[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 33 (Tuesday, March 16, 2004)]
[House]
[Pages H1082-H1085]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
THANKING C-SPAN FOR ITS SERVICE ON 25TH ANNIVERSARY OF ITS FIRST
COVERAGE OF PROCEEDINGS OF HOUSE
Mr. NEY. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the
resolution (H. Res. 551) thanking C-SPAN for its service to the House
of Representatives on the 25th anniversary of its first coverage of the
proceedings of the House.
The Clerk read as follows:
H. Res. 551
Whereas C-SPAN (Cable-Satellite Public Affairs Network) is
a nonprofit educational organization created in 1979 through
the vision of Brian Lamb in order to provide live, gavel-to-
gavel coverage of the House of Representatives to the
American people;
Whereas on March 19, 1979, the House of Representatives
turned on its cameras, and for the first time C-SPAN and its
staff of just 4 people brought the live proceedings of the
House into 3.5 million American homes;
Whereas in 1980, C-SPAN covered its first Presidential
election and created one of the first nationwide viewer call-
in programs;
Whereas by 1982, C-SPAN's schedule expanded to 24 hours a
day, 7 days a week;
Whereas in June 1986, C-SPAN2 was created to broadcast live
coverage of the Senate;
Whereas by 1990, C-SPAN broadcast to 50 million American
households, and this number expanded to 60 million households
just three years later in 1993;
Whereas in January 1997, C-SPAN launched live web coverage
of the House and Senate proceedings on the Internet;
Whereas today, C-SPAN has a staff of 275, its around-the-
clock programming is available to 86 million households via
7,900 cable systems, and an estimated 28,000,000 people watch
C-SPAN each week; and
Whereas while only 51 percent of Americans voted in the
2000 election, surveys show that percentage of regular C-SPAN
viewers who voted in the election was 90 percent: Now,
therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
(1) expresses the thanks of the House of Representatives to
the Cable-Satellite Public Affairs Network (C-SPAN) for its
service to the House on the 25th anniversary of its first
coverage of the proceedings of the House;
(2) recognizes that for 25 years C-SPAN has met, and
continues to meet each day, its mission of providing the
Members of the House with a direct, unfiltered conduit to the
American people on whose behalf they go to work every day,
and in turn has provided direct access for the American
people to their elected officials through call-in and other
programs;
(3) recognizes that since its inception 25 years ago, C-
SPAN has forever changed the face of American political life,
provided tremendous benefits to the American people and their
elected officials, and has had a significant positive impact
on the American democracy;
(4) expresses its deep gratitude to Brian Lamb and the more
than 275 C-SPAN employees who bring the proceedings of the
House into the homes of tens of millions of Americans each
day; and
(5) commends C-SPAN and its employees for a tremendous 25
years of service to the American people and the Federal
Government.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Ohio (Mr. Ney) and the gentleman from Connecticut (Mr. Larson) each
will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Ney).
{time} 1415
Mr. NEY. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Madam Speaker, I rise here today in support of House Resolution 551,
a bill honoring Brian Lamb and C-SPAN's Cable-Satellite Public Affairs
Network for 25 years of service to the United States House of
Representatives. Obviously, we all know today, Madam
[[Page H1083]]
Speaker, about the importance of technology and the media in order to
get the message out to millions of Americans, and frankly millions of
people around the world, of what is occurring here on the floor of the
people's House. It is, I think, an important endeavor to be able to use
technology, in fact, to bring the people's message into living rooms,
again, not only in the United States but around the world. We have
watched technology be a great tool of progress, in fact, for this
Chamber and for the people, from the electronic voting board that was
created under Chairman Wayne Hayes, the late Wayne L. Hayes, who was my
Congressman from Belmont County, Ohio, when they automated the
electronic voting board to save time in voting. And then we look into
the late 1970s; and on March 19, 1979, with a staff of just four
employees, C-SPAN first began broadcasting gavel-to-gavel coverage of
the proceedings of the House of Representatives to millions of American
households. So once again the Chamber was coming into the modern era
with the use of technology.
