[Deschler-Brown Precedents, Volume 17, Chapters 34 - 40]
[Ch. 36. Ceremonies and Awards]
[Â§12. âCurrent and Former Members of the House and the Senate]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]


[Page 199-202]
 
                               CHAPTER 36
 
                         Ceremonies and Awards
 
Sec. 12. --Current and Former Members of the House and the Senate

    The House has marked its respect for deceased current and former 
Members of the House and the Senate in various ways,(1) 
including by holding memorial services in the Rotunda(2) and 
Statuary Hall(3) and by observing a moment of 
silence.(4) Announcements of deaths in one-minute and 
special-order speeches, adoption of resolutions of sympathy, and 
resolutions providing for adjournment out of respect for a specified 
Member, are addressed in Ch. 38, infra.
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 1. See also 5 Hinds' Precedents Sec. Sec. 7107-7138; 8 Cannon's 
        Precedents Sec. Sec. 3560-3565.
 2. See Sec. 12.3, infra.
 3. See Sec. 12.2, infra.
 4. See Sec. 12.1, infra.                          -------------------
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Sec. 12.1 The Speaker took the floor (by unanimous consent pending 
    operation of the previous question on passage of a bill) to 
    announce the death of a Member.

    On Mar. 25, 1998,(1) the following proceedings took 
place:
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 1. 144 Cong. Rec. 4668, 105th Cong. 2d Sess.
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        The CHAIRMAN pro tempore (Mr. Snowbarger).(2) Are 
    there further amendments?
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 2. Vincent Snowbarger (KS).
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        There being no further amendments, under the rule the Committee 
    rises.
        Accordingly, the Committee rose[.] . . .
        The SPEAKER pro tempore.(3) Under the rule, the 
    previous question is ordered.
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 3. Ray LaHood (IL).
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        Is a separate vote demanded on any amendment? If not, the Chair 
    will put them en gros.
        The amendments were agreed to.
        (Mr. GINGRICH asked and was given permission to speak out of 
    order.)

[[Page 200]]

              announcement of passing of congressman steve schiff

        Mr. [Newt] GINGRICH [of Georgia]. Mr. Speaker, I have the sad 
    duty to inform the House that earlier today, Steve Schiff, our 
    colleague, died in Albuquerque. All of my colleagues know he fought 
    a very, very long and very courageous struggle against cancer.
        I had an opportunity to talk just a few minutes ago with his 
    wife, and the family is bearing up very, very well. His staff has 
    been wonderful in a very difficult situation for over a year, and 
    has done really courageous work in representing Steve and 
    representing the district.
        Mr. Speaker, I would like to ask the House to join me in a 
    moment of silent prayer for Steve and his family, and then 
    afterwards I will comment further.
        Amen.
        Let me just say, that Mrs. Schiff indicated they will decide 
    later on this evening whether the funeral will be on Friday or on 
    Monday. Obviously, the House will suspend for the purposes of the 
    funeral, and we will invite Members who care to go, to go and join 
    the family at that time.
        It is a very sad time for all of us, and I think that those of 
    us who knew Steve well knew the integrity, the decency, the love 
    for this country that he brought to the job of Representative, the 
    degree to which he gave all of us honor in the way in which he 
    served. And I know that all of my colleagues will want to reach out 
    in their own way to the Schiff family and to the people of New 
    Mexico and, in particular, as I said a minute ago, to the very fine 
    staff who has just truly done heroic work over the last year under 
    the most difficult possible circumstances.
        I know that my colleagues will want to join in prayers for Mrs. 
    Schiff and for the immediate family. We will report more as we 
    learn more.
        Mr. [Steny H.] HOYER [of Maryland]. Mr. Speaker, will the 
    gentleman yield?
        Mr. GINGRICH. I yield to the gentleman from Maryland.
        Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, I know on this side of the aisle, we 
    join all of our colleagues on that side of the aisle. All of us, in 
    losing a colleague, share the sadness and share the concern for our 
    colleague's family.
        Mr. Speaker, another one of our colleagues is grieving this day 
    as well, as many probably know. The family of the gentleman from 
    Maryland (Mr. Cardin) lost their son, 30 years of age, last night 
    and buried him this afternoon. So as we pray for our colleague and 
    for the Schiff family, if we could remember the Cardin family as 
    well, I know they would appreciate it. I thank the gentleman from 
    Georgia (Mr. Gingrich) for yielding.
        Mr. GINGRICH. Mr. Speaker, reclaiming my time, I thank the 
    gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Hoyer) for briefing us and I thank the 
    House for its attention.

                    announcement by the speaker pro tempore

        The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair would announce that 
    following final passage of this bill, a resolution will be offered 
    by the gentleman from New Mexico (Mr. Skeen).

