Editing Bill Frist (section)

===Senate majority leader (2003–2007)===
On December 23, 2002, Frist was elected Senate majority leader.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cnn.com/2013/08/20/us/bill-frist-fast-facts/index.html|title=Bill Frist Fast Facts|website=CNN|date=August 20, 2013}}</ref> He became the third-youngest Senate Majority Leader in U.S. history, and had served fewer total years in Congress than any person previously chosen to lead that body.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Senator William Frist, M.D. - The Nature Conservancy |url=https://www.nature.org/en-us/about-us/who-we-are/our-people/senator-william-frist--m-d--/ |access-date=February 24, 2023}}</ref> In his 2005 book, ''Herding Cats, A Lifetime in Politics'', Frist's predecessor, [[Trent Lott]], accused Frist of conspiring to push Lott out of the Senate Majority Leader post, a charge Frist denied.<ref>{{cite web |title=Ex-Senate leader blames downfall on Frist |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna8989917 |work=NBC News |date=August 18, 2005 |access-date=March 14, 2020}}</ref>

'''Legislative success'''

In the 2003 legislative session, Frist enjoyed many successes. He was able to push many initiatives through to fruition, including the Bush administration's third major [[tax cut]] and the [[Medicare Modernization Act]] that established [[Medicare Part D]] (the prescription drug benefit for seniors) and the modern-day [[Medicare Advantage]] program.<ref>{{Cite web |title=H.R.1 - Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003 |url=https://www.congress.gov/bill/108th-congress/house-bill/1 |access-date=February 24, 2023 |website=Congress.gov}}</ref> He also was instrumental in developing and then passing the [[President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief]] (PEPFAR), the historic and unprecedented funding commitment to fight AIDS that has saved the lives of 25 million people globally.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The United States President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief |url=https://www.state.gov/pepfar/ |access-date=February 23, 2023 |website=U.S. Department of State}}</ref> Motivated to address the AIDS epidemic following his medical mission trips to sub-Saharan Africa, Frist laid the initial groundwork for PEPFAR with legislation he drafted with then-Senator John Kerry (D-MA).<ref>{{Cite web |title=S.2525 - United States Leadership Against HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria Act of 2002 |url=https://www.congress.gov/bill/107th-congress/senate-bill/2525/cosponsors |access-date=January 2, 2023 |website=Congress.gov}}</ref> When President Bush made the PEPFAR program a priority of his 2003 agenda, Frist built a bipartisan coalition to secure the legislation's rapid passage.<ref name=passion />

Frist continued to support global health investments during his time as majority leader, and helped shepherd the enactment of the senator Paul Simon Water for the Poor Act of 2005, which made the provision of safe water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) an objective of U.S. foreign assistance, recognizing a lack of clean water and sanitation as the leading cause of preventable death in the developing world.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Frist |first=Bill |date=December 18, 2014 |title=Safe Water: A Currency For Peace |work=Forbes |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/billfrist/2014/12/18/safe-water-a-currency-for-peace/?sh=2cb26e9649f9 |access-date=}}</ref>

Following the 2001 anthrax attacks and 2004 ricin attacks, Frist led the Senate to pass the Project BioShield Act,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Project Bioshield |url=https://aspr.hhs.gov/AboutASPR/ProgramOffices/BARDA/Pages/Project-Bioshield.aspx |access-date=February 24, 2023 |website=HHS.gov}}</ref> a $5.6 billion research effort to develop and acquire medical vaccines and treatments to protect against chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) attacks.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Frist |first=Bill |date=June 10, 2018 |title=Today's Life-Saving Ebola Vaccine Was Spurred By The 2001 Anthrax And 2004 Ricin Attacks |work=Forbes |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/billfrist/2018/06/10/todays-life-saving-ebola-vaccine-was-spurred-by-the-2001-anthrax-and-2004-ricin-attacks/?sh=43796e1a6359 |access-date=}}</ref> In December 2006, during Frist's final month as Senate Majority Leader, Congress passed the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), as a part of the Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness Act,<ref>{{Cite web |title=S.3678 - Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness Act |url=https://www.congress.gov/bill/109th-congress/senate-bill/3678 |access-date=February 24, 2023 |website=Congress.gov}}</ref> to strengthen BioShield by creating a dedicated agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services focused on the procurement and development of CBRN medical countermeasures. The mechanisms and agencies established by this legislation became vital 14 years later during the COVID-19 pandemic.
[[File:Bill Frist.jpg|thumb|Frist with Sen. Lamar Alexander and Interior Secretary [[Gale Norton]]]]
'''Stem cells'''

