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105TH CONGRESS REPORT " ! HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 1st Session 105–79

PROVIDING AMOUNTS FOR THE EXPENSES OF CERTAIN

COMMITTEES OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES IN

THE ONE HUNDRED FIFTH CONGRESS

APRILL 28, 1997.—Referred to the House Calendar and ordered to be printed

Mr. THOMAS, from the Committee on House Oversight,

submitted the following

REPORT

[To accompany H. Res. 129]

The Committee on House Oversight, to whom was referred the

resolution (H. Res. 129) providing amounts for the expenses of certain committees of the House of Representatives in the One Hundred Fifth Congress, having considered the same, report favorably

thereon with an amendment and recommend that the resolution be

agreed to.

The amendment is as follows:

Strike out all after the resolving clause and insert the following:

SECTION 1. COMMITTEE EXPENSES FOR THE ONE HUNDRED FIFTH CONGRESS.

(a) IN GENERAL.—With respect to the One Hundred Fifth Congress, there shall

be paid out of the applicable accounts of the House of Representatives, in accordance

with this primary expense resolution, not more than the amount specified in subsection (b) for the expenses (including the expenses of all staff salaries) of each committee named in that subsection.

(b) COMMITTEES AND AMOUNTS.—The committees and amounts referred to in subsection (a) are: Committee on Agriculture, $7,656,162; Committee on Banking and

Financial Services, $8,901,617; Committee on the Budget, $9,940,000; Committee on

Commerce, $14,535,406; Committee on Education and the Workforce, $10,125,113;

Committee on House Oversight, $6,050,349; Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, $4,815,526; Committee on International Relations, $10,368,358; Committee

on the Judiciary, $10,604,041; Committee on National Security, $9,721,745; Committee on Resources, $9,876,550; Committee on Rules, $4,649,102; Committee on

Science, $8,677,830; Committee on Small Business, $3,906,941; Committee on

Standards of Official Conduct, $2,456,300; Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, $12,184,459; Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, $4,344,160; and Committee

on Ways and Means, $11,036,907.

SEC. 2. FIRST SESSION LIMITATIONS.

(a) IN GENERAL.—Of the amount provided for in section 1 for each committee

named in subsection (b), not more than the amount specified in such subsection

shall be available for expenses incurred during the period beginning at noon on January 3, 1997, and ending immediately before noon on January 3, 1998.
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(b) COMMITTEES AND AMOUNTS.—The committees and amounts referred to in subsection (a) are: Committee on Agriculture, $3,791,039; Committee on Banking and

Financial Services, $4,363,817; Committee on the Budget, $4,970,000; Committee on

Commerce, $7,122,959; Committee on Education and the Workforce, $5,002,127;

Committee on House Oversight, $3,042,603; Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, $2,358,040; Committee on International Relations, $5,145,358; Committee

on the Judiciary, $5,054,800; Committee on National Security, $4,719,454; Committee on Resources, $4,800,014; Committee on Rules, $2,306,407; Committee on

Science, $4,263,672; Committee on Small Business, $1,936,471; Committee on

Standards of Official Conduct, $1,276,300; Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, $5,992,229; Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, $2,084,368; and Committee

on Ways and Means, $5,366,700.

SEC. 3. SECOND SESSION LIMITATIONS.

(a) IN GENERAL.—Of the amount provided for in section 1 for each committee

named in subsection (b), not more than the amount specified in such subsection

shall be available for expenses incurred during the period beginning at noon on January 3, 1998, and ending immediately before noon on January 3, 1999.

(b) COMMITTEES AND AMOUNTS.—The committees and amounts referred to in subsection (a) are: Committee on Agriculture, $3,865,123; Committee on Banking and

Financial Services, $4,537,800; Committee on the Budget, $4,970,000; Committee on

Commerce, $7,412,447; Committee on Education and the Workforce, $5,122,986;

Committee on House Oversight, $3,007,746; Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, $2,457,486; Committee on International Relations, $5,223,000; Committee

on the Judiciary, $5,549,241; Committee on National Security, $5,002,291; Committee on Resources, $5,076,536; Committee on Rules, $2,342,695; Committee on

Science, $4,414,158; Committee on Small Business, $1,970,470; Committee on

Standards of Official Conduct, $1,180,000; Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, $6,192,230; Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, $2,259,792; and Committee

on Ways and Means, $5,670,207.

SEC. 4. VOUCHERS.

Payments under this resolution shall be made on vouchers authorized by the committee involved, signed by the chairman of such committee, and approved in the

manner directed by the Committee on House Oversight.

SEC. 5. REGULATIONS.

Amounts made available under this resolution shall be expended in accordance

with regulations prescribed by the Committee on House Oversight.

SEC. 6. ADJUSTMENT AUTHORITY.

The Committee on House Oversight shall have authority to make adjustments in

amounts under section 1, if necessary to comply with an order of the President issued under section 254 of the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act

of 1985 or to conform to any reduction in appropriations for the purposes of such

section 1.

COMMITTEE ACTION

On April 24, 1997, by voice vote, a quorum being present, the

Committee agreed to an amendment in the nature of a substitute

and agreed to a motion to report the resolution favorably to the

House, as amended.

