[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 125 (Thursday, September 12, 1996)]
[House]
[Pages H10333-H10334]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   RELEASE REPORT BY OUTSIDE COUNSEL

  (Ms. DeLAURO asked and was given permission to address theHouse for 1

[[Page H10334]]

minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, there are only 15 days left before this 
Congress adjourns, and, with so little time left, it is critically 
important that theHouse Committee on Standards of Official Conduct 
immediately release the 100-page report by the outside counsel probing 
the dealings of Speaker Newt Gingrich.


                            points of order

  Mr. LINDER. Mr. Speaker, I rise to a point of order.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman will state his point of order.
  Mr. LINDER. Mr. Speaker, the gentlewoman from Connecticut is 
referring directly to matters before the Committee on Standards of 
Official Conduct.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman is correct. The gentlewoman is 
directed to continue in order.
  Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, I think it is important to heed the words 
of Speaker Gingrich in 1989, and I quote: ``I think it is vital that we 
establish as a Congress our commitment to publish that report,'' making 
reference to the report against Speaker Jim Wright at the time, ``and 
to release those documents, so the country can judge whether or not the 
man second in line to be President of the United States of America, the 
Speaker of theHouse, should be in that position.''
  Stop the coverup. Release the report.
  Further in 1989, Speaker Gingrich said----


                             point of order

  Mr. LINDER. Mr. Speaker, further point of order.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman will state his point of order.
  Mr. LINDER. Mr. Speaker, I would ask you to enforce the rules of this 
House, because each of these Members has found ways to go back to the 
references to the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct, when they 
should be called out of order and asked to sit down.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair has repeatedly asked Members to 
respect the rules of theHouse and rulings of the Chair. There are 
opportunities available to the Chair to enforce the rules of theHouse. 
The appropriate manner in which to enforce it at this moment in time is 
a point of order made by another Member.


                        parliamentary inquiries

  Mr. VOLKMER. Mr. Speaker, I have a parliamentary inquiry.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman will state it.
  Mr. VOLKMER. Mr. Speaker, is the Speaker ruling that the comments 
made by Speaker Gingrich in March 1989 are inappropriate?
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair has not ruled on the historical 
references made by this Speaker or the previous Speaker. The Chair is 
ruling that the observations concerning the pending matter, the matter 
pending before the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct, should 
not be brought to the floor of theHouse.
  Mr. VOLKMER. Mr. Speaker, I believe the gentlewoman was quoting the 
Speaker of theHouse from March 1989.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. With all due respect, in the hearing of the 
Chair, the gentlewoman went beyond that and inserted in the middle of 
her historical reference another reference.
  Mr. STUPAK. Mr. Speaker, I have a parliamentary inquiry.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman will state it.
  Mr. STUPAK. Mr. Speaker, the gentlewoman from Connecticut was going 
to comment upon a 1990 statement made concerning a past case. Is the 
Speaker saying that is improper for her to do that?
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Once again, the Chair has not stated nor 
made any ruling in reference to the historical observations made by 
this speaker. It was relative to other observations made by the 
speaker.
  Mr. STUPAK. Mr. Speaker, it would then be relevant for the speaker to 
comment on a 1990 Member without objection?
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair is doing its best to be 
clairvoyant, but the Chair will make its ruling when matters occur, and 
not in anticipation of speech.
  Mr. STUPAK. I heard 1990. I just did not want another comment about 
something in anticipation, so the gentlewoman can at least finish her 
statement, in all due respect.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentlewoman may proceed in order.
  Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, a further historical, further perspective. 
I quote from Congressman Gingrich at the time in 1989: ``The 435 
Members of theHouse should look at all of the facts, should have 
available to them all of the reports and all of the background 
documents, and the American people should have the same.''
  Indeed, the American people are owed the same. Release the report.

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