Sec. 12.2 Notification to Members of a memorial service for a

[[Page 201]]

    deceased former Member of the House to be held in Statuary Hall.

    On Apr. 24, 1991,(1) the following proceedings took 
place:
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 1. 137 Cong. Rec. 9006, 102d Cong. 1st Sess.
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             ANNOUNCEMENT OF MEMORIAL SERVICES FOR RICHARD BOLLING

        Mr. [Alan] WHEAT [of Missouri]. Mr. Speaker, it is always a sad 
    occasion when a Member of this body dies, and this last Sunday one 
    of the most distinguished Members of this body passed away. Our 
    former colleague, Richard Bolling, who served in this House of 
    Representatives from 1948 until 1982, passed away this past Sunday.
        Mr. Speaker, I want to notify my colleagues that there will be 
    two memorial services on his behalf. The first will be held this 
    afternoon at 4 o'clock p.m. in Statuary Hall in the Capitol of the 
    United States. The second memorial service will be held in his home 
    district this Friday afternoon, 1 o'clock, at the Unitarian Church 
    in Kansas City. Members of Congress, friends, family, and, of 
    course, the general public are all invited to attend.

Sec. 12.3 By unanimous consent, the House considered a concurrent 
    resolution permitting the remains of a sitting Member and former 
    Senator to lie in state in the Rotunda of the Capitol.

    On May 31, 1989,(1) the following proceedings took 
place:
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 1. 135 Cong. Rec. 10416-18, 10430, 101st Cong. 1st Sess. See also Ch. 
        38 Appendix, infra.
            Parliamentarian's Note: Mr. Pepper was the first sitting 
        House member since Thaddeus Stevens in 1868 to lie in state in 
        the Rotunda of the Capitol.
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        Mr. [Thomas S.] FOLEY [of Washington]. Madam Speaker, I offer a 
    concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 139) permitting the remains of 
    the Honorable Claude Pepper, to lie in state in the Rotunda of the 
    Capitol in recognition of his distinguished service, and I ask 
    unanimous-consent for its immediate consideration.
        The SPEAKER pro tempore.(2) The Clerk will report 
    the resolution.
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 2. Mary Rose Oakar (OH).
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        The Clerk read the resolution, as follows:

                                H. Con. Res. 139

            Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate 
        concurring), That in recognition of the long and distinguished 
        service rendered to the Nation by Claude Pepper, a 
        Representative from the State of Florida and formerly a Senator 
        from that State, his remains be permitted to lie in state in 
        the rotunda of the Capitol from June 1 until June 2, 1989, and 
        the Architect of the Capitol under the direction of the Speaker 
        of the House of Representatives and the President pro tempore 
        of the Senate, shall take all necessary steps for the 
        accomplishment of that purpose.

        The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of 
    the gentleman from Washington?

[[Page 202]]

        There was no objection.
        The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from Washington [Mr. 
    Foley] is recognized for 1 hour.
        Mr. FOLEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as I may consume. . . 
    .
        Mr. FOLEY. Madam Speaker, I move the previous question on the 
    concurrent resolution.
        The previous question was ordered.
        The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the concurrent 
    resolution.
        The question was taken; and the Speaker pro tempore announced 
    that the ayes appeared to have it.
        Mr. FOLEY. Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
        The yeas and nays were ordered.
        The SPEAKER pro tempore. (Ms. Oakar). Pursuant to clause 5, 
    rule I, further proceedings of this question will be postponed 
    until approximately 3 p.m. or at the end of legislative business 
    today. . . .
        The SPEAKER pro tempore (Ms. Oakar). The pending business is 
    the question on agreeing to House Concurrent Resolution 139.
        The Clerk read the title of the concurrent resolution.
        The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the concurrent 
    resolution, House Concurrent Resolution 139, on which the yeas and 
    nays are ordered.
        The vote was taken by electronic device, and there were -- yeas 
    397, nays 0, not voting 36. . . 
        So the concurrent resolution was agreed to.