[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 171 (Tuesday, October 29, 2019)]
[House]
[Pages H8580-H8583]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SFC SEAN COOLEY AND SPC CHRISTOPHER HORTON CONGRESSIONAL GOLD STAR
FAMILY FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM ACT
Ms. LOFGREN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to
the resolution (H. Res. 107) establishing the Congressional Gold Star
Family Fellowship Program for the placement in offices of Members of
the House of Representatives of children, spouses, and siblings of
members of the Armed Forces who are hostile casualties or who have died
from a training-related injury, as amended.
The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
The text of the resolution is as follows:
H. Res. 107
Resolved,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This resolution may be cited as the ``SFC Sean Cooley and
SPC Christopher Horton Congressional Gold Star Family
Fellowship Program Act''.
SEC. 2. CONGRESSIONAL GOLD STAR FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM.
(a) Establishment.--There is established in the House of
Representatives the Congressional Gold Star Family Fellowship
Program (hereafter in this resolution referred to as the
``Program'') under which, under the direction of the Chief
Administrative Officer of the House of Representatives, an
eligible individual may serve a 12-month fellowship in the
office of a Member of the House of Representatives (including
a Delegate or Resident Commissioner to the Congress).
(b) Exclusion of Appointees for Purposes of Limit on Number
of Employees in Member Offices.--Any individual serving a
fellowship under the Program in the office of a Member shall
not be included in the determination of the number of
employees employed by the Member under section 104(a) of the
House of Representatives Administrative Reform Technical
Corrections Act (2 U.S.C. 5321(a)).
(c) Placement in Member Offices in District of Columbia or
Congressional District of Member.--An individual may serve a
fellowship under the Program at the Member's office in the
District of Columbia or the Member's office in the
congressional district the Member represents.
(d) Eligible Individual Defined.--In this section, the term
``eligible individual'' means the child (including a
stepchild), spouse, or sibling of--
(1) a person who dies in the line of duty while serving as
a member of the Armed Forces (including the reserve
components and the National Guard), regardless of the duty
status of the member while serving, unless such death was the
result of the willful misconduct of the member; or
(2) a veteran who dies from a service-connected disability
(as defined in section 101 of title 38, United States Code)
during the 4-year period beginning on the date of the last
discharge or release of the veteran from the Armed Forces.
(e) Regulations.--The Program shall be carried out in
accordance with regulations promulgated by the Committee on
House Administration.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from
California (Ms. Lofgren) and the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Rodney
Davis) each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from California.
General Leave
Ms. LOFGREN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members
may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks
and include extraneous material on the measure under consideration.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentlewoman from California?
There was no objection.
Ms. LOFGREN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
This resolution establishes the Congressional Gold Star Family
Fellowship Program, which will provide fellowships in congressional
offices for immediate family members of the Armed Forces who have given
their lives in service to this country.
Members of the Armed Forces do not serve by themselves. They are
supported by children, spouses, siblings, and others who often go
months or longer without seeing their loved one while that loved one is
deployed.
It is incumbent on all Americans, but particularly those of us who
have the privilege of serving in Congress, to support military
families, and none more so than our Gold Star families.
Gold Star families have experienced the worst type of heartbreak,
sacrifice, and loss, and they deserve our unwavering recognition,
compassion, and support. The Congressional Gold Star Family Fellowship
Program is one small way for us in Congress to provide that support.
This program will offer an opportunity for members of Gold Star
families to gain firsthand experience in Congress through a yearlong
fellowship in a congressional office. These fellowships can take place
either here in Washington or back home in a district office and will
allow Gold Star families to both participate in and learn about the
democracy their loved one gave the ultimate sacrifice to protect.
Nothing can ever fill the void left by the loss of a loved one who
was killed serving the Nation, but we in Congress should be doing
everything we can to help lift up those who have suffered this
unfathomable loss.
Mr. Speaker, I am proud to support the establishment of this program.
I urge my colleagues to support this resolution, and I reserve the
balance of my time.
Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time
as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I want to thank Chairperson Lofgren for, again, working
with me on this issue--it is such a very important piece of
legislation--because I am proud to rise with her today in support of H.
Res. 107, the SFC Sean Cooley and SPC Christopher Horton Congressional
Gold Star Family Fellowship Program Act.
Since being elected to Congress in 2013, my team has worked over
1,000 cases on behalf of veteran constituents in central-southwestern
Illinois, including when the USS John McCain collided with a merchant
ship off the coast of Singapore in 2017, killing 10 sailors, including
Petty Officer Logan Palmer from my district. My office was able to help
this Gold Star family navigate the confusing Department of Defense
policies relating to next-of-kin travel for noncombat-related deaths
and other important procedures that follow a tragedy like this.