Over the next quarter century, C-SPAN expanded its programming scope
to include events and interviews featuring influential politicians,
statespeople, scholars, and authors and provides opportunities for
viewers to call and express their thoughts on important public policy
matters. In addition, C-SPAN2 was created to furnish coverage of the
U.S. Senate.
C-SPAN has become an essential tool in our country for fostering
civic education and governmental accountability. It is now our turn
today, Madam Speaker, and I am happy to be here with the gentleman from
Connecticut (Mr. Larson), our distinguished ranking member, who cares
deeply about the institution of the House and also about technology and
the openness of the House to make itself available to the American
people and to the world. So it is a pleasure to join our ranking
member, the gentleman from Connecticut (Mr. Larson), in honoring C-
SPAN's founder, Brian Lamb, for his vision and public spiritedness.
Also, I would be remiss if I did not point out that downstairs is a
House recording studio; and at that recording studio, there are
employees of the U.S. House who, in fact, operate the cameras and
provide the great service that then allows C-SPAN to take the feed from
these cameras and to broadcast. So I want to thank our staff of the
U.S. House.
But, again, it is a pleasure and an honor to be here today with the
gentleman from Connecticut (Mr. Larson) and my other colleagues who
cosponsored this legislation. Such interest in this legislation proves
the extent to which C-SPAN has truly become the indispensable
institution in our country.
Madam Speaker, I urge full support of House Resolution 551.
Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. LARSON of Connecticut. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as
I may consume.
Madam Speaker, I am delighted to join my distinguished colleague from
Ohio and support this motion and associate myself with his remarks.
In the quarter century since its inception, C-SPAN has become an
institution. No organization has done more to enhance America's
understanding of its government, its history than the Cable-Satellite
Public Affairs Network. More than 85 million households have access to
C-SPAN today, and millions regularly tune in to see their government in
action. That is the way it should be.
The gentleman from Ohio mentioned the outstanding contribution of
Brian Lamb, and truly we should acknowledge the great efforts in his
vision to bring government to the households of every single American.
I am proud to say as well that in the State of Connecticut is CT-N,
which again is modeled after C-SPAN, which provides an opportunity to
view the local legislative bodies and municipalities and actions so, in
fact, people from their homes, especially many who are inbound, get an
opportunity to participate in government on a regular basis.
Madam Speaker, today, especially on the eve of St. Patrick's Day, it
is great to acknowledge the true father of C-SPAN in this Chamber and
that is the legendary Speaker Tip O'Neill. Tip O'Neill was fond of
saying that social policies brought many poor into the great American
tent of opportunity. During his years as Speaker, many Americans were
brought into the Halls of Congress via television. His decision to
support televised coverage of the House of Representatives ushered in a
new era of government accessibility. House TV went through its growing
pains, but its success eventually influenced the Senate to follow suit,
voting to let itself be televised in 1986.
When future generations remember Tip O'Neill, the man who served the
longest consecutive term as Speaker, they may well remember him as the
man who let Americans see their government at work as well.
Madam Speaker, I am delighted to join my distinguished colleague in
support of his motion. In the quarter-century since its inception, C-
SPAN has become an institution. No organization has done more to
enhance Americans' understanding of their government and history than
the Cable-Satellite Public Affairs Network. More than 85 million
households have access to C-SPAN today, and millions regularly tunein
to see their government in action. This is as it should be.
Like microwave ovens, cellular telephones, the Internet, and other
developments of this modern age, C-SPAN has become part of daily life
for millions of Americans. Not only would we notice immediately if C-
SPAN disappeared, most of us can't remember how we lived without it.
Think of it Madam Speaker. Before Brian Lamb transformed his vision
of a television network devoted solely to public affairs into reality,
Americans unable to visit the House gallery had to rely on others'
reports about what their representatives said and did here. On March
19, 1979, all that changed. Beginning on that date, Americans could see
and hear for themselves, immediately, directly, and unfiltered by
others.
And while Americans may at times have disagreed with what they have
seen or heard on the House floor since them, there is no question that
Americans appreciate C-SPAN, and the cable-television industry, for
enabling them to see and hear it. I know I was grateful for the
opportunity to appear on C-SPAN for the first time on July 26, 2001, to
talk about fuel cell technology.
