May I say to the Members. while technically permissible. this is a most extraordinary proceeding. Ordinarily the way a bill is motivated in the Rules Committee is for the chairman of the committee having jurisdiction over the legislation to write a letter to the chairman of the Committee on Rules and ask for consideration of a rule upon that bill. The House voted down our rule to bring up the immigration bill the other day. Until this morning just before I left the chairmans office upstairs. I had a telephone call from my friend. the distinguished gentleman from Mississippi. He said. "Have you had any requests to bring up the immigration bill?" I said. "I have heard nothing further of the principals regarding the matter." Nobody has asked us to bring the matter up again before the Rules Committee. because obviously there has not yet been an agreement worked out between the parties that were in such strong disagreement over the Schumer amendment. So now. my friends. I came rushing down here from the chairman of the Rules Committees office because I saw on television that Mr. LoTr was trying to bring up a rule for the immigration bill. So it is an extraordinary procedure. Now let me say about the technicalities of it: The rule that the gentleman has used to make his motion here today is a rule from the Rules Committee authorizing consideration of an appropriation bill for the Department of Justice. It has nothing to do with immigration. Now. that he has called it up for consideration. he will attempt to offer an amendment to it to provide for the consideration of the immigration bill. That would not be relevant or germane. In order for the gentleman to be able to provide for consideration of the immigration bill through this rule. it would have to be germane. I do not think the objective the gentleman has in mind can be achieved. This is a backdoor way of trying to assume the leadership of the House. contrary to the established leadership chosen by the membership.
Keywords matched
immigration