[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 113 (Thursday, July 29, 2010)]
[House]
[Pages H6354-H6355]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   NOTICE OF INTENTION TO OFFER RESOLUTION RAISING A QUESTION OF THE 
                        PRIVILEGES OF THE HOUSE

  Mr. PRICE of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to clause 2(a)(1) of rule 
IX, I hereby notify the House of my intention to offer a resolution as 
a question of the privileges of the House.
  The form of my resolution is as follows:

                               Resolution

       Pledging not to assemble on or between the dates of 
     November 2, 2010 and January 3, 2011, except in the case of 
     an unforeseen, sudden emergency requiring immediate action 
     from Congress.
       Whereas the 111th Congress has failed in its promise to be 
     the most open Congress in history, but has instead lost the 
     public's trust by engaging in unprecedented political 
     procedures to advance a partisan agenda;
       Whereas on January 18, 2006, House Minority Leader Nancy 
     Pelosi stated in prepared remarks, ``Democrats are leading 
     the effort to turn the most closed, corrupt Congress in 
     history into the most open and honest Congress in history.'';
       Whereas on November 7, 2006, House Minority Leader Nancy 
     Pelosi stated, ``The American people voted to restore 
     integrity and honesty in Washington, D.C., and the Democrats 
     intend to lead the most honest, most open, and most ethical 
     Congress in history.'';
       Whereas on November 16, 2006, incoming House Speaker Nancy 
     Pelosi stated, ``This leadership team will create the most 
     honest, most open, and most ethical Congress in history.'';
       Whereas on December 6, 2006, incoming House Speaker Nancy 
     Pelosi stated, ``We promised the American people that we 
     would have the most honest and open Government and we 
     will.'';
       Whereas incoming Majority Whip Clyburn stated on December 
     8, 2006 that, ``Democrats will exercise better leadership in 
     the new Congress and work to raise the standard of ethics in 
     this body'';
       Whereas Speaker Pelosi spoke of individual Member's ethics 
     on January 31, 2007 when she stated, ``These strong [ethics] 
     rules are significant steps toward honest leadership; 
     enforcing these rules is critical to ensuring every Member of 
     Congress lives up to the highest ethical standard'';
       Whereas on January 5, 2010, while at a press conference 
     during the health care debate, Speaker Pelosi stated, ``There 
     has never been a more open process for any legislation'';
       Whereas this statement was reiterated by the Speaker while 
     at a press conference on February 26, 2010, when a reporter 
     prefaced a question about Rangel by noting that Speaker 
     Pelosi had promised to run the ``most ethical and honest 
     Congress in history'' she interrupted him to say: ``And we 
     are.'';
       Whereas more bills were considered under closed rules, 64 
     total, in the 110th Congress under Democrat control, than in 
     the previous Congress, 49, under Republican control;
       Whereas fewer bills were considered under open rules, 10 
     total, in the 110th Congress under Democrat control, than in 
     the previous Congress, 22, under Republican control;
       Whereas zero bills have been considered so far in the 111th 
     Congress under an open rule;
       Whereas 26 bills have been considered so far in the 111th 
     Congress under a closed rule, under Democrat control;
       Whereas this Congress is the highest spending Congress in 
     United States history;
       Whereas this Congress has presided over the two highest 
     budget deficits in United States history at a time when the 
     public debt is higher than at any other time in history;
       Whereas this Congress began its mortgage of the Nation's 
     future with a ``stimulus'' package costing $1.1 trillion that 
     failed to lower unemployment, spur economic growth, or 
     actually address the needs of struggling American business 
     and families;
       Whereas this Congress continued its free-flowing spending 
     with an increase of $72.4 billion in nonemergency 
     discretionary spending in fiscal year 2009 to reach a total 
     spending level of $1.01 trillion for the first time in United 
     States history;
       Whereas this Congress approved a budget resolution in 2009 
     that proposed the six largest nominal deficits in American 
     history and included tax increases of $423 billion during a 
     period of sustained high unemployment;
       Whereas this Congress disregarded the needs and opinions of 
     everyday Americans by passing a national energy tax bill that 
     would increase costs on nearly every aspect of American lives 
     by up to $3,000 per year, eliminate millions of jobs, reduce 
     workers' income, and devastate economic growth;
       Whereas this Congress disregarded the needs and opinions of 
     everyday Americans by passing a massive Government takeover 
     of health care that will force millions of Americans from 
     their health insurance plans, increase premiums and costs for 
     individuals and employers, raise taxes by $569.2 billion, and 
     fund abortions--at a cost of $2.64 trillion over the first 
     ten years of full implementation;
       Whereas this Congress nationalized the student loan 
     industry with a potential cost of 30,000 private sector jobs 
     and $50.1 billion over ten years;
       Whereas this Congress passed the DISCLOSE Act in violation 
     of the first amendment, hindering citizens associations' and 
     corporations' free speech while leaving all unions exempt 
     from many of the new requirements, in order to try and 
     influence the outcome of 2010 elections;
       Whereas in spite of House Budget Committee Chairman's 2006 
     statement that ``if you can't budget, you can't govern'', the 
     Democrat leadership has failed to introduce a budget 
     resolution in 2010 as mandated by law, but instead self-
     executed a ``deeming resolution'' that increases nonemergency 
     discretionary spending in fiscal year 2011 by $30 billion to 
     $1.121 trillion, setting another new record for the highest 
     level in United States history;
       Whereas this Congress has failed Main Street through 
     passage of a financial system takeover that fails to end the 
     moral hazard of too-big-to-fail, does not address the Fannie 
     Mae and Freddie Mac behemoths, and creates numerous new 
     boards, councils, and positions with unconstitutionally broad 
     authorities that will interfere with the creation of wealth 
     and jobs;
       Whereas this Congress has wasted taxpayer funds on an 
     unnecessary and unconstitutional auto industry bailout, a 
     ``cash for clunkers'' program, a home remodification program 
     (``cash for caulkers''), and countless other pork barrel 
     projects while allowing the public debt to reach its highest 
     level in United States history;
       Whereas Democrats have recently insinuated that significant 
     legislative matters would deliberately not be addressed 
     during the 111th Congress until after the midterm elections 
     in November 2010;
       Whereas the New York Times reported on June 19, 2010 that, 
     ``For all the focus on the historic federal rescue of the 
     banking industry, it is the government's decision to seize 
     Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac in September 2008 that is likely 
     to cost taxpayers the most money. . . . Republicans want to 
     sever ties with Fannie and Freddie once the crisis abates. 
     The Obama administration and Congressional Democrats have 
     insisted on postponing the argument until after the midterm 
     elections.'';
       Whereas the Washington Times reported on June 22, 2010 that 
     House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer stated, ``a budget, which 
     sets out binding one-year targets and a multiyear plan, is 
     useless this year because Congress has shunted key questions 
     about deficits to the independent debt commission created by 
     President Obama, which is due to report back at the end of 
     this year.'';
       Whereas the Hill reported on June 24, 2010 that Senator Tom 
     Harkin, a Democrat from Iowa, suggested that Democrats 
     ``might attempt to move `card-check' legislation this year, 
     perhaps during a lame-duck session. . . . `A lot of things 
     can happen in a lame-duck session, too,' he said in reference 
     to EFCA.'';
       Whereas the New York Times published an article on June 28, 
     2010 titled ``Lame-Duck Session Emerges as Possibility for 
     Climate Bill Conference'' that declares ``many expect the 
     final energy or climate bill to be worked out during the 
     lame-duck session between the November election and the start 
     of the new Congress in January.'';
       Whereas the Hill reported on July 1, 2010 that ``Democratic 
     leaders are likely to punt the task of renewing Bush-era tax 
     cuts until after the election. Voters in November's midterms 
     will thus be left without a clear idea of their future tax 
     rates when they go to the polls.'';
       Whereas the Wall Street Journal reported on July 13, 2010 
     that, ``there have been signs in recent weeks that party 
     leaders are planning an ambitious, lame-duck session to 
     muscle through bills in December they don't want to defend 
     before November. Retiring or defeated members of Congress 
     would then be able to vote for sweeping legislation without 
     any fear of voter retaliation.'';
       Whereas the Hill reported on July 27, 2010 that Senate 
     Majority Leader Harry Reid said, at the recent Netroots 
     Nation conference of liberal bloggers, in reference to 
     Democrats' unfinished priorities, ``We're going to have to 
     have a lame duck session, so we're not giving up.'';
       Whereas the Hill reported in the same piece on July 27, 
     2010 that the lame duck session will include priorities such 
     as ``comprehensive immigration reform, climate change 
     legislation and a whole host of other issues'';
       Whereas the Declaration of Independence notes that 
     governments ``[derive] their just powers from the consent of 
     the governed'';
       Whereas the American people have expressed their loss of 
     confidence through self-organized and self-funded taxpayer 
     marches on Washington, at countless ``tea party'' events, at 
     town halls and speeches, and with numerous letters, emails, 
     and phone calls to their elected representatives;
       Whereas a reconvening of Congress between the regularly 
     scheduled Federal election in November and the start of the 
     next session of Congress is known as a ``lame-duck session of 
     Congress'';
       Whereas the Democrat majority has all-but-announced plans 
     to use any ``lame-duck Congress'' to advance currently 
     unattainable, partisan policies that are widely unpopular 
     with the American people or that further increase the 
     national debt against the will of most Americans;
       Whereas any such action would be a repudiation of the 
     American people's expressed

