according to the Federal Trade Commission, identity theft is the fastest growing crime in America, striking 27.3 million Americans who have been victims in the last 5 years. Not only is identity theft increasing, it is becoming more…

first let me thank Senator Frist and Senator Reid for this extraordinary occasion, for this bipartisan moment of silence. Today, we learned that our Nation had crossed a tragic threshold: 2,000 American service men and women have now been…

I join others the world over in mourning the death and giving thanks for the life of Mrs. Rosa Parks. Someone once said that in the instance Rosa Parks refused to move, somewhere in the universe a gear in the machinery shifted. Jim Crow…

I say to the chairman, I believe this amendment may be noncontroversial. I do not know if there will be any time taken in opposition to the amendment. I would certainly be prepared to agree at 10:45 the vote would take place, if that would…

I did read the article on the plane coming out here. I think everyone knows, without saying this is a critical week, that something could happen this week. There are investigations under way of the Republican leadership, the House and the…

The Federal prohibition on torture... is constitutional.

I will be very brief. Understand what this amendment says: No bridge in the highway bill can be built until this bridge in Louisiana is built from non-emergency funds, financed from non-emergency funds. If they take any part of the $60…

has there been time set aside to speak in opposition to the pending amendment? The PRESIDING OFFICER. No.

I also note that 2 years ago, the Congress directed the Government Accountability Office to evaluate the DC TAG program to determine whether adequate controls are in place to protect the Federal interest, such as those pertaining to…

If the Senator from Montana will yield for a question, I would like to ask him about New York City. Isn't it a fact that after the 9/11 disaster, within 2 weeks we expanded Medicaid coverage under a disaster relief Medicaid assistance…

America will not soon forget the images of Hurricane Katrina, some of the poorest people in our country exposed to the worst natural disaster in current memory. We watched that television screen 24/7 and saw our fellow Americans struggling…

I recently returned to Illinois and traveled across the State. It is interesting to me that there is one pervasive issue that you run into in every corner of my State and that is the cost of energy, because while I was home people were…

there is another issue which is timely, one that is growing in interest and intensity across America; that is, the challenge of avian flu. Public health officials have been worrying about this for the last several years. But an avian flu…

I am from all of Illinois. The Presiding Officer must face the same thing in the State of Florida with your loyalties for sports teams. You cannot win in the State of Illinois. No matter where you go you will run into opposition--whether a…

Could the Chair advise me how much time I would have under that understanding? Is it half of 35 minutes? The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator is correct. ____________________

the much awaited speech by President Bush this morning about the challenges we face in Iraq and Afghanistan was promised to be a new perspective. It was promised to offer the possibility that at least we would be considering a new…

in the interest of keeping business moving, I am going to yield the floor at this point and return at a later moment. I will let the Senator from Connecticut take the floor. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Connecticut is…

Last year when I offered this amendment, Senator Hatch came to the floor. Senator Harkin joined afterwards. They conceded that they thought it was not a bad idea, if you sell dietary supplements in America, and somebody is harmed…

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 am not sure if I still have the floor. I say to my colleague from Connecticut that I will speak for about 10 or 12 minutes and then will yield the floor.

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

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…

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…

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

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.