[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 123 (Monday, October 4, 2004)]
[Senate]
[Pages S10289-S10290]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                                SCHEDULE

  Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, this morning after a 1-hour period of 
morning business, we will resume consideration of the intelligence 
reform bill. In addition to a large number of pending amendments, we 
anticipate that more amendments will be offered today. As a reminder, 
the consent reached on Friday did set up a series of stacked votes 
beginning at 4:15 today. There are currently six votes in order. 
However, I anticipate other votes will be added to that series as 
debate continues. In addition, we well may have votes into the evening 
in order to make progress on the bill.
  I remind my colleagues that a cloture motion was filed on the bill on 
Friday and that cloture vote will occur tomorrow morning. It is my hope 
and expectation cloture will be invoked and that we will be able to 
finish the bill either tomorrow afternoon, tomorrow evening, or 
Wednesday.
  I say this because, as we all know, this is our last week in session. 
We will adjourn if we complete both of our intelligence reform efforts 
on this Friday, October 8. Our goal is to adjourn on Friday, October 8. 
Before that time, we do need to complete action on both arms of 
intelligence reform, including that relating to the Senate role on 
intelligence matters. We have a lot of work before us this week. We all 
need to prepare for busy sessions.
  There are a lot of other events that are scheduled over the course of 
the week. Our focus must be on the business that is before us. Thus, I 
know everybody will be shifting things around. We need to put a major 
priority on what goes on here on the floor as well as on several 
conference reports.
  In addition to what people will be seeing on the floor, we have the 
FSC/ETI manufacturing jobs bill that is currently in conference. There 
will be a lot of activity this afternoon, tonight, and tomorrow in that 
conference. I am hopeful we will be able to address that conference 
report sometime this week.
  Homeland Security appropriations is also in conference and progress 
is being made there. That was the first bill we did when we came back 4 
weeks ago. It is important that we complete it, especially since our 
goal is the safety and security of the American people. That bill 
directs the spending aspects of homeland security.
  The underlying bill we have been on now for a week and a half, and we 
have been studying the issue aggressively in response to the 9/11 
Commission report. We have made huge progress, and all of our 
colleagues have worked together, on both sides of the aisle, on this 
very nonpartisan issue. I thank all of our colleagues for participating 
and working with such focus in an expeditious and a bipartisan manner. 
The American people thank you. I thank you. The leadership on both 
sides of the aisle thanks you.
  We have no greater duty in this body than protecting our Nation and 
in strengthening our intelligence system. We are meeting that 
responsibility. As we have said at the outset, when the Democratic 
leader and I set out this path, it was because, when we leave on

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October 8, although we will have in all likelihood a little bit of 
business to take care of, in truth October 8 really brings to a close 
most of the activity, almost all of the activity, it would be 
inexcusable not to deal with these important issues on intelligence 
which affect the safety and security of the American people. If we were 
unable to finish that, because it means we would not be able to address 
it until next year, that would be unpardonable.
  To date, the Senate, in this bill, has addressed 35 of the 39 
recommendations of the 9/11 Commission. Those are the 39 
recommendations that deal with executive branch reorganization. The 
remaining recommendations will be addressed this week.
  The Senate has covered a full range of issues: establishing a 
national intelligence director to manage the Nation's intelligence 
community, to advise the President; creating a national 
counterterrorism center to maximize our intelligence-gathering 
capabilities and maximizing our counterterrorism activities; redefining 
the national foreign intelligence program to better coordinate and 
unify the functions of our intelligence agencies; strengthening and 
reforming the CIA, the FBI, and other intelligence-related agencies; 
and ensuring that winning the war on terrorism is our top priority.
  There were two additional reforms suggested by the Commission 
concerning Senate oversight of intelligence and homeland security and, 
as I mentioned, the Senate will be considering these two remaining 
recommendations this week.
  It is going to be a very full week, but the Democratic leader and I 
agree that getting this done now must be our top priority. We are 
making real progress on the Senate floor. We are on the home stretch. 
We have another 5 days, beginning early today, and I am sure we will 
use all 5 days to the fullest sense. We have to have these major 
reforms completed this week.
  I thank my colleagues for staying on task. I thank the managers of 
the bill in particular, Senators Collins and Lieberman. They and the 
Parliamentarian and staff have been working solidly through the 
weekend. The managers have shown real leadership. These reforms clearly 
will protect America and make a safer and really more prosperous 
America because of the increased security that people can feel with a 
maximally performing intelligence system.

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