[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 14 (Friday, February 11, 1994)]
[House]
[Page H]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: February 11, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]


                              {time}  1920
 
  VACATION OF PREVIOUSLY GRANTED SPECIAL ORDERS AND ESTABLISHMENT OF 
            FORMAT FOR RECOGNITION OF FUTURE SPECIAL ORDERS

  Mr. GEPHARDT. Mr. Speaker, following my unanimous-consent request to 
put in place an agreed upon format for recognitions to address the 
House during a 90-day trial period beginning February 23, 1994, 
including a morning hour debate, an oxford style debate and a 
restriction on special order speeches, the Speaker will announce his 
guidelines for recognition. In so doing it is stipulated that the 
establishment of this format for recognition by the Speaker is without 
prejudice to the Speaker's ultimate power of recognition under clause 
1, rule XIV should circumstances so warrant.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the special orders 
previously granted by the House to address the House on dates through 
May 23, 1994 be vacated;
  Further that during the period beginning February 23, 1994 and for 90 
days thereafter, on Mondays and Tuesdays of each week the House convene 
90 minutes earlier than the time otherwise established by order of the 
House solely for the purpose of conducting morning hour debates to be 
followed by a recess declared by the Speaker pursuant to clause 12, 
rule 1 under the following conditions:
  (1) Prayer by the Chaplain, approval of the Journal and the pledge of 
allegiance to the flag to be postponed until the resumption of the 
House session following the completion of morning hour debate;
  (2) Debate to be limited not to exceed 30 minutes allocated to each 
party, with initial and subsequent recognition alternating daily 
between parties to be conferred by the Speaker only pursuant to lists 
submitted by the majority leader and minority leaders respectively (no 
Member on such lists to be permitted to address the House for longer 
than 5 minutes except for the majority leader and minority leader 
respectively);
  Further, that on (every third) Wednesday, beginning on a day to be 
designated by the Speaker and mutually agreed upon by the majority 
leader and minority leader, it shall be in order, at a time to be 
determined by the Speaker, for the Speaker to recognize the majority 
leader and minority leader (or their designees), jointly, for a period 
of not to exceed 2 hours, for the purpose of holding a structured 
debate. The topic of the debate, when mutually agreed upon by the 
majority leader and minority leader, shall be announced by the Speaker. 
The format of the debate, which shall allow for participation by four 
Members of the majority party and four from the minority party in the 
House, chosen by their respective party leaders, with specified times 
for presentations and rebuttals by all participants, and periods of 
questioning of each Member by others participating, shall be announced 
to the House by the Speaker.
  The SPEAKER. Is there objection to the request of the gentleman from 
Missouri?
  There was no objection.

                          ____________________