To watch or listen to the Senate floor live please visit CSPAN2

The Focus of Today's Session will be
H.R.4, the Welfare Reauthorization Bill

5:55 P.M.

Majority leader Frist is wrapping up legislative action for the day which will still allow Senators to speak on miscellaneous issues.  He announced that the next vote in the Senate will not occur until next Wednesday, April 7th. 

5:45 P.M.

Senator Daschle is paying tribute to the nine Americans who lost their lives in Iraq yesterday.  He called the attacks on the Americans a barbaric attack and that those that died, did not die in vain. 

5:15 P.M.

Senator Landrieu is again speaking on the floor, recognizing the work of Senator Robert Byrd.  She is also taking time to introduce a bill regarding National Guard and Reserve units.  She mentioned that since 9/11 the United States has called up enough National Guard Reservists to fill every spot on all the ships in the Navy. 

4:00 P.M.

Senator Landrieu and Senator Alexander are speaking about the possibility of introducing a piece of legislation that would encourage people to spend time outside.  The bill would provide $3 billion in mandatory funding for outdoor activities. 

3:25 P.M.

Senator Dorgan is on the Senate floor speaking about outsourcing.  Speaking about his recurring favorite outsourcing example, Senator Dorgan mentioned how Huffy bicycles that were once made in America are now made in China.  Additionally he is speaking about the United States negotiating trade deals with foreign nations. 

1:55 P.M.

Following up on comments he made last week, Senator Durbin is speaking about the recent decision by National Public Radio (NPR) to shake up their morning news cast by placing Bob Edwards as their head anchor.  Senator Durbin has been reading newspaper editorials and letters to the editor from fans of the show.  Senator Durbin said that Bob Edwards is a voice that we can rely on and that those that give financially to NPR have an obligation to email NPR to let them know of their concerns. 

1:30 P.M.

Speaking in small blocks of time, Senators have paid tribute to Senator Byrd and his service in the Senate.  Senators Daschle, Frist, Kennedy, Dodd, Durbin, Stabenow and DeWine have spoken so far.  Many of their speeches have referenced the presence Senator Byrd holds in the Senate, and how when new Senators join the Senate, Senator Byrd is frequently the first member they go to visit. 

12:50 P.M.

Beginning with "17,000 votes ago, I achieved a dream," Senator Robert C. Byrd of West Virginia is talking about what an honor it is to serve as a senator.

12:48 P.M.

Joining Senator Frist, Senator Daschle is honoring Senator Byrd.  Senator Byrd completed course work for a law degree while a senator.  In his time in the Senate, Senator Byrd has missed only 1% of the votes.

12:45 P.M.

The Senate voted 51-47, so the motion to invoke cloture is not agreed to.  Immediately following the vote, Majority Leader Bill Frist is honoring Senator Robert C. Byrd, who has voted more times than any other senator in Senate history. With today's vote, Senator Byrd has voted 17,000 times.

12:15 P.M.

The Senate is now voting on the motion to invoke cloture on H.R. 4, the Welfare Reauthorization bill.

12:00 P.M.

Senator Tom Daschle is responding to allegations made by Republicans earlier today that it is the Democrats who are not allowing a vote to take place on the welfare bill.  Senator Daschle is saying that it is the right of the Senate to be able to consider amendments and that it is essential that the Senate vote on such important issues as minimum wage, overtime protections, and unemployment insurance.  He is followed by Senator Santorum who is frustrated that the Senate is spending so much time on amendments, and he would like the Senate to vote on the bill. 

11:45 A.M.

Senator Ted Kennedy of Massachusetts is responding to previous comments made by other senators today that increasing the minimum wage will not result in people being able to get off of welfare. 

11:30 A.M.

Senator Rick Santorum is claiming that Democrats "would rather have message amendments than pass the welfare bill," with the message amendments being those concerning minimum wage, overtime protection, and unemployment insurance.

11:10 A.M.

The Senate has now closed the period of morning business and has resumed consideration of H.R.4.  Debate today is beginning with Senator Jack Reed of Rhode Island discussing the difference between a minimum wage and a sufficient livable wage.  He is questioning whether the rest of the world is becoming more like us with a large middle class and with the chance to move head, or if we are becoming more like the rest of the world and our middle class is disappearing while our lower and upper class become even farther apart from one another.

10:15 A.M.

Senator Hillary Clinton of New York, referring to the fact that today is April 1st, is talking about how the Administration is "fooling the American people, by telling them one thing one day and something else another day." She has focused on issues ranging from overtime pay for workers not being protected the Administration to the matter of the Administration not allowing the true costs to be disclosed regarding the Medicare bill.

9:55 A.M.

Senator Tom Daschle is responding to Senator Frist's plea by reminding his colleague that the Republicans control not only the Administration but are also in the majority in the Senate and in the House.

9:45 A.M.

Majority Leader Bill Frist is starting today off with talking about the need for Congress to pass the JOBS bill.

9:30 A.M.

The Senate convenes today at 9:30 and will be in a period of morning business for an hour, after which time the Senate will resume consideration of H.R.4, the Welfare Reauthorization bill.  At approximately 11:30, the Senate will vote on the motion to invoke cloture on H.R.4.