[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 150 (Friday, October 31, 1997)]
[House]
[Pages H9809-H9810]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   ANNOUNCEMENT OF INTENTION TO OFFER RESOLUTION RAISING QUESTION OF 
                        PRIVILEGES OF THE HOUSE

  Ms. LOFGREN. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to clause 2 of rule IX, I hereby 
give notice of my intention to offer a resolution which raises a 
question of the privileges of the House.
  The form of the resolution is as follows:

       Whereas, Loretta Sanchez was issued a certificate of 
     election as the duly elected Member of Congress from the 46th 
     District of California by the Secretary of State of 
     California and was seated by the U.S. House of 
     Representatives on January 7, 1997; and
       Whereas A Notice of Contest of Election was filed with the 
     Clerk of the House by Mr. Robert Dornan on December 26, 1996; 
     and
       Whereas the Task Force on the Contested Election in the 
     46th District of California met on February 26, 1997 in 
     Washington, D.C. on April 19, 1997 in Orange County, 
     California and October 24, 1997 in Washington, D.C.; and
       Whereas allegations made by the losing candidate, Mr. 
     Dornan, of voter fraud in fact were revealed to be legitimate 
     voters living at a Marine barracks, sisters living at their 
     nunnery as well as the zookeeper at the Santa Ana zoo
       Whereas for the first time in any election in the history 
     of the United States the INS has been asked to verify the 
     citizenship of voters, a task that the INS is unable to 
     accomplish with accuracy, precision or certainty with the 
     immigration records available to them.
       Whereas the Committee on House Oversight has had nearly a 
     year to present credible evidence of fraud sufficient to 
     change the outcome of the election to the House of 
     Representatives
       Whereas the Committee on House Oversight is pursuing a 
     seemingly never ending and apparently unsubstantiated review 
     of this matter reminding observers of the famous Dickens 
     novel ``Bleak House''
       And Whereas the House has a right to expect this matter to 
     be resolved professionally as well as promptly and certainly 
     before half of Congresswoman Sanchez' term of office has 
     passed
       Whereas, the Committee on House Oversight should complete 
     its review of this matter and bring this contest to an end 
     and now therefore be it;
       Resolved, That unless the Committee on House Oversight has 
     sooner reported a recommendation for its final disposition, 
     the contest in the 46th District of California is dismissed 
     upon the expiration of November 7, 1997.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Without objection, the Chair's prior 
statement will appear in the Record at this point.
  There was no objection.
  The text of the Chair's prior statement is as follows:

       Under rule IX, a resolution offered from the floor by a 
     Member other than the Majority Leader or the Minority Leader 
     as a question of the privileges of the House has immediate 
     precedence only at a time designated by the Chair within two 
     legislative days after the resolution is properly notices.

[[Page H9810]]

       Pending that designation, the form of the resolution 
     noticed by the gentlewoman from California will appear in the 
     Record at this point.
       The Chair will not at this point determine whether the 
     resolution constitutes a question of privilege. That 
     determination will be made at the time designated for 
     consideration of the resolution.

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