clerk report a motion to send a second remember to the desk objection than is present that there may be this the proverbial side by side in relation to the matter and that what this means is that the republicans may file their own version of hate or i ask we be allowed to go into a pretty morning business the two managers of the bill at some time may come and see if they can get consent to process some amendments but now is not the time i'm not ready to do that right now so i would so a brief flurry of procedural motions from the senate majority leader and then while they were briefly back on the defense programs bill the senate has been debating the defense  days now and most recently on a non binding proposal by the foreign relations chairman joe biden of delaware that would call for iraq to be divided into shiite sunni and kurdish federal regions the senate now a back in a period of mourning business when members can come to the floor and speak on any topic the senate is expected to recess again at about three thirty p m eastern time so that members can attend the portrait on veiling for west virginia senator robert byrd over in the house today they're debating a number of suspension bills members of the house of representatives also later today they'll be taking up the children's health insurance program you can watch live coverage of the house on c span the senate here on c span t quorum call continues on the floor of the senate waiting for a senator to come to the floor and speak on any topic of the senate now in a period of morning business is that expected to last until about three thirty p m eastern time about another hour when senators will recess again to attend the portrait unveiling for west virginia senator robert byrd that taking place today in the old senate chamber the senate since last week of debating the defense programs bill that expected to continue today and through the week also later this senate may take up a temporary funding extension for the federal government also the children's health insurance program that children's health insurance program expected to be on tap in the house today the house taking up a long series of suspension bills that this morning in this afternoon and then they're expected to turn to the children's health insurance program you can watch live house coverage on c span the senate here on c span two speaking of the house and adam graham silverman in the congressional of the congressional quarterly writes earlier today the house passed a measure to impose tough new sanctions on iran including a ban on all imports and an expansion of curbs on exports to that country the bill passed three ninety seven to sixteen it was a surprise addition to the schedule and passed on the same day that the iranian president was in the united states to address the u n general assembly legislation sponsored by foreign affairs chairman tom lantos is the toughest in a series of measures the house has passed in recent months targeting iran's nuclear program and sponsorship of groups on the u s list of terrorist organizations the story goes on to say that a senate companion bill sponsored by gordon smith of oregon has sixty eight co sponsors so that was earlier today in the house the house passing that tougher iran sanctions measure we're continuing to wait for sent come to the floor our live coverage continues u s senate on cspan mr president sometimes the american people demand that congress and the administration enact initiatives to address fundamental national ne sixty s we took action to see that seniors had quality health care there and the result was medicare in the one nine hundred ninety s democrats and republicans congress and the administration states and the federal government all work together to help alleviate the crisis in children's health by an acting chip the success of each of these programs has echoed through the decades in the lives of millions of americans today we stand at a crossroads faced with a choice between a path that will continue and strengthen the promise of good health and a strong start in life that ship brings to millions of children or whether we will turn away from that promise and curtail the help and the hope that chip brings many of the best ideas in public policy are the simplest the children's health insurance program is based on one simple and powerful idea that all children all children deserve a healthy start in life and that no parents no parents should act and wary about whether they can afford to take their children to the doctor when they are sick chip can make the difference between a child starting life burdened with disease or a child who is healthy and ready to learn and grow that is why chip has always enjoyed bipartisan support this support goes back to one nine hundred ninety six when massachusetts and acted a state program that became one of the models of chip the massachusetts legislature passed a failed to expand coverage for children and paid for it by increasing the tobacco tax in was proud to work closely with senator hatch to create the national children's health insurance program and when chip went into effect across the country among its greatest champions where republican governors wonder stood the importance of expanding health insurance for children and their state's governor leavitt in utah governor saluki in massachusetts were both champions of chip when they were governess the question for president bush today is why he would even consider rejecting a program that has long brought republicans and democrats together to help children chip allows parents to choose insurance for their son or daughter from a private insurance company that is one of the reasons why republicans have long supported the chip program indeed chip used the same private insurance model that president bush supported in creating the medicare prescription drug benefit if members of