CONGRESS: WE THE PEOPLE
CONGRESS: WE THE PEOPLE
16.07.10-Shots of debate on Nuclear Freeze. Rep. JOE MOAKLEY asks for adoption of the Rules Committee's ruling. Rep. TRENT LOTT says that the Rules Committee says that the Rules Committee is trying to screw the opponents of the Nuclear Freeze. Rep. C.V. MONTGOMERY (D-MS) asks for rules changes. V.O.-Nuclear Freeze opponents had plenty of parliamentary tactics to try to defeat the bill. Rep. BOB WALKER (R-PA) in debate, introduces a point of order that there is inadequate quorum for consideration. TIP O'NEILL reads from the rules, a complicated statement, denying the point of order. Rep. STRATTON and Rep. ZABLOCKI spar over parliamentary procedures and allotments of debate time. Shot of STRATTON offering an amendment, pointing to a chart that shows that the Russians have much bigger missiles than the U.S. does. Rep. ZABLOCKI moves to cut off debate on the amendments. A divided voice vote leads to acrimony. V.O.-eventually, the parliamentary tactics of the opponents won out. Rep. JACK KEMP says that attempts to limit debate are inappropriate for such a serious issue [of course, KEMP led the charge to jackboot Reaganomics through the House with severely limited debate in 1981]. 16.13.22-Rep. ZABLOCKI in debate. TIP O'NEILL in debate, attacks the parliamentary tactics of the Nuclear Freeze opponents, says they might as well give up because O'Neill has got the votes. Newman-Nuclear Freeze opponents dragged out debate for 4 weeks. In this way, the rules favor the status quo. Signs off. 16.14.34-closing credits/WETA credit/funding credits/PBS ID 16.15.45--OUT