IV 

109TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. RES. 589 

Creating a select committee to oversee and, where necessary, investigate 

and maximize the necessarily significant appropriations expended to win 

the War on Terror, especially within the operational theaters of Afghanistan and Iraq. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

DECEMBER 7, 2005 

Mr. MCCOTTER (for himself and Mr. PETERSON of Minnesota) submitted the 

following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Rules 

RESOLUTION 

Creating a select committee to oversee and, where necessary, 

investigate and maximize the necessarily significant appropriations expended to win the War on Terror, especially within the operational theaters of Afghanistan and 

Iraq. 

Whereas America’s effort to win the War on Terror has necessarily involved significant appropriations, especially 

within the operational theaters of Afghanistan and Iraq; 

Whereas these appropriations are dedicated to maximally 

supplying our military personnel and singularly achieving 

victory, especially in operational theaters of Afghanistan 

and Iraq; and 
2 

•HRES 589 IH 

Whereas in this time of war the Congress must exercise its 

duty to oversee the expenditure of these appropriations to 

ensure these funds are being properly and fully expended 

to provision our military and promote our victory: Now, 

therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, 

2 SECTION 1. ESTABLISHMENT OF SELECT COMMITTEE. 

3 Until otherwise provided by law, there is hereby cre4 ated a select committee (hereinafter referred to as the 

5 ‘‘Victory Committee’’) to oversee and, where necessary, in6 vestigate any and all appropriations expended to win the 

7 War on Terror, especially within the operational theaters 

8 of Afghanistan and Iraq. 

9 SEC. 2. MEMBERSHIP AND FUNCTIONS. 

10 (a) MEMBERSHIP.—The Victory Committee is to be 

11 composed of 10 Members of the House, to be appointed 

12 by the Speaker (of whom 5 shall be appointed upon the 

13 recommendation of the minority leader), one of whom 

14 shall be designated as chair from the majority party and 

15 one of whom shall be designated vice chair from the minor16 ity party. Any vacancy occurring in the membership of the 

17 Victory Committee shall be filled in the same manner in 

18 which the original appointment was made. 

19 (b) FUNCTIONS.—The Victory Committee shall con20 duct ongoing oversight and, where necessary, investiga21 tions of appropriations made by the United States Govern-
3 

•HRES 589 IH 

1 ment to win the War on Terror, especially in the oper2 ational theaters of Afghanistan and Iraq, and to make 

3 such recommendations to the House as the Victory Com4 mittee deems appropriate regarding the following matters: 

5 (1) Overseeing and ensuring compliance with 

6 the bidding, contracting, and auditing standards ap7 plicable to United States Government contracting 

8 with domestic and foreign business entities, domestic 

9 and foreign governmental entities, and domestic and 

10 foreign non-governmental entities. 

11 (2) Examining and, where necessary, proposing 

12 expansions of oversight procedures regarding appro13 priated United States Government funds to the 

14 above listed entities. 

15 (3) Enforcing the accountability of the above 

16 listed entities to ensure appropriated United States 

17 Government funds are being fully utilized and effec18 tively implemented in accordance with their specified 

19 purposes. 

20 (4) Guaranteeing no United States Government 

21 funds appropriated to the above listed entities are 

22 through misfeasance or malfeasance being wasted, 

23 embezzled, laundered, or otherwise misappropriated 

24 and mismanaged, especially as such illegitimate ac-
4 

•HRES 589 IH 

1 tions may result in such funds passing into the 

2 hands of our Nation’s enemies. 

3 (5) Recommending penalties for discovered vio4 lations of law and abuses in the awarding and execu5 tion of Government contracts and agreements. 

6 (6) Recommending the exclusion and replace7 ment of any and all non-compliant or under-per8 forming entities listed above. 

9 (7) Promoting within large comprehensive con10 tracts the inclusion and utilization of small busi11 nesses, through subcontracts or otherwise. 

12 (8) Addressing other such other matters as the 

13 Victory Committee deems appropriate. 

14 SEC. 3. RULES AND PROCEDURES. 

15 (a) QUORUM.— 

16 (1) IN GENERAL.—4 members of the Victory 

17 Committee shall constitute a quorum for the trans18 action of business, except that the issuance of any 

19 report, recommendation, or investigatory finding 

20 shall require a majority of the committee to be actu21 ally present. 

22 (2) LESSER NUMBER PERMITTED FOR HOLDING

23 HEARINGS.—The Victory Committee may designate 

24 a lesser number of members, but not less than 2, as 
5 

•HRES 589 IH 

1 a quorum for the purpose of holding hearings to 

2 take testimony and receive evidence. 

