Bill Frist

Mr. FRIST

Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Tuesday, April 19, at 10 a.m. in room SD-366. The purpose of this hearing is to receive testimony concerning offshore hydrocarbon production and the future of alternate energy resources on the Outer Continental Shelf. Issues to be discussed include: recent technological advancements made in the offshore exploration and production of traditional forms of energy, and the future of deep shelf and deepwater production. Enhancements in worker safety, and steps taken by the offshore oil and gas industry to meet environmental challenges. Participants in the hearing will also address ways that the Federal Government can facilitate increased exploration and production offshore while protecting the environment. New approaches to help diversify the offshore energy mix will also be discussed.

Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on April 19, 2005, at 3 p.m., to conduct a hearing on ``Proposals for Improving the Regulation of the Housing Government Sponsored Enterprises.''

Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Armed Services be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on April 19, 2005, at 9:30 a.m., in open session to consider the following nominations: (1) Honorable Gordon R. England to be Deputy Secretary of Defense; and (2) Admiral Michael G. Mullen, USN, for reappointment to the grade of Admiral and to be Chief of Naval Operations.

Mr. FRIST

Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. FRIST

Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of 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 President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.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. The following Senators were necessarily absent: the Senator from Missouri, (Mr. Bond), the Senator from Montana, (Mr. Burns), and the Senator from Kentucky, Mr. McConnell. Further, if present and voting, the Senator from Montana (Mr. Burns) would have voted ``nay.''

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 previous order.

Mr. FRIST

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

Mr. FRIST

Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, tomorrow, the Senate will resume consideration of the Iraq-Afghanistan supplemental appropriations bill. At 11:45 a.m., the Senate will proceed to the cloture vote on the Chambliss immigration amendment, to be followed by a vote on invoking cloture on the Craig AgJOBS amendment. Therefore, Senators should expect two cloture votes beginning at 11:45 tomorrow morning. If cloture is not invoked on either of those amendments, the Chambliss amendment or the Craig amendment, the Senate will continue working through additional amendments to the bill. Under a previous order, if the Senate is not in a postcloture period, we will proceed to the cloture vote on the Mikulski language, and that is the Mikulski immigration amendment, at 4:30 tomorrow afternoon. After we dispose of the Mikulski amendment, the Senate will proceed to the cloture vote on the overall bill, the underlying bill. I also announce to my colleagues that, as they can see, we will have a very busy day over the course of tomorrow. Rollcall votes are likely to occur throughout the day, beginning at 11:45 a.m. As a reminder, there is an 11 a.m. filing deadline for second-degree amendments to the Chambliss and Craig amendments. The filing deadline for second-degree amendments to the Mikulski amendment and the bill itself will be determined by the outcome of those two earlier cloture votes tomorrow morning, and Senators will be notified once those deadlines can be established. Once again, I hope the Senate will invoke cloture on the bill so that the Senate can complete this underlying, important, critical emergency funding bill, an emergency funding bill for our troops in Afghanistan, in Iraq, as well as tsunami relief. Over the last week, week and a half, I have encouraged and will continue to encourage my colleagues not to offer extraneous amendments. I know people see this as a bill that is going to ultimately pass this floor, and it is very tempting to throw your outbox on this bill. To be honest, I have been disappointed in the number of extraneous, unrelated amendments that have been brought forward. We have 20 pending amendments to the supplemental appropriations bill. In addition to that, I have on each of these pages about 30 amendments, 4 pages of amendments Senators have brought forward. I appeal to my colleagues: Let us stay on this bill, the supplemental emergency spending bill. We are at war. We have troops who need this money now. All I can do is continue to appeal. We will have these immigration amendments tomorrow. We will have the opportunity to vote on these three amendments. That process will begin with the cloture votes at 11:45 in the morning. Once again, use restraint in bringing amendments forward, unless they are directed at supplemental emergency spending for our troops overseas or tsunami relief.

Mr. FRIST

Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Judiciary Committee be discharged from further consideration of S. 289 and the Senate proceed to its immediate consideration.

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 measure be printed in the Record.

Mr. FRIST

Mr. FRIST. I further ask unanimous consent that the Senate recess from 12:30 p.m. until 2:15 p.m. for the weekly party luncheons.

Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it stand in adjournment until 9:45 a.m. on Tuesday, April 19. I further ask consent 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 then resume consideration of H.R. 1268, the Iraq-Afghanistan supplemental appropriations bill; provided that the time until 11:45 be divided with Senator Chambliss in control of one- half of the time and the other half divided equally between Senators Craig and Kennedy; provided further that at 11:45 a.m. the Senate proceed to the vote on the motion to invoke cloture on the Chambliss amendment, as provided under the previous order.

Mr. FRIST

Mr. FRIST. I now send a cloture motion to the desk to the underlying bill.

Mr. FRIST. I ask unanimous consent that the live quorums, with respect to the four pending cloture motions, be waived.

Mr. FRIST. I ask we resume the Craig amendment, and I send a cloture motion to the desk to the Craig amendment.

Mr. FRIST. I call for the regular order on the Chambliss amendment. I now send a cloture motion to the desk to the Chambliss amendment.

Mr. FRIST. I ask unanimous consent the reading of the amendment be dispensed with.

Mr. FRIST. I ask unanimous consent the amendment be set aside.

Mr. FRIST. I ask unanimous consent the reading of the amendment be dispensed with.

Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent the pending amendments be set aside. On behalf of Senator Chambliss and others, I call up amendment No. 432.

Mr. FRIST. On behalf of Mr. Craig and others, I call up amendment No. 375.

Mr. FRIST. For the information of Senators, we now have four cloture motions filed in relation to the emergency supplemental. They are filed on the Mikulski amendment on H-2B visas, the Chambliss AgJOBS amendment, the Craig AgJOBS amendment, and to the underlying emergency supplemental. This will ensure votes in relation to the three amendments and then allow the Senate to move toward finishing the bill. I remind my colleagues we will be able to consider additional amendments either Monday evening or after the cloture votes have occurred on Tuesday. I thank my colleagues and hope we can move quickly next week to pass this important bill in order to provide the appropriate resources to our troops. The cloture motions are filed to further the bringing of this bill to closure. It is an important bill to support our troops in Afghanistan and Iraq--indeed, around the world--and also the important tsunami relief. With what I have outlined, we will be able to take what are now still more than two pages of amendments, outside of the many immigration amendments that have emerged in the period over the last several days, and give them some order so we can bring this bill to closure. Again, I want to reaffirm our commitment to address immigration in the future. It is a very important issue, but we will be having these three cloture votes on the immigration issues I briefly outlined, and we have filed cloture on the underlying bill, which does allow us to stay on amendments, germane amendments that were laid down to changing, altering, improving this bill as we go forward. I yield the floor.

Mr. FRIST

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