IV 

112TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. CON. RES. 2 

Establishing the Congressional Commission on the European Union, and 

for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JANUARY 5, 2011 

Mr. ISSA submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was referred to 

the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the Committee on 

Rules, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each 

case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of 

the committee concerned 

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 

Establishing the Congressional Commission on the European 

Union, and for other purposes. 

1 Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate 

2 concurring), 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This resolution may be cited as the ‘‘Congressional 

5 Commission on the European Union Resolution’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT OF CONGRESSIONAL COMMISSION 

2 ON THE EUROPEAN UNION. 

3 There is established in the legislative branch the Con4 gressional Commission on the European Union (hereafter 

5 in this resolution referred to as the ‘‘Commission’’). 

6 SEC. 3. MEMBERSHIP OF COMMISSION. 

7 (a) SELECTION AND APPOINTMENT OF MEMBERS.— 

8 The Commission shall be composed of 18 members as fol9 lows: 

10 (1) Nine Members of the House of Representa11 tives who shall be appointed by the Speaker of the 

12 House of Representatives, of whom 5 shall be se13 lected from the majority party, after consultation 

14 with the Chairman of the Committee on Foreign Af15 fairs, and 4 shall be selected from the minority 

16 party, after consultation with the minority leader of 

17 the House and the ranking minority member of the 

18 Committee on Foreign Affairs. For purposes of this 

19 paragraph, a Delegate or Resident Commissioner to 

20 the Congress shall be considered a Member of the 

21 House of Representatives. 

22 (2) Nine Members of the Senate who shall be 

23 appointed by the President pro tempore of the Sen24 ate, of whom 5 shall be selected from the majority 

25 party of the Senate, after consultation with the ma26 jority leader and the Chairman of the Committee on 


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1 Foreign Affairs, and 4 shall be selected from the mi2 nority party, after consultation with the minority 

3 leader of the Senate and the ranking minority mem4 ber of the Committee on Foreign Affairs. 

5 (b) CHAIRMAN AND VICE CHAIRMAN.— 

6 (1) ODD-NUMBERED CONGRESS.—At the begin7 ning of each odd-numbered Congress— 

8 (A) the President pro tempore of the Sen9 ate, on the recommendation of the majority 

10 leader, shall designate one of the Senate Mem11 bers of the Commission to serve as Chairman of 

12 the Commission during that Congress; and 

13 (B) the Speaker of the House of Rep14 resentatives shall designate one of the House 

15 Members of the Commission to serve as Vice 

16 Chairman of the Commission during that Con17 gress. 

18 (2) EVEN-NUMBERED CONGRESS.—At the be19 ginning of each even-numbered Congress— 

20 (A) the Speaker of the House of Rep21 resentatives shall designate one of the House 

22 Members of the Commission to serve as Chair23 man of the Commission during that Congress; 

24 and 


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1 (B) the President pro tempore of the Sen2 ate, on the recommendation of the majority 

3 leader, shall designate one of the Senate Mem4 bers of the Commission to serve as Vice Chair5 man of the Commission during that Congress. 

6 SEC. 4. DUTIES OF COMMISSION. 

7 (a) ACTIVITIES.—The Commission shall work with 

8 the European Parliament of the European Union and the 

9 European Commission on a frequent and regular basis in 

10 order to— 

11 (1) enable Members, officers, and employees of 

12 Congress to provide expert advice to members and 

13 staff of the European Parliament of the European 

14 Union and the European Commission, and to permit 

15 members and staff of such entities to obtain the 

16 services of the Congressional Budget Office, the 

17 Congressional Research Service, and the Govern18 ment Accountability Office through requests trans19 mitted to the Commission; 

20 (2) enable members and staff of the European 

21 Parliament of the European Union and the Euro22 pean Commission visiting Congress and its support 

23 agencies to learn about their corresponding oper24 ations first-hand; and 


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1 (3) provide information and recommendations 

2 to committees of the House of Representatives and 

3 Senate regarding legislation, regulatory standards, 

4 and activities being proposed by the European Par5 liament and European Commission. 

6 (b) STUDIES.—In order to carry out the activities de7 scribed in subsection (a), the Commission shall conduct 

8 on an annual basis (or more frequently if necessary) a 

9 study on the impact on United States interests of legisla10 tion recently passed by the European Parliament and reg11 ulations issued by the European Commission. The Com12 mission shall conduct on an annual basis a study on the 

13 impact on the European Union of legislation recently 

14 passed by Congress and regulations issued by the execu15 tive branch. The studies required under this subsection 

16 shall also assess the following: 

17 (1) The potential benefit to the European Par18 liament and European Commission of expert advice 

19 from Members, staff, and committees of Congress in 

20 areas including, but not limited to, regulatory re21 form, trade, defense, monetary policy, homeland se22 curity, human rights, science and technology, gov23 ernment oversight, education, agriculture, and 

24 health. 


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1 (2) The potential benefit to Congress of expert 

2 advice from members, staff, and committees of the 

3 European Union and European Commission in areas 

4 including, but not limited to, regulatory reform, 

5 trade, defense, monetary policy, homeland security, 

6 human rights, science and technology, government 

7 oversight, education, agriculture, and health. 

