[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 18 (Monday, January 30, 1995)]
[House]
[Page H854]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




REQUEST FOR PERMISSION FOR COMMITTEE ON INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS TO SIT 
                TODAY AND TOMORROW DURING 5-MINUTE RULE

  Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee 
on International Relations be allowed to sit today and tomorrow during 
the 5-minute rule.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from New York?
  Mr. BONIOR. Reserving the right to object, Mr. Speaker, just a few 
minutes ago we voted in this Chamber to limit the debate on the 
unfunded mandated bill to amendments, 5 minutes on a side. This motion 
would allow the Committee on International Relations to go upstairs in 
the Rayburn Building and debate the defense bill and specifically the 
peacekeeping issue that is before it.
  It makes no sense whatsoever to have a process where the Committee on 
International Relations is meeting in the Rayburn Building and we are 
voting ever 15 minutes on the House floor, 5 minutes on a side. It was 
your motion; it was not our motion. Members will not have a chance to 
warm their seats over there.
  At some point the American people are going to ask, ``Do you people 
really know how to run this institution?''
  Continuing my reservation, Mr. Speaker, we have had a disturbing 
pattern occur on the floor of this institution. This is the fourth 
rule, unfunded mandates is the fourth rule that we have had. The first 
two were closed. The rules package on the compliance bill was closed. 
The rule on the balanced budget amendment was restrictive. And now we 
have an open rule but it is convenient to close it. It is convenient to 
close it so we are going to run roughshod over the minority and close 
the rule.
  We are concerned about the narrowing of voices in this institution 
and it is real. I am reserving my right to object, Mr. Speaker.
  Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, will the gentleman yield?
  Mr. BONIOR. I will yield in a second, but let me just develop that 
for a second. We have had four rules; two of them have been closed; one 
of them has been restricted; and the one we are debating now has been 
restricted once again.
  The Republicans on this side of the aisle have closed down our 
legislative service organizations so our women, the African-Americans, 
our Hispanics have had their voices shut. We have had the Democratic 
Study Group moved off of the Hill; we have had public broadcasting 
attacks; we have had voices across this country and in this institution 
attacked; and we will not stand for a gag rule on this bill.
  Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, will the gentleman yield?
  Mr. BONIOR. I yield to the gentleman from New York.
  Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding. Does the 
gentleman object to the unanimous consent request for the Committee on 
International Relations to continue its work on the measure before us? 
We are near the end of the completion of that debate and we should be 
able to wind it up either tonight or tomorrow.
  I am merely trying to accommodate the Members on both sides of the 
aisle, and I would welcome the gentleman consenting to the request.
  Mr. BONIOR. I appreciate my colleague's comments.
  Mr. GEJDENSON. Mr. Speaker, will the gentleman yield?
  Mr. BONIOR. Mr. Speaker, further reserving my right to object, I 
yield to my friend, the gentleman from Connecticut.
  Mr GEJDENSON. Mr. Speaker, I would say that the same pattern has 
developed in committee after committee, that we on the International 
Relations Committee are now discussing fundamental changes in our role 
in the United Nations and NATO. Time after time, as amendments are just 
barely brought forward, there is a motion that the majority carries to 
cut off debate.
  And we are deciding whether we are going to be in the United Nations 
or out, whether we are going to expand NATO without full and proper 
debate. The same pattern is occurring in committee after committee.
  Mr. GILMAN. If the gentleman will yield further, at this time, Mr. 
Speaker, I would----
  Mr. SOLOMON. Regular order, and demand it now.
  Mrs. COLLINS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I object; I object.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Hefley). Regular order has been 
demanded. Do 10 Members stand to object?
  Mr. GILMAN. Since we cannot have consent with regard to the request, 
Mr. Speaker.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The request is withdrawn.

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