Bill Frist

Mr. FRIST

Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, the case, I think, to be made is whether we can address this particular bill, where 100 percent of the body is for it. It will save lives today and tomorrow. There is a whole range of bills. We have the embryonic stem cell bill and we heard about the cloning bill. There is the alternative embryonic stem cell bill. We have about six or seven bills which I have tried to bring to the floor under a unanimous consent request objected to by the other side, where we bring each of these bills separately, freestanding, to the floor. That has been objected to by the other side of the aisle. Since that time, I have committed that we will be addressing these bills early next year. I cannot give a specific date. I cannot even tell people what we will be voting on tomorrow morning in this body, given our schedule. But the commitment is to address these issues in the early part of next year. If we don't pass this now, people will be suffering who are waiting for transplants if they cannot find a suitable match. Yet if we were to pass this bill with this registry, the registry will put together a public inventory of 150,000. One person waiting for a transplant that is lifesaving for otherwise untreatable diseases or treatable by a traditional bone marrow transplant--we will have 150,000 units then in a registry where you go to a computer and get a match and that transplant can take place. You can match as many as 80 or 90 percent of the people who are waiting today if we had this registry. The neat thing is that these units are available not within months but days. For transplants, people usually have to wait months, but this is the sort of thing where once you have the registry, you wait not months but days to get the transplant. One last point is that with these cord blood transplants, outcome is better than with the traditional bone marrow transplants with more mature cells. Cord blood cells are less mature and less pliable than the more adult cells for traditional bone marrow transplants. With that, I am disappointed that we have heard this objection tonight.

Mr. FRIST

Mr. FRIST. It is with deep sadness that I note the passing of the distinguished public servant, Wisconsin's own William Proxmire. William Proxmire was a man of fierce iconoclasm, robust physical energy, and strong moral fiber. During his 32 years of service in the Senate, he proved himself a friend to consumers everywhere and a steadfast enemy of Government wastefulness. Born in Lake Forest, IL, as Edward William Proxmire, Senator Proxmire dropped his given first name as a youth to emulate his childhood hero, the cowboy William Hart. Following an education at Yale and Harvard Universities, he returned to the Midwest where he worked as a newspaper reporter, a farm implement dealer, a printer, and a radio announcer. He won a seat in the Wisconsin State Assembly in 1950, followed by three unsuccessful attempts to become Governor. Finally, in a special election, he won a seat in the U.S. Senate. Senator Proxmire was an arch opponent of profligate spending. Every month, he would name his Golden Fleece Award to the latest boondoggle on the Government books. He uncovered Government efforts to subsidize surfing, study the body shapes of female airline flight attendants, and investigate the mechanics of why people fall in love. In 22 years, he never missed a single vote, setting the record which stands to this day for having cast the most consecutive rollcall votes in the Senate. Between 1967 and 1986, the Senator came to the floor each day to call upon his colleagues to ratify the Convention for the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide. Finally, in 1986, after years of tenacious advocacy, the Senate acted and approved the convention. Senator Proxmire became so popular with the people of Wisconsin that the last two times he stood for elections, he refused to accept any campaign contributions. Aside from filing fees, his main campaign expenses, the Washington Post reported, ended up being envelopes--for returning contributions that citizens sent in anyway. Even as he aged, he stood by a sturdy regime of clean living: 100 pushups after waking up, long daily runs, a healthy diet, and early bedtimes. Senator Proxmire was proud of the liberal, progressive politics he learned growing up in Wisconsin. But he also clung to a steadfast desire to protect the American taxpayer. His chaperone eagle eye on the Government budget earned him the admiration of many on the political right. Even today, he remains a hero to many in the tax reform movement. William Proxmire proved himself an able public servant to the people of Wisconsin, the American taxpayer, and, indeed, the American public at large. On behalf of my colleagues, I extend my deepest sympathies to the Senator's wife Ellen and the entire Proxmire family.

Mr. FRIST

Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate now proceed to the consideration of the conference report to accompany H.R. 3199, the PATRIOT Act, and I send a cloture motion to the desk.

Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, we will be very brief. I know we have two of our colleagues on the floor prepared to speak. What we have just done is turn to the conference report on the PATRIOT Act, a vitally important piece of legislation, that in bipartisan way our colleagues have addressed, in a bicameral way, and it is now our intention to address the PATRIOT Act, discuss it over the course of, I am sure, later this evening as well as tomorrow. Because we were unable to come to a unanimous consent agreement to address this bill in a limited amount of time, in an appropriate amount of time, and then to vote up or down on the bill, I filed a cloture motion, and that cloture vote will actually be Friday morning. I will have more to say about that. Let me briefly turn to my distinguished colleague, who is chairman of the Judiciary Committee, who has put together, again in a bipartisan way with a lot of negotiation and compromise over the long period of time, a bill that, as we all know, has passed the House of Representatives earlier today with I believe 44 Democrats voting for the PATRIOT Act in the House of Representatives, a bill that we now will be addressing on the floor of the Senate.

Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, let me very briefly close in stating my strong support for the legislation, the substance of the legislation, but also underscore the importance of this Senate acting on this legislation. I encourage our colleagues who have talked about filibuster to do exactly what our distinguished chairman has talked about, and that is look at the substance of the bill. A lot of changes and modifications have been a product of compromise and negotiation and have been put into the bill. It is very strong in terms of issues such as terrorist financing and protection of our ports and addressing issues surrounding mass transit and privacy and personal liberties. This bill does present us with a stark and clear choice: Should we take a step forward, which we have an opportunity to do in the next several days, or take a step backwards in that goal to make America safer? It does expire on December 31. The PATRIOT Act expires on December 31, but the terrorist threat does not. I yield the floor.

Mr. FRIST

Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, this morning the Senate will begin a 30- minute period of morning business. When that time has expired, we will begin consideration of the House message to accompany the deficit reduction bill. Last night the agreement we entered allows for up to 7 motions to instruct conferees. Several Members spoke to these motions, debating their motions yesterday. Today we will vote on those, prior to lunch. Order of Procedure Mr. President, I now ask unanimous consent that at 11:45 this morning we proceed to three consecutive votes, first on the Baucus motion to instruct, to be followed by the Carper motion, to be followed by the Harkin motion; provided further that there be 2 minutes equally divided for debate prior to each of the votes; finally, I ask unanimous consent that following the third vote the Senate stand in recess until 2:15 for the policy luncheon to meet.

Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, therefore, Senators can expect three votes beginning at 11:45 today. The remaining motions will be debated this morning and this afternoon, and those votes will be scheduled for Thursday afternoon at approximately 3:30. Today we expect the PATRIOT Act conference report to arrive from the House. If we are unable to reach consent for a limited debate time, then I am prepared to file cloture on that conference report. I do hope we can come to a consent for the debate time. If not, cloture can be expected. If that is the case, that vote would occur Friday morning. The Labor-Health and Human Services appropriations conference report may also be available to the Senate today. I will be consulting with my colleagues about scheduling that vote as well. In addition to the items I have mentioned, there is a number of other legislative and executive items that remain. These include the Defense authorization conference report, the Defense appropriations conference report. As I have said over the last several days on the floor, I urge all Members to remain available and to adjust their schedules accordingly for the remainder of this week and into this weekend, and perhaps beyond as we schedule our final business of this year. We will make every effort to conclude our work as quickly as possible, but it will require the patience and cooperation of all Senators. As all of my colleagues understand, there is a lot of coordination with the House of Representatives with bills going back and forth. I thank everyone for their help in advance as we move forward on these matters.

