[Deschler-Brown Precedents, Volume 17, Chapters 34 - 40]
[Ch. 36. Ceremonies and Awards]
[Â§17. Former Membersâ Day]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]


[Page 223-228]
 
                               CHAPTER 36
 
                         Ceremonies and Awards
 
Sec. 17. Former Members' Day

    The House traditionally has received the United States Association 
of Former Members of Congress in the House Chamber to submit its annual 
report(1) to Congress.
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 1. As a federally chartered corporation established under Title 36 of 
        the United States Code, the Association is required to submit 
        an annual report to Congress. See 36 USC Sec.  70312.

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[[Page 224]]

    The program of events has been relatively consistent over the 
years. The House by unanimous consent authorizes the Speaker to declare 
a recess subject to the call of the Chair for the purpose of receiving 
the former Members. Prior to the start of legislative business on the 
appointed date, the Speaker announces that the House will stand in 
recess subject to the call of the Chair to receive the former Members. 
The Speaker generally opens the proceedings by welcoming the former 
Members and recognizing members of the House leadership for remarks. 
The Speaker then recognizes a member of the Association to preside over 
the meeting. The presiding officer directs the Clerk to call the roll 
of former Members of Congress and, following the roll call, announces 
the result. The presiding officer then generally recognizes the 
president of the Association to speak and yield time for appropriate 
remarks. When the program is concluded and the recess has expired, the 
Speaker calls the House to order and a Member moves that the 
proceedings had during the recess be printed in the Congressional 
Record.
    The Association presents its Distinguished Service Award to honor 
an outstanding congressional career during the proceedings. Recipients 
of the Distinguished Service Award have included, among others, former 
Speakers of the House Thomas (Tip) O'Neill, Jr.(2) and 
Thomas Foley,(3) former Minority Leader Robert 
Michel,(4) former Representative Bill 
Richardson,(5) former Senator Sam Nunn,(6) 
Chaplain of the House Emeritus James David Ford,(7) and 
former House Parliamentarian Lewis Deschler.(8)
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 2. See 133 Cong. Rec. 11660-68, 100th Cong. 1st Sess., May 7, 1987.
 3. See 148 Cong. Rec. 7325-33, 107th Cong. 2d Sess., May 9, 2002.
 4. See 142 Cong. Rec. 11325-29, 104th Cong. 2d Sess., May 15, 1996.
 5. See 143 Cong. Rec. 9045-48, 105th Cong. 1st Sess., May 21, 1997.
 6. See 150 Cong. Rec. 7373-75, 7399-401, 108th Cong. 2d Sess. Apr. 22, 
        2004.
 7. See 146 Cong. Rec. 8111-19, 106th Cong. 2d Sess., May 17, 2000.
 8. See 122 Cong. Rec. 15082-85, 94th Cong. 1st Sess., May 21, 
        1976.                          -------------------
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Sec. 17.1 The House, by unanimous consent, authorized the Speaker to 
    declare a recess for the purpose of receiving former Members in the 
    Chamber.(1)
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 1. Parliamentarian's Note: This traditional unanimous-consent request 
        supplements the Speaker's ability to declare a ``short'' recess 
        under Rule I clause 12(a), House Rules and Manual Sec. 638 
        (2007).

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[[Page 225]]

    On Apr. 25, 2006,(2) the following proceedings took 
place:
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 2. 152 Cong. Rec. 5925, 109th Cong. 2d Sess.
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        AUTHORIZING THE SPEAKER TO DECLARE A RECESS ON THURSDAY, APRIL 
           27, 2006, FOR THE PURPOSE OF RECEIVING FORMER MEMBERS OF 
                                    CONGRESS

        Mr. [Rick] RENZI [of Arizona]. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous 
    consent that it may be in order on Thursday, April 27, for the 
    Speaker to declare a recess subject to the call of the Chair for 
    the purpose of receiving in this Chamber former Members of 
    Congress.
        The SPEAKER pro tempore.(3) Is there objection to 
    the request of the gentleman from Arizona?
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 3. Thelma Drake (VA).
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        There was no objection.

