[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 111 (Thursday, July 31, 1997)]
[House]
[Pages H6667-H6668]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




REQUEST FOR ORDER OF CONSIDERATION OF H.R. 2264, DEPARTMENTS OF LABOR, 
    HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, AND EDUCATION, AND RELATED AGENCIES 
                        APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 1998

  Mr. SOLOMON. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that consideration 
of the bill (H.R. 2264) making appropriations for the Departments of 
Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and related agencies 
for the fiscal year ending September 30, 1998, and for other purposes, 
may proceed according to the order that I have placed at the desk.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Clerk will report the order.
  The Clerk read as follows:
       Mr. Solomon asks unanimous consent that consideration of 
     H.R. 2264 proceed according to the following order:
       (1) The Speaker may at any time, as though pursuant to 
     clause 1(b) of rule XXIII, declare the House resolved into 
     the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union 
     for consideration of the bill (H.R. 2264)

[[Page H6668]]

     making appropriations for the Departments of Labor, Health 
     and Human Services, and Education, and related agencies, for 
     the fiscal year ending September 30, 1998, and for other 
     purposes.
       (2) The first reading of the bill shall be dispensed with. 
     All points of order against consideration of the bill are 
     waived. General debate shall be confined to the bill and 
     shall not exceed one hour equally divided and controlled by 
     the chairman and ranking minority member of the Committee on 
     Appropriations. After general debate the bill shall be 
     considered for amendment under the five-minute rule.
       (3) Points of order against provisions in the bill for 
     failure to comply with clause 2 or 6 of rule XXI are waived 
     except as follows: beginning with ``: Provided'' on page 41, 
     line 26, through ``$2,245,000,000'' on page 42, line 3. Where 
     points of order are waived against part of a paragraph, 
     points of order against a provision in another part of such 
     paragraph may be made only against such provision and not 
     against the entire paragraph.
       (4) The amendments printed in House Report 105-214 may be 
     offered only by a Member designated in the report and only at 
     the appropriate point in the reading of the bill, shall be 
     considered as read, shall not be subject to amendment except 
     pro forma amendments offered for the purpose of debate, and 
     shall not be subject to a demand for division of the question 
     in the House or in the Committee of the Whole. All points of 
     order against the amendments printed in the report are 
     waived.
       (5) During consideration of the bill for amendment, the 
     Chairman of the Committee of the Whole may accord priority in 
     recognition on the basis of whether the Member offering an 
     amendment has caused it to be printed in the portion of the 
     Congressional Record designated for that purpose in clause 6 
     of rule XXIII. Amendments so printed shall be considered as 
     read.
       (6) 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 five minutes the minimum time 
     for electronic voting on any postponed question that follows 
     another electronic vote without intervening business, 
     provided that the minimum time for electronic voting on the 
     first in any series of questions shall be 15 minutes.
       (7) During consideration of the bill, points of order 
     against amendments for failure to comply with clause 2(e) of 
     rule XXI are waived.
       (8) At the conclusion of consideration of the bill for 
     amendment the Committee shall rise and report the bill to the 
     House with such amendments as may have been adopted. The bill 
     and amendments thereto to final passage without intervening 
     motion except one motion to recommit with or without 
     instructions.
       (9) Notwithstanding any other provision of this order, it 
     shall be in order to consider in lieu of amendments numbered 
     1 and 2 in House Report 105-214 the amendment I have placed 
     at the desk. That amendment shall otherwise be considered as 
     though printed as the amendment numbered 1 in House Report 
     105-214.
       (10) House Resolution 199 is laid on the table.

                              {time}  1645

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Clerk will report the amendment.
  The Clerk read as follows:

       Page 94, strike lines 16 through 21 and insert the 
     following (and redesignate the succeeding sections 
     accordingly):
       Sec. 508. (a) None of the funds appropriated under this Act 
     shall be expended for any abortion.
       (b) None of the funds appropriated under this Act shall be 
     expended for health benefits coverage that includes coverage 
     of abortion.
       (c) The term ``health benefits coverage'' means the package 
     of services covered by a managed care provider or 
     organization pursuant to a contract or other arrangement
       Sec. 509. (a) The limitations established in the preceding 
     section shall not apply to an abortion--
       (1) if the pregnancy is the result of an act of rape or 
     incest; or
       (2) in the case where a woman suffers from a physical 
     disorder, physical injury, or physical illness, including a 
     life-endangering physical condition caused by or arising from 
     the pregnancy itself, that would, as certified by a 
     physician, place the woman in danger of death unless an 
     abortion is performed.
       (b) Nothing in the preceding section shall be construed as 
     prohibiting the expenditure by a State locality, entity, or 
     private person of State, local, or private funds (other than 
     a State's or locality's contribution of Medicaid matching 
     funds) for abortion services or coverage of abortion by 
     contract or other arrangement.
       (c) Nothing in the preceding section shall be construed as 
     restricting the ability of any managed care provider or 
     organization from offering abortion coverage or the ability 
     of a state or locality to contract separately with such a 
     provider for such coverage with state funds (other that a 
     State's or locality's contribution of Medicaid matching 
     funds).

  Mr. SOLOMON (during the reading). Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous 
consent that the amendment be considered as read and printed in the 
Record.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore [Mr. LaHood]. Is there objection to the 
request of the gentleman from New York?
  Mr. OBEY. Mr. Speaker, reserving the right to object, I think it 
would be helpful if the resolution was read.
  Mr. SOLOMON. Mr. Speaker, I withdraw the unanimous consent that the 
amendment be considered as read and leave the original unanimous 
consent standing.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Clerk will re-report paragraph 8.
  The Clerk read as follows:

       (8) At the conclusion of consideration of the bill for 
     amendment the Committee shall rise and report the bill to the 
     House with such amendments as may have been adopted. The 
     previous question shall be considered as ordered on the bill 
     and amendments thereto to final passage without intervening 
     motion except one motion to recommit with or without 
     instructions.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from New York?
  Mr. McINTOSH. Mr. Speaker, reserving the right to object, if I may 
ask of the chairman, does this rule provide for a chairman's amendment 
that could be brought to the floor when the bill comes for debate?
  Mr. SOLOMON. Mr. Speaker, will the gentleman yield?
  Mr. McINTOSH. I yield to the gentleman from New York.
  Mr. SOLOMON. Mr. Speaker, no, it does not.
  This rule that we would adopt by unanimous consent would bring to the 
floor under regular rules of order, regular rules of the House so that 
any amendment, any cutting amendment, any offsetting amendment, or any 
limitation amendment ordinarily allowed under normal rules of the House 
should the bill have come directly to the floor instead of through the 
Committee on Rules, those amendments would be made in order.
  Mr. McINTOSH. Mr. Speaker, I object to this unanimous consent.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Objection is heard.

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