[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 133 (Tuesday, September 30, 1997)]
[House]
[Page H8262]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          LEGISLATIVE PROGRAM

  (Mr. LEWIS of Georgia asked and was given permission to address the 
House for 1 minute.)
  Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I asked for this time because I 
noticed that the majority leader, the gentleman from Texas [Mr. Armey], 
is on the floor of the House, and I would like to know something about 
the schedule for the rest of tonight and tomorrow.
  Mr. Speaker, tomorrow is the beginning of a high holiday for many of 
our Members.
  Mr. ARMEY. Mr. Speaker, will the gentleman yield?
  Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. I yield to the gentleman from Texas.
  Mr. ARMEY. Mr. Speaker, we are about to do a motion to instruct 
offered by the gentleman from Texas [Mr. Doggett]. The gentleman from 
Kentucky [Mr. Whitfield] is very much interested in this, as are other 
Members, and we should expect that we should have a discussion of this 
matter and a vote, another vote, before we complete our evening's 
business.
  We will convene the House at 10 a.m. tomorrow morning, we will move 
as quickly as we can to a consideration of the rule on national 
monuments, and then again we will move as quickly as we can to 
consideration of national monuments. We should then have completed the 
legislative business we will have planned for tomorrow, and we should 
be in a position for our Members who are anxious about being home for 
the observation of holidays before the sun goes down tomorrow evening 
to do so, except that we still have 14 votes that were ordered on the 
Suspension Calendar, and should those votes be in fact required to be 
taken, it would work, I would guess, some hardship on all the Members 
who might have travel plans.
  I would remind the House that it has been on the schedule of the 
House for some time that we would complete business by 3 o'clock 
tomorrow. I have been implored by many, many Members, and I think for a 
very good reason, to try to move that up. I will have done everything I 
can do by trying to complete as much work as possible tonight in order 
for that to be moved up to 12:15.
  It would be, I think, a consideration that might be granted to those 
Members who have this serious religious concern that we all want to 
respect for those people that had requested votes ordered on the 
suspension vote to reconsider the extent to which they truly indeed 
need those orders and might want to vacate that request, and that would 
be, I would think, a much appreciated consideration given to Members by 
those who would be in a position to do so. But we obviously cannot deny 
a Member his or her right to insist on ordering those votes on those 
suspensions.
  And I notice my friend from Georgia, and I will assure him that I am 
as committed as I can be to persuading and encouraging everybody to do 
what we can to facilitate the need that many Members have to transport 
themselves and their families with as much dispatch as possible.
  Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I would like to yield to my 
colleague from Texas [Mr. Edwards] for further inquiry of the majority 
leader.
  Mr. EDWARDS. Would the distinguished majority leader be willing to 
let me address a question to him? Does he feel it is fair to require 
Members of this body to choose between their religious faith and their 
responsibility?
  I believe I have a right to ask this. I think this is a very serious 
issue, Mr. Speaker.
  Mr. ARMEY. Mr. Speaker, if the gentleman will yield, I will respond 
to the gentleman.
  The SPEAKER. The time of the gentleman from Georgia [Mr. Lewis] has 
expired.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Texas [Mr. Doggett] to offer 
a privileged motion.

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