[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 158 (2012), Part 11]
[House]
[Page 14937]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                        PARLIAMENTARY INQUIRIES

  Ms. EDWARDS. Mr. Speaker, parliamentary inquiry.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentlewoman will state her inquiry.
  Ms. EDWARDS. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rise for the purpose of a 
parliamentary inquiry to inquire as to whether it is not the case that 
during these pro forma sessions legislation may be considered by 
unanimous consent.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentlewoman has put forward a 
hypothetical upon which the Chair cannot opine.
  Ms. EDWARDS. Mr. Speaker, parliamentary inquiry.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentlewoman will state her inquiry.
  Ms. EDWARDS. Mr. Speaker, should it not be possible to consider 
legislation and to complete work on behalf of the American people 
including middle class tax cuts, which we all agree upon should be 
extended, jobs legislation, the Violence Against Women Act, the farm 
bill, and the fiscal cliff looming causing individuals and businesses 
uncertainty? For the purposes of a parliamentary inquiry, the list goes 
on and on.
  Should it not be possible to consider legislation that the Republican 
leadership has decided instead to schedule only 8 days of votes between 
August 3 and November 13?
  Should it not be possible to consider legislation given the fact that 
the Republican leadership has left town for 7 weeks, the earliest 
Congress has recessed for an election in over 50 years?
  Mr. Speaker, for the purposes of a parliamentary inquiry, the 
American people deserve answers and they deserve action. They deserve 
more than simply a pro forma session and a do-nothing Congress and 
Republican obstructionism.
  Mr. Speaker, for the purposes of a parliamentary inquiry, Democrats 
are committed to return to Washington to continue the work of the 
people, and I would ask my Republican colleagues to join us.
  Mr. Speaker, is it possible for us to return to work and do the 
business of the people rather than this pro forma session?
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Sadly, the gentlewoman has not put forward a 
proper parliamentary inquiry.


                                 Recess

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 12(a) of rule I, the 
Chair declares the House in recess for not more than 15 minutes.
  Accordingly (at 10 o'clock and 10 minutes a.m.), the House stood in 
recess.


                              After Recess

  The recess having expired, the House was called to order by the 
Speaker pro tempore (Mr. LaTourette) at 10 o'clock and 11 minutes a.m.

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