S590 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE January 15, 2009 

Mrs. MURRAY. Mr. President, I also 

ask unanimous consent that my statement be printed in the RECORD prior to 

the previous vote. 

The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without 

objection, it is so ordered. 

(The remarks of Mrs. MURRAY and 

Mr. ISAKSON are printed in today’s 

RECORD during the consideration of 

S.J. Res. 5.) 

Mr. ISAKSON. I yield the floor and 

note the absence of a quorum. 

The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. 

WHITEHOUSE). The clerk will call the 

roll. 

The legislative clerk proceeded to 

call the roll. 

Mr. REID. I ask unanimous consent 

that the order for the quorum call be 

rescinded. 

The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. 

SANDERS). Without objection, it is so 

ordered. 

f 

COMMITTEE ASSIGNMENTS 

Mr. REID. Mr. President, over the 

course of the past several months, we 

have been working to complete negotiations on making our committee assignments so that all the new members 

will be able to attend committee meetings and be active participants. In 

some instances, I understand that 

chairmen have invited new Members to 

attend meetings and be involved in the 

process. 

I am happy to report that earlier this 

week, the Republican leader and I 

agreed to what the committee ratios 

will be for the 111th Congress. This 

process of give and take is tedious, and 

the giver always feels that they have 

given more, while the taker believes 

that they deserve more. We had to increase the size of some of the committees during these deliberations. In any 

event we have reached agreement on 

ratios, and I ask unanimous consent 

that a copy of that agreement be printed in the RECORD. 

Committee Ratio Agreement 

Agriculture .................................. 12/9 

Judiciary ..................................... 11/8 

Appropriations ............................. 17/13 

Intel ............................................. 8/7 

Armed Services ............................ 15/11 

Aging ........................................... 12/9 

Banking ....................................... 12/9 

Budget ......................................... 13/10 

Commerce .................................... 14/11 

Indian Aff .................................... 9/6 

Energy ......................................... 13/10 

JEC .............................................. 6/4 

EPW ............................................. 11/8 

Rules ............................................ 11/8 

Finance ........................................ 13/10 

Small Bus .................................... 11/8 

For. Relations .............................. 11/8 

Veterans ...................................... 9/6 

HELP ........................................... 13/10 

Homeland ..................................... 10/7 

(Ethics Committee remains at 3/3) 

Mr. REID. With respect to the Democratic membership, we have had a 

meeting of our Democratic Steering 

Committee and they have ratified the 

proposed membership slate. Additionally, the Democratic Caucus has also 

given its stamp of approval to the 

slate. 

Therefore, Mr. President, the majority is ready to proceed ahead with Senate action on considering an organizational resolution which appoints committee membership. However, I understand from the Republican leader that 

they still need to complete their process. So, I fully expect that when we return after the inauguration, the Senate 

will act on an organizational resolution. 

f 

COMMITTEE FUNDING 

Mr. MCCONNELL Mr. President. We 

have included language for the 111th 

Congress which keeps Republican Committee budgets from going below the 

funding allocation for fiscal year 2008. 

Upon enactment of a full year appropriation for the legislative branch, the 

Rules Committee has agreed to authorize $100,000,000 annually for comittee 

majority and minority staff salary 

baselines to be allocated at a 60 percent 

to 40 percent ratio, majority/minority 

respectively, during the 111th Congress. 

Additionally, upon the enactment of 

a full year appropriation for the legislative branch, the authorization will 

provide for salary baselines to be adjusted by future cost-of-living adjustment, COLA, increases as approved by 

the President Pro Tempore of the Senate. Further, the majority leader and 

the chairman of the Rules Committee 

have agreed that 89 percent of special 

reserves is available to each chair/ 

ranking member for administrative expenses, if requested, to be allocated at 

a 60 percent to 40 percent ratio, majority/minority respectively. Special reserves, which have been available to 

committees since 2001, shall not exceed 

historic levels. 

While fiscal constraints have made 

this process very difficult, I appreciate 

the good faith effort made by the majority leader to fulfill the commitment 

we entered into at the beginning of the 

110th Congress to keep minority staff 

salary baselines from going below funding levels allocated to the Republicans 

in the 109th Congress. The agreement 

we have reached provides the ability 

for minority committee budgets to be 

funded no less than the allocation in 

the 110th Congress. 

Mr REID. I concur with the remarks 

of the Republican leader. The baseline 

was not reduced for Democratic staff in 

the 108th Congress and this agreement 

allows for a similar accommodation for 

the Republicans in the 111th Congress. 

I ask unanimous consent that a joint 

leadership letter be printed in the 

RECORD. 

There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in the 

RECORD, as follows: 

We mutually commit to the following for 

the 111th Congress: 

Upon enactment of a full year appropriation for the legislative branch, the majority 

and minority staff salary baselines for the 

committees of the Senate, including Joint 

and Special Committees, and all other subgroups, shall be apportioned at a 60 percent 

to 40 percent ratio, majority/minority respectively, based on an authorization of 

$100,000,000 annually. Additionally, upon enactment of a full year appropriation for the 

legislative branch, the authorization will 

provide for salary baselines to be adjusted by 

future cost of living adjustment, COLA, increases as approved by the President Pro 

Tempore of the Senate. Further, the majority leader and the chairman of the Rules 

Committee have agreed that 89 percent of 

special reserves is available to each chair/ 

ranking member for administrative expenses, if requested, to be allocated at a 60 

percent to 40 percent ratio, majority/minority respectively. 

This will allow individual minority committee funding levels to remain unchanged, 

if special reserves are requested. Therefore, 

no committee budget shall be allocated to 

reduce the minority committee budget below 

that of fiscal year 2008. 

Funds for committee expenses shall be 

available to each chairman consistent with 

the Senate rules and practices of the 110th 

Congress. 

The chairman and ranking member of any 

committee, may, by mutual agreement, 

modify the apportionment of committee 

funding, and/or space. 

The division of committee office space 

shall be commensurate with the 60 percent 

to 40 percent ratio. 

f 

MORNING BUSINESS 

Mr. REID. I ask unanimous consent 

that the Senate proceed to a period of 

morning business, with Senators allowed to speak therein for up to 10 

minutes each. 

The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without 

objection, it is so ordered. 

f 

OMNIBUS PUBLIC LAND 

MANAGEMENT ACT OF 2009 

Mr. DODD. Mr. President, I rise 

today to commend the Senate for its 

passage of the Quinebaug and 

Shetucket Rivers Valley National Heritage Corridor Amendments Act, which 

was included as part of S. 22, the Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 

2009. First, I would like to thank Senators LIEBERMAN, KERRY, and KENNEDY, 

who joined me in introducing a standalone version of this bill last week and 

have worked with me for many years 

to preserve this beautiful part of New 

England. I would also like to thank the 

chairman of the Energy and Natural 

Resources Committee, Senator BINGAMAN, for his tireless work to pass all of 

the critically important public lands 

bills included in S. 22. Because of his 

efforts, hundreds of thousands of acres 

of pristine wilderness will be added to 

the National Wilderness Preservation 

System, and many new ecologically 

unique and culturally significant sites 

will receive Federal protection under 

the National Wild and Scenic Rivers 

System, the National Trails System, 

and the National Heritage Area program. 

I have long felt that as Senators, one 

of our most important obligations is to 

ensure that our Nation’s vast array of 


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