Bill Frist

Mr. FRIST

Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, that is the intent. It is important that people take advantage of that opportunity if they so wish. In talking to the leadership on the other side of the aisle, we agreed it was important for people to have the opportunity. We have been very busy over the last several days with the Estrada nomination and today the cloture vote. There has been excellent work in terms of ratification--the vote on the Moscow Treaty. So it has been very busy. We know the Nation is very much concerned with what is going on today and over the ensuing days in Iraq, so we did want to make that opportunity available.

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 adjourned under the previous order.

Mr. FRIST

Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it stand in adjournment until 9:30 a.m., Friday, March 7. 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 begin a period of morning business until the hour of 12:30 p.m., with the time equally divided between Senator Warner or his designee and the minority leader or his designee.

Mr. FRIST

Mr. FRIST. I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of S. Con. Res. 13, which is at the desk. This is a resolution introduced by Senators Lautenberg and Smith.

Mr. FRIST. I ask unanimous consent that the Lautenberg amendment at the desk be agreed to, the motion to reconsider be laid on the table; further, that the concurrent resolution, as amended, be agreed to and the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table; that the preamble be agreed to, and the motion to reconsider be laid on the table, with no intervening action or debate.

Mr. FRIST

Mr. FRIST. I announce that the Senator from New Mexico (Mr. Domenici), the Senator from Kentucky (Mr. McConnell), and the Senator from Oregon (Mr. Smith) are necessarily absent.

Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, first of all, I thank Senators Lugar and Biden for their excellent work over the past 2 days. I appreciate their leadership on this very important Resolution for Ratification of the Moscow Treaty. The treaty is critically important to making the world a safer place and will lead to dramatic reductions in nuclear arsenals. I commend the chairmen. The next vote on the adoption of the Resolution of Ratification will be the last vote of the evening. In addition, there will be no rollcall votes during tomorrow's session, although the Senate will be in session to allow Members to speak in morning business. Many will be speaking on Iraq. If any Members are interested, I encourage them to come to the floor to do so tomorrow. The next rollcall vote will be on Monday at 6 p.m. I thank all Senators for their attention.

Mr. FRIST. I announce that the Senator from New Mexico (Mr. Domenici), the Senator from Kentucky (Mr. McConnell), and the Senator from Oregon (Mr. Smith) are necessarily absent.

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

Mr. FRIST

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

Mr. FRIST

Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that at 5 o'clock on Monday, March 10, the Senate begin consideration of Calendar No. 19, S. 3, regarding the procedure commonly known as partial-birth abortion.

Mr. FRIST

Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate immediately proceed to executive session to consider the following nominations on today's Executive Calendar: Calendar Nos. 40, 41, 42, 44, 45, and 47; I further ask unanimous consent that the nominations be confirmed en bloc, the motions to reconsider be laid upon the table, the President be immediately notified of the Senate's action, and the Senate then return to legislative session.

Mr. FRIST

Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Subcommittee on Water and Power, Committee on Energy and Natural Resources be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Thursday, March 6, at 2:30 p.m., to receive testimony on S. 212, a bill authorizing the Secretary of the Interior to cooperate with the High Plains States in conducting a hydrogeologic characterization, mapping, modeling, and monitoring program for the High Plains aquifer and for other purposes; and S. 220 and H.R. 397, bills to reinstate and extend the deadline for commencement of construction of a hydroelectric project in the State of Illinois.

Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Subcommittee on Readiness and Management Support of the Armed Services Committee be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Thursday, March 6, 2003, at 2 p.m., in open session to receive testimony on Department of Defense Installation and Environmental Programs, in review of the Defense authorization request for fiscal year 2004. Witnesses: Honorable Hansford T. Johnson, Acting Secretary of the Navy; Mr. Raymond F. DuBois, Jr., Deputy Under Secretary of Defense (Installations and Environment); Honorable Mario P. Fiori, Assistant Secretary of the Army (Installations and Environment); and Honorable Nelson F. Gibbs, Assistant Secretary of the Air Force (Installations, Environment, and Logistics).

Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Veterans' Affairs be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Thursday, March 6, 2003, for a joint hearing with the House of Representatives' Committee on Veterans' Affairs, to hear the legislative presentation of the Military Order of the Purple Heart, the Paralyzed Veterans of America, Jewish War Veterans, Blinded Veterans Association, the Non-Commissioned Officers Association. The hearing will take place in room 345 of the Cannon House Office Building at 10 a.m.

Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, Subcommittee on Employment, Safety, and Training be authorized to meet for a hearing on ``The Workforce Investment Act: The Administration's Approach to Reauthorization'' during the session of the Senate on Thursday, March 6, 2003, at 10 a.m., in SD-430.

Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Select Committee on Intelligence be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Thursday, March 6, 2003, at 2:30 p.m., to hold a closed hearing.

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 Thursday, March 6, 2003, at 9:30 a.m., in open session to receive testimony on the Defense authorization request for fiscal year 2004 and the future years Defense program.

Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Foreign Relations be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Thursday, March 6, 2003, at 9:30 a.m., to hold a hearing on ``An Agreed Framework for Dialogue'' with North Korea. Agenda Witnesses Panel 1: The Honorable Dr. Ashton B. Carter, Co-Director, Preventive Defense Project, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA; Dr. Arnold Kanter, Principal, The Scowcroft Group, Washington, DC; and Mr. Robert J. Einhorn, Senior Advisor, International Security Program, CSIS, Washington, DC.

Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Governmental Affairs Subcommittee on Oversight of Government Management, the Federal Workforce and the District of Columbia be authorized to meet on Thursday, March 6, 2003, at 9:30 a.m., for a hearing entitled ``Evaluating Human Capital at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration'' to examine the status of NASA's workforce and consider proposed personnel flexibilities to assist the agency in achieving this mission.

Mr. FRIST

Mr. FRIST. I ask unanimous consent that the Senate return to legislative session and proceed to a period for morning business.

Mr. FRIST

Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, as you know, Black History Month drew to a close last week with the end of February. It was a month of much celebration and many lessons. For me, it was also a time for reflection. I want to take this opportunity to speak for just a moment about where we have been, where we are now and where we, as a nation-- ``under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all''--must go. Black History Month actually evolved from Black History Week, established in 1926 through the tremendous efforts of Dr. Carter Godwin Woodson. He originally chose the second week of February because of its proximity to the birth dates of two great men whose role in the history of Black Americans are legendary: Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln. Dr. Woodson's goal was simple: to highlight the many accomplishments of African Americans and their history of contribution to the growth and success of the United States of America. This year, as our Nation faces challenges unsurpassed in my own personal memory, I would like to speak for a moment of what I hope and pray our--this United States Senate--contributions will be. The 20th century saw great strides forward in equality, civil rights and racial relations in America. These strides were made because dedicated men and women recognized what needed to be done to right wrongs--and then they went and did the right things--sometimes at the expense of their own lives. Recently, Darrell Green, former Washington Redskin great and future National Football League Hall of Famer, told a group of Senators that knowing the right thing to do is easy. Doing the right thing takes a lot of commitment and very hard work. He reminded us that we are in the Congress to serve--and when we are gone, the world should be a better place not just for a few, but for all people. Twenty years from now, as our replacements in this Chamber celebrate Black History Month, I hope they will have cause to celebrate the good that we accomplished. I hope they will be able to celebrate the progress we made in bringing people together. I hope they will celebrate the fact that United States Senators of the 108th Congress led the way in spurning activities and speech designed to infect racial wounds, not heal them. And I hope they will celebrate the fact that we, as today's leaders, made great strides forward in parity in education and health care for all Americans. We all know that education is the ultimate key to opportunity. Our public education system is an unparalleled commitment by the United States of America to our Nation's children. We need to make certain that we provide them with the tools they must have to succeed. Their success, after all, is vital to all of our future endeavors. If we are to make progress worth celebrating by future generations, we must do the right things. We must also do the right things to reduce health disparities. It is simply wrong that an African American male the same age as myself is significantly more likely than am I to contract heart disease. We need to provide not only research, but action in this area. Every American deserves the highest quality health care, regardless of race. I hope they will celebrate the fact that we fought an aggressive and effective war against AIDS, the plague of our time--and perhaps of all time. A disease that disproportionately affects African Americans and indeed, the continent of Africa. Mr. President, last month we celebrated the amazing accomplishments of African Americans throughout our history. Let us also celebrate a joint commitment to ensure that our contribution to Black history-- really, to American history--will be that we serve well, do what is right, and leave the world a better place.

