mr. mccarthy: mr. speaker, we speech by the president last night who spoke of our country and the courage and character of citizens. people like 100-year-old bridge airman retired deer general -- brigadier general charles mcgee and his 13-year-old great-grandson who dreams of going to space. a lovely fourth grader who received an opportunity scholarship. does not remember the look on stephanie's face as she that her daughter was going to get an opportunity that for?acrificed so great and people like sergeant first class townsend williams who amy and two wife beautiful children in the gallery last night. in many people's eyes of the emotion that they time.t that unfortunately, speaker pelosi

was unmoved and chose to tear up copy of that speech. she had no right to destroy this one filled pecially with such impactful stories of american patriots. presented before the people's house and it belongs to the american people. i am here today. official i have an copy of the president's state of union address signed by the president given to me at the white house today. it will be delivered to the clerk to be archived and preserved for prosperity. or not, he likes it these great american stories will be remembered by history, erased by the speaker. we are better because of them, and we should learn from them and we should be proud that they our future and i yield back.

the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from maryland seek recognition? mr. hoyer: mr. speaker, i ask unanimous consent to speak out for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. speaker, : mr. obviously each of us had our own reaction to the speech that was president last night. every right, under the first amendment, to say what he believed, what he was going to do, what he wanted us to do. to you that, if i took this card and tore it up because i didn't like what was on the ard, i am protected by the first amendment in doing that. hat is a form of if the effort is to shut one another up, perhaps we'll go down that road.

but clearly, most of you on this -- in this house, or at least some of you in this house, have said, an act of destroying things that the leader alleges are property of the house, i will ask for a ruling on that, mr. speaker, in just a minute. but is an act of disagreement. it's not assertion, per se, that what was said was wrong. disagreed with or anything else. it was not an outcry to the president of the united states that you lie. but clearly, undermine the decorum of this house. frankly, i did not see the speaker tear that up. i have seen it on television. but i would suggest to you very

seriously about whether you saw it or not. that's not my argument. my argument is if each of us watch closely on the floor, each of our actions and we deem those actions to be disrespectful either to the speaker at the ross trum or the microphones behind the desk, do we bring a resolution that that was disrespectful? each of you will say yes. i will watch closely. we will go back and forth and that will not be a good precedent because it will undermine the premise of the first amendment. but the action, it's speech. an action that is criminal, the action that defames and brings the house in disrepute, that is another issue.

but an action that says i feel his way should be protected. not necessarily agreed with. maybe even subject to criticism, but certainly not subject to a resolution. this resolution will not go forward, of course. as i will move to table it, if it's offered, because i believe it undermines the first amendment and the house. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. for what purpose does the gentlewoman from texas seek recognition? >> pursuant to clause 2-a 1-rule 9 i give notice of my intent to raise a question of the privileges of the house, the form of the resolution is as

follows. house resolution 832, whereas on september 20, 2019, speaker pelosi extended an invitation for president trump to address a joint session of congress on february 4, 2020. whereas on february 4, 2020, president trump delivered his state of the union address in which he honored the sacrifice of the following american heroes and their families, general charles mcgee, one of the last surviving tuesday ca gee airmen who served in world war i, the korean war and vietnam. taylor mueller who was caring for suffering civilians in syria where she was captured and enslaved for over 500 days before being murdered by isis

baghdadi. e my sergeant christopher hagg who was killed by a roadside bomb who was supplied by soleimani. townson williams, who is serving his fourth deployment in the middle east and his wife amy who works for the army and helps military families, whereas immediately following the address, while still presiding over the works for joint session, speake pelosi ripped up an official copy of the president's remarks which contained the names and stories of these patriots who sacrificed so much for our country. and whereas the conduct of speaker pelosi was a breach of

decorum and degraded the proceedings of the joint session to the discredit of the house, now therefore, be it resolved that the house of representatives disapproves of behavior of speaker pelosi of the state of the union held in front of the joint session of congress held on february 4, 2020. the speaker pro tempore: the resolution offered by a member on the floor as a question of the privileges of the house has immediate precedent at a time designated by the chair within two legislative days after the resolution is properly noticed. the form of the resolution noted by the gentlewoman from texas will appear in the record. the chair will not determine whether the resolution constitutes a question of privilege. that determination will be made at the time of the consideration