Look how far C-SPAN has come in the past quarter-century. On that
first day, four employees could broadcast gavel-to-gavel coverage of
House proceedings, over one network initially available to fewer than 4
million homes.
Today, C-SPAN offers government and politics coverage over three
television networks, one radio network, and over its website, c-
span.org, all of it round-the-clock and accomplished without public
funds. Not only can Americans now watch the floor debates of both the
House and Senate, they can see interest groups, academics and ordinary
citizens explore pending issues and offer their advice to policymakers.
In addition to covering Congress, C-SPAN points its cameras at
presidents and other executive-branch officials whenever possible. It
covers state proceedings, including gubernatorial ``state-of-the-
state'' messages, legislative debates, and even voting in the electoral
college.
Madam Speaker, C-SPAN offers wonderful programming for everyone with
a passion for public affairs. History have learned much by taking field
trips to presidential libraries, birthplaces, and elsewhere on the ``C-
SPAN School Bus.'' Viewers are again this year traveling the ``Road to
the White House,'' with its through coverage of the 2004 campaigns. The
``Lyndon Johnson Tapes'' offer a fascinating glimpse into a turbulent
period. Bibliophiles can explore authors and their works on ``Book TV''
all weekend long. Anglophiles can revel in British politics with
``Prime Minister's Questions'' when Parliaments is sitting, and enjoy
the pomp of the state opening each November.
C-SPAN has even covered the Canadian and Australian parliaments
which, like this Congress, derive their traditions from the ``mother of
Parliaments'' in London.
I'm so proud that C-SPAN's commitment to educating Americans about
their government has inspired individuals in my home State of
Connecticut. The same historic leap of faith that was taken 25 years
ago by C-SPAN, was also taken by State policy-makers and broadcast
experts alike in 1999. That year marked the launch of CT-N, also known
as the Connecticut Network.
From the beginning, the mission of CT-N has been to connect citizens
to State government and public affairs programming. Connecticut Network
provides unfiltered television and Web-cast coverage of all three
branches of State government. CT-N viewers can watch the legislative
sessions of the State Senate and House of Representatives, as well as
committee meetings and public hearings, executive branch agency and
commission meetings, and selected oral arguments before Connecticut's
Supreme Court. The network is
[[Page H1084]]
managed and operated by the Connecticut Public Affairs Network, a not-
for-profit company founded to educate citizens about State government.
Having served as Senate President Pro Tempore during the years prior
to the launch of CT-N, I recall those early discussions about how we
could provide television coverage of State Capitol proceedings. It was
a daunting task, since at that time only a handful of State
legislatures were airing government activities. Yet, no one doubted
that such programming would one day exist in Connecticut. CT-N is now
available in more than one million households in the State.
What a thrill it is for me to now see CT-N's camera persons walking
the halls of the State Capitol when I'm back in the district. They are
now part of the Capitol press corps, ready to cover breaking news at a
moment's notice.
Why does CT-N's viewership continue to grow every year? It's because
CT-N President and CEO Paul Giguere is constantly looking for new
opportunities for government programming, and creating unique
educational resources. For example, ``Joining the Debate: A Guide to
Testifying at Public Hearings'' is a video produced by CT-N; ``CT-N
State Civics Toolbox'' is a free teacher resource combining research,
discussion, and mock legislature classroom activities with video of
actual legislative debates from the Connecticut General Assembly;
``Capitol News Briefings'' are programming segments that follow the
story from hearing rooms to assembly chambers; and ``State Agency
Close-Ups'' are CT-N video segments that describe each executive branch
agency in detail.
Americans are certainly more educated about national public policy
issues that affect them thanks to C-SPAN. In Connecticut, CT-N gives
citizens the tools and education needed to understand these same issues
closer to home.
Madam Speaker, Senator Claude Pepper of Florida introduced
legislation providing for broadcasting both houses of Congress in 1944.
More than three decades later, in 1977, the House passed legislation to
broadcast its proceedings, thus making C-SPAN possible.
The vote on the necessary resolution, sponsored by Trent Lott, now a
Senator from Mississippi, was 342 to 44, an overwhelming expression of
hope that broadcasting would benefit both the American people and the
House.