Mr. FRIST

Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that at 6 o'clock on Monday, March 10, the Senate proceed to executive session for the consideration of Calendar No. 39, the nomination of Gregory Frost to be U.S. District Judge for the Southern District of Ohio; provided further that the Senate then proceed immediately to a vote on the confirmation of the nomination; further that following that vote the President be immediately notified of the Senate's action and the Senate then resume legislative session.

Mr. FRIST

Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, this year, due to the rapid and tremendous advancements in our knowledge and in the science of organ transplantation, thousands of Americans will receive a life-saving organ transplant. These advances have allowed us to save the lives of patients who were once not considered candidates for transplantation. As a heart and lung transplant surgeon, I have had the opportunity to watch the field develop and grow over the past three decades. I remember my own experiences--of conducting some of the first transplants using hearts and lungs--and recognize our tremendous progress since that time. And I also know the hundreds of my own patients who live improved lives due to advances in transplantation. But I have also shared in the grief of patients who died before they could receive a transplant--a direct result of a large and growing shortage of organ donors. Medical advances have produced a staggering increase in the number of eligible transplant candidates, while the supply of organs fails to keep pace. Today, more than 80,000 patients await a transplant (a four-fold increase from just over a decade ago). At the same time, more patients die each year before they can receive that life-saving organ. I have also witnessed firsthand how great, lifesaving hope can spring from great tragedy. Earlier this year, I offered my assistance at the scene of a horrible automobile accident in Florida. Most of the family in the accident died--including two young children. While my heart goes out to his family for their terrible loss, from this tragedy has come new life. This family agreed to donate the organs of their loved ones. This gift has saved the life of a boy from the Virgin Islands. We must honor this family, and all other donor families, by redoubling our efforts to increasing organ donation. There is no need for people to die while awaiting a new organ. In my practice, I carried a card that listed my patients who were waiting on hearts--always aware that several of them would die before a live- saving organ would become available. It was this needless loss of life that was the most painful, most frustrating and most disappointing part of my work. In 2000, there were almost 23,000 transplants--a significant increase over the roughly 13,000 transplant performed in 1988. Between 1990 and 2001, the number of organ donors almost doubled, mainly as a result of an increase in organs from live donors. In fact, over those ten years, the number of cadaveric donors increased only 35 percent while the demand for transplant has more than tripled. More must be done. There are simply not enough organ donors; public awareness has not kept up with the rapid advances of transplantation. It is our duty to do all we can to raise awareness about the gift of life. We must do is work to encourage all Americans to share their desire to be an organ donor with their families. We must find other ways to improve organ donation--to identify eligible organs and work with families to help them better understand the value of donation. This is a new science--one that I have had the privilege of watching firsthand grow from theories and experiments to accepted medical practice. My mentor, Dr. Norman Shumway, was one of the leaders in the field; and the advent of cyclosporin was critical to its progress. But much remains to be learned, and we must continue to move forward. That is why one of my first priorities when I came to the Senate in 1995 was to establish the Congressional Task Force on Organ Donation--to promote awareness of this important issue and encourage a new dialogue seeking answers. Recent years have witnessed a new emphasis on highlighting public awareness of this need. In particular, I commend Secretary Thompson for making organ donation a top priority at the Department of Health and Human Services. There also are a number of complementary legislative approaches that we should pursue towards this end. We should provide funding for innovative and bold demonstration projects to improve donation and recovery rates. As part of this, we should ensure that the projects' results will be evaluated quickly