[Deschler's Precedents, Volume 7, Chapters 22 - 25]
[Chapter 22. Calendars]
[B. Consent Calendar]
[Â§ 7. Measures Qualified for the Calendar]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]


[Page 4477-4479]
 
                               CHAPTER 22
 
                               Calendars
 
                          B. CONSENT CALENDAR
 
Sec. 7. Measures Qualified for the Calendar

    Measures on the Consent Calendar are first referred to the Union or 
House Calendars.(10) A private bill does not 
qualify.(11) To qualify, a measure must involve a 
legislative proposition,(12) and, generally, must meet the 
criteria established by the official objectors.(13)
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10. See Sec. 1, supra.
11. See Sec. 7.3, infra.
12. 7 Cannon's Precedents Sec. Sec. 980-982.
13. See Sec. 7.4, infra.                          -------------------
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Bills Relating to Citizens of Foreign Government

Sec. 7.1 Bills providing for payment of money to a foreign government 
    for the purpose of indemnifying its citizens for injuries are 
    public bills and are properly referred to the Consent Calendar.

    On Feb. 1, 1937,(14) Mr. Jesse P. Wolcott, of Michigan, 
directed a parliamentary inquiry as to why certain measures were on the 
Consent Calendar rather than the Private Calendar since they provided 
for payments to a foreign country on behalf of citizens of that 
country. The Speaker ruled as follows:
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14. 81 Cong. Rec. 649, 75th Cong. 1st Sess.
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        The Speaker: (15) In answer to the question of the 
    gentleman from Michigan, the Chair is of the opinion that the bills 
    to which the gentleman refers are properly on the Consent Calendar 
    under the rules of the House. The gentleman will note that these 
    bills provide for the payment of moneys to a foreign government; 
    and, under the rules, they are public bills and properly on the 
    Consent Calendar.
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15. William B. Bankhead (Ala.).
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Sec. 7.2 A bill which authorizes the payment of an indemnity to another 
    government on account of losses sustained by a subject of that 
    government, is not a private bill, and is, therefore, properly on 
    the Consent Calendar.

    On June 25, 1930,(16) Mr. Fiorello H. LaGuardia, of New 
York, made the point of order that a bill (H.R. 9702) on the Consent 
Calendar authorizing payment to the British Government on behalf of H. 
W. Bennett belonged to the Private Calendar. The Chair responded:
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16. 72 Cong. Rec. 11728, 71st Cong. 2d Sess.
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        The Speaker Pro Tempore: (17) The gentleman from New 
    York makes the

[[Page 4478]]

    point of order that this bill is not in order on the Consent 
    Calendar. This bill authorizes the payment of an indemnity to the 
    British Government. The Chair overrules the point of order.
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17. Robert Luce (Mass.).
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Bills Applicable to a Class

Sec. 7.3 A bill that specifies individuals or entities qualifies for 
    the Private Calendar; but where a bill applies to a class and not 
    to individuals as such, it then becomes a general bill and is 
    entitled to a place on the Consent Calendar.

    On Mar. 17, 1930,(18) Mr. William H. Stafford, of 
Wisconsin, raised a point of order concerning the consideration of a 
bill ``For the relief of certain newspapers for advertising services 
rendered the Public Health Service of the Treasury Department'' on the 
grounds that the bill belonged on the Private Calendar and not the 
Consent Calendar. The Chair ruled:
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18. 72 Cong. Rec. 1526, 71st Cong. 2d Sess.
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        The Speaker Pro Tempore: (19) . . . Where a bill 
    affects an individual, individuals, corporations, institutions, and 
    so forth, it should and does go to the Private Calendar. Where it 
    applies to a class and not to individuals as such, it then becomes 
    a general bill and would be entitled to a place on the Consent 
    Calendar. In the judgment of the Chair this bill, while affecting a 
    class of concerns, specifies individuals, and for the purposes of 
    the rule the Chair holds that the bill is improperly on this 
    calendar and transfers it as of the date of the original reference 
    to the Private Calendar.
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19. Earl C. Michener (Mich.).
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Official Objectors' Criteria

Sec. 7.4 Special criteria which measures must satisfy in order to 
    qualify for placement on the Consent Calendar are provided by the 
    Consent Calendar objectors.(20)
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20. Generally, the leadership of both parties appoints objectors' 
        committees at the beginning of the Congress to screen measures 
        on the Consent Calendar. Such committees are generally composed 
        of three Members from each party. See, for example, 113 Cong. 
        Rec. 3509, 90th Cong. 1st Sess., Feb. 16, 1967.
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    On Mar. 17, 1969,(1) Mr. Wayne N. Aspinall, of Colorado, 
introduced into the Record a written statement signed by both majority 
objectors and minority objectors for the Consent Calendar setting

[[Page 4479]]

forth certain criteria a measure should satisfy in order to qualify for 
the calendar. The statement declared that to qualify a bill must (1) 
involve an aggregate cost of less than $1 million; (2) include no 
change in national or international policy; (3) be not of general 
application (or of interest to districts of more than a majority of the 
Members); or, if of wide application, the Members should be fully 
informed and the bill cleared by the leadership on both sides of the 
aisle; and (4) a Bureau of the Budget report must have been made on the 
bill.
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 1. 115 Cong. Rec. 6543, 6544, 91st Cong. 1st Sess. For announcement of 
        similar statements in other Congresses see: (1) 111 Cong. Rec. 
        3842, 3843, 89th Cong. 1st Sess., Mar. 1, 1965; (2) 107 Cong. 
        Rec. 5661, 87th Cong. 1st Sess., Apr. 12, 1961; and (3) 105 
        Cong. Rec. 2858, 86th Cong. 1st Sess., Feb. 24, 1959.
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