Bill Frist

Mr. FRIST

Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I want to make a brief statement in leader time on a visit I had last week with the new President of the Iraqi interim government, Sheik Ghazi al-Yawr. The distinguished minority leader, the distinguished President pro tempore, and Senators Leahy, Warner, Lugar, Reid, and Levin all participated in what was a fascinating luncheon discussion. Our meeting was a timely one. I traveled about 12 days ago to Baghdad and had the opportunity to spend time with other leaders in Baghdad. To be able to host the President here and have a discussion about his perspective was very useful, very productive. Two weeks ago, I was in Baghdad with Senators Ensign and Bennett, and while we were there we had the opportunity to meet with the new Iraqi Prime Minister, Dr. Ayad al-Alawi. I mentioned our discussions with him on the Senate floor yesterday morning. Our meeting this week also came on the heels of the unanimous passage on Tuesday a week ago of the U.N. Security Council resolution that governs the transfer of sovereignty to the Iraqi people as we move from occupiers to a mission presence in Iraq. President al-Yawr at our meeting last week laid out his vision of a free Iraq. He reminded us that the Iraqi people want a free society that is governed by a rule of law. A rule of law has become a real goal of his as he looks over the next 6 months in terms of the operation of this interim government. The Iraqi people want to do what you would expect, and that is to be able to raise their children in peace and to be able to live their lives in peace. That element of security coupled with preparing for these elections 6 months from now are his dual objectives. The President did point out and underscored the importance of the date that will occur now in 2 weeks, and that is June 30, which is the formal transfer of sovereignty. He stressed the importance of maintaining a coalition presence posthandover in order to preserve security while the new Iraqi police forces are being built and rebuilt, and the Iraqi Armed Forces are being equipped, appropriately armed, and trained. He rejected those who commit acts of terror against the Iraqi people. No Iraqi wants to return to the days when a single individual ruled that country with fear. He pledged that Iraq would serve as an example of peace and of freedom--for Iraq, yes, but even more, or equally important, I should say, as an example for the entire region. The Iraqi people look forward to holding democratic elections and to governing themselves, he told us. But he was quick to say the Iraqi people must have that security in order to rebuild their lives. It was interesting. When we asked him about the coalition and how broad a coalition, what he said is what the Iraqi people need is not just a broad coalition, but he needs--the Iraqi people need--an effective coalition. It is that effectiveness that ultimately is most important to him as the new President of that country. He needs people who can get the job done for him. The President was quick to express his thanks on behalf of the Iraqi people and asked us to extend that thanks, that appreciation of the sacrifices Americans have made so the Iraqi people could live in a free country, that they would have that opportunity to live freely and to pursue democracy. He made it clear the full pursuit of democracy will take time. The first step is the election 6 months from now. It may be a series of elections before full-blown democracy, as we generally conceive of democracy, will take hold. In these difficult times, the President of Iraq stated Iraq would need the full support of the United States of America, both politically, financially, and militarily, as they go through this transition and over the coming months. He recognized that without a secure and stable environment the U.S. coalition provided, a democratic Iraq simply would not succeed. President al-Yawr recognized the huge task confronting the new Iraqi government, but he was determined. He expressed that determination in every sentence, in every thought he shared with us. He stated he was encouraged by the widespread support of the Iraqi people for the new interim government. He clearly draws his strength from the aspirations to transform Iraq into a thriving democracy. President al-Yawr made clear that what is called TAL, transitional administrative law, the law of the land during this interim period, would govern their actions in the coming months, and the rights of all would be protected under this transitional administrative law. His immediate focus is to build those professional security forces to establish an independent judiciary that can uphold that rule of law. As Iraqis rebuild their capacity to maintain security and govern themselves, the President said the world would see an Iraqi face on the war against terrorism in Iraq. Having met the Prime Minister in Baghdad a week and a half ago, and now the President of Iraq here in the Nation's Capital, the impact of having that Iraqi face, telling the Iraqi story, having it not told just by Americans or by an occupying force, will make a huge difference on the world stage. It is for the Iraqi people, it is by the Iraqi people, and it is up to the Iraqi people at this point. No nation wants to rely on another for its security. The President of Iraq expressed that. The Iraqi people want to stand on their own strength. But they need help through this transition period. He also made it clear that to rely upon a coalition while they are rebuilding their police and their army is not a surrender of their sovereignty in any way. Indeed, it is in Iraq's vital national security interests to accept the coalition's help, he stated. Having now met with Iraq's two most senior leaders over the last 12 days, I am confident these two leaders and this new government is a strong one. They have the vision, they have the fortitude, they clearly have the courage, but they also have the resolve to lead the Iraqi people on this path toward freedom and democracy. Indeed, Iraq's new leaders have the confidence of our friends in the region. Senator Daschle, Senator McConnell, Senator Biden, and I all met with King Abdullah of Jordan this week in the Capitol. His Majesty expressed his confidence in and support of the new Iraqi government, as well. That is, again, a perspective from a very important, very significant leader in that part of the world. It is important to praise President Bush and his team for their vision, for their resolve, and their efforts to get the United Nations and the international community behind this government. That has been a successful endeavor. We are all concerned about the recent terrorist activity in Iraq. As I have mentioned in the Senate in the last couple of days, an increase in terrorist activity is anticipated. It is expected by the Iraqi leaders and by our civilian and military leaders because the terrorist groups--whether it is the Zarqawi network, whether it is the former regime loyalists, or whether it is the insurgents--will increase activity to derail this transition of sovereignty to the new government. They are not going to be successful. Yet we will see that increased terrorist activity. Indeed, we see the increased activity when we open the news each morning. The terrorists want to disrupt this handoff. They are simply not going to be successful. They do not want to see the Iraqi people breathe that fresh air of freedom. They will not be successful. Indeed, we will win. I yield the floor.

