[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 54 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
113th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. RES. 54
Authorizing expenditures by the Committee on Homeland Security and
Governmental Affairs.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
February 26, 2013
Mr. Carper, from the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental
Affairs, reported the following original resolution; which was referred
to the Committee on Rules and Administration
_______________________________________________________________________
RESOLUTION
Authorizing expenditures by the Committee on Homeland Security and
Governmental Affairs.
Resolved,
SECTION 1. GENERAL AUTHORITY.
In carrying out its powers, duties, and functions under the
Standing Rules of the Senate, in accordance with its jurisdiction under
rule XXV of the Standing Rules of the Senate and S. Res. 445 (108th
Congress), including holding hearings, reporting such hearings, and
making investigations as authorized by paragraphs 1 and 8 of rule XXVI
of the Standing Rules of the Senate, the Committee on Homeland Security
and Governmental Affairs (in this resolution referred to as the
``committee'') is authorized from March 1, 2013 through September 30,
2013, in its discretion to--
(1) make expenditures from the contingent fund of the
Senate;
(2) employ personnel; and
(3) with the prior consent of the Government department or
agency concerned and the Committee on Rules and Administration,
use on a reimbursable or nonreimbursable basis the services of
personnel of any such department or agency.
SEC. 2. EXPENSES FOR PERIOD ENDING SEPTEMBER 30, 2013.
The expenses of the committee for the period March 1, 2013 through
September 30, 2013 under this resolution shall not exceed $6,074,429,
of which amount--
(1) not to exceed $75,000 may be expended for the
procurement of the services of individual consultants, or
organizations thereof (as authorized by section 202(i) of the
Legislative Reorganization Act of 1946 (2 U.S.C. 72a(i))); and
(2) not to exceed $20,000 may be expended for the training
of the professional staff of the committee (under procedures
specified by section 202(j) of that Act).
SEC. 3. EXPENSES; AGENCY CONTRIBUTIONS; AND INVESTIGATIONS.
(a) Expenses of the Committee.--
(1) In general.--Except as provided in paragraph (2),
expenses of the committee under this resolution shall be paid
from the contingent fund of the Senate upon vouchers approved
by the chairman of the committee.
(2) Vouchers not required.--Vouchers shall not be required
for--
(A) the disbursement of salaries of employees paid
at an annual rate;
(B) the payment of telecommunications provided by
the Office of the Sergeant at Arms and Doorkeeper;
(C) the payment of stationery supplies purchased
through the Keeper of the Stationery;
(D) payments to the Postmaster of the Senate;
(E) the payment of metered charges on copying
equipment provided by the Office of the Sergeant at
Arms and Doorkeeper;
(F) the payment of Senate Recording and
Photographic Services; or
(G) the payment of franked and mass mail costs by
the Sergeant at Arms and Doorkeeper, United States
Senate.
(b) Agency Contributions.--There are authorized such sums as may be
necessary for agency contributions related to the compensation of
employees of the committee from March 1, 2013 through September 30,
2013, to be paid from the appropriations account for ``Expenses of
Inquiries and Investigations'' of the Senate.
