[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 14]
[Senate]
[Page 19205]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                                PROGRAM

  Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I just went through a host of issues that 
we need to consider over the course of this week and our intention to 
complete our work by Friday or Saturday. It is going to take 
cooperation, and everybody is working together, as the Democratic 
leader and I implied a few minutes ago, in how we will address the 
legislation surrounding the military tribunals. Again, we did file, or 
I just a few moments ago filed cloture on the Hamdan language as well 
as on the underlying border security bill. We will work, as we just 
discussed on the floor, very hard to come to an agreement on how we can 
address the Hamdan legislation with the appropriate number of 
amendments. The first of these votes would occur Wednesday morning, as 
the Democratic leader pointed out, and as I said earlier. If we are 
able to get an agreement, we could actually be voting tomorrow.
  Mr. LEVIN. Will the majority leader yield for a question?
  Mr. FRIST. I would be happy to.
  Mr. LEVIN. Is the Hamdan language which has been filed in the 
amendment the same as the Hamdan language that was agreed upon by the 
three Republican Senators with the administration?
  Mr. FRIST. Yes. Yes, it is. I think what the Democratic leader said 
is that there are some changes, but as to what was introduced--Friday, 
I believe? Friday--so there are some small changes in that, but it has 
been agreed to by all the parties concerned.
  Mr. LEVIN. In your judgment there is no substantive change between 
that amendment and the language that was agreed upon?
  Mr. FRIST. That is correct.
  Mr. LEVIN. I thank the majority leader.
  Mr. FRIST. The reason I am turning around is, as the Democratic 
leader said, people have been working very aggressively since the 
agreement was reached. And every change, we have really tried to go to 
both sides--to the House, to the Senate, to the administration--so that 
we can have as much agreement as we possibly can on this bill. So the 
changes that have been made have been minor, as just reported to me.
  Mr. REID. Mr. President, if the majority leader would, when he 
completes the motion to close for the night--if he would allow the 
Senator from Illinois to speak for 15 minutes, prior to our going out?
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  Mr. REID. As in morning business.

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