[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 66 (Tuesday, May 24, 1994)]
[House]
[Page H]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: May 24, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
  ANNOUNCEMENT REGARDING ORDER OF CONSIDERATION OF AMENDMENTS TO H.R. 
     4301, NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 1995

  Mr. DELLUMS. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to section 5 of House Resolution 
431, I ask that the Chairman of the Committee of the Whole House on the 
State of the Union recognize for consideration of amendments out of the 
order printed by transposing the proceedings contemplated by section 
3(b) of that resolution with the proceedings contemplated by section 
3(e) of that resolution.
  Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, will the gentleman yield?
  Mr. DELLUMS. I yield to the gentleman from Maryland.
  Mr. HOYER. Does this relate to the amendment which deals with Bosnia?
  Mr. DELLUMS. The gentleman is correct.
  Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, Is the gentleman asking for unanimous 
consent, or is he announcing this?
  Mr. DELLUMS. I am announcing that this shift be made.
  As I understand it, this is an agreement among the leadership, the 
authors of the amendment and the leadership on the other side of the 
aisle.
  Mr. HOYER. Reserving the right to object, Mr. Speaker, I am not sure 
whether I will object.
  Mr. DELLUMS. Mr. Speaker, will the gentleman yield?
  Mr. HOYER. I yield to the gentleman from California.
  Mr. DELLUMS. Mr. Speaker, this is simply an announcement because, as 
the gentleman from Maryland [Mr. Hoyer] is aware, under the rule this 
gentleman is given the right, within 1 hour of the proposed debate, to 
make such an announcement, and I am simply carrying out by duties and 
responsibilities and rights under the rule.
  Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, I want to tell the body, if it were a 
unanimous-consent request, I might well object to this. I believe we 
are making a mistake. I believe we have an issue, as the distinguished 
gentleman so often indicates, of great import and of great moral 
impact. It is an issue that relates to whether or not the United States 
and its Western allies are going to stand by while we see genocide 
being perpetrated, war crimes being perpetrated. That is the issue that 
this House, through this amendment, sought to deal with.
  Now, Mr. Speaker, I understand that there is an opinion of some that 
delaying it until after the President goes to Europe is good strategy. 
I disagree with that. I think it is time for this country and this 
Congress to say to our European allies that enough is enough. It is 
time to stand up. It is time to act. It is time to send a clear, 
unequivocal and important message to those who would commit more crimes 
in this new world order.
  I understand that this is a request of the chairman.
  Mr. DELLUMS. Mr. Speaker, it seems to me that the gentleman from 
Maryland [Mr. Hoyer] is making a statement to the leadership of this 
body, not to this gentleman. I am prepared to debate this issue 
anytime, anyplace, anywhere. This decision was made above this 
gentleman's pay grade, and I hope in the context of the gentleman's 
remarks he made it clear he was speaking to the Speaker and not to the 
chairman of the Committee on Armed Services.
  Mr. McCLOSKEY. Mr. Speaker, will the gentleman yield?
  Mr. HOYER. I yield to the gentleman from Indiana.
  Mr. McCLOSKEY. Mr. Speaker, I understand very much the concerns of 
the distinguished gentleman from Maryland. Within the last 5 minutes I 
talked to the gentleman from Michigan [Mr. Bonior], the majority whip, 
but I guess it was his understanding, Mr. Speaker, that there is not an 
agreement quite yet.
  Mr. Speaker, I wonder if we could delay this being announced, if we 
could delay it 20, 30 minutes. I believe the gentleman from Michigan 
[Mr. Bonior] is trying to reach the gentleman from Maryland [Mr. Hoyer] 
right now.
  Mr. DELLUMS. Mr. Speaker, will the gentleman yield?
  Mr. HOYER. I yield to the gentleman from California.
  Mr. DELLUMS. Mr. Speaker, I might say to my colleague that the rule 
gives this gentleman 1 hour prior to the time that the issue is 
debated. So, I am carrying out my responsibilities at this moment in a 
timely fashion. I have been led to believe that this matter had been 
worked out among various parties, including yourself, the gentleman 
from Michigan [Mr. Bonior], the Speaker, and several other Members 
here.
  Now, if I am being misguided, then I am concerned about that. But I 
am simply carrying out my duties and my responsibilities.
  Mr. McCLOSKEY. Mr. Speaker, if the gentleman would continue to yield, 
if we could have 10 minutes before this decision, possibly we could go 
ahead. The gentleman from Michigan [Mr. Bonior] in the last 5 minutes 
told me that there was no final understanding yet. If we could just 
have 10 minutes, say for several of us to get together, I am sure this 
would be no problem in 10 minutes.
  Mr. DELLUMS. Mr. Speaker, I withdraw my announcement.

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