[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 125 (Thursday, September 23, 1999)]
[Senate]
[Page S11347]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                               RULE XXII

  Mr. LOTT. One final thing, and then the managers can go forward. It 
is my understanding some of the debate today was not germane to the 
issue on oil royalties, the issue on which 60 Members voted to invoke 
cloture earlier today.
  Rule XXII clearly states all debate must be germane. Senators Thomas 
and Senator Hutchison of Texas raised a point of order to guide the 
debate back to the pending oil royalties subject. The Chair on first 
blush ruled the debate does not have to be germane.
  To better clarify the position of the chairman, I now make a 
parliamentary inquiry. Is there a requirement under rule XXII that all 
debate postcloture must be germane to the issue on which cloture was 
invoked?
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator is correct. All debate postcloture 
must be germane to the issue on which cloture was invoked.
  Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, if a Senator speaks on a subject that is 
nongermane to the pending issue, is it in order for any Member to raise 
a point of order against the debate in question?
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. It is in order for any Member to raise a point 
of order relative to the debate. When such a point of order is raised, 
the Chair will decide if the debate in question is germane or 
nongermane. If the debate is determined to be germane, the debate in 
question will resume. If the debate is determined to be nongermane, the 
Senator will be warned to keep his remarks germane to the pending 
question. If the Senator continues to speak on a nongermane basis and 
any Senator raises a point of order against the debate content, the 
Chair would restate the rule on which the violation is occurring and 
the Senator in question would immediately lose the floor.
  Mr. LOTT. I thank the Chair for that clarification. I therefore 
withdraw a pending appeal.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The appeal is withdrawn.
  Mr. LOTT. I yield the floor.
  Mr. FEINGOLD. Mr. President, I just want to make one clarification 
concerning the colloquy between the majority leader and the Chair. I 
have no disagreement with the statements of the Chair concerning the 
Senate rule on germaneness during the post-cloture debate. However, the 
majority leader prefaced his inquiry with the statement that it was his 
understanding that some debate on the oil royalties amendment was not 
germane. I want to make clear that there was never a ruling that any 
particular statement made during the debate by any Senator was not 
germane. I am confident that my remarks during this debate were germane 
to the issue at hand and I do not interpret the Chair's statement in 
this colloquy to have suggested or ruled otherwise.

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