Sue Myrick

Mrs. MYRICK

Mrs. MYRICK. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Paul). (Mr. PAUL asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mrs. MYRICK. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Sanford).

Mrs. MYRICK. Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Committee on Rules, I call up House Resolution 173 and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mrs. MYRICK. Mr. Speaker, for purposes of debate only, I yield the customary 30 minutes to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Hall), pending which I yield myself such time as I may consume. During consideration of this resolution, all time yielded is for purposes of debate only. Mr. Speaker, yesterday the Committee on Rules met and granted a rule to provide for consideration of the conference report to accompany H.R. 1141, the Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act for fiscal year 1999. The rule waives all points of order against the conference report and against its consideration. The rule also provides that the conference report shall be considered as read. Mr. Speaker, House Resolution 173 should not be controversial. It is a normal conference report rule, allowing for timely consideration of the emergency supplemental bill. While I suspect that many of us will have strong opinions about the underlying spending bill, let us pass this rule and have the debate on the floor. I urge my colleagues to support this rule, Mr. Speaker, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. MYRICK. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Diaz-Balart).

Mrs. MYRICK. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Walsh).

Mrs. MYRICK. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Iowa (Mr. Ganske).

Mrs. MYRICK. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. MYRICK. Mr. Speaker, I yield 8 minutes to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Regula). (Mr. REGULA asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mrs. MYRICK. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, as I said before, some of us have our differences with this bill, including myself. As my colleagues know, the Senate added pork, no question, everything but the kitchen sink, and it is certainly not emergencies. But everyone needs to support this rule so we can have an open and honest debate on the floor during the general debate. Mr. Speaker, I yield the balance of my time to the gentleman from California (Mr. Dreier), the chairman of the Committee on Rules. (Mr. DREIER asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mrs. MYRICK. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time, and I move the previous question on the resolution. The previous question was ordered.

Mrs. MYRICK. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Ros-Lehtinen).

Mrs. MYRICK. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Rohrabacher).

Mrs. MYRICK

Mrs. MYRICK. Mr. Speaker, I move that the House do now adjourn.

Mrs. MYRICK

Mrs. MYRICK. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from California (Mr. Dreier), the distinguished chairman of the Committee on Rules. (Mr. DREIER asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mrs. MYRICK. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Toomey).

Mrs. MYRICK. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Iowa (Mr. Latham).

Mrs. MYRICK. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. DeLay), and I would just point out that the amendment of the gentleman from Wisconsin is printed in the rule exactly as it was offered.

Mrs. MYRICK. Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Committee on Rules, I call up House Resolution 159 and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mrs. MYRICK. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. MYRICK. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Goss). (Mr. GOSS asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mrs. MYRICK. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Burton).

Mrs. MYRICK. Mr. Speaker, for the purposes of debate only, I yield the customary 30 minutes to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Hall), pending which I yield myself such time as I may consume. During consideration of this resolution, all time yielded is for the purpose of debate only. Mr. Speaker, yesterday the Committee on Rules met and granted an open rule for H.R. 1664, the Kosovo Operations Supplemental Appropriations Act. The rule waives points of order against consideration of the bill for failure to comply with clause 4 of Rule XIII requiring a 3-day layover of the committee report and requiring 3-day availability of printed hearings on a general appropriations bill and section 306 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 prohibiting consideration of legislation within the Committee on the Budget's jurisdiction unless reported by the Committee on the Budget. The rules provide for 1 hour of general debate equally divided between the chairman and ranking minority member of the Committee on Appropriations. The bill waives points of order against provisions in the bill for failure to comply with clause 2 of rule XXI prohibiting unauthorized or legislative appropriations in a general appropriations bill. The rule provides that before consideration of any other amendment it shall be in order to consider the amendments printed in the report of the Committee on Rules. The rule makes in order amendments printed in the report accompanying this resolution which may be offered only by a Member designated in the report, shall be considered as read, shall be debatable for the time specified, shall not be subject to amendment and shall not be subject to a demand for a division of the question in the House or the Committee of the Whole. The rule waives all points of order against amendments printed in the Committee on Rules report. The rule waives points of order during consideration of the bill against amendments for failure to comply with clause 2(e) of Rule XXI prohibiting non-emergency designated amendments to be offered on an appropriations bill containing an emergency designation. The rule authorizes the Chair to accord priority in recognition to Members who have preprinted their amendments in the Congressional Record. The rule allows the Chairman of the Committee of the Whole to postpone votes during consideration of the bill and to reduce votes to 5 minutes on a postponed question if the vote follows a 15-minute vote. Finally, the rule provide for 1 motion to recommit with or without instructions. Mr. Speaker, H. Res. 159 is a fair rule. It is an open rule that permits any Member to offer any amendment to the bill as long as the amendment does not violate House rules. The President's military campaign in Kosovo has put many of us in a tough spot. Like all Members, I support our troops, and I always support a strong national defense. I have strong reservations though about the President's decision to wage an ill-defined and possibly disastrous war in Yugoslavia because this war is draining our military resources, making it harder to meet threats in other areas of the world such as Iraq and North Korea. Our rear flank is exposed, which puts our military in harm's way. We must replenish our military readiness and supplies. Our young men and women in the military need and deserve that from this Congress. This rule will allow amendments to express Members' concerns about giving the President the tools to continue a never-ending conflict in the Balkans. Because this Kosovo spending bill is controversial, all Members need to support this rule so we can have an open discussion on the floor. Instead of closing down debate on this important issue, the Committee on Rules has provided for a fair and open amendment process. Members will have the opportunity to vote the Kosovo spending bill up or down, if they wish to do so, but in an hour we are not voting on Kosovo spending, we are voting on an open rule that allows the House to work its will. That is why we are here, to express our ideas and concerns and the opinions of the people back home whom we represent. I urge my colleagues to support this open rule which allows any Member to offer any amendment as long as it does not violate the rules of the House. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. MYRICK. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Young), the honorable chairman of the Committee on Appropriations.

Mrs. MYRICK. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time, and I move the previous question on the resolution. The previous question was ordered.