William H. Frist

As we try to complete the business we have been addressing over the last several weeks, the one remaining item we have not really settled on is the Bolton nomination. I filed a motion to reconsider that vote. There are a lot of ongoing…

We will be going on recess here for about 8 days, a much- needed recess for many people. A recess means we, for the most part, go back to our home States and spend time with people. So we all look forward to that opportunity to get back…

We are going to be out in just a couple minutes, but I want to take the opportunity, before closing, to thank the pages, who are sitting here before me, for all the tremendous work they do. It is very rare that we have the opportunity to…

The Senator from Maine, the distinguished chair of the Small Business Committee, is correct that while the vast majority of the Highway bill does not concern the Small Business Act or the Small Business Administration, the Highway bill…

Calling upon my earlier cardiac surgical days, we will start as early in the morning as the Democratic leader would like. In all seriousness, we will agree upon a time in the morning so that we will have plenty of time.

I appreciate the comment of the Democratic leader. We have agreed on the schedule for the week, and it is really to get to the Bolton nomination as soon as we possibly can. He is talking to Senators on his side, and I have to talk to some…

We have a good plan for the remainder of the week with that vote and proceeding with the nomination of John Bolton. ____________________

This morning we will continue debate in executive session on the nomination of Priscilla Owen to be a U.S. Circuit judge for the Fifth Circuit, and today at noon we will have a cloture vote with respect to the Owen nomination. In light of…

I think for planning purposes, that has worked out well for the last 26 hours. If over the course of the morning and afternoon we jointly agree, we can continue that as late as necessary tonight or into the hours of the morning. As I…

Through the Chair, I expect, because of the large amount of interest, that we will stay here until everybody does have that opportunity to speak. We will have the cloture vote, and you and I can discuss shortly the timing. But likely we…

I do not believe he is on the Executive Calendar. To the best of my knowledge--at least he is not on the Executive Calendar as printed today. The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Is there objection? The Senator from Vermont.

Through the Chair, we have given careful consideration of which would be the most appropriate person to begin with. It is Priscilla Owen. So we will proceed with Priscilla Owen. There are five people on the Executive Calendar, and our…

Today, we will begin debate on one of the judicial nominations pending on the Executive Calendar. In a moment, we will enter into a consent agreement to begin the consideration of Priscilla Owen to be United States Circuit Judge for the…

Tomorrow the Senate will resume consideration of the highway bill. Earlier today we invoked cloture on the substitute amendment, and the chairman and ranking member were able to construct a final list of amendments. We are now on a…

That is correct. We will have one amendment, possibly two, Monday night, and the remainder of these votes will be stacked, on Tuesday, in the order that was just spelled out.

Another quick question, reserving the Senator's right to the floor. Yesterday, in the Senator's statement to the President of United States, it was to the seven nominees he delivered to us about whom the distinguished Senator from West…

An up-or-down vote on the floor of the U.S. Senate. Isn't that what you said yesterday to the President of the United States?

Freedom of speech. Let's see it next week. Take someone who is on the Executive Calendar now. Take them to the floor, and let's have freedom of speech--somebody who has waited 4 years for the appropriate freedom of speech coming to the…

Let me just interrupt. The majority leader did not say anything about a showdown.

I have not talked to the Democratic leader, but I think if we are about ready to vote, then what I might do is go ahead and do my statement in the interest of time, unless there is something just burning that the distinguished Senator from…

Again, we find ourselves with an objection to a committee meeting and doing its work. There is objection on the other side of the aisle to the Judiciary Committee meeting. Therefore, we need to recess the Senate to allow the committee to…

For clarification, at 5 o'clock Senator Mikulski will be given 5 minutes before the cloture vote on her amendment.

Given the objection to the Foreign Relations Committee meeting, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate stand in recess until 4:20.

This is for 10 requests for committees to meet, other than the Committee on Foreign Relations. I add that there was one committee left out of this request due to an objection on the other side of the aisle. Chairman Lugar is holding a…

Before we vote, I have 10 unanimous consent requests for committees to meet. The request has been cleared on both sides, and I ask for these requests and ask that the requests be printed in the Record.