3 (b) POWERS.—For the purpose of carrying out this 

4 resolution, the Victory Committee may—— 

5 (1) sit and act during the present Congress at 

6 any time and place within the United States or else7 where, whether the House is in session, has recessed, 

8 or has adjourned; 

9 (2) may hold such hearings as it considers nec10 essary; and 

11 (3) require, by subpoena or otherwise (as pro12 vided in subsection (c)), the attendance and testi13 mony of such witnesses, the furnishing of informa14 tion by interrogatory, and the production of such 

15 books, records, correspondences, memoranda, pa16 pers, documents, and other things and information 

17 of any kind, including classified materials, as it 

18 deems necessary to further and perform its mission. 

19 (c) ISSUANCE OF SUBPOENAS.—A subpoena may be 

20 authorized and issued by the Victory Committee in the 

21 conduct of any investigation or series of investigations or 

22 activities only when mutually authorized by the chair and 

23 the vice chair. Authorized subpoenas shall be jointly 

24 signed by both the chair and the vice chair (or, in their 

25 absence, by their designated members of the Victory Com-
6 

•HRES 589 IH 

1 mittee), and may be served by any person designated by 

2 the chair and vice chair. Subpoenas shall be issued under 

3 the seal of the House and attested by the Clerk. The Vic4 tory Committee may request investigations, reports, and 

5 other assistance from any agency of the executive, legisla6 tive, and judicial branches of government. 

7 (d) MEETINGS.—The chair, or in his or her absence 

8 the vice chair, shall preside at all meetings and hearings 

9 of the Victory Committee. If the chair and vice chair are 

10 absent, the Victory Committee’s meeting or hearing shall 

11 be conducted by the designee of the chair. All meetings 

12 and hearings of the Victory Committee shall be conducted 

13 in open session, unless a majority of members of the Vic14 tory Committee vote otherwise, there being in attendance 

15 the requisite number of required for the purpose of hear16 ings to take testimony. 

17 (e) APPLICABILITY OF THE RULES OF THE

18 HOUSE.—The Rules of the House of Representatives ap19 plicable to standing committees shall govern the Victory 

20 Committee where not inconsistent with this resolution. 

21 (f) WRITTEN COMMITTEE RULES.—The Victory 

22 Committee shall, upon a majority vote, adopt additional 

23 written rules to govern its procedures, which shall be made 

24 public and shall not be inconsistent with this resolution 

25 or the Rules of the House of Representatives. 
7 

•HRES 589 IH 

1 SEC. 4. ADMINISTRATIVE PROVISIONS. 

2 (a) APPOINTMENT OF STAFF.—Except as provided in 

3 subsection (b), the Victory Committee staff shall be ap4 pointed, and may be removed, by the chair and shall work 

5 under the general supervision and direction of the chair. 

6 (b) POWERS OF VICE CHAIR.—All staff provided to 

7 the minority party members of the Victory Committee 

8 shall be appointed, and may be removed, by the vice chair 

9 of the committee, and shall work under the general super10 vision and direction of the vice chair. 

11 (c) COMPENSATION.—The chair shall fix the com12 pensation of all staff of the Victory Committee, after con13 sultation with the vice chair regarding any minority party 

14 staff, within the budget approved for such purposes for 

15 the Victory Committee. 

16 (d) REIMBURSEMENT OF EXPENSES.—The Victory 

17 Committee may reimburse the members of its staff for 

18 travel, subsistence, and other necessary expenses incurred 

19 by them in the performance of their functions for the Vic20 tory Committee. 

21 (e) PAYMENT OF EXPENSES.—There shall be paid 

22 out of the applicable accounts of the House such sums 

23 as may be necessary for the expenses of the Victory Com24 mittee. Such payments shall be made on vouchers signed 

25 by the chair of the Victory Committee and approved in 

26 the manner directed by the Committee on House Adminis-
8 

•HRES 589 IH 

1 tration. Amounts made available under this subsection 

2 shall be expended in accordance with regulations pre3 scribed by the Committee on House Administration. 

4 SEC. 5. REPORTS. 

5 Upon the agreement of the chair and vice chair and 

6 the subsequent approval by vote of a majority of its mem7 bers, the Victory Committee shall issue its reports, rec8 ommendations, and (where necessary) investigatory find9 ings to the House. Any report issued by the Victory Com10 mittee when the House is not in session shall be filed with 

11 the Clerk of the House. Any report issued by the Victory 

12 Committee shall be referred to the committee or commit13 tees that have jurisdiction over the subject matter of the 

14 report. 

Æ