Congressional Record United States Th of America PROCEEDINGS and DEBATES of the 105 CONGRESS, SECOND SESSION
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E PL UR UM IB N U U S Congressional Record United States th of America PROCEEDINGS AND DEBATES OF THE 105 CONGRESS, SECOND SESSION Vol. 144 WASHINGTON, THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER, 10, 1998 No. 119 House of Representatives The House met at 10 a.m. Mr. TRAFICANT led the Pledge of erences in debate to the President. The Reverend Dr. Ronald F. Chris- Allegiance as follows: That report read in part as follows: tian, Director of Lutheran Social Serv- I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the The freedom of speech in debate in the ices of Northern Virginia, Fairfax, Vir- United States of America, and to the Repub- House of Representatives should never be de- ginia, offered the following prayer: lic for which it stands, one nation under God, nied or abridged, but freedom of speech in de- Almighty God, we acknowledge Your indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. bate does not mean license to indulge in per- presence this day in our own personal f sonal abuses or ridicule. The right of Mem- bers of the two Houses of Congress to criti- lives and in our corporate soul as a Na- ANNOUNCEMENT BY THE SPEAKER tion. cize the official acts of the President and Your steadfast love has been ex- The SPEAKER. The Chair desires to other executive officers is beyond question, tended to all people for all time, espe- make a statement. With the concur- but this right is subject to proper rules re- quiring decorum in debate. Such right of cially those most in need of it. rence of the Minority Leader, the Chair would take this occasion to make an criticism is inherent upon legislative author- Your gracious mercy has been meted ity. out evenly and fairly throughout all announcement regarding proper deco- rum during debate in the House, in- The right to legislate involves the right to generations. consider conditions as they are and to con- Your nature of being righteous to- cluding one-minute and special-order trast present conditions with those of the wards all is matched only by the de- speeches, specifically with regard to past or those desired in the future. The right mand from Your children for justice. references to the President of the to correct abuses by legislation carries the The clarion call by the prophets of United States. right to consider and discuss abuses which old ``to return to the Lord'' is always As indicated in section 17 of Jeffer- exist or which are feared. apropos. son's Manual, which under rule XLII is It is * * * the duty of the House to require O God, may we be as free to give as incorporated as a part of the Rules of its Members in speech or debate to preserve the House, Members engaging in debate that proper restraint which will permit the we are desirous to receive the blessings House to conduct its business in an orderly of Your steadfast love and gracious must abstain from language that is personally offensive toward the Presi- manner and without unnecessarily and un- mercy. duly exciting animosity among its Members May we all seek to do right, be just, dent, including references to various or antagonism from those other branches of and always walk humbly before Your types of unethical behavior. the Government with which the House is cor- all-encompassing righteousness. Rulings in this Congress, which will related. be annotated in the accompanying sec- And, may we never turn a deaf ear to This is recorded in Cannon's Prece- the trumpet call for an introspective tion 370 of the House Rules and Man- ual, include references to alleged dents, volume 8, at section 2497, and is look at who we are as persons and as a quoted in section 370 of the House Nation. criminal conduct. This documented re- striction extends to referencing extra- Rules and Manual. Bless, O God, the efforts of all Your In addition to relying on the prece- people this day, in this room and in the neous material personally abusive of the President that would be improper if dents of the House, the Chair would workplaces of our land. comment on the importance of comity Amen. spoken as the Member's own words. and integrity of debate in the House in f Occupants of the Chair in this Con- gress and in prior Congresses have con- an electronic age. Debates in the House THE JOURNAL sistently adhered to this principle re- were not broadcast by radio or tele- The SPEAKER. The Chair has exam- garding the present and past Presi- vision before 1978. There were cor- ined the Journal of the last day's pro- dents. respondingly fewer occasions when ceedings and announces to the House While several rulings by the Chair in Members were called to order for im- his approval thereof. this Congress may have predated cer- proper personal references to Presi- Pursuant to clause 1, rule I, the Jour- tain public acknowledgments by the dents. In 1974, there were no allega- nal stands approved. President, and while the standard in tions of personal misconduct on the f Jefferson's Manual has been held not to part of the President called to order on apply in the other body, it is essential the floor before or during proceedings PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE that the constraint against such re- in executive session of the Committee The SPEAKER. Will the gentleman marks in ordinary debate continue to on the Judiciary. from Ohio (Mr. TRAFICANT) come for- apply in the House. Indeed, it is only during the actual ward and lead the House in the Pledge On January 27, 1909, the House adopt- pendency of proceedings in impeach- of Allegiance. ed a report in response to improper ref- ment as the pending business on the b This symbol represents the time of day during the House proceedings, e.g., b 1407 is 2:07 p.m. Matter set in this typeface indicates words inserted or appended, rather than spoken, by a Member of the House on the floor. H7497 . H7498 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD Ð HOUSE September 10, 1998 Floor of the House that remarks in de- the President's resignation stating ELIMINATE THE MARRIAGE TAX bate may include references to per- that, ``perjury is not excused by an PENALTY sonal misconduct on the part of the apology compelled by overwhelming (Mr. WELLER asked and was given President. evidence and delivered under pressure.'' permission to address the House for 1 While an inquiry is under way in The gentleman from Pennsylvania minute and to revise and extend his re- committee, the committee is the prop- (Mr. MCHALE) has served this country marks.) er forum for examination and debate of in uniform as a Marine and as public Mr. WELLER. Madam Speaker, let such allegations. In the meantime, it is servant. He is a man of honor, courage me ask a basic question of fairness: Is incumbent on the House to conduct its and commitment who has stood fast to it right, is it fair, that the average other business, again quoting from the his convictions. married working couple with two in- action of the House in 1909, ``in an or- These convictions have led the gen- comes pays higher taxes, just because derly manner and without unneces- tleman from Pennsylvania to examine they are married, than an identical sarily and unduly exciting animosity the course of conduct by the President couple living together outside of mar- among its Members or antagonism and to reach a somber conclusion. As a riage? Is it right that 21 million mar- from those other branches of the Gov- member of the Committee on the Judi- ried working couples pay on the aver- ernment with which the House is cor- ciary, I, like others in this body per- age $1,400 more in taxes just because related.'' haps are still examining, soul search- they are married? $1,400 in the south This is not to say that the President ing and analyzing the case, and that is suburbs in Chicago, that is one year's is beyond criticism in debate, or that also appropriate. However, what is rep- tuition at Joliet Junior College, three Members are prohibited from express- rehensible is the vilification to which months' worth of day care at a local ing opinions about executive policy or Congressman MCHALE has been subject day care center in Joliet. competence to hold office. It is permis- for exercising his First Amendment In the remaining weeks of this ses- sible in debate to challenge the Presi- rights and voicing the views of his con- sion let us go about doing the people's dent on matters of policy. The dif- stituents. business. Let us ask the President to ference is one between political criti- The gentleman from Pennsylvania work with us. Let us help the middle cism and personally offensive criti- (Mr. MCHALE) has had his military class with the Marriage Tax Penalty cism. For example, a Member may as- record slandered. Rumors and innuen- Elimination Act. Let us eliminate the sert in debate that an incumbent Presi- dos have been whispered about his rep- marriage tax penalty. Let us do it now, dent is not worthy of reelection, but in utation. All of this White House mud- and make it our top priority in the doing so should not allude to personal slinging, because Congressman MCHALE next few weeks. misconduct. By extension, a Member has put honor above party loyalty. f may assert in debate that the House These are times when every ounce of should conduct an inquiry, or that a URGING MEMBERS TO JOIN THE wisdom and courage will be required by President should not remain in office.