I was not here then, but I bet the results of the last 25 years have
exceeded the House's expectations many times over. On behalf of my
constituents in Connecticut, and the House, I am proud to offer my
congratulations to Brian Lamb and the entire staff of C-SPAN on its
25th anniversary of House broadcast coverage. Thanks to C-SPAN, our
democracy is stronger, making America a better place for us all. I have
no doubt that, 25 years hence, C-SPAN will have made even greater
strides than it has in its first quarter-century. I urge everyone to
tune in and watch C-SPAN prove me right.
Thomas P. ``Tip'' O'Neill
On many a pleasant Thursday night, his former aides say,
House Speaker Thomas P. ``Tip'' O'Neill would slip away to
his beloved Cape Code for a weekend of golf. After all, even
if the Congress were holding a Friday session, the speaker
could tune in to C-SPAN to keep an eye on the floor, and he
could phone instructions to his staff on Capitol Hill if he
saw something he didn't like.
Years later, former House Speaker Tip O'Neill would call
televising the House of Representatives ``one of the best
decisions I ever made.'' In 1977, his first year as speaker,
the Massachusetts Democrat agreed to put House television on
his agenda; by March 1979, the first live, gavel-to-gavel
telecast of the House went our by satellite to 3.5 million
cable homes. ``Thanks to television, the House of
Representatives is now recognized as the dominant branch of
Congress,'' wrote Speaker O'Neill in his 1987 autobiography,
Man of the House.
However, wary of its impact on the legislative process, Tip
O'Neill had not always supported House television. ``We were
disgusted with how the major networks covered the Republican
and Democratic conventions,'' he wrote. ``If a delegate was
picking his nose, that's what you'd see. . . . No wonder so
many of us were skittish.''
But after six years of debate on the issue, the new speaker
saw it was time to move ahead. So, with the help of
Democratic Party leaders, a proposal was crafted that gave
the office of the speaker control of the television cameras.
``That,'' he says, ``struck me as a reasonable compromise.''
On October 22, 1977, the House passed a measure permitting
full coverage of its sessions--on its own terms and with
tight controls--by a vote of 342-44.
After the measure passed, a telecommunications task force
headed by Rep. Charlie Rose (D-North Carolina) helped Speaker
O'Neill lay down the rules for the telecasts. A $1.6 million
system was installed. Cameras would be trained on the
speakers at the podium, and would not be allowed to pan the
chamber. During 15-minute votes, an electronic vote tally
would cover the screen. Proceedings of the legislative body
would be covered live, uninterrupted, and ``gavel-to-gavel''
and would be offered to all accredited news organizations.
Only C-SPAN, however, committed itself to telecasting the
House of Representatives whenever it was in session.
The speaker recalls that some members of the House
continued to grumble about the television measure after it
passed. ``Many of the members, of course, were skeptical. . .
. Today, of course, it's hard to imagine Congress without it,
and the results of our broadcasting experience have exceeded
my wildest hopes,'' he says.
It may have taken a few years, but House TV gained a loyal
following among those members who saw the potential of the
unblinking television eye. ``I see a young fellow come on the
floor with a blue suit and a red necktie, hair groomed back,
and an envelope under his arm,'' the speaker explained, ``and
I know that he's going to make a speech and that speech is
for home consumption. His office has already notified the
local media that he's going to be on and he's going to give a
talk.''
The audience for congressional telecasts grew as well. Just
five years into its run, the speaker was calling the audience
for Congress ``unbelievable.'' One avid viewer was the
speaker himself, who said, ``I really enjoy when I come in at
night and put it on and see a committee hearing.''
During his eight years of congressional TV coverage, the
speaker became a familiar figure to many Americans.
People began to recognize the speaker when they saw him in
airports or on the street. Appearing in a televised
interview with C-SPAN to mark House TV's fifth anniversary
in early 1984, Speaker O'Neill said, ``Television is here
to stay now. . . . Everywhere I go, people say, `Well, I
saw so-and-so on the show,' or `I listened to this bill,'
or `What are your views on that? '' He said he believed
that coverage of the House had ``whetted the curiosity of
America as far as the running of the government is
concerned,'' call it ``very informative for the American
people.''
