Bill Frist

Mr. FRIST

Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it stand in adjournment until 2:15 p.m. on Wednesday, November 15. I further ask that following the prayer and the pledge, the morning hour be deemed to have expired, the Journal of proceedings be approved to date, the time for the two leaders be reserved, and that there then be a period of morning business with Senators permitted to speak therein for up to 5 minutes each.

Mr. FRIST

Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, today we did complete our work on the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs appropriations bill. Tomorrow afternoon, we hope to begin the Agriculture appropriations bill. We are also continuing our efforts to reach an agreement for the consideration of the U.S.-India Peaceful Atomic Energy Cooperation Act. We do expect votes in the afternoon, so Senators should plan their schedules accordingly. This week, we will also need to pass a short- term continuing resolution when received from the House.

Mr. FRIST

Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to proceed to the immediate consideration of H.R. 5842, which is at the desk.

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 with no intervening action or debate, and that any statements relating to this measure be printed in the Record.

Mr. FRIST

Mr. FRIST. I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Foreign Relations be discharged from further consideration of H.R. 860 and the Senate proceed to its immediate consideration.

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

Mr. FRIST

Mr. FRIST. I ask unanimous consent the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 531, S. 3501.

Mr. FRIST. I ask unanimous consent the amendment at the desk be agreed to, the bill, as amended, be read a third time and passed, the motion to reconsider be laid on the table, and any statements be printed in the Record.

Mr. FRIST

Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I have a few announcements and then the Democratic leader may want to respond to those and then I will have a brief statement. I know he has a statement following that. Today we return to begin the process of finishing our work for the 109th Congress. This afternoon we will begin consideration of the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs appropriations bill. Senator Hutchison will be here around 3 o'clock today to begin consideration of that bill with opening statements. Although we do not have any rollcall votes today, I hope the chairman and ranking member will work together to reach an agreement for completion of that bill during tomorrow's session. Over the course of the next several days, we have orientation events for Senators-elect for the 110th Congress. We will be welcoming them a little bit later tonight at a dinner that formally kicks off that orientation meeting. We will also have our leadership elections this week and policy luncheons as well. Those will be on Tuesday and Wednesday. The Democratic elections will occur Tuesday morning, followed by their Democratic policy luncheon, and on this side of the aisle we will proceed with our elections on Wednesday morning, with our policy luncheon to follow that afternoon. Given this schedule, our first vote will likely occur sometime Tuesday--late Tuesday afternoon. We do hope to finish the military construction bill on Tuesday afternoon. This week we will also consider a short-term continuing resolution. The current CR expires on Friday, and we need to pass a further resolution as soon as we possibly can. I have talked to the Democratic leader about this and we hope we will act on this quickly. This week we will also work toward agreements and passage of the Vietnam normal trade relations legislation and the U.S.-India nuclear agreement, as well as other appropriations measures that can be considered. We will keep Members apprised as we schedule these and other matters as we move through the week.

