U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE

32–362 WASHINGTON : 2018

BUSINESS MEETING ON H.R. 4009, SMITHSONIAN 

NATIONAL ZOOLOGICAL PARK CENTRAL PARKING FACILITY AUTHORIZATION ACT, AND A 

COMMITTEE RESOLUTION 

HEARING 

BEFORE THE 

COMMITTEE ON HOUSE 

ADMINISTRATION 

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

ONE HUNDRED FIFTEENTH CONGRESS 

FIRST SESSION 

DECEMBER 13, 2017 

Printed for the use of the Committee on House Administration 

( 

Available on the Internet: 

http://www.gpoaccess.gov/congress/house/administration/index.html 

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COMMITTEE ON HOUSE ADMINISTRATION

GREGG HARPER, Mississippi, Chairman 

RODNEY DAVIS, Illinois, Vice Chairman 

BARBARA COMSTOCK, Virginia 

MARK WALKER, North Carolina 

ADRIAN SMITH, Nebraska 

BARRY LOUDERMILK, Georgia 

ROBERT A. BRADY, Pennsylvania, 

Ranking Member 

ZOE LOFGREN, California 

JAMIE RASKIN, Maryland 

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BUSINESS MEETING ON H.R. 4009, SMITHSONIAN NATIONAL ZOOLOGICAL PARK CENTRAL PARKING FACILITY AUTHORIZATION 

ACT, AND A COMMITTEE RESOLUTION 

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2017 

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, 

COMMITTEE ON HOUSE ADMINISTRATION, 

Washington, DC. 

The Committee met, pursuant to call, at 11:40 a.m., in Room 

1310, Longworth House Office Building, Hon. Gregg Harper [Chairman of the Committee] presiding. 

Present: Representatives Harper, Davis, Walker, Smith, Brady, 

and Raskin. 

Staff Present: Sean Moran, Staff Director; Bob Sensenbrenner, 

General Counsel; Cole Felder, Deputy General Counsel; Dan 

Jarrell, Legislative Clerk; Max Engling, Staff Director of the 

Franking Commission; Mary Sue Englund, Director of Administration and Operations; Erin McCracken, Communications Director; 

Jamie Fleet, Minority Staff Director; Khalil Abboud, Minority Deputy Staff Director; and Eddie Flaherty, Minority Chief Clerk. 

The CHAIRMAN. I call to order the Committee on House Administration for today’s Committee markup. A quorum is present, so we 

may proceed. The meeting record will remain open for 5 legislative 

days so Members may submit any materials they wish to be included therein. 

We are here today to formally approve a Committee resolution to 

update the advertisement regulations found in the Members’ Congressional Handbook and to markup H.R. 4009, the Smithsonian 

National Zoological Park Central Parking Facility Authorization 

Act. 

Our first agenda item deals with creating an advertisement with 

official resources. Representatives of the House are required to follow the regulations found in the Members’ Congressional Handbook 

and submit the advertisement to the Franking Commission for an 

advisory opinion. 

The Committee resolution before us updates the regulations to 

allow advertisements that link directly to a Federal dot-gov or 

House of Representatives hosted website. This update will offer additional flexibility to Members when communicating with their constituents, while ensuring that the Franking Commission has clear 

direction on how to review advertisements. 

Our second agenda item, H.R. 4009, authorizes the Smithsonian 

Board of Regents to plan, design, and construct a centralized parkSSpencer on DSKBBXCHB2PROD with HEARING

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ing facility at the National Zoo in Washington, D.C., using nonappropriated funds. Currently, parking at the zoo includes several 

paved surface lots spread across the campus. The proposed new facility, included in the zoo’s 2008 master plan, consolidates public 

parking into a garage located at the mid-point of the zoo. Benefits 

of the project include increasing onsite visitor parking to better 

meet demand, expanding animal habitat by repurposing some surface lots, improving security through consolidating access points, 

and enhancing pedestrian safety. 

