military personnel are under tremendous pressure to be physically fit. The conditions under which they work and train are often harsh and demanding, making physical strength and endurance essential. This pressure makes dietary supplements…

I salute the Senator from Oklahoma. We have been in Iraq for over 3 years. We have been asking for investigations of these no-bid contracts to these large companies. We have to have Congress accept its responsibility with oversight…

I have an amendment pending which I would like to speak to. I will not call up this amendment at this time.

as of yesterday afternoon, nearly a quarter of this country's refinery capacity is offline. Already feeling the impact of high prices at the gas pump prior to the two hurricanes, Americans are bracing for additional price increases as…

I withdraw that request and ask for the adoption of the pending amendment. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there further debate? If not, the question is on agreeing to amendment No. 1908. The amendment (No. 1908) was agreed to.

reflect for a moment on what America went through with Hurricane Katrina, reflect on what it has meant to our country and what it has meant to our Government. That was the greatest natural disaster of modern time. Americans were shaken to…

on behalf of Senator Kennedy, I ask unanimous consent that Douglas Thompson, a Navy fellow in his office, be granted floor privileges during the consideration of H.R. 2863, the fiscal year 2006 Defense appropriations bill. The PRESIDING…

is there a pending amendment before us? The PRESIDING OFFICER. There is not. Amendment No. 1908

I would like to comment, through the Chair, and say to the Senator from Florida that because of the hurricanes we have lost 22 percent of our refining capacity in America. So if you wonder why the price of gasoline is high, higher than it…

I understand that this is a bipartisan bill that Senator Grassley, Republican of Iowa, Senator Baucus, a Democrat of Montana, have written to make sure that the millions of people who have been displaced will have basic health care. Is…

the USA PATRIOT Act greatly expanded the Government's authority to use national security letters, documents issued by FBI agents without judicial or grand jury approval that allow the Government to obtain sensitive information about…

I will be glad to take 5 minutes and yield to my colleague 5 minutes. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

Until 6:45, if no other Senators are seeking recognition, may I speak in morning business? The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

may I inquire, are we in a quorum call? The PRESIDING OFFICER. We are in morning business.

today a report was released showing the median difference between the lowest Medicare discount card price and the best available price for the Veterans' Administration. The difference was 58 percent. Most people realize we are about to…

this week, just days before the end of the fiscal year, we are going to consider the Defense appropriations bill. This is an important bill for America's national security. The chairman, ranking member, and their staffs worked long and…

May I inquire of the Chair, it is my understanding that the remaining 60 minutes in executive session on Judge Roberts is allocated to the minority? The PRESIDING OFFICER. That is correct.

Could the Chair tell me when that 60-minute period begins? The PRESIDING OFFICER. It begins at 6:45 p.m.

I will tell you, when we hear about the contracts that are being let for Hurricane Katrina and other natural disasters, it raises similar questions. Just last week, the head of procurement in the White House, Mr. Safavian, was arrested. He…

it is very clear from Hurricane Rita and Hurricane Katrina that America is now learning how to be prepared for disasters. Many more positive things happened as a result of the threat of Hurricane Rita than happened just a few weeks before…

we have considered many important issues on Capitol Hill this week. Here on the floor of the Senate, two major appropriations bills have passed, and in the Judiciary Committee, on which I serve, we considered the historic nomination of…

yesterday morning I made a trip to meet with the head of the American Red Cross. ADM Marty Evans is an extraordinary person. She was born in Springfield, IL, and served in the U.S. Navy for 29 years. She rose to the rank of rear admiral…

I am pleased to offer with Senator Obama this amendment to the Veterans appropriation bill. Our amendment will inform America's most under-compensated disabled veterans about how they may have their claims reviewed. Americans have a…

with this colloquy, however, I feel confident we can work together to resolve this problem in a reasonable way and, as a consequence, I ask unanimous consent to withdraw amendment No. 1760. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, the…

I certainly understand the chairman's sentiments, but I ask the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee what the impact of this schedule will be on our hearing tomorrow.