Mr. FRIST

Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate now proceed to a period for the transaction of morning business, with Senators permitted to speak for up to 10 minutes each.

Mr. FRIST

Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, we have made good progress on the bill. I congratulate the managers for their tremendous progress. We have been in discussions with the Democratic leadership and the chairman and the ranking member as to how we can complete action on the bill. I think we are underway, although we have a number of amendments pending, a lot of amendments planned for tomorrow and Monday. After discussion with the Democratic leadership, we are prepared to vitiate cloture in large part because of the progress we made yesterday and today, and we will continue to make tomorrow and Monday. Members have talked to the managers of the bill about amendments tomorrow as well as Monday. They have a good outline. We would, therefore, not vote tomorrow. We have one more vote tonight. So we would not vote tomorrow. Monday has to be a very productive day and, in all likelihood, we would have a series of votes beginning late Monday afternoon, sometime after 5 o'clock. We can talk about the specific time. But there are likely to be four or five or even six rollcall votes on Monday, starting after 5 o'clock, probably 5:30 or so. The exact time will be announced tomorrow. We will have a busy day Tuesday as well, as we consider the remaining amendments. It is my personal hope--as long as we continue working together very aggressively--to complete the bill on Tuesday, understanding we have a lot of work to do. Thus, the proposal would be to have one more rollcall vote, which will be shortly, no more rollcall votes tonight, no votes tomorrow, and starting at about 5 or 5:30 on Monday, a series of rollcall votes.

Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I move to reconsider the vote.

Mr. FRIST

Mr. FRIST. I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it adjourn until 9:30 a.m. on Friday, June 18. I further ask that following the prayer and the pledge, the morning hour be deemed expired, the Journal of proceedings be approved to date, the time for the two leaders be reserved for their use later in the day, and the Senate then resume consideration of Calendar No. 503, S. 2400, the Department of Defense authorization bill. I further ask consent that the cloture vote be vitiated. I further ask consent that the Brownback recognition request be vitiated.