of the resolution. for what purpose does the gentleman from maryland seek recognition? mr. hoyer: purpose of a parliamentary inquiry. the majority leader has asserted that the document in question was the property of the house. was, in fact, the document that the speaker had to read the property of the house? the speaker pro tempore: the message is part of the proceedings of the house and can be used by the house for archiveal and printing purposes. mr. hoyer: mr. speaker, additional question. the speaker pro tempore: the house is not in order. the gentleman may continue. mr. hoyer: mr. speaker, after the esident had spoken state of the union, delivered

that to the congress of the united states, at the end of that session, i moved that that document be enrolled in the house proceedings of last evening. am i to understand from the ruling that that document was specifically the document that ould have been enrolled? the speaker pro tempore: the document was printed. mr. hoyer: that document did not exist, according to the assertion of the republican leader. it was destroyed. the speaker pro tempore: it's part of the proceedings of the house and can be used by the house for archiveal and printing purposes. the gentleman has spoken to the printing of the document. mr. hoyer: i don't think that

answered my question, mr. speaker. my question was the document that was destroyed or torn apart the document that was to be enrolled by the house pursuant o my motion? e speaker pro tempore: materials fulfilled the order of the house. mr. hoyer: not my decision. > parliamentary inquiry. >> was that document provided from the president to the speaker of the house, a document of the house? the speaker pro tempore: it's part of the proceedings of the can be used by the

house for archiveal and printing purposes. mr. mccarthy: so to be clear, your answer is that is a document of the house and the president provides it to the senate the speaker pro tempore: the document was printed by the house upon order of the house. mr. mccarthy: further parliamentary inquiry. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. mccarthy: is it allowed to destroy a document of the house? the speaker pro tempore: the chair will not give an advisory answer or opinion in this matter. the chair is not going to give an advisory opinion. mr. mccarthy: to be clear it is an document of the house like a historical document that has been provided on the floor to this house.

the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is engaged in debate. and free to debate the resolution. mr. hoyer: the resolution is not on the floor, i don't think. mr. mccarthy: the gentleman is correct, it was her intention. the speaker pro tempore: who seeks recognition. mr. hoyer: obviously the parliamentarian. we ought to clarify this issue. if the document has been torn apart, as is alleged and as we know it was, that document is presumably the document that was not enrolled by the house pursuant to my motion last night. and i know it is not in the possession of the house. i know that for a fact. but there is a -- pursuant to my

motion, a document that has been enrolled, the president's address in the state of the union. so i simply want to make the point to the parliamentarian and to the speaker that the document that -- strike that. i have been here for a long period of time, numerous times, numerous times, i have had on this floor a copy of the speech that is h that is delivered by the communication's staff of the white house. mr. speaker, is that -- the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is engaged in debate and wishes to engage this. mr. mccarthy: mr. speaker, parliamentary inquiry. you clarified that that is a document of the house. can you clarify that is not a document for the speaker but a document for the house? the speaker pro tempore: the document is used as part of

house proceedings and can be used for archiveal and purposes. mr. mccarthy: does the speaker have any history in the past state of the unions where that document provided to the speaker has not been enshrined into the records? the speaker pro tempore: respectfully, the chair will not ct as a historian. a mr. speaker, mr. hoyer led formal rebuke of south carolina representative joe wills son enforcing the decorum of the chamber and at the time, mr. hoyer said this house cannot stay silent. what is at issue is important to the house and importance to the country. mr. brady: if i may.

my parliamentary inquiry, is the speaker of the house ripping apart -- the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is engaged in debate. this must be done in the manner of one-minute speeches. mr. brady: is the speaking ripping up the state of the union speech on national tv considered the proper decor umh of the house? the speaker pro tempore: i'm not giving any advisory. this must be addressed in the format of one-minute the house is back on general speeches. they are expected to consider a bill that expands the rights of organized workers. president trump makes remarks

from the national prayer breakfast and speaker pelosi holds her weekly news conference at president trump is expected to make a statement on the impeachment trial and his acquittal in the senate. with te buletgedge speaks veterans in new hampshire ahead of next week's primary. a house judiciary subcommittee hearing on campaign finance. national security advisory aided officials on threats faceing the united states and commented on the impeachment trial against president trump. >> happy wednesday. halfway through the week.