[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 7]
[Senate]
[Page 9371]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                                PROGRAM

  Mr. DURBIN. Madam President, we will return tomorrow in session to 
discuss the competitiveness bill now pending and to have debate only 
and then consider amendments, and we hope to vote on it early next 
week.
  As far as our meeting this week in the Senate, we are able to point 
to the passage of the court security bill, which is an important piece 
of legislation. Unfortunately, it is a bill that took 2 days, and it 
should have taken 20 minutes. During the course of 2 days, we had a 
general debate about budget deficits and a debate which started and 
ended without a vote on splitting up the Ninth Circuit. It was time for 
some Members to bring up issues of importance to them, but I would 
suggest we have a limited amount to show for our activity this week 
because of activities on the other side of the aisle.
  Twice we were stopped in efforts to call up important legislation. We 
wanted to have the reauthorization of the intelligence agencies in 
America so that they are prepared to deal in the most effective way in 
fighting terrorism. Unfortunately, there was resistance from the 
Republican side of the aisle, and we weren't able to do so. The bill 
had to be pulled from debate on the floor and put back on the calendar 
for another day. Then we wanted to move to the Medicare prescription 
Part D Program. Those of us on the Democratic side think it is 
important to have a debate as to whether Medicare can offer less 
expensive, more affordable drugs to seniors and disabled people. The 
pharmaceutical companies don't like this idea. The current system is 
very profitable for them. They have mounted a very expensive campaign 
to stop any suggestion of changing Medicare prescription Part D. It 
would have been a lively debate, an important debate, followed closely 
by many seniors and their families but, unfortunately, once again, the 
Republican minority, within their rights, stopped us from moving to 
that important debate.
  So for two very substantive issues, we were stopped this week from 
the kind of progress which I think people expect us to make. Even if we 
disagree between the parties, there should be a spirit of cooperation 
here, at least when it comes to honest debate in a reasonable period of 
time and then an up-or-down vote and then move on, but we couldn't 
reach that point this week. Sadly, the only bill that passed was the 
Court Security Act, as important as it is. It should have passed very 
quickly without controversy. It took us 2 days.
  Now we have a very important bill before us, which I think is long 
overdue. I wish to thank Senator Alexander from Tennessee and Senator 
Bingaman for being the lead sponsors on this bill. I hope the debate 
tomorrow will lead to some amendments the beginning of next week and 
then to passage. America needs to maintain the competitive edge in so 
many parts of our economy, particularly when it comes to manufacturing, 
and this bill could be very positive.

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