The Focus of Today's Session will be the
Medicare Prescription Drug bill

           7:30 P.M.         

Senator Harkin continues to speak on the floor regarding the Medicare prescription drug benefit.  A roll call vote on final passage of the bill is possible tonight, but will most likely occur tomorrow.  More From the Floor will continue tomorrow morning the minute the Senate convenes. 

           7:15 P.M.         

Senator Harkin is currently speaking on the floor about how "this bill is being rammed through Congress."  He has mentioned how Congress has hade little more than three days to review this one-thousand page bill.  He has also criticized the process in which the bill was drafted, "behind closed doors in the dark of night."

           6:35 P.M.         

Senator Dodd is speaking on the floor about the Medicare prescription drug benefit.  In arguing against the bill, Senator Dodd has questioned the support of Former Speaker of the House, Newt Gingrich, who at one time stated that Medicare should wither on the vine. 

           5:45 P.M.         

Senator Lautenberg has been speaking on health care benefits over the past twenty minutes. 

           5:00 P.M.         

Senator Gordon Smith spoke briefly about unemployment and a bill that he introduced with Senator Clinton about extending current unemployment benefits.  Senator Smith  asked that the Senate proceed to their bill so that it may be passed before the Senate recesses for the year.  Senator Ensign objected to this motion

           4:37 P.M.         

Senator Dayton is speaking on the Medicare prescription drug bill. He has announced that he will vote against final passage of the bill.  In June, Senator Dayton had offered an amendment that would guarantee that Senators would adopt the Medicare benefits if this bill was passed by Congress.  His amendment passed the Senate 98-0 yet was stripped from the bill currently being considered by the Senate. 

           4:00 P.M.         

By a vote of 61-39 the Senate voted to waive the Budget Act with respect to the Conference Report for H.R. 1. 

           3:30 P.M.         

The Senate has just begun a roll call vote on whether to waive the Budget Act with respect to the Conference Report to accompany H.R. 1.  In the minutes before the bill Senator Daschle spoke against waiving the budget act while Senator Grassley questioned what would be accomplished by accepting the status quo. 

           2:40 P.M.         

For the past hour, Senators have been debating the budget point of order on the floor.  Most Senators have limited their comments to five minutes with many Senators speaking on both sides of the issue. 

           1:25 P.M.         

The Senate voted 70-29 on the motion to invoke cloture on the conference report to accompany the Medicare Prescription Drug and Modernization Act of 2003.  Before a vote on final passage of the Medicare bill the Senate may limit debate on the bill to thirty hours.  Senator Daschle has raised a point of order because the bill violates the budget act.  Majority Leader Frist has moved to waive the budget act, and a vote is expected at 3:20 P.M. on this motion. 

           12:00 P.M.         

Senator Ted Kennedy of Massachusetts, Ranking Member of Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, is speaking passionately about how important it is not to rush the consideration of the Medicare legislation. The Senator feels that the public should know what is in the bill, including the specifics of the benefits for seniors and for drug companies. The Senator claimed this legislation would result in the "replacing of the Medicare system with the private sector" and would "dismantle the Medicare system." During consideration of this legislation, Senator Kennedy has been outspoken about the proposal called "premium support," which he says is misleading because it only results in one's premiums being lowered if a person switches to private insurance coverage. If one chooses to remain in Medicare, the person's premiums will be raised.

           11:30 A.M.         

Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky is talking about rumors that a filibuster or a point of order may be used against this Medicare legislation.

           11:15 A.M.         

Senator Hillary Clinton called the Medicare conference report a "wolf in sheep's clothing." She is talking about the difference between the way that this bill has been created versus the health care bill that was written during the Clinton Administration, focusing on the fact that many senators saw this 1,200 report for the first time four days ago.

           11:00 A.M.         

Senator Barbara Mikulski of Maryland is calling the Medicare conference report a "hollow promise" that "talks big but delivers little."

           10:30 A.M.         

After Senator John Kerry claimed that this Medicare reform legislation "does more harm than good," particularly with concern to the coverage for seniors and with its giveaways to the drug companies, Senator Max Baucus refuted Senator Kerry's comments. Senator Baucus responded that this bill is a $400 billion entitlement for seniors that seniors do not currently have.

           9:30 A.M.         

Senator Craig Thomas of Wyoming spoke out in support of the Medicare legislation, calling it the "first real opportunity to modernize and strengthen Medicare" in 30 years.

           9:00 A.M.         

The Senate will resume consideration of the Medicare Prescription Drug and Modernization Act of 2003, H.R.1. A cloture vote on the conference report for this legislation is planned for today at 12:30. Senator Judd Gregg of New Hampshire, Chairman of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, is starting off today's debate on this bill. To read Senator Patrick Leahy's comment on this conference report, click here.

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.