Bill Frist

Mr. FRIST

Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, good morning to everyone on this pleasant Saturday morning. Today the Senate convenes for a rare weekend session. I believe it reflects our commitment to completing the very important business that has a direct impact on Americans. That is why we are here. We have important business before us and we will complete that business. This morning, we will have the concluding remarks and amendments to the Senate intelligence and homeland security reform resolution under last night's order. At 11:15, we will begin the series of rollcall votes, which will conclude our action on this resolution. There will be anywhere from three to five votes, depending on the number of amendments that have been worked out. The final vote in the sequence will be on a sense-of-the-Senate resolution on agricultural disasters. Today, we will also consider any available conference reports that arrive from the House, and that includes appropriation measures, as well as the Department of Defense authorization. We also have an agreement that the cloture vote on the FSC JOBS conference report will occur at 1 p.m. on Sunday. I hope that cloture is invoked and, once invoked, on the JOBS legislation, we can move expeditiously toward passage of that conference report. With that said, although we have made great progress toward finishing the remaining items on our agenda, there is still work to do. Individual members will ultimately determine how long the Senate will remain to complete our business. As I have stated repeatedly, we will stay in session until our work is done. I ask those individual Members to give consideration to the business we have before us and to our commitment on completing this business, and that they give every consideration to scheduling in that regard. We are here through the weekend to work toward our goal, and I will continue to work with Senators to see if we can expedite our schedule for finishing.

Mr. FRIST

Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, this amendment has been cleared on both sides. I urge its adoption.

Mr. FRIST

Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the bill be read three times and passed, the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table, all with no intervening action or debate, and that any statements related to this measure be printed in the Record.

Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 788, S. 2938.

Mr. FRIST

Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it adjourn until 10:30 a.m. on Sunday, October 10. I further ask that following the prayer and the pledge, the morning hour be deemed to have expired, the Journal of the proceedings be approved to date, the time for the two leaders be reserved, and the Senate resume consideration of the conference report to accompany H.R. 4520, the FSC/ETI JOBS bill; provided that the time until 1 p.m. be equally divided between the two managers, with the exception of 20 minutes under the control of Senator Byrd, who will speak as in morning business.

Mr. FRIST

Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I send a cloture motion to the desk.

Mr. FRIST

Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I now move to proceed to the conference report to accompany H.R. 4567, the homeland security appropriations bill.

Mr. FRIST

Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate now proceed to the immediate consideration of H.R. 3858, which is at the desk.

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. Mr. President, tomorrow the Senate will resume consideration of the Senate intelligence reform resolution. Under the previous order, each of the remaining amendments in order will be offered, and the time until 11:15 will be equally divided for debate on the amendments. At 11:15 a.m., the Senate will proceed to a stacked series of votes on the remaining amendments, to be followed by a vote on adoption of the resolution, and a vote on the Harkin resolution. Following disposition of the Senate intelligence reform resolution, the Senate will resume consideration of the conference report to accompany H.R. 4520, the FSC/ETI JOBS bill. It remains my hope that we can expedite consideration of the conference report, but I would remind all Senators that a cloture motion is pending and that vote is now scheduled to occur at 1 p.m. on Sunday. If cloture is invoked, we would hope that Members will allow us to move forward with the vote on passage at the earliest possible time. The Senate may also take up the Department of Defense authorization conference report tomorrow or any appropriations conference report when it becomes available. I thank my colleagues for their patience. Weekend sessions are rare, but we have a lot of work to accomplish prior to adjourning. That work we will accomplish.

Mr. FRIST

Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it adjourn until 10 a.m. on Saturday, October 9; 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 S. Res. 445, the Senate intelligence reform resolution; provided further that the time until 11:15 be equally divided between the two managers, with 30 minutes under the control of Senator Harkin.

Mr. FRIST

Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 706, S. 2486, the veterans' non-health care benefits bill.

Mr. FRIST

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 regarding this matter be printed in the Record.

Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of S. 2965, which was introduced earlier today by Senator Cochran.

Mr. FRIST

Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I object to further proceedings on the measure at this time in order to place the bill on the calendar under the provisions of rule XIV.

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

Mr. FRIST

Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that notwithstanding the passage of S. 2845, amendment No. 3977, previously agreed to, be modified with the changes that are at the desk.

Mr. FRIST

Mr. FRIST. That is correct.

Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that at 11:15 a.m. on Saturday, October 9, the Senate proceed to votes in relation to any pending amendments to the McConnell-Reid amendment to S. Res. 445; provided further that it be in order prior to the votes for Senators to offer a qualified amendment from the unanimous consent list of last night; provided further that following the disposition of those amendments the Senate proceed to a vote on the adoption of the pending McConnell-Reid substitute, to be followed by the immediate vote on cloture on the underlying resolution; further, that if cloture is invoked, the Senate immediately proceed to a vote on adoption of the resolution, as amended, with no intervening action or debate. I now ask unanimous consent it then be in order during Saturday's session for the Senate to consider a resolution submitted by Senator Harkin regarding the sense of the Senate on agricultural emergencies which is currently at the desk; further, that when the Senate finishes S. Res. 445, the Senate immediately proceed to a vote on the adoption of the Harkin resolution, with no intervening action or debate and the preamble then be agreed to. I further ask unanimous consent that the vote with respect to cloture on the conference report to accompany H.R. 4520 occur at 1 p.m. Sunday, October 10. Finally, I ask unanimous consent that during Sunday's session it be in order for the Senate to consider a bill regarding overtime compensation and a bill regarding FDA and tobacco products which are currently at the desk; I ask unanimous consent that on Sunday those bills be read a third time and passed, en bloc, with the motions to reconsider laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate.

Mr. FRIST

Mr. FRIST. I believe we are now ready to proceed to the cloture vote on the McConnell-Reid amendment to the intelligence resolution.

Mr. FRIST. I now move to proceed to the conference report to accompany H.R. 4520.

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, again, this amendment was an amendment that, last night, we said we would be addressing today. We have Members who are trying to work on that business. Again, I plead with Members on both sides of the aisle to allow us to address the intelligence oversight of the Senate. The American people expect it. I know individual Senators have certain rights to put a block and to obstruct, but we are talking about the Nation's business. We are about ready to adjourn over the next hours, but it looks as though, because of the obstruction, it is going to be days now, but we are going to stay here. The American people deserve it. The 9/11 Commission Report said act and we have acted, and now we are in that final few feet of this sprint, and we are there, but we are having this obstruction. The amendment I just asked to turn to is part of the underlying business. Again, we just heard another objection. So I am frustrated, but nevertheless we are going to stay here and we are going to complete the Nation's business. I am prepared at this juncture to yield the floor to allow business. I understand Senators have rights and can speak under rule XXII, but I do want to at least advise Members that we cannot just sit in a quorum call like we have for the last little bit throughout the afternoon. The American people deserve more. We are here to work. We are here to produce. We are here to address the safety and security of the American people. If Members want to debate this resolution, please come forward and do it. It is the resolution that is the business on the floor. We will have votes as necessary through the afternoon and through the evening, hopefully on substantive amendments. We will have procedural votes, if necessary, to bring people back to conduct the Nation's business.

Mr. FRIST

Mr. FRIST. I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to executive session for the consideration of the following nominations on the Executive Calendar. For the information of Members, these are uniformed military promotions that were reported by the Armed Services Committee. The nominations are 917 through 923, and all nominations on the Secretary's desk in the Air Force, Army, and Navy. I further ask consent that the nominations be confirmed, the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table, the President be immediately notified of the Senate's action, and the Senate then resume legislative session.

Mr. FRIST

Mr. FRIST. I understand S. 2949 is at the desk, and I ask for its first reading.