Mr. FRIST

Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I know we are going to go straight to the bill, but first I want to make a few comments on another very important issue, and now during leader time is the most appropriate time for me to comment. It is an issue that is very close to my heart and an issue that has tremendous impact on people in every State. I will speak to one State, that is Massachusetts, on the issue of medical liability. It was just this week that the American Medical Association added another State--Massachusetts--to its growing list of States that can be classified as being in medical crisis because of out-of-control medical litigation system. For several months, as we brought a series of bills to the floor to try to bring this issue to debate and to focus the attention of this body on it, we have been using the number of 19 States. Now it is 20 States in this great country of ours that are in medical crisis because of this single issue. According to the AMA, access to quality health care is increasingly endangered. What this means is decreased access to doctors. If you need a doctor, if you are in an automobile accident or if you are a mom or future mom and you need an obstetrician, access to care is increasingly endangered due to a broken medical litigation system. It is a problem in all States and in at least 20 it is a crisis. It is spreading across the country and that is why I take this opportunity to at least mention it and shine a light on it once again. It is a problem, it is a growing problem, and we have a responsibility to address it. Three weeks ago, I had a wonderful opportunity to present what is called the Shattuck lecture before the Massachusetts Medical Society. I had done my training in Massachusetts and I have tremendous respect for that organization. They report that the litigation crisis has become so severe in Massachusetts that numerous high-risk specialists, such as obstetricians, neurosurgeons or trauma surgeons, have reduced their scope of practice. This applies to 29 percent of general surgeons,--a general surgeon is the one who might come to the emergency room to sew up your child if they have a laceration--36 percent of obstetricians, 41 percent of orthopedic surgeons, and greater than 50 percent of all neurosurgeons. If you are in an accident and you are going to a hospital, you want a neurosurgeon there to evaluate and appropriately treat. Those are the percentages of those who have said they are reducing their scope of practice. In other words, if you are a neurosurgeon, you might do elective cases but you might not put your name on the list to show up in the middle of the night to treat somebody. Why? Because your insurance would go from $100,000 to $300,000, just so you could have the opportunity to come in late at night to treat somebody. That is about as simple as I can say it. The problem is quality of care is being affected. The facts in Massachusetts reflect a growing trend. I gestured going up. It should be going down, because it is almost like a downward spiral that is occurring over the last several weeks and months and years. We have heard it again and again on the floor with anecdotes reinforcing what the medical societies are telling us, what hospitals are telling us, and what physicians are telling us, and that is that doctors are leaving and narrowing the scope of their practice. They are leaving the opportunity to deliver babies, maybe just to do the medical aspects of gynecologic care, or no longer taking calls in trauma centers, or they are moving to less litigious States. I was in Pennsylvania a few months ago. I believe 1,400 doctors in the last 2 years have left the Philadelphia area and they cite the high medical liability rates they are paying as the No. 1 reason they are forced to leave. Many doctors are retiring from practice altogether. Neurosurgeons and obstetricians are being hurt the most. If you talk to people in the emergency room or if you have friends, nurses, or technicians there, just ask them because emergency rooms are having an increasingly difficult time getting the high-risk specialists, and those are the people you want if an injury occurs. If driving home tonight you are in an accident, you want somebody there or someone who can get there very quickly. That is what is at risk. I keep mentioning the doctors. It is not just the doctors; it is the patients who are ultimately hurt. The doctors probably will be OK. They will move and incomes can sort of adjust. It is ultimately the patients who are being hurt when health care is being threatened. The good news is we know how to address the crisis. It is not just a problem that is getting worse that cannot be fixed. We actually know how to address the crisis. Commonsense comprehensive medical litigation reform, which has taken place in some States, has been proven to be overwhelmingly successful. It strengthens our system by addressing the abuses in the system. We want a strong tort system. We want to make sure medical malpractice is aggressively addressed. What we don't want are frivolous, unnecessary lawsuits that drive up the cost of health insurance for the physician, but ultimately the cost of health care throughout the system, and destroy the quality of the great health care that we do have in this country. Being a physician, obviously this is close to my heart because I see it and I happen to be around physicians a lot and I happen to be around patients a lot. I am not going to give up on this issue. We are going to keep bringing it back again and again until we make headway on this increasing problem. I don't know how many more States it will take. Massachusetts was added this week. I don't know how many more States we are going to have to add to this medical crisis before we act. How many women are going to have to put up with their obstetricians leaving halfway through the pregnancy, either moving or dropping obstetrics, and having to find another obstetrician, or in rural areas not being able to find an obstetrician at all? So I do call on my colleagues to stand with America's patients, the American people, and resist the powerful special interests--we know they are out there today--that want no change whatsoever. I am determined to press forward. We will try once again at some point in the future to address this on the floor of the Senate. This is not a partisan issue. It goes way beyond that. People say we have these partisan votes, but it is not a partisan issue. This should not be and cannot be a partisan issue. So let's make Massachusetts the last State added to this list. Let's reduce that list. The only way we can do that is by acting on the floor of the Senate. Let's act now to stop the crisis from spreading and let's work together to put America's patients first. I yield the floor.

