20 A motion to proceed to the consideration of a resolution,19 or a motion to print a matter as a document upon objection is not in order during the presentation of petitions and memorials. Unanimous consent is required for the introduction of a Senate resolution or the presentation of a committee report 21 after the conclusion of morning business.22 When the Morning Hour is consumed by the consideration of an order designating the membership of the standing committees of the Senate, morning business may be presented thereafter only by unanimous consent.23 Under a unanimous consent agreement restricting the business of the Senate to consideration of certain specified matters, and excluding other business not unanimously recognized as urgent, it was held that following an adjournment, morning business could be transacted by unanimous consent only." Executive Business Takes Precedence Over: See "Executive Business and Executive Sessions," pp. 475-483. Insertions in Record During Morning Business: See "Reservation of Objections to a Request To Print in Record," p. 331; "When Requests To Print in Record in Order,” p. 331. Introduction of Bills and Joint Resolutions, a Portion of the Morning Business: See also "Introduction," pp. 171-172. It is not in order to submit a resolution when the Chair calls for the introduction of bills and joint resolutions.25 Over Under the Rule: The procedure of "Over Under the Rule" is a portion of the morning business. See "Over Under the Rule," pp. 569– 578. Personal Privilege: For precedence of business during the "Morning Hour," see "Personal Privilege, Debate of," pp. 424-425. Petitions and Memorials: Receiving petitions and memorials and their reference make up a part of the "Morning Business." See "Communications and Messages to the Senate," pp. 266–276. Petitions and memorials may have endorsed thereon a brief statement of their contents, but they shall be presented and referred without debate.26 Quorum: 27 The absence of a quorum may be suggested during the Morning Hour; " during the consideration of morning business under a unanimous consent limitation of time each Senator may speak; a Senator may suggest the absence of a quorum when no one has the floor; 28 and after a quorum is obtained, he may speak for the time permitted under the agreement in the event he obtains recognition." Reports: Reports are presented under the appropriate order of morning business. For details, see "Reports," pp. 739-759. Three-Minute Limitation: See also "Morning Business, Debate During," pp. 419–420. Debate is not in order under the rules during the transaction of routine morning business but the Senate in recent years has established the practice, pursuant to a unanimous consent agreement each day, of allowing each Senator a brief period (usually 3 or 5 minutes), for a specified length of time in which to speak during the transaction of 26 Feb. 10, 1964, 88-2, Record, p. 2645. routine morning business. A single objection to such a request would force the Senate to proceed under Rule VII, and no debate or speeches would be in order. Unanimous Consent To Transact Morning Business Following a Recess of the Senate: The Senate has a practice of transacting morning business following a recess of the Senate (in the same legislative day) under unanimous consent agreement to transact such business under a speech limitation for each item submitted.30 A single objection would block such procedure."1 Vetoes: Consideration of vetoes has been held to take precedence over morning business. For details, see "Vetoes," pp. 873879. See Mar. 2, 1949, 81-1, Record, pp. 1697-98; July 19, 1950, 81-2, Record, pp. 10568-70. *See July 24, 1956, 84-2, Record, pp. 14160-63, 14171. MORNING HOUR See also "Morning Business," pp. 536–543. The Morning Hour runs for 2 hours at the beginning of each new legislative day, unless otherwise dispensed with. During the Morning Hour the Senate first considers the routine morning business (for details, see "Morning Business," pp. 536–543), after which, unless the Senate otherwise orders, it proceeds to the call of the Calendar which runs until 2 o'clock. The morning business could consume the whole 2 hours. On any day except Mondays, however, immediately after the close of the morning business, it is in order to move to the consideration of any bill on the Calendar and the motion to consider any proposition before 2 o'clock is determined without debate. Once the Senate proceeds to the consideration of a matter (bill, resolution, or whatever) before the end of the Morning Hour or the first 2 hours have elapsed, it runs until 2 o'clock, or for 2 hours, unless earlier disposed of (or unless it is privileged business as a conference report which take precedence), at which time the unfinished business is laid before the Senate, if there is any. If not, the Senate may continue with that bill, if not already disposed of, for the remainder of the day or until action thereon is concluded. If at the end of the morning business, but before morning business is closed, the Chair lays before the Senate a resolution coming over under the rule, that, just as any bill brought up on motion, is also debatable, until the 2 hours have expired, when the unfinished business would be laid down. If there is no unfinished business, the resolution goes to the Calendar but a motion could be made to continue consideration of the resolution, which motion itself would also be debatable. Rule VII For complete rule, see pp. 536-538. Rule VIII [Call of Calendar Procedure; Motion To Consider Not Debatable; and Germaneness of Debate] At the conclusion of the morning business for each day, unless upon motion the Senate shall at any time otherwise order, the Senate will proceed to the consideration of the Calendar of Bills and Resolutions, and continue such consideration until 2 o'clock; and bills and resolutions that are not objected to shall be taken up in their order, and each Senator shall be entitled to speak once and for five minutes 544 only upon any question; and the objection may be interposed at any stage of the proceedings, but upon motion the Senate may continue such consideration; and this order shall commence immediately after the call for "concurrent and other resolutions," and shall take precedence of the unfinished business and other special orders. But if the Senate shall proceed with the consideration of any matter notwithstanding an objection, the foregoing provisions touching debate shall not apply. All motions made before 2 o'clock to proceed to the consideration of any matter shall be determined without debate. At the conclusion of the morning hour or after the unfinished business or pending business has first been laid before the Senate on any calendar day, and until after the duration of three hours, except as determined to the contrary by unanimous consent or on motion without debate, all debate shall be germane and confined to the specific question then pending before the Senate. On August 10, 1888, the Senate agreed to the following: Resolved, That after to-day, unless otherwise ordered, the morning hour shall terminate at the expiration of two hours after the meeting of the Senate. Statement by the Chair "In the routine business of the Senate, almost from time immemorial there has been what is known as the Morning Hour. The Morning Hour comes only following an adjournment of the Senate. It does not come following a recess of the Senate, because under immemorial custom a recess of the Senate is different from an adjournnment, in that when the Senate reassembles after a recess it is still operating in the same legislative day in which it recessed. Therefore there is no Morning Hour after a recess, but only after an adjournment."" Call of Calendar Under Rule VIII: The Calendar is called during the Morning Hour, unless by order of the Senate it is determined otherwise. For details, see "Calendar," pp. 183-198. Conference Reports: For details on consideration of conference reports during the 'Jan. 24, 1949, 81-1, Record, p. 481. |