[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 86 (Thursday, June 12, 2003)]
[House]
[Page H5269]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      ANNOUNCEMENT BY THE SPEAKER

  The SPEAKER. Under clause 2 of rule I, it is the responsibility of 
the Speaker to preserve order and decorum in the proceedings of the 
House. As stated on page 330 of the House Rules and Manual, this 
responsibility requires that the Chair disallow the use of an exhibit 
that tends to degrade decorum. Thus, the Speakers previously have 
disallowed the introduction of a person on the floor as a guest of the 
House as an ``exhibit.''
  Pursuant to clause 2 of rule I, the Chair reiterates the ruling of 
June 11, 2003, that it is inappropriate to use Pages of the House as 
part of a visual exhibit during debate. Although Members may enlist the 
assistance of Pages to manage the placement of exhibits on easels, it 
is not appropriate to use Pages as though part of an exhibit or 
otherwise include them in an exhibition.
  The Chair also will continue to scrutinize the number of charts and 
other visual exhibits used simultaneously during the debate for any 
tendency to impair decorum.

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