[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 35 (Friday, February 24, 1995)]
[House]
[Pages H2215-H2216]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


  PROCEEDING WITH GENERAL DEBATE PENDING A VOTE ON HOUSE RESOLUTION 96

  Mr. GEPHARDT. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the House may 
proceed to general debate in the Committee of the Whole as though under 
House Resolution 96 during any postponement of proceedings on that 
resolution pursuant to clause 5 of rule I.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Missouri?
  [[Page H2216]] Mr. SOLOMON. Mr. Speaker, reserving the right to 
object, and I will not object, I just want to say to the minority 
leader that this is a highly unusual request for us to begin debate and 
finish a rule and then postpone the vote subject to the general debate 
starting. We certainly are going to agree with the unanimous-consent 
request out of courtesy to those in the western part of the country, 
but I just want it understood that this does not set a precedent; that 
in the future we are going to have to work these things out in advance, 
and there could very well be votes earlier than 5 o'clock on Mondays in 
the future.
  And having said that, I appreciate the gentleman's unanimous-consent 
request and will not object to it.
  Mr. GEPHARDT. If the gentleman will yield, I would like to make a 
short statement and perhaps ask a question.
  The point I would like to ask is: With this unanimous-consent 
request, I assume we have accomplished not having a vote until at least 
5 o'clock? Is that correct?
  Mr. SOLOMON. Absolutely, and it would be up to your side to call a 
vote, and as I understand it from your unanimous-consent request that 
we could interrupt the 2 hours of general debate at any point subject 
to your decision to call for a vote, but you would not be doing that 
prior to 5 o'clock. Was that your unanimous-consent request?
  Mr. GEPHARDT. That is correct.
  Mr. SOLOMON. We certainly concur with that.
  Mr. GEPHARDT. I made the unanimous-consent request with the express 
purpose of making sure we did not have a vote until after 5 o'clock.
  Mr. SOLOMON. We would certainly, in agreeing to that, hope there 
would not be a need for a vote on a previous question, and we would 
hope that we kind of have that understanding, although I know the 
gentleman could not guarantee it.
  Mr. GEPHARDT. That is correct.
  Mr. SOLOMON. Mr. Speaker, I withdraw my reservation of objection.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Missouri?
  There was no objection.
  

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