[House Report 110-924]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
Union Calendar No. 597
110th Congress Report
2d Session HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 110-924
_______________________________________________________________________
REPORT ON THE ACTIVITIES
of the
COMMITTEE ON HOUSE ADMINISTRATION
of the
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
during the
ONE HUNDRED TENTH CONGRESS
December 29, 2008.--Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on
the State of the Union and ordered to be printed
------
U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE
79-006 WASHINGTON : 2008
LETTER OF SUBMITTAL
----------
House of Representatives,
Committee on House Administration,
Washington, DC, December 29, 2008.
Hon. Lorraine Miller,
Clerk of the House of Representatives,
Washington, DC.
Dear Ms. Miller: Pursuant to clause 1(d) of Rule XI of the
Rules of the House of Representatives, I hereby submit to the
House a report on the activities of the Committee on House
Administration for the 110th Congress.
Sincerely,
Robert A. Brady,
Chairman.
Union Calendar No. 597
110th Congress Report
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
2d Session 110-924
======================================================================
REPORT ON THE ACTIVITIES OF THE COMMITTEE ON HOUSE ADMINISTRATION
DURING THE 110TH CONGRESS
_______
December 29, 2008.--Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on
the State of the Union and ordered to be printed
_______
Mr. Brady, from the Committee on House Administration, submitted the
following
R E P O R T
Introduction
In the 110th Congress, the Committee on House
Administration undertook to increase Member oversight of the
activities of the legislative branch agencies, with an emphasis
on providing public information regarding matters within the
Committee's responsibility, and ensuring bipartisan
participation in all aspects of House oversight. The Committee
strove to reinvigorate its role in oversight of the officers of
the House, the Architect of the Capitol, the U.S. Capitol
Police, and others. In addition, the Committee re-dedicated
itself to ensuring that House policies promote effective
legislation by serving the needs of Members and offering
appropriate support to the thousands of staffers who make it
possible to operate the House of Representatives. In the area
of election law, the Committee has also conducted vigorous
oversight to support the rights of all American citizens to
vote, and to ensure their votes are counted.
The Committee suffered an unfortunate blow near the
beginning of the Congress, when Chairwoman Juanita Millender-
McDonald passed away on April 22, 2007, following a long
illness. Chairman Robert A. Brady took the reins of the
Committee in May 2007, and has worked to expand upon her legacy
of service to the Members of Congress, oversight of the
legislative branch, and efforts to ensure the enfranchisement
of all Americans.
REORGANIZATION OF THE COMMITTEE FOR THE 110TH CONGRESS
The Committee on House Administration, the smallest
standing committee in the Chamber, has consisted of 9 Members
since 1997. In the 110th Congress, the House retained the
Committee's former size and two-to-one party ratio, and did not
make any changes in the Committee's diverse areas of
jurisdiction. The House elected Rep. Juanita Millender-McDonald
of California as chairwoman of the Committee on House
Administration on Jan. 4, 2007, making her one the first
African-American women to chair any House committee (the late
Rep. Stephanie Tubbs Jones was simultaneously elected to chair
the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct). Rep.
Millender-McDonald had served on the Committee since 2003 and
as Ranking Minority Member in the 109th Congress. Rep. Vernon
J. Ehlers of Michigan, who had previously been elected chairman
for the final eleven months of the 109th Congress, became the
new Ranking Minority Member. Other returning majority Members
were Representatives Robert A. Brady of Pennsylvania and Zoe
Lofgren of California. The other three majority Members, Reps.
Michael E. Capuano of Massachusetts, Charles A. Gonzalez of
Texas and Susan A. Davis of California, and two minority
Members, Reps. Daniel E. Lungren and Kevin McCarthy, both of
California, joined as Members of the Committee for the first
time.
At the organizational meeting of the Committee on February
16, 2007, Chairwoman Millender-McDonald appointed Rep. Brady as
Vice Chair of the Committee. The Committee adopted modified
committee rules for the 110th Congress (Committee Resolution
1), which created the Subcommittee on Elections, chaired by
Rep. Lofgren with Rep. McCarthy as Ranking Minority Member, and
the Subcommittee on Capitol Security, chaired by Rep. Brady
with Rep. Lungren as Ranking Minority Member. Tracking the two-
to-one party ratio of the full committee, which was unchanged
since the 105th Congress, the Elections subcommittee was given
a 4-2 party ratio and the Capital Security subcommittee a 2-1
ratio, assuring each Member a seat on a subcommittee. Members
were then elected to the subcommittees based upon the
recommendations of the respective party caucuses (Committee
Resolution 2).
The Committee believes that an organizational structure
that includes subcommittees enhances its ability to focus more
intensively on major policy issues, to conduct additional
hearings and necessary oversight, and to provide greater
opportunities for all Members to contribute to Committee
business and share in the workload. This is a critical
consideration because the Committee has only 9 members. The
ability of all Members to participate, and to specialize in
certain policy areas, also potentially enhances the Committee's
ability to craft necessary legislation on some of the more
specialized areas in its jurisdiction.
On March 23, 2007, Chairwoman Millender-McDonald, pursuant
to committee rules, appointed the Task Force on the Contested
Election in the 13th Congressional District of Florida, chaired
by Rep. Gonzalez, to address the pending election contest in
that district. Rep. Lofgren was added to the task force
immediately; Rep. McCarthy was appointed by Acting Chairman
Brady on April 25, 2007, following a recommendation from Rep.
Ehlers on April 16.
Chairwoman Millender-McDonald presided over hearings and
the Committee markup of the biennial committee funding
resolution for the House for the 110th Congress, which was
reported on March 5, 2007. The funding resolution passed the
House on March 8. Upon Chairwoman Millender-McDonald's passing,
pursuant to clause 2(d) of rule XI, Vice Chairman Brady acted
as chairman of the committee pending his election by the House
as permanent chairman on May 24, 2007. He then appointed Rep.
Lofgren as Vice Chair of the committee. The membership roster
of the full committee for the 110th Congress was completed with
the election of Rep. Artur Davis of Alabama as the sixth
majority member on May 2, 2007, and he was subsequently elected
to fill the vacancy on the Subcommittee on Elections left by
Rep. Millender-McDonald. In a later modification of the
subcommittee structure, two majority members switched rankings
as Rep. Capuano was elected to replace Chairman Brady as
Chairman of the Subcommittee on Capitol Security on April 2,
2008.
Oversight
COMMITTEE FUNDING
The Committee on House Administration processes the
resolution by which standing and select committees of the House
(except the Committee on Appropriations) are authorized
operating funds each Congress. During the first three months of
each new Congress, House Rule X, clause 7, authorizes House
committees to continue operations based on their funding
authorizations from the preceding session. This continuing
authorization allows committees to operate until the House
adopts a primary expense resolution.
The funding process begins when each House committee
introduces a House resolution seeking operating funds for the
Congress. After all committee expense resolutions have been
introduced, the Committee combines the resolutions into a
single, omnibus primary expense resolution. After reviewing
committee budget submissions, the Committee recommends to the
full House an appropriate allocation of the available funds. H.
Res. 202, introduced on February 28, 2007, by Chairwoman
Millender-McDonald and Ranking Member Ehlers, constituted the
omnibus primary expense resolution incorporating the amounts
requested by the committees ($287,969,121 over two years). A
correction to one committee's second session request reduced
the above total to $284,569,121.
The Committee conducted a hearing on February 28, 2007, and
on March 1, 2007, agreed to an amendment in the nature of a
substitute, and ordered H. Res. 202 favorably reported to the
House (H. Rpt. 110-29). Unfortunately, when the 109th Congress
adjourned sine die, it had left the fiscal 2007 appropriations
process unfinished, leading to the enactment of a year-long
continuing resolution for many federal accounts, including the
House. This situation greatly limited the Committee's options
in the authorization process for the 110th Congress. Under
these circumstances, and with the limited resources available,
the Committee was only able to recommend across-the-board
inflationary adjustments of 2.64% for personnel expenses, and
2.2% for operating expenses in the first session, and 3.0% for
personnel expenses, and 2.4% for operating expenses in the
second session. Without additional appropriations, no further
adjustments could be made.
The Committee's amended resolution authorized a total of
$276,509,023 over the two years of the 110th Congress, more
than $10 million less than requested by the House committees.
The lone panel to receive an amount larger than its initial
request ($500,000 for 2007), the Armed Services Committee, was
a special case because of its responsibility to oversee
America's military policy in Iraq and around the world. The
amounts authorized for each committee were as follows:
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1st Session 2nd Session 110th Total
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Agriculture............................................ $5,910,765 $6,084,541 $11,995,306
Armed Services......................................... 7,203,581 7,415,366 14,618,946
The Budget............................................. 6,169,343 6,350,721 12,520,064
Education and Labor.................................... 7,989,475 8,224,365 16,213,840
Energy and Commerce.................................... 10,375,603 10,680,646 21,056,249
Financial Services..................................... 7,977,303 8,211,835 16,189,138
Foreign Affairs........................................ 8,569,776 8,821,728 17,391,504
Homeland Security...................................... 8,105,057 8,343,346 16,448,403
House Administration................................... 5,033,242 5,181,219 10,214,461
Select Intelligence.................................... 5,157,724 5,309,361 10,467,084
The Judiciary.......................................... 8,055,250 8,292,074 16,347,324
Natural Resources...................................... 7,533,355 7,754,836 15,288,192
Oversight and Government Reform........................ 10,644,994 10,957,956 21,602,950
Rules.................................................. 3,376,815 3,476,093 6,852,908
Science and Technology................................. 6,387,984 6,575,791 12,963,775
Small Business......................................... 2,939,758 3,026,187 5,965,945
Standards of Official Conduct.......................... 2,460,915 2,533,266 4,994,181
Transportation and Infrastructure...................... 9,491,374 9,770,421 19,261,795
Veterans' Affairs...................................... 3,486,916 3,589,431 7,076,347
Ways and Means......................................... 9,382,384 9,658,226 19,040,609
--------------------------------------------------------
Grand Total........................................ 136,251,613 140,257,410 276,509,023
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Committee also continued a fairness principle known as
the ``1/3 rule,'' consistent with policy and practice for more
than two decades, anticipating the allocation of 1/3 of each
committee's funding for use by the minority. While this
fairness principle is well established, each committee
implemented the principle in a manner consistent with its own
operating practices and procedures. Each ranking minority
member was asked during the Committee hearing whether he or she
was being treated fairly, and with only one exception, which
was later addressed to the satisfaction of the ranking minority
member, all committee minorities appeared to be satisfied. As
chairs and ranking members change from Congress to Congress,
the Committee expects that the fairness principle will continue
to address the needs of the minority.
The resolution was adopted by the full House with an
amendment that, inter alia, created and funded a new Select
Committee on Global Warming and Energy Independence for the
110th Congress.
MEMBERS' REPRESENTATIONAL ALLOWANCE
The Committee has jurisdiction over the use of
appropriations from the accounts of the U.S. House of
Representatives for the Members' Representational Allowance as
well as official travel by Members and staff, and compensation,
retirement and other benefits of Member office employees. A
Member's Representational Allowance (MRA) is the annual
authorization made to each Member of the House to obligate U.S.
Treasury funds not to exceed a certain amount. These funds may
be used by the Member to pay ordinary and necessary business
expenses incurred by the Member and his or her congressional
office employees in support of the conduct of the Member's
official and representational duties on behalf of the district
from which the Member is elected. The annual MRA is available
for one Legislative Year, i.e., January 3 of one year through
January 2 of the following year.
The MRA is made up of three primary expense components:
personnel compensation, official expenses, and official
(franked) mail expenses. The amount of the MRA varies from
Member to Member based on the distance of a Member's district
from Washington, D.C., the cost of federal office space serving
a Member's district, and the number of U.S. Postal Service
Private Delivery Stops in a Member's district. The use of funds
in any expense category is not limited by the amount factored
into a corresponding expense component, e.g., a Member may
spend more or less than the amount of the personnel component
to compensate his or her staff. Each Member has complete
discretion in budgeting the total amount of his or her MRA as
he or she determines to support the operation of his or her
Washington, D.C., congressional and district offices,
consistent with applicable federal law and House Rules and
regulations.
Federal law authorizes the Committee, by order of the
Committee, to fix and adjust the amounts, terms, and conditions
of, and other matters relating to the MRA (including all
aspects of official mail) by reason of:
1. A change in the price of materials, services, or
office space;
2. A technological change or other improvement in
office equipment; or
3. An increase in rates of pay under the General
Schedule, e.g., a comparability and/or locality wage
adjustment.
On March 27, 2007, the Committee authorized the following
adjustments to the 2007 MRA:
1. An increase in the amount of funds factored into
the MRA for personnel compensation totaling $10,973;
2. An increase of $691 to fund the increased cost of
the House Transit Benefit Program (an entitlement
program), as well as a 2.2% inflation adjustment to the
official expenses component; and
3. An adjustment to the official mail component to
reflect any increase or decrease in the number of
private postal delivery stops in a Member's district.
The average MRA for 2007 was $1,357,733.
In January 2008, the Committee authorized the following
adjustments to the 2008 MRA:
1. An increase in the amount of funds factored into
the MRA for personnel compensation totaling $32,727;
and
2. Due to changes in the price of materials and
services, an increase of $4,500 to the base
subcomponent of the official expenses component.
The average MRA for 2008 was $1,394,960.
During the 110th Congress, the regulations promulgated by
the Committee governing the use of the MRA were amended to
reflect revisions required pursuant to changes in federal law,
House Rules, and/or Committee regulations as follows:
Effective February 1, 2007, the maximum per-mile
reimbursement rate for official business travel via a
personally owned or leased automobile was increased to $0.485.
Effective May 2, 2007, the regulations governing
official business travel via commercial or privately owned
aircraft were revised to reflect the requirements of House
Resolution 363.
Effective December 20, 2007, pursuant to the
provisions of Pub. L. 110-140, the regulations governing the
long-term lease of a light- or medium-duty or passenger vehicle
to be used for official business travel, the lease and
operating costs of which will submitted for payment from the
MRA, were amended to require that such vehicle must be selected
from the list of vehicles designated by the Environmental
Protection Agency as ``low greenhouse gas emitting vehicles.''
Effective January 1, 2008, the maximum allowable
gross annual salary rate for an employee on the staff of a
Member office was increased to $163,795 (Speaker's 2008 Pay
Order).
Effective March 19, 2008, the maximum per-mile
reimbursement rate for official business travel via a
personally owned or leased automobile was increased to $0.505.
On and effective April 2, 2008, the Committee
established an Alternate Ride Home Program for all House
offices. This program authorizes Members (as well as all other
employing authorities of the House) to reimburse an employee
for an alternate means of transportation if that employee
regularly commutes to work by other than a vehicle of the
employee that has been issued a House parking permit, when the
employing authority certifies that the employee had to work
longer than normal working hours and the usual means of
transportation was not available.
Effective July 24, 2008, pursuant to the
provisions of Pub. L. 110-28, the Committee authorized an
increase in the Minimum Wage Rate from $5.15 to $6.55 per hour.
Effective August 1, 2008, the maximum per-mile
reimbursement rates for official business travel via a
personally owned/leased vehicles were increased as follows:
Automobile--not to exceed $0.585 per mile
Motorcycle--not to exceed $0.585 per mile
Airplane--not to exceed $1.26 per mile.
At its meeting on September 25, 2008, the
Committee adopted a change requiring the quarterly reporting
and publication in the Statement of Disbursements by the House
of the total number and cost of mass communications distributed
by each Member during the reporting period, regardless of
media, as well as the average number and cost of mass
communications distributed to households in the Member's
district. This regulation mirrors the reporting requirement
applicable to mass mailings, as required by 2 U.S.C.
Sec. 59h(b). This reporting requirement is effective January 3,
2009.
On and effective September 30, 2008, the Committee
adopted an amendment to the regulations governing Member web
sites authorizing Members to establish, in addition to their
primary official web site located in the House.gov domain,
secondary web sites to be located in third party domains and/or
to post official communications content on third party sites.
Throughout the 110th Congress, the Committee's majority and
minority offices of Member and Committee Services provided
ready and reliable information, advice, and training on the
appropriate use of official funds and resources. During the
110th Congress, these offices, in the aggregate, responded to
an average of 300 phone calls per week, or more than 8,000
calls during the two-year period, from Members and staff.
Committee staff also participated in the District/State
Institutes sponsored by the Congressional Research Service over
the course of the 110th Congress, presenting training sessions
addressing the use of official resources.
House staff employment
The Committee spent considerable time during the 110th
Congress reviewing the terms of employment and benefits offered
to House staff and other employees of legislative branch
agencies supporting the House. With long working hours dictated
by the needs of the House, and staff salaries limited by the
Speaker's Pay Order, the Committee believes it is important to
ensure that the House offers adequate benefits to compensate
its employees for their efforts, and to recruit and retain the
best people. Working with the Chief Administrative Officer, the
Committee reviewed an array of measures that might best serve
House staff; some new policies were implemented, and others
will be taken up in the 111th Congress.
The Chief Administrative Officer provided the Committee
with reviews of the benefits offered to House employees
relative to private employers of comparable size, the executive
branch, and other legislative branch employing authorities.
Based upon these reviews and other research, the Committee
adopted numerous policies to improve working conditions for
House employees; for example, the transit benefit and student
loan repayment program were increased in accordance with
increases in the general federal limits, a policy was developed
to allow employees reimbursement for an ``alternate ride home''
(generally by taxi) when they have to work late due to the
exigencies of the House, and a House resolution,
H. Res. 1207, was adopted allowing employees to receive their
pay receipts electronically. In addition, the Committee passed
a resolution giving military liaisons working in House offices
access to the House staff gym. Another legislative initiative
to give the Committee authority to change the timing of staff
paychecks from once per month to twice per month or biweekly
passed the House, but ultimately was not enacted; the Committee
expects to pursue this initiative again in the 111th Congress,
in addition to other employee benefit proposals.
OFFICERS OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
One of the key responsibilities of the Committee is
oversight of the Officers of the House, whose organizations
serve primary roles in the operation of the legislative process
and implementing changes for the institution.
Clerk of the House
The Committee's oversight of the Clerk's office reflected
her office's importance to the House. Her primary duties
involve the legislative operations of the House, but she is
also responsible for other areas, including many House
publications and for operating the House page program under the
direction of the Page Board. During the session, it became
clear to the Committee that the Clerk spent a large portion of
her time monitoring the House pages, and the Committee approved
her proposal to establish a new position of deputy clerk to
direct operations of the page program.
The Clerk and the Committee devoted considerable attention
to the House's electronic voting system (EVS), which dates to
the early 1970s. The EVS must be modified or replaced due to
antiquated hard- and software, a challenge because of the
limitations of the current EVS and the physical placement of
its key display board above the House Press Gallery. The
Committee authorized travel by Clerk and Committee staff to
Topeka, Kan., and elsewhere in order to examine electronic
voting systems used by other legislative bodies.
The Committee also approved of steps taken by the Clerk to
establish safeguards to prevent errors in the enrollment
process, including a request for staff support from the
Government Printing Office (which has no operational role in
the enrollment of legislation). The Committee anticipates
continued efforts in the coming year to improve coordination of
House and Senate legislative materials and to reduce the
potential for errors.
In early 2007, the Committee worked with the Clerk to
complete the House publication, Women in Congress, 1917-2006,
which the House authorized in 2001 to update an earlier work.
