[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 10]
[Senate]
[Pages 14050-14051]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                                SCHEDULE

  Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, this morning there will be an hour of 
morning business for Senators to give statements and introduce 
legislation. At 1 p.m. today, the Senate will resume consideration of 
S. 14, the Energy bill. Chairman Domenici will be here and available 
for Members to come to the floor today and to offer their amendments.
  Last week, in addition to finishing action on the child tax credit 
and the Defense authorization bill, we were able to make progress on 
the Energy bill. The Senate worked its will on a number of amendments 
relating to ethanol. We conducted six rollcall votes on that issue last 
week, and I thank all Members in the energy debate last week and look 
forward to their continued participation over the course of this week. 
We will continue to move forward on this important legislation to 
produce a national energy policy which our Nation so badly needs.
  To this end, we will continue to have discussions with the other side 
of the aisle in an effort to reach an agreement on the remaining 
amendments to the Energy bill. We would like to finish consideration of 
the bill this week, so it is my hope that we will have a filing 
deadline for amendments to allow the chairman and the ranking member to 
work through an amendment list. Again, we are working with the chairman 
and ranking member and our colleagues to produce such a list.
  As a reminder, there will be a rollcall vote today beginning at 5:45. 
That vote will be on the confirmation of the nomination of Michael 
Chertoff to be a United States Circuit Judge for the Third Circuit.
  For the remainder of the week, Chairman Domenici will continue to 
process amendments on the Energy bill. In addition, we are working on 
an agreement for the FAA reauthorization bill. This week, we will be 
looking for the appropriate window to consider that reauthorization of 
the Federal Aviation Administration.
  Also, we will continue to work toward consent agreements on the State 
Department authorization bill as well as the bioshield bill so that 
they can be placed on the Senate's schedule as well.
  This week, we will likely--almost certainly--consider a bill on which 
Senator McConnell has been working related to Burma and proposed 
sanctions.
  Finally with respect to the schedule, I would remind my colleagues 
that on Monday of next week--that is, 7 days from today--the Senate 
will begin consideration of a Medicare improvement and prescription 
drug bill. Members should expect busy sessions during both this week 
and the 2 following weeks; that is, the total of the coming 3 weeks 
prior to the next scheduled adjournment.
  We have had a very productive session thus far. I do want to thank 
all Members for their hard work and cooperation.
  Mr. REID. Mr. President, if I may, briefly, our leader announced to 
the assembled Democrats last Thursday that we were not going to ask for 
a filing deadline on amendments but we would request from our folks a 
finite list of amendments so that we could get a list of the amendments 
people wished to offer. We were confident the Democrats were going to 
offer amendments that would be relevant to the bill. I am not sure what 
that term means--but anyway, in keeping with the Energy bill. So we can 
work, then, with those who have offered amendments.
  I have spoken to both managers of the bill. Toward the end of last 
week, we had a little problem in that our side had an amendment to 
offer and some of our Senators were not here; Senator Domenici wanted 
to offer an amendment and some of his Senators were not here. I hope 
this week we can just move forward with the amendments. Senator 
Domenici has an amendment dealing with Indians he wants to offer right 
away. We hope that can be done. He knows there is going to be a second-
degree amendment offered to that. That will take several hours.
  I think we are moving down the road on this most important energy 
legislation. Once we get the amendments, we can better advise the 
majority leader and Senator Daschle as to how long we estimate it will 
take. We have acknowledged, in our assembled meetings of Democrats, 
that we appreciate your allowing the Senate to work its will, and not, 
as has been done in the past on more occasions than we would like to 
acknowledge, just filing cloture. You have indicated you are not going 
to do that until you believe it is necessary, and I don't think it is 
necessary, at this stage.
  Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I appreciate the comments of the assistant 
Democratic leader. We are in discussions. The real objective is to have 
a list of amendments so we can have the definition to both gather 
support on both sides of the aisle and to really give a focus so we can 
establish a roadmap by which we can adequately debate, adequately amend 
this bill appropriately so. That is the purpose. Again, we are working 
on both sides of the aisle, with the two managers of the bill to that 
end.
  Mr. President, I want to very briefly comment on the last 2 weeks. As 
we start each week--at least as I start each week, I can't help but 
come in early Monday morning and look at where we have been and project 
where we are going. As I laid out the schedule, where we are going is 
pretty clear, in terms of how we will spend the next 3 weeks on the 
floor of the Senate. I