Over the years since that tragedy, I have become friends with Petty
Officer Palmer's parents, Theresa and Sid, and deeply value our
friendship, which is one of the reasons why I am so honored to be on
the floor advocating for the passage of this bill.
I have also worked to change the next-of-kin family travel policies
at the DOD and am currently working in a bipartisan way with Members
across the aisle to codify those changes that are already in existence.
Let's codify them into law so they don't change again when
administrations change.
I will continue to use my office to assist those who have given so
much. That is why I believe in this program that will allow Gold Star
spouses, children, and siblings the opportunity to work for a
congressional office in D.C. or a district office.
We already have a model for success in Congress to shape this program
after. It is the Wounded Warrior Fellowship Program that lies within
the Office of the Chief Administrative Officer and has provided many
opportunities over the years for veterans to serve in the House of
Representatives.
Currently, there is a Wounded Warrior fellow who works in my
Maryville, Illinois, office, Peter Arsenault. He is doing a great job.
Peter helps veterans in my district every day and understands the
assistance and the help that they need to navigate the bureaucracy
within the Federal Government.
Mr. Speaker, I do want to give a special thank-you and a shout-out to
our colleague and my very good close friend, Trent Kelly, the gentleman
from Mississippi, for his work on taking this fellowship program from
an idea into a reality. Trent did everything to make sure that this
became law, that this bill passed the House and made it on its way to
become law.
Mr. Speaker, I also want to thank the Gold Star families for their
participation in making this process a reality, too, and for those
family members who could be here in the gallery to see this important
program come to fruition.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. LOFGREN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I am glad that the ranking member has mentioned the
Wounded Warrior Program that, I believe, has been enormously
successful.
Practically every week, I am signing little termination letters. And
why? Because these wounded warriors have gotten jobs, promotions,
permanent positions, exactly what we wanted.
So not only will this help the families, Gold Star families, gain
insight
[[Page H8581]]
into the workings of the United States Congress, but it will also be a
platform for them to, if they wish, expand their employment
opportunities, just as our Wounded Warrior Program has done so.
Mr. Speaker, I thank the author of the bill. I thank the ranking
member for moving this forward. I am glad that this is bipartisan, as
well the prior bill.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I am happy to take this
opportunity to offer one of our great colleagues from the great State
of Nebraska the opportunity to speak in favor--like Trent Kelly from
Mississippi--one of the former generals, or current generals, who
serves in our Nation's military, but whom we also have the great
privilege of serving with here in this institution, General Don
Bacon.
Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Nebraska (Mr.
Bacon).
Mr. BACON. Mr. Speaker, I want to take the time to thank Ms. Lofgren
and Mr. Davis for guiding this discussion, this debate today, and Trent
Kelly for submitting a great bill.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this resolution which honors the
memory of two great American warriors: Army Sergeant First Class Sean
Cooley and Army Specialist Chris Horton. These heroes rest in honored
glory, servants to our great Republic, who answered the call and gave
their lives fighting for our freedoms and to give hope to others
fighting for a better future in Iraq and Afghanistan.
We could never repay the debt we owe, but we can honor them by caring
for their families. This is why this resolution to establish the Gold
Star Family Fellowship Program in the House is so important and has my
full support.
Since becoming a Member of the House, I have made it my mission to
work across the aisle to ensure Congress does its part to honor our
heroes and care for the families who bear the daily burden of their
loss.
To our Gold Star and surviving families, I recall President Lincoln's
words to a grieving mother who lost five sons in the Civil War: ``I
pray that the Heavenly Father may assuage the anguish of your
bereavement, and leave you only the cherished memory of the loved and
lost, and the solemn pride that must be yours to have laid so costly a
sacrifice upon the altar of freedom.''
As we approach Veterans Day, this action is timely and sends an
important message of support to our military families and to the
American people.
The daring raid this weekend which ended the life of the world's most
wanted terrorist is a reminder of how much we--indeed, the entire free
world--owe to our military, our military servicemembers and their
families.
Mr. Speaker, I wish to personally thank my good friend and wingman on
the Armed Services Committee, Mr. Kelly, for introducing this measure.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this resolution.
Ms. LOFGREN. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, may I inquire as to how
much time remains. I am sure I talked longer than I thought.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from Illinois has 14\1/2\
minutes remaining.
Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the
gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Loudermilk), my good friend, another
veteran who serves in this great institution with us. I am honored to
be able to serve with him on the House Administration Committee.
