[House Hearing, 112 Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
MARKUP OF H. RES. 147, THE OMNIBUS COMMITTEE FUNDING RESOLUTION; AND
THREE COMMITTEE RESOLUTIONS
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MEETING
before the
COMMITTEE ON HOUSE
ADMINISTRATION
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
ONE HUNDRED TWELFTH CONGRESS
FIRST SESSION
__________
Held in Washington, DC, March 9, 2011
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Printed for the use of the Committee on House Administration
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COMMITTEE ON HOUSE ADMINISTRATION
DANIEL E. LUNGREN, California, Chairman
GREGG HARPER, Mississippi ROBERT A. BRADY, Pennsylvania,
PHIL GINGREY, M.D., Georgia Ranking Minority Member
AARON SCHOCK, Illinois ZOE LOFGREN, California
TODD ROKITA, Indiana CHARLES GONZALEZ, Texas
RICHARD NUGENT, Florida
Professional Staff
Philip Kiko, Staff Director
Jamie Fleet, Minority Staff Director
MARKUP OF H. RES. 147, THE OMNIBUS COMMITTEE FUNDING RESOLUTION;
COMMITTEE RESOLUTION ON VIEWS AND ESTIMATES ON MATTERS WITHIN THE
COMMITTEE'S JURISDICTION; COMMITTEE RESOLUTION FOR FRANKED MAIL
ALLOWANCES FOR CERTAIN COMMITTEES; AND COMMITTEE RESOLUTION TO APPROVE
CONSULTING CONTRACT
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WEDNESDAY, MARCH 9, 2011
House of Representatives,
Committee on House Administration,
Washington, DC.
The committee met, pursuant to call, at 1:04 p.m., in room
1310, Longworth House Office Building, Hon. Daniel E. Lungren
(chairman of the committee) presiding.
Present: Representatives Lungren, Harper, Gingrey, Schock,
Rokita, Nugent, and Brady.
Staff Present: Phil Kiko, Staff Director and General
Counsel; Kimani Little, Parliamentarian; Joe Wallace,
Legislative Clerk; Yael Barash, Assistant Legislative Clerk;
Salley Wood, Communications Director; Karin Moore, Elections
Counsel; George Hadjiski, Member Services Staff; Richard
Capetto, Member Services Staff; Kyle Andersen, Minority press
Secretary; Matt Defreitas, Minority Professional Staff; Khalil
Abboud, Minority Elections Staff; and Thomas Hicks, Minority
Elections Counsel.
The Chairman. Now I would like to call to order the
Committee on House Administration for today's markup.
The meeting record will remain open for 5 legislative days
so that members may submit any materials they wish to be
included therein. A quorum is present, so we may proceed.
First, we will mark up H. Res. 147, the Omnibus Committee
Funding Resolution, which will authorize committee budgets for
the 112th Congress.
Last week, we had two informative days of hearings
listening to the chairs and ranking members share their views
on the respective budget proposals. Adhering to House
Resolution 22 passed earlier this year, I am happy to say that
each committee has proposed a budget with at least a 5 percent
reduction from the fiscal year 2010 levels. If we include
Judiciary, it is even lower than that.
We are committed to leading by example and cutting
government waste, rooting out inefficiencies, and conducting
essential and effective oversight for vast administrative
agencies. These budgets allow this House to fulfill that
mission.
We will also consider a Committee Resolution to Approve
Franked Mail Allowances for Committees for the 112th Congress,
a Committee Resolution to Approve Committee Views and Estimates
for fiscal year 2012, and a Committee Resolution to Approve a
Consulting Contract.
I want to thank each of my colleagues on both sides of the
aisle for their service to this committee, and thereby to the
whole House, and for showing up so that we can have a quorum
and complete our work.
I would like to recognize my colleague and the committee's
ranking member, Mr. Brady, for the purpose of providing an
opening statement, if he wishes.
Mr. Brady. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
I would like to join with Chairman Lungren in support of
the committee funding resolution and urge my colleagues to do
as well. As he indicated in hearings last week, allocating
money is easy when you don't have any.
