Title: An original resolution authorizing expenditures by the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
Policy area: Congress

Summary:
This resolution authorizes the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs to make specified expenditures, employ personnel, and conduct certain investigations during the 117th Congress.

[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 48 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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117th CONGRESS
  1st Session
S. RES. 48

  Authorizing expenditures by the Committee on Homeland Security and 
                         Governmental Affairs.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           February 12, 2021

 Mr. Peters, from the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental 
Affairs, reported the following original resolution; which was referred 
              to the Committee on Rules and Administration

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
  Authorizing expenditures by the Committee on Homeland Security and 
                         Governmental Affairs.

    Resolved,

SECTION 1. GENERAL AUTHORITY.

    In carrying out its powers, duties, and functions under the 
Standing Rules of the Senate, in accordance with its jurisdiction under 
rule XXV of the Standing Rules of the Senate and S. Res. 445 (108th 
Congress), agreed to October 9, 2004, including holding hearings, 
reporting such hearings, and making investigations as authorized by 
paragraphs 1 and 8 of rule XXVI of the Standing Rules of the Senate, 
the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs (in this 
resolution referred to as the ``committee'') is authorized from March 
1, 2021 through February 28, 2023, in its discretion, to--
            (1) make expenditures from the contingent fund of the 
        Senate;
            (2) employ personnel; and
            (3) with the prior consent of the Government department or 
        agency concerned and the Committee on Rules and Administration, 
        use on a reimbursable or nonreimbursable basis the services of 
        personnel of any such department or agency.

SEC. 2. EXPENSES.

    (a) Expenses for Period Ending September 30, 2021.--The expenses of 
the committee for the period March 1, 2021 through September 30, 2021 
under this resolution shall not exceed $6,430,401, of which amount--
            (1) not to exceed $75,000 may be expended for the 
        procurement of the services of individual consultants, or 
        organizations thereof (as authorized by section 202(i) of the 
        Legislative Reorganization Act of 1946 (2 U.S.C. 4301(i))); and
            (2) not to exceed $20,000 may be expended for the training 
        of the professional staff of the committee (under procedures 
        specified by section 202(j) of that Act).
    (b) Expenses for Fiscal Year 2022 Period.--The expenses of the 
committee for the period October 1, 2021 through September 30, 2022 
under this resolution shall not exceed $11,023,545, of which amount--
            (1) not to exceed $75,000 may be expended for the 
        procurement of the services of individual consultants, or 
        organizations thereof (as authorized by section 202(i) of the 
        Legislative Reorganization Act of 1946 (2 U.S.C. 4301(i))); and
            (2) not to exceed $20,000 may be expended for the training 
        of the professional staff of the committee (under procedures 
        specified by section 202(j) of that Act).
    (c) Expenses for Period Ending February 28, 2023.--The expenses of 
the committee for the period October 1, 2022 through February 28, 2023 
under this resolution shall not exceed $4,593,144, of which amount--
            (1) not to exceed $75,000 may be expended for the 
        procurement of the services of individual consultants, or 
        organizations thereof (as authorized by section 202(i) of the 
        Legislative Reorganization Act of 1946 (2 U.S.C. 4301(i))); and
            (2) not to exceed $20,000 may be expended for the training 
        of the professional staff of the committee (under procedures 
        specified by section 202(j) of that Act).

SEC. 3. EXPENSES AND AGENCY CONTRIBUTIONS.

    (a) Expenses of the Committee.--
            (1) In general.--Except as provided in paragraph (2), 
        expenses of the committee under this resolution shall be paid 
        from the contingent fund of the Senate upon vouchers approved 
        by the chairman of the committee.
            (2) Vouchers not required.--Vouchers shall not be required 
        for--
                    (A) the disbursement of salaries of employees paid 
                at an annual rate;
                    (B) the payment of telecommunications provided by 
                the Office of the Sergeant at Arms and Doorkeeper;
                    (C) the payment of stationery supplies purchased 
                through the Keeper of the Stationery;
                    (D) payments to the Postmaster of the Senate;
                    (E) the payment of metered charges on copying 
                equipment provided by the Office of the Sergeant at 
                Arms and Doorkeeper;
                    (F) the payment of Senate Recording and 
                Photographic Services; or
                    (G) the payment of franked and mass mail costs by 
                the Sergeant at Arms and Doorkeeper.
    (b) Agency Contributions.--There are authorized to be paid from the 
appropriations account for ``Expenses of Inquiries and Investigations'' 
of the Senate such sums as may be necessary for agency contributions 
related to the compensation of employees of the committee--
            (1) for the period March 1, 2021 through September 30, 
        2021;
            (2) for the period October 1, 2021 through September 30, 
        2022; and
            (3) for the period October 1, 2022 through February 28, 
        2023.

SEC. 4. INVESTIGATIONS.

