[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 179 (Thursday, December 10, 2015)]
[House]
[Pages H9263-H9264]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
RAISING A QUESTION OF THE PRIVILEGES OF THE HOUSE
Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, I rise to a question of the privileges of
the House and offer the following resolution.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Womack). The Clerk will report the
resolution.
The Clerk read as follows:
Whereas the safety of the American people is urgently at
stake;
Whereas the integrity of the legislative process has been
seriously undermined by the influence of a powerful lobby,
causing the House leadership to prevent the American people's
representatives from considering commonsense measures to
prevent terrorists from purchasing assault weapons and
firearms from any licensed firearms dealer in the United
States;
Whereas the first duty of Members of Congress is to protect
and defend the American people, and that duty is forsaken by
the failure of the House leadership to withstand the
influence of a powerful lobby controlled by the gun industry;
Whereas leaders of terrorist organizations have previously
urged sympathizers to exploit the United States' lax gun laws
in order to perpetrate domestic terror;
Whereas suspects on the FBI's Terrorist Watchlist can go
into a gun store anywhere in America and buy dangerous
firearms of their choosing legally;
Whereas since 2004, more than 2,000 suspected terrorists
have legally purchased weapons in the United States;
Whereas in that time period, more than 90 percent of all
suspected terrorists who tried to buy a gun in a store in
America walked away with his or her weapon of choice;
Whereas the House leadership ensures the ability of
suspected terrorists to continue to buy guns and refuses to
schedule legislation to close the terror list loophole;
Whereas since the mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary
school nearly 3 years ago, more than 1,000 mass shootings,
90,000 gun deaths, and 210,000 gun injuries have occurred;
and
Whereas mass shootings and gun violence are inflicting
daily tragedy on communities across America: Now, therefore,
be it
Resolved, That--
(1) a clear and present danger exists to the American
people; and
(2) in order to protect the American people and the
integrity of the legislative process, upon the adoption of
this resolution, the Speaker shall place H.R. 1076, the
``Denying Firearms and Explosives to Dangerous Terrorists
Act'', as introduced by Congressman Peter King (Republican-
NY), on the calendar for an immediate vote.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Does the gentlewoman from California wish to
present argument on the parliamentary question whether the resolution
presents a question of the privileges of the House?
Ms. PELOSI. I do, Mr. Speaker.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentlewoman from California is
recognized.
Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, it is shocking to the American people that
Congress refuses to keep guns out of the hands of those on the FBI's
terrorist watch list. The gun violence epidemic is a public health
crisis that we have a responsibility to address. Failing to meet that
responsibility brings dishonor to the House of Representatives.
Public sentiment demands action. Eighty percent of Americans support
legislation to close the outrageous loophole that puts guns in the
hands of people, again, on the FBI's terrorist watch list. In the last
decade, 90 percent of those on the FBI's terrorist watch list who tried
to buy guns in America left the store with their weapons of choice.
In closing, in the people's House, we do nothing. We have not even
allowed an up-or-down vote. In just over 1,000 days since Sandy Hook,
we have seen 1,000 mass killings, 90,000 gun deaths, and 210,000 gun
injuries in communities across America.
By refusing to act, we disgrace the House, we dishonor the American
people, and we erode America's faith in our democracy. We have no right
to hold moments of silence without action to end gun violence. Give us
an up-or-down vote.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair will rule.
The gentlewoman from California seeks to offer a resolution raising a
question of the privileges of the House under rule IX. The resolution
directs the Speaker to schedule a particular measure for an immediate
vote.
One of the fundamental tenets of rule IX, as the Chair most recently
ruled on October 8, 2013, is that a resolution expressing a legislative
sentiment does not qualify as a question of the privileges of the
House.
By calling for a vote on a particular measure, the resolution
expresses a legislative sentiment in violation of the principles
documented in sections 702 and 706 of the House Rules and Manual.
Accordingly, the resolution does not constitute a question of the
privileges of the House.
Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, I appeal the ruling of the Chair.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is, Shall the decision of the
Chair stand as the judgment of the House?
Motion to Table
Mr. McCARTHY. Mr. Speaker, I move to lay the appeal on the table.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion to table.
The question was taken; and the Speaker pro tempore announced that
the ayes appeared to have it.
Ms. PELOSI. Mr. 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, this 15-
minute vote on the motion to table will be followed by a 5-minute vote
on the motion to suspend the rules and pass H.R. 2795.
[[Page H9264]]
The vote was taken by electronic device, and there were--yeas 242,
nays 173, not voting 18, as follows:
[Roll No. 688]
YEAS--242
Abraham
Aderholt
Allen
Amash
Amodei
Babin
Barletta
Barr
Barton
Benishek
Bilirakis
Bishop (MI)
Bishop (UT)
Black
Blackburn
Blum
Bost
Boustany
Brady (TX)
Brat
Bridenstine
Brooks (AL)
Brooks (IN)
Buchanan
Buck
Bucshon
Burgess
Byrne
Calvert
Carter (GA)
Carter (TX)
Chabot
Chaffetz
Clawson (FL)
Coffman
Cole
Collins (GA)
Collins (NY)
Comstock
Conaway
Cook
Costello (PA)
Cramer
Crawford
Crenshaw
Culberson
Curbelo (FL)
Davis, Rodney
Denham
Dent
DeSantis
DesJarlais
Diaz-Balart
Dold
Donovan
Duffy
Duncan (SC)
Duncan (TN)
Ellmers (NC)
Farenthold
Fincher
Fitzpatrick
Fleischmann
Fleming
Flores
Forbes
Fortenberry
Foxx
Franks (AZ)
Frelinghuysen
Garrett
Gibbs
Gibson
Gohmert
Goodlatte
Gosar
Gowdy
Granger
Graves (GA)
Graves (LA)
Graves (MO)
Griffith
Grothman
Guinta
Guthrie
Hanna
Hardy
Harper
Harris
Hartzler
Heck (NV)
Hensarling
Herrera Beutler
Hice, Jody B.
