[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 135 (Thursday, October 1, 1998)]
[House]
[Page H9192]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     WAIVING REQUIREMENT OF CLAUSE 4(b) OF RULE XI WITH RESPECT TO 
      CONSIDERATION OF CERTAIN RESOLUTIONS FROM COMMITTEE ON RULES

  Mr. HASTINGS of Washington. Mr. Speaker, by direction of the 
Committee on Rules, I call up House Resolution 558 and ask for its 
immediate consideration.
  The Clerk read the resolution, as follows:

                              H. Res. 558

       Resolved, That the requirement of clause 4(b) of rule XI 
     for a two-thirds vote to consider a report from the Committee 
     on Rules on the same day it is presented to the House is 
     waived with respect to any resolution reported from that 
     committee on the legislative day of October 1 or October 2, 
     1998, providing for consideration or disposition of a 
     conference report to accompany a bill or joint resolution 
     making general appropriations for the fiscal year ending 
     September 30, 1999, or any amendment reported in disagreement 
     from a conference thereon.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from Washington (Mr. Hastings) 
is recognized for 1 hour.
  Mr. HASTINGS of Washington. Mr. Speaker, for purposes of debate only, 
I yield the customary 30 minutes to the distinguished ranking member of 
the Committee on Rules, the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Moakley), 
pending which I yield myself such time as I may consume. During 
consideration of this resolution, all time yielded is for the purpose 
of debate only.
  (Mr. HASTINGS of Washington asked and was given permission to revise 
and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. HASTINGS of Washington. Mr. Speaker, House Resolution 558 would 
waive clause 4(b) of Rule XI against certain resolutions reported from 
the Committee on Rules. Clause 4(b) requires a two-thirds vote of the 
House to consider a rule on the same day it is reported from the 
Committee on Rules.
  This resolution would apply the waiver to a special rule reported on 
October 1st or October 2nd, 1998, providing for consideration or 
disposition of a conference report to accompany a bill or a joint 
resolution making general appropriations for the fiscal year ending 
September 30th, 1999, or any amendment reported in disagreement from a 
conference thereon.
  Mr. Speaker, this proposed waiver is essential in order for the House 
to consider, in a timely fashion, one or more appropriations conference 
reports that may be available later today or tomorrow.
  I know all of my colleagues share a desire to move as expeditiously 
as possible through the remaining legislative matters that must be 
completed prior to our adjournment. Therefore, I encourage Members on 
both sides of the aisle to support this resolution.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. MOAKLEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume, 
and I thank my dear friend, the gentleman from Washington (Mr. 
Hastings), for yielding me the customary half-hour.
  Mr. Speaker, today is the beginning of the fiscal year and, once 
again, my Republican colleagues have not finished their appropriations 
bills. As many people know, in order to keep the government open for 
business, President Clinton had to sign a continuing resolution last 
week, but we still have to pass eight appropriations bills and send 
them to the White House for signature. Mr. Speaker, that is a tall 
order. By the end of next week we have to do this.
  Normally, conference reports have to be available at least 3 days 
before they are considered on the House floor. The idea behind that 
rule is very simple. It is that appropriations bills are very important 
spending bills and Members have to have enough time to look at them and 
consider them very carefully.
  So although we must hurry and finish these bills before they are any 
more overdue, I hesitate to support such rules except in the case of 
extreme circumstances. Martial law rules nearly always diminish the 
rights of the minority, and I think my Republican colleagues have 
really had plenty of time to finish the appropriations process. But, 
Mr. Speaker, in this case the rule is narrowly focused to apply only to 
appropriations conference reports, and it is only in effect until the 
end of this week.
  In all likelihood, Mr. Speaker, the Agriculture and Treasury Postal 
appropriations conference reports, which came before the Committee on 
Rules the other day, will be brought to the floor under this scenario. 
That means that they could be on the floor later today. These bills 
contain very important spending on programs from Federal drug control 
programs to badly needed disaster assistance for American farmers who 
have been very hard hit by severe weather conditions this summer. So we 
need to pass these bills and get them signed into law as quickly as 
possible.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. HASTINGS of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of 
my time, and I move the previous question on the resolution.
  The previous question was ordered.
  The resolution was agreed to.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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