Mr. FRIST

Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I want to take a moment to comment on the recent elections and then a very brief look ahead. First, let me remind my colleagues in every year that we have waged war, our troops have fought to uphold certain ideals: the ideals of democracy, of liberty, and of freedom. They are those very same principles upon which this Nation was founded in 1776 and they are the principles we strive to live by today in 2006. We saw that play out in last week's election, a natural manifestation of those ideals. We saw democracy at work, an opportunity for the American people to speak, to influence Government. So while I, of course, was disappointed in the outcome, we are not discouraged, and people come back today not discouraged because, as I have said, this election was democracy at work. Change can be tough. Change opens the door, however, to new opportunity, and with that new opportunity comes new hopes. The American people have spoken and now is the time for us to move forward together. That is a very powerful message from the American people: Move forward and move forward together. For a number of my colleagues--and I think of this as I mention the orientation program that begins for our new colleagues for the next Congress--moving forward means concentrating in part on paving the way for their successors. For them, it is a time of transition. The next few weeks, the last of the 109th Congress, will be my final weeks serving as a Senator, but as most everyone knows, I self-limited my time as a Senator 12 years ago, so I have known every day--every day for the last 12 years--that I would be departing this body next month, and it did help me to keep focused. It kept me grounded in the fact that those of us serving here only occupy our positions of service and that we don't own those positions. As Senate majority leader, my job is to focus on finishing the business of the 109th Congress, and that is where I will be concentrating my efforts. As I look back on this Congress, the Republican majority has accomplished many things of which I am very proud. We submitted the tax cuts for every American which have helped to create 6 million jobs in the last 3 years. We have waged a bold war on terror, which has prevented every potential terror attack on our soil right here in this country over the past 5 years. We have given seniors prescription drug coverage through Medicare for the first time, affordable prescription drug coverage. We confirmed outstanding judicial nominees, including two Supreme Court justices. We passed a forward-looking energy bill. We strengthened our commitment to fighting HIV/AIDS here at home and around the world. We have eliminated frivolous class action lawsuits. And we did all of this in one of the most challenging partisan political environments ever. But as we move forward--and that really does officially begin today-- we begin with finishing the business of the 109th Congress, and we must work together to overcome that partisanship we have seen in the past, that crippling partisanship that has plagued us in the recent past. America wants results and America wants solutions, and it is with that focus we enter the waning days of the 109th Congress. We must return to an era of working together in a civil, bipartisan fashion. It is my hope both parties, Republicans and Democrats, will work toward governing together to produce those solutions, to produce those tangible results for the American people. That begins here, and it begins now. This week the Senate agenda will focus, as we mentioned earlier, on completing the remaining appropriations bills, and in the days and in the weeks ahead, we will consider the nomination of Bob Gates as Secretary of Defense and, as we just stated, the Vietnam trade legislation and the U.S.-India civilian nuclear technology bill. Each of us has many ideas to contribute to the discourse and I know we will continue to do that. We must build on our successes, the successes that make America the best place--the best place--to raise a family, the best place to start a business, and the best place to get and keep a job. Now is the time for us to get back to work.

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 now ask for a second reading, and in order to place the bill on the calendar under the provisions of rule XIV, I object to my own request.

Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I understand there is a bill at the desk, and I ask for its first reading.

Mr. FRIST

Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I understand there are two bills at the desk due for a second reading.

Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, in order to place the bills on the calendar under the provisions of rule XIV, I object to further proceeding en bloc.

Mr. FRIST

Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, tomorrow we will continue to work on the bill we began today, the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs appropriations bill. The bill's managers, Senators Hutchison and Feinstein, were here today and will be here on the floor tomorrow. Senators should consult with them at the earliest time possible if they want to have an amendment considered to this important funding bill. We do expect to complete this legislation tomorrow afternoon. Senators are reminded we will be voting tomorrow late afternoon, and we will alert everyone once a vote is scheduled. As I mentioned earlier this morning, we plan this week to do a continuing resolution, to do a Vietnam trade agreement, and to do the U.S./India nuclear agreement, as well as other appropriations bills as they come to the floor.

Mr. FRIST

Mr. FRIST. As in executive session, I ask unanimous consent that the injunction of secrecy be removed from the following treaty transmitted to the Senate on November 13, 2006, by the President of the United States: Geneva Act of the Hague Agreement Concerning the International Registration of Industrial Designs, Treaty Document No. 109-21. I further ask that the treaty be considered as having been read the first time; that it be referred, with accompanying papers, to the Committee on Foreign Relations and ordered to be printed; and that the President's message be printed in the Record.

Mr. FRIST

Mr. FRIST. I ask unanimous consent the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 642, S. 3687.

Mr. FRIST. I ask unanimous consent that the bill be read a third time and passed, the motion to reconsider be laid on the table with no intervening action or debate, and any statements be printed in the Record.

Mr. FRIST

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

Mr. FRIST

Mr. FRIST. I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it stand in adjournment until 2:15 p.m. on Tuesday, November 14. I further ask that following the prayer and pledge, the morning hour be deemed expired, the Journal of proceedings be approved to date, the time for the two leaders be reserved, and the Senate resume consideration of H.R. 5385, the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs appropriations bill.

Mr. FRIST

Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I ask for their second reading and, in order to place the bills on the calendar under the provision of rule XIV, I object to my own request en bloc.

Mr. FRIST

Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I understand there are four bills at the desk due for a second reading.

Mr. FRIST

Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of H.R. 5585, which was received from the House.

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