[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 76 (Thursday, June 5, 1997)]
[House]
[Pages H3519-H3520]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1600
     ESTABLISHING TIME LIMITATIONS FOR CONSIDERATION OF ADDITIONAL 
 AMENDMENTS TO H.R. 1757, FOREIGN RELATIONS AUTHORIZATION ACT, FISCAL 
                          YEARS 1998 AND 1999

  Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that during further 
consideration of H.R. 1757 in the Committee of the Whole, pursuant to 
House Resolution 159, that each further amendment to the bill, and all 
amendments thereto, shall be debatable for 10 minutes equally divided 
and controlled by the proponent and an opponent, except for the 
following amendments:
  Amendments en bloc offered by the chairman of the Committee on 
International Relations pursuant to this unanimous consent agreement; 
the gentleman from Rhode Island [Mr. Kennedy] regarding Indonesia; the 
gentleman from California [Mr. Miller] regarding Cuba; the gentleman 
from New York [Mr. Schumer] regarding Egypt; the gentleman from New 
York [Mr. Paxon] or the gentleman from New York [Mr. Engel] regarding 
Palestinian land transactions; the gentleman from Ohio [Mr. Ney] 
regarding Libya; the gentleman from South Carolina [Mr. Sanford] 
regarding authorization levels; the gentlewoman from Georgia [Ms. 
McKinney] regarding arms transfer code of conduct; the gentleman from 
California [Mr. Capps] regarding Tibet; the gentleman from New York 
[Mr. Gilman] regarding counternarcotics authorities; the gentleman from 
Indiana [Mr. Hamilton]; and the gentleman from New York [Mr. Gilman].
  It shall be in order at any time for the chairman of the Committee on 
International Relations or a designee, with the concurrence of the 
ranking minority member of that committee or a designee, to offer 
amendments en bloc. Amendments en bloc offered pursuant to this 
unanimous-consent agreement shall be considered as read, shall not be 
subject to amendment, shall not be subject to a demand for a division 
of the question in the House or in the Committee of the Whole, and may 
amend portions of the bill previously read for amendment. The original 
proponent of an amendment included in such amendments en bloc may 
insert a statement in the Congressional Record immediately before the 
disposition of the amendments en bloc.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore [Mr. Barrett of Nebraska]. Is there objection 
to the request of the gentleman from New York?
  Mr. HAMILTON. Mr. Speaker, reserving the right to object, I do not 
intend to object but I would like to ask a question or two about the 
unanimous-consent request. As I understand the unanimous-consent 
request, amendments that are not specifically listed will be allowed 
only 10 minutes of debate, 5 on each side?
  Mr. GILMAN. If the gentleman will yield, the gentleman is correct.
  Mr. HAMILTON. And the amendments that are listed which the gentleman 
has read would have unlimited debate?
  Mr. GILMAN. The gentleman is correct.
  Mr. HAMILTON. With respect to the votes pending, I think there are 
three, does the gentleman expect to have a vote on those today?
  Mr. GILMAN. We are awaiting instructions from the majority leader.
  Mr. HAMILTON. Can the gentleman tell us anything about the rest of 
the schedule with respect to the bill?
  Mr. GILMAN. We anticipate taking up the rest of the bill next week.
  Mr. HAMILTON. Will we also take up the European security bill next 
week?
  Mr. GILMAN. We anticipate taking up the European security bill next 
week.
  Mr. HAMILTON. Mr. Speaker, I withdraw my reservation of objection.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from New York?
  Mr. STEARNS. Mr. Speaker, reserving the right to object, this is a 
question I think that the gentleman from Indiana [Mr. Hamilton] 
mentioned. I think there were three of us that have amendments from 
last night. We have been sitting on pins and needles hoping that we 
could vote on these. We thought these three amendments would be voted 
on before the Campbell amendment and the Smith amendment. Now they have 
not. At this point we still are not clear when our three amendments 
would be voted on.
  I would just like to urge on behalf of my colleagues that we vote on 
them today. If we do not vote on them and adjourn for next week, then 
the debate is lost for all the time we spent yesterday evening when we 
were here until 8:30 talking about this. I will not object, but I would 
like the chairman, if he could, just to clarify again for me and for 
the other Members, when will we expect a vote on those 3 amendments?
  Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, will the gentleman yield?
  Mr. STEARNS. Further reserving the right to object, I yield to the 
gentleman from New York.
  Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, we have not had full clarification yet from 
the majority leader, but anticipate we will probably vote next week on 
the remaining amendments.
  Mr. STEARNS. I will not object but I do protest that, that we are 
delaying them that much.
  Second, it is very difficult for the Members that have these 
amendments to sit around their office and try and find out what is 
going on and then if they do not come down, the way we structured this, 
as I understand it, Mr. Speaker, is that if we do not show up these 
amendments will not even be voted on. Could the Speaker clarify that 
for me?
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. It occurs to the Chair that a recorded vote 
has been requested in each instance.
  Mr. STEARNS. But even though it has been requested, if the Member who 
has the amendment, if he or she is not here on the floor at the 
rostrum, as I understand, that amendment will not be voted on because 
it was presented in a manner that it has to be presented by the Member 
again. Could the Chair clarify that? I was not clear on that last 
night.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. A sufficient number of Members would have to 
stand at that appropriate time.
  Mr. STEARNS. What this means is that we would have to stand and say 
there is a quorum not present, Mr. Speaker, and pending that, a quorum 
not being present, we request a quorum before we get a recorded vote, 
and then pending the quorum, then we would go ahead with the procedure 
asking for a recorded vote? Is that what we would have to do?
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The committee would proceed under the way it 
normally disposes of requests for recorded votes.
  Mr. STEARNS. The difficulty with that is last night we were here, we 
asked for a recorded vote, the assumption we had is we would get a 
recorded vote. Now the Chair is saying we will not get a recorded vote 
unless we are here.
  Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, if the gentleman will yield, I want to 
assure the gentleman that our staff will do everything possible to 
alert the gentleman if and when there is a vote so that the gentleman 
will be prepared to come to the floor to be present during that vote.
  Mr. STEARNS. Mr. Speaker, with that assurance from the chairman, that 
is as good as gold.

[[Page H3520]]

  Mr. Speaker, I withdraw my reservation of objection.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from New York?
  There was no objection.

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