 |
 |
 |
 |
-
| April 2004 |
| Sun |
Mon |
Tue |
Wed |
Thu |
Fri |
Sat |
| |
|
|
|
1 |
2 |
3 |
| 4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
10 |
| 11 |
12 |
13 |
14 |
15 |
16 |
17 |
| 18 |
19 |
20 |
21 |
22 |
23 |
24 |
| 25 |
26 |
27 |
28 |
29 |
30 |
|
| Mar May |
 Feedback
To watch or listen to
the Senate floor live please visit
CSPAN2
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|
 |
Wednesday, April 21, 2004 |
Senator Hatch is again on the floor speaking about the asbestos debate. During the debate Senator Hatch has been critical of trial lawyers and what he calls their partisan interest in this issue. He is currently remarking that he has worked with personal injury lawyers on numerous occasions and that he has not been trying to irritate all lawyers, but he does believe that some are on the wrong side of this issue.
5:47:52 PM 
|
|
Senator Dodd is speaking on the floor about higher education. He mentioned that in this time of year, when many students are wrapping up their semesters and college careers, we are reminded of the high cost of attending college. He continued to say that students are graduating with increasingly higher amounts of debt and an increase to the size of Pell Grants would provide significant relief.
5:11:07 PM
|
|
Senator Warner is speaking about the war in Iraq. The Senator is specifically speaking about the transfer of power that is scheduled to take place on June 30th. He has indicated that it is of the utmost importance that the transfer occur on this date to ensure Iraq's sovereignty.
4:45:59 PM
|
|
Senator Corzine of New Jersey is speaking about the proposed asbestos legislation. The Senator said that there is a crisis in America and that he would like to see resolution to this problem. He agrees that a national trust fund should be established for victims, but said that he is disapointed that the bill being discussed in the Senate is not as good as the bill passed by the Judiciary Committee last fall.
3:27:42 PM
|
|
Senator Byrd of West Virginia, quoting the poet T.S. Elliot, remarked that April is the cruelest month. He has referenced the large number of military casualties experienced by U.S. troops in Iraq. Senator Byrd criticized the Bush Administration for playing politics with the war in Iraq, referencing specifically the banner that was hung behind President Bush that read "Mission Accomplished" while he spoke on the U.S.S. Lincoln. The Senator continued, remarking that the war in Iraq has been a distraction from the war on terror and the search for Osama bin Laden.
2:55:31 PM
|
|
Senator Harkin has continued to speak about methods to improve healthy living, including adding signs near elevators and stairwells that encourage people to take the stairs, adding money to the Transportation Funding bill to ensure that bicyclists have access to roads and promoting nutrition labeling at fast food restaurants and in the Senate cafeteria. Senator Harkin also mentioned that he learned the other day that a 20 ounce soda contains the equivalent of fifteen teaspoons of sugar. The Senator asked when the Senate reauthorizes the Child Nutrition bill "what are we going to do to promote healthy living," among children?
2:32:39 PM
|
|
Senator Harkin of Iowa is speaking about the U.S. healthcare system, that he says he is now convinced should be called a sick-care system because so many of the diseases and symptoms people are treated for are preventable. With the following image from the December 2003 issue of the Economist on a floor chart behind him, Senator Harkin noted that obesity is a growing problem in the U.S. The Senator also used additional floor charts with maps of the United States to illustrate the drastic increase in obesity rates among states over the past thirteen years.
2:21:41 PM
|
|
Senator Inhofe of Oklahoma is speaking about advertisements that appeared in the New York Times criticizing the Bush Administration's record on the environment. The ads were produced by the Natural Resources Defense Council and MoveOn. Senator Inhofe said that there has been no regulation on mercury emissions to this point and that these ads are misleading. Senator Inhofe also commenetd on a solicitation that appeared with the advertisement, remarking that it is bad enough to create a misleading ad, but even worse to solicit donations based on that ad.
Off the Floor - Senator Leahy on Mercury. Senator Leahy and other senators have asked the EPA Inspector General to look into the proposed mercury rule that Senator Inhofe referenced. For more information on Senator Leahy's work in this area follow this link: http://leahy.senate.gov/press/200404/041104a.html
1:34:16 PM
|
|
Senator Patty Murray has come to the floor to mention that it has been a "lonely fight" for the past few years when she was on the few senators who was speaking out on behalf of the victims of asbestos-related injuries. Calling the FAIR Act inadequate and unbalanced, she is saying that she knows what the victims go through and because of that, she can not vote in support of this bill.
12:42:33 PM
|
|
The period of morning business is now over, and the Senate is resuming consideration of S.2290, the Asbestos bill. Senator Orrin Hatch of Utah is starting today's discussion voicing his support for his Fairness in Asbestos Injury Resolution (FAIR) Act, stating that this legislation would mean that far more money would go directly to those who are sick. He is criticizing the present system, saying that a lot of the money under the current system goes to people who aren't even sick and to lawyers' fees. He is mentioning that his proposed bill has a fund base of $114 billion, a $10 billion contingency plan, and seven times the borrowing power.
