[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 44 (Thursday, April 18, 2002)]
[House]
[Pages H1452-H1453]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
LEGISLATIVE PROGRAM
(Ms. PELOSI asked and was given permission to address the House for 1
minute.)
Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, I rise for the purpose of inquiring about
the schedule of next week.
Mr. ARMEY. Mr. Speaker, will the gentlewoman yield?
Ms. PELOSI. I yield to the gentleman from Texas.
Mr. ARMEY. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to announce that the House has
completed recorded votes for the week.
The House will next meet for legislative business on Tuesday, April
23 at 12:30 p.m., that is for morning hour, and at 2 o'clock p.m. for
legislative business. On Tuesday I will schedule a number of measures
under suspension of the rules, a list of which will be distributed to
Members' offices tomorrow. The House will also take any recorded votes
on motions to instruct conferees offered later today. On Tuesday,
recorded votes will be postponed until 6:30 p.m.
For Wednesday and Thursday, I have scheduled H.R. 3763, the Corporate
and Auditing Accountability, Responsibility, and Transparency Act of
2002, reported out of the Committee on Financial Services on Tuesday,
and H.R. 3231, the Immigration Reform and Accountability Act of 2002,
reported out of the Committee on the Judiciary last week.
Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding.
Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, reclaiming my time, I thank the gentleman
for informing us of the days for the INS restructuring bill and the
Committee on Financial Services accounting bill.
While I have the floor, Mr. Speaker, may I say to the distinguished
majority leader, I wish to register a point of deep concern to our side
of the aisle. There seems to be a recurring pattern this year where
there are no substitutes or alternatives allowed on major, major bills.
Today, the procedure did not even permit a motion to recommit to
protect Social Security. Despite repeated promises to always guarantee
the motion to Democrats, today it was denied on one of the most
important votes in this Congress. I want to register objection and
disappointment to this and ask the leader if he wishes to comment.
Mr. ARMEY. Again, Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for her
inquiry. I do appreciate the concerns expressed by the gentlewoman. The
parliamentary rules between our two respective bodies on an exchange
between the two bodies do not allow for motions to recommit on
legislation action taken today. The action we took today, of course,
was to advance the work that was sent to us by the other body with
respect to adoption of the tax credit, a very important objective of
all of the body, and we were able to in this way manage all three
things.
But I want to appreciate again the gentlewoman's concerns, her
expression, and say that it is indeed something that we pay most
concern and credibility to.
Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, there were those among us who would have
tried
[[Page H1453]]
to, by procedure, hold up the proceedings of the House; but we wanted,
such as it was, to have as much of a debate as we could on an issue of
major concern to the American people. I think that we all recognize
that we come to this floor with differences of opinion, or range of
opinion, on issues. Sometimes we can act in a bipartisan way, and that
is great for the American people. They expect and deserve us to try and
seek a common ground.
Where we do not have it, though, we must stand our ground; and I do
not see why we could not have an opportunity to have a fuller debate on
the subject. I do not understand why the Republicans would be afraid of
a motion to recommit to save Social Security; and I hope that this does
not proceed, because I think it could be very damaging to our
relationships in this House; and I know that we want to proceed in as
much of a bipartisan fashion as possible.
I thank the gentleman for the information.
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