Bill Frist

Mr. FRIST

Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 250, S. 443.

Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the bill 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. 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. I ask unanimous consent that the resolution be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, and the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table.

Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate now proceed to the consideration of S. Res. 286, which was submitted earlier today.

Mr. FRIST

Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, we have been moving forward with the underlying bill, and Chairman Specter has indicated that he has a lineup of amendments ready for tomorrow. I know that tomorrow will be a busy day with votes in relation to those amendments. We need this final appropriations bill this week, as I have said again and again--this week and last week--and, therefore, in order to facilitate passage, I now send a cloture motion to the desk.

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

Mr. FRIST. This cloture vote will occur Thursday morning. We will announce the exact time sometime during tomorrow's session, hopefully Thursday morning.

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 President, I ask unanimous consent the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I know the chairman is eager to make further progress on the underlying bill, and therefore we will be brief. A number of Senators have come to the floor over the course of today to express their thoughts or feelings or emotions or sympathies for the families of the over 2,000 military dead in Operation Iraqi Freedom. At this point, I ask the Senate now proceed to a moment of silence in honor of our fallen soldiers.

Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, today U.S. military deaths in Operation Iraqi Freedom surpassed 2,000. These brave men and women in uniform sacrificed their lives for the cause of freedom and for the security of their fellow Americans. We owe them a deep debt of gratitude for their courage, for their valor, for their strength, for their commitment to our country. They heard the call of duty and they took the fight to the enemy so that the enemy would not strike us here at home. These brave men and women join a pantheon of heroes who have fought and died over the years for our country. Because of their determination, Saddam Hussein now faces a trial for his life; because of their resolve, the Iraqi people are exercising their right to self-rule. And today, because of their bravery, today Iraq has a new constitution, a historic milestone on the march toward freedom and the fight against terror. Our hearts do go out to all the families who have lost loved ones on the battlefield as well as the thousands of men and women who have been injured. Their valor, their courage are a shining example to all. We owe them our deepest respect. We offer our continued support and our continued prayers. We pledge to stand firm in the war on terror. We will accomplish the mission to secure a free and prosperous Iraq and, in turn, secure the freedom and safety of America. We will persevere and we will win--for our heroes in uniform; for the United States of America.

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

Mr. FRIST

Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, this morning we have allocated the first 30 minutes for a brief period of morning business. After that first half- hour period, we will return to the consideration of the Labor-HHS appropriations bill. Chairman Specter and Senator Harkin have started a process of lining up amendments to be considered. Last night we locked in a vote which will begin at 10:30 this morning. That vote will be on Senator Specter's amendment on Medicaid/Medicare centers for services. I encourage Members who have amendments to the Labor-HHS bill to contact both managers as soon as possible. In order to ensure we finish the bill this week, we may have to file cloture at some point. We do not want to foreclose Members' rights to offer amendments. Thus, Senators should exercise their right to offer those amendments and do it now, come over this morning and over the course of the day. We will have multiple votes during today's session. Senators need to come to the floor promptly once a vote is called. As both the Democratic leader and I mentioned yesterday, we need to be responsible in voting on time, and that is a courtesy to the rest of the Senate. But even more importantly, we have so much to do that we do need to run the place in a disciplined way. We will have our policy luncheons today from 12:30 to 2:15.

Mr. FRIST

Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, a few moments ago, during our opening prayer, the Chaplain mentioned Rosa Parks. I, too, want to take a moment to note the passing of one of America's extraordinary citizens, an activist, a champion of principle, a true hero, Rosa Parks. All Americans should know Mrs. Parks' extraordinary story, how her refusal to give up a seat on that Montgomery, AL, bus led to a successful bus boycott and how that boycott ultimately led to the great and historic civil rights movement that remade our Nation. Ms. Parks defied an unjust, unfair, and unconstitutional law that declared African Americans second-class citizens. In so doing, she began a process that led to the historically important and vital 1964 Civil Rights Act. Racism still exists in our society. Discrimination continues. But Rosa Parks' brave stand against an unjust law began a movement that set our society moving away from prejudice toward equality, toward a society where people are not judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. Rosa Parks' actions and the life she lived stand as a testament to the importance of principle and the power of a single individual to change the world. In the coming months, I hope that we in the Senate will look for other ways to honor Mrs. Parks' legacy and the principles for which she and her life stood.

