[Page: H5060]

(Mr. COMBEST asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 minute.)

Mr. COMBEST. Mr. Speaker, I wish to announce to all Members of the House that the classified schedule of authorizations and the classified annex to the committee report accompanying the Intelligence authorization bill for fiscal year 1997, H.R. 3259, are available for review by Members at the offices of the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence in Room H-405 of the Capitol. Staff will be available through Friday and again beginning Monday for any Members who wish to review this material. I am informed by the leadership that H.R. 3259 may be considered on the floor early next week.

It is important that Members keep in mind that clause 13 of rule XVIII of the House, adopted at the beginning of the 104th Congress, requires that before Members of the House may have access to classified information, they must sign the oath set out in that clause. The classified schedule of authorizations and the classified annex to the committee report contain the Intelligence Committee's recommendations on the intelligence budget for fiscal year 1997 and related classified information which may not be disclosed publicly. After consultation with the General Counsel to the Clerk of the House, I would advise Members wishing to have access to the classified schedule of authorizations and the classified annex that they must bring with them to the committee office a copy of the rule XLIII oath signed by them or be prepared to sign a copy of that oath when they come to see these classified materials.

I would also recommend that Members wishing to read the classified schedule of authorizations and the classified annex to the committee report first call the committee office to indicate when you plan to review the classified annex to the report. This will help assure that a member of the committee staff is available to help Members, if they wish, with their review of these classified materials. I urge Members to take some time to review these classified documents to help them better understand the actions the Intelligence Committee has recommended before the intelligence authorization is considered on the House floor next week.

[TIME: 1015]