[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 15 (Wednesday, January 25, 1995)]
[House]
[Pages H597-H599]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
THE STATE OF THE UNION SPEECH
(Mr. DORNAN asked and was given permission to address the House for 1
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
Mr. DORNAN. Mr. Speaker, my good friend, John Lewis, the only two in
either Chamber that were there the day Martin Luther King gave his
stirring speech, I hate to disagree with him on anything, but I was
offended by Clinton's speech last night on 15 points.
I will do a 5-minute special order tonight I have just signed up for.
I can only mention four.
The first one is new covenant. The Ark of the Covenant was the Old
Covenant. The New Covenant was the Son of God, Jesus Christ. I was
offended
[[Page H598]] when he used that term in New York at the Democratic
Convention. He repeated it over and over and over again last night.
No. 2, to put a Medal of Honor winner in the gallery that joined the
Marine Corps at 16, fudging his birth certificate, that pulled that
second grenade under his stomach, miraculously surviving and saving his
four friends, he did that 6 days past his 17th birthday.
Does Clinton think putting a Medal of Honor winner up there is not
going to recall for most of us that he avoided the draft three times
and put teenagers in his place possibly to go to Vietnam?
No. 3, the line on the cold war, . . .
By the way, Mr. Speaker, the second amendment is not for killing
little ducks and leaving Huey and Dewey and Louis without an aunt and
uncle. It is for hunting politicians, like Grozny, 1776, when they take
your independence away.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. FAZIO of California. Mr. Speaker, I move the gentleman's words be
taken down.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Duncan). For what purpose does the
gentleman rise?
Mr. FAZIO of California. You cannot just do that.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. All Members will suspend. The Clerk will
report the words spoken by the gentleman.
{time} 1125
parliamentary inquiry
Mr. SOLOMON. Mr. Speaker, I have a parliamentary inquiry.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Duncan). The gentleman will state his
parliamentary inquiry.
Mr. SOLOMON. Mr. Speaker, a number of Members were not on the floor,
including myself, when the gentleman uttered his words. Is it possible
to have those words read back so that we can all hear it?
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Duncan). The gentleman is correct.
The Clerk will report the words.
The Clerk read as follows:
Even Andrea Mitchell of NBC took note that is Ronald
Reagan's prerogative, George Bush's and all of us who wore
the uniform or served in a civilian capacity to crush the
evil empire. Clinton gave aid and comfort to the enemy.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Duncan). In the opinion of the Chair,
that is not a proper reference to the President. Without objection, the
words are stricken from the Record.
Mr. FAZIO of California. Mr. Speaker, reserving the right to object--
--
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Without objection, the words are stricken
from the Record.
Mr. FAZIO of California. Mr. Speaker, reserving the right to object,
I think the gentleman from California [Mr. Dornan] owes the entire
institution, the Congress, and the President an apology.
Mr. DORNAN. Hell no; hell, no.
Mr. FAZIO of California. We have a Commander in Chief. We have to
have a certain decorum here and respect for the body, if not for the
individual. We have a respect for the person who is our Commander in
Chief.
I would like to know that the gentleman from California [Mr. Dornan]
not only understands that but will apologize to his colleagues and to
the President for his behavior.
Mr. DORNAN. Unanimous consent to proceed for 15 seconds?
Mr. LINDER. Mr. Speaker, reserving the right to object.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from California [Mr. Fazio]
has the floor at this moment.
Mr. FAZIO of California. I would be happy to yield to my colleague
from California, since I have the time, to hear his response.
Mr. DORNAN. Will the gentleman yield?
Mr. FAZIO of California. I yield to the gentleman from California.
Mr. DORNAN. To my distinguished friend and colleague, Maj. Earl
Kolbile, Lt. Comdr. J.J. Connell was beaten to death in Hanoi. I have
had friends beaten to death in Hanoi, tortured and beaten. You have
not.
Mr. FAZIO of California. I have asked the gentleman----
Mr. DORNAN. I will not withdraw my remarks. I will not only not
apolo- gize, . . .
I will accept the discipline of the House.
Mr. VOLKMER. I ask that the words of the gentleman from California be
taken down.
Mr. DORNAN. Good, I will leave the floor, no apology, and I will not
speak the rest of the day. The truth is the truth.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The House will be in order. The gentleman's
words have already been taken down----
Mr. VOLKMER. Those words, those words.
Mr. FAZIO of California. The gentleman is challenging the words that
were uttered in response to my question.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair rules that those words as follows
``I believe the President did give aid and comfort to the enemy,
Hanoi,'' were also out of order. The Chair has ruled that, based on the
precedents of the House, the words of the gentleman from California
were out of order, and without objection, both sets of words will be
stricken from the Record.