Mr. FRIST

Mr. FRIST. It is absolutely critical that we make today a productive day, and I think we have a good plan for today. Tomorrow needs to be a productive day. The scheduled cloture vote for tomorrow would likely be the only vote tomorrow, and again I think we need to discuss that over the course of the day and then see what the plan would be for Friday and Monday. We will be voting Monday absolutely. We will probably do it later in the day. Again, we will defer to the managers about that. We need to make Monday a very full and productive day if we are going to finish this bill.

Mr. FRIST. I agree, tomorrow would be a great day to lay down amendments if they are absolutely necessary and important amendments, but for amendments we do not need to consider or that can be considered later, we do not need to lay down too many amendments tomorrow because I want to be able to finish this bill. But tomorrow is going to be a productive day.

Mr. FRIST

Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, this morning we will resume consideration of the Defense authorization bill. Under the order, Senator Bond will offer an amendment relating to energy employees, and I understand there may be a modification to the amendment. Therefore, the amendment may be accepted without a recorded vote. The chairman and ranking member also discussed the possibility last night of considering several missile defense amendments this morning, and I defer to the chairman as to what debate times will be necessary on these amendments after discussion with the ranking member. I do anticipate rollcall votes will be required in relation to these amendments. We will have a very busy session today as we continue to make progress on the Defense authorization bill. I am pleased with the progress that is being made, though last night I did file cloture on the bill as a necessary tool, in my mind, to facilitate and help bring the bill to closure. We will continue to discuss the issue of how best to bring the bill to closure. I am in constant discussion with the Democratic leadership and with the ranking member and the chairman as to how we can best finish this important bill. We will be updating the Senate over the course of the day as to our progress. Once again, I remind our colleagues that we will continue to schedule votes on judges throughout each day's session. We will set votes on those judicial nominations as we set votes on the defense amendments over the course of the day. I do want to thank Chairman Warner and Senator Levin for their tremendous work on the bill thus far, and I look forward to another very full and very complete day. I will defer for a minute as far as the schedule goes.

Mr. FRIST

Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate immediately proceed to executive session to consider the following nomination on today's Executive Calendar, Alan Greenspan, which was reported by the Banking Committee today. I further ask unanimous consent that the nomination be confirmed, the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table, the President be immediately notified of the Senate's action, and the Senate then return to legislative session.

Mr. FRIST

Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, tomorrow the Senate will resume consideration of the Defense authorization bill. As I mentioned earlier, we intend to complete action on this bill early next week. The chairman and ranking member of the Armed Services Committee have done a superb job in moving this bill forward, and as I commented a couple of hours ago on the floor, we made real progress over the last 48 hours. We will maintain that momentum and that effort over the course of tomorrow's session. As I stated, I vitiated the scheduled cloture vote in anticipation of further cooperation and with the view of finishing the bill on Tuesday. I also stated earlier that we would not have rollcall votes tomorrow, although a number of Senators have expressed an interest in offering their amendments, and a number have said they still want to offer an amendment. If that is the case, I ask that they contact the managers so that we can proceed in that fashion tomorrow. The next votes will occur Monday at approximately 5:30, and there will likely be a number of votes after 5:30 on Monday night, given that we will be voting on some of the amendments considered tomorrow as well as Monday during the day. Finally, as a reminder, the resolution we just adopted moments ago provides for the official photograph of the Senate to occur on Tuesday, June 22. Members are asked to be at their desk at 2:15 sharp that day for this photograph.

