[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 8 (Thursday, January 12, 2017)]
[House]
[Page H451]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  HOUSE INVESTIGATION REQUESTED IN RE C-SPAN INTERRUPTED BY ``RUSSIA 
                                TODAY''

  (Ms. MAXINE WATERS of California asked and was given permission to 
address the House for 1 minute.)
  Ms. MAXINE WATERS of California. Mr. Speaker, today while I spoke on 
the House floor on H.R. 78, the state-owned Russian channel called 
``Russia Today'' suddenly interrupted my speech, and C-SPAN coverage 
was replaced with Russian programming.
  Can the Chair please explain the proper rules for coverage of House 
floor proceedings? How did this happen?
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair will inform the gentlewoman that 
the Chair has no information on this at this point.
  Ms. MAXINE WATERS of California. Mr. Speaker, I would like to request 
an investigation of this incident because it does not seem to be 
coincidental. I was speaking about the SEC, and I was speaking about 
President-elect Trump and how he could influence the SEC and his 
relationship with Russia when I was interrupted.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. As debate, the gentlewoman's remarks will 
appear in the Record.
  Ms. MAXINE WATERS of California. Mr. Speaker, I am requesting an 
investigation by the House.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. As debate, the gentlewoman's remarks will 
appear in the Record.
  Ms. MAXINE WATERS of California. Mr. Speaker, I am requesting an 
investigation by the House.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair cannot unilaterally grant an 
investigation. The gentlewoman is welcome to use whatever other 
procedural means that she may have at her disposal to effect a result.
  Ms. MAXINE WATERS of California. I thank the Chair. I have made it 
known. I have asked for the investigation. If there is no assistance 
from the House, I would appreciate allowing other kinds of cooperation.
  I must say this, Mr. Speaker, if we were sitting in on the House and 
if we were streaming, then the House would know what to do since they 
investigated our past actions when we were trying to bring attention to 
gun violence in this country. So I don't really accept the fact that 
the House has no role in this and that it should not be participating 
in it.
  The House participates when it wants to, and I am asking the House to 
participate and investigate in this the same way you did when you 
decided that somehow it was improper for us to stream from the House on 
this issue.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentlewoman yields back.
  Ms. MAXINE WATERS of California. No, I don't yield back.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentlewoman's time has expired. The 
gentlewoman is no longer recognized.

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