[[Page H6355]]

     will and would not comport with the Democrats' public 
     statements promising transparency and accountability; and
       Whereas under the leadership of Speaker Pelosi and the 
     Democrat majority, and largely due to the current trends of 
     Government expansion and freedom retrenchment, the American 
     people have lost confidence with their elected officials, and 
     that faith must be restored: Now, therefore be it
       Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
       (1) reaffirms the principle expressed in the Declaration of 
     Independence that governments ``[derive] their just powers 
     from the consent of the governed'';
       (2) recognizes the fundamental importance of trust existing 
     between the American people and their elected officials;
       (3) confirms that adhering to the will of the people is 
     imperative to upholding public trust;
       (4) states that the American people deserve to know where 
     their current elected officials stand on key legislative 
     issues before Election Day;
       (5) states that delaying controversial, unpopular votes 
     until after the election gives false impressions to voters 
     and deliberately hides the true intentions of the majority, 
     while denying voters the ability to make fully informed 
     choices on Election Day; and
       (6) pledges not to assemble on or between the dates of 
     November 2, 2010 and January 3, 2011, except in the case of 
     an unforeseen, sudden emergency requiring immediate action 
     from Congress.

                              {time}  1620

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under rule IX, a resolution offered from the 
floor by a Member other than the majority leader or the minority 
leader, as a question of the privileges of the House, has immediate 
precedence only at a time designated by the Chair within 2 legislative 
days after the resolution is properly noticed.
  Pending that designation, the form of the resolution noticed by the 
gentleman from Georgia will appear in the Record at this point.
  The Chair will not at this point determine whether the resolution 
constitutes a question of privilege. That determination will be made at 
the time designated for consideration of the resolution.

                          ____________________