Mr. FRIST

Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, this year the Grand Ole Opry celebrates 80 years of star-studded country entertainment. This venerated institution stands as one the most important traditions in radio broadcasting and country music. If not for the Grand Ole Opry, my hometown of Nashville would most likely have never gained that title of ``Music City USA.'' The Grand Ole Opry first broadcast on November 28, 1925. Originally called the WSM Barn Dance, the weekly radio show featured comedy and blue glass, gospel and country. Radio host George D. Hay made sure that every broadcast was kept ``real down to Earth.'' Today, the Opry stands as the longest running continuous weekly radio broadcast, with over 4,000 consecutive Saturday evening shows. Audiences can tune into the Grand Ole Opry via radio, satellite, television or Internet. The show is even broadcast by the Armed Forces Radio and Television Services Network to entertain our troops around the world. Throughout its history, the Opry has embraced and celebrated the best in family entertainment, including those musical performances and comedy sketches that have warmed the hearts of millions throughout the South, all over the country and, indeed, throughout the world. Country great and Opry member Dolly Parton explains that at the Opry, ``there's a circle of friends, and a circle of performers and a circle of love at the old place.'' Jeanie Seely puts it this way: The Grand Ole Opry is not an institution. It's not a building. It's the people, the performers, the people who come. That's the Grand Ole Opry. That's what makes it special. And for new members, joining the Opry is joining a pantheon of country music greats. Roy Acuff, Chet Atkins, Johnny Cash, Dolly Parton, Minnie Pearl, Grandpa Jones, Garth Brooks, Vince Gill, and Reba McEntire, all have been members, and the list goes on. Even President Nixon has played on that Grand Ole Opry stage. As Loretta Lynn recently told a newspaper: If you've never played at the Grand Ole Opry, you haven't quite made it, yet. The Opry has promoted country music in a unique way. It has promoted it to the entire world and has invited new generations to hear the best that country has to offer. I am honored to represent the home State of such a dynamic part of American culture and music history. Today, I proudly introduce a Senate resolution commending the Grand Ole Opry for 80 years of music excellence.

Mr. FRIST

Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that there now be 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, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of S. Res. 287, submitted earlier today.

Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the resolution and preamble be agreed to, en bloc, the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table, and that any statements relating to the resolution be printed in the Record, without intervening action or debate.

Mr. FRIST

Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, tomorrow the Senate will resume consideration of that Labor-HHS appropriations bill. Just a few moments ago I filed cloture on that bill. Senators who are serious about offering germane amendments should work with the bill managers to schedule floor consideration just as quickly as possible. We are on track, the track that we set out last week, to finish the bill this week. I encourage Senators to vote for cloture in order to speed passage of this, the very last, the final appropriations bill for this year.

Mr. FRIST

Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, you have heard it now from the two leaders and the chairman and the ranking member. Let's plow ahead, again being respectful of the body itself and the use of time, and keep the bill moving forward and America moving forward.

Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, today we will immediately resume consideration of the Labor-HHS appropriations bill, following statements by myself and the Democratic leader. Amendments may be offered during today's session, and we hope Senators will come to the floor and offer their amendments. If Senators are unable to come to the floor, we ask that they notify the two managers or their respective cloakrooms of their intention to offer amendments and the specific subject matter. I know the distinguished chairman will have more to say on this. He has made it clear that at the appropriate time, he will go to third reading in order to complete this bill. His statement in saying that and my statement in restating that is that we will finish this bill this week. We absolutely must have people come to the floor today as soon as possible, instead of doing what has become almost a custom here, wait a few days before making the managers aware of their amendments. It means that we will be voting, of course, through this week. We will have votes later tonight which I will speak to. As I have said before, working with the Democratic leader, it is very important that we work Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. We have asked all of our colleagues, between now and Thanksgiving, to give us every Monday and every Friday instead, as has become the custom, of working Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday on the floor and not Monday and Friday. We will have to ask everybody's cooperation and participation. The chairman will have more to say about that momentarily. We will have one vote, probably two votes, possibly three votes, but we will have one or more votes today beginning at 5:30. We hope we can have a vote on the Labor-HHS bill, if an amendment is offered and debated this afternoon. In addition, we have three district judges on the Executive Calendar, and those may require rollcall votes. Therefore, Senators can expect to begin voting at 5:30 today. I remind Senators, we will have a very busy week with this particular bill. Senators are asked to report on time when we call a vote. Again, the tendency has been to go beyond 15 minutes and, indeed, beyond 20 minutes. Because we have so much to do in such a limited amount of time over the next 4 weeks, we will have to tighten that up and ask people to be more responsive than in the past.

Mr. FRIST. I am happy to yield.

