[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 8 (Tuesday, January 23, 1996)]
[House]
[Pages H760-H761]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




PRIVILEGES OF THE HOUSE--PROTECTING CREDITWORTHINESS OF UNITED STATES, 
       AVOIDING DEFAULT, AND AVERTING ANOTHER GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN

  Mr. DOGGETT. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to clause (2)(a)(1) of rule XI, I 
give notice of my intention to offer a resolution on behalf of myself 
and the gentleman from Houston, TX [Mr. Bentsen], who is at the mike 
and who joins me today.
  Mr. Speaker, this would be a resolution that raises a question of the 
privileges of the House and the form of the resolution is as follows:

       Whereas, the inability of the House to pass an adjustment 
     in the public debt limit unburdened by the unrelated 
     political agenda of either party, an adjustment to maintain 
     the creditworthiness of the United States and to avoid 
     disruption of interest rates and the financial markets, 
     brings dsicredit upon the House;
       Whereas, the inability of the House to pass a clean 
     resolution to continue normal governmental operations so as 
     to end the abuse of American citizens and their hard-earned 
     dollars, Federal employees, private businesses who perform 
     work for the Federal government, and those who rely upon 
     Federal services as a bargaining tactic to gain political 
     advantage in the budget negotiations, brings discredit upon 
     the House;
       Whereas, previous inaction of the House has already cost 
     the American taxpayer about $1.5 billion in wasteful 
     governmental shutdown costs, reduced the productivity and 
     responsiveness of federal agencies and caused untold human 
     suffering;
       Whereas, the failure of the House of Representatives to 
     adjust the federal debt limit and keep the nation from 
     default or to act on legislation to avert another government 
     shutdown impairs the dignity of the House, the integrity of 
     its proceedings and the esteem the public holds for the 
     House;
       Resolved, That upon the adoption of this resolution the 
     enrolling clerk of the House of Representatives shall prepare 
     an engrossment of the bill, H.R. 2862, and the joint 
     resolution, H.J. Res. 157. The vote by which this resolution 
     is adopted by the House shall be deemed to have been a vote 
     in favor of such bill and a vote in favor of such joint 
     resolution upon final passage in the House of 
     Representatives. Upon engrossment of the bill and the joint 
     resolution, each shall be deemed to have passed the House of 
     Representatives and been duly certified and examined; the 
     engrossed copies shall be signed by the Clerk and transmitted 
     to the Senate for further legislative action; and (upon final 
     passage by both Houses) the bill and the joint resolution 
     shall be signed by the presiding officers of both Houses and 
     presented to the President for his signature (and otherwise 
     treated for all purposes) in the manner provided for bills 
     and joint resolution generally.

  Mr. BENTSEN. Mr. Speaker, in respect to the resolution offered by the 
gentleman from Texas [Mr. Doggett], my colleague, as it related----
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair would inform the gentleman that 
the resolution is not debatable at this time.


                         parliamentary inquiry

  Mr. BENTSEN. Mr. Speaker, I have a parliamentary inquiry.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman will state it.
  Mr. BENTSEN. Mr. Speaker, is it in order at this time to determine 
whether or not this rule IX applies to this resolution and is it also 
in order at this time for the House to debate whether rule IX would 
apply with respect to this resolution?
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair would inform the gentleman that 
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 its being properly noticed. The Chair will announce 
the Speaker's designation at a later time. In the meantime, the form of 
the resolution proffered by the gentleman from Texas will appear in the 
Record at this point. 

[[Page H761]]

  The Chair is not at this point 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.
  Mr. DOGGETT. Mr. Speaker, we thank you and we stand ready to proceed 
upon proper notice.

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