Mr. FRIST

Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate now proceed to the consideration of S. Res. 382, submitted by Senators Frist and Daschle earlier today.

Mr. FRIST. I ask unanimous consent that the resolution be agreed to, the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table, and that any statements relating to the resolution be printed in the Record.

Mr. FRIST

Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, in a few moments, we will be closing for the evening after a very productive day, but before doing that, I wish to make a few comments on an issue that is very close to my heart, and it concerns the wonderful continent of Africa. I have had the opportunity to work for periods of time in Africa as part of my former profession--medicine--and as part of medical mission work. Indeed, in the last year, I had the opportunity to travel to Africa, to the Sudan where I have really been able to capture what I love so much in delivering health care. I was in Kenya, Mozambique, Botswana, South Africa, and Namibia this past year. So, obviously, I am speaking about a continent that is close to me. As I traveled through Africa, whether doing medical mission work or as a Senator on the part of official delegations, I have had the opportunity to observe the huge impact legislation that was passed in this Chamber now 4 years ago has had. It is called the African Growth and Opportunity Act, which is a critical trade measure that has benefited thousands and thousands of Africans and given them hope and an outlet for productive activity which paints a much brighter future. It is a trade measure that helps Africans, it helps the United States, and I believe strongly it helps all of humanity. Congress passed the African Growth and Opportunity Act 4 years ago with strong bipartisan support in this body. It was signed into law by President Clinton. Since that time, it has created about 150,000 new jobs and maybe even more than that. President Museveni from Uganda was in my office 2 days ago, and he believes 150,000 is an underestimate; the real figure may be more like 250,000 or 300,000 jobs. Investors, because of this act, have poured about $340 million in new private investment into Africa, and because of this investment in Africa, there have been new opportunities for U.S. businesses. The African Growth and Opportunity Act--most people know it as AGOA-- has given many countries in the continent--and not all have taken advantage of it, but many have--an opportunity to compete on a more level playing field with nations throughout the world, such as China. The reason I come to the floor of the Senate tonight to take a few minutes is because these gains could be lost if this body does not act on what we call the AGOA Acceleration Act of 2004. This act has a lot of provisions. It has just been introduced in the Senate, but several provisions, if we do not act in this current bill, are set to expire in September of this year and, thus, that is why we need to act now, or act in the very near future. Hundreds of millions of dollars of investments in the continent of Africa are at stake, and hundreds of thousands of Africans, many of whom are living in the poorest parts of the world, could lose their jobs. So I hope my colleagues--and I have had the opportunity to talk to a number of them over the course of today and yesterday--will work together collectively so we can move this very important bill forward. The bill has the strong support of this administration and the strong support of both sides of the aisle. I spoke with the Democratic leader about the bill, and I know that he feels very strongly about it as well. It was approved by the House of Representatives last week by voice vote. I encourage my colleagues to both look at and support this important bill. It will make a huge difference in the lives of Africans. I hope we can address that bill in the near future.