(c) Investigations.--
(1) In general.--The committee, or any duly authorized
subcommittee of the committee, is authorized to study or
investigate--
(A) the efficiency and economy of operations of all
branches of the Government including the possible
existence of fraud, misfeasance, malfeasance,
collusion, mismanagement, incompetence, corruption, or
unethical practices, waste, extravagance, conflicts of
interest, and the improper expenditure of Government
funds in transactions, contracts, and activities of the
Government or of Government officials and employees and
any and all such improper practices between Government
personnel and corporations, individuals, companies, or
persons affiliated therewith, doing business with the
Government; and the compliance or noncompliance of such
corporations, companies, or individuals or other
entities with the rules, regulations, and laws
governing the various governmental agencies and its
relationships with the public;
(B) the extent to which criminal or other improper
practices or activities are, or have been, engaged in
the field of labor-management relations or in groups or
organizations of employees or employers, to the
detriment of interests of the public, employers, or
employees, and to determine whether any changes are
required in the laws of the United States in order to
protect such interests against the occurrence of such
practices or activities;
(C) organized criminal activity which may operate
in or otherwise utilize the facilities of interstate or
international commerce in furtherance of any
transactions and the manner and extent to which, and
the identity of the persons, firms, or corporations, or
other entities by whom such utilization is being made,
and further, to study and investigate the manner in
which and the extent to which persons engaged in
organized criminal activity have infiltrated lawful
business enterprise, and to study the adequacy of
Federal laws to prevent the operations of organized
crime in interstate or international commerce; and to
determine whether any changes are required in the laws
of the United States in order to protect the public
against such practices or activities;
(D) all other aspects of crime and lawlessness
within the United States which have an impact upon or
affect the national health, welfare, and safety;
including but not limited to investment fraud schemes,
commodity and security fraud, computer fraud, and the
use of offshore banking and corporate facilities to
carry out criminal objectives;
(E) the efficiency and economy of operations of all
branches and functions of the Government with
particular reference to--
(i) the effectiveness of present national
security methods, staffing, and processes as
tested against the requirements imposed by the
rapidly mounting complexity of national
security problems;
(ii) the capacity of present national
security staffing, methods, and processes to
make full use of the Nation's resources of
knowledge and talents;
(iii) the adequacy of present
intergovernmental relations between the United
States and international organizations
principally concerned with national security of
which the United States is a member; and
(iv) legislative and other proposals to
improve these methods, processes, and
relationships;
(F) the efficiency, economy, and effectiveness of
all agencies and departments of the Government involved
in the control and management of energy shortages
including, but not limited to, their performance with
respect to--
(i) the collection and dissemination of
accurate statistics on fuel demand and supply;
(ii) the implementation of effective energy
conservation measures;
(iii) the pricing of energy in all forms;
(iv) coordination of energy programs with
State and local government;
(v) control of exports of scarce fuels;
(vi) the management of tax, import,
pricing, and other policies affecting energy
supplies;
(vii) maintenance of the independent sector
of the petroleum industry as a strong
competitive force;
(viii) the allocation of fuels in short
supply by public and private entities;
(ix) the management of energy supplies
owned or controlled by the Government;
(x) relations with other oil producing and
consuming countries;
(xi) the monitoring of compliance by
governments, corporations, or individuals with
the laws and regulations governing the
allocation, conservation, or pricing of energy
supplies; and
(xii) research into the discovery and
development of alternative energy supplies; and
(G) the efficiency and economy of all branches and
functions of Government with particular references to
the operations and management of Federal regulatory
policies and programs.
(2) Extent of inquiries.--In carrying out the duties
provided in paragraph (1), the inquiries of this committee or
any subcommittee of the committee shall not be construed to be
limited to the records, functions, and operations of any
particular branch of the Government and may extend to the
records and activities of any persons, corporation, or other
entity.
(3) Special committee authority.--For the purposes of this
subsection, the committee, or any duly authorized subcommittee
of the committee, or its chairman, or any other member of the
committee or subcommittee designated by the chairman is
authorized, in its, his, her, or their discretion--
(A) to require by subpoena or otherwise the
attendance of witnesses and production of
correspondence, books, papers, and documents;
(B) to hold hearings;
(C) to sit and act at any time or place during the
sessions, recess, and adjournment periods of the
Senate;
(D) to administer oaths; and
(E) to take testimony, either orally or by sworn
statement, or, in the case of staff members of the
Committee and the Permanent Subcommittee on
Investigations, by deposition in accordance with the
Committee Rules of Procedure.
(4) Authority of other committees.--Nothing contained in
this subsection shall affect or impair the exercise of any
other standing committee of the Senate of any power, or the
discharge by such committee of any duty, conferred or imposed
upon it by the Standing Rules of the Senate or by the
Legislative Reorganization Act of 1946.
(5) Subpoena authority.--All subpoenas and related legal
processes of the committee and its subcommittee authorized
under S. Res. 81, agreed to March 2, 2011 (112th Congress), are
authorized to continue.
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