In 2008, the Committee again oversaw the Clerk's efforts on
Black Americans in Congress, 1870-2006, also authorized by the
House in 2001. A massive undertaking in each case, the Clerk's
Office of History and Preservation (OHP) deserves the
Committee's thanks for its efforts. The Committee held a public
forum to accompany the publication of each of these volumes,
which contain portraits and biographical profiles on each
Member, historical images, essays, and comprehensive
statistical data. In addition, OHP created a web site to
accompany each volume. In addition to Member profiles, the
Women in Congress site, http://womenincongress.house.gov,
includes information about the career of Rep. Nancy Pelosi of
California, the first woman to be elected Speaker of the House,
a listing of educational resources, and the opportunity to view
various historical artifacts from the House Collection related
to the history of women in Congress. The Black Americans in
Congress site, http://BAiC.house.gov, also includes photographs
and descriptions of historical artifacts from the House
Collection, as well as a list of related educational and
reference resources. OHP is working on two additional
publications authorized by the Committee: a new edition of
Hispanic Americans in Congress, and a new publication to be
entitled Asian and Pacific Islander-Americans in Congress. The
Committee will continue its careful oversight of OHP's work and
looks forward to developing a closer working relationship with
OHP staff.
The Committee also worked with the Clerk in an examination
of the largely unheralded role of slave labor in the
construction of the Capitol. The Committee held a hearing on
November 7, 2007, at which the House's slave-labor task force,
coordinated by the Clerk, and others presented historical
information on this important topic. Certain recommendations of
the task force have already been adopted by the Congress,
including naming the central hall of the CVC ``Emancipation
Hall''; others will be completed in the coming year.
The Committee discussed with the Clerk's office key
improvements in operations related to the coming of the next
(111th) Congress, including the many activities related to
orientation for freshman Members and providing stationery,
preparation of key publications related to the convening of a
new session (e.g., the Congressional Pictorial Directory),
counting the 2008 electoral college votes, and other matters.
The Committee also consulted when necessary with the
Clerk's Office of the House Employment Counsel (OHEC), which
provides legal advice to Member offices on employment matters.
In addition to individual day-to-day employment situations, the
Committee sought advice from OHEC regarding the Office of
Compliance's proposed veterans' preference regulations.
With the opening of the CVC and the reorganization of the
Capitol Guide Service, under Pub. L. 110-437 the Clerk joined
the board overseeing the Office of Congressional Accessibility
Services. Her service on the Congressional Accessibility
Services Board will ensure appropriate coordination between
OHEC and the new Accessibility Services office. The Committee
anticipates that this will be an area requiring increased
oversight in the 111th Congress, as the Board works with the
office to embark on its enhanced role in service to both
houses.
Sergeant at Arms
The Committee takes very seriously the Sergeant at Arms'
(HSAA) responsibility for House security. Although many issues
related to House security are not appropriate subjects for
public hearings, the Committee and its Subcommittee on Capitol
Security received several private briefings from the HSAA. In
addition, the bipartisan Committee staff met with the Sergeant
at Arms and his staff virtually every week throughout the
session to discuss matters of concern to HSAA and the
Committee.
As always, the Committee focused heavily upon protection of
the House's physical plant, comprised primarily of the House
wing of the Capitol; the House office buildings, including the
House's sundry parking facilities; the surrounding streets; and
other support facilities on Capitol Hill and elsewhere. The
Capitol and office buildings are both a workplace and tourist
destination for millions of Americans and others from around
the world, presenting a complicated safety and security
challenge.
The Committee devoted significant attention to working with
the HSAA, the Architect of the Capitol (through his
Superintendent of the House Office Buildings), and the Capitol
Police to improve safety in the office buildings, especially
with respect to emergency evacuations. Upon recommendation from
the Committee, the Speaker of the House designated the HSAA as
the lead entity for coordinating evacuation procedures in House
buildings. The Committee also approved the HSAA Senior
Management Expansion/Reorganization Plan in order for HSAA to
better manage emergency evacuation planning and operations.
Under the Committee's oversight, the HSAA took on a lead
role in a cross-jurisdictional approach to addressing the
House's safety concerns. This emphasis has led to installation
of improved signage, enhanced training for employees, and
identification of a need for improved communications with
evacuated employees. Committee staff oversaw evacuation drills
and tabletop exercises conducted by the HSAA, and the Committee
approved plans for conducting more frequent evacuation drills,
both announced and unannounced. The Committee plans to continue
its work in this key area in the next session. (See also the
discussion of the Hallway Policy under the Architect of the
Capitol.)
The Committee worked closely with the HSAA in the
development of legislation (Pub. L. 110-437) providing for
governance and operation of the Capitol Visitor Center (CVC),
which opened to the public in December 2008. The CVC, the
largest addition ever made to the Capitol, was originally
conceived to improve safety and security for Members, staff and
visitors, in addition to improving visitor convenience. The
bipartisan Committee staff spent countless hours on this
subject (discussed in greater detail below under the Architect
of the Capitol).
The Committee also spent considerable time and attention
overseeing and providing policy direction for the HSAA in his
role as the House's representative on the Capitol Police Board.
The Board is a bicameral entity created by law, consisting of
the HSAA, the Senate Sergeant at Arms, and the Architect of the
Capitol. The Board oversees and provides policy direction to
the U.S. Capitol Police, who protect both houses. The Committee
consulted regularly with the HSAA regarding policies adopted by
the Board.
Chief Administrative Officer
The Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) of the House has
wide-ranging responsibility to support operations of the House
generally, and specific responsibilities in support of Member
and committee operations. From issuing paychecks to tracking
inventory to processing expenses to providing information
technology, the CAO's office is intertwined with every aspect
of day-to-day operations. The Committee devoted significant
time to oversight of the CAO--reviewing and approving all
policy changes, personnel actions and major contracts, as well
as conducting bipartisan staff meetings to monitor all aspects
of CAO operations.
A major contract affecting all those who work in and visit
the House of Representatives provides food service operations
in the House office buildings and the House side of the
Capitol. During 2007, the CAO had the opportunity to exercise
an option and retain Restaurant Associates, the food service
provider selected to run the restaurant in the Capitol Visitor
Center. The Committee determined that in exercising this
option, the CAO would be able to provide improved quality and
service in food operations. In addition, the CAO negotiated
contract provisions that would assist with the ``Green the
Capitol Initiative,'' by reducing waste and composting most
trash, including biodegradable containers, while also acquiring
many organic and locally grown foods. The Committee has
continued to oversee the CAO's contractual relationship with
Restaurant Associates, ensuring fair treatment of employees
transferred to the new provider and smooth operations of each
of the restaurant facilities.
Another major CAO initiative supported by the Committee is
the ``Wounded Warrior'' fellowship program. Chairman Brady was
particularly instrumental in establishing this program to
provide employment opportunities for wounded or disabled
veterans within the House. House offices identify potential
positions in Member, committee or leadership offices in
Washington, D.C., or in district offices nationwide. Positions
are filled by veterans with a 30 percent or greater service
connected disability rating from either a military Physical
Evaluation Board or the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Wherever possible, those selected for the program are given the
opportunity to transition into full-time employment, but full-
time employment is not guaranteed at the conclusion of the two-
year fellowship.
During the 110th Congress, the Committee closely observed
the CAO's contributions to the security of House operations,
including security of mail deliveries and continuity of
operations in the event of an emergency. In addition to
receiving regular reports on these operations, Committee staff
have visited CAO facilities and overseen practical exercises
intended to ensure that House operations can be maintained in
any eventuality.
The Committee has also devoted considerable time to
overseeing the operations of the CAO's Finance Office and its
efforts to ensure accurate, timely financial data while
offering maximum flexibility to Members for their office
management. The CAO has undertaken a major initiative to
upgrade the central accounting system for the House, and the
Committee, with the assistance of the House Inspector General,
has monitored closely the CAO's progress in the acquisition and
implementation of this system. The transition into the new
system was postponed from the 110th Congress into the 111th,
and the Committee will continue to oversee the CAO's efforts.
Once established, this ``Atlas'' financial system should prove
more user-friendly, offering greater transparency and improved
financial reporting to all users.
Computer services to House offices are coordinated, and
partially provided, by the CAO's office of House Information
Resources. The Committee's oversight of this aspect of CAO
operations is discussed more fully in the Technology section
below.
Inspector General
House Rules creating the office of Inspector General (IG)
give the Committee general responsibility for oversight and
policy direction of the work of that office. In order to
promote bipartisanship and secure the IG's independence, the
Committee and Committee staff oversee the IG's work in a
bipartisan manner; generally, bipartisan staff meet with the IG
each week.
Under the Committee's direction in the 110th Congress, the
IG's work has expanded to provide more management advisory
services as well as audits of the work of the Officers of the
House. These services have assisted the Committee tremendously
in supervising many of the activities of the Officers, from
development of a new House accounting system to securing the
information systems of the Sergeant at Arms to ``greening'' the
Capitol. In addition, the Committee believes that these
services have assisted the Officers in their efforts to support
the House of Representatives.
In addition to these management advisory services, the
Committee has overseen the IG's conduct of more traditional
audits and investigations of the House of Representatives,
receiving numerous reports from the IG throughout the Congress.
The House accounts maintained by the CAO received a clean
opinion from the outside audit firm contracted by the IG for
both FY06 and FY07. One notable investigation authorized by the
Committee in the 110th Congress led to the criminal conviction
of an employee who had embezzled funds. It also led to a
further IG assessment of the risks posed by the House's
existing system of shared employees. The IG's findings on this
issue were disclosed in a public hearing on May 21, 2008, and
the Committee adopted new regulations to reduce the risks of
financial loss and information security breaches in the House's
use of shared employees.
The work of the IG's office can be quantified in terms of
dollars saved through both efficiencies implemented and
problems avoided. However, to quantify the work of the IG would
oversimplify the crucial role this office plays in optimizing
the use of tax dollars to run the House, a large institution
with a complex organizational structure. The IG's office
regularly assists the Committee by providing expertise that
assists in reconciling conflicting views regarding the
appropriate course of action in House management.
``Honor the Fallen''
In 2006, at the direction of the House Office Building
Commission, the Committee established a memorial to honor the
men and women of America's Armed Services who have lost their
lives in Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi
Freedom. This memorial, ``Honor the Fallen,'' was dedicated on
June 27, 2006. The Memorial is located on the East and South
walls of the First Floor Foyer of the Rayburn House Office
Building, immediately adjacent to the visitors' entrance. This
location provides a stately venue that is easily accessible to
the public.
The Memorial consists of a wall mounted display that lists
the name of each of the fallen within the year and month in
which he or she died (or in which his or her death was
confirmed), in alphabetical order. The names, in gold
lettering, are displayed on marbled ``congressional'' blue
placards. The placards are mounted in a wood frame made of
American walnut and decorated with the American patriot five-
pointed stars, a recurring architectural element throughout the
U.S. Capitol and the congressional office buildings. The
placards were designed by Cari Knowles, a graphic artist on the
staff of the CAO; the frame was designed by Douglas Morey, a
carpenter on the staff of the Superintendent of the House
Office Buildings.
The Committee is responsible for updating the Memorial. In
the 110th Congress, as of October 15, 2008, 1,478 new names had
been added to the Memorial, bringing the total number displayed
to 4,756. During the second session of the 110th Congress, the
Committee initiated a study of ways in which the experience of
visitors to the Memorial might be enhanced. One proposal would
direct publication of a pamphlet for distribution to visitors
at the Memorial site describing the Memorial and its purpose.
In addition, the Committee is considering the installation at
the site of an electronic searchable directory, which would
provide information about the men and women honored by the
Memorial and a means to readily identify the location of their
names. The Committee anticipates taking further action on these
proposals in the 111th Congress.
``Green the Capitol'' Initiative
On March 1, 2007, Speaker Pelosi, Majority Leader Hoyer,
and Committee Chairwoman Juanita Millender-McDonald directed
the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) to undertake a new
initiative to ``green'' the Capitol and House office buildings.
This request supplemented the existing mandate in the Energy
Policy Act of 2005 (Pub. L. 109-58), for the Architect of the
Capitol to meet the energy performance standards required of
other federal buildings.
On April 19, 2007, the CAO submitted a preliminary report
on efforts that would reduce the environmental impacts
associated with the operations of the House building complex.
The recommendations in the CAO's preliminary report
included:
Operate the House in a carbon-neutral manner
Shift to 100 percent renewable electric power
Aggressively improve energy efficiency
Adopt sustainable business practices
Continue leadership on sustainability issues
Purchase offsets to ensure carbon-neutral
operations.
The final report in June 2007 expanded upon these
recommendations and provided detailed plans for implementing
them. The CAO provided a six-month progress report and
checklist in December 2007. In addition, the CAO established a
website in support of Greening, where these materials can be
found.
Since taking over the Committee, Chairman Brady has
overseen progress on the Green the Capitol Initiative. The
Committee approved the final contract with the House's new
restaurant services provider, Restaurant Associates, which
requires many ``green'' operations including such features as
replacing Styrofoam and plastic with 100% compostable items,
establishing a composting operation for restaurant waste, and
using more organic locally grown products. In addition,
substantial energy savings have been seen by substituting
compact fluorescent light bulbs for incandescent bulbs in most
House light fixtures, by centralization of computer servers,
and other miscellaneous measures.
The Architect of the Capitol's mandate under the Energy
Policy Act of 2005 was expanded under the Energy Independence
and Security Act of 2007 (Pub. L. 110-140), which set an energy
use reduction goal for the Capitol complex of three percent per
year. To achieve that goal, the Architect has initiated an
Energy Services Performance Contract, through which a
contractor will undertake energy conservation measures
throughout the Capitol complex, paid entirely out of the energy
savings achieved. The Committee has also overseen a further
initiative requested by the Speaker: the Architect, with advice
from the CAO and the Department of Energy, has almost completed
installation of improved meters and public displays showing all
energy use in the House buildings, allowing accurate
measurement of energy savings. The Committee further supervised
other greening measures by the Architect, including expansion
of House recycling services.
In an effort to augment House Greening efforts, the
Committee also reported H.R. 6474. This legislation would
authorize the CAO to carry out a series of demonstration
projects that promote the use of innovative technologies in
reducing energy consumption and promoting energy efficiency and
cost savings in the House. Demonstration projects would develop
and commercialize technologies that expand the production of
renewable fuels, which in turn reduces our dependence on oil,
and confronts the global climate change challenge. The House
would provide leadership and encourage new products by piloting
technologies in the beta testing phase. This should include new
technologies that can generate power off the grid. Although the
legislation did not pass the House, the Committee anticipates
moving additional measures to implement new technologies and
further Greening goals in the coming years.
Technology
The Committee has placed a high priority on monitoring the
technology that supports Member office and House operations,
believing that broader technology improvements and greater
investments by the House can provide substantial productivity
gains, cost savings, and enhanced security. House Information
Resources (HIR), within the office of the CAO, is at the center
of the House's technology revolution, but is by no means the
only entity supplying technology services to the House.
However, HIR does ensure that the House's technology
implementation is continuously monitored and upgraded to take
advantage of improved and developing technology.
The Committee adopts the policies under which HIR provides
access and operates the facilities of an advanced institutional
computer and communications network available to more than
12,000 users. House offices use approximately 14,000 desktop,
laptop, and other types of office computers, both on the
Capitol Hill campus and around the country. Thousands of
servers, large and small, support individual congressional
offices, publication facilities, voice and communications, data
storage, and the full range of administrative services within
the House. Extensive backup facilities ensure business
continuity. All these resources are linked by a network
provided by HIR and private communications vendors. The network
links nearly a thousand district offices, more than twenty
standing committees, Leadership offices, House Officer support
functions, and numerous other Hill offices. In promoting the
use of technology in the House, the Committee receives regular
briefings on developments and oversees HIR's implementation of
computer services.
In addition, the Committee oversees many other areas of
technology support to the House, from the electronic voting
system to cell phone antennae to streaming internet video of
committee proceedings House-wide. In an effort to extend the
reach of wireless communications devices within the House and
the newly opened Capitol Visitor Center, the Committee approved
a transfer and expansion of wireless antennae throughout the
House campus and the Visitor Center. In response to Member-
reported problems with dead zones, a campus-wide facility
survey was completed and action taken to expand coverage. By
working with a private sector consortium of wireless providers,
the expansion has cost taxpayers nothing while improving Member
service.
The Committee and HIR have saved more taxpayer dollars on
technology support to Member offices by way of blanket purchase
agreements with two major vendors of computer equipment. By
entering into blanket purchase agreements, the growing needs of
the House will be met in the most economical manner available
in the marketplace. The Committee and the CAO have also begun a
series of Member office support services and training under the
title of ``Work smarter, not harder.'' The training series has
provided employee access to information about technology
efficiencies already in place in congressional offices, many of
which are unused or overlooked because of a lack of training.
With the substantial annual turnover in House staff, the
Committee expects this training series to be repeated yearly,
and expects that Member offices will benefit from productivity
gains as a result.
Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi has placed a high
priority on increasing openness in the House and providing
public access to public meetings. In order to provide public
access and transparency to committee proceedings through the
House, the Committee approved numerous technology upgrades and
worked with the CAO and Architect of the Capitol to prioritize
installation of these upgrades in committee hearing rooms. This
allows the full range of broadcast-quality digital signals and
streaming internet video to be accessed--in real time--by
anyone, anywhere, and for all proceedings to be recorded in
various formats for archival purposes. The advances during the
110th Congress have been an order of magnitude greater than in
prior Congresses.
Another technology area of importance to the Committee and
to Congressional offices is the use of the internet and web
sites to gather and provide information relevant to the
legislative and representational duties of Members. In addition
to the official House web sites established by most
congressional offices, the Committee expanded the opportunity
for Members to communicate with constituents through social
networking and other sites. In October 2008, the Committee
approved a policy allowing for the engagement and maintenance
of an unlimited number of unofficial web presences. This policy
allows Members to place official information where the
constituents reside in the virtual world, such as Facebook,
YouTube, etc.
The Committee and the CAO are exploring new technology with
respect to wireless communications devices for everyday use and
to enhance security communications. While this area of
technology is evolving at lightning speed, the Committee must
determine how to deploy the technology efficiently and provide
cost-effective support for Members in Washington, D.C., and in
each of their congressional districts. Committee action to
approve such advances is expected at the end of the 110th and
beginning of the 111th Congress.
The importance of technological support for continuity of
operations in case of an emergency is an area of considerable
concern to the Committee. Essential functions, services, and
important communications capabilities must be available to
Members when the day-to-day operations of the House are
disrupted for any reason. The Committee has overseen various
continuity exercises, but is also working with the CAO, the
Architect of the Capitol and the House IG to identify any
possible areas of systems failure and correct them. This effort
will continue in the 111th Congress.
New Member Orientation
The Committee is responsible for coordinating the
orientation program for newly elected Members, as well as
travel for Members-elect from their districts to Washington,
D.C., to attend and participate in the organizational meetings
of the Democratic Caucus and the Republican Conference. The
orientation program and the organizational meetings are held
during the period between the election and the convening of the
new Congress. The orientation program for the new Members-elect
to the 111th Congress, as well as the organizational meetings
of the Caucus and Conference, took place during the period
November 16 through December 11, 2008. In addition, the
Committee arranges the presentation, in cooperation with the
Congressional Research Service of the Library of Congress, of
the Legislative Issue Seminar for new Members, which will be
presented in January 2009.
Fifty-two new Members-elect, the principal majority and
minority party candidates for election from the 4th District of
California and the 15th District of Ohio (elections that had
not yet been decided on the start date of the program), and the
Delegate-elect from the Northern Mariana Islands, whose
election was decided during the course of the program, were
invited to attend all or part of the 2008 New Member
Orientation program. Each new Member-elect and invited
candidate was authorized to designate an aide to accompany him
or her to the orientation program. In addition to substantive
presentations on the rules governing membership in the House
and practical guidance on setting up a congressional office,
the Members-elect received individual counseling on office set-
up and information technology.
