Bill Frist

Mr. FRIST

Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate now proceed to the consideration of Calendar No. 349, H.R. 743.

Mr. FRIST

Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I understand that Senator Levin has an amendment at the desk. I ask that the amendment be considered and agreed to, the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table; that the bill, as amended, be read three times, passed, the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table without any intervening action or debate, and that any statements relating to the bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 418, S. 1267.

Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the committee amendment be agreed to.

Mr. FRIST

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

Mr. FRIST

Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of S. Res. 280, submitted earlier today by Senators Boxer and Feinstein.

Mr. FRIST

Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 241, S. 1177.

Mr. FRIST

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

Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 380, S. Res. 258.

Mr. FRIST

Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the bill be read the third time and passed, the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table, and that any statements related to the bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of H.R. 2620, which is at the desk.

Mr. FRIST

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

Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 378, S. Res. 237.

Mr. FRIST

Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I now ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the conference report to accompany H.R. 2673, the omnibus bill, for the purpose of filing cloture. I further ask consent that following the filing of cloture on the conference report, the Senate then proceed to a period of morning business, with Senators permitted to speak therein for up to 10 minutes each.

Mr. FRIST

Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate now proceed to the consideration of Calendar No. 417, S. 1172.

Mr. FRIST. I thank my colleague for his kind remarks. As he knows, I believe this issue of obesity is one of the largest unaddressed public health issues we face today, and I am pleased by the action we are taking today. I agree that it is critical that we continue to direct our attention to this issue, and it is my hope that the HELP Committee will continue to examine the issue, including by holding a hearing next year.

Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the committee substitute amendment be agreed to, the bill, as amended, be read a third time and passed, the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table, and that any statements relating to the bill be printed in the Record.

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 ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the consideration of the conference report to accompany H.R. 2673, the omnibus appropriations language; further, I ask unanimous consent that the conference report be agreed to and the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table.

Mr. FRIST

Mr. FRIST. Reserving the right to object, Mr. President, the unemployment insurance is an issue we will continue to discuss with our colleagues. The House has not yet acted on unemployment insurance. It is an issue we will continue to have under discussion as we go forward. With that said, I do object.

Mr. FRIST

Mr. FRIST. With these four principles in mind, the Tennessee delegation has made the following Tennessee State Action Plan: Reconvene in Tennessee to discuss further plans, an early December meeting is planned to include the entire delegation. A follow-up meeting will include each delegate bringing ``to the table'' persons of influence that will help deliver our mission reviving ``Civics in the Classroom.'' Janis Kyser and Rep. Joe Towns will attend a Youth For Justice meeting to help with organizing a 501c3 organization to serve as a statewide clearing house for LRE services; Conduct an intensive state-wide LRE survey to determine what is happening, what needs to happen and where are the gaps in service; Plan and conduct a Statewide LRE conference. Tennessee Delegation: Ms. Janis Kyser, State Facilitator; Senator Randy McNally, Tennessee State Senate; Representative Beth Harwell, Tennessee House of Representatives; Representative Joe Towns, Jr., Tennessee House of Representatives; Mr. Richard Ray, Chairman State School Board; Mr. Bruce Opie, Legislative Liaison, Tennessee Department of Education; Dr. Ashley Smith Jr., President Tennessee Middle School Association.

Mr. FRIST. The Senator from South Dakota is correct. There are other important partners as well. Democracy isn't something that just happens to us. It's something each of us must actively create. Citizenship gives us rights, but it also gives us responsibilities. Each of us has a responsibility to understand the great principles on which our great country was founded. Each of us has a responsibility to participate in the process of self-government. It is an essential balance: rights and responsibilities. When we neglect either side of that equation, our democracy is in trouble.

Mr. FRIST

Mr. FRIST. I was very pleased to join the distinguished Senator from South Dakota, Senator Daschle, and our leadership colleagues in the House of Representatives in hosting Congress's first Civic Education conference. On behalf of the entire Senate, I want to recognize and thank the cosponsors of the first conference, the Alliance for Democracy and its members: the Center for Civic Education, the Center on the Congress at Indiana University and the National Conference of State Legislatures. It is my understanding that there will be a total of five Congressional Conferences on Civic Education. These conferences will enable us to give civic education and civic participation the sustained, national attention they deserve but have not always gotten. It is our hope to explore, at these annual conferences, the critical role civic education plays in promoting civic participation--which is really the lifeblood of any democracy. We also want to find new and better ways to work with schools and with education leaders to create first-rate citizenship education programs in our nation's schools. I know this is an interest that the Senator from South Dakota shares. I think this first conference provided an excellent start on that goal. I ask unanimous consent to have the State action plan for my State of Tennessee printed in the Record.

Mr. FRIST

Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I rise to pay tribute and respect to Senator Paul Simon who, as we know, died earlier today following surgery at the age of 75. On behalf of the Senate, I do extend my deepest condolences to the Simon family. He was a wonderful man, a wonderful Senator, always thoughtful, always plain spoken, and a man of impeccable integrity. Among his many accomplishments, Senator Simon was the chief Democratic sponsor of the balanced budget amendment. In 1990, his margin of victory over the challenger was the highest of any contested candidate in the Nation for Senator or Governor. He authored 15 books. He received 39 honorary degrees. It was just a few weeks ago that he came by my office, as he went by many Senators' offices, not stopping, not resting at all, but arguing for, making the case for a wonderfully innovative program that helps expand and express the understanding of Americans, of college students, of people just out of college for events around the world, to give people the opportunity to serve overseas for a period of time and then to come back and share that knowledge and experience. The fact that he came by the office--and it seems like yesterday; it was several weeks ago now--and he had his flip charts. One by one, in that sort of scholarly, serious, academic way, expressing the truth, what he knew would work in a creative and innovative way impressed me. Indeed, it should be the goal of all of us, once we leave this body, to continue the process, participating as actively as he demonstrated several weeks ago. He was a champion of the people and, indeed, a credit to the United States of America. To his family, to his friends, to his loved ones, our condolences go out to them over the coming days.

Mr. FRIST

Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Foreign Relations Committee be discharged from further consideration of H.R. 2264, and the Senate proceed to its immediate consideration.