[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 23 (Thursday, February 27, 1997)]
[House]
[Pages H696-H697]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                ANNOUNCEMENT BY THE SPEAKER PRO TEMPORE

  The SPEAKER pro tempore [Mr. Collins]. The Chair will announce, for 
the benefit of the body, that clause 1 of rule XIV clearly 
distinguishes between references in debate to other Members of the 
House, which are in order if not engaging in personality, and improper 
references to Members of the Senate, which are not in order as a matter 
of comity between the houses even though not personally offensive, and 
must be enforced on the Chair's initiative under that rule.
  The Chair believes prior occupants of the Chair have consistently 
applied this rule.
  Does the gentleman have a motion?
  Mr. SCARBOROUGH. No, Mr. Speaker, I actually have a question.
  Could the Chair read the first part of that again, regarding 
references to other Members by name?
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Clause 1 of rule XIV clearly distinguishes 
between references in debate to other Members of the House, which are 
in order if not engaging in personality.


                         Parliamentary Inquiry

  Mr. SCARBOROUGH. Mr. Speaker, parliamentary inquiry. If a statement 
was made of another Member and used this other Member's name, and made 
disparaging remarks regarding his views on rape, on murder, on incest, 
and on other matters, would that fall under that section as a 
disparaging remark?
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair has clearly stated the rule twice.
  Mr. SCARBOROUGH. Mr. Speaker, the Chair has also stated, though, that 
it has applied it evenhandedly over the past several years. I can tell 
you just 3 hours ago that rule was not applied evenhandedly.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair will again remind the Member he 
has read the rule twice, that there is no prohibition against 
announcing another Member's name and policies as long as it is not 
personally offensive to that person, to that Member.

[[Page H697]]

  Does the gentleman have a motion?
  Mr. SCARBOROUGH. I will make a motion, but I hope in the future that 
the Chair will be evenhanded toward both sides.


                            LEAVE OF ABSENCE

  By unanimous consent, leave of absence was granted to:
  Mrs. Carson (at the request of Mr. Gephardt] for today on account of 
illness.

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