Floor Statements

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent the Chair now lay before the Senate the House message to accompany S. 1777.

The PRESIDING OFFICER laid before the Senate the following message:

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent the Senate concur in the House amendment, the motion to reconsider be laid on the able, and any statements be printed in the Record.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it adjourn until 1 p.m. on Monday, March 6; 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 then proceed to a period of morning business, with Senators permitted to speak for up to 10 minutes each; providing further that first-degree amendments in relation to the filed cloture motion be filed at the desk no later than 2 p.m.

Mr. President, on Monday the Senate will begin the day with a period of morning business. Additionally, we wish to begin debate on the lobbying reform package on Monday afternoon. At 5:30 the Senate will proceed to vote on the confirmation of several district court judges. Senators should expect two or three back-to-back votes at 5:30 on these judicial nominations.

As a further reminder, cloture was filed on the LIHEAP bill this morning, and that cloture vote will occur on Tuesday morning, sometime before the weekly party luncheons. Senators are reminded that under the order entered, germane first-degree amendments must be filed at the desk by 2 p.m. to be in order postcloture. Again, we expect a very full week. We have judges to vote on; we have the LIHEAP bill; we have the lobbying reform measure. I suggest Members be prepared for late nights next week as we try to complete these items before the close of business this coming week.

If there is no further business to come before the Senate, I ask unanimous consent the Senate stand in adjournment under the previous order.

Mr. President, this morning we have 30 minutes set aside for a period of morning business. Following that 30 minutes, we will resume postcloture debate on the PATRIOT Act conference report. We had five procedural votes on or in relation to the PATRIOT Act yesterday, concluding with an 84-to-15 vote. Given that overwhelming vote, it is now time for the Senate to take a final vote on this conference report. That vote is scheduled for 3 p.m. today. We will divide the time equally until that time.

After the vote on the adoption of the PATRIOT Act, we will proceed to a cloture vote on the issue of LIHEAP. I hope we can proceed to the LIHEAP bill and come to a resolution on that measure before the close of the week. In any event, I am confident we will proceed to that measure and work toward a vote on the LIHEAP issue. We will update Senators this afternoon after the two votes later today.

Mr. President, I wish to make a brief comment on an important provision on methamphetamine that is in the PATRIOT Act but not a lot of attention has been focused on it over the last several days, a very important provision.

At 3 o'clock today the Senate will vote on passage of the PATRIOT Act conference report, and after a lot of months of debate we will finally deliver a PATRIOT Act that is stronger and tougher and more effective against terrorists on American soil, while at the same time protecting our civil liberties.

It has not been easy. It has taken a long time. But now we are on the verge of a tremendous success with the passage of a very important bill that will benefit the American people.

The Combat Meth Act is legislation Senator Talent introduced last year, and I and many of our colleagues are a cosponsor of that legislation. Senator Talent's leadership has been instrumental in pushing this bill forward, and it is something of which we can all be very proud.

I have worked with the House leadership to encourage Members to get this done because meth is a crisis that has been building in all of our States. It is highly addictive, cheap, and easily available.

In the last 10 years meth has become America's worst drug problem. I say that, even putting it before marijuana, cocaine, and heroin, in that the use of it has increased so significantly and it is so terribly addictive.

Last year Tennessee ranked No. 2, tied with Iowa and just behind Missouri, in the number of meth lab seizures. Through tougher laws and tougher enforcement over the last year and a half Tennessee is starting to see a turnaround, and that is one of the reasons I am so convinced this legislation will have a dramatic impact in a short period of time.

It was in March of last year that Tennessee signed its Meth Free Tennessee Act, a much needed law that required retailers to take cold medicines and sinus medicines containing pseudoephedrine off the shelves and put them behind the counter where they can be closely monitored. As a result of this powerful new approach, lab seizures have declined dramatically, down 40 percent in May and another 60 percent in June.

In addition, district attorneys across the State have told me of the tremendous impact it has made and they joined Governor Bresden in launching the Meth Destroys campaign. Through videos and brochures and bulletin boards and other means of public relations, the Meth Destroys campaign is reaching out to schools, to church groups, to parents, to civic organizations, to educate the public on the grave dangers of this highly addictive drug, methamphetamine.

