Bill Frist

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 President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.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 welcome our colleagues back from the Memorial Day recess. I know everybody enjoyed spending time with family and friends and constituents, reconnecting with the people we serve. It is always a very busy time during a recess period, and this particular recess period, because it was the Memorial Day recess, where everybody did take that day--or several days or moments on several days--to pause and honor the brave Americans who made the ultimate sacrifice in the course of their service to our Nation and in the cause of liberty. In addition to Memorial Day, it was a time of graduations, a time of commencements for students, whether it be from elementary school, middle school, high school, college, or graduate school. A number of our colleagues participated--I am sure most colleagues participated in graduation ceremonies at all of those levels over the last couple of weeks. I also hope that last week was a time when people rested and recharged their batteries because, as was just implied in the remarks of the Democratic leader and myself, we have a very busy 4 weeks ahead of us. We have a lot of work to do in a very short period of time before we have the Fourth of July recess. Today, we will continue, shortly, to debate the nomination of Janice Rogers Brown to the DC Circuit Court of Appeals. After having been delayed for 2 years by partisan obstruction, she will finally receive a fair up-or-down vote--something she deserves. It will be this week on the floor of the Senate. So I am very pleased because that demonstrates real progress in this body. So after 2 years of partisan obstruction, she is going to receive an up-or-down vote. The President made a great choice in selecting Judge Brown to serve on the Federal bench. I have had the opportunity to meet and spend time with Judge Brown personally and have studied her record. She is a woman of great accomplishment and talent. She is tough, smart, and principled. Her story is nothing short of remarkable. From humble beginnings as a sharecropper's daughter in segregated Alabama, Janice Rogers Brown has climbed to the peaks of the legal profession. She was educated in segregated schools and worked her way through college and law school. She went on to serve in prominent positions in California State government. Today, Janice Rogers Brown is a justice on the California Supreme Court, the first African-American woman to serve on California's highest court. Her fellow California judges, both Democrat and Republican, have called her a ``superb judge'' who ``applies the law without favor, without bias, and with an even hand.'' The people of California believe she is doing a great job. They reelected her with 76 percent of the vote, the highest voting percentage of all of the justices on the ballot. The Senate will have a spirited debate on Justice Brown's nomination, but I hope Senators will remember that this is about treating nominees with fairness. Nominees deserve not only a fair up-or-down vote but to be treated fairly during the debate. Civility is more than a word. It is a value we must all work to uphold in our deliberations, and may that be respected on the floor of the Senate. Before the recess, the Senate voted up or down on Justice Priscilla Owen and she was confirmed. I hope this progress will continue with Justice Brown this week and with Judge Pryor this week, as well as future nominees. We should have a very positive week on judges. As long as that progress continues, a process that continues to give these up- or-down votes, gives these nominees the consideration they deserve, not blind obstruction of the Constitution, the constitutional option, of course, will not be needed. Our job as Senators is to govern with meaningful solutions, and we must always remain focused on that larger picture of making America safer and stronger and more secure. That is why it is imperative that we address matters such as America's intolerable dependence upon foreign oil. We have gone on for more than a decade without a comprehensive national energy policy. It is time now to change that. As a result, we have become dependent on foreign sources of oil, putting our security and our economy at risk. That is too long. It is time for us to act now--not just talk about it--for families worried about gas prices as they anticipate summer driving, for families who have to sacrifice next winter to pay their heating bills. They expect us to act, and we will in this body on the floor of the Senate and deliver for the American people. We must diversify our sources of energy and balance new production with conservation and development of renewable resources. We must do so in a way that reduces our reliance on foreign sources-- by increasing America's domestic production of clean coal, oil, and gas, nuclear, solar, ethanol, and other renewable energy sources--a comprehensive energy plan that will make America safer and more secure and will inject much needed jobs into the economy. I thank Chairman Domenici and Senator Bingaman for their hard work and for working together to get this bill out of committee and ready for the floor on a strong, bipartisan vote. I am confident that we can move forward in the same bipartisan spirit on the Senate floor to move this bill quickly and get it to conference with the House and have it on the President's desk for his signature. America needs an energy policy that reflects our modern economic and security challenges. In the days ahead, we will address the Energy bill and we will complete action on the highway bill, which is currently in conference. As soon as that conference completes its action, we will bring it to the floor. We will address the President's nominees and a host of other issues. As we do so, I am determined to work with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to take whatever action is necessary--that bold action to move America forward. We have made great progress in the 109th Congress thus far. We passed fair and thoughtful legislation to end class action and bankruptcy abuse. We took quick and decisive action to support our troops in the field and to give relief for the victims of the tsunami disaster. We passed the Genetic Nondiscrimination Act, a victory that will provide protections against genetic discrimination in health insurance. And we are now finally giving judges the votes they deserve. We passed a budget in the fifth fastest time in Senate history. We are leading today on tomorrow's challenges. We can be proud of our efforts to expand freedom here at home and across the globe. With mutual trust and civility and a sharp focus on our ultimate goals, we can continue to deliver to the American people the solutions they need and the leadership our Nation deserves. Mr. President, I yield the floor.

Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, as a reminder to our colleagues, the cloture vote on the Brown nomination is scheduled for noon tomorrow. I hope and expect that cloture will be invoked at that time and that we will be able to move quickly to an up-or-down vote on her nomination. The Democratic leader and I will be talking shortly this afternoon and will make more specific plans in terms of voting times and give some idea of how quickly we can move with other nominations. We do have another cloture vote on the Pryor nomination, which would immediately follow the up-or-down vote on Janice Rogers Brown. In addition to those judicial nominations, we have agreements to debate and vote on of two Sixth Circuit judicial nominations, as well as one DC Circuit Court nominee. This week, we may also reconsider the vote with respect to the Bolton nomination. As you can tell, we have a very busy week as we return from recess. I thank our colleagues in advance as we move through these issues. Mr. President, I will have a brief opening statement as well, but I now yield to the Democratic leader.

Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I have just a few announcements and then I will have a short statement. We will have a full day of debate today on the nomination of Janice Rogers Brown. To allow for an orderly debate, I now ask unanimous consent that following the remarks of myself and the Democratic leader, the chairman of the Judiciary Committee be recognized to speak. Further, I ask that the time from 3 to 4 be under the control of the Democratic leader or his designee, and the time from 4 to 5 be under the control of the majority leader or his designee. I further ask that the time from 5 to 5:30 be under the control of the other side of the aisle, and the time from 5:30 to 6 be under the control of the majority.

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

Mr. FRIST

Mr. FRIST. I ask unanimous consent the Judiciary Committee be discharged from further consideration and the Senate now proceed to S. Res. 149.

Mr. FRIST

Mr. FRIST. In order to place the bill on the calendar under the provisions rule XIV, I object to further proceeding.

Mr. FRIST

Mr. FRIST. I ask unanimous consent the Senate now proceed to the consideration of S. Res. 159, submitted earlier today.

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

Mr. FRIST

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

Mr. FRIST

Mr. FRIST. I ask unanimous consent that notwithstanding the Senate's adjournment, committees be authorized to report legislative and executive matters on June 1 from 10 a.m. to 12 noon.

Mr. FRIST

Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that notwithstanding the upcoming recess or adjournment of the Senate, the President of the Senate, the President pro tempore, and the majority and minority leaders be authorized to make appointments to commissions, committees, boards, conferences, or interparliamentary conferences authorized by law and by concurrent action of the two Houses or by order of the Senate.

Mr. FRIST

Mr. FRIST. I ask unanimous consent that during the adjournment of the Senate, the majority leader, majority whip, and senior Senator from Virginia be authorized to sign duly enrolled bills or joint resolutions.

Mr. FRIST

Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate now proceed to the consideration of Executive Calendar No. 100, the nomination of William Pryor, of Alabama, to be U.S. Circuit Judge for the Eleventh Circuit.

Mr. FRIST

Mr. FRIST. The Senator from Maine, the distinguished chair of the Small Business Committee, is correct that while the vast majority of the Highway bill does not concern the Small Business Act or the Small Business Administration, the Highway bill conferees should secure the consent of the Chair of the Senate committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship before making any changes to legislation or programs within that committee's jurisdiction.

Mr. FRIST

Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it stand in adjournment until 2 p.m. on Monday, June 6. I further ask that following the morning 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 then return to executive session to resume consideration of the nomination of Janice Rogers Brown to be United States Circuit Judge for the DC Court of Appeals; I further ask consent that the vote invoking cloture on the Brown nomination occur at 12 noon on Tuesday, June 7.

Mr. FRIST

Mr. FRIST. Madam President, I entered a motion to reconsider this vote to allow us to revisit this issue when we return. We will be doing that. We will be closing shortly this evening, but before we close, I will file cloture motions on the Brown nomination and the Pryor nomination. Our next vote will be Tuesday, June 7, and that vote will occur prior to the policy luncheons, probably at noon on June 7.

Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, in 15 minutes or so, we will vote on the nomination of Under Secretary of State John Bolton to be ambassador to the United Nations. I applaud President Bush for his selection. The President describes the Under Secretary as ``a blunt guy'' who ``can get the job done'' and ``isn't afraid to speak his mind''--not even to the President himself. We need a smart, principled, and straightforward representative to articulate the President's policies on the world's stage. We need a person with Under Secretary Bolton's proven track record of determination and success to cut through the thick and tangled bureaucracy that has mired the U.N. in scandal and inefficiency. A vote for John Bolton is a vote for U.N. reform. A vote for John Bolton is a vote for progress on the international challenges of our day. A vote for John Bolton is a vote for the United States. It is no accident that polling shows most Americans have a poor view of the United Nations. In recent months, we have seen a deluge of negative reports. We now know that Saddam Hussein stole an estimated $10 billion through the Oil-for-Food Program. The U.N. official who ran the operation stands accused of taking kickbacks, along with many other officials. Just this week, the head of the Iraq Survey Group told the Council on Foreign Relations that as a result of the oil-for-food corruption, Saddam came to believe he could divide the U.N. Security Council and bring an end to sanctions. I commend Senator Coleman for his determined efforts to get to the bottom of this global scandal. We know the U.N. failed to stop the genocide in Rwanda in the 1990s. The U.N. is on the brink of repeating that mistake in Darfur. In the Congo, it is alleged that U.N. peacekeepers have committed sexual abuse against the innocent female civil war victims they were sent to protect. Meanwhile, the U.N.'s Human Rights Commission, which is charged with protecting our human rights, includes such human rights abusers as Libya, Cuba, Zimbabwe, and Sudan. These failures are very real and very discouraging. They can be measured in lives lost and billions of dollars stolen. And they can be measured in the sinking regard for an organization that should be held in high esteem. America sends the U.N. $2 billion per year. Our contribution makes up 22 percent of that budget. We provide an even larger percentage for peacekeeping and other U.N. activities. It is no surprise that Americans are calling out for reform. John Bolton is the President's choice to lead that effort. He possesses deep and extensive knowledge of the U.N. and has, for many years, been committed to its reform. Back in 1991, Under Secretary Bolton successfully lobbied to repeal the U.N.'s shameful resolution 3379, which equated Zionism with racism. Many in the diplomatic community told him it could not be done. But after waging an aggressive campaign, he moved the U.N. General Assembly to repeal the resolution by a vote of 111 to 25. As Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security, John Bolton helped build a coalition of 60 countries to combat the spread of weapons of mass destruction through the President's Proliferation Security Initiative. He was pivotal in our successful efforts to persuade Libya to give up its pursuit of weapons of mass destruction. He was also the chief negotiator of the Treaty of Moscow, which calls upon the U.S. and Russia to reduce their nuclear warheads by nearly two-thirds. Under Secretary Bolton has the confidence of the President and the Secretary of State, and it is to them he will report directly. He has been confirmed by this body four times, and I believe if we are given the chance, he will be confirmed for a fifth time today. The vetting of his current nomination has been exhaustive. The Foreign Relations Committee interviewed 29 witnesses and reviewed more than 830 pages of documents from the State Department, from USAID, and the CIA. Under Secretary Bolton fielded nearly 100 questions for the record and underwent multiple hearings. As Senator Lugar has pointed out, Under Secretary Bolton has served 4 years in a key position that technically outranks the post for which he is now being considered. This is a critical time for the United States and for the world. Because of the President's vision and commitment, democracy is on the march around the globe. In January, Iraq held its first truly free elections. Revolution has swept the Ukraine, Georgia, and Lebanon. We are seeing political reforms in Egypt. Kuwait now allows a woman the right to vote. Saudi Arabia is slowly opening the door to democracy. The Middle East peace process is at its most hopeful moment ever. The U.N. can and should be vital in advancing these developments. The U.N. charter states that the purpose of that organization is ``to promote social progress and better standards of life in larger freedom.'' I believe in the U.N.'s potential, if it is reformed and more rightly focused. It has been an important instrument of peace and dialog. I believe, as does the President, that an effective U.N. is in America's interest. Ambassador Rudy Boschwitz, who has just returned from the 61st session of the U.N. Commission on Human Rights, puts it well when he says that: Not only the United States, but the United Nations itself, needs and will profit from a no-nonsense representative like Mr. Bolton. U.N. Secretary Kofi Annan, too, supports the Under Secretary's selection. I thank my colleague Senator Lugar for his strong leadership. And I also thank my colleagues Senators Allen, Coleman, Sununu, and Alexander for their clear-eyed and unwavering support for this capable and fine nominee. I will close with a story about John Bolton. When he was an intern in the Nixon White House, John Ehrlichman had gathered the interns together to tell them they had to work for Nixon's reelection. A young John Bolton piped up, ``Work for him? I don't even know if I'm going to vote for him.'' He has always been a straight-shooter and a man of integrity--exactly what we need at the United Nations, and exactly what the United Nations needs from us. Mr. President, I yield the floor and suggest the absence of a quorum.

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

Mr. FRIST. Madam President, I enter a motion to reconsider the vote.

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

Mr. FRIST

Mr. FRIST. In order to place the bill on the calendar under the provisions of rule XIV, I object to further proceeding.

Mr. FRIST. I understand there is a bill at the desk due for a second reading.

Mr. FRIST

Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, if there is no further business to come before the Senate, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate stand in adjournment under the provisions of H. Con. Res. 167.

Mr. FRIST

Mr. FRIST. We will be going on recess here for about 8 days, a much- needed recess for many people. A recess means we, for the most part, go back to our home States and spend time with people. So we all look forward to that opportunity to get back and travel around the country and get outside of Washington, DC, and listen very directly to the American people.