congress and the administration really feel strongly that it's wrong for the federal government to support health care coverage maybe they should start by giving up their own taxpayer subsidized health care through the federal employees program if members can take their children to the attending physician of the senate with all the benefits that afford shouldn't all american children have access to quality health care to president bush has argued that chip costs too much but i will tell you what costs more treating children in emergency rooms after their conditions have become severe chip saves money and untold suffering by getting health care to our nation's children before they are seriously ill chip is paid for by an increased tax on cigarettes not by raiding the treasury that tax will itself save us countless dollars and lives by discouraging smoking had extensive hearings in our human resource committee our health committee about what happens when the cost of cigarettes escalates and when the cost of cigarettes escalates as included in this chip program it has a dramatic impact on lessening the demand among teenagers and smoking and what has happened for for years as the itself increases its advertising in order to try to hook these children back in but it has a dramatic positive impact from a preventive point of view in helping children not become addicted to nicotine and cigarette smoking so it's a win win situation it is using the private insurance companies on the model that was initially suggested by the president the united states in the medicare prescription drug program and it's being paid not by the tax payers but by the cigarette users and that will discourage smoking and will have a positive impact on children the case for traffic is stronger than ever today six million children are enrolled in the program children who otherwise would be without health care but another nine million children america still have no health insurance at all and once again democrats and republicans in congress have to come together for the common good chips excess is impressive since chip began the percentage of uninsured for for children has gone down even as more and more adults are losing their own insurance coverage because employers reduce it or drop it entirely this chart here there's no reason mr president somewhat if we had accepted actually the more extensive the house bill it would have gone down even further but this is a very important and significant achievement and accomplishment in reducing  the number of children that do not have the health care in the past decade madam president the percentage of uninsured children is dropped from twenty three percent in ninety seven to fourteen percent in two for two thousand and five that reduction is significant but it's obviously far from it not this chart here indicates the same mr president if you look at nine hundred ninety seven twenty two percent of all the children uninsured now we're down to thirteen percent and going down going down and this is for children this president wants to be told this legislation mr president recently the census bureau reported that in the past year six hundred thousand more children have become uninsured the struggling economy is causing employers to drop family coverage and even the robust and successful chip program has been able to stave off decreasing coverage for children chip mr madam president helps to improve children's school performance when children are receiving health care they need they do better academically emotionally physically and socially a lot of the start as the president we have demonstrated that wary going to reduce children are going to be healthier and what we are also showing here with this chart that their ability to raise the lessons learned in school is enhanced significantly look at this chart here was the president before  and after before thirty four percent paying attention in class after fifty seven percent before keeping up with school activities thirty six sixty one percent that's a very simple mr president the child consciously the blackboard of the teacher and understand what is happening in the classroom they're going to lose attention lose their ability to learn but if they've been able to have the kind of preventive health care with it's included in the chip program they're going to be healthier more interested in learning and the learning is going to be enhanced we just passed that education legislation mr president we went over the disparities that are out there and i'm going to come to that in the next chart but this is a very clear indication if you're interested in children learning champ is a program that you have to support also mr president chip also but eliminates the distressing racial and ethnic health disparities for minority children who are disproportionately depend on it were able to outreach we see a reduction of the disparities and we ought to have this as a goal our national goal we want to try and have all the children haves the health care coverage but it we this chart which is from the kaiser foundation indicates that we reduce the disparities for children with this a chip program which is enormously important they're going to learn more they're going to be healthier and we put all of that together mr president that over a long period of time it's going to save the country money because this is going to be a healthier population it'll cost less over a longer period of time and we're paid for by an increase in the cigarette tax and not by the taxpayer so mr president this is enormously important that's why organizations representing children or health care professionals who serve them are great at preserving and strengthening  chip is essential to children's health bible to als us to open your hand wide to the poor and the needy in your land congregations across the country act on that command every day by