[Deschler's Precedents, Volume 7, Chapters 22 - 25]
[Chapter 25. Appropriation Bills]
[B. Reporting and Consideration of Appropriation Bills]
[Â§ 10. General Appropriation Bills Considered by Unanimous Consent]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]


[Page 5116-5118]
 
                               CHAPTER 25
 
                          Appropriation Bills
 
       B. REPORTING AND CONSIDERATION OF APPROPRIATION BILLS TEXT
 
Sec. 10. General Appropriation Bills Considered by Unanimous Consent

Generally

Sec. 10.1 Consideration of a supplemental appropriation bill, without 
    the intervention of any point of order against the provisions of 
    the bill, was made in order on the following Tuesday or any day 
    thereafter, by unanimous consent.

    On Dec. 6, 1967,(9) the following proceedings took 
place:
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 9. 113 Cong. Rec. 35164, 35165, 90th Cong. 1st Sess. See also the 
        unanimous-consent requests in Sec. 8, supra.
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        Mr. [George H.] Mahon [of Texas]: Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous 
    consent that it may be in order on Tuesday next or any subsequent 
    day next week to consider a bill making supplemental appropriations 
    for fiscal year 1968 and that all points of order against the bill 
    or any provisions contained therein be considered as waived.
        The Speaker: (10) Is there objection to the request 
    of the gentleman from Texas? . . .
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10. John W. McCormack (Mass.).
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        Mr. Gerald R. Ford [of Michigan]: I am glad that point has just 
    been clarified. As I understand it, the reason for waiving points 
    of order is be

[[Page 5117]]

    cause the authorization bill for the Office of Economic Opportunity 
    will not have become law through the signature of the President at 
    the time specified? In other words, that is the only reason that 
    the gentleman from Texas [Mr. Mahon] asks to waive all points of 
    order?
        Mr. Mahon: Mr. Speaker, if the gentleman from Ohio will yield 
    further, the gentleman from Michigan is correct. This is the only 
    reason for the request. There is nothing else that I can envisage 
    in the appropriation bill where a point of order might obtain.
        Mr. [Frank T.] Bow [of Ohio]: Mr. Speaker, I withdraw my 
    reservation of objection.

        The Speaker: Is there objection to the request of the gentleman 
    from Texas [Mr. Mahon].
        There was no objection.

Three-day Availability Requirement

Sec. 10.2 Consideration of a supplemental appropriation bill was made 
    in order on the following Tuesday or any day thereafter, by 
    unanimous consent, despite the fact that the bill and report would 
    not be available for three calendar days as required by Rule XXI 
    clause 6 (now clause 7).

    On Feb. 15, 1968,(11) a Member addressed Speaker John W. 
McCormack, of Massachusetts, as follows, and proceedings ensued as 
indicated below:
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11. 114 Cong. Rec. 3022, 3023, 90th Cong. 2d Sess.
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        Mr. [George H.] Mahon [of Texas]: Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous 
    consent that the Committee on Appropriations may have until 
    midnight Monday, February 19, to file a privileged report on the 
    urgent supplemental appropriation bill for the fiscal year 1968.
        The Speaker: Is there objection to the request of the gentleman 
    from Texas? . . .
        Mr. Mahon: Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to revise and 
    extend my remarks during the colloquy just held to make it in order 
    for the House to consider the urgent supplemental appropriations 
    bill for 1968 on Tuesday, February 20, or any day subsequent 
    thereto. . . .
        The Speaker: Is there objection to the request of the gentleman 
    from Texas?
        There was no objection.

Sec. 10.3 By unanimous consent, the rule [Rule XXI clause 6 (now clause 
    7)] prohibiting consideration of general appropriation bills until 
    printed committee hearings and the committee report have been 
    available for three days was waived.

    On Sept. 12, 1962,(12) the following proceedings took 
place:
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12. 108 Cong. Rec. 19237, 87th Cong. 2d Sess.
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        Mr. [Otto E.] Passman [of Louisiana]: Mr. Speaker, I take this 
    time

[[Page 5118]]

    in order to announce that it is our intention to report the foreign 
    aid appropriation bill for 1963 to the House on Tuesday, September 
    18. I therefore now ask unanimous consent that the 3-day rule be 
    waived and that the bill be considered in the House on Thursday, 
    September 20.
        The Speaker: (13) Is there objection to the request 
    of the gentleman from Louisiana?
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13. John W. McCormack (Mass.).
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        There was no objection.