[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 23 (Monday, March 7, 1994)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: March 7, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
            REFORM AND THE CONGRES- SIONAL RESEARCH SERVICE

                                 ______


                          HON. LEE H. HAMILTON

                               of indiana

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, March 7, 1994

  Mr. HAMILTON. Mr. Speaker, on December 31, 1993, the Joint Committee 
on the Organization of Congress, which I cochaired, officially 
completed its work and formally expired under the terms of its 
authorizing resolution. All Members of Congress have received a copy of 
the joint committee's report, which was based on extensive hearings, 
roundtables, meetings, and informal discussions. My sense is that the 
joint committee has produced the most comprehensive and systematic 
study of Congress ever undertaken by Members of this institution. If 
accepted, the reform recommendations in our report would substantially 
improve the internal operations of the House and Senate.
  An undertaking of this magnitude could not have been accomplished 
without the assistance of many organizations and knowledgeable 
individuals. This is especially the case for the joint committee 
because we deliberately employed a small staff and even turned back 
more than $300,000 from our allotted budget. People such as David Meade 
and Robert Weinhagen of the House Office of Legislative Counsel; James 
Blum, Paul Van de Water, James Horney, Glen Goodnow, and especially 
Phil Joyce of the Congressional Budget Office; and the House 
Parliamentarians--William Brown, Charles Johnson, Thomas Duncan, 
Muftiah McCartin, and John Sullivan--all provided exemplary advice and 
assistance to the joint committee.
  But I particularly want to thank the Congressional Research Service 
for its extensive commitment of resources and talent to the joint 
committee. My sincere appreciation is extended to the leaders of CRS 
for ensuring that the joint committee received the comprehensive 
assistance it needed.
  Most important, I thank CRS for loaning us the services of Dr. Walter 
Oleszek, Senior Specialist, who served as policy director for the joint 
committee. Walter Oleszek is well known to the Members of this body. 
For 25 years he has provided us with superb assistance on a wide range 
of procedural and organizational issues. His knowledge of the history 
of congressional reform is unsurpassed. As policy director for the 
joint committee, Walter Oleszek was involved in all facets of the joint 
committee's work, from assisting with efforts to create the committee 
to helping write our final report. His contribution was critical to the 
success of the joint committee.
  Also detailed to the joint committee for an extended period were 
Carol Hardy-Vincent and Paul Rundquist. They both made outstanding 
contributions to the work of the committee, and to congressional reform 
more generally.
  Special thanks also are due to the many additional CRS staffers who 
provided the joint committee with information and analytical support in 
the following areas:

  Application of Laws of Congress. Charles Dale, Jay Shampansky, 
Vincent Treacy, and Leslie Gladstone.
  Ethics Process. Jack Maskell, who worked closely with the joint 
committee throughout its existence, and Mildred Amer.
  Committee System. Several analysts, particularly Judith Schneider and 
Frederick Pauls, prepared a series of committee reform plans under 
tight time constraints. The Government Division's support staff and the 
Library's graphics unit worked long hours to produce these plans and 
deserve our thanks. Richard Sachs, JoAnne O'Bryant, Robert Moon, Faye 
Bullock, Mary Tiemann, David Huckabee, and Betsy Cody also provided 
research advice and assistance in the committees area.
  Floor Procedure and Scheduling. Rick Beth, Ilona Nickels, Stanley 
Bach, Stephen Stathis, Virginia McMurtry, Jon Simon, Sharon Gressle, 
and James Sayler.
  Budget Process. James Saturno, who was detailed to the joint 
committee to assist on this topic, as well as Robert Keith, Sandy 
Davis, Sylvia Streeter, and Jean Knezo.
  Staffing Congress. Paul Dwyer, John Pontius, Adele Faber, Lorraine 
Tong, Frederick Pauls, Robert Sutter, Sula Richardson, Judith 
Schneider, and Susan Finsen.
  Legislative-Executive Relations. Louis Fisher, Ronald Moe, Harold 
Relyea, Frederick Kaiser, Ellen Collier, Morton Rosenberg, and Roger 
Garcia.
  Legislative-Judicial Relations. Johnny Killian.
  House-Senate Relations. Richard Sachs.
  Information Technology for Congress. Jane Bortnick Griffith, Jeffrey 
Griffith, and John Kelley.
  Public Understanding of Congress. Ilona Nickels, Denis Steven Rutkus, 
Robert Nickel, Michael Kolakowski, Liane White, and Nancy Davenport.
  Clay Wellborn, the Acting Chief of the Government Division, exercised 
overall supervision and coordination of most of these projects.
  In addition, Royce Crocker helped design and administered a survey of 
House and Senate Members about reform options. Karen Wirt provided 
editorial assistance to the committee. General reference support was 
provided by CRS's Ford Reference Center, Congressional Reference 
Division, and Library Services Division. Susan Greenwood, Barbara 
Schwemle, and Rick Greenwood prepared summaries of the many joint 
committee hearings. A useful training guide for congressional staff was 
prepared by Robert Newlen, Paul Boyd, Christina Noll, and Kathy 
Marshall.
  In short, the Joint Committee on the Organization of Congress 
benefitted enormously from the assistance provided to it by the 
Congressional Research Service. The CRS's subject-matter experts and 
institutional memory about reform issues enabled the joint committee to 
review and analysis hundreds of reform proposals. I know I speak for 
all members of the joint committee on expressing our sincere 
appreciation to CRS for a job well done.

                          ____________________