[House Hearing, 114 Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
COMMITTEE RESOLUTION AMENDING
COMMITTEE REGULATIONS TO PERMIT
OFFICIALLY-SANCTIONED COMPETITIONS
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BUSINESS MEETING
BEFORE THE
COMMITTEE ON HOUSE
ADMINISTRATION
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
ONE HUNDRED FOURTEENTH CONGRESS
FIRST SESSION
__________
OCTOBER 27, 2015
Printed for the use of the Committee on House Administration
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COMMITTEE ON HOUSE ADMINISTRATION
CANDICE S. MILLER, Michigan, Chairman
GREGG HARPER, Mississippi ROBERT A. BRADY, Pennsylvania
RICHARD NUGENT, Florida Ranking Minority Member
RODNEY DAVIS, Illinois ZOE LOFGREN, California
BARBARA COMSTOCK, Virginia JUAN VARGAS, California
MARK WALKER, North Carolina
Professional Staff
Sean Moran, Staff Director
Jamie Fleet, Minority Staff Director
COMMITTEE RESOLUTION AMENDING COMMITTEE REGULATIONS TO PERMIT
OFFICIALLY-SANCTIONED COMPETITIONS
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TUESDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2015
House of Representatives,
Committee on House Administration,
Washington, DC.
The Committee met, pursuant to call, at 11:01 a.m., in Room
1310, Rayburn House Office Building, Hon. Candice S. Miller
[chairman of the Committee] presiding.
Present: Representatives Miller, Harper, Nugent, Davis,
Comstock, Walker, and Vargas.
Staff Present: Sean Moran, Staff Director; John Clocker,
Deputy Staff Director; Bob Sensenbrenner, Deputy General
Counsel; Cole Felder, Counsel; Nick Hawatmeh, Counsel; John L.
Dickhaus, Legislative Clerk; Erin McCracken, Communications
Director; Jamie Fleet, Minority Staff Director; Matt Pinkus,
Minority Senior Policy Advisor; Khalil Abboud, Minority Deputy
Staff Director/Director of Legislative Operations; Mike
Harrison, Minority Chief Counsel; and Eddie Flaherty, Minority
Chief Clerk.
The Chairman. I now call to order the Committee on House
Administration for today's Committee meeting. A quorum is
present, so we may proceed. The meeting record will remain open
for 5 legislative days so that members might submit any
materials that they wish to be included herein.
The resolution before the Committee today is to authorize
officially-sanctioned academic competitions aimed at students
in each Members' congressional district. This resolution would
modify the Members' Congressional Handbook to permit offices,
in conjunction with other organizations, to conduct academic or
civic competitions similar to the art competition. More
specifically, the resolution would also allow offices to use
specific official congressional resources to assist those
competitions.
Having just concluded my office's official annual art
competition, which included hundreds of high school students
from across my district, I can certainly attest to the value of
these academic competitions.
First, these competitions give Members of Congress an
opportunity to highlight the achievements and talents of young
students in their districts. Every year, I am absolutely amazed
by the artwork created by the students in my district and so
many others, and I look forward to seeing each year's artwork
display in the Cannon tunnel. It is certainly a great testament
to the talent and diversity of young artists in this country.
As well, the Congressional app competition, which just
started last year, brought in a wide array of submissions that
demonstrated a high level of skill as well as promise for
participating students seeking careers in STEM--science,
technology, engineering, and mathematics fields--which are in
high demand and very important to today's global economy.
Equally important is the inspiration these types of academic
challenges provide young men and women our future leaders.
Whether it is art or science or technology, these
competitions are beneficial for students and help spark an
interest in various fields that help them with their own
professional development. They also facilitate greater
community engagement, pulling the academic community together
with parents and professionals, who together help students hone
their talents and realize their full potential. These are great
competitions that I know so many Members are proud to host.
As I mentioned, the resolution the Committee is considering
today will help facilitate the continuation and expansion of
these competitions by allowing Member offices, in conjunction
with other organizations, to use their resources to host them
in their districts.
With that, I would recognize Mr. Vargas, who is here for
our ranking member this morning, if he has any opening
statement.
Mr. Vargas. I do. And thank you very much, Madam
Chairwoman. Thank you, again, for considering this Committee
resolution and for holding this markup this morning. I am
filling in for our ranking member, who was unavoidably
detained. So I ask unanimous consent to have his statement
entered into the record.
The Chairman. Without objection.
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Mr. Vargas. Thank you. Thank you, Madam Chair.
I urge the Committee to adopt this resolution. After last
year's inaugural STEM competition, we decided that we wanted to
make changes to improve the contest, making it more meaningful
for the contestants and enabling more Members' offices to
participate. In approving these regulations, we have done just
that. Because of this work, this year's competition is poised
to even be better, as we have included provisions allowing for
technical support and advice that might otherwise be
unavailable to some Members.
We have worked with the Ethics Committee to make the rules
around officially-sanctioned competitions compliant with all
rules of the House. This work will create a path forward for
others who have similar ideas about how to engage constituents.
Madam Chairman, I would like to thank you and your staff
for your hard work on this, and I urge adoption of the
resolution.
The Chairman. I thank the gentleman.
Are there any other members of the Committee that wish to
be recognized for a statement?
Therefore, I will now call before the Committee our first
agenda item, Committee Resolution 114, which is the Committee
resolution amending the Committee's regulations to permit
officially-sanctioned competitions.
Without objection, the first reading of the resolution is
dispensed with and the resolution is considered read and open
for amendment at any point.
[The information follows:]
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The Chairman. This resolution, as we have discussed, would
modify the Members' Congressional Handbook to permit offices,
in conjunction with other organizations, to conduct academic or
civic competitions similar to the art competition.
Mr. Vargas, do you have any comment on the resolution?
Mr. Vargas. I do not.
The Chairman. Any other member?
Then I would move that the Committee adopt the Committee
resolution. And the question is on the motion to adopt the
resolution.
I would ask all the members who are in favor of the motion,
signify by saying aye.
Opposed, say nay.
In the opinion of the chair, the ayes have it, the ayes
have it. The motion is agreed to.
Without objection, the motion to reconsider is laid upon
the table.
I would also ask unanimous consent to enter into the record
an advisory opinion that Mr. Brady and I have received from the
Committee on Ethics concerning these regulations.
Without objection, so ordered.
[The information follows:]
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The Chairman. And I would ask unanimous consent as well
that the staff be authorized to make technical and conforming
changes to the measure the Committee just considered and to
make other modifications with the concurrence of the ranking
minority member of the Committee and notification to all
members of the Committee.
Without objection, so ordered.
Any other comments from any members? If not, this concludes
the fastest markup in this Committee's history, I think.
Without objection, the meeting is adjourned. Thank you. And
thank you all for coming.
[Whereupon, at 11:06 a.m., the Committee was adjourned.]