[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 199 (Thursday, December 14, 1995)]
[House]
[Pages H14878-H14879]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   ANNOUNCEMENT OF INTENTION TO OFFER RESOLUTION RAISING QUESTION OF 
                        PRIVILEGES OF THE HOUSE

  Mr. BRYANT of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise to announce to the House 
that under rule IX, I plan to offer a privileged resolution and ask for 
its consideration to be scheduled within 2 days, as are required by the 
rules, as follows:

       Whereas, on November 29, 1995, the House of Representatives 
     considered S. 1060, a bill which had been passed by the 
     Senate on July 25, 1995 to provide for the disclosure of 
     lobbying activities to influence the Federal Government and 
     for other purposes;
       Whereas, on such date the House passed the bill without 
     amount, the effect of which was an identical lobbying reform 
     bill passed by both the House and the Senate;
       Whereas, as of December 14, 1995, the bill passed by both 
     Chambers has not been enrolled by the Senate and presented to 
     the President in violation of constitutional requirements to 
     so present;
       Whereas, an unreasonable delay in the presentation of an 
     enrolled bill to the President affects the integrity of the 
     proceedings of the House of Representatives: Therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Speaker of the House of Representatives 
     shall appoint a committee of two Members of the House, one 
     from each major party, to determine whether there has been 
     unreasonable delay in transmitting the enrolled bill, S. 
     1060, to the President, and such committee shall promptly 
     inform the Senate of the concern of the House of 
     Representatives over the delay in the bill's presentation to 
     the President.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under rule IX, a resolution offered from the 
floor by a Member other than the majority leader or the minority leader 
as a question of the privileges of the House has immediate precedence 
only at a time or place designated by the Speaker in the legislative 
schedule within 2 legislative days of its being properly noticed. The 
Chair will announce the Speaker's designation at a later time. In the 
meantime, a form of the resolution proffered by the gentleman from 
Texas will appear in the Record at this point.
  The Chair is not making a determination as to whether the resolution 
constitutes a question of privilege. That determination will be made at 
the time designated by the Speaker for consideration of the resolution.


                         parliamentary inquiry

  Mr. FRANK of Massachusetts. Parliamentary inquiry, Mr. Speaker.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman will state it.
  
[[Page H14879]]

  Mr. FRANK of Massachusetts. Mr. Speaker, my question would be as to 
the point you just made, as to whether or not this would be recognized 
as a legitimate question of privilege, would the fact that a virtually 
identical resolution under identical circumstances offered by then-
minority whip Gingrich in 1991, that that was ruled to be a question of 
privilege, would that be relevant to this decision?
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair will consider that at the time 
that the resolution is offered.

                          ____________________