[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 612 Laid on Table in House (LTH)]







110th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 612

           Raising a question of the privileges of the House.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             August 3, 2007

 Mr. Boehner submitted the following resolution; which was laid on the 
                                 table

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
           Raising a question of the privileges of the House.

Whereas clause one of House rule XXIII (Code of Official Conduct) states, ``A 
        Member, Delegate, Resident Commissioner, officer or employee of the 
        House shall conduct himself at all times in a manner that shall reflect 
        creditably on the House,'';
Whereas the House Ethics Manual states that, ``The public has a right to expect 
        Members, officers and employees to exercise impartial judgment in 
        performing their duties'' and ``This Committee has cautioned all Members 
        to avoid situations in which even an inference might be drawn suggesting 
        improper action'';
Whereas during proceedings of the House on August 3, 2007, with the gentleman 
        from Pennsylvania (Mr. Murtha) presiding, a question occurred on 
        approval of the Journal of the previous day's proceedings;
Whereas following the vote, the gentleman from Wisconsin, Representative 
        Sensenbrenner, inquired ``Could the chair tell me how many Members rose 
        to request a recorded vote and [the] total number of Members present in 
        the House upon which the chair made his decision?'';
Whereas Representative Murtha replied, ``It is up to the chair. Let me tell you 
        this, the vote will show that the approval would be approved by the 
        House as it has been.'';
Whereas the Speaker, as the presiding officer, has a duty to be a fair and 
        impartial arbiter of the proceedings of the House, held to the highest 
        ethical standards in deciding the various questions as they arise with 
        impartiality and courtesy toward all Members, regardless of party 
        affiliation;
Whereas a presiding officer of the House cannot achieve the requisite standard 
        of impartiality while attempting to influence the outcome of a vote, 
        predict the outcome of a vote, or express a preference for a particular 
        outcome of a vote; and
Whereas when the chair imbues his parliamentary statements with a partisan hue 
        or with language more appropriate to a participant in the debate than to 
        its presiding officer, Members' essential confidence in the impartiality 
        of the chair is impaired: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That by his actions on August 3, 2007, the gentleman from 
Pennsylvania, Mr. Murtha, has brought dishonor and discredit to the 
United States House of Representatives by misusing the powers of the 
chair.
                                 <all>