Waiving a requirement of clause 6(a) of rule XIII with respect to consideration of certain resolutions reported from the Committee on Rules.

Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Committee on Rules, I call up House Resolution 832 and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. Speaker, for the purpose of debate only, I yield the customary 30 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Frost), 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, last night the Committee on Rules met and passed this

resolution, waiving clause 6(a) of rule XIII (requiring a two-thirds vote to consider a rule on the same day it is reported from the Rules Committee) against certain resolutions reported from the Rules Committee. The waiver authorized by this resolution applies to any special rule reported on the legislative day of Friday, October 8, 2004, providing for the consideration or disposition of a conference report to accompany the bill, H.R. 4837, making appropriations for military construction, family housing and base realignment and closure for the Department of Defense for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2005, and for other purposes.

Mr. Speaker, I would advise my colleagues that adoption of this resolution is made necessary because the work of the conferees has taken longer than anticipated. To that end, I urge my colleagues to support the rule.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time, and I move the previous question on the resolution.

The previous question was ordered.

I thank the gentlewoman from North Carolina for yielding me time, and I yield myself such time as may consume.

Mr. Speaker, in our rush to finish our legislative work in Washington and return to our districts before the election, I fear we are jumping the gun by taking up this rule. While I realize that time is running short and that the House is likely to adjourn today or tomorrow, it is premature for the House to consider a martial law rule for a bill that has not even been completed. Why we are passing a rule to expedite passage of a bill for which we do not even have the final language, I cannot understand.

I am fully aware of the importance of sending as many of the 13 appropriations bills as possible to the President before we adjourn. But it is only reasonable to wait to bring up a martial law rule to expedite the consideration of a conference report, that may or may not be ready today, until we actually have that conference report filed and in hand.

However, given the magnitude and importance of this appropriation for military construction funding, I am not going to oppose this rule. I simply think that it would serve regular order to bring it up when we actually have a final conference report to read.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.