[[Page 14051]]

hope the clarity and the specific plan that I lay out--recognizing it 
can be modified at any time and should be modified according to 
circumstances that arise over the course of the day, but I hope that 
outlook, that vision of where we are going, that agenda setting, does 
facilitate the overall action, debate, and amendment process of this 
body.
  It also gives me the opportunity to look back over the last 2 weeks. 
Indeed, as I look back over the last 2 weeks, we made huge progress, I 
believe, especially for America's taxpayers. That 2003 jobs and growth 
bill passed by Republicans in the Senate, signed by President Bush, 
will provide an average of $1,786 in tax relief for over 45 million 
married couples. Forty million families with children will see their 
taxes lowered by over $1,549.
  Six million single mothers will receive an average tax cut of over 
$550. Twelve million elderly taxpayers will receive an average tax cut 
of $1,401. Meanwhile, 3 million individuals and families will be taken 
off the tax rolls completely.
  Indeed, that is progress. That is action. That is delivery for the 
American people. Republicans in the House and Senate worked hard to 
provide this substantial tax relief for America's working families. 
Indeed, we have delivered.
  Democrats spent a lot of time talking about tax relief for minimum-
wage families. But it was the Republicans who took action and got tax 
relief done. Thanks to Republicans, the Senate now has provided tax 
relief for families at all income levels, including middle-class 
families in which both parents work. Working families will now have 
extra money in their budgets to pay the bills, to purchase clothes, to 
put food on the table, and maybe even take a family road trip.
  Last week, we passed a second tax bill that provides additional tax 
relief for families with children. This bill included some important 
tax reforms as well. This second family tax relief bill in 2 weeks 
creates a uniform definition of a child. Instead of five confusing and 
even seemingly conflicting and separate definitions, the Tax Code has 
been simplified to make it easier for folks to fill out the forms and 
get the tax relief to which they are entitled.
  Tax simplification has been a longstanding goal of Republicans. 
Expect more efforts on the part of Republicans to make the Tax Code 
more understandable and less burdensome for America's tax filers.
  That family tax relief bill will also accelerate the currently 
scheduled increase in the refundability of the child tax credit, and it 
will phase in the elimination of a marriage penalty that is built into 
that current formulation of the credit. These fixes will allow the 
child tax credit to benefit more middle-income families.
  Together, just in the last 2 weeks, the 2003 jobs and growth package 
coupled with the family tax relief bill provide the third largest tax 
relief in the history of the United States. These actions have helped 
lift consumer confidence.
  Interest rates and inflation remain low. Credit conditions have 
improved as long-term interest rates have fallen to their lowest levels 
since the 1950s. Families are rebalancing their debt from short-term 
consumer credit to longer term credit such as mortgages--a wise and 
prudent move. We are seeing declines in energy prices.
  We have a lot of reasons to be optimistic. Economic growth increased 
1.6 percent in the first quarter of this year, up slightly from 1.4 
percent in the last quarter of this year. Many economists expect 
continued growth in the current quarter. Consensus forecasts expect 
growth to approach 3.7 percent by the final quarter of this year.
  I say this in a very optimistic vein as we look to the future. Yet 
there are some clouds. We heard last week the unemployment rate has 
risen to levels last seen in the economic upturn of 1994. This suggests 
the growth in the economy over the last few years has been in large 
part due to rapid productivity gains.
  In addition, since 1999, the rising cost of health benefits has 
exceeded the growth in wages and salaries. As a result, health care 
costs are driving up the cost of hiring and employing workers. In other 
words, good jobs are becoming more expensive--another important reason 
we need to strengthen Medicare, to save and preserve and strengthen and 
indeed modernize Medicare and add prescription drug coverage the right 
way, not just giving new benefits without consideration that we have an 
obligation to make sure whatever we promise can be sustained, not just 
in the short term and in the midterm but in the long term.
  We need to look at all the ways we can expand the economy, and in 
turn increase the supply of good jobs for America's workers.
  If we look to the last 2 weeks and project over the next 3 weeks as 
we have addressed tax relief and tax reform, a sound sustainable energy 
policy as well as strengthening and improving Medicare and adding a 
prescription drug benefit, I think the American people and our 
colleagues will agree we are moving America forward by doing business 
in a sound and productive way.
  Mr. President, I yield the floor.

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