[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]

 
                         PARLIAMENTARY INQUIRY

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mrs. Unsoeld). Under a previous order of the 
House, the gentleman from Pennsylvania [Mr. Walker] is recognized for 5 
minutes.
  Mr. WALKER. Madam Speaker, I would like to use my 5 minutes to begin 
with to propound a parliamentary inquiry relating to the matter of 
extensions of remarks in the Congressional Record.
  In yesterday's Congressional Record, that would be February 10, on 
pages H 460 to H 476, material was submitted to the Congressional 
Record costing the taxpayers $6,132, where there was not an 
announcement of that cost prior to the material being submitted.
  My parliamentary inquiry is this, does the Chair have a 
responsibility to ascertain the amount of taxpayer expense in Extension 
of Remarks.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In response to the inquiry of the gentleman 
from Pennsylvania, the Chair understands the situation to be as 
follows: the gentlewoman from Colorado requested permission to address 
the House for 1 minute, to revise and extend her remarks and to include 
extraneous material. Due to the length of the matter submitted, the 
material was moved by the official reporters from the beginning of the 
day to appear following legislative business. This normally is a signal 
to the Government Printing Office to return the material to the Member 
should a printing estimate be required, submissions in excess of two 
Congressional Record pages. That apparently did not occur in this 
situation, so the submission was printed.
  Mr. WALKER. I thank the Chair for that explanation, but it does not 
really answer the question I propounded.
  My question was this, does the Chair have a responsibility to 
ascertain the length of the material, when Members submit it for the 
Record?
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. It is the practice of the Chair to advise 
the Member that is making this request to go to the appropriate 
official reporters, if an estimate is required.
  Mr. WALKER. So it is the responsibility of the Chair and not of the 
Member to deal with the questions of cost for long-winded material that 
goes into the Record?
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. No, it is the responsibility of the Member.
  Mr. WALKER. So the Member has the responsibility, if they have a 
large amount of material, to present that to the House prior to asking 
the permission; is that correct?
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. To ask permission with the estimate of the 
cost in hand.
  Mr. WALKER. And in this particular case, as I understand it, that 
procedure was not followed; is that correct?
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentlewoman did not have an estimate 
and, for that reason, the matter was held over until the end of the 
Record.
  Mr. WALKER. Is there a procedure for recovering the amount of money 
spent that was spent and not properly agreed to.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair would have to take that under 
advisement.
  Mr. WALKER. I would be very happy to have the Chair take it under 
advisement. As I understand it, the GPO indicates that the amount of 
money is $6,132.

                              {time}  1930

  Since the Chair is taking it under advisement, could the Chair tell 
me when I might get an indication from the Chair as to the answer to my 
question?
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mrs. Unsoeld). The Chair has already been 
advised that in the future, the Government Printing Office will be more 
diligent in returning such material to the Member, rather than just 
printing it.
  Mr. WALKER. I understand that, but the Chair has taken the question 
that I asked a few minutes ago under advisement. I am asking when I 
will be advised as to the Chair's position on the matter.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. As soon as the Chair would get the answer.
  Mr. WALKER. And that would be within the next month?
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair will seek to obtain that 
information as soon as possible, but is not in control of the source of 
the answer.
  Mr. WALKER. May I assume that this is an answer that I might get 
before the end of the session?
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair sees no reason to presume 
otherwise.
  Mr. WALKER. I thank the Chair.

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