providing needed help to those with medical needs in their communities they are turning faith into works but they know they can't do the job alone that's five religious leaders from all face have called upon congress and the administration to assist in this mission by renewing and improving chip today we renew our bipartisan commitment to the job begun by congress ten years ago and to make sure that the lifeline to chip is strengthened and extended to many more tony only be bush administration mr president seems content with the inadequate status quo first the president proposed a plan for chip doesn't provide what's needed to cover the children who are eligible but on and roll back the president's proposal is eight billion dollars less than what's needed simply to keep the children now and rolled fifty percent of the federal poverty level this would cause eighteen states in the district of columbia to drop our children from the coverage doesn't indicate mr president that if the state should permit those that two hundred  fifty percent of poverty to be able to participate in the program they can adjust premiums that co pays the deductibles in order to make it fair just a blanket no just a blanket no and what is reauthorization thirty five billion dollars one year of the tax pushes tax cuts for the wealthiest one percent seventy two dollars twenty seven two billion dollars this is one year this is five years and one year in iraq one hundred and twenty billion dollars thirty five billion for five years for the children one year one hundred twenty five million dollars another way of putting it to mr president if we are around here we express our view on priorities and he said we have a chance with this legislation that our priorities the cost of iraq grand thirty three million a day course the chip nineteen million nineteen million three hundred thirty three we believe that this is a bargain and something that is absolutely essential if we are going to look down the road for a younger generation that is going to be healthfully and prosperous and learning that's going to be key to the united states in terms of our ability to be compete worldwide the knowledge economy we have to have young people able gifted talented smart able the knowledge economy it's essential if we're going to preserve our national security and it is essential if we're going to be able to have young people that will be able to have the institutions which our founding fathers have a creed to us to be able to function and work and guaranteed the real rights and liberties which we cherish all of this starts with having healthy healthy children healthy children healthy children with bale's on the program which the president himself has endorsed i was there at the time when the president strongly supported the the way that we were going to have the medicare prescription drug program and he fought for that he was able to successfully get to gain  now he says it's unacceptable now he says it's unacceptable and he complains about the cost but this doesn't cost the taxpayer a nickel it is going to cost in terms of increase and cigarettes finally these children are going to be healthier and therefore the savings over the period the years are going to be important and significant so mr president the children of america should not become the latest casualties of this administration the chip bill before us is genuine bipartisan agreement that will help children in communities across the nation provides the coverage for about four million children who would otherwise be uninsured the bill moves us forward together republicans and democrats alike the support that this legislation has from republican understand exactly the reasons and the justifications for this legislation quality health for children isn't just an interesting option or a nice idea it's not just something we wish we could do it's an obligation it's something we have to do and it's something we can do today so alaric's my colleagues to devote for this bill you know that this afternoon over in the house of representatives that this legislation will be before  madam president i'd like to speak up for a moment regarding the hate crimes amendment that is now a pending here in the senate hate crimes amendment at a time when our ideals are under attack by terrorists and in other lands it is more important than ever to demonstrate that we practice what we preach and that we are doing all we can to root out the bigotry and prejudice in our own country that leads to violence here at home now more than ever we need to act against hate crimes and send a strong message here at home and around the world that we will not tolerate crimes fuel by hatred since september eleventh attacks we have seen a shameful increase in the number of hate crimes committed against muslims six americans of middle east descent congress has done much to respond to the vicious attacks  september eleventh we're doing all we can to strengthen our defenses against hate that comes from abroad we've spent billions of dollars in the war on terrorism to ensure that international terrorist organizations such as al are not able to carry out attacks within the united states there is no reason why congress should not act to strengthen our defenses against hate that occurs here at home in iraq and afghanistan our soldiers are fighting for freedom and liberty they are on the front line fighting against evil and hate we owe it to our troops to up those same principles here at home hate crimes are a form of domestic terrorism they send the poisonous message that some americans deserve to be victimized soley because of who they are like other acts of terrorism hate crimes have an impact far greater than the impact on the individual victims their crimes against entire communities against the whole nation and against the fundamental ideals in which america was founded they are a violation