Now with the imminent passage of the Combat Meth Act here in the Senate today at 3 o'clock, everyone's job is going to get a whole lot easier.

We learned that when one State restricted access to the precursors, meth cooks simply crossed over to the adjoining State, bought their ingredients and brought them back. Law enforcement told us again and again that they needed uniform law to be able to cut off this access to and purchase of these ingredients.

Senator Talent and Senator Feinstein introduced the Combat Meth Act to restrict access to cold medicines containing pseudoephedrine and ephedrine across all 50 States. Under the Combat Meth Act, meth users will no longer be able to jump from State to State, cruise from State to State in order to buy these ingredients.

Once again I thank Senator Talent and Senator Feinstein for pushing hard to get this done. It will have a direct impact in a short period of time. Lives will be saved, communities will be better protected because of their commitment. I urge all of our colleagues to vote for the PATRIOT Act, which includes the Combat Meth Act, this afternoon. It applies directly to the well-being and safety of our neighbors and fellow citizens.

That will be fine.

Mr. President, this morning the minority leader came to the floor to once again call into question our good faith efforts on the pensions bill. He now claims our longstanding offer of a 7-5 ratio on the conference committee ``looks suspicious.'' I can't help but feel that what is beginning to look suspicious is this continuing pattern of obstruction on ground that seems to be ever shifting.

We originally considered proposing a 5-3 ratio but, to accommodate his caucus, we ultimately offered a 7-5 ratio. After a 2-month delay, this was rejected. The Democratic leader was unable to make a decision among members of his caucus. I understand those challenges, but that is what leadership is all about. Now he wishes to further delay with an arbitrary dispute over the ratio of conferees and this new, equally disingenuous charge of ``fixing the jury,'' which is absurd.

As the minority leader well knows, I have been working for years to fix the pensions problem. The American people deserve it. People don't understand why these games are being played.

The clock is ticking. People's lives are at stake. The first quarter of the physical year ends on March 31, 31 days from now. Within 2 weeks of that happening, companies have to make contributions to their pension plans. The pensions of millions of hard-working Americans are at stake. That is why these games don't make sense.

We have two committees with an equal stake in this bill. They should have an equal number of conferees on the committee. The conference committee should fairly represent the two committees of jurisdiction. The minority leader knows his proposals won't allow for that. I am for a fair conference but, equally importantly, I am for getting to conference so that we can address these challenges. The American people are waiting.

I know the Democratic leader says he wants to move forward as well. But remember, we passed this bill in November of last year, and we are still trying to do something very simple; that is, to get to conference so that we can pass the legislation.

I am baffled by the minority leader's inability to decide which five Senators from his caucus could join with our seven Senators so that we can appoint a conference and do the Nation's business. I am equally confused about why, in refusing to make that decision, he instead feels that he should decide on his own, unilaterally, the ratio of conferees with no regard for treating the two committees of jurisdiction fairly. If anyone is trying to fix the jury, it appears to be the minority leader by having one committee with more representatives than the other. We go back and forth every day, and that clock is ticking.

The airline provisions of the bill are necessary to keep additional pension obligations from being terminated and left at the doorstep of the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation. As Chairman Grassley has suggested, in remarks that I will include in the Record, if we cannot make some progress shortly, we may need to look at pulling these provisions out and moving them on some other vehicle. That should not be necessary, but continued obstruction would leave us with no other choice. We are simply running out of time.

I plead with the Democratic leader to put forth his five. We have been ready for the last 2 months to put forth our 7 so we can get to conference and provide answers and a resolution to what millions of Americans are waiting for.

I ask unanimous consent to print in the Record the above-referenced document.

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

Mr. President, in a few moments, we will be passing the PATRIOT Act. By passing it, we will make America safer, while safeguarding our civil liberties and privacy. America will be safer because law enforcement will have the tools to track suspected terrorists and break up terrorist cells before harm is done to innocent Americans. America will be safer because the conference report goes beyond the original PATRIOT Act to combat terrorist financing and money laundering, protect our mass-transportation systems and the railways, secure our seaports, and fight methamphetamine drug abuse--what has grown to become the No. 1 drug problem in America--and it does so by restricting access to the ingredients that make that poisonous drug.