The Committee's further responsibilities in the transition
to the new Congress include the compilation of the Directory of
Nominees for Election to the U.S. House of Representatives in
the ensuing Congress; printing and production of the Pictorial
Directory of the New Members-elect to said Congress;
presentation of the bipartisan administrative orientation
program; printing, production, and distribution of program
communications and materials; oversight of the New and
Departing Member Service Centers; and oversight of the
regulations and procedures applicable to outfitting a
Washington, D.C., congressional office, as well as procuring
and outfitting district office space. The Committee
accomplished each of these responsibilities, starting before
the election and continuing throughout the New Member
Orientation period.
Architect of the Capitol
In addition to House-specific support operations, the
Committee also oversees the legislative branch agencies that
provide services to both houses of Congress. The Architect of
the Capitol (AOC) serves as the facilities manager for the
Congress, constructing and maintaining the U.S. Capitol and all
of the other buildings in the Capitol complex. Certain
decisions regarding management of the House office buildings
and the House side of the Capitol lie within the hands of the
House Office Building Commission, but the Committee supervises
AOC implementation of all programs. In the 110th Congress, the
Committee received regular reports on the actions of the AOC's
Superintendent of House Office Buildings, but also reviewed all
other AOC activities affecting the Capitol campus as a whole.
Bipartisan Committee staff met with the House
Superintendent on a biweekly basis throughout the 110th
Congress. They received myriad progress updates on office
upgrades, hearing room upgrades and other facility
improvements. The Committee worked with the AOC to expand
accessibility of House facilities, take advantage of expanded
capacity in the House television system and improve signage in
House buildings. In 2008, the Committee joined the
Superintendent in celebrating the 100th anniversary of the
Cannon House Office Building with a celebration and display in
the Cannon Caucus Room. With the retirement of the House
Superintendent and installation of a new Superintendent at the
end of the 110th Congress, the Committee hopes to continue this
strong working relationship into the 111th.
In many ways the most visible activity of the AOC in the
110th Congress was the completion and opening of the Capitol
Visitor Center (CVC), a new facility offering safety, amenities
and educational opportunities to the millions of visitors to
the U.S. Capitol each year. The Committee was deeply involved
in overseeing the completion and opening of this largest-ever
addition to the Capitol. Three Members of the Committee
(Chairman Brady, Ranking Member Ehlers and Rep. Capuano) had
designated appointments on the Capitol Preservation Commission,
designated by law to oversee construction of the CVC. In
addition, the Committee was given joint responsibility,
together with the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration,
over operations of the CVC--first through designation by the
joint Leadership and later by statute in Pub. L. 110-437.
Throughout the 110th Congress, the Capitol Preservation
Commission and the Committee made multiple decisions regarding
every detail of the opening and operations of the CVC. Initial
operations following the opening day on December 2, 2008 have
been productive, but the Committee will maintain an aggressive
review of operations throughout the 111th Congress, as the
AOC's CVC staff and congressional overseers continue to pilot
the new operations of this unprecedented facility.
The Committee also devoted considerable attention in the
110th Congress to life safety impacts of AOC operations and the
House buildings. The Committee convened meetings of the many
legislative agencies involved in emergency evacuations and
determined that changes to the physical plant as well as
operations were necessary. The Committee supported the AOC's
projects, in coordination with the Sergeant at Arms and the
Office of Compliance, to add a new emergency exit to the
Longworth House Office Building and plan enclosures that would
increase the safety of stairwells in the Cannon and Longworth
House Office Buildings without detracting from the historic
architecture of the buildings. In addition, with the support of
the AOC and various safety agencies, the Committee revived a
2005 recommendation that had never been implemented, to remove
obstructions from the hallways of the House office buildings.
The ``Hallway Policy'' was adopted by the House Office Building
Commission on April 17, 2008, upon the recommendation of the
Committee, and the AOC has worked successfully with the CAO to
eliminate these hazards.
At the beginning of the 110th Congress, the AOC's office
struggled with the challenge of eliminating workplace hazard
for employees who maintain the steam tunnels serving Capitol
Hill. The AOC settled this complaint with a commitment to
eliminate asbestos and reduce heat hazards in the tunnels; for
the last eighteen months, the Committee has been monitoring the
AOC's progress on implementing this settlement.
The term of Architect of the Capitol Alan Hantman ended on
February 4, 2007. While the AOC's Chief Operating Officer,
Stephen T. Ayers, has served ably as Acting Architect, the
appointment of a new Architect was delayed throughout the 110th
Congress. Under the statute outlining procedures for selection
of the Architect, Chairman Brady and Ranking Member Ehlers
served on a commission of Members designated to forward
candidate names to the President. Although the commission
forwarded three candidates, complex circumstances prevented
final selection and confirmation of the Architect. The
Committee anticipates completion of the appointment process in
the 111th Congress, but in the meantime is reviewing whether
the process is simply broken and requires new legislation.
Library of Congress
The Committee has maintained diligent oversight over the
Library of Congress throughout the 110th Congress. In addition
to oversight hearings and legislative action, bipartisan
Committee staff met weekly with the staff of the Library, and
toured various Library facilities. Chairman Brady also served
in his role as ex officio member of the Library of Congress
Trust Fund Board, attending meetings and acting on various
trust fund management matters.
The 110th Congress saw the opening of a major new facility
for the Library: the Packard Campus of the National Audio-
Visual Conservation Center in Culpeper, Virginia. This new
facility, constructed largely through private contributions,
offers the Library state-of-the-art storage areas that meet the
needs of various audio collections and visual media. The
Committee reviewed the Library's progress toward opening the
new building, and will continue to review the Library's use of
the facility.
The Committee conducted two oversight hearings on the
Library of Congress in the 110th Congress: One on the potential
merger of the Library of Congress Police and U.S. Capitol
Police, and one on other issues related to Library management.
(The police merger hearing is discussed at greater length under
U.S. Capitol Police below.)
On October 24th, 2007, the Committee held a hearing on
``Current Issues in Library Management.'' Witnesses discussed
the progress and challenges in inventorying and cataloguing the
massive and complex collections held by the Library. The
Committee learned that the Library has enormous difficulty
maintaining a true inventory of its holdings, but the
challenges vary among the various collections. Progress has
been made toward inventorying the general collection, but this
task is still only 20% complete. This is an issue of
significant concern to the Committee, and the Committee will
continue to monitor the Library's progress in the coming years.
In addition, the hearing addressed issues surrounding
maintenance of the Law Library of Congress. Private interests
have expressed a willingness to provide financial support for
the Library to support more rapid cataloguing and specialty
Library functions, but they seek an appropriate funding
mechanism to ensure that support will go where it is intended.
The findings from this oversight hearing led directly to the
introduction of H.R. 6589, the Charles H.W. Meehan Law Library
Improvement and Modernization Act. The Committee reported this
legislation to the House in the waning days of the 110th
Congress, and will likely seek its enactment in the 111th.
The Committee also achieved enactment of the Library of
Congress Sound Recording and Film Preservation Programs
Reauthorization Act of 2008 (Pub. L. 110-336), reauthorizing
these programs through FY2016. The Committee achieved House
passage of H.R. 998, the Civil Rights History Project Act of
2008, which would authorize a joint program between the Library
and the Smithsonian's National Museum of African American
History to collect and preserve audio and video recordings of
the personal testimonials of individuals who participated in
the U.S. Civil Rights movement. The Committee anticipates
further action on this proposal in the 111th Congress.
Congressional Research Service
The Congressional Research Service (CRS) is an extension of
congressional staff (House and Senate) that resides within the
Library of Congress. CRS provides Senators and Representatives
with in-depth analyses of issues in an objective, non-partisan,
professional, and timely manner. Its experts deliver
congressional testimony, provide expertise to committees in
analyzing impact of laws and policies, conduct research and
synthesize information on federal programs and data, and
perform myriad other functions essential to the proper and
efficient operation of the Congress.
In overseeing the use of staffing resources within the
House, the Committee considered the role played by CRS in
supporting the Congress and the House. The Committee examined
the CRS budget request for FY2009, and noted that it included
only mandatory pay increases and price-level increases, the
bare minimum necessary to sustain CRS's current level of
services. At this level, the Congress should anticipate an
eventual erosion of CRS services. Further study is needed, but
enhancing CRS's non-partisan expertise could prove an efficient
and cost-effective way of delivering essential information and
analytic services at a time when the House's oversight and
analytic capacities are severely constrained by both funds and
office space.
Over the years CRS has withstood increasing pressure from
within the Library's budget, competing with the national focus
and public programs that the Library undertakes. The Committee
found that while CRS did not seek any funds for new initiatives
or program growth, CRS suffers an accumulated shortfall for
funding its 705 FTEs at the beginning of FY2008. Since nearly
90 percent of the CRS budget is consumed by staff pay and
benefits, CRS was forced to reduce its workforce by 30 FTEs in
its operating plan for FY2008, reaching its lowest level in 33
years.
Although current law directs the Librarian to grant CRS
complete research independence and the maximum practicable
administrative independence, the fact that CRS submits its
budget to the Librarian for review has precluded the direct
dialogue that once ensured that Congress clearly understood the
impact of its funding decisions on CRS services. Maintaining
CRS's relationship with the Library offers very real benefits,
but restoring CRS's independent budget authority would not
damage that relationship, and would return to the original
concept of CRS as an extension of Congressional staff. With
pressures on the budget, and increasingly competing priorities,
the Committee is considering whether this is an appropriate
time to restore Congress' ability to hear directly from CRS
regarding its budget needs and the issues it faces in serving
all Members and Committees.
U.S. Capitol Police
Reflecting the Committee's serious interest in the security
of the House and Capitol complex, the Committee devoted a great
deal of its time to the U.S. Capitol Police (USCP). To enhance
and streamline its own work, the Committee began the session by
creating a Subcommittee on Capitol Security. Committee and
subcommittee activity took the form of regular, detailed
oversight meetings, briefings, and hearings. The Committee also
developed and reported legislation related to the USCP.
Given the sensitive nature of Capitol security issues, the
Committee and Subcommittee held several private briefings with
USCP leadership. In addition, bipartisan Committee staff met
almost weekly with USCP leadership for briefings on operational
matters. Regular briefings and ad-hoc meetings addressed
management and administrative issues, including personnel
policies, long-term strategic planning and agency progress
implementing management recommendations by the Government
Accountability Office (GAO). In addition, Committee staff
toured USCP training facilities and observed USCP practice
exercises on the Capitol campus.
Upon organizing in 2007, the Committee made legislation to
complete the merger of the Library of Congress Police with the
USCP a top priority. Congress had in 2003 provided for the
merger subject to further legislation. However, for a variety
of reasons, the effort had languished during the preceding four
years. With the Committee's strong encouragement, the two
agencies developed an implementation plan and a draft of
legislation necessary to accomplish it. The full Committee held
a hearing on June 27, 2007, at which Library and USCP
leadership and the union representing the Library's police
force endorsed the draft. The Committee perfected the agencies'
legislation, reported it to the House with an amendment, and
the measure ultimately became law in January 2008 (the U.S.
Capitol Police--Library of Congress Police Merger
Implementation Act of 2007, Pub. L. 110-178). At the close of
the session, the merger process was underway with the benefits
of the merger envisioned in 2003 already becoming apparent.
The Capitol Security Subcommittee held a public hearing on
May 1, 2008, on the administration and management of the USCP.
The Chief of Police, GAO, and the Chairman of the USCP Labor
Committee discussed management issues and the USCP progress
toward closing past recommendations of the GAO that had
accumulated over several years. Although not all
recommendations had been closed, the GAO testified that the
USCP had made significant progress recently in response to the
recommendations. Following this hearing, the Subcommittee
obtained a further review from GAO of the ELS labor management
study obtained by the USCP. The Subcommittee will continue to
monitor the USCP's progress on the remaining matters raised by
the GAO in the 111th Congress.
On June 18, 2008, the Capitol Security Subcommittee held a
hearing to explore upgrades for the agency's radio
communications. In addition to the Chief of Police, outside
witnesses provided unanimous support for a substantial
investment in a new radio system for the USCP. The Committee
continues to monitor USCP progress on the acquisition of such a
system.
In 2008, the Committee recommended another measure to the
House. Since 2001, the Congress had enacted numerous individual
provisions affecting the administration of the USCP, many of
them substantive requirements added to appropriations acts.
Many of these individual provisions conflicted with other laws,
were duplicative or caused other administrative problems for
the agency. Chairmen Brady and Capuano introduced legislation
together with Ranking Member Ehlers on May 5, 2008 (H.R. 5972,
the United States Capitol Police Administrative Technical
Corrections Act of 2008), to make technical changes to existing
laws and thereby streamline USCP administration. The Committee
reported the bill (H. Rept. 110-679) and the House passed it
with an amendment on June 4, 2008. Although enactment was not
completed in the 110th Congress, the Committee intends to
pursue enactment of this important legislation early in the
111th Congress.
As an administrative matter the Committee (along with its
Senate counterpart, the Committee on Rules and Administration),
is required by law to approve of certain personnel actions
taken by the Chief of Police, and the Committee discharged this
responsibility in a timely manner throughout the 110th
Congress. In addition, the Committee approved a USCP
reorganization plan creating a ``Mission Assurance Bureau.''
Office of Compliance
The Committee provides oversight for the House of the
Office of Compliance (OOC), an agency managed by an independent
board under the terms of the Congressional Accountability Act
(CAA) (Pub. L. 104-1) to administer compliance with that law.
The CAA, as amended, imposes on the legislative branch agencies
the mandates of the following twelve civil rights, labor and
workplace safety laws:
Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967
Americans With Disabilities Act of 1990
Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964
Employee Polygraph Protection Act of 1988
Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938
Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993
Chapter 71 of the Federal Services Labor-Management
Relations Act
Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970
Rehabilitation Act of 1973
Uniformed Service Members Employment and Reemployment
Rights under Chapter 43, Title 38 of the U.S. Code
Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act of
1989, and
Veterans Employment Opportunities Act.
Since the OOC is intended to be an independent entity and
its day-to-day operations are overseen by the OOC board, the
Committee's oversight of the OOC more limited than for other
legislative branch agencies, often addressing organizational
matters that require congressional action.
One aspect of the OOC's work that requires congressional
oversight is the adoption of regulations implementing the CAA.
The OOC drafts regulations and submits them to the Congress for
approval. Near the end of the Congress, the OOC brought to the
Committee proposed regulations implementing the requirements of
the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act
of 1994. The Committee began a review of these regulations,
along with an earlier set of proposed regulations under the
Veterans Employment Opportunities Act. While action was not
completed on either of the sets of regulations during the 110th
Congress, the Committee anticipates action on each during the
111th Congress.
During the 110th Congress, when the OOC had a vacancy in
the position of Executive Director, the OOC Board brought to
the Committee's attention the provisions of the CAA which
prohibited promoting an in-house candidate. Upon review of the
statute, the Committee agreed that the Board's choice to
promote someone from within the agency was appropriate, and
obtained passage of legislation (Pub. L. 110-164) allowing for
internal promotion and advancement in the OOC's executive
staff.
The OOC has been operating in office space borrowed from
the Library of Congress, and is in need of more suitable space
to conduct operations and board meetings, and work with
complainants. The Committee is seeking a way to provide the
needed facilities for the OOC in the near future when renovated
federally owned space can be renovated. That pursuit will
continue in the 111th Congress.
Smithsonian Institution
Since the Smithsonian Institution is a permanent trust
entity of the federal government, it does not require enactment
of regular authorizing legislation (except for certain
construction projects) and obtains federal funds directly
through the appropriations process. The Committee acts as the
principal House legislative and oversight panel for the
Smithsonian, and shares oversight of the planning and
construction of new Smithsonian facilities with the Committee
on Transportation and Infrastructure. Since the Smithsonian
Museum of African American History and Culture was created in
2003, no new major legislative initiative has been considered
by the Committee.
Shortly after the 110th Congress convened, a series of
interlocking scandals, resignations and administrative
upheavals suddenly hit the Smithsonian, generating a torrent of
congressional inquiries and continuous negative press coverage.
These events precipitated an historic revamping of the
Smithsonian's governance structure, the beginning of the
dismantling of its insular culture in a move toward greater
transparency, and the replacement of senior management
personnel. The Committee conducted a wide range of oversight of
these changes, including consultation with the House Members
who serve as Smithsonian regents, private briefings, staff
meetings and public hearings. In each context, the Committee
cautioned the Board of Regents that its efforts at internal
transformation in the aftermath of these changes could not
become an excuse for altering core policies of free access by
the American public to Smithsonian museums, retreating from
commitments to continue its unique scientific research
projects, or neglecting the safety of the visiting public in
its sometimes decrepit and underfunded facilities.
Early in the first session, the Committee focused on the
controversies surrounding travel, salaries and administrative
practices involving former Secretary Lawrence Small, who
resigned in March 2007; former Deputy Secretary Sheila Burke;
Richard West, former director of the National Museum of the
American Indian; Pilar O'Leary, former director of the
Smithsonian Latino Center; and former Smithsonian Business
Ventures CEO Gary Beer. The Committee gave strong support to
the Independent Review Committee, an outside panel appointed by
the Board of Regents early in 2007 with a no-holds-barred
mandate to issue reform recommendations, and to a broad series
of recommendations by the Board's Governance Committee.
Chairman Brady called for the dismissal of Smithsonian
executives who had violated sound business and administrative
practices.
On August 1, 2007, the Committee held a hearing on ``The
Smithsonian in Transition,'' as the Board was beginning to
implement some of its initial reforms, which focused primarily
on the new governance structure and included testimony by
Acting Secretary Dr. Christian Samper, Inspector General A.
Sprightley Ryan, congressional regent Rep. Doris Matsui and the
Hon. Charles Bowsher, chairman of the Independent Review
Committee. Members voiced general satisfaction with the
Institution's quick efforts to forge a new direction and
encouraged an expedited search process for a new permanent
secretary.
In previous Congresses, the Committee routinely urged House
passage under suspension of the rules and without formal
committee action the recommendations of the Board of Regents to
fill nine positions as citizen regents of the Smithsonian.
Since the Board of Regents as a part-time body had been
primarily responsible for lax internal oversight, the Committee
decided in this Congress no longer to give citizen regent
candidates proposed by the Board automatic approval for
appointments (or reappointments). The Committee instituted a
practice of meeting informally with candidates for the nine
citizen regent positions before allowing a vote by the House on
whether to appoint them by joint resolution.
During the 110th Congress, the Committee brought to the
Floor and secured passage under suspension of the rules of
three joint resolutions appointing citizen regents of the
Smithsonian Institution: S.J. Res. 7 (Roger Sant), Pub. L. 110-
119; S.J. Res. 8 (Patricia Q. Stonesifer), Pub. L. 110-155; and
S.J. Res. 25 (John W. McCarter, Jr.), Pub. L. 110-197; and each
such measure became law. Appointed to new six-year terms in the
110th Congress were Roger Sant, who was later named as the
first Chair of the Board of Regents under its new governance
structure; Patricia Q. Stonesifer, who will succeed him in that
position in 2009; and new candidate John W. McCarter, Jr. In
addition, in July 2008 the new Smithsonian Secretary, G. Wayne
Clough, took office after the conclusion of a lengthy search
process. His selection, as a distinguished academic figure with
substantial experience in fund-raising which could help to meet
the Institution's needs beyond the levels of funding that
Congress might provide, was well received by Committee members.
The Committee was briefed periodically as the Smithsonian
continued planning for the Museum of African American History
and Culture. Toward the end of the Congress, a selection
process to narrow a list down to five to seven finalists for
the position of architect, which would be followed by a design
competition, was underway. Ground-breaking is still anticipated
to be more than three years away. In addition, throughout the
Congress the Committee monitored the status of the Arts and
Industries Building. Smithsonian management issued a ``request
for qualifications'' to determine whether there was outside
interest in rehabilitating the building for a private use
consistent with the Smithsonian's mission, but ultimately
decided to retain the building for the Smithsonian's own use
and raise the funds for its restoration.
