William H. Frist: “there are a few comments I will now make on the past month. Indeed, it has been a productive month in the Senate and I…”

“there are a few comments I will now make on the past month. Indeed, it has been a productive month in the Senate and I do want to thank all of my colleagues for their hard work and diligence over the course of the last several weeks. It has been an almost unbelievably eventful time on the world stage, first and foremost with the passing of Pope John Paul II. None of us will ever forget hearing the news of his death and feeling that we were in some way fortunate to be witnesses to a moment and to an era that will change and instruct history for generations. Nor will we ever forget our pilgrimage to the Vatican to pay our respects to the Pope and his extraordinary life. Millions of Catholics and non-Catholics alike were touched by this great man. He influenced more lives than kings and Presidents before him. I believe I speak for all in welcoming his successor, Pope Benedict XVI, the new leader of the Catholic Church. He is a man of great compassion and integrity, and I believe that, like John Paul before him, Pope Benedict will spread God's message of peace and be an inspiration to millions. We also witnessed on the world stage the historic withdrawal of Syrian troops from Lebanon. Next week, I will be traveling there to see firsthand the changes that are being brought. Democracy is on the march. We are witnessing history in the making.…”