In 2001, President George W. Bush prohibited federal funding of most human embryonic cell research, limiting federal funding only to cell lines from embryos before the date of his announcement. At the time there were believed to be 78 viable lines. Frist supported the President in 2001, but as time progressed, the stem cell lines became less stable and by 2005 only 22 viable lines remained. In 2001, Frist had laid out 10 principles that guided his views on stem cells, which he restated on the Senate floor in 2006.<ref name="Congressional Record Vol. 152, No. 93">{{Cite web |date=July 17, 2006 |title=STEM CELL RESEARCH; Congressional Record Vol. 152, No. 93 |url=https://www.congress.gov/congressional-record/volume-152/issue-93/senate-section/article/S7567-9?q=%7B%22search%22%3A%22stem+cell%22%7D&s=1&r=1 |access-date=July 12, 2022 |website=Congress.gov}}</ref> He said, "President Bush and I do not differ about the need for strong guidelines governing stem cell research. His policy was generally consistent with the principles I set forth a month before his announcement back in 2001. However, as science has progressed over the last 5 years, we have learned that fewer than the anticipated number of cell lines have proved suitable for research, and I think the limit on cell lines available for federally funded research is too restrictive."<ref name="Congressional Record Vol. 152, No. 93" />  Frist led the Senate to pass on July 18, 2006<ref>{{Cite web |date=July 18, 2006 |title=H.R. 810 (109th): Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act of 2005 |url=https://www.govtrack.us/congress/votes/109-2006/s206 |access-date=January 21, 2023 |website=GovTrack}}</ref> the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act (H.R. 810) which would have expanded federal funding for stem cell research to include stem cells derived from embryos created for but not used in fertilization.<ref>{{Cite web |title=H.R.810 - Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act of 2005 |url=https://www.congress.gov/bill/109th-congress/house-bill/810 |access-date=July 12, 2022 |website=Congress.gov}}</ref> The legislation drew criticism from [[James Dobson]] and other Christians,{{citation needed|date=February 2020}} but garnered praise from former First Lady [[Nancy Reagan]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Stolberg |first1=Sheryl |date=July 30, 2005 |title=Senate Leader Criticized and Praised for Stem Cell Shift |newspaper=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2005/07/30/politics/30stem.html |access-date=October 9, 2014}}</ref> H.R. 810 was vetoed by President Bush and Congress failed to override the veto.<ref>{{Cite web |title=H.R.810 - Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act of 2005 |url=https://www.congress.gov/bill/109th-congress/house-bill/810/actions |website=Congress.gov}}</ref>

====Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA)====
Just before Congress adjourned for the 2006 elections, in what politicos call a "midnight drop", Frist inserted the [[Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act]] (UIGEA) clauses into the larger, unrelated [[SAFE Port Act|Security and Accountability for Every Port (SAFE) Act]]. The SAFE Act itself was a late [["must pass" bill]] designed to safeguard ports from terrorist infiltration.<ref>{{cite web |title=The American Conservative |url=http://www.amconmag.com/article/2009/oct/01/00027/ |website=The American Conservative}}</ref> The UIGEA became the basis for the April 15, 2011, US Department of Justice government crackdown and domain name seizure of three of the world's top online poker sites, dubbed "black Friday" in the poker community.<ref>{{cite web |title=Manhattan U.S. Attorney Charges Principals of Three Largest Internet Poker Companies with Bank Fraud, Illegal Gambling Offenses and Laundering Billions in Illegal Gambling Proceeds |url=https://www.justice.gov/usao/nys/pressreleases/April11/scheinbergetalindictmentpr.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110419230512/http://www.justice.gov/usao/nys/pressreleases/April11/scheinbergetalindictmentpr.pdf |archive-date=April 19, 2011 |access-date=April 17, 2011}}</ref> The DOJ Office of Legal Counsel subsequently issued an opinion in September 2011, stating that the UIGEA applies only to betting on sporting events and contests and not to other types of online gambling.<ref>{{cite web |title=Whether Proposals by Illinois and New York to Use the Internet and Out-Of-State Transaction Processors to Sell Lottery Tickets tTo In-State Adults Violate the Wire Act |url=https://www.justice.gov/olc/2011/state-lotteries-opinion.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121010050306/http://www.justice.gov/olc/2011/state-lotteries-opinion.pdf |archive-date=October 10, 2012 |access-date=October 4, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Internet Poker Is Sort of Legal!|first=Joe |last=Palazzolo|date=December 23, 2011 |work=The Wall Street Journal |url=https://blogs.wsj.com/law/2011/12/23/internet-poker-is-sort-of-legal/}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |date=December 30, 2011 |title=Legal News - What the DOJ's reversal on the Wire Act really means |url=http://calvinayre.com/2011/12/30/legal/dojs-wire-act-reversal-means-barton-bill/}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |date=December 23, 2011 |title=US Department of Justice Says Wire Act Applies Only to Sports Betting - Legal News |url=http://calvinayre.com/2011/12/23/legal/us-department-of-justice-wire-act-applies-only-to-sports-betting/|first=Steven |last=Stradbrooke|website=calvinayre.com}}</ref>