Mr. FRIST

Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I would like to take a moment to thank all of the dedicated Members of the Senate family who poured their hearts into making President Reagan's final journey to the Nation's Capitol a dignified and fitting tribute. Lawmakers and dignitaries from all corners of the globe, Supreme Court justices, Federal officials and hundreds of thousands of citizens made their way to the Rotunda last week to pay their final respects to our 40th President. It was a solemn and stately event. Each moment radiated a sense of history. I would like to thank some of the Senate individuals whose hard work made last week possible: 1. Sergeant at Arms Bill Pickle; his deputy, Keith Kennedy; protocol officer, Becky Daugherty; Capitol information officer, Laura Parker; and the Sergeant at Arms staff; 2. Alan Hantman, the architect of the Capitol, and the Capitol Superintendent, Carlos Elias; 3. Terry Gainer and the Capitol Police who, under extraordinary pressure, maintained security with discretion and consideration; 4. Emily Reynolds the Secretary of the Senate; her deputy, Mary Suit Jones; and their hard working staff; 5. The Senate Chaplain Pastor Barry C. Black whose sonorous and reflective tributes captured the public's love for President Reagan; 6. All of the volunteers who handed out bereavement cards to the public, manned the condolence booths, and handed out water to the thousands of visitors waiting patiently to see the President; and 7. The Capitol Guide service which worked round the clock. My sincere thanks also go to Chairman Lott and Senator Dodd. Their steady leadership over the proceedings was crucial. Likewise, the President of the Senate and the President Pro Tempore presided over the Senate on this momentous occasion with dignity and distinction. I also wish to extend my thanks to my colleagues in the House of Representatives. Throughout, both chambers worked closely and patiently to carry out a tribute that I think all would agree properly reflected and celebrated President Reagan's extraordinary legacy. I specifically thank: 1. The Speaker and his dedicated staff; 2. The House Sergeant at Arms and doorkeeper, Bill Livingood; 3. The House chief administrative officer, Jay Eagen; 4. The Clerk of the House, Jeff Trandahl; and 5. The House Chaplain, Reverend Daniel P. Coughlin. His stirring remarks are now a part of America's history. Finally, to the Reagan family: Through a bleak and solemn week-long procession, their love and respect for Ronald Reagan was a beacon to us all. The Reagan family showed an uncommon dignity and grace that raised us up and touched our hearts. We will never forget their love. And we will never forget how Ronnie loved his Nancy, and how hard it was for her, even at the very last, to let him go. Thank you to the Reagan family. And thank you to the man who led us so well and loved his country so deeply--Ronald Wilson Reagan, 40th President of the United States.

Mr. FRIST

Mr. FRIST. If there is no further business to come before the Senate, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate stand in adjournment under the previous order.

