The Focus of Today's Session will be
S.1805, the Gun Liability Bill

4:45 P.M.

The Senate stands adjourned until March 1, 2004 at 12:00 noon.  More From the Floor will return with full coverage of the Senate floor at that time. 

4:40 P.M.

By unanimous consent the Senate passed HR 3850, to provide an extension of highway safety, motor carrier safety, transit, and other programs funded out of the Highway Trust Fund.  This will extend the bill for two months while Congress continues to work on reauthorizing the Highway Funding Bill.     Senator First asked that S.2137 be read for a second time, and that the bill remain at desk. He also asked that HR2584 be referred to the Senate Commerce Committee.

4:35 P.M.

Senator Lieberman discussed the deadline extension for the Commission investigating the attacks on the United States on September 11, 2001. Senator Frist is now speaking on the floor about the Senate’s activity over the past week and thanking members for their work.

3:30 P.M.

Senator Frist is now talking about the FAIR Act (S. 1125), the Fairness in Asbestos Injury Resolution Act of 2003. He is arguing that the Bill is a necessary step forward in assuring that victims of asbestos related disease are fairly compensated and in a timely matter. Senator Frist commended the efforts of both Senator Hatch, Chairman of the Judiciary Committee, and Senator Leahy, Ranking Member, for all their hard work on the Bill. Senator Frist says that because of the importance of this legislation, he will bring the Bill to the Senate floor either the last week of March or first week in April. The FAIR Act was voted out of the Judiciary Committee on July 30, 2003 on a vote of 10-9.

3:20 P.M.

Majority Leader Frist just spoke in remembrance of the late President of Macedonia, Boris Trajkovski. President Trajkovski died Thursday night in a plane wreck over the mountains in Bosnia. Senator Frist noted the President’s accomplishments, such as keeping Macedonia out of a civil war and their commitment to helping the United States with “Operation Iraqi Freedom.”

2:55 P.M.

Senator Harkin of Iowa is speaking about Haiti’s violent history. He thinks that the people of Haiti are in a “reign of terror” right now, and if the rebels are able to take over the capital, Port-Au-Prince, then there will be killing fields in Haiti. Senator Harkin is urging the United States to fulfill our moral obligation to create some sort of stability in Haiti. He would like the Organization of American States and the United States to send a joint peace-keeping force to Haiti as early as tomorrow to stop the violence there immediately.

2:15 P.M.

Kent Conrad from North Dakota is also speaking about the dangers of cutting social security.  He has made mention of an editorial in the Washington Post that notes how Federal Reserve Chairman Allen Greenspan warns that government will not be able to afford the social security benefits it has promised to retirees. Further, Senator Conrad remarked that the United States is spending $991,000 a minute more than it is taking in taxes, and this is by far the biggest budget deficit we have ever had. The Senate is now in a Quorum Call.

1:20 P.M.

Senator Byrd of West Virginia is speaking about the importance of saving social security instead of squandering it on a growing budget deficit. He mentions that social security’s problems will just continue with President Bush’s dangerous economic policy and that the tax cuts have raised the deficit by $2.6 trillion. Senator Byrd is Ranking Member on the Appropriations Committee.

12:45 P.M.

Senator Lautenberg is introducing his amendment to S.1805, the Gun Liability Bill. This amendment would create a law which would allow for gun shops to provide the FBI or other investigating service with the name and location of any individual who had purchased a gun.  The text of this amendment will be posted as soon as it is available. 

12:40 P.M.

Senator Levin is discussing his amendment for the next ten minutes. He is continuing his argument against having S.1805 pass as is without allowing for some litigation, especially when considering the Sniper case.

12:35 P.M.

Senator Patrick Leahy came to the floor to speak about the Administration's recent decision to allow the U.S. military to use certain types of landmines. Senator Leahy has urged both the Clinton and the Bush Administrations to enter the United States into the Ottawa Treaty, whose purpose is to ban the use, stockpiling, production, and transfer of anti-personnel landmines. He also spoke about the need to get Charles Taylor, an indicted war criminal currently in exile in Nigeria, before the Special Court for Sierra Leone.  Senator Leahy commended Senator Judd Gregg who spoke on the subject earlier today.  Here is a link to Senator Leahy's longer statement about the Administration's decision on landmines

12:10 P.M.

Senator Levin has been discussing his amendment for the last 15 minutes. He argues that the Sniper incident would not have happened had the gun shop owner been more aware of his stock and had reported his weapon missing. Many people were killed as a result of this weapon being used, and the S.1805 as written would not allow for the shop owner to be held responsible for his negligence.

11:35 A.M.

Senator Warner of Virginia introduced an amendment to S.1805 which would allow for the protection that is awarded to the gun industry to be similarly awarded to the medical profession.  For text of this amendment, click here.

11:25 A.M.

Senator Levin of Michigan introduced an amendment to S.1805, the Gun Liability Bill, to allow for lawsuits to be brought against persons whose negligence resulted in death.  For text of the Levin amendment, click here.

11:00 A.M.

Senator Reed of Rhode Island says that this bill is a "carefully and cleverly worded" bill that does in fact immunize the gun industry from most lawsuits. He claims that this bill would have prevented the lawsuits arising from last year's Sniper incident involving Lee Boyd Malvo. Senator Reed argues that this bill is a sweeping, unprecedented bill that would deal a serious blow to the American people. He says that the gun industry cannot be in that much distress when they have made hundreds of millions of dollars in profits.

10:45 A.M.

Senator Craig is discussing his proposed bill, S.1805, the Gun Liability bill. He is explaining that this bill protects the gun industry from junk lawsuits, which are predatory legislation and will drive the gun industry into bankruptcy. He claims that the bill does not provide immunity for the gun industry but prevents one very narrowly defined type of lawsuit. This prevents the gun industry from being sued when the product is operating as it was designed and intended.

10:15 A.M.

Senator Gregg is speaking on the Liberian genocide that occurred in the early 1990’s. He is discussing the influence of Charles Taylor in this war, and the fact that today he is living in luxury and freedom in Nigeria.

10:00 A.M.

Senator McCain expressed his dismay at the 9/11 commission not receiving an extension. He argued that 5,000 families will be affected by this, and that he reserves the right to introduce an amendment to the Transportation Bill that will include an extension for the commission. Senator Frist countered that while the linking of the 9/11 commission to the Transportation bill certainly makes sense, this linkage would in fact hurt those 5,000 families affected, and those families affected by the Transportation bill would in fact also be hurt if the Transportation bill is not passed quickly. Senator Bond agreed with Senator Frist, and claimed that it was foolish to include the 9/11 commission in the bill when it was not certain when or even if the House of Representatives would agree to this amendment. He argued that holding the Transportation bill hostage would not help anyone as there is no guarantee that it will be included in the final bill.

9:30 A.M.

The Senate convenes this morning to resume consideration of S.1805, the Gun Liability bill. While no roll call votes are scheduled to occur today, three amendments are presently pending to the bill: Senator Kennedy's S.Amdt.2619 about armor piercing bullets; Senator Frist's S.Amdt.2625 also about armor-piercing bullets; and Senator Campbell's S.Amdt.2623 about concealed carry.