[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 128 (Thursday, August 3, 1995)]
[House]
[Page H8421]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     HOUR OF MEETING, ORDER OF BUSINESS AND PROVIDING FOR FURTHER 
         CONSIDERATION OF H.R. 1555, COMMUNICATIONS ACT OF 1995

  Mr. ARMEY. Mr. Speaker, I should advise the members that pending the 
following unanimous-consent request, this could be the last vote of the 
night.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the House convene at 8:00 
a.m. today and that there be no intervening motion from the time of 
convening until the Pledge of Allegiance; and that further 
consideration of the bill H.R. 1555 in the Committee of the Whole 
pursuant to House Resolution 207 shall also be governed by the 
following order:
  First, immediately after the Pledge of Allegiance, the House shall 
resolve into the Committee of the Whole for the further consideration 
of H.R. 1555 pursuant to House Resolution 207 without intervening 
motion;
  Second, consideration in the Committee of the Whole shall proceed 
without intervening motion except the amendments printed in the House 
Report 104-223, except one motion to rise, if offered by Representative 
Bliley;
  Third, that any amendment adopted in the Committee of the Whole shall 
be deemed as having been adopted in the House; and
  Fourth that Representative Conyers shall have permission to modify 
amendment number 2-2.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Texas?
  Mr. DINGELL. Mr. Speaker, reserving the right to object, and I do not 
think that I will object, but I want to make a couple of comments.
  Like every other Member of this body, I have received a deluge of 
mail on the subject of this bill. Like the gentleman from Illinois [Mr. 
Flanagan] yesterday, I took the trouble to check into the behavior of 
those who stimulated that mail. I found, as did the gentleman from 
Illinois [Mr. Flanagan], that the stimulators of that mail had used the 
names of people who were unaware of the use of their names, that those 
who put that mail campaign together made false statements about the 
persons who had signed the letters, and led the people to sign the mail 
without any correct impression of what the content of the mail or the 
campaign was to be. Under the proposal tomorrow, I cannot discuss that 
matter at that time.
  I want to make it very clear that I intend to follow up on this 
matter and to see to it that the miscreants who have engaged in this 
improper practice are exposed in proper fashion and that their behavior 
which demeans themselves, the legislative practices of this body and 
the democracy of which we are a part is properly exposed.
  I will be sending them a letter on behalf of a number of my 
colleagues about this serious and gross misbehavior. Anyone who would 
like to join in signing the letter will be welcome at this desk 
tomorrow. I would also say that I intend to see to it that this kind of 
practice does not again infect the legislative process.
  Mr. BLILEY. Mr. Speaker, will the gentleman yield?
  Mr. DINGELL. Further reserving the right to object, I yield to the 
gentleman from Virginia.
  Mr. BLILEY. Mr. Speaker, I want to applaud the gentleman for his 
statement. I intend to work closely with you, if you will have me, to 
see that jointly we pursue this matter to its proper conclusion. I 
thank the gentleman for yielding.
  Mr. BARTON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, will the gentleman yield?
  Mr. DINGELL. Further reserving the right to object, I yield to the 
gentleman from Texas.
  Mr. BARTON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, as the subcommittee chairman of 
oversight investigations, a post the gentleman from Michigan [Mr. 
Dingell] held for so many years with such distinction, if his 
investigations uncover something that is worthy of investigation by 
that subcommittee, I will be happy to work with the gentleman and the 
full committee chairman to fully follow up on whatever he finds out.
  Mr. DINGELL. Mr. Speaker, further reserving the right to object, I 
can think of no Member who would do a finer job in setting right this 
matter. I want to thank the gentleman from Texas and also my dear 
friend the gentleman from Virginia.
  Mr. Speaker, I withdraw my reservation of objection.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Texas?
  Mr. GEPHARDT. Mr. Speaker, reserving the right to object, I will not 
object, but I would like to ask the majority leader if Members could be 
assured that there would not be a vote in the morning until 8:45 a.m.
  Mr. ARMEY. Mr. Speaker, if the gentleman would yield, we will convene 
at 8 a.m. and go immediately into consideration of the chairman's 
amendment. The debate on that amendment would be 30 minutes. So even a 
15-minute vote could not, even under the greatest conditions of 
expediency, be completed until 8:45 a.m. The gentleman is correct.
  Mr. GEPHARDT. I thank the gentleman.
  Mr. Speaker, I withdraw my reservation of objection.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Texas?
  There was no objection.
  

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