The Smithsonian Inspector General provided regular
briefings on ongoing investigations and final results of
investigative reports. Chairman Brady requested an audit of
Smithsonian Networks by the Inspector General, as a follow-up
to the investigation of the Institution's controversial secret
contract with Showtime, which had been revealed publicly in
2006.
The Committee received staff reports following oversight
trips to the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI) in
Panama, the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center (SERC) in
Maryland, and the Smithsonian Conservation and Research Center
(CRC) in Virginia, which stressed the need to continue their
unique areas of scientific research and to rehabilitate the
physical infrastructure where appropriate. As a result, the
Committee considered several construction projects proposed by
the Smithsonian, including two at STRI and SERC. In its report
on H.R. 6627, the Smithsonian Institution Facilities
Authorization Act of 2008 introduced by Transportation
Committee Chairman Oberstar and Chairman Brady (H. Rpt. 110-
842, part 1), the Committee criticized the Smithsonian for
initiating planning and design activities without proper
advance authorization from Congress. The Committee on September
11, 2008 reported H.R. 6627, and the House on September 17,
2008 passed it; as the bill was not enacted before final
adjournment of the 110th Congress, the Committee anticipates
renewed efforts to authorize these projects in the 111th
Congress.
Elections
The Committee and its Subcommittee on Elections conducted
oversight of the administration of federal elections and
campaign finance throughout the 110th Congress. The Committee
sought to achieve the overarching goal of full enfranchisement
for all Americans as it oversaw activities at both the state
and federal level, and in anticipation of the presidential
election of 2008.
The Committee held numerous hearings designed to highlight
potential problems election officials might face in
administering the 2008 elections. At these hearings, the
Committee and the Subcommittee on Elections endeavored to
represent a wide range of diverse viewpoints and stakeholders
in our electoral process--from election officials from state
and local jurisdictions, to representatives from Federal
agencies, to advocacy groups and individual voters. To call
attention to pre-election preparations, the Subcommittee on
Elections held a hearing on the importance of poll workers and
the best practices used by states to recruit and train poll
workers. The Subcommittee on Elections also explored through
hearings the accuracy and completeness of state computerized
voter registration databases and safeguards that could be put
in place to ensure that eligible voters are not wrongfully
removed from the voter rolls. In addition, the Subcommittee on
Elections examined states' effectiveness in implementing
Section 7 of the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA), and
the difficulties state public assistance agencies face in
implementing voter registration.
As the presidential primary season progressed, the
Committee held a hearing to highlight problems that had
reportedly occurred over the course of the primary season.
Throughout 2008, the Subcommittee on Elections further explored
the efforts of state and local jurisdictions to prepare for
Election Day emergencies and other contingencies such as high
turnout at the polls. To address the problem of Election Day
malfunctions, the Committee reported H.R. 5803, a bill that
would direct the Election Assistance Commission to make grants
to state and local jurisdictions to provide backup paper
ballots in the event of voting machine failure or in other
emergency situations.
In addition, the Committee and the Subcommittee explored at
length in several hearings methods by which election officials
could expand opportunities for Americans to register to vote
and cast their votes in future elections. The Subcommittee
explored the value and potential liabilities of expanding state
programs, allowing voters to vote by mail and by absentee
ballot, and permitting same-day or Election Day registration.
As a result of these hearings, the Committee marked up and
favorably reported H.R. 281, which would amend the Help America
Vote Act of 2002 to expand the opportunities of voters to vote
as absentees.
The Committee is as committed to protecting voter
enfranchisement as it is to expanding it. Accordingly, the
Committee held a field hearing in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania--
one of the birthplaces of American freedom--to expose barriers
voters face when casting their ballots. The hearing focused on
deceptive practices and voter intimidation, the deterrent
effect of mandatory voter identification laws and voter caging
efforts, and the effect of strict voter registration deadlines
and practices.
The Committee has also recognized that certain voters face
unique challenges in exercising their right to vote and has
held hearings to cast light on those particular problems of
military and overseas voters and college students. In holding
these hearings, the Committee has sought both to expose strict
registration and identification requirements burdening these
voters and to highlight best practices adopted by state and
local jurisdictions to assist these often overlooked citizens.
The Committee has worked in a bipartisan manner to pass through
the House H. Con. Res 388, calling on the Department of Defense
and the Federal Voting Assistance Program to assist military
and overseas citizens with the voting process. The Committee
also achieved House passage of H.R. 6625, which would require
the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to permit designation of
Veterans' Administration facilities as voter registration
agencies, ensuring the rights of wounded military veterans to
register to vote and participate fully in the electoral
process.
The United States Election Assistance Commission (EAC) is
an independent bipartisan commission created by the Help
America Vote Act of 2002 (HAVA). It is charged with (1)
administering payments to states and developing guidance to
meet HAVA requirements, (2) implementing election
administration improvements, (3) adopting voluntary voting
system guidelines, (4) accrediting voting system test
laboratories and certifying voting equipment, and (5) serving
as a national clearinghouse and resource of information
regarding election administration. Originally established to
serve as an independent bipartisan agency, the EAC has been
publicly criticized by the Committee and others for its failure
to adopt and follow strategic plans and policies, its
shortcomings in following federal administrative law, and the
lack of transparency in its operations and decision making
processes.
During the 110th Congress, the Subcommittee on Elections
held a series of oversight hearings and staff meetings with the
EAC to focus on the EAC's standards, management, and
procedures. The Committee and Subcommittee have followed what
the EAC has done to improve its policies and procedures as a
first step to improve EAC process and management. Thus far, the
Committee has found that the EAC is: Publicly acknowledging the
problems the Commission has faced; addressing a number of these
concerns; and becoming more proactive in reporting its
activities to Congress. Without congressional oversight, the
EAC might not have made progress in correcting these
deficiencies.
The 2006 election revealed that some paperless voting
systems in use throughout the country produced abnormal or
questionable results that could not be audited or independently
verified. Although paperless touch screen voting systems have
been considered generally easy to use and, if properly
equipped, accessible to voters with disability and language
assistance needs, their only output is a digital readout that
relies on the accuracy of the electronic software. The results
cannot be manually recounted. As a consequence, many of these
paperless touch screen voting systems have been found
inadequately equipped to demonstrate voter intent independently
during a recount or audit.
In order to increase public confidence, promote
transparency, and ensure the accessibility and accuracy of
these voting systems in the 2008 election cycle, the Committee
held multiple hearings and considered numerous legislative
proposals aimed at supplementing paperless jurisdictions'
efforts to invest in voting systems that are equipped with an
independent paper copy of each vote that can be verified by the
voter, reimbursing paperless jurisdictions for reasonable costs
associated with converting to paper ballot voting systems,
supporting jurisdictions that choose to adopt additional
safeguards such as manually auditing and/or conducting hand
counts of the 2008 general election, and authorizing funding
for an accessibility study of existing voting system
technology.
The Committee also hosted a voting machine forum on March
15, 2007, to provide Members and staff the opportunity to learn
about current and future voting system technology. Further, the
Committee commissioned the GAO to investigate whether the EAC
has developed an effective approach to testing and certifying
voting systems as well as determine whether the EAC has defined
an effective approach for developing and implementing a voting
system certification program for accrediting laboratories that
test voting systems. Both the voting system certification and
lab accreditation programs were found to lack clear definition
and implementation standards.
While legislation dealing specifically with voting system
transparency, accessibility, security, and accuracy did not
reach the President's desk in the 110th Congress, the Committee
will continue to explore ways in which to address the expressed
concerns of citizens, organizations, government officials, and
vendors in the future.
In addition to its role in oversight of election
administration, the Committee on House Administration has the
specific responsibility to review election contests on behalf
of the House. During the 110th Congress, a contest of the 2006
election in the 13th District of Florida required significant
review, which was conducted largely by the Task Force
established for that purpose in March 2007. The principal issue
raised by the contestant was whether the voting machines used
in Sarasota County, Fla., had malfunctioned, leading to a large
undervote.
Since the Task Force lacked the technical expertise to
determine whether the machines malfunctioned, it asked the GAO
to investigate whether the voting machines used in Sarasota
contributed to the unusually high number of undervotes. The GAO
later advised that it obtained sufficient assurance that the
touch screen voting system used in Sarasota's 2006 general
election did not contribute to the large undervote, nor result
in abnormal functioning of Sarasota County's voting machines.
As this was the central question posed by the contestant, the
Task Force recommended dismissal of the contest; a resolution
dismissing the contest was reported by the Committee and
adopted by the House.
In addition to dismissing the election contest in Florida's
13th District, the Committee recommended dismissal of three
other election contests questioning the results of the 5th,
21st, and 24th Florida Districts because the claims asserted in
these contests proved to be no more than unsupported
speculation and did not cast sufficient doubt on the results of
the elections to merit further investigation. All three
resolutions of dismissal were adopted by the House. Beyond the
Florida contests, the 4th Louisiana District contest was also
dismissed upon the recommendation of the Committee, which
determined that, as a general matter, challenges to the
qualifications of a member-elect to serve in the Congress are
not a proper subject for a contest brought under the Federal
Contested Elections Act.
Commission on Congressional Mailing Standards (Franking Commission)
The Franking Commission, established by Public Law 93-191,
is composed of six Members appointed by the Speaker of the
House: three from the majority, and three from the minority.
The Speaker designates as Chairman of the Franking Commission
one of the Members appointed to the Commission, who must also
be a Member of the Committee on House Administration. In the
110th Congress, the Commission was chaired by Rep. Capuano,
with Rep. Ehlers serving as Ranking Member, and joined by
Commission Members Rep. Brad Sherman of California, Rep. Artur
Davis, Rep. Tom Price of Georgia and Rep. Kevin McCarthy.
By law, House Rule and regulation, the jurisdiction and
related functions of the Franking Commission are:
1. To prescribe regulations governing the proper use of the
franking privilege by those entitled to use the privilege in
connection with the mailing or contemplated mailing of franked
mail under 39 U.S.C. sections 3210, 3211, 3212, 3213(2), 3218,
3219 or in connection with the operation of section 3215; in
connection with any other Federal law (other than any law which
imposes any criminal penalty), or in connection with any Rule
of the U.S. House of Representatives relating to franked mail
(2 U.S.C. 501(d)).
2. Upon the request of any person entitled to use the
franking privilege and other official communication resources,
to provide guidance, assistance, advice, and counsel, through
Advisory Opinions or consultations, in connection with the
distribution or contemplated distribution of franked mail or
official communications regarding the application and/or
compliance with applicable Federal statutes and House Rules and
regulations. The staff assigned to the Commission is delegated
authority by the Commission to perform advisory and counseling
functions, subject to review by the Commission. (2 U.S.C.
501(d), House Rule XXIV clause 4, and the Regulations of the
Committee on House Administration).
3. To investigate, decide, and dispose of complaints
regarding the misuse of the franking privilege (2 U.S.C.
501(e)).
Federal law authorizes the Franking Commission, in
performing its duties and functions, to use such personnel,
office space, equipment, and facilities of, and obtain such
other assistance from, the Committee on House Administration.
The Committee must supply support to the Commission sufficient
to enable the Commission to perform its duties and functions
efficiently and effectively.
In the 110th Congress, the Committee provided the following
assistance to the Franking Commission:
The services of 7 employees, 4 to the
majority and 3 to the minority;
Office space and equipment; and
Procurement of contract services to replicate
the existing Franked Mail Tracking System (FMTS) into a
new BMC Remedy based FMTS module with a new Custom
Tracking System. These services were provided during
the period June-December 2007.
As of December 15, 2008, the Franking Commission had
reviewed, considered, and approved 12,560 requests for Advisory
Opinions during the 110th Congress. In addition, the Commission
received one complaint alleging the misuse of the franking
privilege, Public Citizen v. Roskam. The Franking Commission
determined that there was no substantial reason to believe that
a violation had occurred as alleged in this complaint and the
complaint was dismissed pursuant to Rule 3 of the Rules of
Practice in Proceedings before the Franking Commission.
Effective January 3, 1996, all communications required to
receive an Advisory Opinion from the Franking Commission are
subject to full public disclosure. Communications that require
an Advisory Opinion prior to distribution, publication,
dissemination, etc. include mass mailings, mass communications
(regardless of medium), and communications for which a third
party production or printing expense will be incurred. A mass
mailing or communication is considered to be any communication
of substantially identical content initiated by a Member, i.e.,
unsolicited, that will be distributed to 500 or more
individuals, i.e., read, seen, or heard by 500 or more
individuals. Advisory Opinions are made available for review
and duplication by the public through the Legislative Resource
Center operated by the Clerk. The Commission is responsible for
monitoring requests to review advisory opinions files at the
Legislative Resource Center to ensure that the applicable
public disclosure requirement is fully complied with. In
addition, it is the practice of the Commission to provide
notice to a Member whenever his or her public disclosure file
has been reviewed in whole or in part.
In the 110th Congress, the Commission also initiated a
comprehensive review of the regulations governing the use of
the frank and other communications resources by Members,
committees, and Officers of the House. (Most of the statutes
and regulations governing the use of the frank by the House of
Representatives date back to 1974. In addition, most of the
content regulations adopted by the Committee on House
Administration, which generally require that the content and
distribution of all official communications, regardless of
medium, be in compliance with the content and distribution
regulations governing the frank, date back to the early 1990s.)
Informal discussions among Commission Members identified areas
to be reviewed. The areas identified included the application
of current law and regulations to the current communications
environment, in particular to e-communications; funding of the
franking privilege; requirements and procedures applicable to
accounting for the frank; and public disclosure requirements
and procedures.
Pursuant to these discussions, the Franking Commission
approved the following procedure regarding the use of
Templates:
To expedite the review and advice process with regard to
announcements of recurring official events, a Member may, at
any time over the course of a Legislative Year (January 3 of
one year through January 2 of the following year) submit a
request for an Advisory Opinion regarding the frankability of
such a communication Template. Once an Advisory Opinion has
been issued deeming the Template to be in compliance, the
Member may use the Template and the corresponding Advisory
Opinion to distribute like communications for the remainder of
the corresponding Legislative Year.
This procedure eliminates the requirement that a Member
submit an individual request for an Advisory Opinion each time
he or she plans to distribute an announcement that is identical
to a previously approved announcement except for the date,
time, and location of the event. However, in lieu thereof, the
Member is required to provide notice to the Franking Commission
whenever the Template is used; upon receipt of such
notification, the Franking Commission will provide a copy of
the notice to the Legislative Resource Center to be included in
the Member's public disclosure file.
The primary purpose of such a Template must be to give
notice of an official event that is being hosted/sponsored
exclusively by the Member, announcing the date, time and
location of the event and notice of the availability of ADA
accommodations.
Examples of recurring official events include but are not
limited to town hall meetings (actual, virtual, telephone,
etc.) and community/neighborhood office hours.
Examples of announcements of such events include but are
not limited to e-mail, automated telephone calls and public
service announcements, qualifying advertisements (newspaper,
periodical, radio/TV, web banner, post-it ads, etc.), and
posters and flyers.
The authority to use an approved Template shall expire at
the end of the Legislative Year in which the corresponding
Advisory Opinion was issued.
This procedure is effective January 3, 2009.
The Franking Commission also forwarded the following
recommendations to the Committee on House Administration for
review and consideration:
1. In April 2008, a recommendation that consideration be
given to amending the regulation requiring that official House
web sites be located exclusively in the House.gov domain to
allow such sites to be posted in third party domains and to
allow House offices to post official content on third party
sites.
2. In September 2008, in anticipation of the implementation
of the Template procedure described above, a recommendation
that consideration be given to amending the quarterly mass mail
report requirement to include the reporting of all mass
communications, regardless of media, distributed by each Member
in the reporting period.
In the 111th Congress, it is anticipated that the Franking
Commission will continue to review House Rules and regulations
governing the use of the frank and other communications
resources.
Joint Committee on Printing and Government Printing Office
By law, the Government Printing Office (GPO) is the federal
government's principal printer, and by House rule, the
Committee has oversight jurisdiction of the agency. In
addition, by law, the Chairman of the Committee and his
counterpart on the Senate Rules and Administration Committee
serve with four Senators and four Representatives on a Joint
Committee on Printing (JCP), which exercises certain authority
over federal printing policy generally, administration of the
GPO, and over congressional printing, including the form and
format of the Congressional Record. At the Joint Committee's
organizational meeting on April 18, 2007, Chairman Brady was
selected as JCP Chairman, exercising JCP's authority on behalf
of the JCP as necessary and appropriate.
Under the federal law, GPO employees have the right to
bargain collectively over terms and conditions of employment,
including wage levels, subject to JCP approval of the resulting
contracts. The Chairman devoted much time to monitoring labor
negotiations underway during the session between the Public
Printer and various bargaining units. Indeed, at the JCP
organizational meeting the Chairman approved a GPO contract
with a bargaining unit represented by the American Federation
of Government Employees (655 workers). Subsequently during the
session, after protracted negotiations, the Public Printer
signed, and the JCP approved, new contracts with the Columbia
Typographical Union/Communications Workers of America (187
employees), the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers
(58 workers), and the International Association of Machinists
(IAM & AW) (24 workers). As the session ended, negotiations
continued with the bargaining unit represented by the Fraternal
Order of Police (FOP) (approx. 50 workers).
In addition to monitoring the progress of labor
negotiations and approving new labor contracts, the JCP
authorized the establishment and outfitting of a secure
facility at the Stennis Space Center in Mississippi for
production of passport documents for the U.S. Department of
State. Before the Mississippi facility became operational in
April 2008, all U.S. passport blanks issued by the State
Department came from the GPO's operations on North Capitol
Street in Washington, D.C. The State Department and others,
including the JCP, considered it prudent to create an alternate
production center to assure passport availability in the event
of a disruption in Washington. The JCP approved the proposed
facility in August 2007 and operations began on-schedule,
alleviating the need for round-the-clock production at the
Washington, D.C., facility.
Each year the JCP reviews and approves GPO's capital
spending plan for the coming fiscal year. The fiscal 2008
submission indicated GPO's continuing intention to rely on
contract security rather than an expansion of the GPO sworn
police force, raising serious concerns among JCP members.
Similar concern was reflected in the fiscal 2007 Legislative
Branch Appropriations Act, which included a provision
forbidding GPO from using funds to employ contract security for
passport production in the District Columbia. To address the
underlying question of the appropriate size of the GPO security
force, the Chairs of the JCP and the House Appropriations
Subcommittee on Legislative Branch in February 2008 jointly
asked the GAO to examine GPO security needs and make
recommendations to the agency and both panels. When the 110th
Congress adjourned, the GAO examination had not been completed.
In September 2007, the JCP received a request from the
Public Printer for approval to designate the federal regional
depository libraries operated by the University of Kansas and
the University of Nebraska as a ``shared'' regional depository
library, in an effort to pool resources and achieve savings in
their operation of the program. Chapter 19 of Title 44, U.S.
Code, provides for designation by Senators of up to two
depository libraries in each state to operate as ``regional''
depository libraries. Because chapter 19 does not explicitly
establish a ``shared'' regional depository status, the JCP
sought the opinion of the American Law Division of the
Congressional Research Service on whether JCP could establish
this new ``shared'' status. The CRS opined in the negative; the
JCP found the opinion persuasive and declined the Public
Printer's request in February 2008. At the same time, however,
the JCP directed the Public Printer to conduct a thorough study
of the Federal Depository Library Program and make such
recommendations for legislative changes to chapter 19 as he may
consider appropriate, taking into account the views of all
stakeholders in the study process. By the end of the 110th
Congress, the JCP had not received the Public Printer's
recommendations.