Mr. LOUDERMILK. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman, my friend and
colleague, the ranking member, for yielding this time.
This is one of those pieces of legislation that really touches your
heart.
As a veteran, I have had the opportunity to serve with some of
America's finest, and I have also experienced the loss and the families
that have lost loved ones in defense of this Nation.
But my story with the Gold Star goes back to even when I was a child.
You see, my dad was a veteran. He was a medic in World War II. He was
involved in the D-Day invasion. He went all the way through from
Normandy, through France, into Belgium, and then on into Germany.
I remember when I was young, I was going through this photo album
that my mom had, and as I was flipping through seeing the pictures that
my dad brought back from World War II, there was this interesting
picture of a banner hanging inside of a church.
And I remember when I asked her about this, because my children
recently, just a few years ago, were going through the album not long
before my mom and my dad passed away. They saw that same picture and
they asked the same question I asked: What is this? This banner had
names, various names of people, and next to the names was a silver star
or a gold star.
I remember when my children asked the question: ``What does this
mean?'' My mom, who was a teenager at the time, said: ``This banner was
in the entrance of our church, and the names on it were all the boys
from our church that were serving in the European or the Pacific
theater. And the silver star at the time indicated that they were
deployed into the combat area.''
But then she kind of got teary-eyed, and she said: ``But when it was
a gold star, it meant that they had been killed in action.''
I remember her telling about the D-Day invasion, because they knew
that something was going to happen. They knew we were going to invade,
but they didn't know exactly when. And the night of the invasion, when
President Roosevelt took to the airwaves and led the Nation in a prayer
for the invasion, her father told her to go throughout the town of
Waha, South Carolina, and gather everyone to come to the church and
pray.
She said they stayed and they prayed in the church all night long.
But she said a couple of days later, when they went back to the church,
she looked, and several of those names now had gold stars, including
the pastor, the pastor's son. I remember her telling the impact that it
had upon those families.
Many of these families are devastated, not only at the loss of their
loved one who gave their life for our freedom, but at the life they
will have to endure, the responsibilities that they will take on solely
for that family.
{time} 1645
I got to know a family when I was in the State legislature whose son
was killed in Iraq during the war on terror. I was able to name an
intersection after Justin Johnson. His story went on because his family
were such patriots, even though his mom was a Gold Star Mother at that
point.
His father wanted to complete the mission for which his son started
and reenlisted back into the National Guard. Unfortunately, his unit
was not going to be deployed, so he asked to be actually transferred to
a unit that was going to deploy, which the Army did. He went and
fulfilled the mission that his son wasn't able to complete.
I have seen and I have worked with these families and know the tragic
situations they are in. And, as others have, there is actually a
wounded warrior on our staff, Chase Sanger, an Army airborne veteran,
who is one of the finest that our Nation has produced.
To be able to extend this on to the families of those heroes, I think
is not only admirable, but it is something that we should have done a
long time ago. I salute my colleague, General Kelly, for bringing this
forward. I give it my utmost support, and I think this is well overdue.
Ms. LOFGREN. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time
as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, again, this is one of those rare opportunities where we
get to talk about our heroes.
The worst vote I think any of us would ever have to take is a vote to
authorize to send young men and women off to war, off to battle, to
protect the freedoms and the liberties that many of us in this country
take for granted every single day. We expect freedom and liberty to
exist in the United States of America, but it doesn't happen without
the courage and the sacrifice of so many families throughout our
Nation's history. I cannot imagine. I have never had the chance to take
that vote in 6\1/2\ years, and I hope and pray every day that I don't
personally ever have to take it. But many in this
[[Page H8582]]
institution, who have been here and have served here, have had to make
that vote.
I could not imagine what our Gold Star families go through when they
get that knock on the door. But to know that the legacy of their young
sons and daughters is going to live on in a fellowship program here in
the United States House of Representatives--because General Trent Kelly
and his team and an idea from his constituents is now moving forward in
the next step to become law--that is one thing that we can do here in
the House of Representatives to honor those families who have
sacrificed so much.
We often imagine the future of what would have happened if these
young men and women would have been able to come back home, families
torn apart by tragedy at a time when their sacrifice gave us the
freedoms and liberties that we enjoy being able to serve here.
We have an opportunity today to say thank you again. This is our
opportunity to show those families that their sons and daughters
perishing during battle, or noncombat-related deaths, like Petty
Officer Logan Palmer from Harristown, Illinois, in my district, let's
say thank you to them. Let's let their memory go on.