    On Apr. 27, 2006,(4) the proceedings to receive former 
Members during a recess of the House pursuant to the previous order by 
unanimous consent occurred as follows:
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 4. 152 Cong. Rec. 6268, 6269, 6286, 109th Cong. 2d Sess.
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                                     RECESS

        The SPEAKER.(5) Pursuant to the order of the House 
    of Tuesday, April 25, 2006, the House will stand in recess subject 
    to the call of the Chair to receive the former Members of Congress.
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 5. J. Dennis Hastert (IL).
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        Accordingly (at 9 o'clock and 12 minutes a.m.), the House stood 
    in recess subject to the call of the 
    Chair.                          -------------------

                    RECEPTION OF FORMER MEMBERS OF CONGRESS

        The Speaker of the House presided.
        The SPEAKER. On behalf of the House, I consider it a high honor 
    and distinct personal privilege to have the opportunity of 
    welcoming so many of our former Members and colleagues as may be 
    present here for the occasion. We all pause to welcome you. . . .
        The Chair now recognizes the Honorable Jim Slattery, vice 
    president of the association, to take the chair.
        Mr. [Jim] SLATTERY [of Kansas] (presiding). Thank you, Mr. 
    Speaker. It's great to see you. On behalf of the association, we 
    certainly wish you good health and continued wonderful service to 
    our country, also. It's great to see you, Mr. Speaker, and thank 
    you.
        The Clerk will now read the roll of the former Members of 
    Congress.
        The Clerk called the roll of the former Members of Congress[.] 
    . . .
        The Chair again wishes to thank all of those former Members 
    that are here today and give you all another opportunity to record 
    your presence if you did not do that at the beginning of the events 
    here today. The Chair also wishes to thank all the former Members 
    of the House for their presence.
        I am advised that the House will reconvene 15 minutes after the 
    bells ring.
        Accordingly (at 10 o'clock and 27 minutes a.m.), the House 
    continued in recess.

[[Page 226]]

                                   -------------------{time}  1055

                                  AFTER RECESS

        The recess having expired, the House was called to order by the 
    Speaker pro tempore (Mr. Thornberry)[.] . . .

    On the same day,(6) by unanimous-consent, the 
proceedings had during a recess of the House to receive former Members 
were inserted in the Congressional Record:
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 6. 152 Cong. Rec. 6290, 109th Cong. 2d Sess., Apr. 27, 2006.
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        Mr. [David] DREIER [of California]. Mr. Speaker, I ask 
    unanimous consent that the proceedings had during the recess be 
    printed in the Congressional Record and that all Members and former 
    Members who spoke during the recess have the privilege of revising 
    and extending their remarks.
        The SPEAKER pro tempore.(7) Is there objection to 
    the request of the gentleman from California?
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 7. Jo Bonner (AL).
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        There was no objection.

Sec. 17.2 The Speaker was authorized, by unanimous consent, to declare 
    a recess, subject to the call of the Chair, to receive former 
    Members of the House in the Chamber.

    On Feb. 25, 1971,(1) the following proceedings took 
place:
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 1. 117 Cong. Rec. 3834, 92d Cong. 1st Sess.
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        AUTHORITY FOR SPEAKER TO DECLARE A RECESS ON THURSDAY, MARCH 4, 
           TO RECEIVE FORMER MEMBERS OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

        Mr. [Hale] BOGGS [of Louisiana]. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous 
    consent that it shall be in order for the Speaker to declare a 
    recess on Thursday of next week, March 4, subject to the call of 
    the Chair, for the purpose of receiving in this Chamber former 
    Members of the House of Representatives.
        The SPEAKER.(2) Is there objection to the request of 
    the gentleman from Louisiana?
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 2. Carl Albert (OK).
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        There was no objection.

    On Mar. 4, 1971,(3) the following proceedings occurred 
during ceremonies to receive former Members of the House during the 
first observance of Former Members' Day:
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 3. 117 Cong. Rec. 5137-41, 92d Cong. 1st Sess.
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                                     RECESS

        The SPEAKER.(4) Pursuant to the authority granted 
    the Speaker on Thursday, February 25, 1971, the Chair declares a 
    recess, subject to the call of the Chair, to receive the former 
    Members of the House of Representatives.
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 4. Carl Albert (OK).
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        Accordingly (at 12 o'clock and 42 minutes p.m.), the House 
    stood in recess subject to the call of the Chair.

