I understand. I plead to the other side of the aisle, if we could work together, the list--I am sure your list went on much longer on important issues. But unless we get some sort of working together without slowing things down and…

I take that. But let's move on to pensions. This is getting old, and it is almost childish in terms of us not getting to conference. People are going to be hurt again.

I want to say a quick word about these nominees. What we just approved were six nominations to the Tennessee Valley Authority Board of Directors. Nine years ago, I started working on legislation to modernize and expand TVA's board of…

this also is a major step forward, as colleagues have been participating and watching the debate over the course of the day, to bring to conclusion another issue that has been pending. But the fact we have been able to reach this…

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…

I ask the Democratic leader to stay on the floor just so we can discuss some of these issues. And I apologize for not being here. I was in my office, and so I don't know exactly what issues he talked about. But I am fascinated by the…

Then, on pensions, my staff said that you mentioned pensions, perhaps trying to stack the issues for downtown interests, the majority decided to play games. What are you even implying? We finished this bill on November 15 on this floor. We…

pursuant to the rules of the Senate, I hereby give notice that next week, I intend to move to proceed to a measure that amends the Senate rules. Mr. President, pursuant to the rules of the Senate, I hereby give notice that next week, I…

I ask unanimous consent the live quorum be waived and that this vote occur on Tuesday, March 7, following the period for morning business and a 1-hour period of equally-divided debate on LIHEAP. The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Without…

just so people understand, the 7-to-5 ratio, which I have been clear on for weeks now, does allow for equal participation between those two committees, so the fairness is that 7- to-5 ratio. This protections to the drug industry, no time…

But things such as asbestos, you can't deny that there are patients with mesothelioma and clinical diseases today who are being hurt by the system and that that is not an important issue from a humanitarian standpoint, from a healing…

For schedule purposes, we now have up to three votes scheduled for Monday on three U.S. district judges, as well as the cloture vote on LIHEAP which will occur Tuesday morning, sometime prior to the policy meetings. I expect that today…

so we can make it clearly understood--and I apologize for not being on the floor--the Democratic leader understands and has agreed to the fact that we are going to address stem cells as early as we possibly can this year, that that is a…

this morning we will be returning briefly to the LIHEAP bill sponsored by Senator Snowe. No rollcall votes will occur today, although Senators may come to the floor to address the LIHEAP issue. In a moment I will file cloture on the bill…

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…

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…

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…

That will be fine. The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Without objection, it is so ordered. ____________________

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…

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…

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…

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

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…

this morning, following the time for the two leaders, we will have a brief period for closing remarks related to S. 2271, the PATRIOT Act amendments legislation. The vote on passage of that bill is scheduled for 10 a.m. this morning…

today the Senate passed the PATRIOT Act amendments bill, and we are now considering the PATRIOT Act conference report. Early today, by a vote of 84 to 15, the Senate overwhelmingly invoked cloture on the conference report. Under an…