[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 64 (Thursday, April 6, 1995)]
[House]
[Page H4340]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   WE SHOULD NOT IGNORE OUR OWN RULES

  (Mr. JOHNSTON of Florida asked and was given permission to address 
the House for 1 minute.)
  Mr. JOHNSTON of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I was very disappointed that we 
undermined our own rules and procedures to assure the passage of the 
tax bill. As my colleagues know, and as it was explained just now by 
the gentleman from Texas [Mr. Doggett] there was a substantial 
increase. In 20 years in the State legislature and in Congress, I have 
never voted against the ruling of the Chair. In fact earlier this year 
I supported Speaker Gingrich in the resolution on Mexico against my own 
colleague, the gentleman from Mississippi [Mr. Taylor]. But in this 
instance I was forced to vote against the Chair.
  While I sincerely compliment the gentleman from California who 
chaired during this and was very fair-minded throughout, I do fault 
those Members who advised him from the floor to totally ignore our 
rules which were only 3 months ago adopted.
  Our rules are the glue that hold this body together under the best 
and most adverse conditions. If we ignore them intentionally, we not 
only act with intellectual dishonesty but we invite anarchy.


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