Floor Statements

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to a period for the transaction of morning business, with Senators allowed to speak for up to 10 minutes each.

Mr. President, I rise in support of the resolution introduced by Senator Baucus to designate the first week of April 2007 as ``National Asbestos Awareness Week.'' It is my hope this resolution will raise public awareness of this dreadful substance and the pain and suffering that it has caused. It is also a reminder of our responsibility to the victims of asbestos in Nevada, in Libby, MT, and all over America.

We know too well that the effect of exposure can be deadly. Diseases caused by asbestos include cancers of the lung, digestive tract, colon, larynx, esophagus, kidney and some types of lymphoma; pleural disease; asbesostis; and, of course, mesothelioma. These devastating illnesses take the lives of 30 Americans each day and as many as 10,000 Americans each year.

According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, OSHA, 1.3 million Americans still face significant asbestos exposure in their workplaces. However, the danger is not confined to the Nation's shipyards, mines, or construction sites. Countless others are exposed in their neighborhoods, in schoolyards and at home; mothers and children who would otherwise have no clue that their very health is in jeopardy from this poisonous substance.

The cases of disease and death caused by asbestos exposure are not abstractions. Real lives are affected and destroyed by this dreadful substance. I have received countless letters from victims of asbestos- related diseases and their families. Each one shares another story of loss and of pain, of sickness and of tragedy.

James Baxter, a retired railroad worker from Carson City, NV, suffers from lung damage and respiratory problems. Richard Strauss from Las Vegas, NV, lost his father 3 years ago from asbestos exposure. Like many others, these two men contacted me seeking help in dealing with the hardship and tragedy they have endured.

Margy Urnberg from Carson City, NV, had a father, Ronald Johnson, who died from asbestos exposure. He worked in a vermiculite mine and received secondhand exposure from living in Libby, MT. Connie Peck- Youso was born and raised in Libby, MT. Although she never worked in a mine, she bares the scarring in her lungs from the same type of secondhand exposure that had such terrible consequences for Mr. Johnson.

Alan Reinstein, the cofounder and former Director of Communications of the Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization, suffered with acute mesothelioma. Alan fought bravely and responded to his illness as a call to action. Sadly, he lost his battle with his terrible disease last year. The Alan Reinstein Memorial Award was created to honor those, like Alan, who have brought awareness to the victims of asbestos. Les Skramstad will be honored posthumously this year.

Last year, the Senate debated a bill to remove asbestos liability cases from the court system and compensate victims from a trust fund. I strongly opposed that bill because it was unfair to asbestos victims. The bill would have made it too difficult for seriously injured victims to recover damages, and the trust fund would have been inadequate. Rather than deprive asbestos victims of their day in court, we should pass legislation to ban asbestos and heighten public awareness of this fatal disease.

I am also pleased to be a cosponsor of the legislation recently reintroduced by Senator Murray, the Ban Asbestos in America Act of 2007, which would ban asbestos by prohibiting asbestos-containing products from being imported, manufactured, processed, or distributed in the United States. While it has been banned in over 40 countries around the world, we continue to import over $100 million worth of asbestos products annually. This is more than 30 million pounds of asbestos that is imported for use throughout the Nation. Additionally, the bill calls for a public awareness campaign to help educate patients, workers, family members, and health care providers on the dangers of exposure to asbestos, along with possible treatment options. Asbestos is killing far too many people. We can and should do more. Senator Murray's bill and the National Asbestos Awareness Week are a step in that direction.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate now proceed to calendar No. 80, S. Res. 95.

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. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate now proceed to S. Res. 109.

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. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to calendar No. 71, S. 655.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the committee amendment be agreed to, the bill, as amended, 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 relating to the bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate now proceed to Calendar No. 73, S. 377.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the bill be read a third time, passed, the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table; that any statements relating to the bill be printed in the Record without further intervening action or debate.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate now proceed to Calendar No. 74, S. 494.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the amendment at the desk be considered and agreed to; that the bill, as amended, be read a third time, passed, the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table; that any statements relating to the bill be printed in the Record, with no intervening action or debate.

I ask unanimous consent we now proceed to Calendar No. 75,

I ask unanimous consent the bill be read three times and passed, the motion to reconsider be laid on the table, and any statements be printed in the Record.

Mr. President, I now ask unanimous consent that the Foreign Relations Committee be discharged and the Senate then proceed to consideration of H. Con. Res. 20.

