Bill Frist

Mr. FRIST

Mr. FRIST. Madam President, we can talk about earlier than 3 o'clock, but right now it is until 3 o'clock tomorrow. At 3 o'clock, we will recess.

Mr. FRIST. That is correct. That is by invitation. Of course, our colleagues and spouses are invited.

Mr. FRIST. Madam President, we will not be in session on Thursday or Friday.

Mr. FRIST

Mr. FRIST. This morning and throughout today's session, Members will have the opportunity to give remarks and pay tribute to President Reagan. I announced yesterday and again last night that the Senate would delay its work on the pending Defense bill until Monday next week. The filing deadline for amendments to that bill passed at 5 p.m. yesterday. Now the two managers of the legislation will be able to look over the legislative language of those submitted amendments. We will start Monday and work aggressively on that bill and will likely have multiple votes on Monday. For the remainder of this week, in addition to today's morning business period, Senators will have until 3 p.m. tomorrow to come to the floor to speak on the life and legacy of our 40th President, Ronald Wilson Reagan. The Senate will honor that life through a Senate resolution, which is deserving of a rollcall vote. However, that vote will not occur until tomorrow. I will talk to the Democratic leader about the precise timing and we will let our colleagues know as that is scheduled for Wednesday. Therefore, we will not have any rollcall votes today. As a reminder, we will recess today from 12:30 until 2:15 for our weekly policy luncheons. Today we will also pass an adjournment resolution which will allow both Houses to adjourn on Wednesday and to reconvene on Monday to accommodate the ceremonies and services relating to the death of President Reagan.

Mr. FRIST

Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, we should continue our conversation. We will be voting on several resolutions in all likelihood. Whether there will be rollcall votes has not been determined. I expect that through joint discussions we will decide whether rollcall votes will be necessary. We certainly will not be voting, as we talked earlier, before 2:15. It may be that we will have no rollcall votes tomorrow, but that decision will be made with further discussion among the leadership.

Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, the Senate will be in a period for morning business to allow Senators to pay tribute to President Reagan. As I stated earlier today, we will delay action on the Defense bill until next week. We do now have copies at the desk of all amendments that may be offered to the Defense authorization bill. Although we will not be debating those amendments on the floor this week, we now have an opportunity for the chairman and ranking member to review the language of the amendments. Tomorrow we will also be considering any additional resolutions relating to the passing of our former President and therefore rollcall votes may occur. However, no rollcall votes will occur prior to the recess for the party policy luncheons tomorrow. I would also remind my colleagues that when the Senate completes its business on Wednesday afternoon, we will adjourn until Monday, June 14 to accommodate the ceremony and services relating to the death of President Ronald Reagan. Having said that, I invite my colleagues to come to the floor over the course of the next 2 days to express themselves during this solemn time.

Mr. FRIST

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

Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of S. Con. Res. 115 which is at the desk.

Mr. FRIST

Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, today is a solemn day. In fact, this is a solemn week for the Senate as well as the entire country, as we pay special tribute to the life and to the Presidency of the late Ronald Reagan, the 40th President of the United States. Many Members are asking about the schedule for this week and when they may have the opportunity to make appropriate remarks. In light of the events surrounding this occasion, I do not expect the Senate to conduct normal business this week. I believe we should postpone the scheduled votes in relation to Defense authorization until next week. This week we will have several resolutions relating to the passing of President Reagan. In a moment we will pass the first of these resolutions. Members should be aware that although we will not be voting in relation to the Defense bill, rollcall votes may be scheduled this week in relation to the various resolutions scheduled over the course of the week saluting the life and legacy of Ronald Reagan. No votes will occur prior to 2:15 p.m. on Tuesday in any event. I will have more to say on the voting schedule later today. In addition, we will have extended morning business periods through Wednesday to accommodate Senators who desire to speak.

Mr. FRIST

Mr. FRIST. I ask unanimous consent that the order providing for the consideration of the Defense authorization bill for today be vitiated and that the Senate continue in a period of morning business with Senators permitted to speak for up to 10 minutes each.

Mr. FRIST

Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I further state that the filing deadline for amendments will remain in place for 5 p.m. today.