Mr. FRIST

Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, the United States will very soon vote on a resolution urging the international community and the Government of Sudan to end genocide in Darfur. Since March of 2003, more than 181,000 people have died in the Darfur region, Darfur and the country west of Sudan--Darfur is in the western part of Sudan and the country west of that, Chad, and the neighboring towns in that region. One hundred eighty-one thousand people have died of violence and disease. They are dying of malnutrition. More than 2 million people have been displaced from their homes, many times without their families, and remain scattered in these refugee camps in the Darfur region and in Chad. I have had the opportunity to travel to Sudan many times and to the Darfur region, last year to Chad. Along the border, there are a whole number of refugee camps, each with anywhere from 6,000 to as many as 12,000 people. When you go into these refugee camps and you sit down on a little mat with all these little makeshift tents with 8,000 people who have had to leave their homes, you hear the stories of murder, the stories of rape from young women. You hear those stories of violence, many with descriptions of the Government of Sudan's jeeps driving through these villages as they are pushed forward. I have heard the stories myself. I have talked to enough people on the ground to know that this is, indeed, genocide and that it is time for us, the international community, to do something about it. I have said basically that same thing on the floor of the Senate for the last year; many of us have. It is embarrassing to have to come back to the floor to say it once again. The Government of Sudan has failed to take credible steps in terms of ending this genocide. There has been a lot of talk, but we don't see any action. It was clear, as I was there, as it is now, that the death toll is going to increase. It is going to increase unless we have stronger action, unified action, but not just by the Government of Sudan, because they are not going to act, but the entire international community against Khartoum, where the Government of Sudan is centered. President Bush and former Secretary of State Colin Powell and the Senate have all declared that the Darfur crisis is, in fact, genocide. It was the Senate that officially condemned it as genocide. Once again, we see no real response by the international community. This past Friday, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees warned that the situation in the Darfur region of the Sudan is getting worse. Where is the international community's response? Innocent civilians continue to be targeted by the Sudanese Government in Khartoum and its allied Janjaweed militias. The Janjaweed have even caused the United Nations to temporarily suspend some of its relief activities in many areas of Darfur. In the words of the High Commissioner, the situation is ``extremely nasty, with ugly events.'' Last month, 400 Janjaweed Arab militia on camels and horseback attacked a refugee camp killing 35 people, wounding 10 others. More than 80 homes were burned to the ground. On October 8, an African Union convoy was ambushed in the southern part of Darfur. Four Nigerian soldiers and two civilian contractors were killed. The very next day, a group of rebels abducted 38 African Union soldiers in the border town of Tine, threatening the African Union to stay out of the territory. Today there are fresh reports of heavy gunfire over the weekend in half a dozen towns in the region. The African Union forces deployed to the Darfur region have done a professional job and deserve praise for their determination. But they are up against ruthless opponents who attack and maim and kill their opponents. Nearly 200,000 civilians are dead, 2 million more displaced and suffering. The violence must stop. Those who are responsible for genocide for these war crimes against humanity and these criminal acts must be brought to justice. I urge the United States to renew efforts to implement additional sanctions on the Government of Sudan through the United Nations Security Council. I also support an expansion of the size and mandate of the African Union mission in Darfur, and I encourage my colleagues to continue to support its efforts. Time is running out. We cannot wait and see. The international community must live up to its declared responsibility to protect innocent citizens targeted for genocide. The credibility of the international community is at stake. Even more important than that are the hundreds of thousands of innocent people whose lives now hang in the balance. 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, in a few moments we will begin two rollcall votes. The second of those votes will be on the nomination of Harry S. ``Sandy'' Mattice, Jr. I hesitated a little bit because it is Harry S. Mattice, but nobody calls him that. It is Sandy to those of us who are his good friends and admirers. The nomination is to serve on the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee. I have known Sandy for many years and am proud to give him my absolute highest recommendation to serve on the Federal bench. He is a native of Chattanooga, TN. He has nearly 17 years of experience as a practicing attorney, focusing primarily on business investigations, including securities and tax and white-collar crimes. He currently serves as U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Tennessee, and in that role he manages Federal prosecutions for Tennessee's largest judicial district which encompasses 41 counties and 2.5 million Tennesseans. Sandy will be an outstanding Federal judge. He is smart, he has a rock-solid work ethic, he respects his colleagues, and in turn has earned their respect and widespread admiration. Throughout his entire career, Sandy has proved his merit as a skilled attorney and a talented prosecutor. The American Bar Association gave him its highest possible rating, ``unanimously well-qualified,'' to serve as a Federal judge. In addition to his many professional qualifications, Sandy is an honest person of the highest integrity. He is devoted to his family and is active in his local community. I have absolutely no doubt that Sandy will serve with honor on the Federal bench. As we prepare to vote, I urge my colleagues to support the nomination of this truly outstanding and distinguished Tennessean. Mr. President, I yield the floor.