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

           6:00 P.M.         

The Senate is expected to adjourn later this evening and no further legislative business is expected this evening.  More From the Floor will return the next day the Senate is in session.  At this time that date is unclear.

           5:20 P.M.         

By unanimous consent the Senate has just passed Senator Leahy's Hometown Heroes Survivor Benefits Act that will that closes a loophole in survivors’ benefits for the families of public safety officers who die in the line of duty from heart attacks and strokes.   For Senator Leahy's full statement on this bill click here.

The Majority Whip, Senator McConnell of Kentucky recently finished a long list of unanimous consent requests.  No objections were raised to the passage of the following bills, which means they were all passed without the need for a roll call vote.  These bills are: S.1402, H.R. 3287, S.460, S.854, H.R.1813, S.459, S.177, S.Res 157, S.648, S.1881, S.Res 120, S.99, S.848, S.540, S.Res 277, H.R. 3348, S.1920, H.R.1437.

           2:20 P.M.         

Senators have been speaking on the floor this afternoon on a variety of issues.  With the Senate preparing to wrap up for the session, many  Senators have reflected on the work done this year.  Senator Lautenberg just made a motion on the floor to pass a bill to extend the deadline to file for the September 11th Compensation Fund.  Senator Cornyn objected to this motion.   

           12:15 P.M.         

The Senate is now in a period of morning business, and Senator Robert C. Byrd of West Virginia is talking about the war on terrorism.

           11:30 A.M.         

Senator Larry Craig of Idaho is talking about adoption in honor of November being National Adoption Month.

           10:45 A.M.         

Senator Rick Santorum is listing legislation the Senate has passed this year that he considers great accomplishments, including the ban on partial birth abortion, SPAM legislation, and aid to Africa.

           10:15 A.M.         

Senator Kit Bond is talking about the importance of passing the remaining appropriations bills. One area of particular interest to the Senator is the money in the appropriations bill which would add funding for the Help America Vote Act, which Congress passed last year. This legislation addresses some of the most serious flaws in our voting system and, in the words of Senator Bond, would be "the end of dogs and dead people voting."

           10:00 A.M.         

The Senate voted 54-44 to pass the Medicare prescription drug conference report. Majority Leader Frist announced that there will be no more roll call votes today.

           9:25 A.M.         

The Senate is now voting on the Medicare prescription drug conference report.

           8:15 A.M.         

The Senate will resume consideration of the Medicare Prescription Drug and Modernization Act of 2003, H.R.1. A vote is expected to occur this morning at 9:15. 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.