Mr. BONIOR. Mr. Speaker, reserving the right to object, and I will
not object unless I do not get a satisfactory answer to my concerns, my
concerns were with, frankly, more than just the words that were read. I
was particularly concerned with the last sentence or two of the
gentleman from California's statement,and I would like those words as
well to be read to the House.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair has just ruled that those words
were the same words essentially as those earlier taken down and
previously ruled out of order.
The Chair has ruled that those words were also out of order.
Mr. BONIOR. Mr. Speaker, reserving the right to object, I think the
Chair misinterprets my comments, and perhaps I was not clear. The words
I am referring to were the original 1-minute statement by the gentleman
from California [Mr. Dornan], and I am particularly concerned with the
last two lines of it, and I would like them read back to the House.
{time} 1133
Parliamentary Inquiries
Mr. BONIOR. Mr. Speaker, I have a parliamentary inquiry.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. (Mr. Duncan). The gentleman will state his
parliamentary inquiry.
Mr. BONIOR. The Speaker in previous days has asked that the gentleman
in question, upon words being taken down, be seated.
Would that not be a proper request to be made at this point?
The SPEAKER pro tempore. That is correct. The gentleman from
California [Mr. Dornan] should be seated at this point.
Mr. LINDER. Mr. Speaker, will the gentleman yield?
Mr. BONIOR. I yield to the gentleman from Georgia.
Mr. LINDER. Mr. Speaker, the gentleman from California [Mr. Dornan]
did say that he understood the rules of the House, that he had been
censured under the rules of the House for what he said, and he will not
speak for the next 24 hours on the floor of the House, and it strikes
me that we are operating under the rules.
Mr. BONIOR. Mr. Speaker, I think the request made by the gentleman
from California [Mr. Fazio] is still a valid and much-needed request
and, in addition to that, I would certainly like to hear the last two
lines of the gentleman's original statement.
Mr. FAZIO of California. I have a parliamentary inquiry of the
Speaker at this point.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman will state his inquiry.
Mr. FAZIO of California. When the Speaker rules that the gentleman
should not be allowed to speak for 24 hours, does that encompass
remarks that might be placed in the Record, participation in special
orders, and other activities that might not involve the gentleman
speaking on the floor?
The SPEAKER pro tempore. It is the House's determination as to
whether or not the Member should be allowed to proceed in order for the
remainder of the day. That determination shall not be made by the
Chair.
Mr. FAZIO of California. In other words, is the House required to
vote on whether or not remarks should be placed in the Record?
[[Page H599]] The SPEAKER pro tempore. Unparliamentary remarks cannot
be inserted in the Record.
Mr. FAZIO of California. But remarks that are not ruled
unparliamentary may be placed in the Record if they are not uttered on
the floor; is that the ruling of the Speaker?
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Unparliamentary remarks should not be
inserted in the Record in any manner or form.
Mr. FAZIO of California. They should not be inserted at any time, but
there is a particular provision that we are dealing with here which
removes the Member from the ability to communicate with his colleagues
here.
Is that communication written as well as oral?
The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the Record the gentleman is correct.
Mr. FAZIO of California. So in other words, just to confirm the
Speaker's ruling, we will not read or hear from the gentleman from
California [Mr. Dornan] for the next 24 hours; is that correct?
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Unless the House permits him to proceed in
order, the gentleman is correct.
Mr. FAZIO of California. And for the House to permit that would
require a majority vote?
The SPEAKER pro tempore. It would require either unanimous consent or
a majority vote of the House to permit the gentleman to proceed in
order.
Mr. FAZIO of California. I appreciate the Speaker clarifying the
situation.
Mr. BONIOR. Mr. Speaker, the gentleman from California [Mr. Dornan]
is on his feet. Is he not supposed to remain seated until the
determination?
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman can either be seated or leave
the Chamber.
Mr. BONIOR. He chose to leave the Chamber; OK.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is it the Chair's understanding that the
final words in the original 1-minute are included in the gentleman's
request?
Mr. BONIOR. The Speaker is correct.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair is attempting to have them
transcribed at this moment.
The Clerk will report the words in the original 1-minute.
The Clerk read as follows:
By the way, Mr. Speaker, the Second Amendment is not for
killing little ducks and leaving Huey, Duey and Louie without
an aunt and uncle. It is for hunting politicians, like
Grozny, 1776, when they take your independence away. Thank
you, Mr. Speaker.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair sees nothing unparliamentary about
those words.
Without objection, the words already ruled out of order will be
stricken from the Record.
There was no objection.
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