[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 82 (Wednesday, May 17, 1995)]
[House]
[Pages H5117-H5118]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




ANNOUNCEMENT ON AMENDMENT PROCESS FOR H.R. 1561, THE AMERICAN OVERSEAS 
                             INTERESTS ACT

  (Mr. SOLOMON asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute.)
  Mr. SOLOMON. Mr. Speaker, in relation to the last unanimous-consent 
request, I would like to announce to Members that the Committee on 
Rules has tentatively scheduled to meet this coming Monday to consider 
a rule for H.R. 1561, the American Overseas Interest Act, more commonly 
known as the [[Page H5118]] State Department Foreign Assistance 
Authorization.
  The bill was ordered reported by the Committee on International 
Relations on Monday of this week, and the report is expected to be 
filed tomorrow night according to the last unanimous-consent request. 
The House is expected to begin general debate and the amendment process 
next Tuesday. The rule will likely require that amendments be 
preprinted in the amendment section of the Congressional Record prior 
to their consideration.
  Members should use the Office of Legislative Counsel to ensure their 
amendments are properly drafted to the amendment in the nature of a 
substitute recommended by the Committee on International Relations that 
will be made as base text for amendment purposes. A copy of the 
committee amendment in the nature of a substitute will be published in 
today's Congressional Record by the gentleman from New York [Mr. 
Gilman], the chairman of the committee, for reference and drafting 
purposes. It will be available at the offices of the committee.
  Since the rule will not be structured as far as the limiting of 
amendments is concerned, there is no need for Members to file their 
amendments with the Committee on Rules or to testify before us. If 
Members have any questions, they can contact Dave Lonie in our 
Committee on Rules at 57985.
  Mr. SABO. Mr. Chairman, will the gentleman yield?
  Mr. SOLOMON. I yield to the gentleman from Minnesota.
  Mr. SABO. Mr. Chairman, my question relates not to the immediate 
subject, but the prior subject of the rule on the budget. Let me just 
simply make sure I understand that rule in terms of the 6 hours of 
debate.
  As I understand it, the first hour is 1 hour of general debate 
controlled by the chairman and myself. The second hour is reserved for 
the Joint Economic Committee, the time to be controlled by the Chair of 
the Joint Economic Committee and the gentleman from California [Mr. 
Stark], the ranking minority member. Then we revert to the general 
debate on the budget resolution.
  Mr. SOLOMON. That is the normal procedure. it is what we have 
followed in the past. We will follow it this year as well.
  Mr. SABO. The reason I ask, 2 years ago, we had a little disconnect. 
One side was on JEC for a period of time, and the other side was not. 
So the plan this year is the first hour would be budget debate, the 
second hour JEC debate, and then hours three through six general debate 
on the budget resolution.
  Mr. SOLOMON. The chairman of the Committee on the Budget is nodding 
his head yes, that is correct.

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