and their lessons be disseminated broadly. We should provide for the placement and evaluation of organ donation coordinators in hospitals--a model that has worked with success in other countries. We should expand the authority of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality to conduct important research on the recovery, preservation and transportation of organs. The science of organ transplantation has been improved and refined since its inception. Yet all too often, organ donation efforts are conducted under the same practices as they were twenty years ago. We must establish a strong evidence-based approach to enhancing organ donation and recovery. We must encourage living organ donation by reducing potential financial disincentives facing living donors through the reimbursement of travel and other expenses incurred by living donors and their families. We must also seriously evaluate the long-term health effects of serving as a living donor by asking the Institute of Medicine to report on this issue and by establishing a living donor registry to track the health of individuals who have served as living organ donors. We must seriously examine and improve the role of organ donor registries. These programs have an important role to play in improving organ donation rates and have been used with different levels of success in some states. However, a number of questions surrounding registries remain unanswered and their effectiveness has not been fully evaluated. We must undertake a high-level systematic examination of the effectiveness of a range of organ donation approaches. Specifically, the Institute of Medicine should evaluate practices or organ procurement organizations, States, and other countries. This study should examine existing barriers to organ donation, as well as best donation and recovery practices, such as mandated choice and presumed consent. The study should evaluate consent practices, existing state routine notification laws, and the impact of requests for consent where registry listing constitutes express consent under State law. This review should be timely and include recommendations for action necessary to replicate the best practices identified and to otherwise increase organ donation rates. We must recognize and honor the sacrificial decisions to give consent and give the gift of life made each year by thousands of donors and families. We must do this in such a way as to honor those sharing life through donation and increase public awareness of this issue. These initiatives are contained within two important pieces of legislation I am introducing today. The Organ Donation and Recovery Improvement Act is a bipartisan, comprehensive bill that seeks to improve the overall process of organ donation and recovery, enhance our knowledge base in these fields, encourage novel approaches to this growing problem and increase the number of organs available for transplants each year. The bill also seeks to remove potential barriers to donation, while identifying and focusing on best practices in organ donation. I thank Senator Christopher Dodd and Senator Mike Enzi for their assistance on this important bill. I also want to thank the wide range of patient and organ transplantation organizations who have done good work on this bill, including the American Society of Transplantation, American Society of Transplant Surgeons, North American Transplant Coordinators Organization, Tennessee Donor Services, New Mexico Donor Services, and Golden State Donor Services. The Gift of Life Congressional Medal Act will make each donor or donor family eligible to receive a commemorative Congressional medal. This legislation, which does not cost taxpayers a penny, will recognize the thousands of individuals each year who share the gift of life through organ donation. Moreover, it will encourage potential donors and enhance public awareness of the importance of organ donation to the over 80,000 Americans waiting for a transplant. Representative Pete Stark will soon be introducing the companion bill in the House of Representatives, and I thank him for his dedication in this area. Organ donation is one of the most important issues before us today. Each year, thousands of donors and families make the important decision to give consent and give the gift of life. We must recognize and honor their sacrifice, and, in so honoring, work to increase donation rates and allow more families to receive this gift of life each year. Hundreds of my own patients are alive today because of this gift. Let us work together to allow more patients and families to experience this miracle. I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bills printed in the Record.

