[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 17 (Friday, January 27, 1995)]
[House]
[Page H806]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




PROVIDING FOR APPOINTMENT AND COMPENSATION OF CONGRESSIONAL CONSULTANTS

  Mr. THOMAS. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to take from the 
Speaker's table the Senate bill (S. 273) to amend section 61h-6 of 
title 2, United States Code, and asked for its immediate consideration 
in the House.
  The Clerk read the title of the Senate bill.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from California?
  Mr. FAZIO. Mr. Speaker, reserving the right to object, will the 
gentleman from California kindly explain the purpose of the resolution?
  Mr. THOMAS. Mr. Speaker, will the gentleman yield?
  Mr. FAZIO. I am happy to yield to the gentleman from California.
  Mr. THOMAS. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding.
  This bill is really a very technical bill. It makes technical changes 
in a provision of title 2 to the United States Code which applied only 
to the U.S. Senate, and it deals with the appointment procedures 
between the majority leader and the minority leader.
  This language creates some conformity that is not now there and 
changes the procedure with the Senate President pro tempore in 
reference to two appointments that the President pro tempore of the 
Senate makes.
  Basically, it is a matter of courtesy that we simply go ahead and 
approve this, and I would ask the House to accede to the Senate's 
wishes in changing a provision that affects only the Senate.
  Mr. FAZIO. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the gentleman from 
California for his description.
  Mr. Speaker, in keeping with the comity between the bodies, I 
withdraw my reservation of objection.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from California?
  There was no objection.
  The Clerk read the Senate bill, as follows:

                                 S. 273

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled, That 
     section 61h-6 of title 2; The Congress, Chapter 4--Officers 
     and Employees of Senate and House of Representatives; United 
     States Code, is amended to read as follows:

     ``Sec. 61h-6. Appointment of consultants by Majority Leader, 
       Minority Leader, Secretary of the Senate, and Legislative 
       Counsel of the Senate; compensation

       ``(a) The Majority Leader and the Minority Leader, are each 
     authorized to appoint and fix the compensation of not more 
     than four individual consultants, on a temporary or 
     intermittent basis, at a daily rate of compensation not in 
     excess of the per diem equivalent of the highest gross rate 
     of annual compensation which may be paid to employees of a 
     standing committee of the Senate. The Secretary of the Senate 
     is authorized to appoint and fix the compensation of not more 
     than two individual consultants, on a temporary or 
     intermittent basis, at a daily rate of compensation not in 
     excess of the per diem equivalent of the highest gross rate 
     of annual compensation which may be paid to employees of a 
     standing committee of the Senate. The Legislative Counsel of 
     the Senate (subject to the approval of the President Pro 
     Tempore) is authorized to appoint and fix the compensation of 
     not more than two consultants, on a temporary or intermittent 
     basis, at a daily rate of compensation not in excess of that 
     specified in the first sentence of this section. The 
     provisions of section 8344 of title 5 shall not apply to any 
     individual serving in a position under this authority. 
     Expenditures under this authority shall be paid from the 
     contingent fund of the Senate upon vouchers approved by the 
     President Pro Tempore, Majority Leader, Minority Leader, 
     Secretary of the Senate, or Legislative Counsel of the 
     Senate, as the case may be.
       ``(b) The Majority Leader, and the Minority Leader, in 
     appointing individuals to consultant positions under 
     authority of this section, may appoint one such individual to 
     such position at an annual rate of compensation rather than 
     at a daily rate of compensation, but such annual rate shall 
     not be in excess of the highest gross rate of annual 
     compensation which may be paid to employees of a standing 
     committee of the Senate.''.

  The Senate bill was ordered to be read a third time, was read the 
third time, and passed, and a motion to reconsider was laid on the 
table.

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