[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 143 (Saturday, October 12, 2013)]
[House]
[Pages H6557-H6558]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   MOTION TO TAKE FROM THE SPEAKER'S TABLE H.J. RES. 59, CONTINUING 
                    APPROPRIATIONS RESOLUTION, 2014

  Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Mr. Speaker, I move to take from the Speaker's table 
H.J. Res. 59 with the House amendment to the Senate amendment thereto, 
to recede from the House amendment and concur in the Senate amendment 
to open the government now.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under section 2 of House Resolution 368, 
that motion may be offered only by the majority leader or his designee.


                        Parliamentary Inquiries

  Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Parliamentary inquiry, Mr. Speaker.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman will state his parliamentary 
inquiry.
  Mr. VAN HOLLEN. The standing rule of the House is rule XXII, clause 
4; is that correct?
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. That is correct.
  Mr. VAN HOLLEN. And the standing rule of the House reads, Mr. 
Speaker, ``When the stage of disagreement has been reached on a bill or 
resolution with House or Senate amendments, a motion to dispose of any 
amendment shall be privileged.''
  Mr. Speaker, my question is: Does the parliamentary status of the 
bill meet the requirements of rule XXII, clause 4?
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The House has altered the operation of that 
standing rule.
  Mr. VAN HOLLEN. So I just want to understand, Mr. Speaker. This 
standing rule of the House, which I have here, has been altered by the 
House. Is that what the Speaker is saying?
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The House adopted a resolution altering it.
  Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Parliamentary inquiry, Mr. Speaker.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman will state his parliamentary 
inquiry.
  Mr. VAN HOLLEN. When was that alteration made?

[[Page H6558]]

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In House Resolution 368.
  Mr. VAN HOLLEN. House Resolution 368.
  Mr. Speaker, parliamentary inquiry.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman will state his parliamentary 
inquiry.
  Mr. VAN HOLLEN. I want to make sure I have the right one. I have in 
my hand H. Res. 368, October 1.
  ``Resolved,'' and section 2 of that says, ``Any motion pursuant to 
clause 4 of rule XXII relating to House Joint Resolution 59 may be 
offered only by the majority leader or his designee.''
  Is that what you are referring to, Mr. Speaker?
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. That is the resolution.
  Mr. VAN HOLLEN. So, Mr. Speaker, just so I understand the situation, 
parliamentary inquiry.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman will state his parliamentary 
inquiry.
  Mr. VAN HOLLEN. H. Res. 368 changed the standing rules of the House 
to take away from any Member of the House the privilege of calling up 
the Senate bill to immediately reopen the government; is that right?
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. It did change the operation of the standing 
rule.
  Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Right.
  Parliamentary inquiry.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman will state his parliamentary 
inquiry.
  Mr. VAN HOLLEN. So a privileged motion, Mr. Speaker, would have 
allowed any Member of this House--Republican or Democrat--to call up 
the Senate bill to open the government; is that right?
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair does not give advisory opinions.
  Mr. VAN HOLLEN. But, Mr. Speaker, a privileged resolution, as cited 
in rule XXII, clause 4, of the standing rules of the House would allow 
any Member of the House to offer that resolution; is that right?
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair will not give an advisory opinion.
  Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Well, Mr. Speaker, parliamentary inquiry.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman will state his parliamentary 
inquiry.
  Mr. VAN HOLLEN. I think the Chair, just as I understood, said that 
that was changed so that it no longer would be a privileged motion for 
any Member, but it would be exclusively the right of the Republican 
leader or his designee. Am I right about that?
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair will apply House Resolution 368.
  Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Just again, Mr. Speaker, I want to be absolutely 
clear that H. Res. 368 changed the standing rules of the House so that 
only the Republican leader or his designee could call up the bill to 
open the government.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman will state his parliamentary 
inquiry.
  Mr. VAN HOLLEN. I would ask my colleagues whether the majority leader 
or his designee is on the floor of the House today.
  Parliamentary inquiry, Mr. Speaker, and this will be my last one.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman will state his parliamentary 
inquiry.
  Mr. VAN HOLLEN. I just want to understand, Mr. Speaker. The Rules 
Committee, under the rules of the House, changed the standing rules of 
the House to take away the right of any Member to move to vote to open 
the government and gave that right exclusively to the Republican 
leader; is that right?

                              {time}  1115

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The House adopted the resolution.
  The Chair is now prepared to entertain 1-minutes.
  Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Mr. Speaker, I renew my motion that under the regular 
standing rules of the House, clause 4, rule XXII, the House take up the 
Senate amendments and open the government now.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under section 2 of House Resolution 368, 
that motion may be offered only by the majority leader or his designee.
  Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Mr. Speaker, why are the rules rigged to keep the 
government shut down?
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman will suspend.

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