COMMITTEE OVERSIGHT FINDINGS

In compliance with clause 2(l)(3)(A) of rule XI of the Rules of the

House of Representatives, the Committee states that the findings

and recommendations of the Committee, based on oversight activities under clause 2(b)(1) of rule X of the Rules of the House of Representatives, are incorporated in the descriptive portions of this report.

STATEMENT ON BUDGET AUTHORITY AND RELATED ITEMS

The resolution does not provide new budget authority, new

spending authority, new credit authority, or an increase or de-
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crease in revenues or tax expenditures, and a statement under

clause 2(l)(3)(B) of rule XI of the Rules of the House of Representatives and section 308(a)(1) of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974

is not required.

CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE COST ESTIMATE

In compliance with clause 2(l)(3)(C) of rule XI of the Rules of the

House of Representatives, the Committee states, with respect to

the resolution, that the Director of the Congressional Budget Office

did not submit a cost estimate and comparison under section 403

of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974.

OVERSIGHT FINDINGS OF COMMITTEE ON GOVERNAMENT REFORM AND

OVERSIGHT

The Committee states, with respect to clause 2(l)(3)(D) of rule XI

of the Rules of the House of Representatives, that the Committee

on Government Reform and Oversight did not submit findings or

recommendations based on investigations under clause 4(c)(2) of

rule X of the Rules of the House of Representatives.

ROLLCALL VOTES

In relation to clause 2(l)(2)(B) of rule XI of the Rules of the

House of Representatives, the Committee states that there were no

rollcall votes with respect to the resolution.

GENERAL DISCUSSION

H. Res. 129, as amended, authorizes $149,850,566 for committee

salaries and expenses for 17 standing committees of the House of

Representatives (excluding the Committee on Appropriations and

the Committee on Government Reform and Oversight) and the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. The amendment in the

nature of a substitute offered by Mr. Boehner and passed by the

Committee, was the only amendment offered to the resolution. The

minority offered no amendments to the funding resolution.

In a separate Committee action, the Chairman announced his intent to request a change in House Rule XI, clause 5(f)(3) which currently allows committees, to receive 9 per centum (or such lesser

per centum as may be determined by the Committee on House

Oversight) of the total annualized amount made available under

expense resolutions for such committee in the preceding session of

Congress * * * for the period beginning at noon on January 3 and

ending at midnight on March 31 in each odd-numbered year. The

requested change would reduce the 9 per centum to 8 per centum.

Thus, interim funding for committees would be at 96% of the annual funding of the previous session until an expense resolution is

passed by the House.

On March 21, 1997, the House considered and passed H. Res. 91

which funded the Committee on Government Reform and Oversight

at $11,702,573 in 1997 and $8,317,999 in 1998 as well as a total

of $7,900,000 for the Reserve Fund for the entire 105th Congress.

Additionally, H. Res. 91, section 7, requires an offset within other

legislative branch activities for any increase in 105th Congress

Committee expenses if they exceed the funds appropriated for the
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104th Congress. The offset terms of the Resolution affect the funding expenses of the committees funded in H. Res. 91 as well as

those funded in H. Res. 129.

By Committee resolution, approved on March 12, 1997, the Committee on House Oversight established franked mail allocations for

all committees and the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence.

Committee Funding in the 104th Congress

Significant changes were enacted at the beginning of the 104th

Congress which affected the structure and jurisdiction of Committees. In the 104th Congress, three standing committees and 32 subcommittees were abolished. Committee staff was reduced by 33%

from the 103d Congress levels and committee funding authorization

was reduced by a total of 30%, $67,003,290. Additionally, committees became directly responsible and accountable for costs previously paid from funds not specifically authorized through a committee funding resolution. These costs included, scanning and

graphics, local telephone line charges, long-distance telephone call

charges, office supplies and franked mail. Prior to the 104th Congress, these costs were paid from other House funds, separate from

the investigative and statutory funding procedures. The 30% reduction in funding was achieved even after mandating full accountability by committees for these costs.

The 104th Congress was one of the most prolific and substantive

Congresses in history. According to statistics complied by the Committee on Rules, the House spent 2,445 hours in session deliberating on and passing 333 bills into law, including landmark legislation such as welfare reform, a balanced budget and health care reform. This was accomplished with fewer committee staff and significantly fewer financial resources than was authorized in the

prior Congress.

Committee funding process

The 105th Congress is the second funding cycle under the biennial funding process instituted in the 104th Congress. At the beginning of the 104th Congress House Rules were revised, changing the

Committee funding process to a biennial cycle and abolishing the

bifurcation of funding under statutory and investigative accounts.

Committee Chairmen in the 104th Congress achieved the ambitious goals established by the new Republican majority, including

those of fiscal conservatism and legislative proclivity. The biennial

committee funding process has proven successful in at least two respects. First, every House committee chairman was a new chairman, and was asked to present a two-year budget and to predict

the needs and the legislative goals of the committees over which

they had only recently taken control. 104th Congress Chairmen did

plan realistic budgets which funded the needs of their committees,

simultaneously reducing budgets by an average of 30% from their

predecessors. Second, a two-year budget cycle saves time and resources for all committees because the process is undertaken only

once per Congress, rather than twice as was done previously. The

biennial funding process facilitates long term planning and cuts in
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half the time and resources dedicated to making, defending and approving budget requests.