Finally, the JCP oversaw the final stages of publication
and distribution of congressional documents authorized by law
or by the Congress, including memorial tributes for deceased
members of Congress; memorial tributes to the late President
Gerald R. Ford and ``Lady Bird'' (Mrs. Lyndon B.) Johnson; new
editions of Our Flag, The Annotated Constitution of the United
States, How Our Laws are Made, and a reprint of the so-called
``Pocket Constitution''; and other documents, with the
Committee on House Administration considering the necessary
resolutions in each case. As noted above, the JCP worked with
the Clerk of the House, Lorraine C. Miller, to oversee
publication and distribution of Women in Congress, 1917-2006,
and Black Americans in Congress, 1870-2006, both handsome
volumes authorized in 2001 and completed during the 110th
Congress.
Joint Committee on the Library
The Joint Committee on the Library (JCL) is a joint
committee of the Congress devoted to the affairs and
administration of the Library of Congress. There are five
members of each house on the committee; membership consists of
the chairman and four Members of the Senate Committee on Rules
and Administration, the chairman and three Members of the
Committee on House Administration and the chairman of the House
Committee on Appropriations or his designee. The Committee has
oversight of the operations of the Library of Congress, as well
as management of the congressional art collection (including
the contributions of two statues from each state to the
Statuary Hall Collection) and the United States Botanic Garden,
but does not have legislative authority. The committee was
chaired in the 110th Congress by Sen. Dianne Feinstein of
California, with Chairman Brady serving as the vice chair.
Other members included Reps. Lofgren, Ehlers, Lungren and Rep.
Debbie Wasserman Schultz of Florida; and Sens. Christopher J.
Dodd of Connecticut, Charles E. Schumer of New York, Robert F.
Bennett of Utah and Ted Stevens of Alaska.
In addition to routine administrative matters relating to
the administration of the Botanic Garden and management of art
in the Capitol, the JCL also approved on July 31, 2008, a major
relocation plan for the statues in the Statuary Hall
Collection. This new plan for organization of the statues
provided for the incorporation of several statues into the new
Capitol Visitor Center and also established a new collection of
statues from the original thirteen colonies to be arranged in
the Crypt of the Capitol.
During the 110th Congress, the JCL approved two statues for
installation in the Capitol and moved forward on the creation
and acceptance of two others. Statues of former President
Ronald Reagan and Sojourner Truth have been approved and will
be placed in the Capitol in the near future. A new statue of
Helen Keller will also join the Statuary Hall collection; the
model has been approved and the final statue is almost ready
for acceptance. A proposal from the State of Michigan for a
statue of former President Gerald Ford to be added to the
Statuary Hall Collection has been approved in concept and
should move forward in the 111th Congress.
House Fine Arts Board
The House Fine Arts Board comprises the five Members of the
House who sit on the Joint Committee on the Library. In the
110th Congress, the Board was chaired by Chairman Brady, and
also included Reps. Lofgren, Ehlers, Lungren and Rep. Debbie
Wasserman Schultz of Florida.
One of the principal activities of the Board is to review
and accept portraits of Committee chairs into the House
Collection. Six portraits were accepted in the 110th Congress:
James Nussle, Committee on the Budget
Eligio (Kika) de la Garza, Committee on Agriculture
[previously on loan to the House Collection and donated
in the 110th Congress]
Thomas Davis, Committee on Government Reform
Robert Goodlatte, Committee on Agriculture
Joe Barton, Committee on Energy and Commerce
James Oberstar, Committee on Transportation and
Infrastructure.
In addition, the Board authorized organization of portrait fund
committees for:
Duncan Hunter, Committee on Armed Services
Jerry Lewis, Committee on Appropriations
Donald Manzullo, Committee on Small Business
Howard ``Buck'' McKeon, Committee on Education and
the Workforce
Charles Rangel, Committee on Ways and Means.
In 2002, the House Fine Arts Board directed the Clerk of
the House to develop a program to enhance the House Fine Arts
Collection to include additional works of art representing
historically important Members of the House. Between 2002 and
August 2007, the collection was expanded to include portraits
of:
John Quincy Adams--diplomat, sixth President
of the United States and U.S. Representative from
Massachusetts (1831-1848);
James Madison--Founding Father, U.S.
Representative from Virginia (1789-1797) and fourth
President of the United States;
Abraham Lincoln--U.S. Representative from
Illinois (1847-1849) and sixteenth President of the
United States;
Jeannette Rankin, Montana--first woman to
serve as a Representative in the U.S. Congress (1917-
1919; subsequently served a second term--1941-1943)
Joseph H. Rainey, South Carolina (1869-
1879)--first African American to serve as a
Representative in the U.S. Congress; and
Romualdo Pacheco, California (1877-1883)--
first Hispanic American to serve as a Representative in
the U.S. Congress.
On November 7, 2007, the Committee, in cooperation with the
House Fine Arts Board, sponsored the unveiling of the seventh
portrait to be commissioned under this program, the official
portrait of Rep. Dalip Singh Saund of California, the first
Asian American to serve as a U.S. Representative in the
Congress (1957-1963).
The unveiling ceremony was moderated by the Honorable Mike
Honda, California, Chairman of the Congressional Asian and
Pacific Islander Caucus. Remarks were presented by members of
the Committee and the Fine Arts Board, members of the
Congressional Asian and Pacific Islander Caucus and the
Congressional Caucus on India and Indian Americans, the artist,
and a member of the late Representative Saund's family. The
event was attended by the Speaker, Members of Congress,
representatives of the Asian American and Indian American
communities, and twelve descendants of the late Representative
Saund (September 20, 1899-April 22, 1973).
Legislative and Oversight Hearings
First Session
The Committee met on February 28, 2007 to consider
testimony on H. Res. 202, the Committee Funding Resolution. The
Committee heard testimony from the chairmen and ranking
minority members of the following House committees concerning
their proposed budgets for the 110th Congress:
The Committee on Foreign Affairs
The Committee on Judiciary
The Committee on Financial Services
The Committee on Homeland Security
The Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure
The Committee on Armed Services
The Committee on Education and Workforce
The Committee on Oversight and Government Reform
The Committee on Rules
The Committee on Ways and Means
The Committee on Small Business
The Committee on Veterans' Affairs
The Committee on Energy and Commerce
The Committee on Agriculture
The Committee on Science and Technology
The Committee on the Budget
The Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence
The Committee on Standards of Official Conduct
The Committee on Natural Resources
The Subcommittee on Elections met on March 15, 2007 to
receive testimony in the first in a three-part series of
hearings on Election Reform. The subject of the hearing was
Machines and Software. The hearing covered issues including,
but not limited to, machines, disability access, open source
code and commercial off-the-shelf software. Witnesses included:
Panel 1:
Hon. Eric Clark--Secretary of State, State of
Mississippi
Diane Cordry Golden, Ph.D.--Director, Missouri
Assistive Technology
Ted Selker, Ph.D.--Director, Voting Technology
Project, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Kelly Pierce--Disability Specialist, Cook County (IL)
State's Attorney Office
Panel 2:
Brit Williams, Ph.D.--Professor of Computer Science
and Information Systems, Kennesaw State University
David Wagner, Ph.D.--Associate Professor, University
of California, Berkeley
Brian Behlendorf--Founder and Chief Technology
Officer, CollabNet
Hugh J. Gallagher--Managing Director, Election System
Acquisition and Management Services, Inc.
Matt Zimmerman--Staff Attorney, Electronic Frontier
Foundation
The Subcommittee on Elections met on March 20, 2007 to
receive testimony in the second in a series of hearings on
Election Reform. The subject of the hearing was Auditing the
Vote. The hearing covered issues including, but not limited to,
the auditing of Federal elections. Witnesses included:
Panel 1:
Ion Sancho--Supervisor of Elections, Leon County (FL)
Matt Damschroder--Director, Franklin County (OH)
Board of Elections
Panel 2:
Candice Hoke--Director, Cleveland State University
Center for Election Integrity
R. Doug Lewis--Executive Director, National
Association of Election Officials
Lawrence Norden--Counsel, Brennan Center for Justice
Tammy Patrick--Federal Compliance Officer, Maricopa
County (AZ) Elections Department
Pamela Smith--President, Verified Voter
The Subcommittee on Elections met on March 23, 2007 to
receive testimony in the last of a series of hearings on
Election Reform. The subject of the hearing was H.R. 811. The
hearing covered issues including, but not limited to, H.R. 811,
a bill that would require that all voting equipment produce a
paper ballot that can be verified by the voter and that serves
as the official ballot in any recount or audit. Witnesses
included:
Panel 1:
Hon. Rush Holt (bill sponsor)
Hon. Tom Petri (bill sponsor)
Panel 2:
Hon. Charlie Crist--Governor of Florida
Hon. Debra Bowen--Secretary of State of California
Hon. Chris Nelson--Secretary of State of South Dakota
Panel 3:
Tanya Clay House--Director of Public Policy, People
for the American Way
George Gilbert--Director of Elections, Guilford
County
Edward Felten, Ph.D.--Professor of Computer Science
and Public Affairs, Princeton University
Don Norris, Ph.D--Professor of Public Policy,
University of Maryland, Baltimore County
Panel 4:
Noel Runyan--President, Personal Data Systems
Dr. Harold Snider--Access for the Handicapped, Inc.
Warren Stewart--Policy Director, VoteTrustUSA
Hon. Gail W. Mahoney--Commissioner, Jackson County,
Michigan; Chair, National Association of Counties
The Committee met on March 29, 2007 to receive a report
from Ms. Lofgren, Chairwoman of the Subcommittee on Elections,
regarding Election Reform hearing held in the Subcommittee to
date.
The Task Force on the Contested Election in the 13th
Congressional District of Florida met on May 2, 2007. The Task
Force approved a motion to adopt the Government Accountability
Office work plan.
The Committee met on May 3, 2007 to discuss the status of
the upcoming markup of H.R. 811.
The Task Force on the Contested Election in the 13th
Congressional District of Florida met on June 14, 2007. The
Task Force discussed the status of the Government
Accountability Office work plan. The following staff from the
Government Accountability Office were available to answer
questions:
Dr. Naba Barkakati--Senior Level Technologist, GAO
Gloria Jarmon--Managing Director, Congressional
Relations, GAO
Jan Montgomery--General Counsel, GAO
The Committee met on June 27, 2007 to hear testimony on the
implementation of the U.S. Capitol Police-Library of Congress
Police merger. The hearing provided the Committee with an
opportunity to hear from the agencies to be merged. Witnesses
included:
Phillip D. Morse, Sr.--Chief of Police, U.S. Capitol
Police
Jo Ann Jenkins--Chief Operating Officer, Library of
Congress
Hon. Wilson Livingood--Sergeant at Arms, U.S. House
of Representatives
Officer Michael Hutchins--Library of Congress
Fraternal Order of Police
The Committee met on August 1, 2007 to hear testimony on
the ``Smithsonian in transition.'' The hearing covered issues
including, but not limited to, reports from the Independent
Review Committee and the Governance Committee that recommended
several major reforms to the Institution. Witnesses included:
Panel 1:
Hon. Doris Matsui--U.S. Representative; Member, Board
of Regents, Smithsonian Institution; Member, Governance
and Nominating Committee
The Honorable Charles Bowsher--Chairman, Independent
Review Committee
Panel 2:
Dr. Christian Samper--Acting Secretary, Smithsonian
Institution
A. Sprightley Ryan--Inspector General, Smithsonian
Institution
The Subcommittee on Elections met on August 2, 2007 to hear
testimony from the Election Assistance Commission. The hearing
covered issues including, but not limited to, the standards,
management and procedures of the U.S. Election Assistance
Commission. Witnesses included:
Panel 1:
Hon. Donetta Davidson--Chair, Election Assistance
Commission
Hon. Rosemary Rodriguez--Vice-Chair, Election
Assistance Commission
Panel 2:
Jon Greenbaum--Voting Rights Project Director,
Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law
David Super--Professor of Law, University of Maryland
School of Law
Robert Montjoy--Professor, University of New Orleans
The Task Force on the Contested Election in the 13th
Congressional District of Florida met on June 14, 2007. The
Task Force discussed the status of the Government
Accountability Office investigation into the contested election
in the 13th Congressional District of Florida. The Task Force
received updates from the following:
Dr. Naba Barkakati--Senior Level Technologist, GAO
Gloria Jarmon--Managing Director, Congressional
Relations, GAO
Jan Montgomery--General Counsel, GAO
The Task Force on the Contested Election in the 13th
Congressional District of Florida met on October 2, 2007. The
Task Force discussed the status of the Government
Accountability Office investigation into the contested election
in the 13th Congressional District of Florida. The Task Force
received updates from the following:
Dr. Naba Barkakati--Senior Level Technologist, GAO
Gloria Jarmon--Managing Director, Congressional
Relations, GAO
Jan Montgomery--General Counsel, GAO
The Subcommittee on Elections met on October 3, 2007 to
hear testimony on the importance of poll workers. The hearing
covered issues including, but not limited to, the right to vote
and access the polls. Witnesses included:
Hon. Michael Mauro--Secretary of State, Iowa
Lance Gough--Executive Director, Chicago Board of
Election Commissioners
Helen Purcell--Recorder, Maricopa County
Jennifer Collins-Foley--President, the Pollworker
Institute
On October 5, 2007, the Committee held a field hearing in
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to receive testimony on impediments
to voter enfranchisement. Issues discussed included, but were
not limited to, the right to vote and access to the polls.
Witnesses included:
Panel 1:
Thomas Weaver--Deputy Secretary of State,
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
Margaret M. Tartaglione--Chairwoman, Philadelphia
City Commissioners
Edgar A. Howard--Commissioner, Philadelphia City
Commissioners
Carol Ann Campbell--Councilmember, Philadelphia
Panel 2:
J. Whyatt Mondesire--President, NAACP Philadelphia
Chapter
Zach Stahlberg--President, Committee on Seventy
Roberto Santiago--Director, Council of Spanish
Speaking Organizations
The Subcommittee on Elections met on October 16, 2007 to
hear testimony on expanding and improving opportunities to vote
by mail or absentee. The hearing covered issues related to
Absentee Voting and Vote by Mail (VBM). Witnesses included:
Panel 1:
The Honorable Susan Davis--U.S. Representative
Panel 2:
Ruth Goldway--Commissioner, Postal Regulatory
Commission
Deborah L. Markowitz--Secretary of State, Vermont
Joseph Holland--Clerk, Santa Barbara County
Jonathan Bechtle--Director and Legal Analyst,
Citizenship and Governance Center, Evergreen Freedom
Foundation
The Committee met on October 17, 2007 to hear testimony on
the Capitol Visitor Center and the visitor experience. The
hearing covered issues including, but not limited to, security
at the CVC and the future of tours at the CVC and the Capitol.
Witnesses included:
Terrie S. Rouse--CEO for Visitor Services, Capitol
Visitor Center
Thomas L. Stevens--Director of Visitor Services, U.S.
Capitol Guide Service
Phillip D. Morse, Sr.--Chief of Police, U.S. Capitol
Police
The Subcommittee on Elections met on October 22, 2007. This
was a continuation of the original hearing on the same subject
that commenced on October 16, 2007, at which time
Representative Kevin McCarthy (Subcommittee on Elections
Ranking Member) submitted a letter on behalf of the minority
Subcommittee Members, requesting that pursuant to House Rule XI
clause (2)(j)(1), the minority be granted a minority day of
hearing on matters relating to expanding and improving
opportunities to vote by mail or absentee. Witnesses included:
Panel 3:
John Fortier--American Enterprise Institute
Tom Harrison--Former Texas Elections Director
The Subcommittee on Elections met on October 23, 2007 to
hear testimony on voter registration and list maintenance. The
hearing covered issues including, but not limited to, methods
state and local jurisdictions have employed to ensure their
computerized voter registration databases are accurate and up
to date. Witnesses included:
Panel 1:
Hon. Chris Nelson--Secretary of State, South Dakota
Larry Leake--Chairman, North Carolina State Board of
Elections
Patricia Hollarn--Supervisor of Elections, Okaloosa
County
Jackie Harris--General Registrar, Fairfax County
Panel 2:
Deborah Goldberg--Director of Democracy Program,
Brennan Center for Justice, NYU School of Law
Spencer Overton--Professor, The George Washington
University Law School
Kristen Clarke--Co-Director, Political Participation
Group NAACP Legal Defense Fund, Inc.
Robert Driscoll--Partner, Alston & Bird, LLP
The Committee met on October 24, 2007 to hear testimony on
the Library of Congress and current issues in Library
management. The hearing covered issues including, but not
limited to, inventory of the collections, cataloging, and the
status of the Law Library. Witnesses included:
Panel 1:
Dr. James H. Billington--Librarian of Congress,
Library of Congress (accompanied by Dr. Deanna Marcum,
Associate Librarian for Library Services, and Dr.
Rubens Medina, Librarian.
Panel 2:
Hon. Bill Orton--Former U.S. Representative
Ann Fessenden--Circuit Librarian, U.S. Courts Library
8th Circuit; President, American Association of Law
Libraries
Tedson Meyers, Esq.--Chair, American Bar Association,
Standing Committee on the Law Library of Congress
Panel 3:
James R. Rettig--President-Elect, American Library
Association
Karl W. Schornagel--Inspector General, Library of
Congress
The Committee met on November 7, 2007 to hear testimony on
the Construction of the United States Capitol building and the
contributions of slave labor. The Committee received
recommendations from the Slave Labor Task Force on how to move
forward and secure a befitting memorial. The panels of
historians and experts also provided further insight into the
contribution of African-American slaves during the building of
the U.S. Capitol. Witnesses included:
Panel 1:
Hon. John Lewis--U.S. Representative
Hon. Blanche Lincoln--U.S. Senator
Hon. J.C. Watts--Former Representative
Dr. Bettye Gardner--Professor, Association for the
Study of African-American Life and History, Coppin
University
Currie Ballard--Task Force Member
Sarah Davidson--Task Force Member
Panel 2:
Lonnie Bunch--Director, National Museum of African-
American History and Culture, Smithsonian Institution
William C. Allen--Architectural Historian, Office of
the Architect of the Capitol
Felicia Bell--U.S. Capitol Historical Society
The Subcommittee on Elections met on November 9, 2007 to
hear testimony on Election Day registration and provisional
voting. The hearing covered issues including, but not limited
to, the pros and cons of Election Day registration and
provisional voting, and panels provided a state and local view
of how these issues affect voter participation and
administration. Witnesses included:
Panel 1:
Hon. Keith Ellison--U.S. Representative
Hon. Steve King--U.S. Representative
Panel 2:
Hon. Mark Ritchie--Secretary of State, Minnesota
Hon. Tim Moore--North Carolina State Representative
Neil Albrecht--Assistant Director, City of Milwaukee
Election Commission
Panel 3:
Daniel P. Tokaji--Assistant Professor of Law, The
Moritz College of Law
Jan E. Leighley--Professor, University of Arizona
Mary Kiffmeyer--Former Secretary of State, Minnesota
Miles Rappaport--President, Demos
The Subcommittee on Elections met on November 16, 2007.
This was a continuation of the original hearing on the same
subject that commenced on October 23, 2007, at which time
Representative Kevin McCarthy (Subcommittee on Elections
Ranking Member) submitted a letter on behalf of the minority
Subcommittee Members, requesting that pursuant to House Rule XI
clause (2)(j)(1), the minority be granted a minority day of
hearing on matters relating to voter registration and list
maintenance. Witnesses included:
Panel 3:
Scott Leiendecker--Republican Director of Elections,
St. Louis Board of Elections
Edward A. O'Neal--Former Member, Norfolk Electoral
Board
Charles H. Bell, Jr.--Attorney, Bell, McAndrews &
Hiltachk, LLP
Cleta Mitchell--Election Attorney, Foley and Lardner,
LLP
Panel 4:
Joseph Rich--Former Chief, Department of Justice
Voting Rights Section
J. Gerald Hebert--Former Acting Chief, Deputy Chief,
and Special Litigation Counsel, Department of Justice
Voting Rights Section
Elizabeth Westfall--Deputy Director of Voter
Protection, The Advancement Project
The Subcommittee on Elections met on December 6, 2007 to
hear testimony on the use of robocalls in federal campaigns.