Mr. FRIST

Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

Mr. FRIST

Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I have a few remarks on leader time that have to do with a discussion I began on Monday, and that is a followup on a trip about 12 days ago to Iraq. Again, we awoke today to increased terrorist activity in Iraq, with assassination and with sabotage of the oil supply lines there. I am saddened by the fact we see this terrorist activity, but I will have to say, as I said on Monday, this increased terrorist activity was anticipated. It is unfortunate we have to anticipate this increased terrorist activity, but it was very clear from our discussions with the Iraqi leadership, as well as with our civilians and military leadership in Iraq, that the terrorists' goal is to do everything possible to obstruct this rule of law, to obstruct this transfer of power, this transfer to sovereignty, this transfer from us being an occupying force to a mission. It is not aimed just at the United States or just the coalition, or not just the new Iraqi interim government, but it is ultimately aimed-- and this is from the Iraqi leadership perspective--at the Iraqi people. The trip we took was with Senator Bennett and Senator Ensign. We did have the opportunity just a few days after the appointment of the new Prime Minister to meet with the Prime Minister and have an extended discussion. The new Prime Minister is Dr. Ayad Allawi. He is a neurologist by training. He is someone who 3 weeks ago did not anticipate being the new Prime Minister. As I said earlier in the week, what we found in our discussions with our leaders there, but even more importantly with the Iraqi leadership, is that in spite of this anticipated and actual occurrence of increased terrorist activity--really since late March, and it will likely extend until several weeks or maybe longer after passage of sovereignty on June 30--was a lot of optimism and a lot of confidence in this new interim government. That optimism was tempered with caution and hope, but it was also paired with a real determination to succeed. Backing down in response to these terrorists is simply not an option. That is what the Iraqis told us, what the new Iraqi interim government told us. In addition, we were encouraged by the confidence that our civilian leaders, Ambassador Bremer and his colleagues, have in the new ministers, or 33 of these new ministers who have been appointed, as well as the new Iraqi leadership, the Prime Minister, the President, who was here last week, and with whom the Democratic leadership and our leadership had an opportunity to meet. It is this interim government to whom we will be passing sovereignty on June 30. So to hear this confidence come from people who are on the ground in Iraq, the Iraqi people, as well as our leaders, again, was very reassuring to us. Dr. Allawi has been a longstanding opponent of Saddam Hussein's regime. He is a man of great character, and he is widely respected throughout Iraq. He made it very clear to us that he shares our strategic goals-- strategic goals which become a partnership in many ways. In our meeting with the Prime Minister, he stated very clearly that we--he spoke in terms of ``we,'' the Iraqi people, the Iraqi government and the United States and the coalition--must again and again come back to what we and they are fighting for; that is, freedom and human rights and the rule of law. This fight on terrorism is one that he knows will be long. He says it is now an Iraqi responsibility, and if these acts of terrorism are acts of terrorism against the Iraqi people and their hope for prosperity and their livelihood--and he would be saying that again and again as Prime Minister, and indeed he has done that over the last several days. He said there are some in Iraq who want to destabilize Iraq, that tyranny works hand in hand with terrorism. He said Iraq has a responsibility at this point to confront this evil in the region and the world; that Iraq needs help but it is Iraq's responsibility. He was quite clear. The forces aligned against us understand that if Iraq is successful and succeeds in establishing the rule of law, those forces are defeated, but if Iraq fails as a state, then terrorism may be uncontrollable there--but also throughout the Middle East. He told us that a healthy Iraq will lead to a healthy and more stable Middle East region. He also made clear that Iraq cannot succeed without the assistance of the United States, the international community, and the coalition forces. He outlined to us various processes that must be worked in parallel if Iraq is to succeed in rebuilding the Iraqi institutions that were hurt, destroyed, and run in the ground by Saddam Hussein. We talked about the court system, the police force, the transformation of Iraqi society, and ensuring that political reform leads to Iraqis choosing their own leaders. He said these two goals are, No. 1, security, and No. 2, free elections. As we all know, this interim government will serve for a period of about 6 months at which time free elections will take place in January of next year. A fourth point he made is to pursue economic development. Again, he came back to the terrorists--that the terrorist activity there and the fighting going on there discourages investment in Iraq. A major goal of the Prime Minister is to build consensus so that in Iraq a national identity will prevail. Their goal, though, continues to be hindered by Saddam's policy of divide and rule that Saddam purposely used to fracture Iraq over decades. The Prime Minister said we need to help the country in order to move forward, and to do that we need to put that Iraqi face on security, to put that Iraqi face on the reconstruction and other efforts to rehabilitate the country. He assured us that under the new leadership of the interim Iraqi government which will occur that it will be the Iraqis who will be telling the Iraqi story. The central part of the Prime Minister's policy will be to combat terrorism. We very quickly moved into the importance of having a strong judicial system--a strong rule of law to support the system, as he described it. He pointed out that Iraq must improve and expedite the training of police and security forces in the country. He thanked us for providing tremendous assistance as they rebuild that police and security force. Iraq needs to take steps with the help of its neighbors to tighten border controls and stop terrorist trafficking. The Prime Minister also intends to make clear to the Iraqi people that the terrorist attacks we are seeing on this infrastructure--such as the tragedy of the sabotage of the oilfields over the last 24 hours--are attacks on the Iraqi people. He says this again and again-- that terrorism hurts the Iraqi people, and thus it is the responsibility of the Iraqi people to come back and confront the terrorists. As we wrapped up our meeting with the Prime Minister, he very soberly said that as Iraq moves closer and closer to democracy, the more the terrorists will attack. Indeed, that is exactly what we are seeing over the last several weeks since late March, and again will likely continue for the next several weeks. He wanted us to understand that he and most Iraqis deeply appreciate the sacrifices that the United States of America has made for his country, for freedom, for rule of law, and for that move toward democracy. Thus, while the road ahead will be difficult, the Iraqi people we believe--having just been there--are fortunate to have such a dedicated public servant with his vision and the will to work toward a free and democratic Iraq. The Iraqi people have a true leader in Prime Minister Allawi.

