[Deschler's Precedents, Volume 1, Chapters 1 - 6]
[Chapter 3.  Party Organization]
[D. Floor Leaders]
[Â§ 20. Appointments]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]


[Page 238-240]
 
                               CHAPTER 3
 
                           Party Organization
 
                            D. FLOOR LEADERS
 
Sec. 20. Appointments

    The floor leaders designate members of their respective parties to 
serve as official objectors for the Private and Consent Calendars. The 
names of the persons so designated are announced in the House by the 
floor leaders soon after a new Congress convenes.(8)
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 8. See the illustrative announcements as to the appointment of 
        official objectors' committees in Sec. Sec. 15.1, 15.3, supra. 
        For general discussion of the composition and functions of the 
        official objectors' committees, see Sec. Sec. 15.1-15.5, supra.
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    The Democratic floor leader with the approval of the Speaker 
appoints the Democratic Whip, and makes an announcement in the House 
respecting such appointment.(9)
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 9. Sec. 20.3, infra. The Republican whip is selected by the conference 
        (see Sec. 23.3, infra). For general discussion of the party 
        whips, see Sec. Sec. 23-25, 
        infra.                          -------------------
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Appointment of Official Objectors

Sec. 20.1 The floor leader appoints his party's official objectors for 
    the Private and Consent Calendars, and announces in the House the 
    names of those persons so appointed.

    Thus, in the 91st Congress, announcements respecting the 
appointment of official objectors for the Private and Consent Calendars 
were made by Carl Albert, of Oklahoma, the Majority Leader, and Gerald 
R. Ford, of Michigan, the Minority Leader.(10)
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10. 115 Cong. Rec. 3721, 91st Cong. 1st Sess. Feb. 18, 1969. 
        Substantially similar announcements are made in every Congress. 
        See, for example, 105 Cong. Rec. 2580, 86th Cong. 1st Sess., 
        Feb. 18, 1959. See also the examples cited in Sec. Sec. 15.1 
        and 15.3, supra.

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[[Page 239]]

Replacement of Objector

Sec. 20.2 Following the request of an objector to be relieved of his 
    duties, the Minority Leader designated another to replace such 
    objector on the Objector's Committee for the Private Calendar.

    In the 89th Congress, an objector who had been appointed to the 
Subcommittee on Private Claims of the Committee on the Judiciary was 
relieved of his assignment on the Official Objectors' Committee for the 
Private Calendar. On Feb. 10, 1965, the Minority Leader made the 
following announcement:(11)
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11. 111 Cong. Rec. 2468, 89th Cong. 1st Sess. For another instance in 
        which the Minority Leader announced the replacement of a 
        minority objector for the Private Calendar, see 116 Cong. Rec. 
        7677, 91st Cong. 2d Sess., Mar. 17, 1970.
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        Mr. Gerald R. Ford [of Michigan]: Mr. Speaker, the gentleman 
    from Michigan [Mr. Hutchinson] is a member of the subcommittee of 
    the Judiciary Committee which handles private claims, and that 
    seems to be incompatible with his service on the Private Calendar 
    objectors' committee.

        At his request, he is being relieved of his assignment on the 
    Private Calendar objectors' committee, and I have designated the 
    gentleman from California [Mr. Talcott] to take his place.

Appointment of Democratic Whip

Sec. 20.3 The Democratic floor leader with the approval of the Speaker 
    appoints his party's whip, and announces such appointment in the 
    House.

    The following announcement, made in the 83d Congress by Sam 
Rayburn, of Texas, then Minority Leader, illustrates the announcement 
customarily made by the Democratic floor leader with respect to the 
appointment of the Democratic whip:(12)
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12. See 99 Cong. Rec. 134, 83d Cong. 1st Sess., Jan. 6, 1953. The 
        Republican whip is selected by the conference. See Sec. 23.3, 
        infra. For further discussion of the party whips, see 
        Sec. Sec. 23-25, infra.
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        Mr. Rayburn: Mr. Speaker, I desire to announce to the House 
    that I have appointed as minority whip of the House of 
    Representatives the Honorable John W. McCormack. I feel sure that 
    will be pleasing to both the minority and majority.

    In the 84th Congress, the Democratic floor leader, in announcing 
the selection of a majority whip to replace one resigning from that 
position, indicated that the Speaker and floor leader, in conference, 
made the selection. The proceedings were as follows:(13)
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13. 101 Cong. Rec. 191, 84th Cong. 1st Sess., Jan. 10, 1955.

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[[Page 240]]

        Mr. [John W.] McCormack [of Massachusetts]:
        Mr. Speaker, I desire to make an announcement. Those Members 
    who served in . . . past Congresses know that the distinguished 
    gentleman from Tennessee, Mr. Priest, has been the Democratic whip.
        Mr. Priest now assumes the very responsible position of 
    chairman of the very important Committee on Interstate and Foreign 
    Commerce. He has himself made the decision that the duties of that 
    chairmanship are such that he feels constrained to confine his 
    activities to that position.
        As a result of that it became necessary to select a majority 
    whip. I am very pleased to announce to my colleagues today that the 
    Speaker and I, in conference, have designated and selected the 
    distinguished gentleman from Oklahoma, Mr. Carl Albert, to be the 
    majority whip during this Congress.