[Deschler's Precedents, Volume 7, Chapters 22 - 25]
[Chapter 23. Motions]
[G. Unanimous-consent Requests]
[Â§ 44. Recognizing Members for Requests]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]


[Page 4749-4751]
 
                               CHAPTER 23
 
                                Motions
 
                        F. MOTIONS TO RECONSIDER
 
Sec. 44. Recognizing Members for Requests

Grounds for Refusal to Recognize

Sec. 44.1 The Speaker may decline to recognize for a unanimous-consent 
    request for the consideration of a bill until the Member making 
    such request consults with the Speaker and the Majority and 
    Minority Leaders.

[[Page 4750]]

    On July 11, 1946,(10)Mrs. Clare Boothe Luce, of 
Connecticut, made the following request from the floor of the House:
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10. 92 Cong. Rec. 8726, 8728, 79th Cong. 2d Sess.
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        . . . Mr Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to consider 
    immediately the Wolcott bill (H.J. Res. 372) to reinstate rent 
    control, which I send to the desk.
        The Speaker: (11) Did the gentlewoman consult the 
    Speaker about this and notify him that she was going to make this 
    request?
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11. Sam Rayburn (Tex.)
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        Mrs. Luce: I did not, Mr. Speaker.
        The Speaker: The Chair refuses to recognize the gentlewoman for 
    that purpose. . . .
        The Chair desires to make a statement. For a long time, ever 
    since 1937 at least, the present occupant of the chair knows that 
    when Members intend to ask unanimous consent to bring up a bill 
    they have always properly consulted with both the majority and 
    minority leaders of the House and with the Speaker. That has been 
    the unfailing custom. The Chair is exercising that right and 
    intends to continue to exercise it as long as he occupies the 
    present position because the Chair wants the House to proceed in an 
    orderly fashion.

Recognition of Committee Chairmen

Sec. 44.2 The Speaker, in response to a parliamentary inquiry, 
    indicated that only the chairman of a committee having jurisdiction 
    of the subject matter of the bill would be recognized to ask 
    unanimous consent to take it from the Speaker's table, disagree to 
    the Senate amendment and ask for a conference.

    On the legislative day of Aug. 31, 1960,(12) Mr. Charles 
A. Halleck of Indiana, was recognized to offer a parliamentary inquiry:
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12. 106 Cong. Rec. 18920, 86th Cong. 2d Sess., Sept. 1, 1960 (Calendar 
        Day).
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        Mr. Halleck: Would it be in order for a unanimous-consent 
    request to be made to send the bill that has just come from the 
    Senate to conference?
        The Speaker: (13) That would be up to the gentleman 
    from North Carolina [Mr. Cooley].(14)
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13. Sam Rayburn (Tex.).
14. Mr. Cooley was Chairman of the Committee on Agriculture during the 
        86th Congress.
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Recognition Pending Motion to Suspend Rules

Sec. 44.3 The Speaker declined to recognize a request for unanimous 
    consent during consideration of a motion to suspend the rules.

    On July 21, 1947,(15) the following occurred on the 
floor of the House:
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15. 93 Cong. Rec. 9522-51, 80th Cong. 1st Sess.

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[[Page 4751]]

        Mr. [Ralph A.] Gamble [of New York]: Mr. Speaker, I move to 
    suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 29) making unlawful the 
    requirement for the payment of a poll tax as a prerequisite to 
    voting in a primary or other election for national officers.

    After the House defeated a motion to adjourn and after the Speaker 
ruled out as dilatory a point of no quorum, the following occurred:

        Mr. [Tom] Pickett [of Texas]: Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous 
    consent----
        The Speaker: (16) The Chair will refuse to entertain 
    any unanimous-consent requests until after the vote on this bill.
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16. Joseph W. Martin, Jr. (Mass.).
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