Bill Frist

Mr. FRIST

Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the bill be read a third time and passed, and the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table.

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 any statements relating to the bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. FRIST

Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of H.R. 2017, which was received from House. The clerk will state the bill by title.

Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the bill be read the 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, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of H.R. 4579, which was received from the House.

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 any statements relating to the bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. FRIST

Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate now proceed to consideration of H. Con. Res. 326, the adjournment resolution; provided that the concurrent resolution be agreed to, and the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table. I further ask unanimous consent that action on the resolution be vitiated if the House does not adopt S. Con. Res. 74.

Mr. FRIST

Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of H.R. 4525, which was received from the House.

Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the bill be read the 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, 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, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of H.R. 4636, which was received from the House.

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 any statements relating to the bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. FRIST

Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 279, S. 1184.

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

Mr. FRIST

Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, in a few moments we will begin the final 10 minutes of debate before proceeding to the final votes with respect to the deficit reduction conference report. Two points of order are possible under the agreement and we will vote on the respective motions to waive. Senators, therefore, can expect us to begin voting in 15 to 20 minutes. Following those two votes--it may be one vote but one or two votes-- on the motions to waive, we will proceed to a vote on final passage on the deficit reduction measure. After that vote, we will have 1 hour before the cloture vote on the Defense appropriations conference report. Additional votes will occur following that vote. I hope we are able to get cloture on the Defense bill and wrap up the remaining business during today's session. As we mentioned yesterday, it is likely to be a long session. It could be short, but it could be a long session over the course of the morning and early afternoon with a number of votes. We have asked Senators to stay close to the Chamber so that when we do have votes, we can complete them in a timely fashion. I will yield to the Democratic leader for any comments on the course of the day.

Mr. FRIST

Mr. FRIST. It is my understanding that my colleague is correct in his interpretation of the language agreed to by the conferees. In essence, the Continued Dumping Subsidy Offset Act will remain in effect for all imports of merchandise that are entered, or withdrawn from warehouse, for consumption by the deadline of October 1, 2007. However, duties collected on products entering on or after October 1, 2007, will be deposited with the U.S. Treasury. Since the WTO has declared the CDSOA as putting us out of compliance with our WTO obligations, other nations have begun to retaliate against our exports. This will bring us into compliance with that ruling and hopefully will bring to an end the sanctions U.S. companies are currently facing.

Mr. FRIST. I move to reconsider the vote.

Mr. FRIST

Mr. FRIST. America is watching what this body does. And America tells us to win the war on terror. Do not accept retreat and defeat. America is watching this body, and they are telling us to do something about energy prices, that of home heating oil and gasoline prices, and to increase the energy supply in this country. America tells us to strengthen our porous borders, to enforce the laws of the land. We are a nation of laws. Yes, we are a nation of immigrants, a wonderful nation of immigrants, but a nation of laws. America tells us to support the victims of Hurricanes Rita and Katrina, and what we are about to vote on in this bill is all of the above. The Democrats should not filibuster our Defense appropriations bill. And that is what we will be voting on in a few minutes. We are a nation at war. Right now, our troops are engaged on the battlefield with a determined enemy. The consequences of failure to invoke cloture on this Defense appropriations bill, when we have troops in the field, are grave. We have a responsibility not only to fully support our troops when they are at war but a responsibility also to secure our economic viability. We need to reduce that dependence--that dangerous dependence--on foreign sources of oil. The ANWR provision promises to unlock up to 14 billion barrels of oil, nearly 1 million barrels a day at full production. ANWR has been determined by experts to be the single largest and most promising onshore oil reserve in North America. We need to put these energy resources to work for America to reduce those prices, which every American feels, for our economic security and, indeed, for our national security. The ANWR provision is responsible. It is reasonable. It is critical to meeting our economic and security priorities. And then we have the victims of Hurricanes Rita and Katrina. They have suffered terrible loss--we have suffered with them--and devastation. This bill, the bill we are about to vote upon, includes a long-term funding stream for gulf coast recovery, as well as the most significant Katrina aid recovery package that Congress has yet allocated, including funds to immediately strengthen and repair the New Orleans levees. The Defense bill provides $3 billion for border security to tighten those borders. We are a nation of laws. It is time to enforce them. There is $1 billion for interoperable communications equipment, the first priority of the 9/11 Commission. We have long-term funding, as Senator Gregg has spoken to, to help low-income Americans pay their heating bills this winter. I am disturbed--disturbed--that there are Senators who believe it is a victory to kill, to filibuster, to stop, to block this bill. I urge my colleagues to carefully consider the consequences of the vote they are about to cast and the profound reverberations it will have on America's economic and national security. A vote for cloture is, indeed, a vote for our troops. I yield the floor. Cloture Motion

Mr. FRIST. I enter a motion to reconsider the previous vote.

Mr. FRIST. I suggest the absence of a quorum.

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

Mr. FRIST

Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, the next hour, we will spend in our precloture period before proceeding to the cloture vote on the Defense appropriations bill. I believe the Democrat leader spelled out how that time will be used. At this point, I ask unanimous consent that the time on our side be divided as follows: Senator Murkowski, 5 minutes; Senator Cochran, 2 minutes; Senator Lott, 3 minutes; Senator Domenici, 5 minutes; Senator Gregg, 5 minutes; Senator Stevens be given the last 5 minutes of the debate; and 5 minutes to be designated by Senator Stevens.

Mr. FRIST

Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the concurrent resolution correcting the enrollment of H.R. 2863 which is at the desk and was introduced by Senator Cantwell and relates to the conference report to accompany the Defense appropriations bill; I further ask consent that there be 30 minutes for debate equally divided between the two leaders or their designees; that no amendments or motions be in order, and that following that time the Senate proceed to a vote on the adoption of the resolution; I further ask that immediately following that vote the Senate proceed to a vote on the adoption of the conference report to accompany H.R. 2863; provided further that the cloture vote with respect to the Defense authorization be vitiated and the Senate proceed to an immediate vote on adoption of that conference report following the vote on the Defense appropriations measure; I further ask consent that once the House has agreed to the concurrent resolution without amendment, then the Labor-HHS conference report be considered adopted; further that if the concurrent resolution that corrects the enrollment of the Defense bill is not agreed to tomorrow, then passage of the Defense appropriations bill is vitiated. Finally, I ask consent that if the House has not adopted the resolution, then, notwithstanding the adoption of the adjournment resolution, the Senate would reconvene Thursday, December 22, at 8 p.m. I further ask consent that following the above action, the Senate proceed to a bill at the desk relating to the extension of the PATRIOT Act, the bill be considered read three times and passed, and the motion to reconsider be laid on the table.

Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I object.

Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, that is correct.