[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 148 (2002), Part 9]
[Senate]
[Page 12981]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                           PASSAGE OF S. 2673

  Mr. DASCHLE. I thank all of my colleagues for the tremendous work 
done in the past week. I especially compliment the distinguished 
Senator from Maryland, the chairman of the Banking Committee, for the 
extraordinary leadership he has shown in getting us to this point. I am 
sure there were few who have ever guessed this could have passed so 
overwhelmingly as it did tonight.
  That is the accounting legislation. I am very grateful to all who had 
a significant role to play. I thank the staff of the Banking Committee 
and so many of my colleagues. I also acknowledge the fine work done by 
Senator Leahy on the enforcement aspects of this legislation.
  The combination of the contribution made by the Judiciary Committee, 
along with the Banking Committee, makes this a historic moment for the 
Senate, a historic moment for corporate governance, and a real 
recognition that at long last we are going to be rebuilding the 
confidence and trust we need in our free enterprise system.
  We made a contribution in that regard today. I am very hopeful we can 
get this work done very soon.
  It would be my hope, given the President's support for the Sarbanes 
bill, and Speaker Hastert's support, as he indicated just last week, 
that the House consider taking up the Sarbanes bill and passing it 
free-standing so we could send it directly to the President in time to 
afford the President the opportunity to sign it very quickly. That 
would be the quickest way, and given the broad bipartisan support this 
legislation now enjoys, and given Speaker Hastert's support for the 
legislation, I would think this would be a tremendous opportunity to 
demonstrate in a bipartisan way how quickly we can respond as we did 
today. But more than how quickly, how effectively we can respond to the 
needs of our Nation when it comes to restoring that confidence.

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