[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 200 (Friday, December 15, 1995)]
[House]
[Pages H14929-H14930]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




MOTION TO AUTHORIZE SPEAKER TO DECLARE RECESSES SUBJECT TO THE CALL OF 
              THE CHAIR THROUGH MONDAY, DECEMBER 18, 1995

  Mr. ARMEY. Mr. Speaker, I offer a privileged motion.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Clerk will report the motion.
  The Clerk read as follows:

       Mr. Armey moves that the Speaker may be authorized to 
     declare recesses subject to the call of the chair through 
     Monday, December 18, 1995.


                         parliamentary inquiry

  Mr. FAZIO of California. Mr. Speaker, I have a parliamentary inquiry.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman will state his parliamentary 
inquiry.
  Mr. FAZIO of California. Mr. Speaker, as many Members may know, this 
procedure has never been used before, and it is my understanding that 
this procedure is being used to avoid a problem we may anticipate down 
the road in terms of our ability to later adjourn the House. I wonder 
if perhaps the Chair or the majority leader could enlighten us. The 
last time the House failed to adjourn during the last Government 
shutdown, Members on this side of the aisle were not notified ahead of 
time as to the Speaker's intentions regarding the length of the 
recesses called as a result. Regarding the length of recesses called, 
we would hope some Democratic Members who at that time ended up 
remaining in their offices throughout the weekend because they had not 
been assured in advance of notice as to when the House could come back 
into session would be informed, given perhaps as much as 2 days' notice 
as to when we may be called back into session. I wonder if the Chair or 
the majority leader could assure Members on both sides of the aisle 
that sufficient notice will be given so that we can avoid that kind of 
problem in the future.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair believes this is a privileged 
motion, the Chair believes that adequate notice will be given, and the 
Chair will defer to the majority leader in response to the 
parliamentary inquiry.
  Mr. ARMEY. Mr. Speaker, if I might respond to the gentleman from 
California, let me assure the gentleman from California that Members 
would be given ample notice before we would reconvene the body. We 
obviously take this measure in order for Members to be with their 
families later today, and tomorrow, and Sunday, insofar as it is 
possible to do that. Should work present itself that would be 
compelling enough for us to interrupt that time with their families, we 
will first notify the Members in ample time for them to return, and 
then second, of course, convene to take up that work. 

[[Page H14930]]

  Mr. FAZIO of California. Further parliamentary inquiry, Mr. Speaker:
  I assume we are using this device as a way of moving forward if no CR 
is enacted, and obviously I would hope, as I assume we all would, that 
some sort of continuing resolution could be put in place so that we 
would actually not be in a position to shut the Government down, but 
this device does remain available if we are not able to accomplish 
that. Could the gentleman give us some outstanding date or time on a 
given day when he would anticipate the recess coming to a close?

  Mr. ARMEY. Mr. Speaker, the gentleman, of course, is free to assume 
whatever he likes.
  Mr. Speaker, I would anticipate that what work might get done on the 
budget would not be done in sufficient time for us to act on it before 
Monday next. There is other work we can do, but it is not of such 
compelling urgency that we would need to schedule it for the weekend 
given that we can do it during the course of next week's proceedings.
  So, I would anticipate that except in the extraordinary circumstance 
of a budget agreement that Members might prepare to go to their 
districts to be with their families and their constituents until Monday 
afternoon. We would probably try to arrange the schedule so that there 
would be no votes until after 5 on Monday.
  Mr. FAZIO of California. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate that assurance. I 
think it gives Members some confidence that even though this is a 
rather extraordinary, in fact perhaps unprecedented, delegation of 
authority, at least the Members on our side are being given, in effect 
by the gentleman's comments, adequate notice.
  Mr. ARMEY. Mr. Speaker, if I might respond, I will have a statement, 
of course, later in the day so that we can have perhaps more firm 
revelations for Members, but in any event should the Speaker exercise 
his authority, Members will have certainly at least 24 hours' notice 
before they are called back to the Chamber.
  Mr. FAZIO of California. I appreciate the gentleman's assurance.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Texas [Mr. Armey].
  The question was taken; and the Speaker pro tempore announced that 
the ayes appeared to have it.
  Mr. FAZIO of California. Mr. Speaker, I object to the vote on the 
ground that a quorum is not present and make the point of order that a 
quorum is not present.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Evidently a quorum is not present.
  The Sergeant at Arms will notify absent Members.
  The vote was taken by electronic device, and there were--yeas 215, 
nays 152, not voting 65, as follows:

                             [Roll No. 863]

                               YEAS--215

     Allard
     Archer
     Armey
     Bachus
     Baesler
     Baker (LA)
     Ballenger
     Barr
     Barrett (NE)
     Bartlett
     Barton
     Bass
     Bateman
     Bereuter
     Bilbray
     Bilirakis
     Bliley
     Blute
     Boehlert
     Boehner
     Bonilla
     Bono
     Brownback
     Bryant (TN)
     Bunn
     Bunning
     Burr
     Burton
     Buyer
     Callahan
     Calvert
     Camp
     Canady
     Castle
     Chabot
     Chambliss
     Chenoweth
     Christensen
     Chrysler
     Clinger
     Coble
     Coburn
     Collins (GA)
     Combest
     Cooley
     Crapo
     Cremeans
     Cubin
     Cunningham
     Davis
     Deal
     DeLay
     Diaz-Balart
     Dickey
     Dreier
     Duncan
     Dunn
     Ehlers
     English
     Ensign
     Everett
     Ewing
     Fawell
     Flanagan
     Foley
     Forbes
     Fowler
     Fox
     Franks (CT)
     Franks (NJ)
     Frelinghuysen
     Frisa
     Funderburk
     Gallegly
     Ganske
     Gekas
     Gilchrest
     Gillmor
     Gilman
     Goodlatte
     Goodling
     Goss
     Graham
     Greenwood
     Gunderson
     Gutknecht
     Hancock
     Hansen
     Hastert
     Hastings (WA)
     Hayworth
     Hefley
     Heineman
     Herger
     Hilleary
     Hobson
     Hoekstra
     Hoke
     Horn
     Hostettler
     Houghton
     Hunter
     Hutchinson
     Hyde
     Inglis
     Istook
     Jacobs
     Johnson (CT)
     Johnson, Sam
     Jones
     Kasich
     Kelly
     Kim
     King
     Kingston
     Klug
     Knollenberg
     Kolbe
     LaHood
     Largent
     Latham
     LaTourette
     Laughlin
     Lazio
     Leach
     Lewis (KY)
     Livingston
     LoBiondo
     Longley
     Lucas
     Manzullo
     Martini
     McCollum
     McCrery
     McHugh
     McIntosh
     McKeon
     Metcalf
     Meyers
     Mica
     Miller (FL)
     Molinari
     Moorhead
     Morella
     Myers
     Myrick
     Nethercutt
     Neumann
     Ney
     Norwood
     Nussle
     Oxley
     Packard
     Parker
     Paxon
     Petri
     Pombo
     Porter
     Portman
     Radanovich
     Ramstad
     Regula
     Riggs
     Roberts
     Rogers
     Rohrabacher
     Ros-Lehtinen
     Roth
     Roukema
     Royce
     Salmon
     Sanford
     Saxton
     Scarborough
     Schaefer
     Schiff
     Seastrand
     Sensenbrenner
     Shadegg
     Shaw
     Shays
     Shuster
     Skeen
     Smith (MI)
     Smith (NJ)
     Smith (TX)
     Smith (WA)
     Solomon
     Souder
     Spence
     Stearns
     Stockman
     Stump
     Talent
     Tate
     Tauzin
     Taylor (NC)
     Thomas
     Thornberry
     Tiahrt
     Torkildsen
     Upton
     Vucanovich
     Walsh
     Wamp
     Watts (OK)
     Weldon (FL)
     Weldon (PA)
     Weller
     White
     Whitfield
     Wicker
     Wolf
     Zeliff
     Zimmer