Let's let the next generation of people who, like Chairperson Lofgren
and I, we started out as congressional staffers. Do you know what, I
think both of us are here because of that experience. And to have this
program, this Gold Star Fellowship Program, allow young men and women,
who have been affected by so much, come into our institution, who
knows, maybe they will be the next chairperson and ranking member of
the House Administration Committee, and maybe their constituents, like
General Kelly's constituents, will give them a great idea like this,
and maybe they will be able to move it on the next step in becoming
law.
Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairperson Lofgren again for allowing us the
opportunity, and I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. LOFGREN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, like Mr. Davis, I do believe that this fellowship will
provide a rewarding experience for the families who decide to
participate, whether it is in Washington, to participate and observe in
the making of legislation, or whether it is in our district offices,
going to bat for veterans, standing up for people who need help from a
congressional office. It is very rewarding, but also very educational.
And I know that it will be a rewarding experience for those families
who participate.
I thank the author of the bill, Mr. Kelly, for his persistence in
getting this done and making adjustments as input came in so that we
can have consensus and proceed on this.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, may I inquire as to how
much time remains?
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from Illinois has 7 minutes
remaining.
Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the
gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Baird), my colleague and wounded warrior, a
hero. I am glad I get the opportunity to serve with heroes like the
gentleman from Indiana.
Mr. BAIRD. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of the
Congressional Gold Star Family Fellowship Program Act sponsored by my
colleague, Mr. Kelly.
Mr. Speaker, our men and women in uniform are part of a long line of
patriots whose unwavering commitment to our Nation has preserved the
rich legacy of freedom that we each enjoy every day.
Our military families are the forces behind our Armed Forces, and it
is our duty to also support and care for them, especially when their
loved one pays the ultimate sacrifice in service to our Nation.
I am proud to support this legislation, named after two fallen
American soldiers, Sergeant First Class Sean Cooley and Specialist
Christopher Horton. This resolution will provide fellowships in
congressional offices to Gold Star family members, giving them the
opportunity to drive policy change here in Washington and serve our
country in their own way.
Our fallen men and women in uniform stepped forward and answered the
call to serve. It is our turn to do our part to honor their legacy of
service and sacrifice by keeping the ones that we leave behind in the
forefront of our minds as we make decisions in this body.
With passage of this legislation, we will send a message to our Gold
Star families that they are not forgotten, and the American people
stand behind them and support them.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this resolution.
Ms. LOFGREN. Mr. Speaker, I continue to reserve the balance of my
time.
Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the
gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Loudermilk), my good friend.
Mr. LOUDERMILK. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleagues on both sides of
the aisle for bringing this measure forward and giving us an
opportunity to do something so important for these families.
I am sure many of you, as you watch the television, see the different
organizations that have evolved over the past several years to provide
assistance to those families. One particular organization provides
assistance in paying off the mortgages for these families.
I bring that up just as an illustration to the aspects of what these
Gold Star families go through at the loss of their loved one. Sometimes
it is the primary income earner from the family because, quite often,
the spouse is at home taking care of the children and, all of a sudden,
they are the primary breadwinner, their loved one is gone. They are
left with these bills. They are left with, a lot of times, situations
beyond just the grief of what they are feeling at the loss of their
family member, they have to deal with these unbearable situations.
Providing them with an opportunity for the spouse or their children
to find employment in something that they feel is also meaningful,
because many of them have such a patriotic heart, they want to continue
to serve.
One of the things that I have often said to many of my veterans and
friends who have served is that when we take that oath of office, there
are a lot of things that we swear to, to uphold and defend the
Constitution of the United States, up to and including giving our own
lives, if necessary. But one thing that is not in that oath of office
is an expiration date.
Many veterans and their families, even at the end of their regular
service, still feel that need and that desire to serve. This will give
an opportunity for those family members to continue to serve their
country in a meaningful way.
Ms. LOFGREN. Mr. Speaker, I continue to reserve the balance of my
time.
Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he
may consume to the gentleman from Mississippi (Mr. Kelly), and I can't
tell you how proud I am to yield to the sponsor of this legislation,
somebody who deserves a lot of thanks for moving this bill forward.
Mr. KELLY of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, this is one of my most
momentous occasions here in the House of Representatives. We are
recognizing the men and women who died in service of this great Nation
and understanding that when they left here, they left families behind.
These are two--Sean Cooley and Chris Horton--who died in service of
this great Nation. I have got their pictures up here to show what
warriors they were. But they left families behind.
We are establishing this Gold Star Fellowship Program to honor these
men, and many other men and women like them, who have given their all
to defend this Nation.