8 (c) REPORT.—Not later than 180 days after the es9 tablishment of the Commission and annually thereafter, 

10 the Commission shall submit to Congress a report on the 

11 following: 

12 (1) The results of the studies conducted pursu13 ant to subsection (b). 

14 (2) In accordance with the results of such stud15 ies, a review of the activities of the Commission in 

16 the immediately preceding year and a proposal for 

17 the activities of the Commission in the subsequent 

18 year, as described in subsection (a). 

19 (d) OFFICIAL MEETINGS OF THE COMMISSION.—The 

20 Commission may hold hearings or meetings at the discre21 tion of the Chairman on matters of mutual interest to 

22 Congress and the European Parliament and European 

23 Commission. 


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1 (e) ADMINISTRATION OF OATHS.—The Chairman of 

2 the Commission or any member designated by the Chair3 man may administer oaths to any witness. 

4 SEC. 5. PARTICIPATION OF CERTAIN LEGISLATIVE BRANCH 

5 EMPLOYEES. 

6 At the request of the Commission, the head of any 

7 office or committee of the House of Representatives or the 

8 Senate, or the Congressional Budget Office, the Congres9 sional Research Service, and the Government Account10 ability Office may assist the work of the Commission by 

11 authorizing personnel of such office, committee, or agency, 

12 as the case may be, to participate in activities of the Com13 mission. 

14 SEC. 6. FUNDING FOR COMMISSION. 

15 (a) FUNDING; DISBURSEMENTS.— 

16 (1) SOURCE OF FUNDING.—There are author17 ized to be appropriated for each fiscal year such 

18 sums as may be necessary to enable the Commission 

19 to carry out its duties and functions, to be derived— 

20 (A) in the case of a fiscal year which ends 

21 during a Congress during which the Chairman 

22 of the Commission is a Member of the House 

23 of Representatives, from the applicable accounts 

24 of the House of Representatives; and 


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1 (B) in the case of a fiscal year which ends 

2 during a Congress during which the Chairman 

3 of the Commission is a Member of the Senate, 

4 from the contingent fund of the Senate. 

5 (2) DISBURSEMENTS.—Funds provided to the 

6 Commission shall be disbursed on vouchers approved 

7 jointly by the Chairman and Vice Chairman. 

8 (b) OFFICIAL RECEPTION AND REPRESENTATIONAL

9 EXPENSES.—Not to exceed $15,000 of the funds provided 

10 to the Commission for any fiscal year may be used for 

11 official reception and representational expenses during 

12 such fiscal year. 

13 (c) AUTHORIZATION OF FOREIGN TRAVEL FOR OFFI14 CIAL PURPOSES.—Foreign travel for official purposes by 

15 Commission members and staff may be authorized by ei16 ther the Chairman or the Vice Chairman, subject to the 

17 Rules of the House of Representatives (other than in the 

18 case of travel by a Member of the Commission who is a 

19 Member of the Senate). 

20 (d) USE OF FOREIGN CURRENCIES.—For purposes 

21 of this section, the Commission shall be deemed to be a 

22 standing committee of Congress and shall be entitled to 

23 use funds in accordance with section 502(b) of the Mutual 

24 Security Act of 1954 (22 U.S.C. 1754(b)). 

25 (e) OFFICE FACILITIES.— 


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1 (1) IN GENERAL.—Funds may be provided for 

2 the lease of office space at or near the headquarters 

3 of the European Parliament and European Commis4 sion in Brussels, Belgium. 

5 (2) LIMITATIONS ON FUNDING FOR OFFICE

6 SPACE.—Funds for the lease of office space are sub7 ject to approval by the Chairman and Vice Chair8 man of the Commission, in consultation with the 

9 Speaker of the House of Representatives and Presi10 dent pro tempore of the Senate. 

11 SEC. 7. COMMISSION STAFF. 

12 (a) STAFF.— 

13 (1) STAFF DIRECTOR.—The Commission shall 

14 have a staff director, who shall be appointed by the 

15 Chairman of the Commission and whose pay shall be 

16 fixed by the Chairman of the Commission. 

17 (2) OTHER STAFF.—The Chairman of the Com18 mission shall appoint and fix the pay of other per19 sonnel of the Commission, subject to the approval of 

20 at least 2 of the following Members of the Commis21 sion: 

22 (A) The Vice Chairman. 

23 (B) The senior Member from the minority 

24 party of the House of Representatives. 


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1 (C) The senior Member from the minority 

2 party of the Senate. 

3 (b) TREATMENT OF EMPLOYEES AS HOUSE EMPLOY4 EES.—For purposes of pay and other employment bene5 fits, rights, and privileges, and for all other purposes, in6 cluding the applicability of the Rules of the House of Rep7 resentatives, each employee of the Commission shall be 

8 considered an employee of the House of Representatives. 

9 SEC. 8. PRINTING AND BINDING COSTS. 

10 For purposes of costs relating to printing and bind11 ing, including the costs of personnel detailed from the 

12 Government Printing Office, the Commission shall be 

13 deemed to be a standing committee of Congress. 

Æ 


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