Mr. FRIST

Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I briefly speak to an issue that is important to me and important to the American people. As we continue our debate on the PATRIOT Act conference report, I call my colleagues' attention to a special crimefighting provision that promises to thwart the No. 1 drug problem in America today, methamphetamine. The provision is called the Combat Meth Act. It enjoys broad bipartisan support in this body. It is a part of the PATRIOT Act legislation. In particular, I want to thank my colleague from Missouri, Senator Talent, for his tireless efforts in advancing this pressing issue. He has been focused on it, and he has talked to all of our colleagues about it. He very passionately expresses the need and the critical importance of this bill. He has worked hand in hand with our colleague from California, Senator Feinstein, and together they introduced the Combat Meth Act in January of this year. As leadership, I was proud to work with our corresponding House leadership to encourage our Members to work with all of our counterparts to get this done, to work in a bicameral way. The Combat Meth Act is a victory for law enforcement, a victory for our communities, and a victory for every family who has experienced the pain and the destruction of methamphetamine abuse. In 10 years--one decade--meth has become America's worst drug problem. That is above marijuana, cocaine, heroin--over the last 10 years. It is destroying individuals. We have all heard stories in our various States and districts of families and whole communities being destroyed by the new emergence of methamphetamine and the destruction it causes. My own State of Tennessee has been hit particularly hard. In 2004, Tennessee ranked No. 2, tied with Iowa and just behind Missouri, in the number of methamphetamine lab seizures. Sandy Mattice, a former U.S. Attorney in Tennessee, and now a Federal judge in Chattanooga, calls meth ``the worst stuff'' we have ever seen. It has led to some of the worst and most disturbing cases of violence to hit the front pages of today. This August, when I was back at home traveling across Tennessee, I heard stories again and again from my fellow Tennesseans of the devastating destruction meth is creating in communities all across the State. I heard about addicted mothers and fathers abusing their children, abusing each other during the highs and the lows created by methamphetamine use. I heard about addicts stealing from their own spouses, stealing from their own families because they were so desperate to support this highly addictive drug and the habit that becomes a part of it. There is one Tennessee story which was so horrific that it made national news. Because it was so accurately reflective of the destruction and pain created by meth, the laws in Tennessee were changed. In June of last year, authorities found 3-year-old Haley Spicer in her father's mobile home in Campbell County. Haley had been burned over her body with cigarettes, she had been scalded with hot water, and she had been severely beaten. The fumes from her father's meth lab were so toxic that Haley's eyelids were nearly melted shut. Haley has undergone several surgeries to open her eyes. She faces a number of operations in the future to rebuild her nose and to rebuild her injured ear. Haley's father Tommy Joe Owens was sentenced in October to 95 years in prison for what he did to his child. His live-in girlfriend Charlotte Claiborne pleaded no contest and was sentenced to 20 years behind bars. Haley's case was so shocking that in August the State legislature passed Haley's Law to drastically toughen child abuse penalties. This was an important victory for child abuse victims, but it didn't get to the concurrent problem of meth abuse and addiction which led to this crime. Local law enforcement--I heard it all over the State--is literally overwhelmed by the meth crisis. They are calling out for our help. They need us to pass the Combat Meth Act to restrict access to the cold medicines that contain pseudoephedrine and ephedrine, which are the key ingredients easily obtained today and used to manufacture methamphetamine. Once you have those ingredients, meth can literally be manufactured with a few pots and pans in a kitchen. While some States, such as my home State of Tennessee, have passed laws restricting access to these products, other States have not yet acted. As a result, meth cooks can jump from one State to another State to another State to get the over-the-counter ingredients they use to make this highly addictive toxin. Law enforcement and prosecutors tell me the single greatest impact we could have on reducing meth abuse is to require all 50 States to restrict access to the cold medicines containing the ingredients used to make methamphetamine. Data from States that have gone ahead and passed laws restricting access to these precursor chemicals proves that indeed to be the case. They work. Oklahoma, for instance, passed a law last year and with this law has seen a dramatic reduction in meth lab seizures. Data from my own State of Tennessee--we passed a similar law earlier in the year--shows the same trend, a steady decline in meth lab seizures. The Combat Meth Act will require all 50 States to do what Oklahoma and Tennessee have done. The Combat Meth Act is critical to containing and defeating the meth epidemic. We need one uniform standard to close the loopholes in the system so that producers can't cruise from State to State exploiting our differences. I again thank Senator Talent and Senator Feinstein for their leadership and for pushing hard to get this done. I urge my colleagues to pass the PATRIOT Act, which includes this much needed law. The Combat Meth Act is a victory for law enforcement across this land in our communities. The Combat Meth Act is a victory for towns and for communities and cities all across America. It is a victory for all of the innocent individuals and families who have been harmed by this dangerous and deadly drug. Mr. President, I yield the floor.

