[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 8 (Thursday, February 3, 1994)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: February 3, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
                 LEGISLATIVE REORGANIZATION ACT OF 1994

                                 ______


                          HON. LEE H. HAMILTON

                               of indiana

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, February 3, 1994

  Mr. HAMILTON. Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to introduce the 
Legislative Reorganization Act of 1994, which contains the 
recommendations of the House members of the Joint Committee on the 
Organization of Congress.


                           i. in-depth study

  Created by Congress in August of 1992, the joint committee's mandate 
was to conduct an in-depth examination of the internal operations of 
the House and Senate and provide recommendations for reform by the end 
of 1993. This was only the third time in the history of Congress that a 
joint committee was established to conduct a comprehensive review of 
legislative operations.
  The joint committee was created for three main reasons:
  First, a concern that Congress might not be adequately organized to 
meet the challenges of the 21st century;
  Second, a general sense that it simply was time for Congress to take 
stock of its internal operations--the last major overhaul of this 
institution took place more than two decades ago; and
  Third, the widespread public concern about the effectiveness and 
institutional integrity of Congress.
  According to the resolution that created the joint committee, the 
membership of the panel was equally divided between the chambers and 
between the two political parties. I served as co-chairman for the 
House, while my Senate counterpart was Senator David Boren. The House 
vice-chairman was first Representative Bill Gradison and then 
Representative David Dreier, and the Senate vice-chairman was Senator 
Pete Domenici.
  The joint committee's study of Congress was careful and far-reaching. 
As part of our year-long effort, members of the panel conducted 36 
hearings, receiving a total of 144 hours of testimony from over 240 
witnesses. Members of Congress and congressional staff were surveyed to 
get additional input about reform options. Symposiums were conducted 
with former Members, current and former staff, academics, and other 
outside experts. The joint committee was assisted by independent 
studies conducted by the Renewing Congress project of the Brookings 
Institution and the American Enterprise Institute, and by the Carnegie 
Commission on Science, Technology, and Government. The committee 
benefited from regular and sustained input from private citizens across 
the country.


                     ii. proposals for major change

  Due to time constraints and the difficult nature of many 
reform issues, the House and Senate sides of the joint committee 
proceeded along separate, but parallel, tracks in finalizing specific 
reform recommendations. However, House and Senate Members of the panel 
worked in careful collaboration during most of the joint committee's 
deliberations. As a result, the House and Senate reform packages are 
very similar, providing both chambers with a common core of proposals 
for reforming Congress. My hope is that the bicameral nature of the 
reform effort will continue as our recommendations move through the 
legislative process.

  The recommendations I am introducing today were reported by the House 
members of the joint committee in November of 1993. I believe that 
these proposals are a significant step toward comprehensive 
congressional reform. Included are proposals to:
  Apply laws to Congress in a manner consistent with the separation of 
powers.
  Include private citizens in the House ethics process in a meaningful 
way.
  Fundamentally alter the Federal budget process by putting it on a 2-
year, rather than an annual, cycle.
  Cut congressional staff by as much as 12 percent.
  Streamline the committee system by reducing assignments and cutting 
the number of subcommittees.
  Open up Congress to more public scrutiny by, for example, publicizing 
special interest projects in committee reports--a reform that will 
provide a major disincentive to wasteful spending.
  Guarantee to the Minority the right to offer a full policy 
alternative on all legislation considered on the House floor.
  There are dozens of other worthwhile proposals included in this 
package.


                       III. Important First Step

  The recommendations of the joint committee will now move to other 
forums. Many issues must be resolved in the committees of jurisdiction 
and on the floor of the House, as well as by the party caucuses. My 
hope is that in the weeks and months ahead we can make a strong package 
even stronger. Even without further refinements, however, the reform 
package reported by House members of the joint committee would 
constitute the most sweeping reform of the House in decades.
  In closing I would like to express my appreciation to David Dreier, 
the House vice-chairman of the joint committee, and to David Boren and 
Pete Domenici, our Senate counterparts. I also thank the other members 
of the joint committee for their effort and their contribution, as well 
as the many other Members of Congress who testified at our hearings, 
spoke with us informally, or otherwise contributed to the important 
work of congressional reform. It has been a pleasure to work with all 
of these individuals.

                          ____________________