[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 1 (Wednesday, January 3, 1996)]
[House]
[Page H23]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  PROVIDING U.S. MILITARY PERSONNEL WITH FULL COST OF LIVING INCREASE

  Mr. DELLUMS. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to take from the 
Speaker's table the Senate bill (S. 1514) to authorize the obligation 
and expenditure of appropriated funds for a 2.4-percent increase for 
basic allowance for quarters for the members of the uniformed services, 
and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under the guidelines consistently issued by 
successive Speakers, as recorded on page 534 of the House Rules Manual, 
the Chair is constrained not to entertain the gentleman's request until 
it has been cleared by the bipartisan floor and committee leaderships.


                        Parliamentary Inquiries

  Mr. VOLKMER. Parliamentary inquiry, Mr. Speaker.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman will state his parliamentary 
inquiry.
  Mr. VOLKMER. Mr. Speaker, because of the din on the floor, I was 
unable to hear the Speaker's ruling on the request of the gentleman 
from California. Would the Speaker be so kind as to repeat the ruling?
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair declined recognition as the Chair 
has in previous cases.
  Mr. DELLUMS. Mr. Speaker, the House is not in order, and the 
gentleman is entitled to be heard. We cannot hear the Speaker.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The House will be in order.
  The Chair will repeat his denial of recognition. Under the guidelines 
consistently issued by successive Speakers, as recorded on page 534 of 
the House Rules Manual, the Chair is constrained not to entertain the 
gentleman's request until it has been cleared by the bipartisan floor 
and committee leaderships.
  Mr. DELLUMS. Parliamentary inquiry, Mr. Speaker.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman will state it.
  Mr. DELLUMS. Mr. Speaker, is the reason that this gentleman cannot be 
recognized to offer this unanimous-consent request because of the 
minority status of this gentleman and the fact that the majority has 
not agreed to bring up this legislation which is needed, as this 
gentleman understands, by 5 p.m. this afternoon?
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair would say to the gentleman, it has 
absolutely nothing to do with the gentleman's minority status; it has 
to do with the clearances that have to be obtained for a measure to be 
brought to the floor by unanimous consent by majority or minority 
Members.
  Mr. DELLUMS. Mr. Speaker, further parliamentary inquiry.
  Does that mean, as I understand the language of the Chair, that that 
bipartisan agreement has not been achieved as of this moment?
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair knows of no understanding between 
the bipartisan leaderships, committee leadership, or by the floor 
leaderships for bringing the gentleman's measure to the floor by a 
unanimous-consent request.
  Mrs. SCHROEDER. Mr. Speaker, parliamentary inquiry.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentlewoman will state it.
  Mrs. SCHROEDER. Mr. Speaker, I had trouble hearing during the prior 
parliamentary inquiry. In order to bring the needed pay-raise bill to 
the floor, which is needed by 5 o'clock tonight, we are to go get 
bipartisan support. The question we have is, Where do we go to get 
that?
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentlewoman is not stating a 
parliamentary inquiry.
  Mrs. SCHROEDER. We do not know where that room is. No one has been 
able to find that.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The committee leadership, I would say to the 
gentlewoman and the floor leadership.

                          ____________________