[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 1 (Tuesday, January 25, 1994)]
[House]
[Page H]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: January 25, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]


                              {time}  1450
 
                         SPECIAL ORDERS GRANTED

  Mr. GEKAS. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that previous to any 
other special order entered into, Mr. Gingrich of Georgia may be 
permitted to address the House for 60 minutes every Monday, Tuesday, 
Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday of 1994, the second session of the 103d 
Congress.
  Further, I ask unanimous consent that the gentleman from New York 
[Mr. Solomon] be permitted a 60-minute special order for every Monday, 
Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday of 1994, the second session of 
the 103d Congress.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Rahall). Without objection, so ordered.
  There was no objection.
  Mr. GEKAS. Further, Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that today 
following legislative business and any special orders heretofore 
entered into, the following Members may be permitted, to address the 
House, revise and extend their remarks, and include therein extraneous 
material:
  Mrs. Bentley, every Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday 
in January and February for 60 minutes each;
  Mr. Boehner, in February, on the 1st, 3d, 8th, 9th, 22d, and 23d; in 
March, on the 1st, 2d, 8th, 9th, 15th, 16th, 22d, and 23d; in April, on 
the 12th, 13th, 19th, 20th, 26th, and 27th; in May, on the 3d, 4th, 
10th, 11th, 17th, 18th, 24th, and 25th; in June, on the 8th, 14th, 
15th, 21st, 22d, 28th, and 29th; in July, on the 12th, 13th, 19th, 
20th, 26th, and 27th; in August, on the 2d, 3d, 9th, and 10th; in 
September, on the 7th, 13th, 14th, 20th, 21st, 27th, and 28th; and in 
October, on the 4th and the 5th, for 60 minutes each.
  Mr. Speaker, we might note that he skipped my birthday on all of 
these days.
  Mr. McInnis, every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday of 1994, for 60 
minutes each;
  Mr. Talent, on February 7th, 8th, and 9th, for 60 minutes each;
  Mr. Kolbe, on February 1st, 8th, and 22d; and in March, on the 1st, 
8th, 15th, and 22d, for 60 minutes each;
  And Mr. Gekas today--and this is a surprise--5 minutes.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection?
  Mr. WASHINGTON. Mr. Speaker----
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman will suspend.
  Mr. WASHINGTON. I object, Mr. Speaker.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair has heard an objection to the 
request.
  Mr. WASHINGTON. I object to the request.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Will the gentleman from Texas please take 
the microphone?
  Mr. WASHINGTON. Mr. Speaker, will the gentleman yield?
  Mr. GEKAS. I do not have the floor, Mr. Speaker.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair will hear the gentleman from 
Texas.
  Mr. WASHINGTON. Mr. Speaker, I say to my friend, the gentleman from 
Pennsylvania, that he was reading rather hurriedly. I am interested in 
two unanimous request consents that you put forward and whether they 
were as I heard. I do not object to the litany that the gentleman made 
in July and all that. I understood the gentleman to make an unanimous 
consent that the gentleman from Georgia--and I believe he used the 
words, ``notwithstanding any other requests''--be put ahead of any 
other Member requesting special orders.

  Mr. GEKAS. Mr. Speaker, the actual language is ``unanimous consent 
that previous to any other special orders entered into,'' meaning, 
according to my interpretation, that he would be first on the list.
  Mr. WASHINGTON. That is what I objected to.
  Mr. GEKAS. That was already agreed to.
  Mr. WASHINGTON. It was not agreed to by me. If that was the unanimous 
consent request, then the Member standing from Texas objects.
  Mr. GEKAS. Mr. Speaker, I submit that there was no objection. I asked 
unanimous consent, there was no objection, and I asked the Speaker to 
so rule.
  Mr. WASHINGTON. In that case then, the gentleman is making a needless 
motion. But if you were to make your motion and it had any validity and 
if it requires unanimous consent, then an objection is heard.
  Mr. GEKAS. The question is whether the gentleman's objection was 
timely or not.
  Mr. WASHINGTON. Yes, and while you were talking, I went down and 
asked.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair will advise the gentleman from 
Texas and all Members that the first unanimous consent requests of the 
gentleman from Pennsylvania were granted.
  Mr. WASHINGTON. When? Before I arrived.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. That is correct.
  Mr. WASHINGTON. The gentleman never stopped reading, Mr. Speaker. 
There was never a question put so there would be an objection. The 
question was not put while I was present in the Chamber after the 
gentleman started reading. He went from one unanimous consent request 
to another. The first was on behalf of Mr. Gingrich, and he made 
another on behalf of Mr. Solomon. He went on to Mr. Solomon, and he 
named specific dates in February, March, and July, and I do not 
question any of those. But I object to a unanimous consent request from 
any Democrat or Republican who would presume himself to be put ahead of 
every other Member of Congress merely by making a request at this time. 
If I walk over here and I go through whatever is necessary to make my 
request to get some time here on the floor, I should be able to do 
that. We are elected by the same number of people.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair understands, and the Chair will 
make a statement. The Chair understand the concerns of the gentleman 
from Texas. However, the requests of the gentleman were made in three 
groupings, and the first two groupings were approved by unanimous 
consent. He was reading the third grouping when the gentleman from 
Texas objected.
  Mr. WASHINGTON. Please note my exception, Mr. Speaker. I think the 
Record will reflect that there was no pause. The question should be 
properly put by the Speaker, ``Is there objection?'' That question was 
not put. Had he put it, I would have objected, and at the first 
opportunity when the question was put, I did object. The Record will 
state that, whether you agree to it or not.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair believes that he did put those 
questions to the House earlier on the first two requests of the 
gentleman from Pennsylvania, and there was no objection heard at that 
time.
  Mr. WASHINGTON. Would the Chair refer to some document other than his 
memory for the purpose of seeing whether he put the question? I 
respectfully ask the Chair to do so. I ask the Chair to consult the 
keeper of the Record. The Chair did not put the question.
  I am going to make the same objection, whether they are Democrats or 
Republicans. A Member has to come to the well and make his request like 
everybody else.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair does state that he does recall in 
the second grouping asking if there was objection and stating, 
``without objection,'' and then those groupings that had already been 
read were approved as requested by the gentleman from Pennsylvania. The 
Chair specifically recalls stating, ``without objection, the requests 
are granted.'' There was no objection heard on the floor at that time.
  Mr. WASHINGTON. The Chair is stating that he recalls that with 
respect to the ones specifically asked for, the ones to which I have an 
objection, that he put the question here on the floor?
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Yes, the gentleman is correct.
  Mr. WASHINGTON. Please note my exception.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman's statement will appear in the 
Record.
  Mr. WASHINGTON. I want to say that in case the Chair is wrong, please 
note my objection, so if the Chair is incorrect and he did not put the 
question, then the question is back before whomever is in the chair, 
and at that time, if it requires unanimous consent, please note that 
the objection was timely noted on the Record.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman's statement will appear in the 
Record.

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