[Constitution, Jefferson's Manual, and the Rules of the House of Representatives, 105th Congress] [105th Congress] [House Document 104-272] [Rules of the House of Representatives] [Pages 786-796] [From the U.S. Government Printing Office, www.gpo.gov] Rule XXXIV. official and other reporters.
Sec. 923. Reporters of debates and committee stenographers. | 1. The appointment and removal, for cause, of the official reporters of the House, including stenographers of committees, and the manner of the execution of their duties shall be vested in the Clerk, subject to the direction and control of the Speaker. |
Sec. 924. 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. 924a. Substantially verbatim account. | The requirement of rule 7 of the supplemental rules outlined above that the Congressional Record be a substantially verbatim account of remarks actually rendered was included as a new clause 9 of rule XIV in the 104th Congress, with the prescription that that rule constitute a standard of conduct under clause 4(e)(1)(B) of rule X (sec. 213, H. Res. 6, Jan. 4, 1995, p. ----). Under clause 9 of rule XIV, remarks actually delivered may not be deleted and remarks inserted must appear in distinctive type (Jan. 4, 1995, p. ----). 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. ----; Jan. 3, 1996, p. ----). Because the Record is maintained as a substantially verbatim account of the proceedings of the House (44 U.S.C. 901), the Speaker will not entertain a unanimous-consent request to give a special-order speech ``off the Record'' (June 24, 1992, p. -- --). |
Sec. 925. 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 he has been called to order (V, 6987). In a case wherein the committee conceived that a letter read in committee involved a breach of privilege, it reported the matter to the House for action, and the House struck the letter from the Record (V, 6986). The Chairman 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). Neither may the Committee of the Whole grant a general leave to print, although for convenience it does permit individual Members to extend their remarks (V, 7009, 7010; VIII, 3488- 3490; Aug. 31, 1965, p. 22385), nor may the Committee of the Whole permit the inclusion of extraneous material (Jan. 23, 1936, p. 950; Feb. 1, 1937, pp. 656-57; Sept. 19, 1967, p. 26032). |
Sec. 926. Correction of the Congressional Record. | While 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, as this would be determining what a Member should utter on the floor (V, 6974; VI, 583; VIII, 3469, 3498). Neither should one House strike out 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 he actually said (V, 6972). Where a Member interrupts another during debate without being yielded or otherwise recognized (as on a point of order) his remarks are not printed in the Record (Speaker O'Neill, Feb. 7, 1985, p. 2229). Where a Member had uttered disorderly words on the floor without objection, the House yet decided that it was not precluded from action when the words, after being withheld for revision, appeared in the Record, and struck them out (V, 6979, 6981; VI, 582; VIII, 2538, 3463, 3472). |
Sec. 927. Privileges of propositions to correct the Congressional Record. | A motion or resolution for the correction of the Congressional Record which involves a question of privilege may be made properly after the reading and approval of the Journal (V, 7013; VIII, 3496), and is not in order pending the approval of the Journal (V, 6989), but is privileged after that (V, 7014-7019; VIII, 3461, 3463). |
Sec. 928. Privilege of Member to revise his remarks in the Congressional Record. | The traditional practice to allow a Member, with the approval of the House and under conditions set forth by the Joint Committee on Printing, to revise his remarks before publication in the Congressional Record (V, 6971, 7024; VIII, 3500) should be interpreted in light of clause 9 of rule XIV and rule 7 of the supplemental rules of the Joint Committee on Printing, which require the Record to be a substantially verbatim account of remarks made during House proceedings (see Sec. Sec. 764a, 764b, 924, supra). In any event, a Member should not change the notes of his own speech in such a way as to affect the remarks of an opponent in controversy without bringing the correction to the attention of that Member (V, 6972; VIII, 3461), and alterations which place a different aspect on the remarks of a colleague require authorization by the House (VIII, 3463, 3497). A Member is not entitled to inspect the Reporter's notes of remarks which do not contain reflections on himself, delivered by another Member and withheld for revision (V, 6964). Where a Member so revised his remarks as to affect the import of words uttered by another Member, the House corrected the Record (V, 6973). |
Sec. 929. ``Leave to print'' in the Congressional Record. | The practice of inserting in the Congressional Record speeches not actually delivered on the floor has grown up by consent of the House as the membership has increased and it has become difficult at times for every Member to express at length on the floor his reasons for his attitude on public questions (V, 6990-6996, 6998-7000). The House quite generally stipulates, in granting leave to print, that it shall be exercised without unreasonable freedom (V, 7002, 7003). General leave to print may be granted only by the House, although in Committee of the Whole a Member, by unanimous consent, may be given leave to extend his remarks (V, 7009, 7010; VIII, 3488-3490). When a Member under leave to print places in the Record that which would not have been in order if uttered on the floor, the House may exclude the speech in whole or in part (V, 7005-7008; VIII, 3495; Oct. 2, 1992, p. ----; Sept. 27, 1996, p. ----). Thus, where a Member, under leave to print, made charges against another Member, the House ordered the speech stricken out (V, 7004). The principle that |
Sec. 930a. Unofficial reporters in the press gallery and on the floor. | 2. Such 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, and reputable reporters and correspondents shall be admitted thereto under such regulations as the Speaker may from time to time prescribe; and the supervision of such gallery, including the designation of its employees, shall be vested in the standing committee of correspondents, subject to the direction and control of the Speaker; and the Speaker may assign one seat on the floor to Associated Press reporters and one to United Press International, and regulate the occupation of the same. And the Speaker may admit to the floor, under such regulations as he may prescribe, one additional representative of each press association. |
Sec. 930b. Unofficial reporters in the radio gallery and on the floor. | 3. Such portion of the gallery of the House of Representatives 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, and reputable reporters thus engaged shall be admitted thereto under such regulations as the Speaker may from time to time prescribe; and the supervision of such gallery, including the designation of its employees, shall be vested in the Executive Committee of the Radio and Television Correspondents' Galleries, subject to the direction and control of the Speaker; and the Speaker may admit to the floor, under such regulations as he may prescribe, one representative of the National Broadcasting Company, one of the Columbia Broadcasting System, one of the Mutual Broadcasting System, and one of the American Broadcasting Company. |