I ask unanimous consent the concurrent resolution be agreed to, the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table, the amendment to the preamble which is at the desk be considered and agreed to, the preamble as

amended be agreed to, and any statements be printed in the Record.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that on Friday, March 16, notwithstanding an adjournment of the Senate, the Senate Budget Committee be permitted to report the concurrent budget resolution during the hours of 10 a.m. to 12 noon.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it stand adjourned until 2 p.m., Monday, March 19; that on Monday, following the prayer and the pledge, the Journal of proceedings be approved to date, the morning hour be deemed expired, and the time for the two leaders be reserved for their use later in the day; that the Senate then proceed to S. 214 as provided for under a previous order.

Mr. President, this week has been a week full of a lot of work, a lot of surprises but a lot of results. We finished the 9/11 bill, which is something the Senate should feel very good about. We did that on a bipartisan basis with the leadership of Senator Lieberman and Senator Collins.

Today we completed a 2-day debate on Iraq. It was a good, civil debate. Both the majority and minority issued their statements. I thought they did them well. We were able to have some votes. I think it was something that brought dignity to the Senate.

We had three judicial nominations approved--two district court judges, one circuit court judge. We are doing our level best to not have any problems with judicial nominations. The President is doing his share of helping us with this by sending us some good people. We have had agreement on the U.S. attorney bill that has been done with bipartisan support. This is set up for debate starting Monday. We will complete that on Tuesday morning.

Then, finally, again, using the Lieberman-Collins example, the chairman and ranking member of the Budget Committee, Senator Conrad and Senator Judd Gregg, did a wonderful job. There is not a more contentious issue that comes before this body than the budget. All 100 Members believe they can do a better job than either Judd Gregg or Kent Conrad can do, but they have the responsibility of coming up with the budget. They worked together for a number of years. They are friends and they set a good example. This matter was completed by 3:30 this afternoon.

Next week is going to be a tough week. There will be a lot of amendments offered, and we look forward to that. But we have a statutory way of proceeding through this. Whoever drew the statute probably had too much to drink the night before. But at least that is the statute we have. It is 50 hours, and unlimited amendments can be offered. But at least we know what we are up against next week because we have done it many times.

In short, this closely divided Senate, at this stage during the final weeks of Senator Johnson's incapacitation, is 50 to 49. He will be back with us soon. But even then, it is 51 to 49. It is a very closely divided Senate, and we are getting work done recognizing that there can be no bullies in the Senate, that we have to work together to get things done.

I think we have accomplished a lot this week. All 100 Senators deserve a pat on the back.

If there is no further business to come before the Senate today, I would turn to the Republican leader to see if he has comments before we adjourn.

I say to my friend, being the great fan of basketball that he is, I thought he would note that Louisville won the first game today.

Mr. President, if there is no further business to come before the Senate today, if the Republican leader has nothing further-- I understand that is the case--I now ask unanimous consent that the Senate stand adjourned under the previous order.

Mr. President, in life you can't stand still. You either go forward or backward. If it were not such a serious matter--and it is a serious matter--to have the Republican leader go back to a statement that I made 5 years ago is what is wrong with the Republicans in this debate. Things have to change. Things change. You can't stand still. You either go forward or backward. To take a statement that I made 5 years ago and think that things haven't changed in 5 years is without any degree of sensibility.

In just a few days our country will mark a solemn anniversary: the beginning of the fifth year of a war that has raged in faraway Iraq. For the fifth year, this war has taken a tremendous toll on our country, our troops, their families, and our standing in the world. Mr. President, 3,200 Americans, soldiers, airmen, sailors, and marines have been killed in Iraq. We have seen tens of thousands of our best wounded--men and women who have come home to a health care system unprepared and ill-equipped to take care of them.

Our Army has been stretched dangerously thin. Our Treasury has been spending, week after bloody week, $2 billion, each week; $2 billion each week.

Despite these tremendous costs, despite these great sacrifices, despite the opposition to this war, Iraq continues to spiral out of control. In February, attacks in Iraq increased dramatically. Three American soldiers and 100 Iraqis died every day--every day in February. In March it seems it is going to be just as bad. Our overburdened troops, including hundreds of Nevadans, have done everything asked of them and more. It is their political leaders at home who have failed-- who failed our troops and the American people. President Bush did not go to war with enough military on the ground. We all know that. President Bush didn't have a plan to win the peace, much less the war. President Bush surrounded himself with yes-men, who told him what he wanted to hear, what he needed to hear. To this day, President Bush lacks a plan to complete the mission so our troops can come home. His current strategy of more of the same is not working.

Five years into the war in Iraq the mission has changed but the Bush policy has not changed. Saddam is gone, long gone. There are no weapons of mass destruction; there never were. Iraq is in chaos. There is no stability in Iraq. U.S. troops are policing a protracted civil war, not hunting and killing terrorists who attacked us on September 11, 2001.

