[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 7]
[House]
[Page 9201]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                        PARLIAMENTARY INQUIRIES

  Mr. SESSIONS. Parliamentary inquiry, Madam Speaker.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman will state his inquiry.
  Mr. SESSIONS. I understand that the procedure that the Chair just 
went through is known as Calendar Wednesday. Is it correct that any 
bill reported by a committee and placed on the Union or House calendar 
could have been called up by the chairman as the committee name was 
read?
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. A non-privileged bill otherwise in order may 
be called up on formal authorization by the reporting committee.
  Mr. SESSIONS. Further parliamentary inquiry, Madam Speaker.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman will state his inquiry.
  Mr. SESSIONS. H.R. 1429, Head Start Reauthorization, was reported out 
of the Ed and Labor Committee on March 23, 2007. Would it have been in 
order for the chairman or his designee to call up H.R. 1429 at this 
time?
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Clause 2(b) of rule XIII is sufficient 
authority for the chairman of a committee to call up a bill on Calendar 
Wednesday.
  Mr. SESSIONS. Further parliamentary inquiry, Madam Speaker.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman will state his inquiry.
  Mr. SESSIONS. Similarly, H.R. 493, the Genetic Information 
Nondiscrimination Act, was reported by the Ed and Labor Committee on 
March 5, 2007. Would it have been possible to call up H.R. 493 at this 
time?
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Yes.
  Mr. SESSIONS. Further parliamentary inquiry, Madam Speaker
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman will state his inquiry.
  Mr. SESSIONS. Is it in order for Mr. McKeon, the ranking member of 
the Education and Labor Committee, to call up the bill under his 
committee's jurisdiction, Head Start?
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. A committee member other than the chairman 
must have specific authorization of the committee to call up a bill on 
Calendar Wednesday.
  Mr. SESSIONS. Further parliamentary inquiry, Madam Speaker.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman will state his inquiry.
  Mr. SESSIONS. Is it in order for any member of the minority to call 
up a bill during the call of the committees?
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. A committee member other than the chairman 
must have specific authorization of the committee to call up a bill on 
Calendar Wednesday.

                              {time}  1010

  Mr. SESSIONS. Further parliamentary inquiry, Madam Speaker.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman will state it.
  Mr. SESSIONS. Is the chairman of the committee the only person that 
is in order to call up a bill during the call of the committees on 
Calendar Wednesday?
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Calendar Wednesday business may only be 
called up on formal authorization by the reporting committee. Clause 
2(b) of rule XIII is sufficient authority for the chairman of a 
committee to call up a bill on Calendar Wednesday.

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