Within months, though, a controversy would follow the
speaker's rosy assessment. In May 1984, Speaker O'Neill
asserted his control over the House cameras, provoking cries
of protest from House Republicans and leading to a disruption
on the House floor. In the process, the way that television
covers the House underwent permanent change.
On May 10, 1984, the speaker ordered House cameras to break
with precedent and provide a full view of the empty House
chamber during Special Orders speeches. With Rep. Robert
Walker (R-Pennsylvania) on the floor, the camera for the
first time showed a representative gesturing and talking to a
chamber of empty seats.
Minority whip Trent Lott (R-Mississippi), watching in his
office, dropped what he was doing and raced to the floor to
denounce the surprise camera angle as ``an underhanded,
sneaky, politically motivated change.'' The press picked up
on the story immediately and gave it the name of ``Camscam'';
Washington Post TV critic Tom Shales called it a ``knockabout
slugfest'' and wrote that ``the brouhaha over control of the
cameras has ignited the House and in the process served to
dramatize again the huge presence television has in the
political process.''
``Camscam'' came to a head on May 15, when harsh words flew
on the House floor between Rep. Newt Gingrich (R-Georgia) and
Speaker O'Neill. Mr. O'Neill called a Gingrich speech `'the
lowest thing I have ever seen in my 32 years in Congress''--a
remark that the House parliamentarian ruled out of order. The
speaker's words were taken down and the phrase was struck
from the official congressional record, the first such rebuke
to a House speaker in this century.
In time, ``Camscam'' died down, but today the cameras
continue to show the whole chamber during Special Orders,
giving audiences a fuller view of the post-legislative
business proceedings. Later, in response to an initiative by
the Republican leadership, cameras also started showing
varied shots of the House members during votes. Slowly, the
early restrictions on what the viewing audience could see
through television were easing.
Speaker O'Neill, 75, likes to say that his social policies
brought many poor people into ``the great American tent of
opportunity,'' During his years as speaker, many Americans
were brought into the halls of Congress via television. His
decision to support televised coverage of the House of
Representatives ushered in a new era of government
accessibility. House TV went through its growing pains, but
its success eventually influenced the Senate to follow suite,
voting to let itself be televised in 1986. When future
generations remember Tip O'Neill--the man who served the
longest consecutive term as speaker--they may well remember
him as the man who let Americans see their government at
work.
Mr. LARSON of Connecticut. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my
time.
Mr. NEY. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. LARSON of Connecticut. Madam Speaker, I yield such time as he may
consume to the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Markey), the senior
member of that delegation.
Mr. MARKEY. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman very much for
yielding me this time.
I rise to commemorate this great anniversary. I was elected to
Congress in 1976 just as the great Tip O'Neill was
[[Page H1085]]
rising to become the Speaker of this great House. And there was a
debate that raged in Congress over whether or not television should be
allowed into this Chamber, and it was a debate that went on and on
behind closed doors catalyzed by Brian Lamb, who had this idea that he
could bring the United States House of Representatives to the American
people. And of course the younger Members felt that that was a great
idea because we had all grown up watching television. But the older
Members, they were not quite so sure that that was a great idea, that
the cameras would roam around and look for a Member who is nodding off,
look for a Member reading a newspaper on the floor. And so this debate
continued until a compromise was reached that the cameras would just
focus upon the locations where the Members were speaking. And it was an
incredible discussion.
But going back that 25 years, it is now clear that C-SPAN has long
served the American people by opening the House of Representatives, the
Senate, and thousands of congressional hearings and public safety
discussions around the U.S. and the globe for the American public to
see and to hear. And it is all because of this decision made by Tip
O'Neill, Massachusetts' great man of the House, that all of this was
made possible.
