[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 79 (Wednesday, June 17, 1998)]
[House]
[Pages H4694-H4695]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       CAMPAIGN FINANCE REFORM DEBATE SHOULD NOT BE DELAYED AGAIN

  Mr. MEEHAN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to speak out of 
order for 1 minute.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Sununu). Is there objection to the 
request of the gentleman from Massachusetts?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. THOMAS. Mr. Speaker, I could not hear you nor the exchange. What 
has occurred?
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. 
Meehan) has made a unanimous-consent request to speak out of order for 
1 minute.
  Mr. THOMAS. Reserving the right to object.
  Mr. MEEHAN. Mr. Speaker, the ruling was already made.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman has been granted permission to 
speak out of order for 1 minute.
  Mr. THOMAS. Mr. Speaker, I thought it was a request unanimously to 
speak out of order.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Hearing no objection, the gentleman was 
recognized.
  Mr. THOMAS. Mr. Speaker, I did not hear the exchange, but go ahead.
  Mr. MEEHAN. Mr. Speaker, we have been waiting for a vote on campaign 
finance reform now for literally years. Years. My question to somebody 
on the other side is, how in the world could the debate on the rule on 
this bill have possibly been canceled again?
  My understanding through the grapevine is that we are actually not 
going to do the rule again tonight. In other words, my understanding is 
that we are going to walk away tonight again not

[[Page H4695]]

having done the rule, again not having started debate on the Shays-
Meehan bill that we were promised a vote on over and over and over 
again.
  Mr. Speaker, I hope someone on the other side can give me some 
justification, just a little bit of justification as to why we are 
canceling this debate on this rule again. It is outrageous.
  Mr. Speaker, this has been canceled five times, this rule. And I 
cannot believe we are going to walk out of here before we vote on this 
rule. The American people are demanding a vote. I will yield to whoever 
can explain this to me.


                         PARLIAMENTARY INQUIRY

  Mr. FRANK of Massachusetts. Mr. Speaker, I have a parliamentary 
inquiry.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman will state it.
  Mr. FRANK of Massachusetts. Mr. Speaker, would you check and see if 
the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Hastings) took the campaign finance 
bill with him on that leave of absence.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman is out of order.

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