Mr. FRIST

Mr. FRIST. I ask unanimous consent that the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table, and I move to lay that motion on the table. The motion to lay on the table was agreed to.

Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of H.R. 4340, the Bahrain Free Trade Agreement. I ask unanimous consent that all time be yielded back.

Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, the Bahrain free-trade agreement is a very important agreement that reflects in this post-9/11 environment the recommendation that had been made in terms of facilitating trade to nations such as Bahrain. I am delighted we were able to both debate it earlier today and ultimately pass this important free-trade agreement.

Mr. FRIST

Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of S. 2093, introduced earlier today.

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 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. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of S. 2094, introduced earlier today.

Mr. FRIST

Mr. FRIST. As in executive session, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation be discharged from further consideration of the following nominations and that they be placed on the calendar: Michael Copps, PN 1051; Deborah Tate, PN 1052.

Mr. FRIST

Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Judiciary Committee be discharged from further consideration of and the Senate now proceed to S. Res. 275.

Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, 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, today, after a period of morning business, the Senate will debate the Bahrain Free Trade Agreement under a 60- minute time agreement reached last night. Later today, we will also begin debate on the motions to instruct conferees with respect to the deficit reduction bill. We hope to have a unanimous consent agreement ready which will lock in those motions for debate and votes. We are still trying to determine exactly when those stacked votes will occur, and I will announce that shortly as we get closer to an agreement. Members should adjust their schedules to accommodate a lengthy week and possible weekend session so that we may complete our business and then go home for the holidays.

