[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 8] [Senate] [Pages 10376-10377] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]AL-ZARQAWI Mr. REID. Mr. President, I certainly underscore the statement of the distinguished majority leader. This is a good day for the U.S. military and especially our intelligence community. We should feel very good about this. The mission we are talking about, the successful outcome, is a testament to the bravery, the skill, and the determination of those dedicated men and women on the front lines. This is hard to say about any human being, but he got what he deserved. Anyone who aligns himself with him should know they could await a similar fate as long as they engage in terror. I was very pleased to hear the President's statement. It was measured. We all recognize there are a lot of difficult days ahead for the United States and Iraqi forces, but having a Security Minister, a Defense Minister, and an Interior Minister makes it that much closer to when we can start drawing down the troops. Defense Authorization and Immigration I look forward--I hope in the near future, and I am confident that will be the case--to working on our Defense authorization bill, which is something we need to do. [[Page 10377]] I also say through the Chair to the distinguished majority leader, this is important for our colleagues. We are trying to work something out to get the immigration reform bill to conference with the House. People think we spend a lot time on minutia, all this procedural stuff, but that is the way it is. People are going to have to be patient. We are trying to get a vehicle to go to the House where we have assurances that it will be an immigration bill and not a tax bill. We do not have that worked out yet. I say to my colleagues and through the Chair to the distinguished majority leader, as he knows, negotiations have started. We are trying to work it out. Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, to respond through the Chair to the Democratic leader--and actually our colloquy, in essence, is to our colleagues--we recognize the importance, both of us, both sides of the aisle, of getting this bill to conference. We have passed a bill that reflected the will of the Senate. Not everyone agreed with it. I thought we had a very good process we should be proud of in terms of debate and amendment and allowing the people's will to be discussed and voted upon. The next step is getting to conference. We do not need to go into the technical aspects, but it is a challenge to get it there in a way that gives all of the guarantees, but with those guarantees the goal will be to have an immigration bill that stays on immigration. That is exactly what the Democratic leader and I are working on, and we are making progress in that regard. Mr. REID. Mr. President, I say also that the problem is one person can throw a monkey wrench into the process. We have to try to work it out so no wrenches are thrown. Mr. President, I ask consent that Senator Stabenow from Michigan be recognized for up to 2 minutes. The PRESIDENT pro tempore. Without objection, it is so ordered. The Senator from Michigan is recognized. ____________________