The Focus of Today's Session will be
S.2061, the Medical Malpractice Bill

6:10 P.M.

The Senate is still currently in session, although no votes will be held this evening.  The Senate is scheduled to vote on the motion to proceed to S.2061 tomorrow evening at 5:00 p.m. 

4:55 P.M.

Senator Dorgan is returning to a familiar story that he tells frequently on the Senate floor about Huffy Bicycles.  The Huffy company used to be located in Ohio, but has since moved to China because labor is cheaper than here in the U.S. 

4:30 P.M.

Senator Kennedy and Senator Reid are involved in a back and forth conversation about comments made by Education Secretary Rod Paige.  The Associated Press is reporting this afternoon that the Secretary called the National Education Association a "terrorist organization," in a meeting with state governors. 

3:45 P.M.

Continuing Senator Levin, Ranking Member of the Senate Armed Services Committee took a few minutes to advocate for an independent commission that is appointed by both the Senate and the President, to investigate the intelligence leading up to the war in Iraq.

3:10 P.M.

Continuing on the underlying topic of the day, Senator Enzi spoke at length about the issue of medical malpractice.  Senator Enzi said that at a basketball game in one rural area of his state of Wyoming, an OBGYN told him that he was going to have stop practicing because the insurance rates were too high.  This was despite the fact that he delivered almost all the players on both basketball team.  Senator Dole of North Carolina is now speaking in favor of the legislation.

2:40 P.M.

Senator Mike DeWine of Ohio has been recognized and is speaking about the current situation in Haiti.  He has noted that he has been to Haiti 14 times since he was elected to the Senate. 

2:15 P.M.

Senator Cornyn, a Senator from Texas, is speaking about how he believes that the current system to handle medical liability favors a small group of trial lawyers at the expense of many around the country.  Senator Cornyn has asked unanimous consent that he be added as a cosponsor to S.2061

2:00 P.M.

Senator Leahy is speaking on the Senate floor about the issue of medical malpractice. He is speaking against the notion that the Senate should proceed without having any hearings to pass a law that arbitrarily limits the awards to victims of medical malpractice. Here is a link to a longer statement by Senator Leahy on medical malpractice. 

1:20 P.M.

Senator Frist has just finished speaking on the Medical Malpractice Bill, and why he believes that it is important to pass this legislation now.  Senators will have the opportunity to come to the floor to speak about the legislation, even though the subject of the Senate's session today is the motion to proceed to S.2061.  Because debate is on the motion to proceed, Senators cannot offer amendments to the legislation. 
 

1:15 P.M.

Senator Breaux has finished the traditional reading of George Washington's 1796 Farewell Address.  The speech is delivered each year in the Senate on Washington's birthday.  As the Capitol Hill newspaper Roll Call reported today, the speech was actually written by Alexander Hamilton and Washington never delivered it in public.  Instead, the speech was printed in newspapers just before Washington left office. 

12:00 P.M.

After a week of recess, the Senate will convene this afternoon, opening with Senator John Breaux of Louisiana delivering Washington's Farewell Address.  Following this speech, the Senate will consider S.2061, the Medical Malpractice bill, with a vote on the motion to invoke cloture expecting to take place at 5:00 tomorrow.