The hearing covered issues including, but not limited to, the
nature of the problem with abusive robocalls and how states,
private organizations and the federal government can work
together to strike a proper balance among First Amendment
interests, residential privacy, and meaningful participation in
the electoral process. Witnesses included:
Panel 1:
Hon. Melissa Bean--U.S. Representative
Hon. Jason Altmire--U.S. Representative
Hon. Virginia Foxx--U.S. Representative
Panel 2:
Hon. Steve Carter--Attorney General, Indiana
John F. Cooney--Partner, Venable LLP
William Raney--Partner, Copilevitz and Canter, LLC
Rodney Smith--Founder, Tele-Town Hall LLC
Dr. Karyn Hollis--Associate Professor, Villanova
University
Second Session
The Task Force on the Contested Election in the 13th
Congressional District of Florida met on February 8, 2008. The
Task Force discussed the final report of the Government
Accountability Office investigation into the contested election
in the 13th congressional district of Florida. The Task Force
passed a motion dismissing the election contest in that
district. The Task Force received the final report from the
following:
Dr. Naba Barkakati--Senior Level Technologist, GAO
The Subcommittee on Elections met on March 12, 2008 to hear
testimony on the Election Assistance Commission. The hearing
covered issues including, but not limited to, the Inspector
General's report on a review of the circumstances surrounding
the voting fraud and voter intimidation research project.
Witnesses included:
Panel 1:
Curtis Crider--Inspector General, Election Assistance
Commission
Panel 2:
Hon. Rosemary Rodriguez--Chairwoman, Election
Assistance Commission
Hon. Caroline Hunter--Vice-Chair, Election Assistance
Commission
Hon. Gracia Hillman--Commissioner, Election
Assistance Commission
Hon. Donetta Davidson--Commissioner, Election
Assistance Commission
The Subcommittee on Elections met on April 1, 2008 to hear
testimony on the National Voting Rights Act, Section 7, and the
challenges public assistance agencies face. Witnesses included:
Panel 1:
Johnnie McLean--Chief Deputy Director, North Carolina
State Board of Elections
Catherine Truss--Departmental Specialist, Michigan
Department of Human Services
Panel 2:
Lisa Danetz--Senior Counsel, DEMOS
Michael Slater--Deputy Director, Project Vote
Dr. David B. Muhlhausen--Senior Policy Analyst,
Heritage Foundation
The Committee met on April 9, 2008 to hear testimony on the
2008 Presidential primaries and caucuses. The hearing covered
issues including, but not limited to, hotlines that can be used
to inform voters of polling locations, hotlines that can take
complaints in real time, and how prepared state and local
officials are for the upcoming general election. Witnesses
included:
Panel 1:
Tom Joyner--Radio Host, Tom Joyner Morning Show
Greg Moore--Executive Director, NAACP National Voter
Fund
John Bonifaz--Legal Director, Voter Action
Cecilia Martinez--Executive Director, The Reform
Institute
Ken Smukler--InfoVoter Technologies
Panel 2:
April Pye--Interim Director, Fulton County (GA)
Registration and Elections
Alisha Alexander--Elections Administrator, Prince
George's (MD) County Board of Elections
Linda Weedon--Deputy Director, Maricopa County (AZ)
Elections
The Committee met on April 15, 2008 to hear testimony on
military and overseas voting. The hearing covered issues
including, but not limited to, H.R. 5673, the Military Voting
Protection Act, H.R. 4237, the Overseas Voting Practical
Amendments Act, and UOCAVA. Witnesses included:
Panel 1:
Hon. Kevin McCarthy--U.S. Representative
Hon. Carolyn Maloney--U.S. Representative
Panel 2:
Hon. Michael Dominguez--Principal Deputy Under
Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness,
Department of Defense
Hon. Beth Chapman--Secretary of State, Alabama
Panel 3:
Susan Dzieduszycka-Suinat--President, Overseas Vote
Foundation
Kimball Brace--President, Election Data Services,
Inc.
The Subcommittee on Capitol Security met on May 1, 2008 to
hear testimony on the administration and management of the
United States Capitol Police. The hearing covered issues
including, but not limited to, matters pertaining to recent
recommendations by the Government Accountability Office.
Witnesses included:
Panel 1:
Phillip D. Morse, Sr.--Chief of Police, United States
Capitol Police
Panel 2:
Richard M. Stana--Director, Homeland Security and
Justice, United States Government Accountability Office
Matthew Tighe--Chairman, U.S. Capitol Police Labor
Committee
The Subcommittee on Elections met on May 14, 2008 to hear
testimony on election contingency plans. The hearing covered
issues including, but not limited to, current preparations in
place by State and local governments in the event of an
emergency on Election Day, and what role the Federal government
should play in preparing and responding to such an emergency.
Witnesses included:
Panel 1:
Thomas Wilkey--Former Executive Director, New York
Board of Elections
Laurel Beatty--Director of Legislative Affairs,
Office of the Ohio Secretary of State
Dawn K. Roberts--Assistant Secretary of State,
Florida Department of State
Panel 2:
Hon. Rosemary Rodriguez--Chairwoman, U.S. Election
Assistance Commission
Kevin J. Kennedy--Director, Wisconsin Government
Accountability Board
The Committee met on May 21, 2008 to hear testimony on the
assessment of administrative compliance with internal controls
within the House of Representatives. The hearing covered issues
including, but not limited to, shared employees and the final
Inspector General's report on shared employees. Witnesses
included:
James J. Cornell--Inspector General, United States
House of Representatives
Hon. Daniel P. Beard--Chief Administrative Officer,
United States House of Representatives
The Subcommittee on Capitol Security met on June 18, 2008
to hear testimony on the United States Capitol Police radio
upgrades. The hearing covered issues including, but not limited
to, the need to upgrade the U.S. Capitol Police radio system in
order to work more effectively with other law enforcement
agencies. Witnesses included:
Panel 1:
Phillip D. Morse, Sr.--Chief of Police, United States
Capitol Police
Panel 2:
Cmdr. James Crane--Commander, Special Operations
Division, Metropolitan Police Department (appeared on
behalf of Chief Cathy L. Lanier, Chief of Police,
Metropolitan Police Department, who was called to an
emergency in the District minutes before the hearing
commenced).
David G. Boyd, Ph.D--Director, Command, Control and
Interoperability Science and Technology, U.S.
Department of Homeland Security
Steve Souder--Director, Department of Public Safety
Communications, Fairfax County, VA
The Subcommittee on Elections, along with the Committee on
Judiciary, Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and
Civil Liberties, met on September 24, 2008 in the Judiciary
Committee Hearing Room to hear testimony on federal, state and
local efforts to prepare for the 2008 general election.
Witnesses included:
Panel 1:
Hon. Pedro Cortes--Secretary of the Commonwealth,
Pennsylvania
David Farrell--Deputy Assistant Secretary of State,
Office of the Ohio Secretary of State
Rokey Suleman--General Registrar, Fairfax County (VA)
Office of Elections
Doug Lewis--Executive Director, Election Center
Panel 2:
Hon. Grace Becker--Acting Assistant Attorney General
for Civil Rights Division, Department of Justice
Paul Hancock--Partner, Kirkpatrick & Lockhart Preston
Gates and Ellis, LLP
Karen K. Narasaki--Executive Director, Asian American
Justice Center
Bryan O'Leary--Public Policy Consultant, Crowell
Moring
James Terry--Chief Public Advocate, Consumer Rights
League
Jocelyn Benson--Assistant Professor of Law, Wayne
State University
Kristin Clarke--Assistant Counsel, NAACP Legal
Defense Fund
The Committee met on September 25, 2008 to hear testimony
on how to ensure the rights of college students to vote. The
hearing covered issues including, but not limited to,
difficulties facing college students when they attempt to
register and vote in the districts where they are domiciled
during their school year. Witnesses included:
Panel 1:
Hon. Jan Schakowsky--U.S. Representative
Panel 2:
Sheri Iachetta--Registrar, City of Charlottesville,
Virginia
Neil Albrecht--Assistant Director, City of Milwaukee
(WI) Election Commission
Marvin Krislov--President, Oberlin College
Catherine McLaughlin--Executive Director, Institute
of Politics, Harvard University
Panel 3:
Sujatha Jahagirdar--Program Director, Student PIRG's
New Voters Project
Matthew Segal--Executive Director, Student
Association for Voter Empowerment
Lauren Burdette--Student, University of Pennsylvania
Jacqueline Vi--Student, American University
Legislative Action
First Session
The Committee met on February 16, 2007 for organizational
purposes for the 110th Congress. The following actions were
taken:
Adopted Committee Rules for the 110th Congress.
Agreed to a Committee Resolution appointing the majority
and minority members of the Subcommittee on Elections and the
Subcommittee on Capitol Security.
Agreed to a Committee Resolution approving a Committee
Oversight Plan.
The Committee held a mark-up of H. Res. 202 providing for
the expenses of certain committees of the House of
Representatives in the One Hundred Tenth Congress, on March 1,
2007. The Committee reported H. Res. 202 as amended favorably
to the House.
The Committee held a meeting and markup on May 8, 2007 on
H.R. 811, the Voter Confidence and Increased Accessibility Act
of 2007. The Committee reported H.R. 811 as amended favorably
to the House. The Committee also took the following actions:
Reported favorably, by voice vote, four original
resolutions--H. Res. 459, dismissing the election contest
relating to the office of Representative from the Twenty-First
Congressional District of Florida; H. Res. 461, dismissing the
election contest relating to the office of Representative from
the twenty-fourth Congressional District of Florida; H. Res
462, dismissing the election contest relating to the office of
Representative from the Fourth Congressional District of
Louisiana; H. Res. 463, dismissing the election contest
relating to the office of Representative from the Fifth
Congressional District of Florida.
Agreed to a committee resolution approving franked mail
allowances for the standing and select committees of the House
for the 110th Congress.
The Committee met on June 27, 2007. The following actions
were taken:
Announcement of the appointment of Rep. Lofgren as Vice-
Chairwoman of the Committee on House Administration.
Announcement of the Speaker's Appointment of six members to
the Commission on Congressional Mailing Standards
Agreed to a resolution electing Rep. Artur Davis to fill
the vacancy on the Subcommittee on Elections.
The Committee held a mark-up of H.R. 3690, U.S. Capitol
Police and Library of Congress Police Merger Implementation Act
of 2007, on November 7, 2007. The Committee reported H.R. 3690
as amended favorably to the House.
Second Session
The Committee met on February 12, 2008. The following
actions were taken: The Committee considered the report of the
Task Force for the contested election in the 13th Congressional
District of Florida. The Committee moved to pass an original
resolution, H. Res. 989, dismissing the election contest
relating to the office of the Representative from the
Thirteenth Congressional District of Florida. Markup of H.R.
5159, Capitol Visitor Center Act of 2008. The Committee
reported H.R. 5159 as amended favorably to the House.
The Committee met on April 2, 2008 and held a markup of
several measures and took the following actions:
Markup of H.R. 5493, to provide that the usual day for
paying salaries in or under the House of Representatives may be
established by regulations of the Committee on House
Administration. The Committee ordered reported H.R. 5493
favorably to the House.
Markup of H. Res. 1068, to permit membership in the
exercise facility established for employees who are assigned to
official duty at the House of Representatives, and for other
purposes. The Committee reported H. Res. 1068 as amended
favorably to the House.
Markup of H.R. 5036, Emergency Assistance Secure Elections
Act of 2008. The Committee reported H.R. 5036 as amended
favorably to the House.
Markup of H.R. 281, Universal Right to Vote by Mail Act of
2007. The Committee reported H.R. 281 as amended favorably to
the House.
Markup of H.R. 3032, to amend the Federal Election Campaign
Act of 1971 to permit candidates for election for Federal
office to designate an individual who will be authorized to
disburse funds of the authorized campaign committees of the
candidate in the event of the death of the candidate. The
Committee reported (amended) H.R. 3032 favorably to the House.
Agreed to an amendment to Regulations Governing the Use of
Official Funds: Alternate Ride Home.
Agreed to a committee resolution modifying the majority
membership of the Subcommittee on Capitol Security.
The Committee met on May 7, 2008 to mark up several bills.
The following actions were taken:
Markup of H.R. 5803, to direct the Election Assistance
Commission to establish a program to make grants to
participating States and units of Local government which will
administer the regularly scheduled general election for Federal
office held in November 2008 for carrying out a program to make
backup paper ballots available in the case of the failure of a
voting system or voting equipment in the election or some other
emergency situation, and for other purposes. The Committee
reported H.R. 5803 favorably to the House.
Markup of H.R. 5893, Library of Congress Sound Recording
and Film Preservation Programs Reauthorization Act of 2008. The
Committee reported H.R. 5893 as amended favorably to the House.
Markup of H.R. 5972, United States Capitol Police
Administrative Technical Corrections Act of 2008. The Committee
reported H.R. 5972 favorably to the House.
The Committee met on July 30, 2008 and held a markup of
several measures. The following actions were taken:
Markup of H.R. 6339, Federal Employees Deserve to Volunteer
on the Elections Act of 2008. The Committee reported (amended)
H.R. 6339 favorably to the House.
Markup of H.R. 6474, to authorize the Chief Administrative
Officer of the House of Representatives to carry out a series
of demonstration projects to promote the use of innovative
technologies in reducing energy consumption and promoting
energy efficiency and cost savings in the House of
Representatives. The committee reported H.R. 6474 favorably to
the House.
Markup of H.R. 6475, Daniel Webster Congressional Clerkship
Act of 2008. The Committee reported H.R. 6475 favorably to the
House.
Markup of H.R. 6589, the Charles H.W. Meehan Law Library
Improvement and Modernization Act. The Committee reported
(amended) H.R. 6589 favorably to the House.
Markup of H.R. 998, Civil Rights History Project Act of
2007. The Committee reported (amended) H.R. 998 favorably to
the House.
Markup of H.R. 6625, Veterans Voting Support Act. The
Committee reported (amended) H.R. 6625 favorably to the House.
Markup of H.R. 6627, Smithsonian Institution Facilities
Authorization Act of 2008. The Committee reported H.R. 6627
favorably to the House.
Markup of H.R. 6608, to provide for the replacement of lost
income for employees of the House of Representatives who are
members of a reserve component of the armed forces who are on
active duty for a period of more than 30 days, and for other
purposes. The Committee reported H.R. 6608 favorably to the
House.
Markup of H. Res. 1207, Directing the Chief Administrative
Officer of the House of Representatives to provide individuals
whose pay is disbursed by the Chief Administrative Officer by
electronic funds transfer with the option of receiving receipts
of pay and withholdings electronically. The Committee reported
(amended) H. Res. 1207 favorably to the House.
Agreed to a committee resolution amending regulations
pertaining to shared employees.
Agreed to a committee resolution amending the regulations
for Student Loan Repayment.
The Committee met on September 25, 2008. The following
actions were taken:
Agreed to a committee resolution to provide the Committee
on House Administration with interim authority for the time
period between the first and second sessions of Congress.
Agreed to an amendment to regulations regarding mass
communications and mass mailings.
Appendix I
COMMITTEE RESOLUTIONS (INCLUDING COMMITTEE OVERSIGHT PLAN)
First Session
The Committee met on February 16, 2007 and adopted the
following resolutions:
COMMITTEE RESOLUTION 110-1
Resolved, that the rules of the Committee on House
Administration for the 110th Congress are hereby adopted, as
follows:
Rules of the
Committee on House Administration
One Hundred Tenth Congress
RULE NO. 1
General provisions
(a) The Rules of the House are the rules of the Committee
so far as applicable, except that a motion to recess from day
to day is a privileged motion in the Committee. Each
subcommittee of the committee is a part of the committee and is
subject to the authority and direction of the chair and to its
rules as far as applicable.
(b) The Committee is authorized at any time to conduct such
investigations and studies as it may consider necessary or
appropriate in the exercise of its responsibilities under House
Rule X and, subject to the adoption of expense resolutions as
required by House Rule X, clause 6, to incur expenses
(including travel expenses) in connection therewith.
(c) The Committee is authorized to have printed and bound
testimony and other data presented at hearings held by the
Committee, and to make such information available to the
public. All costs of stenographic services and transcripts in
connection with any meeting or hearing of the Committee shall
be paid from the appropriate House account.
(d) The Committee shall submit to the House, not later than
January 2 of each odd-numbered year, a report on the activities
of the committee under House Rules X and XI during the Congress
ending at noon on January 3 of such year.
(e) The Committee's rules shall be published in the
Congressional Record not later than 30 days after the Committee
is elected in each odd-numbered year.
RULE NO. 2
Regular and special meetings
(a) The regular meeting date of the Committee on House
Administration shall be the second Wednesday of every month
when the House is in session in accordance with Clause 2(b) of
House Rule XI. Additional meetings may be called by the Chair
of the Committee as she or he may deem necessary or at the
request of a majority of the members of the Committee in
accordance with Clause 2(c) of House Rule XI. The determination
of the business to be considered at each meeting shall be made
by the Chair subject to Clause 2(c) of House Rule XI. A
regularly scheduled meeting may be dispensed with if, in the
judgment of the Chair, there is no need for the meeting.
(b) If the Chair is not present at any meeting of the
Committee, or at the discretion of the Chair, the Vice Chair of
the Committee shall preside at the meeting. If the Chair and
Vice Chair of the Committee are not present at any meeting of
the Committee, the ranking member of the majority party who is
present shall preside at the meeting.
RULE NO. 3
Open meetings
As required by Clause 2(g), of House Rule XI, each meeting
for the transaction of business, including the markup of
legislation of the Committee shall be open to the public except
when the Committee in open session and with a quorum present
determines by record vote that all or part of the remainder of
the meeting on that day shall be closed to the public because
disclosure of matters to be considered would endanger national
security, would compromise sensitive law enforcement
information, or would tend to defame, degrade or incriminate
any person, or otherwise would violate any law or rule of the
House: Provided, however, that no person other than members of
the Committee, and such congressional staff and such other
persons as the Committee may authorize, shall be present in any
business or markup session which has been closed to the public.
RULE NO. 4
Records and rollcalls
(a)(1) A record vote shall be held if requested by any
member of the Committee.
(a)(2) The result of each record vote in any meeting of the
Committee shall be made available for inspection by the public
at reasonable times at the Committee offices, including a
description of the amendment, motion, order or other
proposition; the name of each member voting for and against;
and the members present but not voting.
(b)(1) Subject to subparagraph (2), the Chair may postpone
further proceedings when a record vote is ordered on the
question of approving any measure or matter or adopting an
amendment. The Chair may resume proceedings on a postponed
request at any time.
(2) In exercising postponement authority under subparagraph
(1), the Chair shall take all reasonable steps necessary to
notify members on the resumption of proceedings on any
postponed record vote.
(3) When proceedings resume on a postponed question,
notwithstanding any intervening order for the previous
question, an underlying proposition shall remain subject to
further debate or amendment to the same extent as when the
question was postponed.
(c) All Committee and subcommittee hearings, records, data,
charts, and files shall be kept separate and distinct from the
congressional office records of the member serving as Chair;
and such records shall be the property of the House and all
members of the House shall have access thereto.
