[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 96 (Wednesday, July 9, 1997)]
[House]
[Page H4985]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    PROVIDING FOR FURTHER CONSIDERATION OF H.R. 1775, INTELLIGENCE 
                 AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 1998

  Mr. GOSS. Mr. Speaker, I rise to make a unanimous consent request 
which I think will be of great interest to all Members, concerning what 
we expect to be the events of the next hour and a half or so.
  I ask unanimous consent that during further consideration of H.R. 
1775, pursuant to House Resolution 179, the Chairman of the Committee 
of the Whole may, (1) postpone until a time during further 
consideration in the Committee of the Whole a request for a recorded 
vote on any amendment; and (2) reduce to 5 minutes the minimum time for 
electronic voting on any postponed question that follows another 
electronic vote without intervening business, provided that the time 
for electronic voting on the first in any series of questions shall be 
a minimum of 15 minutes.
  I further would like to explain my unanimous consent request, Mr. 
Chairman, by saying that my understanding and part of the unanimous 
consent request is that the remaining amendments, which I will outline, 
on H.R. 1775, my understanding, the Frank amendment and all amendments 
thereto would be considered for a total of 30 minutes, that would be 15 
minutes a side; that the Waters amendment that has to do with the Los 
Angeles drug problem be limited to 60 minutes, that would be 30 minutes 
a side, and all amendments thereto, if that amendment is in fact in 
order, which I am not certain about at this time; and that the Waters 
Amendment No. 2 and all amendments thereto, which has to do with the 
Gulf war chemical warfare amendment, be limited to 60 minutes, 30 
minutes a side.
  That would, by my judgment, wrap up all of the amendments that we 
have provided, then to get back to the normal motions to recommit and 
closing out the bill in the normal way. I believe that if there is no 
opposition to our unanimous consent request, that would ensure Members 
until approximately 8:30, probably thereafter, before we would have the 
rolled votes; and that is my unanimous consent request.
  I would be very happy to yield if there is a question.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Florida?
  Mr. DICKS. Mr. Speaker, reserving the right to object, is it my 
understanding that the chairman on the second amendment might have a 
substitute amendment?
  Mr. GOSS. Mr. Speaker, if the gentleman will yield, if the gentleman 
is referring to the Waters second amendment, which is the one on the 
Gulf war chemical warfare problem, the gentleman is correct. There is a 
substitute amendment that will be offered and that, indeed, could 
extend the time out.
  Mr. DICKS. Further reserving the right to object, Mr. Speaker, do we 
understand that we would roll the votes and we would have a 15-minute 
vote followed by two 5-minute votes if there were 3 votes requested? Is 
that the understanding?
  Mr. GOSS. If the gentleman would yield further, my understanding is 
that the first vote in the series would have to be a 15-minute vote and 
all subsequent votes would be 5 minutes. It is hard for me to say how 
many there will be because there is a germaneness question on one of 
these; and my substitute I would not think would take very long.
  I am told that there is confusion about whether my substitute is 
included in the 60 minutes that is set aside for Waters 2.
  Mr. DICKS. Mr. Speaker, I thought it was 60 minutes with all 
amendments thereto.
  Mr. GOSS. Mr. Speaker, if the gentleman would continue to yield, that 
is my understanding. I want to make sure that that is the understanding 
of the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Waters) also. In that case, 
there is no misunderstanding.
  Mr. DICKS. Mr. Speaker, I withdraw my reservation of objection.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair would clarify that the Gulf war 
amendment is amendment No. 6 by the gentlewoman from California [Ms. 
Waters].
  Mr. GOSS. I am sure the Speaker is correct on that.
  The CHAIRMAN. Is there objection to the request of the gentleman from 
Florida?
  There was no objection.

                          ____________________