Today we are making a statement that we cannot return to a pre-9/11 structure that could cost innocent Americans their lives. We will not return to the days of the pre-9/11 bureaucratic wall that blocked information sharing between law enforcement and intelligence. We cannot go back. We must go forward.

Due to persistent delays and obstruction by some of my friends on the other side of the aisle, it has taken far too long to get to today's vote. By remaining focused on our goals, focused on governing with meaningful solutions, to act on principles and to make America safer and security our No. 1 priority, we will prevail today.

I am proud to cast my vote to support the PATRIOT Act, and I urge my colleagues to do the same.

Mr. President, I ask for the yeas and nays.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the cloture vote on the motion to proceed to S. 2320, the LIHEAP bill, be vitiated.

I further ask consent that immediately after the consent, the Senate proceed to the consideration of the bill, provided further that Senator Ensign or his designee be immediately recognized in order to make a Budget Act point of order and that Senator Snowe or her designee be recognized in order to move to waive. I further ask that there then be one-half hour of debate, equally divided, prior to a vote on the motion to waive.

Mr. President, we will be having a vote in 30 minutes. In all likelihood, that will be the last vote of the day.

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

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent there now be a period of morning business, with Senators permitted to speak for up to 10 minutes each.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent at 5 p.m. on Monday, March 6, the Senate proceed to executive session to consider en bloc Calendar Nos. 517, 518, and 519. I further ask consent the following Senators be allocated 5 minutes each for debate in relation to the nominations: the two Senators from Georgia, two Senators

from West Virginia, the chairman and ranking member of the Judiciary Committee. I further ask consent at 5:30 the Senate proceed to executive session for votes on the confirmation of the nominations, in the order listed, with no intervening action or debate; further, that following those votes, the President be immediately notified of the Senate's action, and the Senate then resume legislative session.

I ask unanimous consent the Senate proceed to consideration of S. Res. 388, submitted earlier today.

Mr. President, I applaud my Senate colleagues for supporting this resolution urging all parties in Sudan to implement fully the Comprehensive Peace Agreement that ended Sudan's decades-long civil war.

For more than 50 years, Sudan has been plagued by war and violence. In fact, since gaining independence in 1956, the people of Sudan have known only 10 years of peace. But, last January, following painstaking negotiations and numerous unsuccessful attempts at peace, the Government of Sudan in the north and the Sudan People's Liberation Movement in the south signed the Comprehensive Peace Agreement, bringing an end to Sudan's second civil war that lasted more than 20 years.

This second civil war led to the deaths of more than 2 million people, and an additional 4 million were internally displaced or became refugees. I have visited Sudan on a number of occasions, and I have met with the victims and survivors of this tragedy. The CPA offers the Sudanese people a chance at a peaceful and secure life. It is time for the agreement to be fully implemented.

In the past year, the government of Sudan and the SPLM have taken concrete steps to implement certain parts of the CPA. For example, the two sides have ratified a new national constitution and have formed a government of National Unity in Khartoum and a Government of Southern Sudan based in Juba in the south.

However, the overall pace of implementation has been slow and insufficient, and both parties have failed to meet certain benchmarks or adopt the recommendations of the commissions established to monitor the CPA's implementation. These include the formation of Joint Integrated Units, which aim to integrate forces from both the north and the south, a more equitable distribution of resources between the north and the south, and a full and transparent accounting of Sudan's oil revenues.

The implementation of the CPA is particularly urgent for the people of Southern Sudan. In this region alone, the World Food Program estimates that more than 2.9 million people were severely and adversely affected by the civil war.

Last month, I met with Mrs. Rebecca Garang. She currently serves as the Minister for Roads and Transport for the Government of Southern Sudan. She is also the wife of the late John Garang, the long-time leader of the SPLM who successfully negotiated the CPA but died tragically in a helicopter crash last summer.