of all of what our country stands for where united in our effort to root out the cells of hatred around the world we should not turn a blind day acts of hatred and terrorism here at home we should not shrink now from our role as the big period of liberty to the rest of the world the national interest in condemning bias motivated violence in the united states is strong and so is our interest in condemning bias motivated violence occurring worldwide when the senate approves our amendment we will send a message about freedom and equality that will resonate around the world mr president hate crimes violate everything our country stands for their crimes committed against the entire communities against the nation as a whole and the very which our country was founded the time has come to and up for the victims of the senseless acts of violence victims like matthew shepard for whom this bill is name horrible death and one nine hundred ninety eight at the hands of two men who singled him out because of his sexual orientation nine years after matthew's staff nine years we still haven't gotten it done how long are we going to wait senator smith ny urge your support of this bipartisan bill the house has come through on their side and passed the bill now it's time for the senate to do the same this year we can get it done we came close twice before in two thousand and two thousand to a majority of the senate has voted to pass this legislation in two thousand and four we had sixty five votes for the veil and it was adopted as part of the defense authorization bill at that time it was stripped out in conference the president has threaten to veto this legislation but we can't let that threat stop us from doing the right thing he courageously described the horrific attacks against him the year before after what had been an enjoyable evening with other high school students near his home in spring texas later in the evening however two persons attacked him and one attempted to in his chest he was patiently beaten burned with cigarettes by was attackers screamed terrible epithets at him he lay unconscious on the ground for nine hours and remained in a coma for several weeks after a very difficult recovery david became a career this and determined advocate tried to play through this life changing experience exacted its toll on david and recently he took his own life he had tried so hard to look forward but he was still haunted by this brutal experience my deepest sympathy and condolences go out to david's family and friends coping with this tragic loss david's death us these crimes have a profound psychological impact we must do all we can to let victims know that they are not to blame for this brutality that their lives are equally valuable we cannot wait any longer to act our amendment is supported by a broad coalition of two hundred ten law enforcement civic disability religious and civil rights groups including the international association of the chiefs  police the ne defamation league the interfaith alliance the national sheriff's association the human rights campaign the national district attorneys association and the leadership conference on civil rights all these diverse groups have come together to say now is the time for us to take action to protect our fellow citizens from the brutality of motivated violence they support this legislation because they know it is a balanced and  that will bring greater protection to our citizens along with much needed resources to improve local and state law enforcement our bill corrects two major deficiencies in current law excessive restrictions require proof that victims were attacked because they were engaged in certain federally protected activities and the scope of the law is limited covering hate crimes based on race and religion and ethnic background alone the federally protected activity required is outdated unwise and unnecessary particularly when we consider the unjust outcomes of this requirement hate crimes now occur in a variety of circumstances and citizens are often targeted during routine activities that should be protected all victims should be protected it is simply wrong that i hate crime like the one against david richardson can't be prosecuted federally because it happened a private  the bill also recognizes that some hate crimes are committed against people because of their sexual orientation their gender their gender identity or their disability passing this bill will send a loud and clear message also a crime will face federal prosecution action is long overdue there are too many stories and too many factors we must do all we can to end this sense as crimes i urge my colleagues to support the cloture on this amendment and supporters passages  senate has been in a period of general speeches for the last hour or so you heard from senator kennedy a couple of times on the floor talking about the defense authorization bill also the children's health insurance program that is also known as s chip that bill being considered today in the house of representatives the senate expected to take it up later this week the senate will go into recess in about a little less than fifteen minutes at three thirty p m eastern time for an hour and a half to attend the portrait unveiling for west virginia senator robert byrd that to take place in the old senate chamber when we when the senate recesses here on c span to an about fifteen minutes we plan to take you live to the united nations world  today in new york city addressing the general assembly president bush spoke there this morning and among the speakers we expect to hear from this afternoon is iranian president mahmoud ahmadinejad his speech scheduled for about four fifteen m eastern time will go right to the u n and pick that up with live coverage when the senate goes out again about ten fifteen minutes from now our live coverage continues in the meantime on cspan to