Bill Frist

Mr. FRIST

Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, we are returning to the consideration of the budget resolution. Last night, the two managers reached an agreement for a series of amendments that will be debated this morning. Following that debate, we will schedule votes on the amendments debated last evening, as well as the amendments that will be finished this morning. We will likely have the first vote around 1 o'clock today. We have a joint meeting at 2 o'clock today. Senators will gather in the Chamber and depart at approximately 1:40 to hear the address by the President of Liberia. We would like to dispose of two votes prior to that joint meeting so I ask all Senators vote quickly on the first vote so we have time to do that second vote prior to our departure. When we return from that joint meeting, at approximately 3 o'clock today, we will start a series of rollcall votes to dispose of the remaining amendments from the list agreed to. We continue to work toward an agreement for consideration of the debt limit extension. We may turn to that bill later today as well. I will say again that we have a lot to do. We have the budget resolution and the debt limit extension, both of which we need to complete this week. We will stay as late as necessary today, tomorrow, Thursday night, Friday to complete these two issues. I encourage Senators to show as much restraint as possible to allow us to finish at the earliest possible time. I am happy to yield to the Senator from Alaska.

Mr. FRIST

Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I move to reconsider the vote.

Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I move to reconsider the vote, and I move to lay that motion on the table. The motion to lay on the table was agreed to.

Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, for the information of our colleagues, that was the last rollcall vote for today. We will begin voting tomorrow morning, most probably on the two avian flu amendments which we were discussing during the vote, at approximately 10:30. The managers are here, and we will continue to discuss it in terms of the timing and the exact schedule for tomorrow. There are no more rollcall votes tonight, and we will begin voting around 10:30 tomorrow. The more formal vote-arama, which unfortunately has become institutionalized, would be tomorrow afternoon. We will have more announcements about that.

Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent the Committee on Finance be discharged from further consideration of H.J. Res. 47, the debt limit extension; provided further that the Senate immediately proceed to its consideration with 1 hour of general debate under the control of the chairman or his designee; 2 hours of general debate under the control of the ranking member or his designee; and the only amendment in order be the following: Baucus, study on foreign investment, 20 minutes equally divided. I further ask consent that following the use or yielding back of time on the bill and amendment, the resolution be set aside; provided further on Thursday, prior to the first votes on the budget, the Senate proceed to a vote in relation to the Baucus amendment, and following the disposition of the amendment, the joint resolution be read the third time and the Senate proceed to the vote on passage of the joint resolution, with no intervening action or debate. I also ask all time consumed during this bill count against the time limit under the budget resolution.

Mr. FRIST

Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, today we are immediately resuming debate on Senate Concurrent Resolution 83, the budget resolution. We start this morning with 40 hours remaining under the 50-hour debate limitation. Yesterday, Senators Gregg and Conrad set up an order of amendments to be debated throughout the morning and afternoon. We now have six amendments lined up for consideration with each amendment debated for up to an hour. Votes on those amendments will occur in sequence beginning about 3 o'clock today. Also, today are the weekly policy meetings. Normally, we would recess for those meetings, but we will need to allow debate to continue on proposed amendments occurring at that time. We will need to use up every other day effectively until the end of the week in order to finish the budget as well as the other item we will address this week, the debt limit extension. Both of those items will be completed this week. Therefore, if necessary, we will have votes throughout each day and into the evening. On Wednesday, at 2, we will have a joint meeting with the House to hear an address by the President of Liberia. Senators should gather in the Chamber at 1:30 in order to depart at 1:40 to the House of Representatives.

