[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 117 (Wednesday, July 19, 1995)]
[House]
[Pages H7239-H7240]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




      POSTPONING VOTES DURING FURTHER CONSIDERATION OF H.R. 1976, 
   AGRICULTURE, RURAL DEVELOPMENT, FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, AND 
               RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 1996

  Mr. SKEEN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that during further 
consideration of H.R. 1976 pursuant to House Resolution 188 the 
chairman of the Committee of the Whole may postpone until a time during 
further consideration in the Committee of the Whole a request for a 
recorded vote on any amendment, and that the chairman of the Committee 
of the Whole may reduce to not less than 5 minutes the time for voting 
by electronic device on any postponed question that immediately follows 
another vote by electronic device without intervening business, 
provided that the time for voting by electronic device on the first in 
any series of questions shall be not less than 15 minutes.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from New Mexico?
  Mr. DURBIN. Mr. Chairman, reserving the right to object, and I do not 
plan to object, but I wanted to make sure it is clear, will there be 
any record votes taken this evening?
  Mr. SKEEN. Mr. Chairman, will the gentleman yield?
  Mr. DURBIN. I yield to the gentleman from New Mexico.
  Mr. SKEEN. Mr. Speaker, I have a plan for this evening. If the 
gentleman will allow me, I would like to go ahead and run through it.
  The plan of action for this evening is if this unanimous-consent 
agreement is agreed to, we would proceed as follows: Take a minimum 
amount of general debate, say 10 or 15 minutes on each side, and since 
we are reading this bill under the 5 minute rule, no Members' rights 
are denied since they can always move to strike the last word and make 
their statements. Then we will take up the chairman's amendment made in 
order under the rule for a total of 10 minutes debate, and take a 
record vote on this amendment only. Then we would begin to read the 
bill for amendments, but take no further votes this evening, and we 
would roll the votes until tomorrow.
  Mr. DURBIN. Mr. Chairman, further reserving the right to object, I 
yield to the gentleman from Wisconsin [Mr. Obey].
  Mr. OBEY. Mr. Chairman, it was my understanding that we would not 
proceed past the end of title I. Is that correct?

[[Page H 7240]]

  Mr. SKEEN. If the gentleman will yield, we would like to finish title 
I, if we can. We will test the waters.
  Mr. OBEY. We will not go beyond title I?
  Mr. SKEEN. No, we will not, unless we get a chance to.
  Mr. OBEY. If the gentleman will yield further, I also thought the 
understanding was that there would be no further action taken after 
10:15 p.m.
  Mr. SKEEN. That is correct. I am sorry I did not mention that to the 
gentleman, but 10:15, we will try to wind it up here this evening by as 
early as 10:15. There will be only one vote.
  Mr. DURBIN. Mr. Speaker, I withdraw my reservation of objection.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from New Mexico?
  There was no objection.

                          ____________________