[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 15 (Wednesday, January 25, 1995)]
[House]
[Page H619]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                         PARLIAMENTARY INQUIRY

  Mr. FATTAH. Mr. Speaker, I have a parliamentary inquiry.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Kolbe). The gentleman will state it.
  Mr. FATTAH. Mr. Speaker, I am a duly elected Member of this House, 
and I am a member of the Committee on Government Reform and Oversight, 
which is ably chaired by a fellow Pennsylvanian, the gentleman from 
Pennsylvania [Mr. Clinger]. We have been in a markup for a good part of 
today on a line-item veto, a very serious legislative matter to come 
before the House. We just recessed so that we could come to the floor 
in response to the bells ringing.
  I would like to know whether there is some opportunity or protection 
in the rules that would allow Members like myself to be here for the 
debate on the floor on what is an important matter and hear the debate 
so that we are casting votes that are informed votes rather than to be 
handling one matter of business someplace else and then rushed to the 
floor.
  I think this is a matter than should be of concern to Members on both 
sides of the aisle. I admit that I am new. I come from the Pennsylvania 
Senate, but this is at least, in my perception, no way to run a 
railroad.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from Pennsylvania will be 
advised that yesterday the House adopted a motion permitting committees 
to meet during the 15-minute debate.
  Mr. FATTAH. Mr. Speaker, I thought that was in the Committee of the 
Whole.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. It is the responsibility of the gentleman 
from Pennsylvania to vote in the House, and how he works out his time 
otherwise between his committee and the floor is a matter for him to 
decide.
  Mr. FATTAH. Mr. Speaker, further parliamentary inquiry. I thought 
that the motion that was handled in the House yesterday that the Chair 
referred to had to do with the carrying on in the Committee of the 
Whole.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman is correct.
  Mr. FATTAH. Mr. Speaker, are we in the Committee of the Whole?
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. No, we are not in the Committee of the 
Whole. This is the House meeting.
  It is the responsibility of the gentleman from Pennsylvania to cast 
his vote in the House. It is his responsibility to decide how he 
allocates his time between committee and the House floor.
  Mr. FATTAH. Mr. Speaker, I thank the Chair. I hope that the House 
will consider my comments.

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