[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 22 (Friday, February 3, 1995)]
[House]
[Pages H1191-H1192]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     NOTICE OF INTENT TO FILE PRIVILEGED RESOLUTION ON MONDAY NEXT

  Mr. TAYLOR of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to rule IX, I hereby 
give notice of my intention to offer a resolution that raises a 
question of privilege of the House. The form of the resolution is as 
follows:
                               H. Res.--

       Whereas rule IX of the Rules of the House of 
     Representatives provides that questions of privilege shall 
     arise whenever the rights of the House collectively are 
     affected;
       Whereas, under the precedents, customs, and traditions of 
     the House pursuant to rule IX, a question of privilege has 
     arisen in cases involving the constitutional prerogatives of 
     the House;
       Whereas section 8 of Article I of the Constitution vests in 
     Congress the power to ``coin money, regulate the value 
     thereof, and of foreign coins'';
       Whereas section 9 of Article I of the Constitution provides 
     that ``no money shall be drawn from the Treasury, but in 
     consequence of appropriations made by law'';
       Whereas the President has recently sought the enactment of 
     legislation to authorize the President to undertake efforts 
     to support economic stability in Mexico and strengthen the 
     Mexican peso;
       Whereas the President announced on January 31, 1995, that 
     actions are being taken to achieve the same result without 
     the enactment of legislation by the Congress;
       Whereas the obligation or expenditure of funds by the 
     President without consideration 
     [[Page H1192]] by the House of Representatives of legislation 
     to make appropriated funds available for obligation or 
     expenditure in the manner proposed by the President raises 
     grave questions concerning the prerogatives of the House and 
     the integrity of the proceedings of the House;
       Whereas the exchange stabilization fund was created by 
     statute to stabilize the exchange value of the dollar and is 
     also required by statute to be used in accordance with the 
     obligations of the United States under the Articles of 
     Agreement of the International Monetary Fund; and
       Whereas the commitment of $20,000,000,000 of the resources 
     of the exchange stabilization fund to Mexico by the President 
     without congressional approval may jeopardize the ability of 
     the fund to fulfill its statutory purposes: Now, therefore, 
     be it
       Resolved, That the Comptroller General of the United States 
     shall prepare and transmit, within 7 days after the adoption 
     of this resolution, a report to the House of Representatives 
     containing the following:
       (1) The opinion of the Comptroller General on whether any 
     of the proposed actions of the President, as announced on 
     January 31, 1995, to strengthen the Mexican peso and support 
     economic stability in Mexico requires congressional 
     authorization or appropriation.
       (2) A detailed evaluation of the terms and conditions of 
     the commitments and agreements entered into by the President, 
     or any officer or employee of the United States acting on 
     behalf of the President, in connection with providing such 
     support, including the terms which provide for collateral or 
     other methods of assuring repayment of any outlays by the 
     United States.
       (3) An analysis of the resources which the International 
     Monetary Fund has agreed to make available to strengthen the 
     Mexican peso and support economic stability in Mexico, 
     including--
       (A) an identification of the percentage of such resources 
     which are attributable to capital contributions by the United 
     States to such Fund; and
       (B) an analysis of the extent to which the Fund's 
     participation in such efforts will likely require additional 
     contributions by member states, including the United States, 
     to the Fund in the future.
       (4) An evaluation of the role played by the Bank for 
     International Settlements in international efforts to 
     strengthen the Mexican peso and support economic stability in 
     Mexico and the extent of the financial exposure of the United 
     States, including the Board of Governors of the Federal 
     Reserve System, with respect to the Bank's activities.
       (5) A detailed analysis of the relationships between the 
     Bank for International Settlements and the Board of Governors 
     of the Federal Reserve System and between the Bank and the 
     Secretary of the Treasury, and the extent to which such 
     relationships involve a financial commitment to the Bank or 
     other members of the Bank, on the part of the United States, 
     of public money or any other financial resources under the 
     control of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve 
     System.
       (6) An accounting of fund flows, during the 24 months 
     preceding the date of the adoption of this resolution, 
     through the exchange stabilization fund established under 
     section 5302 of title 31, United States Code, the manner in 
     which amounts in the fund have been used domestically and 
     internationally, and the extent to which the use of such 
     amounts to strengthen the Mexican peso and support economic 
     stability in Mexico represents a departure from the manner in 
     which amounts in the fund have previously been used, 
     including conventional uses such as short-term currency swaps 
     to defend the dollar as compared to intermediate- and long-
     term loans and loan guarantees to foreign countries.
                              {time}  1450

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. LaHood). Under rule IX, a resolution 
offered from the floor by a Member other than the majority leader or 
the minority leader as a question of the privileges of the House has 
immediate precedence only at a time or place designated by the Speaker 
in the legislative schedule within two legislative days of its being 
properly noticed. The Chair will announce the Speaker's designation at 
a later time. In the meantime, the form of the resolution proffered by 
the gentleman from Mississippi will appear in the Record at this point.
  The Chair is not at this point making a determination as to whether 
the resolution constitutes a question of privilege. That determination 
will made at the time designated by the Speaker for consideration of 
the resolution.


                         Parliamentary Inquires

  Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, I have a parliamentary inquiry.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentlewoman will state it.
  Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, as an original cosponsor of this privileged 
resolution, I would like to inquire of the Chair at what point we might 
have that Speaker's ruling? At what point might this matter be 
scheduled for debate for the Record, please?
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. That will be determined by the Speaker.
  Ms. KAPTUR. What would be the maximum amount of time that the Speaker 
might allow before making that ruling?
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under rule IX, that is 2 legislative days.
  Ms. KAPTUR. Two legislative days. So that would mean that we would 
have some opinion from the Speaker by late on Tuesday at the very 
latest?
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. That would appear to be correct.
  Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, a further parliamentary inquiry: In what 
form will the Speaker so inform the Members?
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Speaker will consult with the Members as 
to when he makes his ruling.
  Ms. KAPTUR. Consult with the cosponsors, the original cosponsors of 
the resolution?
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Speaker will make sure that he gets the 
word to the gentleman from Mississippi.
  Mr. TAYLOR of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I have a parliamentary 
inquiry.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman will state it.
  Mr. TAYLOR of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I have researched this and 
feel very strongly that it indeed involves the privileges of the House, 
since this is a matter constitutional in nature that is mandatory for 
this body to fulfill.
  It is my intention, should there be a ruling of the Chair that this 
is not a privileged resolution, to question the ruling of the Chair. 
Therefore, the timing of that ruling is of importance so that I can 
have the maximum number of Members who feel strongly about this issue 
on the floor.
  Would it be possible for me to be notified in writing 24 hours in 
advance, giving me the time that I should expect such ruling?
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Speaker will comply with rule IX.
  Mr. TAYLOR of Mississippi. At what point during the legislative 
business on that second day will this be brought to a vote?
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The matter will be determined by the 
Speaker.
  Mr. TAYLOR of Mississippi. Is the Speaker's intention to in any way 
inform the Members so as to give them advanced warning of this ruling?
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The current occupant of the chair cannot 
prejudge what the Speaker will do.
  Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, I have a further parliamentary inquiry.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentlewoman will state it.
  Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, in past such rulings, how has the Speaker 
notified the Members?
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Speaker would notify the Members through 
the Parliamentarian or through the staff of the Speaker's office.
  Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, I thank the Chair.

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