[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 12]
[Senate]
[Page 16707]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                                PROGRAM

  Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, today, we overwhelmingly passed a very 
important bill that will affect the lives of all consumers, which is 
everybody in this country in the future. The gulf coast energy security 
bill was passed overwhelmingly today with a vote of 71 to 25.
  We just passed this bill an hour and a half ago or so. At that point, 
we thanked our various colleagues. But in conversations after that 
among my colleagues, Democrats and Republicans, we all remarked that 
this is the way legislation should be passed: bipartisan, working 
together, a lot of hard work on the floor, a lot of preparatory work, 
involvement of staff soliciting a lot of input as we go through careful 
deliberation and passage of a bill that will be to the benefit of every 
American.
  It is a great victory for the American people. Our colleagues were 
recognized earlier. Most people pointed, first and foremost, and 
appropriately, to Senator Domenici who stayed focused on the bill, who 
led the bill that was passed last year, now 54, 53 weeks ago, a bill 
that has transformed the framework through which we review advances in 
energy and energy policy, and this bill being the next major step in 
addressing supply and production of American homegrown energy. We thank 
Senator Domenici for his leadership on both those bills.
  This evening, the Senate turned to the Department of Defense 
appropriations bill. I appreciate Chairman Stevens and the ranking 
member, Senator Inouye, for very rapidly turning to that bill and 
beginning debate with their opening statements and beginning on the 
amendment process which should start tomorrow morning.
  Tomorrow we will resume consideration of this appropriations bill. It 
is my hope that we can complete this legislation before we leave for 
the August recess. I say that after having talked with a number of our 
military leaders over the last several weeks and the Secretary of 
Defense today who stressed how important it is to get these 
appropriated funds flowing for the support of our troops overseas and 
at home and the infrastructure that supports them, especially in this 
time of war.
  We have a lot to do over the course of the week. So late nights are 
possible each night. I laid out the schedule early this morning. I 
mentioned the importance of this bill which links three bills 
together--the death tax, the tax extenders, and the minimum wage--on 
Friday morning. Late nights are possible--in fact, likely--as we 
continue on the Department of Defense bill tomorrow and on Thursday 
night as well, and then the pension bill we absolutely must address 
before we leave before the recess.
  I thank the Democratic leader, in particular, for understanding and 
working with our leadership in scheduling and being able to proceed 
with the Nation's business in a very short period of time because the 
American people deserve it. He understands that; their leadership 
understands it. Even though we don't agree on all the legislation that 
is coming before us, the ability to move and to move effectively and 
efficiently is something I really appreciate as we come into these last 
5 or 6 days in the Senate.

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