[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 25 (Wednesday, February 8, 1995)]
[House]
[Pages H1379-H1380]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                              {time}  1150
REQUEST FOR ESTABLISHMENT OF PROCEDURES FOR CONSIDERATION OF A CERTAIN 
      AMENDMENT TO H.R. 666, EXCLUSIONARY RULE REFORM ACT OF 1995

  Mr. VOLKMER. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that when the House 
resolves itself into the Committee of the Whole and takes up H.R. 666, 
there be a time limitation on my amendment of 50 minutes, divided 
equally between myself and an opponent to the amendment, and that no 
amendments be permitted to my amendment.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Lazio of New York). Is there objection 
to the request of the gentleman from Missouri?
  Mr. DeLAY. Mr. Speaker, reserving the right to object, and I do 
intend to object, mainly because I do not mind negotiating on limiting 
time on an amendment, but I do mind limiting the ability for Members to 
amend the gentleman's amendment.
  Mr. Speaker, further reserving the right to object, I yield to the 
gentleman from New Mexico [Mr. Schiff].
  Mr. SCHIFF. Mr. Speaker, I just want to bring up the fact that the 
gentleman from Missouri has raised two questions: A motion to limit 
time and a motion to make his own amendment unamendable. I wonder if 
the gentleman could explain why the second portion of that request is 
there.
  Mr. DeLAY. Mr. Speaker, continuing my reservation of objection, I 
yield to the gentleman from Missouri [Mr. Volkmer].
  Mr. VOLKMER. Mr. Speaker, I had not planned to. When I first 
negotiated the time limit, I was going to make it in the Committee of 
the Whole. And it was only going to be basically on 45 minutes. And 
then I thought 50 minutes was easier to divide than 45.
  But from that side of the aisle I heard that some member of the 
committee from that side of the aisle may even try to preempt me on 
this amendment or there may be amendments to my amendment or there may 
be other things to take away my amendment.
  Now, I have worked up this amendment, and I would like to have the 
opportunity to offer it. I am just trying to preclude that and restate 
my stand on one issue, and that is the BATF. I would just talk about 
that and limit the time.
  I am willing to limit the time as long as we can do that, but if we 
are going to be getting into a wrangle on this thing, then I am not 
going to agree to a time limit.
  Does the gentleman understand that? We may be here 3 or 4 hours.
  Mr. DeLAY. Mr. Speaker, continuing my reservation of objection, I 
understand the gentleman's concern about the time limit. And I might 
concur and negotiate with the gentleman over a time limit, but if the 
gentleman would have consulted with the majority on his amendment, I 
think the majority could have worked with him.
  There are many Members on our side that do not want to be limited in 
being able to amend the gentleman's amendment or even substitute for 
the gentleman's amendment, or in some cases members of the committee 
may want to offer the gentleman's amendment, members who are in 
agreement with the gentleman.
  I think it is the privilege of the majority to ask for cooperation 
and ask for negotiation on unanimous-consent requests.
  Mr. Speaker, continuing my reservation of objection, I yield to the 
gentleman from Massachusetts [Mr. Frank].
  Mr. FRANK of Massachusetts. Mr. Speaker, several things the gentleman 
said made some sense to me, but then I thought I heard the gentleman 
say some members of the majority might want to offer the gentleman's 
amendment. That one seemed a little disturbing. The gentleman from 
Missouri has been working on this amendment. The gentleman is saying 
that some members of the majority have plans to sort of show the 
respect for intellectual property rights of the Chinese Government and 
steal the gentleman's amendment.
  Mr. DeLAY. Mr. Speaker, I would not characterize it, in responding to 
the gentleman, as stealing the gentleman's amendment. There are many on 
our side of the aisle that feel like they could support the gentleman's 
amendment if it was changed in certain ways. We want the opportunity to 
investigate that and to do that. To just arbitrarily say that we cannot 
amend the gentleman's amendment or substitute for it or do something 
else with it, we just cannot agree to that.
  Mr. FRANK of Massachusetts. Mr. Speaker, if the gentleman will 
continue to yield, then I misunderstood. There is no effort to try to 
preempt the gentleman's right to offer that amendment as his amendment 
since he is the one who came up with it.
  Mr. DeLAY. Mr. Speaker, I think those Members that are on the 
Committee on the Judiciary, by the rules and by tradition, have the 
right to be recognized before the gentleman from Missouri. And whether 
a Member from that committee offers whatever amendment that may pertain 
to the substance of the gentleman's amendment, we are not prepared 
right now to say whether that is going to happen or not.
  Mr. FRANK of Massachusetts. So the gentleman would have to satisfy 
himself with that flattery which imitation is the sincerest form of?
  Mr. DeLAY. Mr. Speaker, I am not sure I understood the gentleman's 
question.
  Mr. FRANK of Massachusetts. I apologize for being unclear. The 
gentleman from Missouri, having come up with this, the notion that he 
has to come up with the amendment, having 
[[Page H1380]] put it forward, and then loses it because somebody else 
decides to put his name on it, seems to me unfortunate. But if the 
gentleman insists that that is what the rules allow, I suppose that is 
what happens.
  Mr. DeLAY. Mr. Speaker, continuing my reservation of objection, I 
yield to the gentleman from Missouri [Mr. Volkmer].
  Mr. VOLKMER. Mr. Speaker, I recognize that that is what the rules 
allow. If the gentleman wishes to object, let him object.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Missouri?
  Mr. DeLAY. Mr. Speaker, I object.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Objection is heard.
  

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