Mr. FRIST

Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, briefly, I wish to speak to another issue, an issue that relates to an anniversary that will occur on March 16. On March 16, 18 years ago, Saddam Hussein launched one of the most brutal and indiscriminate attacks against his own people. On that day, a group of eight Iraqi aircraft began dropping chemical munitions on the town of Halabja in northern Iraq. According to Kurdish commanders on the scene, the planes made multiple passes before their gruesome task was complete. The planes would drop chemical munitions, including mustard agent and nerve gas, for 45 minutes. After they had gone, another group would come 15 minutes later to continue the assault with drop after drop after drop. They concentrated their attack on the city and the roads leading out to safety. I had the opportunity to visit with a number of the Kurdish physicians about 2 years ago who described in detail to me what they saw and what they treated following these gruesome attacks. Many of the victims were drenched in liquid mustard gas, as well as these nerve agents, and others were breathing this toxic vapor. The physicians described to me the fact that this mustard gas and the nerve agents were segmented in parts of little hotels, where one week one wing would get a mustard gas, another a nerve agent, in order that the Saddam Hussein people would see which of these would be the most deadly, which would cause the most suffering. After the onslaught, Saddam sent soldiers in their protective gear to study the impact in these wings of these hotels and throughout these communities. They wanted to see how effective and which agent would be most effective to be used in the future. The soldiers actually divided the city into grids, determining the number and location of the dead and the extent of injuries inflicted on this defenseless population. More than 5,000 people were killed and another 10,000 were injured. To see the images of the heaps of lifeless bodies and mothers still clutching their babies is to see a waking nightmare. Eighteen years later, the people of Halabja are still suffering the effects. Physicians describe to me cancer and birth defects, stillborns and miscarriages. For the people of Halabja, the nightmare is still not over. Nor did Saddam Hussein limit his use of weapons of mass destruction to just Halabja. He used these weapons of mass destruction to destroy scores of Kurdish towns and villages. These gruesome attacks were a part of a year-long campaign which resulted in the deaths and disappearances of more than 182,000 Iraqi Kurds. These attacks bear on me heavily, as a Senator from Tennessee, because many of the Kurds migrated to Tennessee, especially the middle Tennessee area. Many live in Nashville. In fact, the other day as I was going through the airport, 20 or 30 of the Kurdish people came up to express to me their appreciation to the United States in receiving them and in Tennessee, in particular, for receiving them so well, so they could live lives that could move toward freedom and prosperity. Some of the people I now represent have friends and family who suffered at the hands of Saddam Hussein. He killed them. He tortured them. He oppressed the Iraqi Kurds for decades. During the 1990s, the United States helped Iraq's Kurds achieve some degree of autonomy. Last year, we helped them achieve the right to vote for a Constitution and for a new Iraqi Government. The Kurds of northern Iraq knew for years what many Americans have been very slow to realize. Saddam and his chemical weapons were a threat not only to the Iraqi people but to the region, to our friends and our allies. Saddam Hussein and his cohorts are now behind bars and standing trial for their crimes. Unlike the victims of his regime, they are being afforded the opportunity to defend themselves. The Iraqi people are committed to seeing justice done, they are bravely building a new order based on the rule of law and freedom. It has been a difficult journey, but they are working hard to reconcile their political differences and establish a government of national unity. 2005 was a year of progress. The Iraqis held three national elections. They approved a permanent Constitution. And thousands of young Iraqi citizens exhibited tremendous courage by joining the Iraqi security forces. They accomplished all of this in the face of vicious terrorist violence. The attack on the Golden Mosque in Samarra a few weeks ago was another cruel and craven attempt to ignite a civil war. Iraq's political, ethnic, and religious leaders deserve credit for appealing for calm in working to diffuse the violence. They recognize that every Iraqi has a stake in their new democracy and that a free democratic and prosperous Iraq is in the best interests of all. Their task now is to swiftly forge a national unity government so that leaders of Iraq's diverse population have the opportunity to peacefully appropriate the interests of their constituents. I am confident the Iraqi people will work to include all of Iraq's ethnic and religious communities in the democratic process. Indeed, they have no other choice. Iraq's political leaders must come together and continue to work for national unity so that the Iraqi people can live in the freedom they deserve and so that tragedies such as Halabja remain irrevocably in the past. The fight for Iraq is far from over. Every day ruthless criminals are trying to smash all of the progress that has been made, but they will not succeed. Iraq has been set on a historic path. This week, as we look back, we also press forward. With the continued courage and determination of the Iraqi people, Iraq will emerge a beacon of freedom and prosperity in the heart of the Middle East. I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. FRIST

Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I move to reconsider the vote.

Mr. FRIST. I move to lay that motion on the table. The motion to lay on the table was agreed to. Amendment No. 3014

Mr. FRIST

Mr. FRIST. I ask unanimous consent that the Senate now proceed to the consideration of S. Res. 401 which was submitted earlier today.

Mr. FRIST. I ask unanimous consent that the resolution be agreed to, the preamble 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 S. Res. 400, submitted earlier today.

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, and that any statements relating thereto be printed in the Record.

Mr. FRIST

Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it stand in adjournment until 9 a.m. on Tuesday, March 14. 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. Con. Res. 83, the budget resolution, as under the previous order; provided further that there be 40 hours equally divided remaining for debate.

Mr. FRIST

Mr. FRIST. I ask unanimous consent the call of the quorum be rescinded.

Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, this morning we are starting consideration of the budget resolution which was reported out of the Committee on the Budget on Thursday. The chairman and ranking member are here and we will open the debate this morning. The Budget Act provides for up to 50 hours of debate. Therefore, I hope Senators will come to the Senate today and use that time for their opening statements. This week will be quite busy as we consider the budget resolution each day and night as that clock ticks. We will finish the resolution this week, and that will normally require full sessions with votes, which I expect. We would like to minimize the so-called vote-a-rama at the end of the process. I know the two managers have been talking, are talking, and will be working together in an effort to avoid that, if at all possible. This week we will also complete the extension of the debt limit. The Democratic leader and I are working on an agreement for the consideration of that bill. I hope we can reach a reasonable period for the debate on that must-do legislation. Needless to say, there is a lot of work to be done prior to the adjournment. We will stay in session as necessary to give the managers the best opportunity to complete our business. This week we will complete action on the budget. And we will complete action on the debt limit. On Wednesday of this week, we will have a joint meeting with the House to hear an address by President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf of Liberia. That address will begin at 2 p.m.; therefore, Senators should gather in the Senate Chamber at 1:30 so we can proceed at 1:40 to the Hall of the House of Representatives. Lastly, I remind my colleagues we have a rollcall vote scheduled for 5:30 this evening. That vote will be on the confirmation of Leo Gordon to be a judge for the U.S. Court of International Trade. That will be the first vote of the day. I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. FRIST

Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, it is our understanding that 25 minutes would count on the underlying bill.

Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, reserving the right to object, and I will object, we are perfectly willing to have the Senator speak but have the 25 minutes count to the underlying bill.

Mr. FRIST. Reserving the right to object, I have a short statement to make, and then I will be happy to yield to the Senator from Wisconsin or have the ranking member yield to him.

Mr. FRIST. I object.

Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I will be very brief. I am obviously disturbed--I know what the Senator from Wisconsin will be presenting shortly. I expect him to offer a resolution to censure the President of the United States--he made those intentions clear yesterday, and I expect him to do that shortly--a censure of the President for defending the United States of America and protecting our homeland security. As I implied in some statements I made publicly yesterday, I do believe this is a political stunt, a political stunt that is addressed at attacking the President of the United States of America when we are at war, when the President is leading us with a program that is lawful, that is constitutional, and that is vital to the safety and security of the American people. It is being offered at a time--with really an attack on what the President is doing--at the same time we have terrorists right now intending to attack Western civilization and, indeed, the people of our homeland. With that being my feeling and the intention being so apparent to me, I do want to make it clear that if that is the case, and if this resolution is offered tonight, we will be ready to vote on that censure resolution tonight. That being the case, then I will offer a unanimous consent request at this juncture. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that immediately after the 5:30 vote this evening, the Senate proceed to a vote on the resolution of censure to be submitted by the Senator from Wisconsin, without further intervening action or debate.

Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I then ask unanimous consent that immediately following the budget vote scheduled for tomorrow afternoon, the Senate proceed to the consideration and an immediate vote on the resolution of censure that will be submitted by the Senator from Wisconsin without any further intervening action or debate.

Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I heard the objection. I just wanted to discuss our willingness on what is an important issue. We are talking about the censure of the President of the United States, and we are ready to vote on that this afternoon.

Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, a lot is happening very quickly now. In a very few minutes, we are going to get to the Senator from Wisconsin who has appropriately requested 25 minutes, and the unanimous consent request will be that the time would come off the bill and it will be as in morning business. Just to clarify, he has said his intentions representing the other side of the aisle to offer a resolution to censure the President of the United States for a program that I have said and will restate is a lawful program, is a program that is constitutional, and is a program that is vital to the safety and security of the American people. My response to that unanimous consent request was if that is the case and if that is the position of the Democratic Party, that we are ready to vote at 5:30 or after our 5:30 vote today. That unanimous consent request was objected to by the other side of the aisle. Then the second unanimous consent request that I propounded was that we would vote after a series of stacked votes tomorrow on the resolution to censure. There was an objection from the other side of the aisle. When we are talking about censure of the President of the United States, at a time of war when this President is out defending the American people with a very good, lawful, constitutional program, it is serious business. And if it is an issue that the other side of the aisle wants to debate or debate through the night, I guess we are willing to do that as well. But the censure of the President is important, and if they want to make an issue of it, we are willing to do just that. I have no objection to the unanimous consent request that has been made.

Mr. FRIST

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