[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 147 (Monday, December 4, 2000)]
[House]
[Pages H11930-H11931]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




VICE PRESIDENT GORE SHOULD CONCEDE THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION AND ALLOW 
         THE PRESIDENT-ELECT TO BEGIN THE TRANSITION TO OFFICE

  (Mr. STEARNS asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. STEARNS. Mr. Speaker, almost 4 weeks ago the American people went 
to the polls to elect a new president. This election was close, but the 
election is over. Governor George Bush is the certified winner of 271 
electoral votes. He is the president-elect.
  However, Vice President Gore has taken the unprecedented step of 
contesting a presidential election in court. Governor Bush won the 
original vote in Florida. He then won the required recount vote and won 
again, and won again when the overseas ballots were included. He won a 
fourth time when the counties submitted the results of their hand 
counts and the Secretary of State certified the results.
  For the first time in history, the party currently in control of the 
White House is refusing to cooperate with the transition to a new 
administration. Vice President Gore should concede, end his legal 
challenges, and allow the President-elect to prepare to take on the 
awesome responsibilities of the office.

[[Page H11931]]

                              {time}  1415
                ANNOUNCEMENT BY THE SPEAKER PRO TEMPORE

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Pease). Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, 
the Chair announces that he will postpone further proceedings today on 
each motion to suspend the rules on which a recorded vote or the yeas 
or nays are ordered, or on which the vote is objected to under clause 6 
of rule XX.
  Any record votes on postponed questions will be taken after debate 
has concluded on all motions to suspend the rules, but not before 6 
p.m. today.

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