As we honor Brian Lamb and C-SPAN for 25 years of televised coverage
of the House floor proceedings, we must also honor the memory of Tip
O'Neill, whose singular decision it was to begin televising House
proceedings, bringing the House of Representatives into the television
age. Tip took an enormous risk in opening the House floor to the
cameras. Television coverage had been debated for years; and many of,
as I said, the more senior Members of the House were vehemently against
it. The discussions raged in the well of the House for months on end
over whether or not it was a good decision. There were those who
preferred the status quo and resisted opening the House floor
proceedings to television. But one of Tip's first decisions after he
assumed the House Chair was to turn on the cameras. Tip intuitively
knew it was an idea whose time had come. And when Brian Lamb went to
Tip with his idea to take the television feed and send it across the
Nation, gavel to gavel, and Tip agreed, neither of them quite knew what
they had wrought.
Jack Farrell and his great biography, ``Tip O'Neill and the
Democratic Century,'' has Brian Lamb tell his story of his visit with
the Speaker: ``I was a nervous wreck. I was shaking.'' He said, ``I
don't think to this day that'' Tip ``understood what was going to
happen, and I'll never understand why he did what he did. He had
nothing to win in the process except a little openness.''
I would say that Tip achieved a world of openness and brought great
credit to this institution by allowing the American public to see for
the first time what had previously been restricted to those who travel
to Washington and come to visit us in the visitors' gallery. Tip let
the people all across our country get a chance to see the people's
House at work. Why did he do it? I would say it was his instinct
kicking in about what was the right thing to do. And we could always
trust Tip's instinct. He was right to let C-SPAN in 25 years ago, and
today we join in expressing our appreciation for Tip's decision and our
appreciation to Brian Lamb and C-SPAN for asking Tip to create this
huge revelation which has brought democracy into the homes of every
single American as well as people around the world. And I think that
much of the revolution that has happened over the last 25 years in the
world relates to their ability to see how we create our laws and our
country. And Tip O'Neill and Brian Lamb deserve the credit.
Mr. LARSON of Connecticut. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my
time.
Mr. NEY. Madam Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I
reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. LARSON of Connecticut. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as
I may consume.
I just wanted to thank again the dean of the New England delegation
and of Massachusetts for his thoughtful comments about the beloved Tip
O'Neill and again associate myself with the remarks of the esteemed
chairman from Ohio. Indeed, this is a very important event and
certainly one where both Mr. Lamb and Mr. O'Neill deserve justified
recognition.
Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. NEY. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Let me say in closing, again, I think this is a great day, and
considering the holiday, and, in fact, my relatives came here under the
name O'Ney, I would like to thank also the late Speaker, Tip O'Neill,
our current Speaker O'Hastert and Congressman O'Larson for joining us
today in honoring C-SPAN.
Mr. BUYER. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of the resolution
honoring the service of C-SPAN for the past 25 years.
Since first broadcasting daily floor proceedings of the U.S. House of
Representatives in 1979, C-SPAN has fulfilled a great service for the
American people. C-SPAN did the extraordinary and unthinkable--it
brought the Federal Government into the homes of millions across the
country. No longer were the proceedings of the House a mystery--the
veil was finally lifted and Americans could now see their Government in
action.
C-SPAN has continued to grow with the changing face of technology. In
1986, service was expanded to cover the Senate and beginning in 1997,
C-SPAN launched live web coverage of the House and Senate proceedings.
In particular, I would like to salute the creative work of Brian
Lamb, founder and CEO, for bringing C-SPAN to life. He is a native
Hoosier and hails from Indiana's Fourth Congressional District. Brian
still speaks of the small town values he learned while growing up in
Indiana and talks of the encouragement he received from family and
teachers for having a tremendous impact on his life. He has not
forgotten his roots and I thank him for his service to this country and
to the Congress.
The vision of C-SPAN was for it to educate the country about the
Federal Government and how it works on behalf of all of us. And for a
quarter of a century, C-SPAN has connected people and government in a
manner that puts the politics aside and focuses on the substantive
issues. C-SPAN lives by the maxim that the better informed, the better
we are as a society.
I am pleased to support this resolution commending Brian, C-SPAN, and
its staff of 275 employees for 25 years of service and education to the
American people.
Mr. NEY. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mrs. Emerson). The question is on the motion
offered by the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Ney) that the House suspend the
rules and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 551.
The question was taken.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds of
those present have voted in the affirmative.
Mr. NEY. Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
The yeas and nays were ordered.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX and the
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be
postponed.
____________________