Mr. FRIST

Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, this week we mourn the passing of Ronald Wilson Reagan, the 40th President of the United States. My wife Karyn and I, and indeed the entire Senate family, extend our deepest sympathies to his beloved Nancy and the entire Reagan family. More than 15 years have passed since Ronald Reagan gave his final cheerful salute as President of the United States. He left the Oval Office with the highest approval rating since Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Ronald Reagan had restored our confidence and our optimism in what it meant to be an American. The countless tributes and recollections of the past few days have brought forth a flood of memories, not only of his extraordinary leadership but of his truly exceptional character. We remember Ronald Reagan and love him as we did the day he left the highest post in the land. We feel a strong personal and unbreakable connection with our 40th President. Some attribute Ronald Reagan's ability to connect with the American people to his abilities as an actor. No politician was better or more comfortable around the camera. When he looked into the lens, he was looking directly into the eyes of the American people. His timing was flawless, and he had a soft touch that could disarm even his most stubborn political opponents. After being wounded by an assassin's bullet as he lay on a hospital gurney drifting towards unconsciousness, Ronald Reagan quipped to his beloved Nancy: Honey, I forgot to duck. So many stories like this remind us that Ronald Reagan was a man of remarkable courage, coupled with boundless good humor. There was more to him than what he said and how he said it, as there was more to Abraham Lincoln than his stirring speeches, and more to Franklin Roosevelt than his fireside chats. Ronald Reagan believed in what he said, and that conviction came through. He believed there is good and evil in the world and that America stands for the good. He believed we must protect freedom wherever it may be threatened and plant its seeds wherever freedom may take root. He believed democracy to be not the privilege of a fortunate few but the rightful and ordained destiny for all mankind. At the 1992 Republican convention in Houston, TX, he expounded on these beliefs, telling the American people: Whether we come from poverty or wealth, whether we are Afro-American or Irish-American, Christian or Jewish, from big cities or small towns, we are all equal in the eyes of God. But as Americans, that is not enough; we must be equal in the eyes of each other. There was one thing--second only to the Almighty--in which he had more faith than all else, and that was the American people. We trusted Ronald Reagan, we respected Ronald Reagan, we loved Ronald Reagan, because he trusted, respected, and loved each and every one of us. This week we will bear witness to a rare and extraordinary tribute to one of our greatest leaders. Half-masted flags will snap in the wind. Cannons will pound the air with salutes. And a horse-drawn caisson will solemnly pull the flag-draped casket of Ronald Wilson Reagan up to the Hill of our Capital City. Americans will line up by the thousands to pause at his side, bow their heads, and pay their final respects. Hundreds of leaders will gather at the National Cathedral to show their deep appreciation of a grateful Nation and a grateful world, and on Friday, when President Reagan is laid to rest, each of us will give a moment of our day to remember a man who gave us his very best. All of this is right and fitting. This is how we honor the lives of great leaders whom we love. But our tribute to Ronald Reagan must be more than a passing historical moment. Although we say goodbye to the man, we must never say goodbye to his values. Let this week reaffirm the goodness of our Nation. Let it reaffirm our faith in freedom. Let it reaffirm democracy as the destiny of all mankind. And let our fond memories, our deep affection and regard for Ronald Wilson Reagan reaffirm that we believe, above all, in ourselves as Americans. I yield the floor.

Mr. FRIST

Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that notwithstanding the filing deadline, the managers be permitted to introduce managers' amendments which have been cleared by the chairman and ranking member.

Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I further ask unanimous consent that the order with respect to the pending Kennedy amendment be delayed to begin under the same provisions on Tuesday, June 15.

Mr. FRIST

Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of S. Res. 371, which was submitted earlier today.

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

Mr. FRIST

Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 544, S. Con. Res. 5.

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

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 S. Res. 371, as a further mark of respect to the memory of Ronald Wilson Reagan.

Mr. FRIST

Mr. FRIST. I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it adjourn until 9:45 a.m., on Tuesday, June 8. 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 for their use later in the day, and the Senate then begin a period for morning business with Senators permitted to speak for up to 10 minutes each. I further ask that the Senate recess from 12:30 to 2:15 for the weekly policy luncheons to meet.

