[Constitution, Jefferson's Manual, and the Rules of the House of Representatives, 111th Congress] [111st Congress] [House Document 110-162] [Rules of the House of Representatives] [Pages 387-398] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov] [[Page 387]] Rule VI Official reporters official reporters and news media galleries
685. Reporters of debates and committee stenographers. | 1. Subject to the direction and control of the Speaker, the Clerk shall appoint, and may remove for cause, the official reporters of the House, including stenographers of committees, and shall supervise the execution of their duties. |
Sec. 686. Rules relating to Congressional Record. | The arrangement, style, etc., of the Congressional Record is prescribed by the Joint Committee on Printing pursuant to 44 U.S.C. 901, 904 (see also VIII, 3500). The rules of the Joint Committee on Printing governing publication of the Congressional Record are as follows: |
Sec. 687. Substantially verbatim account. | The requirement of rule 7 of the supplemental rules that the Congressional Record be a substantially verbatim account of remarks actually rendered was included in clause 8(a) of rule XVII (formerly clause 9 of rule XIV) in the 104th Congress, with the prescription that that rule constitute a standard of conduct under former clause 3(a)(2) of rule XI (formerly clause 4(e)(1)(B) of rule X) (sec. 213, H. Res. 6, Jan. 4, 1995, p. 468). Under clause 8 of rule XVII, remarks actually delivered may not be deleted and remarks inserted must appear in distinctive type (Jan. 4, 1995, p. 541). The Speaker has instructed the Official Reporters of Debates to adhere strictly to the requirement of rule 7 of the supplemental rules (Mar. 2, 1988, p. 2963; Feb. 3, 1993, p. 1980). |
Sec. 688. Relations of the Committee of the Whole to the Congressional Record. | As a general rule the Committee of the Whole has no control over the Congressional Record (V, 6986); but the chairman in the preservation of order may direct the exclusion of disorderly words spoken by a Member after a call to order (V, 6987). In a case wherein a letter read in Committee involved a breach of privilege, the Committee reported the matter to the House for action, and the House struck the letter from the Record (V, 6986). The chair of the Committee of the Whole does not determine the privileges of a Member under a general leave to print in the Record, that being for the House alone (V, 6988). The Com |
Sec. 689. Correction of the Congressional Record. | Although the House controls the Congressional Record, the Speaker with the assent of the House laid down the principle that words spoken by a Member in order might not be changed by the House, because this would be determining what a Member should utter on the floor (V, 6974; VI, 583; VIII, 3469, 3498). Neither should one House strike matter placed in the Record by permission of the other House (V, 6966). But the House may correct the speech of one of its Members so that it may record faithfully what was actually said (V, 6972). Similarly, a motion to correct the Record has been entertained to allow a Member to print in subsequent edition of the daily Record the correct text of an amendment offered on a previous day and that had been substantially misprinted in the daily Record for the day on which it was offered (Deschler, ch. 5, Sec. 18.6). In addition, privileged motions have been permitted to correct the Record as follows: (1) striking unparliamentary words inserted in the Record (Deschler, ch. 5, Sec. 17); (2) correcting the Record where the remarks of one Member have been attributed to another (Deschler, ch. 5, Sec. Sec. 18.1, 18.2); (3) correcting the Record where a Member has improperly altered his remarks during an exchange of colloquy with another Member (Deschler, ch. 5, Sec. 18.9). Mere typographical errors in the Record or ordinary revisions of a Member's remarks do not give rise to privileged motions for the correction of the Record (Apr. 25, 1985, p. 9419), because such changes for the permanent edition of the Record may be made without the permission of the House (Deschler, ch. 5, Sec. 19) (subject to clause 8 of rule XVII). The House does not change the Record merely to show what a Member should have said during debate (Deschler, ch. 5, Sec. 18). |
Sec. 690. Unparliamentary remarks and the Congressional Record. | Where a Member had uttered disorderly words on the floor without challenge, the House decided that it was not precluded from action when the words, after being withheld for revision, appeared in the Record, and struck them (V, 6979, 6981; VI, 582; VIII, 2538, 3463, 3472). The House also has ordered stricken printed speeches condemned as unparliamentary for reflections on Members, committees of the House, the House itself (V, 7017), and the Senate (V, 5129). In the 101st Congress a resolution presented as a question of privilege was adopted to direct the Committee on House Administration to report with respect to certain unauthorized deletions from the Record. A task force of that committee recommended that deletion of unparliamentary remarks be permitted only by consent of the House and not by the Member uttering the words under authority to revise and extend (Oct. 27, 1990, p. 37124). That recommendation has been incorporated into the Rules of the House (clause 8(b) of rule XVII). In debating a resolution to strike from the Record disorderly language a Member may not read the language (V, 7004); but it was held that as part of a personal explanation relating to matter excluded as out of order a Member might read the matter, subject to a point of order if the reading should develop anything in violation of the rules of debate (V, 5079). A resolution to omit from the Record certain remarks merely declared by the Member offering the resolution to be out of order is not privileged (V, 7021). A motion to strike unparliamentary words from the Record is privileged (see Sec. 961, infra), although a question of privilege may not subsequently arise therefrom (V, 7023; VI, 596). |
Sec. 692. ``Leave to print'' in the Congressional Record. | The practice of inserting in the Congressional Record speeches not actually delivered on the floor has developed by consent of the House as the membership has increased and it has become difficult at times for every Member to fully debate public questions on the floor (V, 6990-6996, 6998-7000). The House, in granting such leave to print, stipulates that it be exercised without unreasonable freedom (V, 7002, 7003). For example: (1) a Member with permission to insert one matter may not insert another (V, 7001; VIII, 3462, 3479, 3480); (2) a Member may not insert statements and letters of others unless the leave granted specifies such matter as extraneous (VIII, 3475, 3481), whether the extension be under general leave for all Members or individual; (3) a Member may not insert that which would not have been in order if uttered on the floor, and the House may exclude such insertion in whole or in part (V, 7004-7008; VIII, 3495; |
693. Unofficial reporters in the press gallery and on the floor. | 2. A portion of the gallery over the Speaker's chair, as may be necessary to accommodate representatives of the press wishing to report debates and proceedings, shall be set aside for their use. Reputable reporters and correspondents shall be admitted thereto under such regulations as the |
Sec. 694. Unofficial reporters in the radio gallery and on the floor. | 3. A portion of the gallery as may be necessary to accommodate reporters of news to be disseminated by radio, television, and similar means of transmission, wishing to report debates and proceedings, shall be set aside for their use. Reputable reporters and correspondents shall be admitted thereto under such regulations as the Speaker may prescribe. The Executive Committee of the Radio and Television Correspond |