[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 3]
[Senate]
[Pages 3995-3996]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                            SENATE BUSINESS

  Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, we have several items in wrapup in a little 
bit and a lot of activity is going on. Hopefully in 15 or 20 minutes we 
will be able to close the Senate. I come to the Senate to make a couple 
of statements.
  I begin with the very brief comment on the budget itself. I thank my 
colleagues on both sides of the aisle for their tremendous efforts in 
bringing to a close passage of a budget resolution that this Senate can 
be very proud of. Overall management of the budget was superb. I thank 
Chairman Judd Gregg and Senator Kent Conrad for their leadership, for 
their patience on what is always a very difficult process that 
culminates in this vote-arama that we have been in from about 1:30 
today up until about an hour ago. With these vote-aramas, everyone is 
on the floor and milling around, considering amendment after amendment. 
It is a challenge for all Senators, with tensions tending to rise. To 
have two cool heads calmly manage this bill is a real tribute to both 
of them. I thank them for their leadership.
  The budget itself is a tough budget. It is a disciplined budget. It 
restrains spending and tackles the deficit. It reflects our commitment 
to America's future and to making America stronger and safer and more 
economically sound. Like so many of the issues we tackled this year, it 
is not an easy process. It has not been a very easy process. With 
determination and with focus, a lot of energy by leading on principle, 
we are delivering meaningful solutions for the American people. We have 
demonstrated this Senate can and does govern. We have been doing that 
consistently.
  As we reflect over the last several weeks, no more so than with the 
confirmation of Justice Samuel Alito. A lot of our opponents had tried 
to distort his record and to undermine the process, but this Senate 
held firm, and with that Judge Alito did receive a fair up-or-down vote 
that he deserved in the Senate. But to get to that point was tough. We 
proved that the Senate can hold a free, a dignified, and a thorough 
debate while at the same time fulfilling our constitutional 
responsibility of giving advice and consent. Justice Alito now sits on 
the Supreme Court of the United States. In every respect Judge Alito 
was a nominee who meets the highest standards of excellence. I 
congratulate him once again on his most deserved achievement.
  Principle and determination to protect the American people also 
guided more recently our passage of the PATRIOT Act. Again, the process 
got stymied. There was a lot of delay. There was a lot of postponement. 
But we pressed forward and after sustained negotiations we were able to 
secure law enforcement's No. 1 terrorist fighting tool, the USA PATRIOT 
Act.
  The legislation itself works to promote information sharing and 
breaking down barriers between our intelligence agencies and our law 
enforcement agencies. It has proven to be an effective tool. It levels 
the playing field so we can effectively harness all of our resources to 
defeat terror. It appropriately balances the constitutional rights of 
all Americans against our need to effectively investigate and halt 
potential terrorist attacks. Every day it is helping the authorities 
dismantle terrorist organizations and stop our enemies in their tracks.
  Keeping America strong also means keeping our economy thriving, and 
that is why also this past month we passed the Tax Relief Act of 2005. 
We know that tax cuts work. We know they grow the economy and help 
create jobs. In 2001 we delivered tax relief to the American people of 
$1.4 trillion; 2 years later, another $350 billion. We cut taxes on 
income and marriage. We doubled the child tax credit, we slashed taxes 
on capital gains and dividends. And the product we are seeing, our 
economy, has grown. We created over 5 million jobs in the last 36 
months. Unemployment is the lowest it has been since before September 
11, lower now than the average of the 1990s, those boom years, and the 
1980s and the 1970s. Home ownership is up. Almost 70 percent of 
Americans own their homes. Minority ownership is at an all-time high. 
Tax relief has led to 3 years of continued strong growth.
  The tax cuts are working. Even this past year we saw growth in 
revenues coming to the Government in over 10 percent, in double digits. 
When we return, I hope we will be able to address the conference report 
on this tax reconciliation bill.
  That brings me to what will come in the 2 weeks after the current 
recess.
  Our attention is to focus on border security when we come back. Our 
country needs security at our borders in order to stop the flow of 
illegal immigration and make America safer from foreign criminals and 
terrorists.

[[Page 3996]]

  Today, I introduced a border security bill to ensure the Senate will 
have legislation available for consideration during that week of March 
27. The Senate Judiciary Committee, under the fantastic leadership of 
Arlen Specter, has been addressing border security and interior 
enforcement aggressively over the last 3 weeks. They have had what we 
all know of as a markup this week, including today and yesterday, on 2 
days of last week and the week before. Arlen Specter has been a 
tireless leader. Indeed, they will return on that first Monday to 
continue that markup.
  Now is the time to take their outstanding work to the floor. That is 
exactly what we will do. The bill I introduced is based on the 
consensus enforcement, visa reform, and immigration litigation reform 
titles of Chairman Specter's bill, the markup of border security 
legislation. It focuses on ensuring strict enforcement of our Nation's 
immigration laws.
  I do look forward to bringing a border security bill to the floor in 
the early part of that week, on Monday or Tuesday of that week, and 
allowing the full Senate to work its will on border security and on 
interior law enforcement, as well as comprehensive immigration reform.
  America will be more secure, and our constituents will be safer. I 
hope the Judiciary Committee will be able to report a bill that we can 
bring to the floor that meets these objectives. As a country of 
immigrants who respect the rule of law, I expect us to honor those 
heritages as the debate unfolds.
  It is going to be a heated discussion. These are tough issues. This 
body will struggle with each of these issues. There will be a lot of 
debate, and I know there will be a lot of amendments. But it is 
important to the American people, for their safety, for their security, 
and to do what is right on the issue of border security and 
immigration. A country that cannot secure its borders cannot secure its 
destiny.
  We made great strides in the past 2 months. We are working hard to 
secure America's future. We are working hard to deliver real outcomes 
on real issues. I look forward to continuing this work when we return.

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