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, today, we will have a 60-minute period of morning business, with the first half under the control of the majority and second half under the control of the minority. Following that hour for statements, we will resume consideration of the Defense authorization bill. Under the order, we will vote on the pending amendments offered by Senators Crapo and Graham. Those amendments should be adopted by voice vote and will not require rollcalls. Senator Cantwell will then offer her alternative on nuclear waste, and there will be up to 4 hours for debate relative to that amendment. I hope we do not need all of that time and that some may be yielded back. When debate is completed on the Cantwell amendment, we will proceed with four consecutive votes, first in relation to the nuclear waste amendment, to be followed by votes on the confirmation of three district judge nominations. Following those votes, we will continue consideration of the amendments to the Defense authorization bill. There are a number of important scheduling commitments late this afternoon on both sides of the aisle. We will determine the voting schedule for the remainder of the day as we get closer to the scheduled vote series. Although we will not be voting in the evening, I expect we can continue our work and Members will remain available for other Defense amendments on the list. Again, I will have more to say about the schedule this afternoon, as well as the schedule for tomorrow and Monday.

Mr. FRIST

Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I want to take a few moments and comment on our economy. It was just over a year ago that the Senate passed and the President signed into law $350 billion in tax relief. That was the third largest tax cut in history. By so doing, we brought the tax burden to the lowest level in 37 years. We cut taxes across the board for 136 million hard-working, taxpaying Americans. For America's families, we increased the child tax credit from $600 to $1,000 per child, and we made those rebate checks available immediately, and they were sent out immediately. Combined with tax cuts of 2001, which were signed into law almost 3 years ago today, this year 111 million individuals and families will receive an average tax cut of over $1,500. If you are married, you are 1 of 49 million married couples who will have an average tax cut of $2,600. For those families with children, you are 1 of the 43 million families with children who will receive an average tax cut of $2,000. We have 14 million elderly individuals who will see their taxes go down on average by nearly $1,900. That is $1,900 more that senior will be able to have to spend, to invest, or to use however they want. If you are a small business owner, you are 1 of 25 million small business owners who will receive an average tax cut of $3,000. In my home State of Tennessee, more than 2 million Tennesseans will have lower tax rates this year. President Bush's tax cuts are working. Not only are the tax relief packages, the tax cuts putting more money back in workers' pockets, they are boosting the economy, and we are seeing the results today. Since we passed the tax cuts last year, over 1 million new jobs have been created. The unemployment rate has fallen to 5.6 percent, lower than the average unemployment rates for the past three decades. The number of working Americans has reached an all-time high. In particular, manufacturing employment has done especially well. It is at the highest level in almost 20 years. Real gross domestic product grew at its fastest pace in more than 20 years. Real disposable personal income--meaning how much money families and individuals have--is up. Household wealth is at an all-time high. Home ownership is at a record high. Consumer confidence is up. The stock market has risen from 7,000 to 10,000. Business confidence is higher than it has been in 20 years, and business spending and investing is booming. Four years ago, President Bush inherited an economy that was in recession. Now because of his firm fiscal and tax leadership, the economy is booming. American families feel better off today because they are better off today. The optimism shows up in national polls. A Harris poll released this week finds a clear majority of Americans feel their situation has improved since the last administration left office. Over two-thirds expect their personal situation to improve over the next 5 years. African Americans and Hispanics are particularly hopeful. A remarkable 86 percent in each group expect their lives to improve in the next 5 years. It is imperative we keep up the pace. We can only do that by making the tax cuts permanent. My constituents have written to me again and again pleading to preserve the tax cuts. Yet there are some who would like for those tax cuts to expire. Worse yet, others are calling for immediate repeal. Not only would that be the largest tax hike in history, it would cut short America's new economic recovery. The tax cuts are working. We need more, not less. We need to keep America moving forward, and we need to keep passing appropriate legislation that stokes the fires of the world's largest and most dynamic economy. I urge my colleagues to continue to support these progrowth, projob policies that create opportunity for every American. Everyone who wants a job should be able to find one. Mr. President, I yield the floor.

Mr. FRIST

Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, we have a number of Senators on both sides of the aisle who desire to speak. I make a recommendation that we rotate back and forth between sides. On this side I ask each Senator to try to speak for less than 5 minutes. I yield to each of them up to 5 minutes.

Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that following my remarks and Senator Daschle's remarks, Senator Stevens be recognized.