During our talks, Mrs. Garang stressed the humanitarian and reconstruction needs of the Southern Sudanese people. They are in desperate need of assistance to build and improve vital infrastructure components such as an education system, a health care system, and a transportation system that are virtually non-existent in Southern Sudan.

At the end of the current six-year interim period, the CPA provides for the people of Southern Sudan to decide their own political future in a referendum. But in order to achieve John Garang's vision of a new, united Sudan, the people of Southern Sudan must see the tangible benefits of peace.

Implementing the CPA can also have a positive impact on ending the genocide in Sudan's western region of Darfur. Unfortunately, since the signing of the agreement, little progress has been made in ending this genocide. Hundreds of thousands have already died as a result of violence, disease, and malnutrition. And, millions more have been internally displaced or continue to languish in refugee camps in neighboring Chad.

However, the CPA can serve as a basis for a peacefully negotiated end to the genocide in Darfur. For this reason, it is even more vital for the full and complete implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement.

Until that time, the United States should continue to apply pressure on the Government of National Unity in Khartoum to fully implement the CPA. This includes maintaining the sanctions that are currently in place.

In addition, we need to continue to expand our humanitarian and reconstruction assistance to the people of Southern Sudan. Delivering to them the real benefits of peace will strengthen their support of the CPA and for a united Sudan.

During my travels to Sudan, I have heard first-hand accounts of the violence, suffering, and insecurity endured by so many in Sudan. Much of the Sudanese population has never known or experienced any sustained period of peace, stability, or security. This needs to change.

Those in leadership in Sudan need to proceed with full implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement. And, I urge the United States and the international community to take concrete, assertive steps to demonstrate their continued solidarity with the Sudanese people to help them achieve their goal of a peaceful and stable Sudan.

I ask unanimous consent 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 Foreign Relations Committee be discharged from further consideration of and the Senate now proceed to S. Res. 383.

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, both of these resolutions have to do with the Sudan, a country where for the last really 23 years there has been real turmoil in terms of a civil war underway that is addressed in part under S. Res. 388, the Sudan Peace Agreement, and then, more recently, over the last 3 years, in a western part of Sudan, the Darfur region, where we have seen genocide underway, as we have spelled out on the floor over the last year and talked about.

Both of these resolutions address a human tragedy that has played out over the last several years. The first, the Sudan Peace Agreement, is a reaffirmation of a peace agreement which has been made that we need to support. And it is probably the only way we can reverse what has been a tragedy that has killed about 2 million people and caused 5 million people to be displaced from their homes throughout Sudan over the last 23, 24 years.

The Darfur crisis is one that we have described on this floor many times. And as we have followed it, since February a year and a half ago, things have gotten better and worse and better and worse. Right now they are not going very well. So I appreciate Senators Biden and Lugar putting forth that resolution.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of S. 2363, introduced earlier today.

Mr. President, I rise today to express my strong support for the extension we are passing tonight of the Education Flexibility Partnership Act.

I authored the original legislation to create Ed-Flex, as it is more commonly known, back in 1999 after learning through my chairmanship of the Senate Budget Committee Task Force on Education about the excessive red tape attached to Federal education funding.

I listened to school administrators and education leaders who told me again and again about the bureaucratic challenges they faced when trying to improve education.

After seeing how a demonstration project involving 12 States achieved such impressive results in improving student performance, I wrote legislation to expand the program to all 50 States.

The Ed-Flex program gives greater flexibility to States in using Federal funds in exchange for greater accountability for student achievement.

The program does not change the amount of funding available--but it eliminates some of the strings attached. Schools must still use the Federal funds for the purposes for which they were designed, and health, safety, civil rights, and disabled requirements cannot be waived.

Ed-Flex was an early attempt at education reform aimed at improving student achievement, and paved the way for the No Child Left Behind Act just 2 years later.

It allows educators to find new ways of improving the quality of education for every child, and it set the stage for acknowledging the connection between flexibility and accountability in improving student performance.

Ed-Flex encourages innovation within America's schools and allows our students the opportunity to succeed academically and globally.

I thank Senator Burr for his leadership on this extension of Ed-Flex, and for the support of my colleagues on both sides of the aisle for their recognition of this important tool for America's students.

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.