Bill Frist

Mr. FRIST

Mr. FRIST. I understand that H.R. 1274, which was just received from the House, is at the desk and I now ask for its first reading.

Mr. FRIST. I now ask for its second reading and object to my own request.

Mr. FRIST

Mr. FRIST. I ask unanimous consent that the Senate now proceed to the immediate consideration of H.R. 3491, which is at the desk.

Mr. FRIST. I ask unanimous consent that the bill be read the 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. I want to take just one moment and comment on the unanimous consent agreement and the establishment within the Smithsonian Institution of the National Museum of African American History and Culture, which we just approved. This has been a fairly long journey, to come to the point of the establishment of this African American History and Culture Museum. It really goes back to the time of African-American history, when it began in 1619 in Jamestown, VA. It was there a Dutch slave trader exchanged his cargo of Africans for food. Over the next 400 years, the descendants of men and women brought to America in chains would seek and find freedom. They would transform the American consciousness. They would permanently revolutionize American culture, American music, American art, and American literature. We are on the cusp of really a momentous event, and that is the enshrining of these events in a national museum devoted to African- American history and culture. With this, visitors from around the world will learn about 400 years of struggle and progress. The museum will house priceless artifacts, it will house documents, it will house recordings--all commemorating that 400-year history. It will serve as a wellspring of inspiration and scholarship. With the action of just a few moments ago, we will be sending the President a bill to fulfill this vision. What the African American Museum of History and Culture Act does is establish this museum within the Smithsonian. It is a Federal-private partnership. It authorizes $17 million for the first year in order to launch this museum. The Board of Regents will have 12 months to designate a site and the legislation lays out four possibilities for that site. Once that site is selected, the Board will set to work raising up this new national institution. America will finally have a museum worthy of the generations of men and women who have sacrificed so much and given so deeply to the cause of freedom. I do commend my colleagues, Senator Brownback, Senator Dodd, Senator Lott, Senator Santorum, Senator Stevens, and on the House side especially Representative John Lewis of Georgia and Representative J.C. Watts for their hard work and their leadership in coming to this point. Indeed, the African-American journey is America's journey and tonight we take another major step forward.

Mr. FRIST. I, again, want to second that. When this bill passed the House of Representatives--I think it was 2 nights ago--I immediately called Representative Lewis the next morning for exactly the same reason. I have not been around Washington quite as long to be able to build upon the shoulders of somebody like Representative Lewis, who had this vision of a museum, but we are now taking that major step forward. As museums are approved and money is put forward, it takes a while, but to see that dream really becoming concrete, I want to tell him thank you for me, for this body, for America, and for all the millions of people who will benefit from that vision he had.

Mr. FRIST

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

Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the consideration of S. Res. 270, submitted by Senators Coleman and Dayton earlier today.

Mr. FRIST

Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 250, S. 1152.

Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the McCain substitute at the desk be agreed to, the committee substitute, as amended, be agreed to, the bill, as amended, 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. Tomorrow morning there will be 1 hour of debate prior to a cloture vote on the energy conference report. I hope the Senate will be able to invoke cloture on this long overdue issue. It is important that the Senate invoke cloture to allow the Senate to have an up-or-down vote on the bill that will strengthen the Nation's energy security by establishing a national energy policy. I would also announce that the conference committee on the Medicare reform legislation has finished its work. That conference report will be filed in the House. We hope to consider and complete that measure just as soon as possible. In addition, we have the Appropriations Committee which is completing its work on the appropriations process. And we will shortly consider that conference report as well. Having said that, we will have rollcall votes tomorrow. A number of people have asked about the weekend schedule, and we have been very clear over the last week and a half that we will be in session this weekend. But the specifics of the weekend schedule, hopefully, we will be able to announce sometime midday tomorrow.

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, following the remarks of Senator Grassley and Senator Dodd.

Mr. FRIST

Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 399, S. 1561.

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

Mr. FRIST

Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that there now be a period for 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 resolution be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate, and that any statements relating to this resolution be printed in the Record.

Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 395, S. Res. 253.

Mr. FRIST

Mr. FRIST. 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. I ask unanimous consent that the resolution be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, and any statements relating to the resolution be printed in the Record.

Mr. FRIST. I ask unanimous consent that the HELP Committee be discharged from further consideration of S. Res. 266 and the Senate proceed to its immediate consideration.

Mr. FRIST

Mr. FRIST. I ask unanimous consent the Senate proceed to consideration of H.R. 3140, which is at the desk.

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

Mr. FRIST

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

Mr. FRIST

Mr. FRIST. I ask unanimous consent the Senate proceed to the consideration of H.J. Res. 78, which is at the desk.

Mr. FRIST. I ask the amendment at the desk be agreed to, the joint resolution, as amended, be read the third time and passed, the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table, and any statements relating to the joint resolution be printed in the Record.