Ronald Reagan used the words of Thomas Jefferson when he said, the
blood of patriots is needed from time to time to refresh the tree of
liberty--something to that effect. We have to make sure that we always
honor those who give the ultimate sacrifice for this great Nation.
We have many Gold Star families here today. My friend Jane Horton
came up with the idea for this bill. This is her husband who is
pictured in this bill. Thank God that we have men
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and women who not only serve this Nation, but families who serve this
Nation by allowing their family member to serve. Such bravery and such
patriots. As long as we have them, this Nation will always sustain.
When we lose these types of patriots who are willing to give
everything to this beautiful, wonderful Nation, then we no longer will
have a Nation. Freedom is not free. But the least we can do is allow
their family members to learn how to get engaged in the congressional
process on a national and strategic level and to influence our decision
so that we take care of those great patriots who left this country
behind.
We will never forget, and we will never leave behind a fallen comrade
or their survivor. So for our Gold Star families, thank you and God
bless you. Their sacrifice was not in vain.
Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance
of my time.
{time} 1700
Ms. LOFGREN. Mr. Speaker, I think this has been an excellent debate
highlighting the bipartisan support for this fellowship, a bipartisan
gratitude to those who served and those who gave their lives for this
country and for the families they left behind. There is no honor big
enough that we could possibly give to them, but this fellowship is a
token. It is a token that is important, and it is something that we
have done in a bipartisan way.
Mr. Speaker, I hope that every Member of this body will be supportive
of it, and I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. HUDSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res. 107--the
SFC Sean Cooley and SPC Christopher Horton Congressional Gold Star
Family Fellowship Program Act.
As the Representative of Fort Bragg, NC, the epicenter of the
universe, and one of the fastest growing veteran populations in the
country, I am all too familiar with what it means to be a ``Gold Star
Family''. Our community has many of these families who have lost a
loved one in the line of duty while serving our country and we remember
them each and every day.
This resolution before us today would give a renewed sense of
optimism to some of these family members by providing them the unique
opportunity to take part in a 12-month congressional fellowship in a
Congressional office. This fellowship would be modeled after other
successful programs to include the wounded warrior fellowship that
already exists.
Many of our offices have benefited by adding various types of fellows
to our staff and I'm sure we would all stand to benefit from having a
gold star family member as well. Nothing will ever be able to replace
the loss of a loved one, but today we have the opportunity to provide
an opportunity to those who have already sacrificed so much. I would
ask all of my colleagues to support this resolution and look forward to
its passage and having a gold star family fellow in my office soon.
Mr. KELLY of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I'd like to thank the
Chairwoman from California, my esteemed colleague from Illinois, and
their staffs for helping us get this bill to the floor.
From the immortal words of Thomas Jefferson and Ronald Reagan, ``The
tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of
patriots and tyrants.''
H. Res. 107, The Sergeant First Class Sean Cooley and Specialist
Christopher Horton Congressional Gold Star Family Fellowship Program
Act takes a monumental and vitally important step toward educating the
members of this chamber on the true costs of armed conflict.
Named after two warriors who lost their lives fighting America's
enemies, this program provides the spouses, the children, and the
siblings of those who gave their lives in service to our great nation
in armed conflict or combat-related training, a paid fellowship with
the Congressperson of their choice, here in Washington, or in their
home district.
When our servicemembers make the ultimate sacrifice, there is no
award, no amount of money or no program that can ever make their
families whole again. But what this program does do, is it gives the
families left behind a chance to participate in our great democratic
process at the national level.
Their experiences, their trials, and their tribulations will now have
a voice in these hallowed halls. A voice that will serve as a constant
reminder that it is the military family that is the backbone of this
great Republic and when we make the decision to send our nation's best
to war, we must always be prepared to take care of those left behind.
General George Patton once said that ``it is foolish and wrong to
mourn the men who died. Rather we should thank God that such men
lived.''
I stand here today Mister Speaker and truly thank God for our men and
women in uniform who are willing to sacrifice their lives for this
great nation.
I would like to especially thank Mrs. Jane Horton for her tireless
effort and dedication to the families of the fallen and all the Gold
Star families in the Gallery this afternoon.
Your service and your sacrifice are a true inspiration to us all.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentlewoman from California (Ms. Lofgren) that the House suspend the
rules and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 107, as amended.
The question was taken.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I object to the vote on
the ground that a quorum is not present and make the point of order
that a quorum is not present.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further
proceedings on this motion will be postponed.
The point of no quorum is considered withdrawn.
____________________