Peter Deutsch

Mr. DEUTSCH

Mr. DEUTSCH. Regular order, Mr. Speaker. What about rules? Mr. Solomon, what about 1-minutes?

Mr. DEUTSCH. Mr. Speaker, will the gentleman yield to answer to the American people why you did what you did?

Mr. DEUTSCH. Mr. Speaker, will the gentleman yield?

Mr. DEUTSCH. Mr. Speaker, will the gentleman yield?

Mr. DEUTSCH. What about 1-minutes, Mr. Solomon? I would ask for unanimous consent that the gentleman be able to conclude and that I have 1 minute to respond.

Mr. DEUTSCH

Mr. DEUTSCH. Mr. Speaker, under the rule IX, I rise to serve notice that I intend to offer the following resolution and read it into the Record.

Mr. DEUTSCH. Resolution: To preserve the constitutional role of the House of Representatives to originate revenue measures. Whereas, rule IX of the Rules of the House of Representatives provides that questions of privileges shall arise whenever the rights of the House collectively are affected; Whereas, under the precedents, customs, and traditions of the House, pursuant to rule IX, a question of privilege has arisen in cases involving the constitutional prerogatives of the House; Whereas section 7 of article 1 of the Constitution require that revenue measures originate in the House of Representatives; and Whereas the conference report on the bill, H.R. 831, contained a targeted tax benefit which was not contained in the bill as passed by the House of Representatives and which was not contained in the amendment of the Senate; Now, therefore be it Resolved, that the Comptroller General of the United States shall prepare and transmit, within 7 days after the date of the adoption of this resolution, a report to the House of Representatives containing the opinion of the Comptroller General on whether the addition of a targeted tax benefit by the conferees of the conference report on the bill, H.R. 831 (A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to permanently extend the deduction for the health insurance costs of self-employed individuals, to repeal the provision permitting nonrecognition of gain on sales and exchanges effectuating policies of the Federal Communications Commission, and for other purposes) violates the requirement of the U.S. Constitution that all revenue measures originate in the House of Representatives.

Mr. DEUTSCH

Mr. DEUTSCH. Mr. Speaker, I have the opportunity now to respond to some of the charges that the gentleman from Texas [Mr. Archer], chairman of the Committee on Ways and Means, raised previously. It is just absolutely absurd. There is not one person in this building, in this district, in this country that believes Senator Braun on her own was able to provide the obscene, sleazy $63 million gift to Rupert Murdoch. It just defies credibility. There is an expression that I have used, and I think everyone in this country has heard previously. It is look like a duck and it smells like a duck and it walks like a duck and it talks like a duck, it is probably a duck. To on Ways and Means did not know about this special deal is absurd. I am about to offer once again a concurrent resolution which would take out that provision. The Speaker of this Chamber has publicly stated that he supports taking it out. I have asked the gentleman from Texas [Mr. Armey]. I have followed the rules to this Chamber to get unanimous consent. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to take up Concurrent Resolution 55, which would take out the tax provision provided for Mr. Murdoch.

Mr. DEUTSCH

Mr. DEUTSCH. Mr. Speaker, I would like to appeal the ruling of the Chair.

Mr. DEUTSCH. Mr. Speaker, if I might----

Mr. DEUTSCH. I think in terms of the gentlewoman from Colorado, the request----

Mr. DEUTSCH. I think what the gentlewoman is requesting, Mr. Speaker, is that we have some type of recognition in terms of the Speaker himself, the gentleman from Georgia [Mr. Gingrich], to actually take a look at it. He has stated publicly that he supports taking out this provision, and we really want to give him the opportunity to do exactly that.

Mr. DEUTSCH. A parliamentary inquiry, Mr. Speaker. Why is that?

Mr. DEUTSCH. Mr. Speaker, could the Speaker cite a rule why it is not considered as that?

Mr. DEUTSCH. Mr. Speaker, I have a parliamentary inquiry. Mr. Speaker could I take it up as a privileged motion at this time?

Mr. DEUTSCH

Mr. DEUTSCH. Yes. I do, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. DEUTSCH. Mr. Speaker, I am introducing, along with many Members, I believe, a sustainable one-third vote, a concurrent resolution to take out the provision that gives a special tax break to Rupert Murdoch for $63 million. At a time when we are cutting back on student loans, student work programs, student lunch programs, to do a thing that is just sleazy, it looks sleazy, it smells sleazy, it walks sleazy, it talks sleazy, and it is sleazy, and it is just something that this House, the greatest deliberative body in the world, should not be part of. We have the opportunity to correct our actions. I urge the House tomorrow, I urge the leadership of this body, the gentleman from Georgia [Mr. Gingrich], specifically, who has said that he is against this particular provision, let him speak in deeds, not just words. I do not think there is one person in the entire country that believes that Senator Moseley-Braun was the impetus. We know that is not how this process works. The Speaker's relationship with Mr. Murdoch is clearly something that has been well documented in the press. I urge the support of both parties with the concurrent resolution tomorrow.

Mr. DEUTSCH

Mr. DEUTSCH. Mr. Speaker, I move to adjourn. Mr. Speaker, I withdraw my motion to adjourn.

Mr. DEUTSCH

Mr. DEUTSCH. Again, Mr. Speaker, I would stand corrected, but I believe the gentlewoman from Colorado [Mrs. Schroeder] asked for that request, and it was actually slightly different, both the printing and the attempt to talk. It would actually be the first time this issue was ever discussed on the floor, so it might be an appropriate thing. It is a significant issue. Florida [Mr. Deutsch] have a request at this time?

Mr. DEUTSCH. Mr. Speaker, was the objection of the gentleman from Kansas [Mr. Tiahrt] to the motion by the gentlewoman from Colorado [Mrs. Schroeder]? Therefore, I believe I have the opportunity to seek to address the House for 1 minute, not the issue regarding the printing of the resolution.

Mr. DEUTSCH. A parliamentary inquiry, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. DEUTSCH

Mr. DEUTSCH. And also, further, that we be able to speak for 1 minute to be able to explain the resolution.

Mr. DEUTSCH. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to speak for 1 minute on the resolution.

Mr. DEUTSCH

Mr. DEUTSCH. Mr. Speaker, I ask the House to now take up a concurrent resolution requesting the President to return the enrolled bill, H.R. 831, and providing for its re-enrollment without the targeted tax benefits contained therein. Specifically, those are the benefits that have been reported in the press as $63 million being given to Mr. Rupert Murdoch.

Mr. DEUTSCH

Mr. DEUTSCH. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that I be able to address the House for 1 minute on this particular issue.