[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 87 (Monday, July 10, 2000)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1186-E1187]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              LEGISLATIVE BRANCH APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2001

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                        HON. SHEILA JACKSON-LEE

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, June 22, 2000

       The House in Committee of the Whole House on the State of 
     the Union had under consideration the bill (H.R. 4516) making 
     appropriations for the Legislative Branch for the fiscal year 
     ending September 30, 2001, and for other purposes.

  Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Chairman, Speaker, I rise today to 
express concerns that this body has seen too much legislation presented 
by the House Committee on Appropriations that does not take into 
consideration what the real needs of our country nor its citizens. The 
Legislative Branch Appropriations bill along with other bills that are 
intended to fund domestic appropriation's have more often than not 
provided a sever lack of funding of several important areas of 
legitimate domestic legislative needs.
  First and foremost the passage of the Legislative Branch 
Appropriations should not result in the avoidance of a court judgment 
against the Library of Congress. Therefore, I join my Colleague 
Congressman Wynn speaking out on any attempt to pass section 208 of the 
bill, as it was originally introduced to this body, contains language 
that would negate a court ordered decree issued by the United States 
Court for the District of Columbia. This would in affect rubber stamp 
the discriminatory practices of the Library of Congress by allowing the 
transfer of 84 temporary employees to permanent status without being 
required to undergo the federal government's competitive employee 
selection process.
  This bill will fund Legislative Branch activity for the fiscal year 
ending September 30, 2001. Unfortunately as we consider this 
appropriations for next year it is not clear whether the appropriation 
needs for the Capitol Hill Police have been adequately met for this 
fiscal year, which is scheduled to end on September 30, 2000. My 
assessment of this situation is based on the Capitol Police Board's 
request that the House and Senate Legislative Branch Subcommittees 
approve transfer of a little over $16 million into their allotment for 
the remainder of this fiscal year. The Police Board makes this urgent 
request in order to address the revenue shortage of the Capitol Police 
for this fiscal year.
  I would like to inform those colleagues of mine who are not aware of 
the fact that last month, May 2000, the Government Accounting Office 
(GAO) released a report on the finances of the Capitol Police. This 
report was produced in response to a letter, requesting a financial 
audit of the United States (USCP), sent to them by the Chairman of the 
Subcommittee on Legislative Appropriations of the House Committee on 
Appropriations. This GAO report is titled ``United States Capitol 
Police, 1999 Financial Audit Highlights the Need to address Internal 
Control Weaknesses.'' The report found that the United States Capitol 
Police administration lacked internal financial control and was not 
effective in ensuring the following: that assets are safeguarded 
against loss or misappropriation. The report also stated that 
department transactions are executed in accordance with management's 
authority and with laws and regulations. Finally, the report clarified 
that there are no material misstatements in the financial reports.
  What is more disturbing to me is that the report stated that on three 
occasions, involving its salaries appropriations, the USCP violated the 
Anti-Deficiency Act. The Anti-Deficiency Act prohibits an officer or 
employee of the United States from, among other things, making an 
expenditure from an appropriation that exceeds the amount available in 
the appropriation.
  The report also acknowledges that the USCP is in the process of 
making improvements in response to earlier recommendation, substantial 
work remains.
  For this reason, I ask my fellow members of the House of 
Representatives, who is policing the budget for the United States 
Capitol Police?
  I strongly believe that this body must act to ensure that the rank 
and file of the Capitol Hill Police are adequately compensated for the 
vital work they do. The protection of this body and the thousands of 
visitors we receive each year is the sole responsibility of the United 
States Capitol Police. They have been asked by the American people to 
protect our nation's capitol, which includes every member of this body, 
from violent assault by those who would seek to do this democratic 
system harm. For this reason, I would like to ask that the appropriated 
authorization and appropriations committees provide a more 
comprehensive plan to compensate the men and women of the United State 
Capitol Police. After extensive research I would like to offer that at 
this time these officers are not being adequately compensated based on 
the fact that they are required to purchase uniform items and provide 
for their care from their own personal resources.
  I was shocked to learn that our nation's capitol police are required 
