[House Hearing, 117 Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
MARKUP OF H. RES. 316, PROVIDING FOR THE
EXPENSES OF CERTAIN COMMITTEES OF THE
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES IN THE 117TH
CONGRESS, AND COMMITTEE RESOLUTION 117-
13, A RESOLUTION TO APPROVE FRANKED
MAIL ALLOWANCES FOR COMMITTEES FOR
THE 117TH CONGRESS
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MARKUP
BEFORE THE
COMMITTEE ON HOUSE
ADMINISTRATION
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
ONE HUNDRED SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS
FIRST SESSION
__________
APRIL 15, 2021
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Printed for the use of the Committee on House Administration
[GRAPHIC NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
Available on the Internet:
http://www.gpoinfo.gov/committee/house-administration
__________
U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE
44-947 WASHINGTON : 2021
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COMMITTEE ON HOUSE ADMINISTRATION
ZOE LOFGREN, California, Chairperson
JAMIE RASKIN, Maryland RODNEY DAVIS, Illinois, Ranking
G.K. BUTTERFIELD, North Carolina Member
PETE AGUILAR, California BARRY LOUDERMILK, Georgia
MARY GAY SCANLON, Pennsylvania BRYAN STEIL, Wisconsin
TERESA LEGER FERNANDEZ, New Mexico
MARKUP OF H. RES. 316, PROVIDING FOR THE EXPENSES OF CERTAIN COMMITTEES
OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES IN THE 117TH CONGRESS, AND COMMITTEE
RESOLUTION 117-13, A RESOLUTION TO APPROVE FRANKED MAIL ALLOWANCES FOR
COMMITTEES FOR THE 117TH CONGRESS
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THURSDAY, APRIL 15, 2021
House of Representatives,
Committee on House Administration,
Washington, DC.
The Committee met, pursuant to call, at 12:34 p.m., via
Webex, Hon. Zoe Lofgren [chairperson of the Committee]
presiding.
Present: Representatives Lofgren, Butterfield, Aguilar,
Scanlon, Leger Fernandez, Davis, Loudermilk, and Steil.
Staff Present: Jamie Fleet, Democratic Staff Director;
Khalil Abboud, Deputy Staff Director; Dan Taylor, General
Counsel; David Tucker, Parliamentarian; Brandon Jacobs,
Legislative Clerk; Peter Whippy, Communications Director;
Natalie Young, Press Secretary; Tim Monahan, Minority Deputy
Staff Director; Caleb Hays, Minority General Counsel; Jen
Daulby, Minority Republican Staff Director; and Janet Schwalb,
Minority Professional Staff.
The Chairperson. The Committee on House Administration will
come to order.
Good afternoon, everyone. I would like to thank the members
of the Committee for joining us today. As we begin, I want to
note that we are holding this hearing in compliance with
regulations for remote committee proceedings pursuant to House
Resolution 8.
Generally, we ask Committee members to keep their
microphones muted when not speaking so that we can limit
background noise. Members will need to unmute themselves when
seeking recognition or when recognized for their five minutes
of questions if there are questions.
I want to remind my colleagues to please keep your cameras
on at all times, even if you need to step away for a moment.
Please do not leave the meeting or turn your camera off. And I
would like also to remind you that the regulations governing
remote proceedings prohibit us from participating in more than
one committee proceeding at the same time.
At this time, I ask unanimous consent that all members have
five legislative days in which to revise and extend their
remarks and have any written statements be made part of the
record.
Hearing no objections, so ordered.
For this part of the Committee proceedings, this business
meeting, we will consider House Resolution 316, the primary
committee expense resolution for the 117th Congress, and
Committee on House Administration Resolution 117-13, to approve
franked mail allowances for committees.
Since the 104th Congress when the House adopted a biennial
committee funding process, the House is required to adopt a
committee expense resolution to provide funding for House
committees. Today we will consider the resolution for the 117th
Congress.
The interim funding authority we are currently operating
under expires on April 22, 2021. In general, we provided
committees with a 5-percent increase over amounts provided in
the last Congress. A few committees requested less than a 5-
percent increase, and we have accommodated those requests. We
have provided increases above 5-percent to certain committees
to provide the specific resources they require.
Throughout this process, we have endeavored to work with
the minority and with all of our committees, being mindful of
the very real restraints we face due to amounts previously
appropriated to provide for committee funding. I am glad that
the Ranking Member and I were able to reach agreement on the
resources provided to this Committee, as reflected in H. Res.
308.