Hill
Holding
Hudson
Huelskamp
Huizenga (MI)
Hultgren
Hunter
Hurd (TX)
Hurt (VA)
Issa
Jenkins (KS)
Jenkins (WV)
Johnson (OH)
Jolly
Jones
Jordan
Joyce
Katko
Kelly (MS)
Kelly (PA)
King (IA)
King (NY)
Kinzinger (IL)
Kline
Knight
Labrador
LaHood
LaMalfa
Lamborn
Lance
Latta
LoBiondo
Long
Loudermilk
Love
Lucas
Luetkemeyer
Lummis
MacArthur
Marchant
Marino
Massie
McCarthy
McCaul
McClintock
McHenry
McKinley
McMorris Rodgers
McSally
Meehan
Messer
Mica
Miller (FL)
Miller (MI)
Moolenaar
Mooney (WV)
Mullin
Mulvaney
Murphy (PA)
Neugebauer
Newhouse
Noem
Nugent
Nunes
Olson
Palazzo
Palmer
Paulsen
Pearce
Perry
Peterson
Pittenger
Pitts
Poe (TX)
Poliquin
Pompeo
Posey
Price, Tom
Ratcliffe
Reed
Reichert
Renacci
Ribble
Rice (SC)
Rigell
Roby
Roe (TN)
Rogers (AL)
Rogers (KY)
Rohrabacher
Rokita
Rooney (FL)
Ros-Lehtinen
Roskam
Ross
Rothfus
Rouzer
Royce
Russell
Salmon
Sanford
Scalise
Schweikert
Scott, Austin
Sensenbrenner
Shimkus
Shuster
Simpson
Smith (MO)
Smith (NE)
Smith (NJ)
Smith (TX)
Stefanik
Stewart
Stivers
Stutzman
Thompson (PA)
Thornberry
Tiberi
Tipton
Trott
Turner
Upton
Valadao
Wagner
Walberg
Walden
Walker
Walorski
Walters, Mimi
Weber (TX)
Webster (FL)
Wenstrup
Westerman
Westmoreland
Whitfield
Williams
Wilson (SC)
Wittman
Womack
Woodall
Yoder
Yoho
Young (AK)
Young (IA)
Young (IN)
Zeldin
Zinke
NAYS--173
Adams
Ashford
Bass
Beatty
Becerra
Bera
Beyer
Bishop (GA)
Blumenauer
Bonamici
Brady (PA)
Brown (FL)
Brownley (CA)
Bustos
Butterfield
Capps
Capuano
Cardenas
Carney
Carson (IN)
Cartwright
Castor (FL)
Castro (TX)
Chu, Judy
Clark (MA)
Clarke (NY)
Clay
Cleaver
Clyburn
Cohen
Connolly
Conyers
Cooper
Costa
Courtney
Crowley
Cuellar
Cummings
Davis (CA)
Davis, Danny
DeFazio
DeGette
Delaney
DeLauro
DelBene
DeSaulnier
Deutch
Dingell
Doggett
Doyle, Michael F.
Duckworth
Edwards
Ellison
Eshoo
Esty
Farr
Fattah
Foster
Frankel (FL)
Fudge
Gabbard
Gallego
Garamendi
Graham
Green, Al
Green, Gene
Hahn
Hastings
Heck (WA)
Higgins
Himes
Hinojosa
Honda
Hoyer
Huffman
Israel
Jackson Lee
Jeffries
Johnson (GA)
Johnson, E. B.
Kaptur
Keating
Kelly (IL)
Kennedy
Kilmer
Kind
Kirkpatrick
Kuster
Langevin
Larsen (WA)
Larson (CT)
Lawrence
Lee
Levin
Lewis
Lieu, Ted
Lipinski
Loebsack
Lofgren
Lowenthal
Lowey
Lujan Grisham (NM)
Lujan, Ben Ray (NM)
Lynch
Maloney, Carolyn
Maloney, Sean
Matsui
McCollum
McDermott
McNerney
Meeks
Meng
Moore
Moulton
Murphy (FL)
Nadler
Napolitano
Neal
Norcross
O'Rourke
Pallone
Pascrell
Payne
Pelosi
Perlmutter
Peters
Pingree
Pocan
Polis
Price (NC)
Quigley
Richmond
Roybal-Allard
Ruiz
Ruppersberger
Rush
Ryan (OH)
Sanchez, Linda T.
Sanchez, Loretta
Sarbanes
Schakowsky
Schiff
Schrader
Scott, David
Serrano
Sewell (AL)
Sherman
Sires
Slaughter
Smith (WA)
Speier
Swalwell (CA)
Takai
Takano
Thompson (CA)
Thompson (MS)
Titus
Tonko
Torres
Tsongas
Van Hollen
Vargas
Veasey
Vela
Velazquez
Visclosky
Walz
Wasserman Schultz
Waters, Maxine
Watson Coleman
Welch
Wilson (FL)
Yarmuth
NOT VOTING--18
Aguilar
Boyle, Brendan F.
Cicilline
Emmer (MN)
Engel
Grayson
Grijalva
Gutierrez
Johnson, Sam
Kildee
McGovern
Meadows
Nolan
Rangel
Rice (NY)
Scott (VA)
Sessions
Sinema
{time} 1715
So the motion to table was agreed to.
The result of the vote was announced as above recorded.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
____________________