[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 42 (Wednesday, March 12, 2008)]
[House]
[Page H1542]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                           CALENDAR WEDNESDAY

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Kind). Today is the day of Calendar 
Wednesday. The Clerk will call the roll of committees.
  The Clerk called the committees.


                         Parliamentary Inquiry

  Mr. SESSIONS (during the call). I have a point of parliamentary 
inquiry, Mr. Speaker.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from Texas may state his 
inquiry.
  Mr. SESSIONS. I understand that the procedure that the Chair just 
went through is known as Calendar Wednesday. Is it correct that any 
bill reported by a committee and placed on the Union or House Calendar 
could have been called up by the chairman as the committee name was 
read?
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Calendar Wednesday business may be called up 
only on formal authorization by the reporting committee.
  Mr. SESSIONS. A further point of parliamentary inquiry, Mr. Speaker.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman may proceed.
  Mr. SESSIONS. On February 12, a bipartisan majority in the Senate 
passed S. 2248, a responsible bill to provide long-term authority for 
our intelligence community to help detect and prevent acts of 
terrorism. For a month now, it has been sitting at the desk in the 
House awaiting action. Would it have been in order for the chairman of 
the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence or the chairman of 
the Judiciary Committee or their designee to call up S. 2248 at this 
time?
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. No.
  Mr. SESSIONS. Further point of parliamentary inquiry, Mr. Speaker.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman may proceed.
  Mr. SESSIONS. H.R. 5440, the House counterpart to this bipartisan 
Senate legislation, was introduced by Congressman Fossella on February 
14. Would it be possible for Mr. Hoekstra, the ranking member of the 
Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, to call up this bill under 
his committee's jurisdiction or for any of the 21 members of the 
Democrat majority who signed a letter to Speaker Pelosi on January 28 
asking her to move this legislation to ``ensure a strong national 
security apparatus that can thwart terrorist attacks across the globe 
and to save American lives here in this country,'' for them to call up 
this bill?
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. A committee member other than the chairman 
must have specific authorization of the committee to call up a bill on 
Calendar Wednesday.
  Mr. SESSIONS. Further point of inquiry, Mr. Speaker.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman may proceed.
  Mr. SESSIONS. Is it in order for any member of the minority to call 
up a long-term FISA modernization bill that would strengthen the 
Nation's intelligence capacities while protecting the civil liberties 
of Americans during the call of the committees?
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Again, a committee member other than the 
chairman must have specific authorization of the committee to call up a 
bill on Calendar Wednesday.
  Mr. SESSIONS. I thank the gentleman for letting us know that it's up 
to the chairman or the Speaker.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Clerk will continue.
  The Clerk called the committees.

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