As I have stated during our committee funding hearings, I
believe that an area of vital concern to the House as an
institution is having a strong oversight capability. It is
imperative that our committees rebuild the institutional
capability to conduct robust and comprehensive oversight. I
will note that, even with the increases contained in this
resolution, many committees have not returned to funding levels
which were provided in the 111th Congress, over one decade ago.
I will remind my colleagues that the Committee reserves the
right at any time in the future to ask chairs and ranking
members of any committee to come back to us and discuss how
committee funds are being used or to resolve any disagreements
between the majority and the minority. In addition, we have
included language in the resolution consistent with previous
committee funding resolutions to provide the Committee with the
authority, unless waived, to review the use of funds made by
committees during the first session of this Congress.
We are also considering today Committee on House
Administration Resolution 117-13, which provides nominal
amounts for the incidental franking requirements of committees.
The amounts provided in the resolution are the same amounts
provided over the last several years.
I wish to thank everyone for all their work to ensure that
the Committee accomplishes one of its most important
responsibilities that we face: ensuring our committees have the
resources to accomplish the necessary work of the House of
Representatives on behalf of the American people.
I would now recognize our Ranking Member for any opening
remarks that he may wish to make.
Mr. Davis.
Mr. Davis. Thank you, Madam Chair.
And as I have noted before, I wish we could have had this
markup a little earlier. I really do appreciate the majority
for working with us on the committee funding issues. I believe
the underlying committee funding resolution is a step in the
right direction and will allow the House to increase its
oversight capacity. I would like to get assurance from the
chairperson that any allocation from the reserve fund must be
done in concurrence with the ranking member or be considered in
a Committee meeting, as we agreed to in the last Congress.
The Chairperson. That has been our policy in the past and
will continue to be in the future.
Mr. Davis. Much appreciated, Madam Chair. I appreciate the
working relationship we developed on this, and I look forward
to working with you and the committees in the future if more
funds are needed out of that reserve fund.
As I noted in our hearing on this, it is about so much more
than how much money each House committee should receive. It is
a reflection on our priorities and our responsibilities as a
legislative branch of the greatest and most powerful country in
the world.
Committees are one of the major pillars of this
institution. It is where so much of our critical work gets
done, which is why I believe taxpayers deserve a thorough
review of the budget request committees are submitting. My hope
was that the funding process would have been done in a more
transparent and thoughtful way. Oversight of committee budgets
is a responsibility given to this Committee that I take very
seriously, as do our Members. And I am hopeful next year we can
spend a little more time reviewing these budgets and also
ensure committee budgets are approved in a timely manner.
But as I said, I am glad we can come together on this. I
appreciate the Chairperson's willingness to incorporate some of
our feedback. Madam Chair, I support this resolution. With the
understanding that we will continue to work together to make
necessary adjustments through the reserve fund on an as-needed
basis just, again, as we did last Congress.
Again, I thank you for your cooperation and the cooperation
of the majority and their staff.
And I yield back.
The Chairperson. Very good. I now call up House Resolution
316.
Without objection, the first reading of the resolution is
dispensed with.
Without objection, the resolution is considered as read and
open for amendment at any point.
[The resolution follows:]
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The Chairperson. Does any member wish to be recognized
regarding House Resolution 316?
Seeing none, it is now in order to consider the resolution.
I move that House Resolution 316 be reported favorably to the
House.
All those in favor will please indicate by saying aye.
Are there any opposed? If so, say no.
And in the opinion of the chair, the motion is agreed to
unanimously, and House Resolution 316 is ordered reported
favorably to the House, and, without objection, the motion to
reconsider is laid on the table.
I now call-up Committee on House Administration Resolution
117-13.
[The resolution follows:]
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The Chairperson. Does any member wish to be recognized
regarding this resolution?
Seeing none, the question is on approving Committee on
House Administration Resolution 117-13.
All in favor, please say aye.
Are there any opposed? If so, say no.
In the opinion of the chair, the ayes have it and the
resolution is agreed to, and, without objection, the motion to
reconsider is laid upon the table.
Without objection, the staff is authorized to make any
technical and conforming changes.
And, without objection, this Committee meeting will stand
adjourned. I remind our Members that we have a separate check-
in for our very important hearing at one o'clock with the
Inspector General for the United States Capitol Police that I
am sure everyone will want to participate in.
So we need to leave this markup, and I will see everyone at
one o'clock for our hearing.
We are adjourned.
[Whereupon, at 12:43 p.m., the Committee was adjourned.]
[all]