[[Page 227]]

                                     -------------------RECEPTION OF 
                 FORMER MEMBERS OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

        The SPEAKER of the House presided.
        The SPEAKER. On behalf of the Chair and of the Chamber, I 
    consider it a high honor and a distinct personal privilege to have 
    the opportunity of welcoming so many of our former Members and 
    colleagues as may be present here for this occasion. We all pause 
    to welcome them. This is a bipartisan affair, and in that spirit 
    the Chair is going to recognize the floor leaders of both parties.
        The Chair now recognizes the distinguished gentleman from 
    Louisiana (Mr. Boggs).
        Mr. [Hale] BOGGS [of Louisiana]. Mr. Speaker, this is a happy 
    duty for me. Today, we inaugurate a custom which I trust will 
    become an annual event of recessing the proceedings of the House in 
    order to extend a warm and a friendly welcome back to Members who 
    have served in this great body. . . .
        I hope all our former Members and all of our present Members 
    will equal that record.
        The SPEAKER. The Chair is now pleased to recognize the 
    distinguished minority leader of the House of Representatives, the 
    distinguished gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Gerald R. Ford).
        Mr. GERALD R. FORD. Mr. Speaker, I am indeed happy to welcome 
    so many friends and former colleagues back to the Chamber. We hope 
    and trust, as the gentleman from Louisiana, the distinguished 
    majority leader, has said, that this will be an annual affair, and 
    on each and every occasion you will be as welcome in the future as 
    you are here today. . . .
        The SPEAKER. The Chair now directs the Clerk to call the roll 
    of former Members of the House of Representatives.
        The Clerk called the roll of former Members of the Congress[.] 
    . . .
        The SPEAKER. The Chair announces that 83 former Members of the 
    House of Representatives have answered to their names.
        The Chair desires to announce now that it will be his purpose 
    to recognize for 1 hour for the purpose of controlling time the 
    gentleman from Arkansas, Mr. Hays, on behalf of the majority and 
    the gentleman from Minnesota, Mr. Judd, on behalf of the minority.
        Before recognizing the gentleman from Arkansas, the Chair 
    desires to state that the Chair would like to recognize several 
    Members whose names have been called but, unfortunately, they are 
    not all present. However, I think it is significant that this is 
    the anniversary of the first meeting of the Congress of the United 
    States, March 4, 1789.
        In that first Congress, the first person ever to be elected 
    Speaker was the Honorable Frederick A. Muhlenberg, of Pennsylvania. 
    In 1947, when the present occupant of the chair came to the 
    Congress, Frederick A. Muhlenberg IV, a direct descendant of the 
    original Speaker, was present.
        The Chair would also, before recognizing the gentleman from 
    Arkansas, Mr. Hays, to call to the chair to represent from the 
    chair former Members, a very distinguished former Member, the 
    Honorable Colgate Darden, not

[[Page 228]]

    only a former Member of the House but a former Governor of the 
    great State of Virginia and a former president of the University of 
    Virginia.
        The Chair now recognizes for 1 hour the gentleman from 
    Arkansas, Mr. Hays. . . .
        The SPEAKER. The time of the gentleman has expired.
        The Chair wishes to reiterate his own gratitude at the response 
    our invitation has had from those of you who have come here and 
    participated and lent your presence to this occasion. It has been a 
    memorable one. We will expect to repeat it next 
    year.                          -------------------

                                  AFTER RECESS

        The recess having expired, the House was called to order by the 
    Speaker at 2 o'clock and 33 minutes 
    p.m.                          -------------------

          PRINTING OF PROCEEDINGS HAD DURING RECESS AND PERMISSION TO 
                                     REVISE

        Mr. BOGGS. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the 
    proceedings had during the recess be printed in the Record and that 
    all speakers have the privilege of revising their remarks.
        The SPEAKER. Is there objection to the request of the gentleman 
    from Louisiana?
        There was no objection.