    (a) In General.--The committee, or any duly authorized subcommittee 
of the committee, is authorized to study or investigate--
            (1) the efficiency and economy of operations of all 
        branches of the Government including the possible existence of 
        fraud, misfeasance, malfeasance, collusion, mismanagement, 
        incompetence, corruption, or unethical practices, waste, 
        extravagance, conflicts of interest, and the improper 
        expenditure of Government funds in transactions, contracts, and 
        activities of the Government or of Government officials and 
        employees and any and all such improper practices between 
        Government personnel and corporations, individuals, companies, 
        or persons affiliated therewith, doing business with the 
        Government, and the compliance or noncompliance of such 
        corporations, companies, or individuals or other entities with 
        the rules, regulations, and laws governing the various 
        governmental agencies and its relationships with the public;
            (2) the extent to which criminal or other improper 
        practices or activities are, or have been, engaged in the field 
        of labor-management relations or in groups or organizations of 
        employees or employers, to the detriment of interests of the 
        public, employers, or employees, and to determine whether any 
        changes are required in the laws of the United States in order 
        to protect such interests against the occurrence of such 
        practices or activities;
            (3) organized criminal activity which may operate in or 
        otherwise utilize the facilities of interstate or international 
        commerce in furtherance of any transactions and the manner and 
        extent to which, and the identity of the persons, firms, or 
        corporations, or other entities by whom such utilization is 
        being made, and further, to study and investigate the manner in 
        which and the extent to which persons engaged in organized 
        criminal activity have infiltrated lawful business enterprise, 
        and to study the adequacy of Federal laws to prevent the 
        operations of organized crime in interstate or international 
        commerce, and to determine whether any changes are required in 
        the laws of the United States in order to protect the public 
        against such practices or activities;
            (4) all other aspects of crime and lawlessness within the 
        United States which have an impact upon or affect the national 
        health, welfare, and safety, including but not limited to 
        investment fraud schemes, commodity and security fraud, 
        computer fraud, and the use of offshore banking and corporate 
        facilities to carry out criminal objectives;
            (5) the efficiency and economy of operations of all 
        branches and functions of the Government with particular 
        reference to--
                    (A) the effectiveness of present national security 
                methods, staffing, and processes as tested against the 
                requirements imposed by the rapidly mounting complexity 
                of national security problems;
                    (B) the capacity of present national security 
                staffing, methods, and processes to make full use of 
                the Nation's resources of knowledge and talents;
                    (C) the adequacy of present intergovernmental 
                relations between the United States and international 
                organizations principally concerned with national 
                security of which the United States is a member; and
                    (D) legislative and other proposals to improve 
                these methods, processes, and relationships;
            (6) the efficiency, economy, and effectiveness of all 
        agencies and departments of the Government involved in the 
        control and management of energy shortages including, but not 
        limited to, their performance with respect to--
                    (A) the collection and dissemination of accurate 
                statistics on fuel demand and supply;
                    (B) the implementation of effective energy 
                conservation measures;
                    (C) the pricing of energy in all forms;
                    (D) coordination of energy programs with State and 
                local government;
                    (E) control of exports of scarce fuels;
                    (F) the management of tax, import, pricing, and 
                other policies affecting energy supplies;
                    (G) maintenance of the independent sector of the 
                petroleum industry as a strong competitive force;
                    (H) the allocation of fuels in short supply by 
                public and private entities;
                    (I) the management of energy supplies owned or 
                controlled by the Government;
                    (J) relations with other oil producing and 
                consuming countries;
                    (K) the monitoring of compliance by governments, 
                corporations, or individuals with the laws and 
                regulations governing the allocation, conservation, or 
                pricing of energy supplies; and
                    (L) research into the discovery and development of 
                alternative energy supplies; and
            (7) the efficiency and economy of all branches and 
        functions of Government with particular references to the 
        operations and management of Federal regulatory policies and 
        programs.
    (b) Extent of Inquiries.--In carrying out the duties provided in 
subsection (a), the inquiries of this committee or any subcommittee of 
the committee shall not be construed to be limited to the records, 
functions, and operations of any particular branch of the Government 
and may extend to the records and activities of any persons, 
corporation, or other entity.
    (c) Special Committee Authority.--For the purposes of this section, 
the committee, or any duly authorized subcommittee of the committee, or 
its chairman, or any other member of the committee or subcommittee 
designated by the chairman is authorized, in its, his, her, or their 
discretion--
            (1) to require by subpoena or otherwise the attendance of 
        witnesses and production of correspondence, books, papers, and 
        documents;
            (2) to hold hearings;
            (3) to sit and act at any time or place during the 
        sessions, recess, and adjournment periods of the Senate;
            (4) to administer oaths; and
            (5) to take testimony, either orally or by sworn statement, 
        or, in the case of staff members of the Committee and the 
        Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, by deposition in 
        accordance with the Committee Rules of Procedure.
    (d) Authority of Other Committees.--Nothing contained in this 
section shall affect or impair the exercise of any other standing 
committee of the Senate of any power, or the discharge by such 
committee of any duty, conferred or imposed upon it by the Standing 
Rules of the Senate or by the Legislative Reorganization Act of 1946.
    (e) Subpoena Authority.--All subpoenas and related legal processes 
of the committee and any duly authorized subcommittee of the committee 
authorized under S. Res. 70 (116th Congress), agreed to February 27, 
2019, are authorized to continue.
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