Mr. FRIST

Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I wish to comment just very briefly on what is going on over the course of this week in Iraq, as it focuses on Iraqi democracy and the process that has begun in this country today and will continue through Thursday when the elections are carried out in Iraq. Earlier this morning, I had the opportunity to talk at the White House in a meeting by teleconference with our Ambassador to Iraq, in Iraq, and General George Casey about the remarkable progress going on in that country today as they updated us with the plans for the elections, what is underway, and looking back to the tremendous progress that has been made over the last several months and the truly remarkable progress that has been made in the elections in January and October and now the preparations made for the elections this week. On Thursday, the Iraqi people began what is a historic process for choosing their first fully constitutional parliament since the fall of Saddam, culminating in this nationwide vote on Thursday, December 15. In our briefings this morning, it was pointed out that the elections are Thursday and many of us will be watching to see how large a turnout there will be, recognizing that 10 million people turned out for the last elections in October. Our briefers also pointed out the fact that we have to moderate our expectations a little bit in terms of the overall timing because of the sequence of the events with the elections on Thursday and then a preliminary certification of the elections about a week later and then a final certification in early January, around January 6 or 7. The government itself becomes a product of that parliament, and that will not be finalized until April of next year, but the process has begun, and the votes, even among Iraqis in this country right now, are beginning today. The country, as we think back just 2\1/2\ years ago, that was ruled by tyranny and despotism is, with the help of American and coalition forces, transforming itself into a hopeful and democratic society. That hope is being felt by the Iraqi people as they move forward, rebuilding and renewing their country. In yesterday's widely reported new polling data, the Iraqis believe their lives are going well, with nearly two-thirds expecting that things will improve in the months and years ahead. Average household incomes have skyrocketed by 60 percent in the last 20 months, and Iraqis are quickly joining the swift current of modernity with cell phones and the Internet, cars, washing machines, and satellite dishes. Even ABC News, which commissioned the poll, rates the Iraqi mood at ``a remarkable level of optimism.'' In Thursday's elections, we will also have marked yet another milestone in their transition from dictatorship to democracy. Just in the past year, we have witnessed a series of truly extraordinary events. Last January, 8.5 million Iraqis defied the terrorists and marched to the polls. Who will ever forget the remarkable picture of Iraqis proudly displaying their purple-stained finger, citing that freedom, that ability to vote. They showed the world their readiness and eagerness to participate in a new system of government. Throughout the summer, Iraq's leaders worked through the painful give-and-take process of drafting the nation's permanent constitution. Even though much of Iraq's Sunni Arab population boycotted the January elections, Iraq's elected officials worked hard to reach out and include the Sunni Arab representatives in the constitution-drafting process. They understood the importance of including leaders from all of Iraq's ethnic and religious communities in such a historic endeavor. As we saw by summer's end, their patience, compromise, and inclusion paid off. The draft they produced established the framework for a stable and democratic Iraq at the heart of the Middle East. Their new constitution safeguards individual minority rights, guarantees the protection of human rights, and creates a system of government based on the rule of law and the will of the Iraqi people. In October, the Iraqi people turned out again, in overwhelming numbers, to ratify their permanent constitution. More than 10 million Iraqis across religious and ethnic lines went to the polls to demonstrate their growing desire to have their voice heard in a democratic political process. Most of the increase in voter turnout came in Sunni areas of the country. As the political process continues to unfold, Iraq's Sunni Arabs are coming to recognize the importance of taking part in that democratic process. Only through peaceful politics can the Sunni Arab community in Iraq ensure that its rights are secured, its interests protected, and its people represented at the national, provincial, and local levels. Even though many Sunnis voted against Iraq's permanent constitution, the trend line of increased political participation among the Sunni population is heading up. This morning, we were briefed directly from Iraq. The number of polling stations in the Sunni parts of the country are increasing dramatically day by day, much surpassing expectations. More than 300 political parties and coalitions have registered for this week's elections. Candidates are campaigning, and the Iraqi people are again showing their willingness to defy terrorist threats and participate--and participate actively--in the political process. As President Bush articulated in his speech yesterday in Philadelphia, Iraq is that central front in the war on terror. Their move to democracy is essential to our shared victory over terrorism. It is not going to be easy. We face an enemy who targets innocent civilians with bombings and beheadings--an enemy who despises freedom, that fears democracy. They will bend every effort to derail Iraq's continued progress until they are ultimately defeated. But I am confident the Iraqi people will succeed and that together we will prevail over the terrorist enemy. Time and time again, the Iraqi people have shown their friends and their enemies that they are steadfast in their determination to secure a bright, peaceful, and prosperous future for their children and for their grandchildren. They will do so again on Thursday, this Thursday, December 15. I applaud President Bush for his unwavering commitment to freedom and liberty for the Iraqi people. I applaud the Iraqi people for their unwavering courage to secure their democratic future. The United States will continue to stand behind them as they work to become a peaceful, a united, a stable, and a secure and more prosperous nation, a full member of the international community and a full partner in the global war on terrorism. I yield the floor.

Mr. FRIST

Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that on Wednesday, following morning business, the Chair lay before the Senate a message from the House to accompany S. 1932, the deficit reduction bill. I further ask consent that the Senate disagree to the amendment of the House, request a conference with the House, and that the Chair be authorized to appoint conferees on the part of the Senate with the ratio of 11 to 9; provided further that before the Chair appoints conferees, the following motions to instruct be the only motions in order and that they be considered under the following limitations: Kennedy, higher education, 60 minutes equally divided; Baucus, Medicaid, 5 minutes equally divided; DeWine, trade, 60 minutes equally divided; Kohl, child support enforcement, 60 minutes equally divided; Carper, TANF, 5 minutes equally divided; Harkin, food stamps, 5 minutes equally divided; and Reed, LIHEAP, 60 minutes equally divided. I further ask consent that no amendments be in order to the motions and the only debate in order under the statute other than debate on the motions be 30 minutes equally divided for general debate, divided between the chairman and ranking member; further, that all motions be debated on Tuesday and Wednesday and that the vote occur in relation to the motions in the stacked sequence at a time determined by the majority leader after consultation with the Democratic leader; finally, that any votes which do not occur prior to 1 p.m. on Wednesday be stacked to occur beginning at 3:30 on Thursday, December 15.