12:21:57 PM
|
|
Senator Judd Gregg is joining Senator Stevens in praising the job that overseers of the troop rotation have done and is thanking Senator Stevens for discussing the topic. He is now moving on to the topic of overtime pay. He is discussing the Department of Labor's proposed regulations and saying that this proposal would mean that 6.7 million people would get overtime pay even though they might not know now that they are entitled to it. The proposal would also make clear that groups such as first responders and nurses will have their overtime pay protected. He feels that this is a step in the right direction and feels that opposition must be for political reasons.
12:01:14 PM
|
|
Feeling that it has not been given an appropriate amount of coverage in the press, Senator Ted Stevens has come to the floor to discuss the massive troop rotation that is taking place in Iraq. This is the largest troop rotation since World War II. Senator Stevens is commending those in charge of overseeing this event, saying that their meticulous planning and attention to detail has resulted in a nearly flawless rotation.
11:51:15 AM
|
|
Senator Enzi is now talking about gas prices and about a trip he took to California. While he was out there, he saw the lane on the highway which is reserved for cars with two or more people, and he thought this was a fantastic idea. He said it is ideas like this that we need to combat the problem of rising gas prices.
11:43:56 AM
|
|
Senator Mike Enzi of Wyoming is choosing to respond to all of the comments made so far this morning by other senators. Senator Enzi just returned from a trip to Iraq where he had a chance to talk with a number of troops, and he is saying that what he saw there is resulting in his continued support for this war. Moving on to the topic of wilderness, Senator Enzi is saying that often times Congress passes laws with a one-size-fits-all mentality, even though this is a big country and states encounter different issues. He is voicing his frustration about the Endangered Species Act, because it is an unfunded mandate. Because of the mandates in the Endangered Species Act, Wyoming is forced to spend $1.2 million a year of its own money for wolf programs.
11:38:16 AM
|
|
Senator Harry Reid is talking about the price of gas skyrocketing. In his home state of Nevada, gas prices have risen by $0.05 since April 5, and he saw some gas costing as much as $2.50 a gallon. He is asking that the President release oil out of the petroleum reserve to increase the supply and lower the cost.
11:08:27 AM
|
|
Today The Hill, a Capitol Hill newspaper, published a feature about former Vermont Senator Justin Morrill of Stafford. Morrill was first elected in 1854 to the House of Representative and then later in 1867 to the Senate, ultimately serving a total of 44 years. In the article Richard Baker notes the 1862 Land-Grant College Act and construction of the Jefferson Building of the Library of Congress as two significant pieces of Morrill's enduring legacy.
For full text of the article, follow this link: http://www.thehill.com/senate_minute/042104.aspx
10:26:31 AM
|
|
Senator Barbara Boxer is discussing the Bush Administration's policies concerning environment, since tomorrow is Earth Day. She expressed her wish that President Bush will "see the light and reverse all of the environmental rollbacks he's perpatrated."
10:25:42 AM
|
|
Senator Jeffords is speaking about the Bush Administration's record on the environment. He has pointed out that the Administration has proposed the largest roll back of the Clen Air Act at the same time that record numbers of women and children are suffering from mercury poisoning. Senator Jeffords continued to say that he hopes that in the future that we will mark Earth Day by showing more respect for the environment
10:13:32 AM
|
|
Senator Domenici is speaking about what critics of the president have been saying about the war on terror. The Senator said that even if the president had known in advance that terrorists were planning on striking America there is nothing we could have done because we were not on a war footing. He continued to say that we do not need a group of partisans to take over the September 11th Commission when most likely Congress would not have acted to head off terrorism.
10:08:51 AM
|
|
Senator Daschle is speaking about the contribution of the National Guard in Iraq. He said that members of the Guard are making sacrifices perhaps greater than at any time in history. Senator Daschle noted that the percentage of the South Dakota National Guard that has been activated is the largest percentage of any National Guard.
9:45:45 AM
|
|
The Senate will reconvene at 9:30 to resume discussion of the motion to proceed to S.2290, the Fairness in Asbestos Injury Resolution Act of 2004 or the FAIR Act of 2004. Senator Frist has filed a cloture motion on the motion to proceed to S.2290 and a vote is expected tomorrow.
9:30:39 AM
|
|
|
Today's Fun Vermont Trivia Question:
What piece of sporting equipment did Jake Burton Carpenter develop in Londonderry, Vermont in 1977?
Tuesday’s Question: In which towns are the Haskell Opera House, where one sits in the Unites States while the performance takes place in Canada?
Answer: In Derby Line, Vermont and Stanstead, Quebec.
|
9:23:46 AM
|
|
|