'''Schiavo case'''

{{Main|Terri Schiavo case}}

In the Terri Schiavo case, a brain-damaged woman whose husband wanted to remove her gastric feeding tube, Frist opposed the removal. In a 2005 speech delivered on the Senate Floor, he questioned the diagnosis of Schiavo's doctors of Schiavo being in a [[persistent vegetative state]] (PVS): "I question it based on a review of the video footage which I spent an hour or so looking at last night in my office."<ref>{{cite book |last=Frist |first=Bill |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0aFiYpPzsgYC&q=%22I%20question%20it%20based%20on%20a%20review%20of%20the%20video%20footage%20which%20I%20spent%20an%20hour%20or%20so%20looking%20at%20last%20night%20in%20my%20office%22&pg=PA195 |title=Bill Frist: a senator speaks out on ethics, respect and compassion |publisher=Monument Press |year=2005 |isbn=0-9769668-3-2 |location=Washington, D.C. |pages=195}}</ref> After her death, the autopsy showed signs of long-term and irreversible damage to a brain consistent with PVS.<ref>[http://news.findlaw.com/hdocs/docs/schiavo/61305autopsyrpt.pdf Medical Examiner's Report on the Schiavo Autopsy] June 13, 2005</ref> Frist defended his actions after the autopsy.<ref>[[Anne E. Kornblut|Kornblut, Anne E.]] (2005). "Schiavo Autopsy Renews Debate on G.O.P. Actions". ''[[The New York Times]]'', June 16, 2005</ref>

'''Campaigns and elections'''

In a prominent and nationally broadcast speech to the [[Republican National Convention]] in August 2004, Frist highlighted his background as a doctor and focused on several issues related to health care. He spoke in favor of the recently passed [[Medicare (United States)|Medicare]] prescription drug benefit and the passage of legislation providing for [[health savings account]]s.{{citation needed|date=February 2020}}

In an impassioned argument for medical malpractice [[tort reform]], Frist called [[personal injury lawyer|personal injury trial lawyers]] "predators": "We must stop them from twisting American medicine into a litigation lottery where they hit the jackpot and every patient ends up paying." Frist has been an advocate for imposing caps on the amount of money courts can award [[plaintiff]]s for [[damages|noneconomic damages]] in [[medical malpractice]] cases.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A50446-2004Aug31.html|title=Text: Remarks by Sen. Frist to the Republican National Convention|date=August 31, 2004|newspaper=The Washington Post|publisher=FDCH E-Media, Inc}}</ref>

During the 2004 election season, Frist employed the unprecedented political tactic of going to the home state of the opposition party's minority leader, Democrat [[Tom Daschle]] of [[South Dakota]]. Daschle's Republican opponent, [[John Thune]], defeated Daschle. Later Frist and Daschle work together at the Bipartisan Policy Center and have spoken together frequently at healthcare conventions and events and written numerous joint op-eds on policy issues of bipartisan agreement.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0912/81275.html|work=Politico|last=Norman|first=Brett|date=September 16, 2012|title=The Bill Frist Rx}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=December 12, 2022 |title=Former Sens. Daschle, Frist: Congress Should Act Now to Prepare for the Next Pandemic |url=https://bipartisanpolicy.org/press-release/former-sens-daschle-frist-congress-should-act-now-to-prepare-for-the-next-pandemic/ |website=Bipartisan Policy Center}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |first2=Bill |last2=Frist |first1=Tom |last1=Daschle |date=February 29, 2016 |title=Big-hearted, self-serving and right |work=The Hill |url=https://thehill.com/opinion/op-ed/271229-big-hearted-self-serving-and-right/ |access-date=February 24, 2023}}</ref>

[[File:FirstCorkerBakerAlexander.jpg|thumb|right|Frist at the inauguration of his successor [[Bob Corker]] (second left). Along with Tennessee's former Senator [[Howard Baker]] (second right), and Senior Senator [[Lamar Alexander]] (far right).]]
Frist pledged to leave the Senate after two terms in 2006 and did not run for reelection. He campaigned heavily for Republican candidate Bob Corker, who won by a small margin over Congressman [[Harold Ford Jr.]] in the [[Tennessee United States Senate election, 2006|general election]].{{citation needed|date=February 2020}}