(d) House records of the Committee which are at the
National Archives shall be made available pursuant to House
Rule VII. The Chair shall notify the ranking minority member of
any decision to withhold a record pursuant to the rule, and
shall present the matter to the Committee upon written request
of any Committee member.
(e) To the maximum extent feasible, the Committee shall
make its publications available in electronic form.
RULE NO. 5
Proxies
No vote by any member in the Committee may be cast by
proxy.
RULE NO. 6
Power to sit and act; Subpoena power
(a) For the purpose of carrying out any of its functions
and duties under House Rules X and XI, the Committee or any
subcommittee thereof is authorized (subject to subparagraph
(b)(1) of this paragraph)--
(1) to sit and act at such times and places within
the United States, whether the House is in session, has
recessed, or has adjourned, and to hold such hearings;
and
(2) to require, by subpoena or otherwise, the
attendance and testimony of such witnesses and the
production of such books, records, correspondence,
memorandums, papers, documents and other materials as
it deems necessary, including materials in electronic
form. The Chair, or any member designated by the Chair,
may administer oaths to any witness.
(b)(1) A subpoena may be authorized and issued by the
Committee or subcommittee in the conduct of any investigation
or series of investigations or activities, only when authorized
by a majority of the members voting, a majority being present.
The power to authorize and issue subpoenas under subparagraph
(a)(2) may be delegated to the Chair pursuant to such rules and
under such limitations as the Committee may prescribe.
Authorized subpoenas shall be signed by the Chair or by any
member designated by the Committee, and may be served by any
person designated by the Chair or such member.
(2) Compliance with any subpoena issued by the Committee or
a subcommittee may be enforced only as authorized or directed
by the House.
RULE NO. 7
Quorums
No measure or recommendation shall be reported to the House
unless a majority of the Committee is actually present. For the
purposes of taking any action other than reporting any measure,
issuance of a subpoena, closing meetings, promulgating
Committee orders, or changing the rules of the Committee, one-
third of the members of the Committee shall constitute a
quorum. For purposes of taking testimony and receiving
evidence, two members shall constitute a quorum.
RULE NO. 8
Amendments
Any amendment offered to any pending legislation before the
Committee or a subcommittee must be made available in written
form when requested by any member of the Committee. If such
amendment is not available in written form when requested, the
Chair will allow an appropriate period of time for the
provision thereof.
RULE NO. 9
Hearing procedures
(a) The Chair, in the case of hearings to be conducted by
the Committee, and the appropriate subcommittee chair, in the
case of hearings to be conducted by a subcommittee, shall make
public announcement of the date, place, and subject matter of
any hearing to be conducted on any measure or matter at least
one (1) week before the commencement of that hearing. If the
Chair, with the concurrence of the ranking minority member,
determines that there is good cause to begin the hearing
sooner, or if the Committee so determines by majority vote, a
quorum being present, the Chair shall make the announcement at
the earliest possible date. The clerk of the Committee shall
promptly notify the Daily Digest Clerk of the Congressional
Record as soon as possible after such public announcement is
made.
(b) Unless excused by the Chair, each witness who is to
appear before the Committee or a subcommittee shall file with
the clerk of the Committee, at least 48 hours in advance of his
or her appearance, a written statement of his or her proposed
testimony and shall limit his or her oral presentation to a
summary of his or her statement.
(c) When any hearing is conducted by the Committee upon any
measure or matter, the minority party members on the Committee
shall be entitled, upon request to the Chair by a majority of
those minority members before the completion of such hearing,
to call witnesses selected by the minority to testify with
respect to that measure or matter during at least one day of
hearings thereon.
(d) All other members of the Committee may have the
privilege of sitting with any subcommittee during its hearings
or deliberations and may participate in such hearings or
deliberations, but no member who is not a member of the
subcommittee shall count for a quorum or offer any motion or
amendment or vote on any matter before the subcommittee.
(e) Committee or subcommittee members may question
witnesses only when they have been recognized by the Chair for
that purpose, and only for a 5-minute period until all members
present have had an opportunity to question a witness. The 5-
minute period for questioning a witness by any one member can
be extended as provided by House Rules. The questioning of a
witness in Committee or subcommittee hearings shall be
initiated by the Chair, followed by the ranking minority member
and all other members alternating between the majority and
minority. In recognizing members to question witnesses in this
fashion, the Chair shall take into consideration the ratio of
the majority to minority members present and shall establish
the order of recognition for questioning in such a manner as
not to disadvantage the members of the majority. The Chair may
accomplish this by recognizing two majority members for each
minority member recognized.
(f) The following additional rules shall apply to hearings
of the Committee or a subcommittee, as applicable:
(1) The Chair at a hearing shall announce in an opening
statement the subject of the investigation.
(2) A copy of the Committee rules and this clause shall be
made available to each witness as provided by clause 2(k)(2) of
Rule XI.
(3) Witnesses at hearings may be accompanied by their own
counsel for the purpose of advising them concerning their
constitutional rights.
(4) The Chair may punish breaches of order and decorum, and
of professional ethics on the part of counsel, by censure and
exclusion from the hearings; and the Committee may cite the
offender to the House for contempt.
(5) If the Committee determines that evidence or testimony
at a hearing may tend to defame, degrade, or incriminate any
person, it shall--
(A) afford such person an opportunity voluntarily to
appear as a witness;
(B) receive such evidence or testimony in executive
session; and
(C) receive and dispose of requests from such person
to subpoena additional witnesses.
(6) Except as provided in subparagraph (f)(5), the Chair
shall receive and the Committee shall dispose of requests to
subpoena additional witnesses.
(7) No evidence or testimony taken in executive session may
be released or used in public sessions without the consent of
the Committee.
(8) In the discretion of the Committee, witnesses may
submit brief and pertinent sworn statements in writing for
inclusion in the record. The Committee is the sole judge of the
pertinence of testimony and evidence adduced at its hearing.
(9) A witness may obtain a transcript copy of his testimony
given at a public session or, if given at an executive session,
when authorized by the Committee.
RULE NO. 10
Procedures for reporting measures or matters
(a)(1) It shall be the duty of the Chair to report or cause
to be reported promptly to the House any measure approved by
the Committee and to take or cause to be taken necessary steps
to bring the matter to a vote.
(2) In any event, the report of the Committee on a measure
which has been approved by the Committee shall be filed within
7 calendar days (exclusive of days on which the House is not in
session) after the day on which there has been filed with the
clerk of the Committee a written request, signed by a majority
of the members of the Committee, for the reporting of that
measure. Upon the filing of any such request, the clerk of the
Committee shall transmit immediately to the Chair notice of the
filing of that request.
(b)(1) No measure or recommendation shall be reported to
the House unless a majority of the Committee is actually
present.
(2) With respect to each record vote on a motion to report
any measure or matter of a public character, and on any
amendment offered to the measure or matter, the total number of
votes cast for and against, and the names of those members
voting for and against, shall be included in the Committee
report on the measure or matter.
(c) The report of the Committee on a measure or matter
which has been approved by the Committee shall include the
matters required by Clause 3(c) of Rule XIII of the Rules of
the House.
(d) Each report of the Committee on each bill or joint
resolution of a public character reported by the Committee
shall include a statement citing the specific powers granted to
the Congress in the Constitution to enact the law proposed by
the bill or joint resolution.
(e) If, at the time any measure or matter is ordered
reported by the Committee, any member of the Committee gives
notice of intention to file supplemental, minority, or
additional views, that member shall be entitled to not less
than two additional calendar days after the day of such notice,
commencing on the day on which the measure or matter(s) was
approved, excluding Saturdays, Sundays, and legal holidays, in
which to file such views, in writing and signed by that member,
with the clerk of the Committee. All such views so filed by one
or more members of the Committee shall be included within, and
shall be a part of, the report filed by the Committee with
respect to that measure or matter. The report of the Committee
upon that measure or matter shall be printed in a single volume
which--
(1) shall include all supplemental, minority, or
additional views, in the form submitted, by the time of
the filing of the report, and
(2) shall bear upon its cover a recital that any such
supplemental, minority, or additional views (and any
material submitted under subparagraph (c)) are included
as part of the report. This subparagraph does not
preclude--
(A) the immediate filing or printing of a Committee
report unless timely request for the opportunity to
file supplemental, minority, or additional views has
been made as provided by paragraph (c); or
(B) the filing of any supplemental report upon any
measure or matter which may be required for the
correction of any technical error in a previous report
made by the Committee upon that measure or matter.
(3) shall, when appropriate, contain the documents
required by Clause 3(e) of Rule XIII of the Rules of
the House.
(f) The Chair, following consultation with the ranking
minority member, is directed to offer a motion under clause 1
of Rule XXII of the Rules of the House, relating to going to
conference with the Senate, whenever the Chair considers it
appropriate.
(g) If hearings have been held on any such measure or
matter so reported, the Committee shall make every reasonable
effort to have such hearings published and available to the
members of the House prior to the consideration of such measure
or matter in the House.
(h) The Chair may designate any majority member of the
Committee to act as ``floor manager'' of a bill or resolution
during its consideration in the House.
RULE NO. 11
Committee oversight
The Committee shall conduct oversight of matters within the
jurisdiction of the Committee in accordance with House Rule X,
clause 2 and clause 4. Not later than February 15 of the first
session of a Congress, the Committee shall, in a meeting that
is open to the public and with a quorum present, adopt its
oversight plan for that Congress in accordance with House Rule
X, clause 2(d).
RULE NO. 12
Review of continuing programs; Budget Act provisions
(a) The Committee shall, in its consideration of all bills
and joint resolutions of a public character within its
jurisdiction, ensure that appropriation for continuing programs
and activities of the Federal Government will be made annually
to the maximum extent feasible and consistent with the nature,
requirement, and objectives of the programs and activities
involved. For the purposes of this paragraph a Government
agency includes the organizational units of government listed
in Clause 4(e) of Rule X of House Rules.
(b) The Committee shall review, from time to time, each
continuing program within its jurisdiction for which
appropriations are not made annually in order to ascertain
whether such program could be modified so that appropriations
therefore would be made annually.
(c) The Committee shall, on or before February 25 of each
year, submit to the Committee on the Budget (1) its views and
estimates with respect to all matters to be set forth in the
concurrent resolution on the budget for the ensuing fiscal year
which are within its jurisdiction or functions, and (2) an
estimate of the total amounts of new budget authority, and
budget outlays resulting there from, to be provided or
authorized in all bills and resolutions within its jurisdiction
which it intends to be effective during that fiscal year.
(d) As soon as practicable after a concurrent resolution on
the budget for any fiscal year is agreed to, the Committee
(after consulting with the appropriate committee or committees
of the Senate) shall subdivide any allocation made to it in the
joint explanatory statement accompanying the conference report
on such resolution, and promptly report such subdivisions to
the House, in the manner provided by section 302 of the
Congressional Budget Act of 1974.
(e) Whenever the Committee is directed in a concurrent
resolution on the budget to determine and recommend changes in
laws, bills, or resolutions under the reconciliation process it
shall promptly make such determination and recommendations, and
report a reconciliation bill or resolution (or both) to the
House or submit such recommendations to the Committee on the
Budget, in accordance with the Congressional Budget Act of
1974.
RULE NO. 13
Broadcasting of committee hearings and meetings
Whenever any hearing or meeting conducted by the Committee
is open to the public, those proceedings shall be open to
coverage by television, radio, and still photography, as
provided in Clause 4 of House Rule XI, subject to the
limitations therein. Operation and use of any Committee
Internet broadcast system shall be fair and nonpartisan and in
accordance with Clause 4(b) of rule XI and all other applicable
rules of the Committee and the House.
RULE NO. 14
Committee and subcommittee staff
The staff of the Committee on House Administration shall be
appointed as follows:
A. The staff shall be appointed by the Chair or her
or his designee except as provided in paragraph (B),
and may be removed by the Chair and shall work under
the general supervision and direction of the Chair;
B. All staff provided to the minority party members
of the Committee shall be appointed by the ranking
member or her or his designee, and may be removed, by
the ranking minority member of the Committee, and shall
work under the general supervision and direction of
such member;
C. The Chair shall fix the compensation of all staff
of the Committee, after consultation with the ranking
minority member regarding any minority party staff,
within the budget approved for such purposes for the
Committee.
RULE NO. 15
Travel of members and staff
(a) Consistent with the primary expense resolution and such
additional expense resolutions as may have been approved, the
provisions of this rule shall govern travel of Committee
members and staff. Travel for any member or any staff member
shall be paid only upon the prior authorization of the Chair or
her or his designee. Travel may be authorized by the Chair for
any member and any staff member in connection with the
attendance at hearings conducted by the Committee and meetings,
conferences, and investigations which involve activities or
subject matter under the general jurisdiction of the Committee.
Before such authorization is given there shall be submitted to
the Chair in writing the following:
(1) The purpose of the travel;
(2) The dates during which the travel will occur;
(3) The locations to be visited and the length of
time to be spent in each; and
(4) The names of members and staff seeking
authorization.
(b)(1) In the case of travel outside the United States of
members and staff of the Committee for the purpose of
conducting hearings, investigations, studies, or attending
meetings and conferences involving activities or subject matter
under the legislative assignment of the committee, prior
authorization must be obtained from the Chair. Before such
authorization is given, there shall be submitted to the Chair,
in writing, a request for such authorization. Each request,
which shall be filed in a manner that allows for a reasonable
period of time for review before such travel is scheduled to
begin, shall include the following:
(A) the purpose of the travel;
(B) the dates during which the travel will occur;
(C) the names of the countries to be visited and the
length of time to be spent in each;
(D) an agenda of anticipated activities for each
country for which travel is authorized together with a
description of the purpose to be served and the areas
of committee jurisdiction involved; and
(E) the names of members and staff for whom
authorization is sought.
(2) At the conclusion of any hearing, investigation, study,
meeting or conference for which travel outside the United
States has been authorized pursuant to this rule, members and
staff attending meetings or conferences shall submit a written
report to the Chair covering the activities and other pertinent
observations or information gained as a result of such travel.
(c) Members and staff of the Committee performing
authorized travel on official business shall be governed by
applicable laws, resolutions, or regulations of the House and
of the Committee on House Administration pertaining to such
travel.
RULE NO. 16
Number and jurisdiction of subcommittees
(a) There shall be two standing subcommittees, with party
ratios of members as indicated. Subcommittees shall have
jurisdictions as stated by these rules, may conduct oversight
over such subject matter, and may consider such legislation as
may be referred to them by the Chair. The names and
jurisdiction of the subcommittees shall be:
(1) Subcommittee on Capitol Security--(2/1). Matters
pertaining to operations and security of the Congress,
and of the Capitol complex including the House wing of
the Capitol, the House Office Buildings, the Library of
Congress, and other policies and facilities supporting
congressional operations; the U.S. Capitol Police.
(2) Subcommittee on Elections--(4/2). Matters
pertaining to the Federal Election Campaign Act, the
Federal Contested Elections Act, the Help America Vote
Act, the National Voter Registration Act, the Uniformed
and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act, the Federal
Voting Assistance Program, the Bipartisan Campaign
Reform Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act
(accessibility for voters with disabilities), the
Federal Elections Commission (FEC), the Elections
Assistance Commission (EAC), and other election related
issues.
(b) The Chair may establish and appoint members to serve on
task forces of the Committee, to perform specific functions for
limited periods of time, as she or he deems appropriate.
RULE NO. 17
Referral of legislation to subcommittees
The Chair may refer legislation or other matters to a
subcommittee, or subcommittees, as she or he considers
appropriate. The Chair may discharge any subcommittee of any
matter referred to it.
RULE NO. 18
Powers and duties of subcommittees
Each subcommittee is authorized to meet, hold hearings,
receive evidence and report to the full committee on all
matters referred to it. No subcommittee shall meet during any
Committee meeting.
RULE NO. 19
Other procedures and regulations
The Chair may establish such other procedures and take such
actions as may be necessary to carry out the foregoing rules or
to facilitate the effective operation of the committee.
RULE NO. 20
Designation of Clerk of the Committee
For the purposes of these rules and the Rules of the House
of Representatives, the staff director of the Committee shall
act as the clerk of the Committee.
COMMITTEE RESOLUTION 110-2
Resolved, that the following named Members are hereby
elected as chairs and members of the subcommittees of the
Committee:
Subcommittee on Elections
Zoe Lofgren, California, Chairwoman
Kevin McCarthy, California, Ranking Member
Charles A. Gonzalez, Texas Vernon J. Ehlers, Michigan
Susan Davis, California
Juanita Millender-McDonald,
California
Subcommittee on Capitol Security
Robert A. Brady, Pennsylvania, Chairman
Daniel E. Lungren, California, Ranking Member
Michael E. Capuano, Massachusetts
COMMITTEE RESOLUTION 110-3
Resolved, that the Oversight Plan of the Committee on House
Administration for the 110th Congress, as required pursuant to
clause 2(d)(1) of Rule X, is hereby adopted, as follows:
Committee on House Administration
110th Congress Oversight Plan
Member Services
Oversee Members' allowance amounts, including
structure and regulations.
Provide guidance and outreach to congressional
offices to ensure compliance with Committee regulations.
Review and propose regulatory changes to the
Members' Congressional Handbook, a set of regulations governing
the expenditure of Members' Representational Allowances.
Review and propose changes to the Guide to
Outfitting and Maintaining an Office of the U.S. House of
Representatives, a set of regulations governing the
acquisition, transfer, and disposal of furnishings, equipment,
software, and related services.
Evaluate the formulas that authorize the Members'
Representational Allowances and consider proposals for change
to ensure that all Members have adequate resources for
representing their constituents.
Oversee the processing of vouchers and direct
payments, including those for payroll.
Formulate and execute orientation program for new
Members after each congressional election.
Committee Funding and Oversight
Review Monthly Reports on committee activities and
expenditures.
Review Committees' Congressional Handbook
regulations governing expenditure of committee funds and update
regulations as needed.
Review Primary and any Secondary Expense
Resolutions and approve authorization of committee-funding
levels in committee and by House Resolution.
Review Committees' Franking expenditures.
Congressional Accountability Act of 1995
Monitor application of the Congressional
Accountability Act of 1995 (CAA) (PL 104-1).
Review regulations adopted by the Office of
Compliance.
Evaluate resources available to the Office of
Compliance and House Employing Offices to facilitate
implementation of the Act.
Conduct general oversight of the Office of
Compliance.
Monitor ongoing judicial proceedings to determine
the impact on the CAA.
Franking Commission
Oversee the Members' use of the congressional
frank by providing guidance, advice, and counsel through
consultation or advisory opinion on the frankability of
congressional mail.
Review proposals to reform mass mailing practices
of Members, and regulations governing such mailings, and
monitor current prohibition on mass mailings 90 days before a
primary or general election.
Review previously implemented rules to increase
disclosure and improve the accounting of franked mail costs.
Consider revisions of pre-election franking
complaint procedures.
Revise and reprint Regulations on the Use of the
Congressional Frank and Rules on Practice in Proceedings Before
the House Commission on Congressional Mailing Standards.
Review the formula to determine the number of
postal delivery stops in a congressional district which is a
component of the Members' Representational Allowance.
Government Printing Office
Oversee operations of the Government Printing
Office, including the Superintendent of Documents.
Review the need for legislation to reform
government printing by eliminating redundancies, increasing
efficiency, and enhancing public access to government
publications.
Examine options to improve operation and structure
of the GPO Inspector General's office. Monitor implementation
of remedial actions taken to address audit issues identified by
the GPO Inspector General.
Review the printing needs of the House of
Representatives to identify the potential for eliminating
duplication through greater use of GPO services.
Examine current GPO printing and binding
regulations to determine advisability of change.
Oversee Superintendent of Documents' Sales and
Depository Library Programs.
Review use of GPO facilities and other assets to
identify possible alternatives enhancing value to the Congress
and the public.