Mr. FRIST

Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I understand there are three bills at the desk due for a second reading.

Mr. FRIST. In order to place the bills on the calendar under the provisions of rule XIV, I object to further proceedings en bloc.

Mr. FRIST

Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, under the time agreement that we just entered into this evening, we have a number of motions to instruct conferees with respect to the deficit reduction bill that we will debate and vote on over the next 2 days. We will vote on three of those motions--the Baucus motion on Medicaid, the Carper TANF motion, and the Harkin food stamp motion--during tomorrow's session. These votes will start somewhere between 11:45 and noon. We will finish the remaining motions to instruct on Thursday. Over the course of this week, we will be very busy, as I pointed out earlier this morning. We will begin voting around midday tomorrow, and in all likelihood we will be voting Thursday afternoon as well. We will be stacking votes Thursday afternoon. We will be voting on Friday and may well go into this weekend if we are unable to finish our business by late Friday. That means possibly Saturday and then maybe into next week. We have a whole slew of bills that we need to address, that we have been doing and will be doing over the next several days. Tomorrow I will have more to say about the schedule.

Mr. FRIST

Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, elections are currently underway in Iraq. It is very exciting. The election formally in Iraq itself will be Thursday, although in the United States those Iraqi citizens are voting. They are actually voting in Tennessee at one of those distant, remote locations, remote from Iraq. That is a powerful statement to the progress made in Iraq over the last 2\1/2\ years, that this is the third election in the last year. At the first election in January, about 8.5 million turned out; at the next election in mid-October, over 10 million people turned out; at the third election, we will have to wait and see, but it looks as though there will be record numbers of individuals voting in Iraq. Two-and-a-half years ago, we had a country that had no representative government whatsoever and had a tyrant, Saddam Hussein, oppressing the people there. This morning, several of us had the opportunity to talk, by teleconferencing, with our Ambassador in Iraq, as well as General Casey. They did review with us a number of the real advances that have been made. When you look at issues such as Iraqis who are currently participating, they cited several statistics. In August 2004, there were five Iraqi army battalions actually in the fight. There are currently 97 Iraqi battalions in the fight. In July 2004, there were no ready operational divisional headquarters. Today there are at least 7 operational divisional headquarters and 31 operational brigade headquarters. There has been huge progress over the last year, year and a half. In November 2004, there were about 110,000 fully trained and equipped Iraqi security forces. Today there are almost double that, a year later, 214,000 trained and equipped security forces. Does all of this make a difference? One of the fascinating statistics cited and brought to my attention was compared to last year, or at some point last year, how many tips were being provided by the Iraqi people. In many ways it reflects the confidence the Iraqi people have in law enforcement and security. In March, there were just under 500 tips to the Iraqi Armed Forces. In September 2005, there were 4,700 tips by Iraqi citizens to Iraqi and coalition forces. Therefore, information is flowing much more freely, which reflects, I believe, the confidence the Iraqis have in their security forces. One tip resulted in the disruption of an IED factory and the capture of 4,000 pounds of explosives and about a dozen 500-pound bombs. That shows the importance of the improved security by the Iraqi people and what it allows to flow, in terms of information. Mr. President, 75,000 Iraqi policemen are patrolling Iraqi cities, and another 5,700 are in training. I think we are seeing real progress there. There is much progress to make, but the progress being made currently, as we speak, and will be made over the next several days is truly exciting in terms of an operational, permanent government being formed. Lastly, as I mentioned earlier, it won't be until actually April that the new government is in place. The elections are occurring now. Certification takes place in December, and the final is in early January. From that point, the government takes root. So the government itself won't be formed until April of next year.