; that was blocked; you are not 
going to be able to come back and address that legislation. Indeed, we 
have only probably 20 legislative days left in this session, but as 
long as people keep working in a bipartisan way, we have the potential 
for more fully addressing our energy challenges.

  All of these pieces of legislation fit into growing our economy, 
continuing our economic recovery, accelerating it, as well as security. 
The JOBS bill alone, the FSC/ETI or so-called JOBS bill, will protect 
more than a million high-quality manufacturing jobs in the United 
States. Our roads, ports, energy supply, and economic vitality are all 
critical to our security and to our safety. We have to have a strong 
infrastructure to be safe and secure, to be able to withstand threats 
from without.
  I see my colleague from Kansas who has a very important statement to 
make that refers, in part, to some of my comments earlier about the 
Darfur region, I expect, but let me comment on one issue before turning 
the floor over to him. It is an issue that again centers on an 
international issue, and that is Cambodia.
  Last Sunday, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen delivered a nationally 
televised speech accusing democratic opposition party leader Sam Rainsy 
and his fellow parliamentarians of organizing an armed insurgency to 
overthrow the government. Concerned for their safety, a number of these 
leaders fled the country.
  I was in touch with my son by e-mail because my son Jonathan happened 
to

[[Page S8636]]

be in Cambodia at the time and witnessed these events. These 
allegations appear designed to intimidate the democratic opposition 
there. We should all be disturbed by the rhetoric which appears to be 
designed to subvert democracy by these threats and by this 
intimidation.
  The international community has a great interest in ensuring that 
Cambodia's fragile progress toward democracy continues. Cambodia has 
paid too high a price under authoritarian rule in the past. We cannot 
and will not accept the use of fear as an instrument of the state. 
Cambodia has made commitments to the international community to respect 
human rights, preserve the rule of law, and uphold democracy. I call 
upon the international community to watch these events very carefully.
  There is a lot to do when we return in September. I know we are going 
to have a very busy fall legislative session. I look forward to working 
with my colleagues, and I look forward to doing the business of the 
American people and moving America forward.
  Mr. President, I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Kansas.

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