Oversee preparation of Women in Congress, Black
Americans in Congress, Hispanic Americans in Congress, Asian
and Pacific Islander Americans in Congress, and other
congressionally-authorized publications.
House Officers and House Operations
Analyze management improvement proposals and other
initiatives submitted by the House Officers, the Inspector
General, the Capitol Police Board, and the Architect of the
Capitol.
Coordinate with the Subcommittee on Legislative
Appropriations on matters impacting operations of the House and
joint entities.
Provide policy guidance to the House Officers,
Inspector General and the joint entities as appropriate.
Oversee compliance with the House Employee
Classification Act (2 U.S.C. 291 et seq.).
Assure coordination among officers and joint
entities on administrative and technology matters.
Continue review of congressional continuity
issues, including organizing sessions of Congress at alternate
locations, technological support for Member communications and
chamber operations and filling vacancies in the House.
Provide policy guidance and conduct oversight of
security and safety issues and congressional entities charged
with such roles.
Chief Administrative Officer
Review procedures for processing contracts with
the House that exceed the threshold of $250,000.
Continue to review the current financial
management system and implementation of the Financial System
Replacement project.
Review the structure of House Information
Resources and determine organizational direction of technology
services in the House.
Review and oversee information technology services
provided, maintained or hosted by House Information Resources.
Review new technology initiatives to better serve
Members, committees, and the House.
Continue review of functions and administrative
operations assigned to the Chief Administrative Officer.
Review semi-annual financial and operational
status reports; recommend changes in operations to improve
services and increase efficiencies.
Review the operations of the House gift shop and
methods of proposed management.
Continue review of House restaurant operations;
furniture policy, inventory and selection; and alternatives to
the current mail delivery process in order to strengthen the
services and tools available to Members and staff.
Review the printing needs of the Chief
Administrative Officer's operation to identify the potential
for eliminating duplication through greater use of GPO
services.
Examine Chief Administrative Officer's role in
assuring accessibility to the House wing of the Capitol, the
House Office Buildings and other House facilities consistent
with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Clerk of the House
Review the administration of audio transmission on
the House floor.
Review and approve contracts and requests for
proposals by the Clerk that exceed the $250,000 spending
threshold.
Oversee the Document Management System.
Review progress towards defining a standard for
the electronic exchange of legislative information between
Congress and legislative-branch agencies.
Coordinate on matters under the jurisdiction of
the House Fine Arts Board.
Continue review of functions and administrative
operations assigned to the Clerk.
Review of semi-annual financial and operational
status reports; recommend changes in operations to improve
services and increase efficiencies.
Review the printing needs of the Clerk to evaluate
the potential for eliminating duplication through greater use
of GPO services.
Oversee preparation of Women in Congress, Black
Americans in Congress, Hispanic Americans in Congress, Asian
and Pacific Islander Americans in Congress, and other
congressionally-authorized publications.
House Sergeant at Arms
Review security operations in the House, including
the House chamber, the galleries, the Capitol, House Office
Buildings, and Capitol Grounds.
Review semi-annual financial and operational
status reports; recommend changes in operations to improve
services and increase efficiencies.
Review impact of electronic access to controlled
spaces.
Continue review of functions and administrative
operations assigned to the Sergeant at Arms.
Review the security operation of House parking
facilities, regulations, and allocation of parking spaces.
Review the policies and procedures for visitor
access to the Capitol.
Review the printing needs of the Sergeant at Arms
and the Capitol Police Board to identify the potential for
eliminating duplication through greater use of GPO services.
Examine Sergeant at Arms' role in assuring
accessibility to the House wing of the Capitol, the House
Office Buildings, and other House facilities consistent with
the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Review the use of technology generally in the
protection of the House of Representatives.
U.S. Capitol Police
Generally oversee operations of the agency.
Review and report authorization legislation as
necessary.
Review need for additional USCP facilities and
equipment.
Review analysis of uniformed officer post/duty
assignments to determine and authorize force levels to meet the
agency's security requirements, especially with the advent of
the Capitol Visitors Center and responsibility for U.S. Botanic
Garden.
Monitor human-resources needs of the agency,
including civilian component, attrition rates, recruitment
efforts and incentive programs for officers and civilian
employees.
Review USCP training program for new recruits, and
in-service training.
Review and approve all department reorganizations,
creation of new positions, appointments, terminations, and
certain promotions.
Authorize and oversee the installation and
maintenance of new security systems and devices proposed by the
USCP Board.
Review and authorize regulations prescribed by the
USCP Board for use of law enforcement authority by the Capitol
Police.
Examine options to restructure security at the
Library of Congress and implement legislation to complete the
merger between the Library Police and the Capitol Police
provided for in Sec. 1015 of Public Law 108-7.
Examine Capitol Police role in assuring
accessibility to the House wing of the Capitol, House Office
Buildings and other facilities consistent with the Americans
with Disabilities Act.
Review the use of technology generally in the
protection of the House of Representatives.
House Inspector General
Review proposed audit plan and audit reports.
Review comprehensive financial and operational
audits of the House, investigate any irregularities uncovered,
and monitor necessary improvements.
Monitor progress of House audits.
Continue review of functions and administrative
operations assigned to the Inspector General.
Direct Inspector General to conduct management
advisories to improve implementation and operation of key House
functions.
Oversight of Legislative Branch and Other Entities
Information and Technology Coordination
Oversee, in conjunction with the Senate, forums
for the sharing of technology plans and capabilities among the
legislative branch agencies.
Oversee, in conjunction with the Senate, the
Legislative Branch Telecommunications group.
Oversee continuing improvements to the Legislative
Information System.
Oversee work of the Legislative Branch Financial
Managers' Council.
Library of Congress
Oversee the remedial measures taken by the Library
in response to audit issues.
Conduct a review of the progress that the Library
has made in providing public access to government information,
especially in electronic form.
Continue oversight of Library and Congressional
Research Service operations.
Oversee completion and opening of the National
Audio-Visual Conservation Center at Culpeper, Va.
Examine options to improve the operation and
structure of the Library Inspector General.
Review implementation of the Library of Congress
Fiscal Operations Improvement Act of 2000 (Public Law 106-481),
the Veterans' Oral History Project Act (Public Law 106-380),
the National Recording Preservation Act of 2000 (Public Law No:
106-474), and the History of the House Awareness and
Preservation Act (Public Law 106-99).
Consider human-resources legislation proposed by
the Library.
Examine options to restructure security at the
Library of Congress and implement legislation to complete the
merger between the Library Police and the Capitol Police.
Review the use of technology generally in Library
of Congress operations.
Smithsonian Institution
Review the Smithsonian Inspector General's reports
on the status of the Smithsonian.
Oversee general museum and research facility
operations of the Smithsonian Institution.
Review and oversee Smithsonian Institution budget
authorization.
Consider legislation related to the Smithsonian
Institution.
Provide for the appointment of Citizen Regents to
the Smithsonian Institution's Board of Regents.
Review proposals for authorization of new
Smithsonian facilities.
Review operations of the National Zoo.
Conduct additional oversight of Smithsonian
Networks.
Review the use of technology generally in
Smithsonian operations.
Architect of the Capitol
Review the operations of the Office of the
Architect.
Review the electronic and procured services
provided by the Architect.
Oversee construction and operational planning for
the Capitol Visitors Center project, in conjunction with the
Senate and the Capitol Preservation Commission.
Technology Use by the House
Continue oversight of House Information Resources
and other technology functions of the House to ensure timely,
accurate electronic information dissemination.
Oversee implementation of House Rule XI 2(e)(4)
requiring committee documentation to be made available
electronically, to the maximum extent feasible.
Review computer security measures.
Oversee implementation of Committee hearing room
upgrade program.
Oversee and continue to implement an enterprise
House Disaster Recovery Program for house offices, committees
and member offices.
Oversee and coordinate the House strategic
technology plan.
Conduct and conclude House technology assessment.
Oversight of Federal Election Law and Procedures
Recommend disposition of House election contests
pending before the Committee.
Review operations of the Federal Election
Commission (FEC) and evaluate possible changes to improve
efficiency, improve enforcement of the Federal Election
Campaign Act, improve procedures for the disclosure of
contributions and expenditures, and consider authorization
issues and make recommendations on the FEC's budget.
Review federal campaign-finance laws and
regulations, including Presidential public financing, and
consider potential reforms.
Study the role and impact of political
organizations on federal elections.
Review operations of the Election Assistance
Commission (EAC), evaluate and consider authorization issues
related to EAC governance, examine the implementation of the
Help America Vote Act (HAVA), and make recommendations on the
EAC's budget.
Examine the impact of HAVA on Uniformed and
Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA), and consider
proposals to improve voting methods for those serving and
living abroad.
Review state and federal activities under the
National Voter Registration Act to identify potential for
improvement to voter registration and education programs.
Monitor allegations of fraud and misconduct during
all phases of federal elections and evaluate measures to
improve the integrity of the electoral process.
New Member Orientation
Plan, implement, and oversee the New Member
Orientation Program for newly-elected Members of Congress.
Oversee the planning and implementation of the
Congressional Research Service New Member Issues Seminar in
Williamsburg.
The Committee met on May 8, 2007 and adopted the following
resolution:
COMMITTEE RESOLUTION 110-4
110th Congress Franked Mail Allowances for Committees
Resolved pursuant to Public Law 101-520 Sec. 311(e) [2
U.S.C. 59e(e)] that effective January 3, 2007, and during the
first session of the One Hundred Tenth Congress, the allocation
of the Official Mail Allowance for the following committees of
the House of Representatives shall be set as follows:
------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Committee on Agriculture................................... $5,000
Committee on Armed Services................................ 5,000
Committee on the Budget.................................... 5,000
Committee on Education and Labor........................... 5,000
Committee on Energy and Commerce........................... 5,000
Committee on Financial Services............................ 5,000
Committee on Foreign Affairs............................... 5,000
Committee on Homeland Security............................. 5,000
Committee on House Administration.......................... 5,000
Committee on the Judiciary................................. 5,000
Committee on Natural Resources............................. 5,000
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform............... 5,000
Committee on Rules......................................... 5,000
Committee on Science and Technology........................ 5,000
Committee on Small Business................................ 5,000
Committee on Standards of Official Conduct................. 5,000
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure............. 5,000
Committee on Veterans' Affairs............................. 5,000
Committee on Ways and Means................................ 5,000
Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence................. 5,000
Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming. 5,000
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Resolved further pursuant to Public Law 101-520 Sec. 311(e)
[2 USC 59e(e)] that effective January 3, 2008, and during the
second session of the One Hundred Tenth Congress, the
allocation of the Official Mail Allowance for the following
committees of the House of Representatives shall be set as
follows:
------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Committee on Agriculture................................... $5,000
Committee on Armed Services................................ 5,000
Committee on the Budget.................................... 5,000
Committee on Education and Labor........................... 5,000
Committee on Energy and Commerce........................... 5,000
Committee on Financial Services............................ 5,000
Committee on Foreign Affairs............................... 5,000
Committee on Homeland Security............................. 5,000
Committee on House Administration.......................... 5,000
Committee on the Judiciary................................. 5,000
Committee on Natural Resources............................. 5,000
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform............... 5,000
Committee on Rules......................................... 5,000
Committee on Science and Technology........................ 5,000
Committee on Small Business................................ 5,000
Committee on Standards of Official Conduct................. 5,000
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure............. 5,000
Committee on Veterans' Affairs............................. 5,000
Committee on Ways and Means................................ 5,000
Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence................. 5,000
Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming. 5,000
------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Committee met on June 27, 2007 and adopted the
following resolution:
COMMITTEE RESOLUTION 110-5
Resolved, that Rep. Davis of Alabama is hereby elected to
the Subcommittee of Elections
Second Session
The Committee met on April 2, 2008 and adopted the
following resolution:
COMMITTEE RESOLUTION 110-6
Modifying the Majority membership of the Subcommittee on Capitol
Security
Resolved, that the Majority membership of the Subcommittee
on Capitol Security shall be as follows:
Mr. Capuano, Massachusetts, Chairman
Mr. Brady, Pennsylvania
The Committee met on July 30, 2008 and adopted the
following resolutions:
COMMITTEE RESOLUTION 110-7
Resolved, that the regulations of the Committee on House
Administration pertaining to shared employees are amended as
follows:
1. Each House employee who, during any pay period, is
simultaneously employed by three or more House employing
authorities is required to inform each employing authority in
writing of the employee's employment status and any change in
employment status with other employing authorities;
2. (Upon Committee approval of the Shared Employee
Manual)--Each House employee who, during any pay period, is
simultaneously employed by three or more House employing
authorities is required to file with the House Finance Office a
signed Acknowledgment of Receipt and Understanding of Shared
Employee Manual and Certification of Continued Compliance upon
becoming simultaneously employed by three or more employing
authorities. (see attached Acknowledgement and Certification)
3. Each House employee who is simultaneously employed by
three or more House employing authorities for more than 60 days
during a calendar year must file a Financial Disclosure
Statement under 5 U.S.C app Sec. 101 et. seq by May 15 of each
year.
4. Any House employee engaged in any outside employment or
business activity may not directly, or indirectly through such
outside employment or business activity, sell, lease, or
otherwise provide any goods or assets to any House office or
entity.
Resolved further, that the Chairman of the Committee on
House Administration is authorized to make technical and
conforming amendments to the above regulations upon issuance
and inclusion in the Congressional Handbooks.
Acknowledgment of Receipt and Understanding of
Shared Employee Manual
and Certification of Continuing Compliance
With
The Mandatory Provisions Incorporated Therein
Revised: August _, 2008
I acknowledge that I have received a copy of the Shared
Employee Manual, and that I have read and understand the
contents of the Manual. I understand that the Manual is
intended to provide me with both general and specific
information about House practices, policies, and procedures
attendant to being a shared employee of three or more employing
authorities. I acknowledge and understand that employment
within the House is at-will, and that each employee serves at
the pleasure of the employing authority(s). I understand and
acknowledge that the Shared Employee Manual does not create an
actual or implied contract of employment, nor confer any right
to remain an employee of any House office, nor otherwise change
in any respect the employment- at-will relationship between
employing authority(s) and myself. I certify that I am
currently, and will take all necessary steps to remain, in
compliance with the mandatory provisions of law and regulation
described in the Shared Employee Manual.
__________
(Signature of Shared Employee)
__________
(Date)
COMMITTEE RESOLUTION 110-8
Resolved, that the Committee's Implementing Regulations For
Student Loan Repayment are hereby amended as follows (see
attachment):
1. Add the word ``Program'' to the end of the title.
2. Strike ``Sec. 1.'' and renumber using conventional
section and paragraph numbering.
3. In Section 1(b)(2)(A)(i), strike ``500'' and insert in
lieu thereof ``833''.
4. In Section 1(b)(2)(A)(ii), strike ``40,000'' and insert
in lieu thereof ``60,000''.
5. In Section 1(b)(3)(C)(i)(I), strike ``2.5'' and insert
in lieu thereof ``3.5''.
6. In Section 1(b)(3)(C)(i)(II), strike ``2.5'' and insert
in lieu thereof ``3.5''.
7. In Section 1(d)(5), strike ``which is not paid for
pursuant to the service agreement'' and insert in lieu thereof
``that continues to be the employee's responsibility''.
8. In Section 1(e) 1, strike ``2004, and each January 1
thereafter'' and insert in lieu thereof ``of each year''.
9. In Section 1(f), strike the entire subsection and
renumber accordingly.
10. In Section 1(g)(2) strike paragraphs (A) and (B) and
insert in lieu thereof ``who is an employee of the House of
Representatives.''.
11. In Section 1(h), strike the entire subsection.
12. Renumber as appropriate
Resolved further, that the Chairman of the Committee on
House Administration is authorized to make technical and
conforming amendments to the above regulations upon issuance
and inclusion in the Congressional Handbooks.
The Committee met on September 25, 2008 and adopted the
following resolution:
COMMITTEE RESOLUTION 110-9
Interim Authority
Resolved that the Chairman of the Committee on House
Administration is authorized and directed to take such actions
as may be necessary on behalf of the Committee to discharge the
responsibility of the Committee for the period between the
adjournment sine die of the second session of the 110th
Congress through just prior to noon on January 3, 2009.
Resolved further that interim authority will be exercised
by the Chairman only with respect to those matters which the
full Committee would have been required to act upon had the
House been in session, and which would otherwise disrupt normal
operations if not promptly resolved. Written notice of intent
to act on these matters and a reasonable time for response will
be given to the Ranking Minority Member. Written notice of the
completion of an action taken under interim authority shall he
provided by the Chairman to the Ranking Minority Member.
Resolved further that a complete list of all items approved
by the exercise of interim authority will be provided to the
full Committee.
The Committee met on April 2, 2008 and passed the following
amendment to Regulations Governing the Use of Official Funds:
AMENDMENT TO THE REGULATIONS GOVERNING THE USE OF OFFICIAL FUNDS
BY MEMBERS, COMMITTEES, AND OFFICERS
OF THE
U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
FOR CONSIDERATION: APRIL 2, 2008
EFFECTIVE: UPON APPROVAL
ALTERNATE RIDE HOME
The expenses of transportation via taxi or other commercial
carrier incurred by an employee who regularly commutes between
his/her duty station and residence by mass transit (i.e., via
[Metro, bus, train, etc.]), by registered ridesharing program
[carpools, vanpools, etc.], or by means other than a vehicle of
the employee that has been issued a House parking permit are
reimbursable when:
1. An employee is required by his/her employing
authority to work unscheduled overtime or report to
duty early or stay late outside of his/her regular
working hours (``officially ordered work''); and
2. Transportation via the usual means is not
available or to commute via such means is determined by
the employing authority to be an unreasonable burden.
An Alternate Ride Home expense is only eligible for
reimbursement under the following conditions:
1. The employee seeking reimbursement does not maintain a
single-user parking permit issued by the House of
Representatives.
2. The employee is performing officially ordered work as
certified by the employee's supervisor and/or employing
authority.
3. The employee certifies that the expense is incurred for
transportation originating from or traveling to the employee's
official duties.
4. The individual is authorized in advance by his/her
employing authority to incur said expense.
5. The employee certifies that his/her usual means of
transportation are unavailable or the employing authority
affirms that commute via such means or via alternative means of
public transportation constitute an unreasonable burden.
Examples of non qualifying circumstance include, but are
not limited to, the following:
Reporting to or remaining at work outside of
regular work hours on a voluntary basis;
Performing personal errands;
Transit service disruptions and/or delays;
Weather emergencies; and
Natural disasters.
To request reimbursement, submit a completed voucher,
accompanied by an Alternate Ride Home Form and the original
copy of the vendor receipt or, if a receipt is not available
(e.g., bus or Metro), a memo documenting/describing the
expense(s) incurred, to the Finance Office for processing.
This program must be administered by offices in a non-
discriminatory manner consistent with the requirements of the
Congressional Accountability Act.
On September 30, 2008, the Committee agreed to the
following amendment to Regulations Governing the Use of
Official Funds:
In addition to their official (house.gov) Web site, a
Member may maintain another Web site(s), channel(s) or
otherwise post material on third-party Web sites.
The official content of any material posted by the Member
on any Web site must be in compliance with Federal law and
House Rules and Regulations applicable to official
communications and germane to the conduct of the Member's
official and representational duties.
When a link to a Web site outside the Member's official
cite is imbedded on the Member's official site, the Member's
site must include an exit notice advising the visitor when they
are leaving the House. This exit notice must also include a
disclaimer that neither the Member nor the House is responsible
for the content of the linked site(s).
Chairman is authorized to make technical and conforming
changes to facilitate inclusion into the Committees and Member
handbooks.
Appendix II
Measures Referred to the Committee on House Administration During the
110th Congress