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Congressional Record United States Th of America PROCEEDINGS and DEBATES of the 109 CONGRESS, SECOND SESSION

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Congressional Record United States Th of America PROCEEDINGS and DEBATES of the 109 CONGRESS, SECOND SESSION E PL UR UM IB N U U S Congressional Record United States th of America PROCEEDINGS AND DEBATES OF THE 109 CONGRESS, SECOND SESSION Vol. 152 WASHINGTON, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2006 No. 123 Senate The Senate met at 9:30 a.m. and was RECOGNITION OF THE MAJORITY I remind my colleagues that we have called to order by the President pro LEADER a policy meeting on this side of the tempore (Mr. STEVENS). The PRESIDENT pro tempore. The aisle to occur from 12:30 p.m. to 2:15 majority leader is recognized. p.m. today. If we can schedule debate PRAYER on one of these issues during that time, f The Chaplain, Dr. Barry C. Black, of- we will likely be able to remain in ses- fered the following prayer: PROGRAM sion in order to make progress. Let us pray. Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, we have a I have a brief statement. Does the Eternal Father, You are always the period of 1 hour of morning business to Democratic leader have comments? same. Help our legislative leaders to be start today’s session. Following morn- f honest and fair. May our lawmakers ing business, we have 1 hour of debate RECOGNITION OF THE MINORITY labor for justice and peace. As You use prior to a scheduled cloture vote on the LEADER them for Your purposes, deliver them pending amendment relating to mili- from moral paralysis and spiritual in- tary tribunals, to the military commis- The PRESIDENT pro tempore. The ertia. sions. Before that cloture vote begins, Democratic leader is recognized. Make them voices for those who are the Democratic leader and I will con- f captives of injustice and oppression. tinue to work toward an agreement WORKING ON A UNANIMOUS Use them to rescue the hopeless, to that would allow us to consider the CONSENT AGREEMENT help the hurting, and to have pity on military tribunal legislation as a free- the weak. Because of their faithfulness, standing measure under a specific time Mr. REID. Mr. President, I appreciate let this Nation prosper like flowers in a agreement. We started talking about the majority leader yielding. So every- well-kept garden. that yesterday and worked through the one understands where we are, let me As we praise You, Our Father, show night, and we will continue over the repeat what the majority leader said. Your glory throughout our world. course of the morning to reach that As things now stand, we are going to We pray in Your glorious Name. agreement. We are working in good have a cloture vote on the Hamdan Amen. faith toward an understanding on this matter, the Supreme Court detainee f bill and hope we will be able to work situation that now confronts the coun- PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE that out prior to that 11:30 a.m. vote. I try, sometime this evening. will keep our colleagues posted as to What we are going to try to do in the The PRESIDENT pro tempore led the the outcome of those talks. next hour or so is work out a unani- Pledge of Allegiance, as follows: If we are able to reach a consent mous consent agreement that there I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the agreement, then I will vitiate the order will be amendments allowed to be of- United States of America, and to the Repub- fered on the Hamdan matter. There lic for which it stands, one nation under God, for the cloture vote, and we will pro- indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. ceed directly to the military tribunals, would be amendments. We would agree the so-called Hamdan legislation, between the leader and me as to how f today. Votes will likely occur through- much time will be on the amendments. RESERVATION OF LEADER TIME out the afternoon either on the cloture I have cleared this matter with most The PRESIDENT pro tempore. Under vote on that issue or on amendments everyone. As I told the leader today, I the previous order, the leadership time that may be considered to the free- still have to work things out with two is reserved. standing bill. other members of the Judiciary Com- f We have a number of other important mittee. Hopefully, I can do that. If not, items to consider this week. The De- what will happen is cloture will be in- MORNING BUSINESS fense appropriations conference report voked on Hamdan and then 30 hours The PRESIDENT pro tempore. Under has been filed, and we do not expect will start, and there will be cloture on the previous order, there will be a pe- that to take very much time at all. It the fence bill, the barrier bill, some- riod for the transaction of morning may even be that we can do that at time tomorrow. We are trying to work business for up to 1 hour, with the first some point later today. our way through this so the Hamdan half of the time under the control of We have the Homeland Security ap- matter will have some debate on it and the Democratic leader or his designee propriations that will shortly be com- some amendments offered on it. We are and the second half of the time under pleted, as well as other conference re- doing our best to do that. the control of the majority leader or ports that are underway, such as port As I said yesterday, late in a session his designee. security, which may become available. such as this, everyone becomes a ∑ This ‘‘bullet’’ symbol identifies statements or insertions which are not spoken by a Member of the Senate on the floor. S10223 . VerDate Aug 31 2005 04:11 Sep 28, 2006 Jkt 049060 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 4624 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\A27SE6.000 S27SEPT1 hmoore on PROD1PC68 with HMSENATE S10224 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE September 27, 2006 Charles Atlas—one person can stop opportunity to debate and amend this It creates a new teachers institute to anything. They have the right to do bill. We are just trying to put together improve teaching techniques—how we that. We understand that. But proce- an agreement to do that. If not, we will teach math and science—focusing on durally that is where we are now. have the cloture vote and still have education, on teachers who are respon- Hopefully, we can work our way that debate and that opportunity as we sible for putting forth that knowledge. through this and have some debate on go forward. It creates a DARPA-modeled ad- this detainee matter and move on to f vanced research projects agency at the the fence bill, hopefully work some- Department of Energy dedicated to the NATIONAL COMPETITIVENESS thing out on that, and put us on a goal of increasing innovation and com- INVESTMENT ACT OF 2006 glidepath to completing the work of petitiveness breakthroughs in tech- the body, as the majority wants to do, Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I wish to nology. in the next couple of days. comment briefly on another issue, the It expands scholarship programs that Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, will the National Competitiveness Investment are aimed to recruit and train math Senator yield on that point for a cou- Act of 2006, a bill that was introduced and science teachers—teachers who ple of moments? yesterday with bipartisan sponsor- really need to focus on the K–12 area. Mr. REID. Of course. ship—myself and Senator REID—a bill It encourages more students, more Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, I com- that focuses on our global competitive- high school students, to take advanced mend the two leaders for trying to ness by focusing on education, by fo- placement courses and enter the inter- work out these issues. Over the years, cusing on the resources we should be national baccalaureate programs. I have seen leaders try to do it at the investing right here at home to make It will take an increased investment. end of a session. I don’t consider myself sure we are globally competitive with Over the next 5 years, our economy a Charles Atlas, but I do consider my- nations such as China and India. If we will exceed $76 trillion—$76 trillion is self a U.S. Senator. I have taken an don’t act, our Nation is going to lose how big our economy will grow. A 1- oath to uphold the Constitution of the our competitive edge. percent investment for the future is United States. The United States today has the really a small price to pay for that con- Some of us have sat in this Chamber strongest scientific and technological tinued security and leadership in the and in committee for 5 years while enterprise in the world, including the world. what was being done in detaining the best universities and the best corpora- I did not have the opportunity to prisoners violated our Constitution and tions investing in research. But there speak to this bill yesterday when it our traditions in the United States. is growing evidence and recognition was introduced. I encourage our col- Seven of the nine Members of the Su- that our educational system is failing leagues to join the bipartisan leader- preme Court are Republicans, inciden- to equip our young people and older ship—again, myself and Senator REID tally, and have said the same thing in people today to compete in this in- who are sponsors of this legislation. the Hamdan decision. creasingly global economy. We are fail- Mr.
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