[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 1]
[Senate]
[Pages 415-416]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                                PROGRAM

  Mr. FRIST. We will be leaving here shortly. I will mention what time 
we may have votes on Monday afternoon. I do hope that we can use as a 
goal Monday completion of these committee resolutions. There are a 
number of issues that we are working on, but until the committees are 
organized, assignments are made, we cannot fully address the issues 
before us.
  Senators should anticipate a busy week next week as we address a 
whole range of issues, including the committee resolutions; and then, I 
should add the appropriations, which is the next big challenge for us--
the 11 appropriations bills that we were unable to finish in the 107th 
Congress. I very much would like to have as a goal by the end of next 
week completion, if at all possible, of that unfinished business.
  I think we should remain in session--and this is unfinished business 
from the last session--until we finish the committee resolutions, as 
well as the appropriations. I hope Senators can plan their schedules 
accordingly.
  Rollcall votes are possible during each day next week, including 
Monday, although we would not have a vote before Monday at 5 o'clock. 
We don't anticipate any votes. We don't know absolutely for sure that 
we will have a vote at that point in time, but I think it is important 
to proceed in that direction with the business before us.
  I want to thank my colleagues for their cooperation and all the 
kindness they have shown in the last few days as I have taken on this 
new position. We have addressed a number of issues that are important 
to the American people during this first week of the 108th Congress. If 
I may look back over the last several days, it has been one of active 
negotiation. It is not all that apparent to the world at large, but we 
have had action and accomplishment and achievement. It has been a 
productive start.
  By working together over the course of the last week, there are three 
things in addition to the debate on the floor that we have been able to 
accomplish. One is the unemployment insurance, which, again, working in 
a bipartisan way, we were able to pass within several hours of opening 
the session. That will aid thousands of our fellow citizens in need. It 
is a problem that we addressed in this body before. We were able to 
address it in a very cooperative spirit, and we have accomplished that. 
A number of us had the pleasure of meeting with the President 2 days 
later as he signed that bill. That is to the benefit of Americans.
  Secondly, we passed a continuing resolution that will keep our 
Government functioning and give us the time we need to complete the 
spending bills, the appropriations bills, that I mentioned earlier.
  Third, just a few minutes ago, we wrapped up one other issue that 
came from the 107th Congress, one report. To our colleagues who are 
here and are listening, that was a promise made in the 107th Congress 
that we have been able to fulfill in the last few minutes.
  Many will recall that immediately prior to passage of the homeland 
security bill in the Senate, Senator Lott secured an agreement with 
Speaker Hastert and Majority Leader DeLay to revisit in this Congress 
certain provisions in the homeland security bill. I am pleased to tell 
my colleagues that we have done just that in a manner

[[Page 416]]

that is acceptable to our Members. We have reached agreement. The 
changes will be included in the omnibus appropriations bill that I hope 
we will be able to consider shortly. The specifics of that will be 
released in the coming days.
  I thank Speaker Hastert for his willingness to work with the Senate 
to address these specific issues. I thank Majority Leader DeLay for his 
assistance, and I thank Senators Chafee, Collins, and Snowe for their 
cooperation, as well as Senators Gregg and Roberts for their 
assistance.
  In closing, I wish to acknowledge the help of my colleagues because, 
as I said in my opening remarks, the spirit of working together in 
cooperation, I know--I absolutely know--will be to the benefit of the 
American people. I hope the 108th Congress will be increasingly 
characterized by that spirit of cooperation.
  On Tuesday, we promised the American people we would get right to 
work. We have in a strong bipartisan way. It has been a good week. We 
extended the unemployment insurance, we passed the continuing 
resolution, and we have made good on a promise to revisit those 
provisions in the homeland security bill.
  I am delighted to report that after 72 hours, I got voice mail in my 
office.

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