[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 139 (Wednesday, December 8, 2004)]
[Senate]
[Pages S12083-S12084]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  ORDERS FOR TUESDAY, JANUARY 4, 2005

  Mr. FRIST. I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its 
business today, it adjourn sine die under the provisions of H. Con. 
Res. 531.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection? Without objection, it is 
so ordered.
  Mr. FRIST. I further ask consent that when the Senate returns on 
Tuesday, January 4, at 12 noon, following the presentation of the 
certificates of election and the swearing in of elected Members, and 
the required live quorum, the morning hour then be deemed expired, the 
Journal of proceedings be approved to date, the time for the two 
leaders be reserved, and that there then be a period for morning 
business with Senators permitted to speak for up to 10 minutes each.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The Senator from Nevada.
  Mr. REID. Mr. President, the hour is late, but let me say that I have 
some real mixed emotions tonight. I have had this desk for 6 years and 
it has been a great experience for me to serve as the assistant leader, 
the whip, of the Senate Democrats. I have learned so

[[Page S12084]]

much being on the floor regarding procedures of this very classic body. 
I am now going to move over one desk. As I have said on this floor 
previously, I will miss very much my dear friend, my brother, Tom 
Daschle. My ability to function here these past 6 years has been based 
upon my relationship with Senator Daschle.
  I look forward to my new job. I look forward to working with my 
friend, the distinguished Republican leader. I have said publicly and 
privately what a good experience this will be for me. He has dedicated 
12 years of his life, at least, to public service after having been a 
very distinguished transplant surgeon. I look forward to our 
relationship. I hope we can do some good things for the country. I am 
certainly going to try.
  I know that the experience of these past 6 years has been made much 
more interesting as a result of the chairman of the Appropriations 
Committee, Senator Stevens, the President pro tempore of the Senate. He 
is here tonight and this legislation that just passed is an indication 
of his tenaciousness and the role model he sets for all of us. Six 
hours ago, none of us could have thought we would have accomplished 
this. A couple of hours ago, we wished he had not tried. But it is over 
with now.
  I thank the staff very much for working as hard as they do and 
putting up with our many delays which are necessary to move things 
forward. I wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
  Mr. STEVENS. Mr. President, if the Senator would yield just for a 
second, I want to thank the Senator from Nevada and tell him that I 
spent 8 years in the whip's job and sought to move left. Unfortunately, 
it did not happen.
  I do congratulate the Senator from Nevada, and we look forward to 
working with him and the assistant Democratic leader.
  I thank, Senator Burns for his tenaciousness on this bill, and I want 
to acknowledge the really intense cooperation of the Senator from 
Arizona, Mr. McCain, and really praise my great and longtime friend 
Senator Byrd from West Virginia for having recognized the necessity to 
have this bill passed before we go home for the recess. We are really 
going to adjourn sine die.
  I do congratulate the Senator. He listened to us. It is quite late. 
He has been quite gracious to proceed with us on the commitment that we 
will protect the appropriations process in the future and work with him 
to make certain that the provisions of the law that govern expenditures 
of the money covered by the bill we just passed be followed, as far as 
the protection of the Treasury. And we will be consistent with the 
Constitution, as he has urged us so many times to be.
  I thank the Senator for his patience in keeping us in session, and I 
am prepared to take tickets here as we leave the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Tennessee.
  Mr. FRIST. I can add very little to what has just been said. But as 
America has watched and as our colleagues have participated over the 
last, really, 6 hours, you have seen--not on the floor, but we have all 
worked together over the course of the day to bring to resolution 
another major bill before we close out this session. We came to a 
lameduck, now, several weeks ago. Lameduck sessions are notoriously not 
very productive. Both the Democratic leader, our leadership, their 
leadership on the other side of the aisle, again and again said these 
lameducks never produce very much, if you look at history. A lot of 
time is spent, although we clearly end up producing something.
  I think if you look at this lameduck session and the intervening time 
before coming back in this week, we can all be very proud of what has 
been accomplished in the series of bills, the bill we just discussed 
and the series of bills we passed over the course of the day, and the 
major intelligence reform bill that was passed. So we have had a very 
productive session of which we can all be proud.
  As the Democratic leader said, I very much look forward to working 
with him and having this leadership team meet with their leadership 
team as we move forward in accomplishing what America expects from us.
  When the 109th Congress convenes on January 4, we will immediately 
proceed to the presentation of certificates of election. Following the 
swearing in ceremonies and the live quorum, the Senate will consider 
the normal routine housekeeping matters of the 109th Congress 
beginning.
  Once again, I thank everyone who has contributed to our efforts 
during the past Congress. We always want to mention the pages who are 
here tonight at a little before 11. They have been here all day. We 
thank them for their dedication, for their hard work in making the cogs 
in this body function as well as they possibly could; the law 
enforcement, the police who, again, are standing right outside the 
doors with us, from early in the morning until late at night; the 
cloakroom staff; the clerks who are here before us; the many others who 
work to keep the institution running. We appreciate their service to 
this body.
  We are going to have a fresh start in January. People are quite 
tired, producing all of this legislation. It is going to be a fresh 
start. We all look forward to that. I do wish everybody a happy holiday 
season.

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