Charlie Rangel

Mr. RANGEL

Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Moran). (Mr. MORAN of Virginia asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Spratt), one of the major drafters of the substitute bill.

Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Maine (Mr. Michaud). (Mr. MICHAUD asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, can I get a reading on the remaining time on this short debate?

Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Ohio (Mrs. Jones), a member of the Committee on Ways and Means. (Mrs. JONES of Ohio asked and was given permission to revise and extend her remarks.)

Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from North Dakota (Mr. Pomeroy), a member of the Committee on Ways and Means.

Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Doggett), a member of the Committee on Ways and Means.

Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Jefferson), an outstanding member of the Committee on Ways and Means.

Mr. RANGEL. Yes.

Mr. RANGEL. Would you mind if I waited until they got down to one?

Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, I would like for our minority leader to close the debate on behalf of the Democrats that were denied the substitute. So could I make inquiry of the chairman of the Committee on Ways and Means as to how many speakers he has remaining?

Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to the gentlewoman from Michigan (Ms. Kilpatrick). (Ms. KILPATRICK asked and was given permission to revise and extend her remarks.)

Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Ryan).

Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Ballance).

Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from California (Mr. Stark), a senior member of the Committee on Ways and Means and the ranking member on the Subcommittee on Health. (Mr. STARK asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, I understand that you are saying that we are entitled to the motion to recommit. The parliamentary inquiry is will the points of order be waived for the minority under the motion to recommit?

Mr. RANGEL. Will the minority then have the same advantage as the majority in terms of waiving the points of order at least for the 10 minutes that the minority would have on its motion to recommit?

Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, in view of the fact that the majority has waived the points of order on their major tax cut bill, and further that the minority will not have the opportunity to introduce a substitute, under the rule, does the minority have the opportunity to have a motion to recommit?

Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, I have a parliamentary inquiry.

Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, it is clear that this is a day that is going to be remembered in America, in this House of Representatives. A bill has come on the floor. The chairman said he did not want points of order. It is clear that the bill is in violation of the parliamentary rules of this House unless the points of order were waived. It is clear that they planned in the middle of the night to say it is ``their way or the highway.'' It is a bad bill. But to deny Democrats an opportunity for an alternative, knowing that they have the votes, I think has damaged the reputation of this House of Representatives for days and for months and for years to come. Shame on you for doing it. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. RANGEL. The Speaker is saying that the Committee on Rules waived the points of order that the chairman of the Committee on Ways and Means said last night was not necessary. Is that the ruling of the Chair?

Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, it is difficult for me to hear you. The House is not in order.

Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, last evening in the Committee on Rules, the chairman of the Committee on Ways and Means said that he would allow the Democrats to bring their substitute to the floor but only under the conditions that no waivers of points of order be made; and then he went further and told the committee, the Committee on Rules, that is, that he did not want any waivers of points of order himself. So, Mr. Speaker, my parliamentary inquiry is that there is a provision of the Budget Act that makes it not in order to consider legislation in the House that reduces amounts deposited in the Social Security Trust Fund. It is clear that the bill before us today will reduce the amounts deposited into both the Social Security and Medicare Trust Fund. In view of the fact that the gentleman from California (Mr. Thomas) has asked that points of order not be waived, is not this bill before us today in violation of that rule?

Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, parliamentary inquiry.

Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, I demand a recorded vote.