The Focus of Today's Session will be a Variety of Issues:
The Nomination of William Pryor, the Agriculture Appropriations Bill, and, Possibly, the Syria Accountability Act

            4:00 P.M.         

Country of origin labeling has remained the hot topic on the floor this afternoon Senators on both sides of the aisle speaking on the perceived merits and weaknesses of the issue.  Senator Leahy will soon be offering an amendment on Agriculture Conservation. 

            3:00 P.M.         

Senators Daschle and Enzi have been speaking on the floor about their amendment that would express a sense of the Senate that funds in the Agriculture Appropriations bill would not be used to prevent country of origin labeling for meat.  Currently producers do on label meat with its origin, although they will soon be required to do so.

            1:30 P.M.         

Throughout the afternoon many Senators have spoken on the floor about a variety of issues.  Senator Joseph Biden of Deleware spoke about troop levels in Iraq and the current situation there.  There are votes expected on amendments to the Agriculture Appropriations bill later this afternoon. 

            12:30 P.M.         

The Senate voted 51-43 not to invoke cloture on the nomination of William Pryor and will now resume consideration of the Agriculture Appropriations bill.  The debate will begin with the consideration of Senator Jeff Bingaman's amendment, #2115, about nutrition and its relation to childhood obesity.

            11:00 A.M.         

In order to allow for further debate on the nomination of William Pryor of Alabama, the cloture vote has been rescheduled to take place at noon.  Senator Patrick Leahy of Vermont is presently speaking on the floor about this nomination. Senator Leahy is the Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee. The Committee has one of the broadest jurisdictions in the Senate, ranging from criminal justice to antitrust and intellectual property law. Senator Dudley Chase of Vermont, became the first Chairman of the Committee on December 13, 1816. The longest sitting chairman, before limits were established, was Senator James O. Eastland of Mississippi who served for 22 years from 1956 through 1978.

            10:30 A.M.         

During today's period of morning business, Senator Ted Kennedy of Massachusetts voiced his opposition to the nomination of William Pryor. Mr. Pryor was nominated by President Bush to the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit on April 9, 2003. The Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing on this nomination on June 11, 2003, and, on July 23, 2003, this nomination was reported to the full Senate was reported to the full Senate on a 10-9 vote. On July 31, 2003, a cloture motion to end debate and force a vote on Mr. Pryor’s nomination failed.  The Senate has confirmed 168 of President Bush's judicial nominations.

            9:30 A.M.         

After being in a period of morning business for one hour, the Senate will proceed to the consideration of William Pryor to be a U.S. Circuit Judge for the 11th Circuit.  Majority Leader Bill Frist of Tennessee has called for a vote at 11:30 on the motion to invoke cloture on this nomination. If cloture is not invoked, the Senate will resume debate on the Agriculture Appropriations bill, S.2673. In addition, the Senate is likely to begin consideration of H.R.1828, the Syria Accountability Act, later today.

Appropriations vs. Authorization: While the power over appropriations is granted to Congress by the U.S. Constitution, the authorization-appropriation process is derived from House and Senate rules. The process consists of two sequential steps: (1) enactment of an authorization measure that may create or continue an agency or program as well as authorize the subsequent enactment of appropriations; and (2) enactment of appropriations to provide funds for the authorized agency or program.