[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 15]
[Senate]
[Page 19928]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                                PROGRAM

  Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, we have a period of 1 hour of morning 
business to start today's session. Following morning business, we have 
1 hour of debate prior to a scheduled cloture vote on the pending 
amendment relating to military tribunals, to the military commissions. 
Before that cloture vote begins, the Democratic leader and I will 
continue to work toward an agreement that would allow us to consider 
the military tribunal legislation as a freestanding measure under a 
specific time agreement. We started talking about that yesterday and 
worked through the night, and we will continue over the course of the 
morning to reach that agreement. We are working in good faith toward an 
understanding on this bill and hope we will be able to work that out 
prior to that 11:30 a.m. vote. I will keep our colleagues posted as to 
the outcome of those talks.
  If we are able to reach a consent agreement, then I will vitiate the 
order for the cloture vote, and we will proceed directly to the 
military tribunals, the so-called Hamdan legislation, today. Votes will 
likely occur throughout the afternoon either on the cloture vote on 
that issue or on amendments that may be considered to the freestanding 
bill.
  We have a number of other important items to consider this week. The 
Defense appropriations conference report has been filed, and we do not 
expect that to take very much time at all. It may even be that we can 
do that at some point later today.
  We have the Homeland Security appropriations that will shortly be 
completed, as well as other conference reports that are underway, such 
as port security, which may become available.
  I remind my colleagues that we have a policy meeting on this side of 
the aisle to occur from 12:30 p.m. to 2:15 p.m. today. If we can 
schedule debate on one of these issues during that time, we will likely 
be able to remain in session in order to make progress.
  I have a brief statement. Does the Democratic leader have comments?

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