Mr. FRIST

Mr. FRIST. Today the first 30 minutes of morning business will be under the control of the minority, to be followed by 30 minutes under the control of this side of the aisle. Following this morning business period, the Senate will resume consideration of the Defense authorization bill. The agreement reached last night allows for 30 additional minutes of debate prior to a vote in relation to the amendment of Senator Dodd relating to the use of contractors and the custody of prisoners. Therefore, that vote can be expected shortly after 10:30 this morning. Last night, Senators Warner and Levin began working through a list of amendments and potential time agreements. Real progress was made. We will continue those discussions this morning to see which amendments both sides are prepared to vote on over the course of today. I hope we can have another productive day today and dispose of a number of these defense-related amendments prior to this evening's commitment. Having said that, we are coming to the close of our third week of consideration of this bill. We have had somewhere around 78 amendments offered, and we have disposed of 74 of those 78 amendments. I do appreciate the effort of my Democratic colleagues to facilitate moving toward closure on this bill. I know they, working with Chairman Warner, are doing everything possible to narrow the list of remaining amendments. Both sides are working hard in that regard. They must continue to do that because we have a number of amendments still before us. I have not ruled out filing cloture on this Defense bill if it becomes necessary, just from a management perspective. Obviously, it would be easier if we could see an end point to the amendments and know that we can complete this bill in a short timeframe. So, again, I encourage everyone to show restraint in the amendment process. Over the course of the day, the leadership on both sides will monitor the course of the bill. We will likely revisit our situation on the bill later today and see if there is an end point that is near, something to which we can agree. If not, then cloture may be necessary to bring the bill to conclusion. As a reminder, we will stack judicial nominations for votes throughout the day as well. As always, Members will be alerted as these votes are set.

Mr. FRIST

Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that our 30 minutes of morning business be divided as follows: Senator Bennett for 15 minutes, Senator Chambliss for 8 minutes, and Senator DeWine for 7 minutes.

Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I yield the floor.

Mr. FRIST

Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be dispensed with.

Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, let me take a minute to thank the two managers for their hard work on this Defense bill. As I stated before, this is the 11th day of consideration of this bill. Although I think we have made real demonstrable progress today, I am concerned that we are not quite certain when we will be able to finish the bill and how many amendments may still be offered. I have had discussions with the chairman and the Democratic leadership, and I am prepared to file a cloture motion this evening. With that said, I still hope we can work out an agreement to allow us to finish the bill after a certain number of amendments, and with a time certain for passage. I will continue to discuss our options with the managers of the bill and hope that we can proceed in a balanced way to finish the bill. Cloture Motion I send the cloture motion to the desk.

Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the mandatory quorum be waived.

Mr. FRIST

Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, this morning we will immediately resume consideration of the Defense authorization bill. Under the order, we will resume debate on the Kennedy amendment relating to the earth penetrator. There will be 50 minutes of debate per side prior to the vote in relation to that amendment. Members should expect the first vote today prior to the policy luncheon recess. As a reminder, the Senate will recess from 12:30 to 2:15 for the weekly policy meetings. Last night, the Senate debated several amendments, and others are waiting in the queue to be offered. I anticipated that we would have votes today throughout the afternoon on some of the pending amendments. I have also previously mentioned the need to set votes on some of the pending judicial nominations. We expect to set three of those judicial nominations for votes late this afternoon, and we will alert Senators as to the precise time when the agreement is locked in. As I have stated previously, it will be helpful if we can vote on some of these noncontroversial nominations by voice vote and not consume valuable Senate time with rollcall votes that result in unanimous confirmations. I will reiterate the importance of finishing the Defense bill this week. We have a number of scheduling requests, and we are doing our very best to work around those specific requests. However, Members should be prepared for busy days and evenings, if necessary, to finish this important defense legislation.