Our decisions were straightforward and aided by the fact
that every committee came before us with the requisite 5
percent reduction as compared to the last Congress. Virtually
every committee chair and ranking member pointed out the
challenges they are facing retaining and compensating their
staffs. Across the board and on a bipartisan basis, they
represent our greatest asset and are largely the reason we are
able to accomplish the work of the people. Now more than ever I
think we should acknowledge their hard work, and I continually
thank them and thank them for the cuts they had to make, and I
urge my colleagues to support this resolution.
The Chairman. Thank you very much, Mr. Brady.
H. Res. 147, the Omnibus Committee Funding Resolution,
authorizes our committee budgets for the 112th Congress. As was
suggested, each committee has proposed 5 percent budget
reductions from fiscal year 2010 levels. As each chair and
ranking member testified, they are reallocating resources,
reassessing staff needs, all the while maintaining their
commitment to excellence in their committee work. Obviously,
families across this country are doing the same, and we must as
well.
Additionally, we have received statements from ranking
members and chairmen that they had worked out their allocation
amongst themselves with the budget considering the traditional
one-third/two-thirds split.
So this resolution is a simple, straightforward, sensible
measure empowering our committees to do their work within the
budgets so established. I urge adoption of H. Res. 147.
If Mr. Brady has any further comments on this--he does not,
so I will now call up and lay before the committee House
Resolution 147, the Omnibus Committee Expense Resolution of the
112th Congress. Without objection, the resolution will now be
considered as read and open to amendment at any point.
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The Chairman. Does any member wish to be heard on the
resolution?
Does any member wish to offer an amendment to the
resolution?
Hearing none, I will now move the committee's report H.
Res. 147 favorably to the House. The question is on the motion.
All those in favor, signify by saying aye. Any opposed?
The ayes have it, and the motion is agreed to. The
resolution will be reported to the House.
Without objection, the motion to reconsider is laid upon
the table.
Does any member wish to file supplemental minority or
additional views for inclusion in the committee report?
Mr. Brady. Mr. Chairman, I announce that the minority
requests 2 additional days provided by Clause 2(L) of Rule XI
of the Rules of the House to file additional views.
The Chairman. Without objection. Pursuant to clause 2 of
Rule VI, the member is entitled to two additional calendar days
to file such views in writing and signed by any member with the
clerk of the committee.
I ask unanimous consent that the committee staff be
authorized to make any necessary technical or conforming
changes to the measure the committee just considered. Without
objection, it is so ordered.
Now consistent with past bipartisan practice, the official
mail amounts for standing and select committees of the House
are set by resolution from the Committee on House
Administration. We have limited or capped each committee's
allocation to $5,000 per session of Congress. To meet this
obligation, the committee shall now consider the resolution to
grant the official mail allowances for the committees for the
first and second sessions of the 112th Congress.
Our committees perform vital roles in the House, and their
franked mail allowance give them some flexibility to
communicate the job that they are doing. I would urge adoption
of the committee resolution, and I recognize Ranking Member
Brady for any statement he may have.
Mr. Brady. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
The committee resolution fixing the amount available for
franking by House committees continues the practice of limiting
mass mailings by committees proposed by our late colleague,
Juanita Millender McDonald, in the 109th Congress. This
committee has adopted similar versions of the franking
resolution in the past with bipartisan support. The resolution
will limit each committee to $5,000 per session. I am pleased
to see this practice continued in the 112th Congress, and I
urge an aye vote.
The Chairman. Thank you very much for your comments.
I now call up the Committee Resolution to Approve Franked
Mail Allowances for Committees for the 112th Congress. The
resolution limits the franked mailed allowances to committees
for this Congress.
Without objection, the resolution will be considered as
read and open to amendment at any point.
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The Chairman. Does any member wish to be heard on the
resolution?
Does any member wish to offer an amendment to the
resolution?
If not, the question is on agreeing to the committee
resolution. All those in favor, signify by saying aye. Opposed,
no.
In the opinion of the chair, the ayes have it. The
resolution is agreed to.
Without objection, the motion to reconsider is laid on the
table. I ask unanimous consent that the committee staff be
authorized to make any necessary technical or conforming
changes to the measure the committee just considered. Without
objection, it is so ordered.
