Kay Bailey Hutchison: “I do thank the Senator from Wyoming for the great leadership he is providing for our Nation to start preparing us for…”

“I do thank the Senator from Wyoming for the great leadership he is providing for our Nation to start preparing us for the different types of flu viruses that might come our way. I know he has worked very hard on this in his chairmanship of the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee. I certainly was pleased to hear his comments on this very important issue. It is one that is important for all of us to assure that our country is ready if we have the kind of pandemic that could happen. It reminds me of Y2K when many were concerned that computers would crash all over America when we turned into the next century, and because we were prepared, there was no crisis. That is what I hope is the result of our addressing the potential flu strains that may be making their way across the world and could affect Americans in the future. Harriet Miers Mr. President, I particularly will talk today about my friend Harriet Miers. All of us were stunned this morning--I certainly was--when I heard she had submitted her resignation as a nominee to the Supreme Court because I have total confidence in her. I have total confidence she would have been a superb Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. I have that confidence because I know her. Many people were making judgments before they knew her. They were not giving her the benefit of the opportunity to come into an open forum and talk about her views.…”