to purchase uniform items and provide for their care at their own 
personal expense. These uniforms are not being worn by our Hill police 
officers for any other purpose than as a direct requirement of their 
jobs. Therefore any expense associated with the officer's uniforms 
should be treated as if they were the department's operational expense.
  As written the Legislative Branch Appropriations legislation before 
us today will only pay for the cleaning of the officer's pants--not 
their shirts, which are the most visible feature of their uniforms. 
Those who administer the budget for the Capitol Hill For this reason, I 
beseech this body to allow for the budgeting for the cleaning expenses 
for the shirts of our capitol hill police uniforms. If these officers 
did launder and iron their own shirts, as the under funding of their 
annual uniform cleaning expense by this body suggests that they should 
do, then the crisp professional look that we have all come to see in 
our Hill Police Force would be difficult to maintain. However, because 
these law enforcement officers are professionals in every sense, they 
use their own income to ensure that their uniforms are adequately dry 
cleaned.
  This body's actions in not passing legislation with sufficient 
appropriations nor legislative directives for the proper expensing of 
items of the Capitol Police budget rest with the lack of guidance of 
the United States Capitol Police in this area by this body.
  The signs of under funding of our capitol hill police extends to 
their having to provide their own personal protection from work related 
injury to their feet, legs, and lower back. For this reason, many 
Capitol Hill Police spend up to $150 dollars for a pair of Red Wing 
foot ware. This foot ware provides the best protection to the front 
line Capitol Police officers who are required to work for hours on the 
unforgiving marble floors or concrete of the Capitol grounds. In 
addition to the expense of the shoes, the ware on the instep of the 
shoes requires a $15 to $20 replacement for each shoe every six months. 
I will not ask that each of you respond to a question regarding how 
many pairs of shoes have been worn through the soles while you have 
been working on Capitol Hill.
  I do not want to make light of the hardship these men and women face 
in serving to protect the democratic heart of this nation. I do not 
need to remind each of you that in 1998, Officer Jacob J. Chestnut, and 
Detective John M. Gibson offered the ultimate--their lives--in their 
commitment to provide public service to our nation as Hill law 
enforcement officers.
  At that time this body responded by making special appropriations for 
the administration of the police function on the Hill by providing an 
additional $1 million a week in funds in order to fill the obvious need 
for increased security.
  It is also disturbing that the two-year salary cycle of the Capital 
Hill Police is not taken into consideration during the appropriations 
process. It is a documented fact that after each presidential and or 
congressional election the overtime costs of the Capitol Police budget, 
during that December following the November election, increases 
substantially in anticipation of the swearing in festivities, which 
will take place during the month of January. It is my hope that this 
body will allow for the Capitol Hill appropriations for those years, of 
which the year 2000 is one of them, to flex in order to insure that 
adequate overtime compensation is ready and available to the Capitol 
Hill Police Department.
  We all know that these individuals are more than just police, they 
secure the well of this House so the legislative and deliberative 
affairs of the people of the United States may be conducted in an 
environment free from threats of violence. In providing this vital 
protection, they also act as hosts to the thousands of visitors who 
come to the Hill each year to see the democratic process up close.

[[Page E1187]]

  This is a role that our Hill police officers fill very well. They act 
as greeters and provide tour references for persons who are unfamiliar 
with our Capitol grounds. For this reason, I would offer that, it would 
be very proper to consider action that would provide authorization and 
funding for the development of a professional roster of Hill greeters 
who are on the grounds to fill this void in customer service to our 
guest and constituents.
  In closing, I would like to make it clear by noting in the record 
that I was not approached by any Capitol Hill Police officers to speak 
on this subject--on the contrary I have waited for an opportunity to 
discuss this matter for some time. I do so now--because I have eyes 
that can see and a thinking mind and I know that what we have done to 
these--our own public servants is not right.
  I was on the Hill after the 1996 elections and know that the Capitol 
Police force were required to work thousands of hours in overtime, but 
these officers were not compensated for their labor until well into the 
next year. I was also here in 1998, when Officer Jacob J. Chestnut, and 
Detective John M. Gibson were killed, and several others including 
civilians, were wounded.
  For this reason, and this reason only, I ask that my colleagues 
consider my words as they deliberate and vote on this important 
appropriation.

                          ____________________