May 25, 1995 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE H 5587

PERSONAL EXPLANATION

Mr. WATT of North Carolina. Mr.

Speaker, I was unavoidably detained on

Wednesday, May 24, and was not

present for two recorded votes on the

bill, H.R. 1561. I wish to have it included in the RECORD that had I been

present, I would have vote ‘‘yes’’ on

rollcall vote No. 354 and ‘‘no’’ on rollcall vote No. 353.

(Mr. GEPHARDT asked and was

LEGISLATIVE PROGRAM

fgiven permission to address the House

for 1 minute and to revise and extend

his remarks.)

Mr. GEPHARDT. Mr. Speaker, I ask

unanimous consent to proceed out of

order for 1 minute in order to question

the distinguished majority leader

about the schedule for next week.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the distinguished majority leader to ask about

the schedule for next week and the

week after.

Mr. ARMEY. Mr. Speaker, I thank

the gentleman for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, let me predicate my remarks about the coming schedule by

making a few observations about the

American Overseas Interests Act that

we have had under consideration, and

to provide some explanation for why

we are holding the bill over to the

week following.

b 1145

I have to say, Mr. Speaker, that

without being too poetic, that it is bemusing how confusing it has been for

so many people that a purely logistical

decision, made out of consideration for

the work requirements of the House

and the desire to have full participation by the Members, has been written

up in the newspapers as something that

is completely different than in fact

what it was.

Therefore, out of regard for this lack

of understanding, let me just make

these points. On this bill, we have 100

amendments filed. We considered nine

amendments in 9 hours. Ninety-one

were left to be considered, many to be

en bloc. That is over 25 Members that

have amendments left to be considered

in the bill. By the time we finished last

night we had only 35 minutes left under

the existing rule. Those 25 Members deserve regard, Members from both sides

of the aisle, on the bill.

We had thought yesterday at the

time the decision was made that we

would do not only the conference for

Medicare Select, but that for the budget as well today. I was not prepared to

take as much as 31⁄2 hours away from

our Members who might otherwise

have had that time available for this

bill. For that reason, I made the decision to hold the bill over, and to in

fact, because time was available, increase the time available for those

amendments, this done wholly in the

spirit of our desire to include as many

Members as possible on every bill as we

can.

In addition to that, Mr. Speaker, we

made a decision to add from those

amendments already printed in the

RECORD the option, placed in the hands

of the committee chairman, to have a

chairman’s amendment insofar as he

may find an opportunity available to

improve his bill. There was no consideration given to a doubt about the vote

outcome. It was all done out of concern

for the logistics of the House’s business

with this bill and other bills, and a desire to improve the participation opportunities for all our Members on

both sides of the aisle.

Having said that, Mr. Speaker, let me

just say that the House will stand in

adjournment through Monday, June 5.

On Tuesday, June 6, the House will

meet at 12 o’clock in a pro forma session. There will be no recorded votes on

Tuesday. On Wednesday, June 7, the

House will meet at 12 o’clock for legislative business. We plan to take up a

rule governing further consideration of

H.R. 1561, the American Overseas Interests Act of 1995, and then complete consideration of that legislation and pass

it that day. We then hope to complete

three hatchery bills under rules previously adopted by the House. These

bills are H.R. 614, the New London National Fish Hatchery Conveyance; H.R.

584, the Fairport National Fish Hatchery Conveyance; and H.R. 535, the Corning National Fish Hatchery Conveyance.

The House will meet at 10 o’clock

a.m. on Thursday, June 8. It is our

hope to have Members on their way

home, Mr. Speaker, on Thursday, June

8, it is our hope to have the Members

on their way home to their families

and their districts by 6 o’clock p.m. on

that Thursday.

The House will not be in session on

Friday, June 9.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman

for yielding to me.

Mr. GEPHARDT. Mr. Speaker, I

thank the gentleman. I want to again

note that we have these three fish

hatchery bills. I know the gentleman’s

great interest in fishing, and I know

that he wants these fish to be hatched

as much as I do, so we are all looking

forward to getting these three bills

passed next week or the week after

next.

Mr. ARMEY. If the gentleman will

continue to yield, Mr. Speaker, I thank

the gentleman for his observation. I

guess we cannot catch them and kiss

them if we do not hatch them.

Mr. GEPHARDT. That is right. I

know the gentleman is interested in

doing that. Maybe the gentleman and I

can figure out how to catch and throw

back some of these fish.

Mr. Speaker, let me just simply report what the gentleman said, so Members who may not have been paying as

close attention as they might will understand this. As I get it, we will not

expect votes on Monday, Tuesday, or

Friday of the week we get back from

the Memorial Day recess.

Mr. ARMEY. That is right.

Mr. GEPHARDT. I understand the

gentleman will be asking unanimous

consent that the Committee on National Security will be allowed to file

the Defense authorization bill during

the recess. Would the gentleman tell us

when he expects that important bill to

be considered by the House?

Mr. ARMEY. If the gentleman will

yield further, we would hope to begin

consideration the week following the

week ending on June 9.

Mr. GEPHARDT. Mr. Speaker, I

thank the gentleman, and wish him a

prosperous, effective, and successful

district work period.

Mr. ARMEY. I thank the gentleman,

Mr. Speaker. I wish the same for him

and all the Members of his party.

ADJOURNMENT OF THE HOUSE

FROM THURSDAY, MAY 25, 1995,

fTO TUESDAY, JUNE 6, 1995, OR

UNTIL NOON ON THE SECOND

DAY AFTER MEMBERS ARE NOTIFIED TO REASSEMBLE, AND

RECESS OR ADJOURNMENT OF

THE SENATE ON THURSDAY,

MAY 25, 1995, FRIDAY, MAY 26,

1995, OR SATURDAY, MAY 27, 1995,

TO MONDAY, JUNE 5, 1995, OR

UNTIL NOON ON THE SECOND

DAY AFTER MEMBERS ARE NOTIFIED TO REASSEMBLE

Mr. ARMEY. Mr. Speaker, I send to

the desk a privileged concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 72) and ask for its

immediate consideration.

The Clerk read the concurrent resolution, as follows:

H. CON. RES. 72

Resolved by the House of Representatives (the

Senate concurring), That when the House adjourns on the legislative day of Thursday,

May 25, 1995, it stand adjourned until noon

on Tuesday, June 6, 1995, or until noon on

the second day after Members are notified to

reassemble pursuant to section 2 of this concurrent resolution, whichever occurs first;

and that when the Senate recesses or adjourns at the close of business on Thursday,

May 25, 1995, Friday, May 26, 1995, or Saturday, May 27, 1995, pursuant to a motion made

by the Majority Leader or his designee, in

accordance with this resolution, it stand recessed or adjourned until 10 a.m. on Monday,

June 5, 1995, or until noon on the second day

after Members are notified to reassemble

pursuant to section 2 of this concurrent resolution, whichever occurs first.

SEC. 2. The Speaker of the House and the

Majority Leader of the Senate, acting jointly

after consultation with the Minority Leader

of the House and the Minority Leader of the

Senate, shall notify the Members of the

House and Senate, respectively, to reassemble whenever, in their opinion, the public interest shall warrant it.

The concurrent resolution was agreed

to.

A motion to reconsider was laid on

the table.

ELECTION OF MEMBERS OF CERTAIN STANDING COMMITTEES OF

fTHE HOUSE

Mr. ARMEY. Mr. Speaker, I offer a

privileged resolution (H. Res. 157) and

ask for its immediate consideration.