[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 14 (Tuesday, January 24, 1995)]
[House]
[Pages H553-H554]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                        PROCEEDINGS OF THE HOUSE

  (Mr. BURTON of Indiana asked and was given permission to address the 
House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. BURTON of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, the people of this country spoke 
last November. But it is apparent to anyone who is paying attention to 
what is going on in this House that the Democratic Party is doing 
everything they can to derail the Contract With America. They are 
proposing hundreds of amendments to slow down the process. All I want 
to say is that it is the 
[[Page H554]] height of hypocrisy, the height of hypocrisy for the 
Democrats to come down here and complain about what the Republicans are 
doing after the way they have run this House for the last 40 years.
  Mr. NADLER. Mr. Speaker, I demand that the gentleman's words be taken 
down.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Shays). The gentleman will be seated.
  The Clerk will report the words.

                              {time}  1230

  The Clerk read as follows:

       But it is apparent to anyone who is paying attention to 
     what is going on that the Democratic Party is doing 
     everything they can to derail the Contract With America. They 
     are proposing hundreds of amendments to slow down the 
     process. All I want to say is that it is the height of 
     hypocrisy, the height of hypocrisy for the Democrats to come 
     down here and complain about what the Republicans are doing 
     after the way they have run this House for the last 40 years.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Shays). The Chair is prepared to rule.
  It would be out of order for the gentleman to make reference to a 
particular Member, but precedent suggests that reference to procedures, 
or amendments, or to parties is not out of order.
  The House will proceed in regular order please.


                         parliamentary inquiry

  Mr. NADLER. Mr. Speaker, I have a parliamentary inquiry.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman will state his parliamentary 
inquiry.
  Mr. NADLER. The second half of the statement of the distinguished 
gentleman made reference to the hypocrisy of the Democrats. The context 
clearly indicated that it was the Democratic Members of the House that 
he was referring to. My parliamentary inquiry, therefore:
  Since the rules prohibit the impugning of motives of Members of the 
House, and the gentleman impugned the motives of a group of Members of 
the House, just under half the Members of the House; so is it not 
permitted under the rules then to impugn the motives of an individual 
Member of the House, but to impugn the motives of a group of Members of 
the House is permitted?
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair believes that collective political 
motivation can be discussed and it was not discernible that it was 
relating to any particular Member.
  The House will proceed in regular order, please.
  

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