At the outset of the 104th Congress, the Committee on House

Oversight adopted a regulation which required committees to reimburse legislative and executive branch agencies or departments for

any detailees working for the committee. The regulation has been

revised for the 105th Congress. Committees must continue to reimburse for detailees from the Government Printing Office. Committees will not, however, be required by the Committee on House

Oversight to reimburse other agencies for details, so long as the

number of details at any one committee does not exceed 10% of

their staff ceiling. Agencies must be reimbursed for details above

this 10% limit. While details often provide special expertise not

available on committee staff, or expertise not required on a permanent basis, this policy is intended to continue to ensure prudent

use of other agencies’ resources and to continue a full-accountability model for committee funding.

H. Res. 129

The sum total of the budget requests for the committees funded in this Resolution was $160,108,743. The amount authorized for

the operations of the 17 standing committees and the Permanent

Select Committee on Intelligence in this Resolution is

$149,850,566. The authorization for the operations of the effected

committees is reduced by $10,258,177, ¥6%, from the requested

amounts. The funding for the effected committees in the 105th Congress is an average 2% increase over two years above the 104th

Congress levels. The amount authorized in this Resolution is $46,892,058, 24%,

less than the funding for like committees in the 103d Congress.

Committee 105th request H. Res. 129 1997 1998

Agriculture .......................................................................................... $7,792,162 $7,656,162 $3,791,039 $3,865,123

Banking .............................................................................................. 9,414,785 8,901,617 4,363,817 4,537,800

Budget ................................................................................................ 9,940,000 9,940,000 4,970,000 4,970,000

Commerce .......................................................................................... 15,191,538 14,535,406 7,122,959 7,412,447

Education ........................................................................................... 10,569,157 10,125,113 5,002,127 5,122,986

House Oversight ................................................................................. 6,160,946 6,050,349 3,042,603 3,007,746

Intelligence ......................................................................................... 5,040,526 4,815,526 2,358,040 2,457,486

International Relations ...................................................................... 11,143,892 10,368,358 5,145,358 5,223,000

Judiciary ............................................................................................. 12,037,046 10,604,041 5,054,800 5,549,241

National Security ................................................................................ 10,668,640 9,721,745 4,719,454 5,002,291

Resources ........................................................................................... 10,418,537 9,876,550 4,800,014 5,076,536

Rules .................................................................................................. 4,649,102 4,649,102 2,306,407 2,342,695

Science ............................................................................................... 9,128,727 8,677,830 4,263,672 4,414,158

Small Business .................................................................................. 4,339,817 3,906,941 1,936,471 1,970,470

Standards 1 ........................................................................................ 2,439,300 2,456,300 1,276,300 1,180,000

Transportation .................................................................................... 14,096,282 12,184,459 5,992,229 6,192,230

Veterans’ Affairs ................................................................................ 5,744,757 4,344,160 2,084,368 2,259,792

Ways and Means ................................................................................ 11,333,529 11,036,907 5,366,700 5,670,207

Total ...................................................................................... 160,108,743 149,850,566 73,596,358 76,254,208

1 H. Res. 129 includes $60,000 for Ethics Reform Task Force expenses.

Minority resources

The majority is proud of the progress that has been made by its

committees towards the goal of allocating one-third of each commit-
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tee’s resources to the minority. We remain committed to this goal.

In 1990, the Democratic Majority, pursuant to Democratic Caucus

Rule 34(F), adopted a policy that the committee caucuses shall not

be required to provide for more than 20 percent of the total funding

for minority investigative staff for the full committee and each subcommittee of the committee. In 1994, at the end of the 103d Congress, only four committees (exclusive of those that share bipartisan and nonpartisan staff) allowed one-third of their resources,

staff and funds, to the minority party.

When the new majority assumed control in the 104th Congress,

the number of committee staff allocated to the minority party significantly improved:

102d 103d 104th 1995 &

1996

105th

1997 & 1991 1992 1993 1994 1998

Percent of Committees providing 33% of staff slots 1 to the minority 6 13 0 6 44 47

Number of Committees providing:

33% or more ................................................................................. 1 2 0 1 7 7

25% to 32% ................................................................................. 3 2 5 5 6 7

20% to 24% ................................................................................. 5 1 3 2 3 1

Less than 20% ............................................................................. 7 11 8 8 0 0

1 For the 102d and 103d Congress the calculation is from the investigative staff.

For the 105th Congress, there has been no erosion of the resources provided to the minority party, and additional progress has

been made. Of those seventeen committees that have partisan staff,

nine committees have achieved the goal of one-third allocation of

the total budget or staff salaries to the minority. Of the eight remaining committees, three have increased their allocation to the

minority party for the 105th Congress. The situation has improved

significantly and progress will be monitored and encouraged.

The minority did not submit views to this report.

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