[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 234 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

113th CONGRESS
  1st Session
S. RES. 234

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


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           September 17, 2013

 Mr. Carper, 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), 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 October 1, 2013, through February 28, 
2015, 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 FOR PERIOD ENDING FEBRUARY 28, 2015.

    (a) Expenses for the Period October 1, 2013, Through September 30, 
2014.--The expenses of the committee for the period October 1, 2013, 
through September 30, 2014, under this resolution shall not exceed 
$9,488,952, 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. 72a(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 the Period October 1, 2014, Through February 28, 
2015.--The expenses of the committee for the period October 1, 2014, 
through February 28, 2015, under this resolution shall not exceed 
$3,953,730, 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. 72a(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; AGENCY CONTRIBUTIONS; AND INVESTIGATIONS.

    (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, United States 
                Senate.
    (b) Agency Contributions.--There are authorized such sums as may be 
necessary for agency contributions related to the compensation of 
employees of the committee from October 1, 2013, through February 28, 
2015, to be paid from the appropriations account for ``Expenses of 
Inquiries and Investigations'' of the Senate.
    (c) Investigations.--
            (1) In general.--The committee, or any duly authorized 
        subcommittee of the committee, is authorized to study or 
        investigate--
                    (A) 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;
                    (B) 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;
                    (C) 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;
                    (D) 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;
                    (E) the efficiency and economy of operations of all 
                branches and functions of the Government with 
                particular reference to--
                            (i) 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;
                            (ii) the capacity of present national 
                        security staffing, methods, and processes to 
                        make full use of the Nation's resources of 
                        knowledge and talents;
                            (iii) 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
                            (iv) legislative and other proposals to 
                        improve these methods, processes, and 
                        relationships;
                    (F) 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--
                            (i) the collection and dissemination of 
                        accurate statistics on fuel demand and supply;
                            (ii) the implementation of effective energy 
                        conservation measures;
                            (iii) the pricing of energy in all forms;
                            (iv) coordination of energy programs with 
                        State and local government;
                            (v) control of exports of scarce fuels;
                            (vi) the management of tax, import, 
                        pricing, and other policies affecting energy 
                        supplies;
                            (vii) maintenance of the independent sector 
                        of the petroleum industry as a strong 
                        competitive force;
                            (viii) the allocation of fuels in short 
                        supply by public and private entities;
                            (ix) the management of energy supplies 
                        owned or controlled by the Government;
                            (x) relations with other oil producing and 
                        consuming countries;
                            (xi) the monitoring of compliance by 
                        governments, corporations, or individuals with 
                        the laws and regulations governing the 
                        allocation, conservation, or pricing of energy 
                        supplies; and
                            (xii) research into the discovery and 
                        development of alternative energy supplies; and
                    (G) 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.
            (2) Extent of inquiries.--In carrying out the duties 
        provided in paragraph (1), 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.
            (3) Special committee authority.--For the purposes of this 
        subsection, 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--
                    (A) to require by subpoena or otherwise the 
                attendance of witnesses and production of 
                correspondence, books, papers, and documents;
                    (B) to hold hearings;
                    (C) to sit and act at any time or place during the 
                sessions, recess, and adjournment periods of the 
                Senate;
                    (D) to administer oaths; and
                    (E) 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.
            (4) Authority of other committees.--Nothing contained in 
        this subsection 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.
            (5) Subpoena authority.--All subpoenas and related legal 
        processes of the committee and its subcommittee authorized 
        under S. Res. 64, agreed to March 5, 2013 (113th Congress), are 
        authorized to continue.
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