                               NAYS--152

     Andrews
     Baldacci
     Barcia
     Barrett (WI)
     Becerra
     Bentsen
     Berman
     Bevill
     Bishop
     Borski
     Boucher
     Brewster
     Browder
     Brown (CA)
     Brown (FL)
     Brown (OH)
     Clay
     Clement
     Clyburn
     Coleman
     Condit
     Conyers
     Costello
     Coyne
     Cramer
     Danner
     de la Garza
     DeLauro
     Dicks
     Dingell
     Doggett
     Dooley
     Doyle
     Durbin
     Edwards
     Engel
     Eshoo
     Evans
     Farr
     Fattah
     Fazio
     Fields (LA)
     Filner
     Flake
     Foglietta
     Ford
     Frank (MA)
     Frost
     Furse
     Gejdenson
     Gephardt
     Geren
     Gibbons
     Gonzalez
     Gordon
     Hall (TX)
     Hamilton
     Hefner
     Hilliard
     Holden
     Jackson (IL)
     Jackson-Lee (TX)
     Johnson (SD)
     Johnson, E.B.
     Johnston
     Kanjorski
     Kennedy (MA)
     Kennedy (RI)
     Kennelly
     Kildee
     Kleczka
     Klink
     Levin
     Lewis (GA)
     Lincoln
     Lipinski
     Lofgren
     Lowey
     Luther
     Markey
     Mascara
     Matsui
     McCarthy
     McDermott
     McHale
     McKinney
     Meek
     Menendez
     Miller (CA)
     Minge
     Mink
     Moakley
     Mollohan
     Montgomery
     Moran
     Murtha
     Neal
     Oberstar
     Obey
     Olver
     Ortiz
     Orton
     Owens
     Pallone
     Pastor
     Payne (NJ)
     Payne (VA)
     Pelosi
     Peterson (FL)
     Peterson (MN)
     Pickett
     Pomeroy
     Poshard
     Rahall
     Rangel
     Reed
     Richardson
     Rivers
     Roemer
     Roybal-Allard
     Rush
     Sabo
     Sanders
     Sawyer
     Schroeder
     Scott
     Serrano
     Sisisky
     Skelton
     Slaughter
     Spratt
     Stark
     Stenholm
     Studds
     Stupak
     Tanner
     Taylor (MS)
     Thompson
     Thornton
     Thurman
     Traficant
     Vento
     Volkmer
     Ward
     Waters
     Watt (NC)
     Waxman
     Williams
     Wise
     Woolsey
     Wyden
     Wynn

                             NOT VOTING--65

     Abercrombie
     Ackerman
     Baker (CA)
     Beilenson
     Bonior
     Bryant (TX)
     Cardin
     Chapman
     Clayton
     Collins (IL)
     Collins (MI)
     Cox
     Crane
     DeFazio
     Dellums
     Deutsch
     Dixon
     Doolittle
     Dornan
     Ehrlich
     Emerson
     Fields (TX)
     Green
     Gutierrez
     Hall (OH)
     Harman
     Hastings (FL)
     Hayes
     Hinchey
     Hoyer
     Jefferson
     Kaptur
     LaFalce
     Lantos
     Lewis (CA)
     Lightfoot
     Linder
     Maloney
     Manton
     Martinez
     McDade
     McInnis
     McNulty
     Meehan
     Mfume
     Nadler
     Pryce
     Quillen
     Quinn
     Rose
     Schumer
     Skaggs
     Stokes
     Tejeda
     Torres
     Torricelli
     Towns
     Velazquez
     Visclosky
     Waldholtz
     Walker
     Wilson
     Yates
     Young (AK)
     Young (FL)

                              {time}  1028

  Mr. MORAN and Mr. MURTHA changed their vote from ``yea'' to ``nay.''
  Mr. ENSIGN changed his vote from ``nay'' to ``yea.''
  So the motion was agreed to.
  The result of the vote was announced as above recorded.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

                          ____________________