The Smithsonian intends to enter into a public-private partnership for the project. The developer would be responsible for the design, construction, maintenance, and operations of the facility for 

a fixed term, with the zoo receiving an annual payment based on 

revenues. No appropriated funds will be expended for the project. 

The developer will assume sole responsibility for financing. 

I would now like to recognize the Ranking Member, Mr. Brady, 

for the purpose of providing an opening statement, if he wishes. 

Mr. BRADY. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I have no opening statement. 

The CHAIRMAN. Does any other Member wish to be recognized for 

the purpose of an opening statement? 

The Chair recognizes the Vice Chairman of the Committee, Mr. 

Davis. 

Mr. DAVIS. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I want to thank you for 

holding this markup, and I look forward to discussing the proposed 

and much needed changes to the Members’ Congressional Handbook. As Chair of the Franking Commission, I think these are long 

overdue. 

I want to say I appreciate my counterpart on the Franking Commission, which many of you know is an equally divided commission 

that oversees the franking rules that Members have to follow for 

offering communications from our offices. My colleague and counterpart, Susan Davis, brought this issue to our attention. And I am 

glad we could find a solution that will benefit all of our Members 

on both sides in being able to communicate directly with our constituents the important work we are doing on their behalf. 

And as I communicated with Congresswoman Davis, it has never 

been our intention to prevent Members from communicating about 

websites like healthcare.gov with their constituents. But unfortunately, during these discussions, longstanding rules within the 

Members’ Congressional Handbook have strictly prohibited directly 

linking to any website, other than the Member’s official website, 

when it comes to paid advertisements. We all know government’s 

not the best in keeping up with technology, and something this 

Committee has been focused on changing in many aspects of the 

House. And these changes that we are proposing today are long 

overdue. 

As more and more information is available to our constituents 

online, it only makes sense that we are able to link to these dotgov and House-hosted sites in paid advertisements just as we are 

in regular communications through our offices. I hope this change 

today spurs interest in what I have been hoping to do, which is to 

review and update rules regarding Member communications to ensure that we have rules and transparency in place that better help 

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our Members directly communicate with the people that they represent. 

So I look forward to this change, and I look forward to working 

with all of the Members of this Committee in a bipartisan way to 

ensure more transparency as we move into the future. 

And I yield back. 

The CHAIRMAN. The gentleman yields back. 

The Chair would certainly like to acknowledge the great work 

and the hard work that Mr. Davis has done, and we thank you for 

that effort. 

Any other Member wish to make an opening? 

Seeing none, I now call up and lay before the Committee the resolution to approve the update to the Members’ Congressional 

Handbook. Without objection, the first reading of the resolution is 

dispensed with, and the resolution is considered read and open for 

amendment at any point. 

[The resolution follows:] 

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The CHAIRMAN. Is there any debate? 

Seeing none, are there any Members who want to offer an 

amendment to the resolution? 

If not, I move the Committee to adopt the resolution. The question is on the motion. All those in favor, signify by saying aye. 

All opposed, say nay. 

In the opinion of the Chair, the ayes have it, and the motion is 

agreed to. 

Without objection, the motion to reconsider is laid upon the table. 

The CHAIRMAN. And I now call up and lay before the Committee 

H.R. 4009, Smithsonian National Zoological Park Central Parking 

Facility Authorization Act. Without objection, the first reading of 

the bill is dispensed with, and the bill is considered read and open 

for amendment at any point. 

[The bill follows:] 

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The CHAIRMAN. Is there any debate? 

Are there any Members who want to offer an amendment to the 

bill? 

If not, I move the Committee favorably report the bill. The question is on the motion. All those in favor, signify by saying aye. 

Opposed, say nay. 

In the opinion of the Chair, the ayes have it, and the motion is 

agreed to. Without objection, the motion to reconsider is laid upon 

the table. 

Without objection, the markup is adjourned. 

[Whereupon, at 11:47 a.m., the Committee was adjourned.] 

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