[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 127 (Friday, August 3, 2007)]
[House]
[Pages H9671-H9672]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




      PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF MOTIONS TO SUSPEND THE RULES

  Mr. SESSIONS. Madam Speaker, I rise to continue debate on H. Res. 
600.
  I would like to inquire as to how much time remains on both sides, 
please.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from Texas has 12\1/2\ 
minutes, and the gentleman from Florida has 11\1/2\ minutes remaining.
  Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my 
time.
  Mr. SESSIONS. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Madam Speaker, the Republican minority is very aware, as a result of 
Speaker Pelosi's Web site that is called Congress Working for All 
Americans, WWW.SPEAKER.GOV, that the Speaker has announced very 
publicly her intention to follow regular order for legislation. I would 
like to quote from that Web site at this time: ``Members should have at 
least 24 hours to examine a bill in a conference report text prior to 
floor consideration.''
  Madam Speaker, just minutes ago, we began the debate on this rule. 
Just before we began debate, as we began debate on this rule just hours 
ago probably, but as we began, we received the text of one of the most 
important bills to come to the floor of the House of Representatives at 
the time we began debate on the rule, which seems absolutely, just 
completely backwards from what the Speaker describes on her Web site.
  Number two, the Suspension Calendar should be restricted to 
noncontroversial legislation.
  Madam Speaker, here we are today on the floor of the House of 
Representatives not only with a bill that we had not seen the text to 
until we began debate but, secondly, the Suspension Calendar has very 
controversial legislation that we are handling today.
  I would have to make a motion if we were in Rules Committee, and we 
did, we tried, that we should receive all of these bills. And, of 
course, we have not.
  Very interestingly, part of the debate about this bill that we are on 
with foreign intelligence surveillance activities, there was a 
discussion just days ago in the Rules Committee whereby a Member of the 
Democrat majority, as part of the conversation, asked a Republican that 
was there: ``So you're asking to basically reduce probable cause and 
just basically throw probable cause out as a reason that we are trying 
to change the FISA rules?''
  The Republican answered: ``You shouldn't be having to get a warrant 
to listen into phone conversations between someone from Saudi Arabia 
calling somebody in Sudan, when neither one of them are Americans.'' 
The response from the Democrat was: ``Well, I don't know if I agree 
with that.''
  Madam Speaker, we are here on the floor today to also talk about the 
directions we are headed, the directions we are headed for protecting 
this country. And today, we are on the floor of the House of 
Representatives with the language only just given to us. On top

[[Page H9672]]

of that, it is one of the most controversial items that has come to the 
floor of the House of Representatives in the years that I have been 
here.
  Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Madam Speaker, I continue to reserve my 
time.
  Mr. SESSIONS. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from 
Michigan (Mr. Hoekstra), the ranking member of the Intelligence 
Committee.
  Mr. HOEKSTRA. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the House 
recess until we get a response from the Director of National 
Intelligence as to their feedback on the FISA bill.
  Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Madam Speaker, I object.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Objection is heard.

                          ____________________