[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 105 (Thursday, July 22, 1999)]
[House]
[Pages H6297-H6298]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF H.R. 1074, REGULATORY RIGHT-TO-KNOW ACT 
                                OF 1999

  Mr. SESSIONS. Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Committee on Rules, I 
call up House Resolution 258 and ask for its immediate consideration.
  The Clerk read the resolution, as follows:

                              H. RES. 258

       Resolved, That at any time after the adoption of this 
     resolution the Speaker may, pursuant to clause 2(b) of rule 
     XVIII, declare the House resolved into the Committee of the 
     Whole House on the state of the Union for consideration of 
     the bill (H.R. 1074) to provide Government-wide accounting of 
     regulatory costs and benefits, and for other purposes. The 
     first reading of the bill shall be dispensed with. 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 Government 
     Reform. After general debate the bill shall be considered for 
     amendment under the five-minute rule. It shall be in order to 
     consider as an original bill for the purpose of amendment 
     under the five-minute rule the amendment in the nature of a 
     substitute recommended by the Committee on Government Reform 
     now printed in the bill. The committee amendment in the 
     nature of a substitute shall be considered as read. No 
     amendment to the committee amendment in the nature of a 
     substitute shall be in order except those printed in the 
     portion of the Congressional Record designated for that 
     purpose in clause 8 of rule XVIII and except pro forma 
     amendments for the purpose of debate. Each amendment so 
     printed may be offered only by the Member who caused it to be 
     printed or his designee and shall be considered as read. 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. 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. Any Member may demand a separate vote 
     in the House on any amendment adopted in the Committee of the 
     Whole to the bill or to the committee amendment in the nature 
     of a substitute. 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.

                              {time}  1745

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from Texas (Mr. Sessions) is 
recognized for 1 hour.
  Mr. SESSIONS. Mr. Speaker, for the purposes of debate only, I yield 
the customary 30 minutes to the gentlewoman from New York (Ms. 
Slaughter), pending which I yield myself such time as I may consume. 
During the consideration of this amendment, all time is yielded for the 
purpose of debate only.
  Mr. Speaker, the legislation before us is a modified open rule 
providing for the consideration of H.R. 1074, the Regulatory Right-To-
Know Act of 1999.
  This open rule provides for 1 hour of general debate, equally divided 
between the chairman and ranking minority member of the Committee on 
Government Reform.
  The rule provides that it shall be in order to consider as an 
original bill for the purposes of amendment under the 5-minute rule the 
amendment in the nature of a substitute recommended by the Committee on 
Government Reform now printed in the bill.
  The bill provides that the amendment in the nature of a substitute 
shall be open for amendment at any point.
  The rule provides for the consideration of only those amendments 
preprinted in the Congressional Record, which may be offered only by 
the Member who caused it to be printed or that designee, and pro forma 
amendments offered for the purpose of debate only.
  The rule allows the Chairman of the Committee of the Whole to 
postpone votes during consideration of the bill and to reduce voting 
time to 5 minutes on a postponed question if the vote follows a 15-
minute vote.
  Finally, the rule provides one motion to recommit with or without 
instructions.
  Mr. Speaker, the underlying legislation, the Regulatory Right-to-Know 
Act is important legislation. The purpose of this legislation is to 
increase public awareness about the costs and benefits of Federal 
regulations to increase accountability of the government and to improve 
the Federal program and rules.
  The bill achieves these goals by requiring the Office of Management 
and Budget to prepare an annual accounting statement containing cost 
and benefit estimates of Federal regulatory programs.
  Furthermore, this report would require an analysis of the cumulative 
impact of regulations on various sectors and functional areas, 
including the private sector.
  The Regulatory Right-To-Know Act is yet another significant step 
towards making this government more efficient and more accountable. A 
more efficient and accountable government provides

[[Page H6298]]

us with a Nation with more freedom, liberty, and integrity.
  Mr. Speaker, since 1995, Congress has changed the direction of the 
Federal Government from the endless burden of more taxes and spending 
to the new fiscal discipline of balance and responsibility and 
accountability.
  Congress has passed legislation to prevent unfunded mandates from 
being passed from the Federal Government to State and local 
governments. This legislation is now law.
  Congress has passed the Small Business Paperwork Reduction Act as 
another incremental step toward relieving governmental burdens on small 
businesses and their employees.
  The Regulatory Right-To-Know Act builds on these successes and 
provides a straight cost benefit analysis of Federal regulations.
  Finally, a full and accurate accounting of regulations and their 
impact on the economy will now be readily available. The United States 
has become the global leader in technological development which, in 
turn, has created efficiencies in our economy and made life better for 
all of us.
  But the Federal Government remains the largest impediment to 
continued growth and development. Federal regulatory programs impose 
tremendous cost and restrictions on innovation in the private sector 
and on State and local governments. That is why this legislation is so 
important.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to continue the bipartisan manner 
in which this legislation was crafted and support this rule.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

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