William H. Frist: “as we conclude our first week back from recess, having 2 more weeks in this block of time before our August recess, I…”

“as we conclude our first week back from recess, having 2 more weeks in this block of time before our August recess, I want to take a moment to reflect on how far we have come and what accomplishments have been made during this 109th Congress and to briefly talk about the tasks that are ahead of us. With the prospect of a Supreme Court nomination looming, some people are predicting the Senate is going to get tied up and balled up in partisan conflict and we are not going to be able to simultaneously advise and consent--our constitutional responsibility--on the President's nominee and, at the same time, address the Nation's other business, the normal business that comes to this body. But I think if we reflect on the way the Senate has moved ahead over the past 6 months, we will see that even in the heat of an appellate judges debate over the springtime we were able to get our business done and deliver meaningful solutions for the American people. From lawsuit abuse reform, to trade, to energy policy, we tackled key issue after key issue after key issue to make America stronger, to create jobs, to make America more prosperous, and to make America more secure. Last night, we passed the Homeland Security bill, critical legislation that provides over $31 billion to strengthen America's borders, to strengthen our ports and our transit systems from a homeland security standpoint. It will boost our emergency preparedness, including our first responders.…”