Mr. FRIST

Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, this year, due to the rapid and tremendous advancements in our knowledge and in the science of organ transplantation, thousands of Americans will receive a life-saving organ transplant. These advances have allowed us to save the lives of patients who were once not considered candidates for transplantation. As a heart and lung transplant surgeon, I have had the opportunity to watch the field develop and grow over the past three decades. I remember my own experiences--of conducting some of the first transplants using hearts and lungs--and recognize our tremendous progress since that time. And I also know the hundreds of my own patients who live improved lives due to advances in transplantation. But I have also shared in the grief of patients who died before they could receive a transplant--a direct result of a large and growing shortage of organ donors. Medical advances have produced a staggering increase in the number of eligible transplant candidates, while the supply of organs fails to keep pace. Today, more than 80,000 patients await a transplant (a four-fold increase from just over a decade ago). At the same time, more patients die each year before they can receive that life-saving organ. I have also witnessed firsthand how great, lifesaving hope can spring from great tragedy. Earlier this year, I offered my assistance at the scene of a horrible automobile accident in Florida. Most of the family in the accident died--including two young children. While my heart goes out to his family for their terrible loss, from this tragedy has come new life. This family agreed to donate the organs of their loved ones. This gift has saved the life of a boy from the Virgin Islands. We must honor this family, and all other donor families, by redoubling our efforts to increasing organ donation. There is no need for people to die while awaiting a new organ. In my practice, I carried a card that listed my patients who were waiting on hearts--always aware that several of them would die before a live- saving organ would become available. It was this needless loss of life that was the most painful, most frustrating and most disappointing part of my work. In 2000, there were almost 23,000 transplants--a significant increase over the roughly 13,000 transplant performed in 1988. Between 1990 and 2001, the number of organ donors almost doubled, mainly as a result of an increase in organs from live donors. In fact, over those ten years, the number of cadaveric donors increased only 35 percent while the demand for transplant has more than tripled. More must be done. There are simply not enough organ donors; public awareness has not kept up with the rapid advances of transplantation. It is our duty to do all we can to raise awareness about the gift of life. We must do is work to encourage all Americans to share their desire to be an organ donor with their families. We must find other ways to improve organ donation--to identify eligible organs and work with families to help them better understand the value of donation. This is a new science--one that I have had the privilege of watching firsthand grow from theories and experiments to accepted medical practice. My mentor, Dr. Norman Shumway, was one of the leaders in the field; and the advent of cyclosporin was critical to its progress. But much remains to be learned, and we must continue to move forward. That is why one of my first priorities when I came to the Senate in 1995 was to establish the Congressional Task Force on Organ Donation--to promote awareness of this important issue and encourage a new dialogue seeking answers. Recent years have witnessed a new emphasis on highlighting public awareness of this need. In particular, I commend Secretary Thompson for making organ donation a top priority at the Department of Health and Human Services. There also are a number of complementary legislative approaches that we should pursue towards this end. We should provide funding for innovative and bold demonstration projects to improve donation and recovery rates. As part of this, we should ensure that the projects' results will be evaluated quickly and their lessons be disseminated broadly. We should provide for the placement and evaluation of organ donation coordinators in hospitals--a model that has worked with success in other countries. We should expand the authority of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality to conduct important research on the recovery, preservation and transportation of organs. The science of organ transplantation has been improved and refined since its inception. Yet all too often, organ donation efforts are conducted under the same practices as they were twenty years ago. We must establish a strong evidence-based approach to enhancing organ donation and recovery. We must encourage living organ donation by reducing potential financial disincentives facing living donors through the reimbursement of travel and other expenses incurred by living donors and their families. We must also seriously evaluate the long-term health effects of serving as a living donor by asking the Institute of Medicine to report on this issue and by establishing a living donor registry to track the health of individuals who have served as living organ donors. We must seriously examine and improve the role of organ donor registries. These programs have an important role to play in improving organ donation rates and have been used with different levels of success in some states. However, a number of questions surrounding registries remain unanswered and their effectiveness has not been fully evaluated. We must undertake a high-level systematic examination of the effectiveness of a range of organ donation approaches. Specifically, the Institute of Medicine should evaluate practices or organ procurement organizations, States, and other countries. This study should examine existing barriers to organ donation, as well as best donation and recovery practices, such as mandated choice and presumed consent. The study should evaluate consent practices, existing state routine notification laws, and the impact of requests for consent where registry listing constitutes express consent under State law. This review should be timely and include recommendations for action necessary to replicate the best practices identified and to otherwise increase organ donation rates. We must recognize and honor the sacrificial decisions to give consent and give the gift of life made each year by thousands of donors and families. We must do this in such a way as to honor those sharing life through donation and increase public awareness of this issue. These initiatives are contained within two important pieces of legislation I am introducing today. The Organ Donation and Recovery Improvement Act is a bipartisan, comprehensive bill that seeks to improve the overall process of organ donation and recovery, enhance our knowledge base in these fields, encourage novel approaches to this growing problem and increase the number of organs available for transplants each year. The bill also seeks to remove potential barriers to donation, while identifying and focusing on best practices in organ donation. I thank Senator Christopher Dodd and Senator Mike Enzi for their assistance on this important bill. I also want to thank the wide range of patient and organ transplantation organizations who have done good work on this bill, including the American Society of Transplantation, American Society of Transplant Surgeons, North American Transplant Coordinators Organization, Tennessee Donor Services, New Mexico Donor Services, and Golden State Donor Services. The Gift of Life Congressional Medal Act will make each donor or donor family eligible to receive a commemorative Congressional medal. This legislation, which does not cost taxpayers a penny, will recognize the thousands of individuals each year who share the gift of life through organ donation. Moreover, it will encourage potential donors and enhance public awareness of the importance of organ donation to the over 80,000 Americans waiting for a transplant. Representative Pete Stark will soon be introducing the companion bill in the House of Representatives, and I thank him for his dedication in this area. Organ donation is one of the most important issues before us today. Each year, thousands of donors and families make the important decision to give consent and give the gift of life. We must recognize and honor their sacrifice, and, in so honoring, work to increase donation rates and allow more families to receive this gift of life each year. Hundreds of my own patients are alive today because of this gift. Let us work together to allow more patients and families to experience this miracle. I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bills printed in the Record.