Pursuant to the committee's responsibilities under the
Congressional Budget Act of 1974 and House Rule X, the
committee must submit views and estimates on certain matters
within the jurisdiction of the Committee on the Budget.
Traditionally, committees have used their views and estimates
to comment on the President's budget submission. This committee
resolution states the committee's views and estimates on two
nonlegislative agencies we oversee: the FEC, the Federal
Election Commission, and the Election Assistance Commission.
The FEC is an independent, bipartisan commission which
facilitates transparency in the Federal election process
through public disclosure of campaign finance data. It also
encourages compliance with the Federal Election Campaign Act as
well as interpreting and administering the Presidential
Election Campaign Fund, the Presidential Primary Matching
Payment Account Act. The FEC also enforces these acts through
audits, investigations, and civil litigation.
The fiscal year 2012 Presidential Budget Request for the
FEC is the same as the 2010 fiscal year request. The FEC's
budget reflects the resources necessary to carry out its
mission in the upcoming fiscal year. I will say this committee
will conduct vigorous oversight to identify possible future
savings.
This committee resolution also addresses the Election
Assistance Commission created to assist with implementation of
the Help America Vote Act of 2002.
The Presidential Budget Request for fiscal year 2012 leaves
the EAC with a net operating budget of $10,465,665. This is a
reduction from its allocation in fiscal year 2010 and the
fiscal year 2011 continuing resolutions.
Our Subcommittee on Elections will conduct an oversight
hearing on the EAC later this month to consider its operations
to date and its budget request. I would urge adoption of this
committee resolution.
I would now recognize Ranking Member Brady for any
statement.
Mr. Brady. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
I generally support the proposed views and estimates but
disagree with specific sections related to the Election
Assistance Commission. My Democratic colleagues and I will
submit additional views that address our concerns.
We also look forward to further discussing the EAC in next
week's hearing, and I will vote aye on this resolution.
The Chairman. I thank the gentleman.
I would now call up Committee Resolution to Approve
Committee Views and Estimates for Fiscal Year 2012. The
resolution contains the committee's views and estimates of the
activities of the Federal Election Commission and the Election
Assistance Commission.
Without objection, the resolution will be considered as
read and open to amendment at any point.
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The Chairman. Does any member wish to be heard on the
resolution?
Does any member wish to offer an amendment to the
resolution?
If not, the question is on agreeing to the committee
resolution. All those in favor, signify by saying aye. Opposed,
no.
In the opinion of the chair, the ayes have it, and the
resolution is agreed to.
Without objection, the motion to reconsider is laid upon
the table. I ask unanimous consent that the committee staff be
authorized to make any necessary technical or conforming
changes to the measure of the committee just considered. And
without objection, it is ordered.
This committee resolution approves the committee consulting
contract with Baker and Hostettler for the first session of the
112th Congress. Contracts such as this help us as a committee
to perform our election oversight duties. I would urge adoption
of the resolution.
I would now recognize Ranking Member Brady for any
statement.
Mr. Brady. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
I support this committee resolution and wish to inform you
that the Democratic members may retain their own outside
counsel in the future and hope that the committee will support
a contract for that at the appropriate time. And I urge an aye
vote.
The Chairman. I appreciate the gentleman's comments, and
they reflect our understanding.
I would now call up the Committee Resolution to Approve a
Committee Consulting Contract. The resolution approves a
contract with consultants to advise this committee with respect
to matters within its jurisdiction. Without objection, the
resolution will be considered as read and open to amendment at
any point.
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The Chairman. Does any member wish to be heard on the
resolution?
Does any member wish to offer an amendment to the
resolution?
If not, the question is on agreeing to the committee
resolution. All those in favor, signify by saying aye. Opposed,
no.
In the opinion of the chair, the ayes have it. The ayes
have it, and the resolution is agreed to.
Without objection, the motion to reconsider is laid upon
the table. I ask unanimous consent that the committee staff be
authorized to make any necessary or technical or conforming
changes to the measure the committee just considered. Without
objection, it is so ordered.
Just for the public record, all members had an opportunity
to review the resolutions before us, including the consultant
contract, before we entered this chamber; and we had reached
agreement at that point.
And if there is no further business, this committee stands
adjourned.
[Whereupon, at 1:13 p.m., the committee was adjourned.]