The original mission no longer exists. Yet President Bush wants to stay the same--the same--failed course, to surge toward more of the same, to sustain more failure.

Today, the Senate must finally send a clear message to the Commander in Chief, President Bush. That message is: It is time for a new way forward. Change course, Mr. President. The way to succeed in Iraq is not more of the same; it is to change the mission and change the course. Our country must have a surge, but that surge must not be a military surge. There must be escalation in our diplomacy.

This is the message the American people delivered to Congress on November 7, 2006. This is the message we must send President Bush again today.

In just a few moments, we will have another cloture vote. I urge my colleagues to vote to allow the debate to proceed and then vote to change the course. Vote for the resolution. Voting no today is voting to greenlight the same failed course in Iraq. Voting no today is an endorsement of 5 years of failed policy. Voting no today is an endorsement of America's continuing occupation of Iraq. Voting no today is a vote to support President Bush maintaining an open-ended commitment to keep U.S. troops in the middle of an Iraqi civil war.

But a ``yes'' vote on cloture and on the resolution--and a vote for the resolution--is a vote of hope, hope that after 4 years in this war we can finally begin to have the Iraqis control their own destiny, their own future. We can tell President Bush to change course, redeploy our troops, bring in Iraq's neighbors, and revitalize reconstruction efforts that have failed, that have fallen woefully short.

Five years into the war, is it not the time for a new direction? The answer is yes, and that direction starts by voting yes on this next vote.

I yield back my time.

Cloture Motion

Mr. President, I apologize to everyone, especially those who were planning on going to visit with the President of Mexico with me on Friday. I have had a longstanding appointment with the President to talk about issues important to our country, but we are now in the midst of this debate dealing with Iraq and, following that, the U.S. attorneys. I have told everyone that we weren't going to have votes on Friday, and that was really my intention because I was going to be out of the country with five of my colleagues. I haven't had a chance to speak to any of the five Senators who are traveling with me. But I think it is only fair at this time that I cancel my trip, and that is the reason I am addressing the Senate now. My trip is canceled as of now.

I don't hold any ill will toward anyone. Senator McConnell has worked with me every half hour today trying to work something out, so this is not any finger pointing in any way. I just want the Record to reflect that I think we will work something out so we will not have to be in session on Friday, but I don't want anyone thinking that any of my work toward completing everything we need to do here by tomorrow is based upon my trip because that is not it. I want to make sure that everyone is free. I will be talking to my colleagues independently and telling them that we will try to do this some other time. But I think I would be judged very poorly if during the midst of this debate on the most important issue facing the American people--Iraq and then the issue we are also trying to resolve, and that is the U.S. attorneys problem-- that my trip got in the way of that at all.

Again, I want the Record to reflect that the Republican leader has been a gentleman throughout. It is not his fault in any way. I hold no one to blame. I just want to make sure that as negotiations go forward from this minute, they are based on what is best for the Senate and has nothing to do with my trip. I will continue to work, I tell all my colleagues, both on the majority and the minority side, with the distinguished Republican leader to do everything we can so that we don't have votes on Friday, but we may not be able to do that. I think we can, but we may not be able to. If we can't work something out on a consent to finish this Iraq debate in some positive manner, then we would have to have--I would have to move to cloture tomorrow night some time, at 6 or 7 o'clock. But I will continue to work on this, and I apologize. Even though I had one of my staff a few minutes ago call the Mexican Ambassador to say that we would likely not be able to do that trip, and now we are not going to be able to do the trip, I will call the President of Mexico and tell him there will be other times to do this trip.

I yield to the minority leader.

I thank the Chair.

Mr. President, following any time Senator McConnell and I will use, there will be 60 minutes of debate prior to a vote on the motion to invoke cloture on the motion to proceed to S.J. Res. 9 relating to Iraq policy. The time is equally divided and controlled between the leaders or their designees. The leaders will have the final 20 minutes immediately prior to the vote, with the majority leader controlling the last 10 minutes.

I have had an ongoing discussion with the Republican leader about how we could or would proceed to the Iraq resolution following whatever happens this morning. In addition to Iraq, I mentioned a proposed agreement regarding the U.S. attorney legislation. I anticipate that agreement will be able to be reached soon, which would eliminate the necessity of a cloture vote on the motion to proceed on the legislation. If no agreement is reached, then once we dispose of the Iraq resolution, a cloture vote would occur automatically on the motion to proceed to the U.S. attorney legislation.

As the day progresses, I will have more to say about the schedule after conferring with the Republican leader.