[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 42 (Tuesday, March 27, 2001)]
[House]
[Pages H1143-H1148]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     PROVIDING FOR EXPENSES OF CERTAIN COMMITTEES OF THE HOUSE OF 
          REPRESENTATIVES IN THE ONE HUNDRED SEVENTH CONGRESS

  Mr. NEY. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that it be in order at 
any time on the legislative day of March 27, 2001, without intervention 
of any point of order, to consider House Resolution 84; that the 
resolution be considered as read for amendment; that the amendment in 
the nature of a substitute recommended by the Committee on House 
Administration now printed in the resolution be considered as adopted; 
and that the previous question be considered as ordered on the 
resolution, as amended, to adoption, without intervening motion except 
1 hour of debate, equally divided and controlled by the chairman and 
the ranking minority member of the Committee on House Administration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Ohio?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. NEY. Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Committee on House 
Administration, and pursuant to the order of the House just agreed to, 
I call up the resolution (H. Res. 84) providing for the expenses of 
certain committees of the House of Representatives in the One Hundred 
Seventh Congress and ask for its immediate consideration.
  The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the order of the House of today, 
the resolution is considered read for amendment.
  The text of House Resolution 84 is as follows:

                               H. Res. 84

       Resolved,

     SECTION 1. COMMITTEE EXPENSES FOR THE ONE HUNDRED SEVENTH 
                   CONGRESS.

       (a) In General.--With respect to the One Hundred Seventh 
     Congress, there shall be paid out of the applicable accounts 
     of the House of Representatives, in accordance with this 
     primary expense resolution, not more than the amount 
     specified in subsection (b) for the expenses (including the 
     expenses of all staff salaries) of each committee named in 
     that subsection.
       (b) Committees and Amounts.--The committees and amounts 
     referred to in subsection (a) are: Committee on Agriculture, 
     $10,010,397; Committee on Armed Services, $10,847,677; 
     Committee on the Budget, $11,221,912.71; Committee on 
     Education and the Workforce, $15,590,870; Committee on Energy 
     and Commerce, $18,813,475; Committee on Financial Services, 
     $15,095,429; Committee on Government Reform, $21,842,000; 
     Committee on House Administration, $7,859,306; Permanent 
     Select Committee on Intelligence, $7,475,073.97; Committee on 
     International Relations, $14,495,256; Committee on the 
     Judiciary, $15,490, 248; Committee on Resources, $11,980,260; 
     Committee on Rules, $5,370,773; Committee on Science, 
     $12,254,301.50; Committee on Small Business, $4,798,783; 
     Committee on Standards of Official Conduct, $2,921,091.20; 
     Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, $16,559,562; 
     Committee on Veterans' Affairs, $5,273,013; and Committee on 
     Ways and Means, $16,077,758.

     SEC. 2. FIRST SESSION LIMITATIONS.

       (a) In General.--Of the amount provided for in section 1 
     for each committee named in subsection (b), not more than the 
     amount specified in such subsection shall be available for 
     expenses incurred during the period beginning at noon on 
     January 3, 2001, and ending immediately before noon on 
     January 3, 2002.
       (b) Committees and Amounts.--The committees and amounts 
     referred to in subsection (a) are: Committee on Agriculture, 
     $4,918,497; Committee on Armed Services, $5,182,597; 
     Committee on the Budget, $5,513,304.71; Committee on 
     Education and the Workforce, $8,137,966; Committee on Energy 
     and Commerce, $8,938,911.40; Committee on Financial Services, 
     $7,568,506; Committee on Government Reform, $10,692,000; 
     Committee on House Administration, $3,765,460; Permanent 
     Select Committee on Intelligence, $3,660,021.59; Committee on 
     International Relations, $7,003,845; Committee on the 
     Judiciary, $7,595,624; Committee on Resources, $5,804,266; 
     Committee on Rules, $2,644,509; Committee on Science, 
     $6,000,079; Committee on Small Business, $2,312,344; 
     Committee on Standards of Official Conduct, $1,383,708; 
     Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, $7,873,320; 
     Committee on Veterans' Affairs, $2,576,765; and Committee on 
     Ways and Means, $8,014,668.

     SEC. 3. SECOND SESSION LIMITATIONS.

       (a) In General.--Of the amount provided for in section 1 
     for each committee named in subsection (b), not more than the 
     amount specified in such subsection shall be available for 
     expenses incurred during the period beginning at noon on 
     January 3, 2002, and ending immediately before noon on 
     January 3, 2003.
       (b) Committees and Amounts.--The committees and amounts 
     referred to in subsection (a) are: Committee on Agriculture, 
     $5,091,900; Committee on Armed Services, $5,665,080; 
     Committee on the Budget, $5,708,608; Committee on Education 
     and the Workforce, $7,452,904; Committee on Energy and 
     Commerce, $9,874,563.60; Committee on Financial Services, 
     $7,526,923; Committee on Government Reform, $11,150,000; 
     Committee on House Administration, $4,093,846; Permanent 
     Select Committee on Intelligence, $3,815,052.38; Committee on 
     International Relations, $7,491,411; Committee on the 
     Judiciary, $7,894,624; Committee on Resources, $6,175,994; 
     Committee on Rules, $2,726,264;

[[Page H1144]]

     Committee on Science, $6,254,222.50; Committee on Small 
     Business, $2,486,439; Committee on Standards of Official 
     Conduct, $1,537,383.20; Committee on Transportation and 
     Infrastructure, $8,686,242; Committee on Veterans' Affairs, 
     $2,696,248; and Committee on Ways and Means, $8,063,090.

     SEC. 4. VOUCHERS.

       Payments under this resolution shall be made on vouchers 
     authorized by the committee involved, signed by the chairman 
     of such committee, and approved in the manner directed by the 
     Committee on House Administration.

     SEC. 5. REGULATIONS.

       Amounts made available under this resolution shall be 
     expended in accordance with regulations prescribed by the 
     Committee on House Administration.

     SEC. 6. ADJUSTMENT AUTHORITY.

       The Committee on House Administration shall have authority 
     to make adjustments in amounts under section 1, if necessary 
     to comply with an order of the President issued under section 
     254 of the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act 
     of 1985 or to conform to any reduction in appropriations for 
     the purposes of such section 1.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The amendment printed in the resolution is 
adopted.
  The text of H. Res. 84, as amended, is as follows:

                               H. Res. 84

       Resolved, 

     SECTION 1. COMMITTEE EXPENSES FOR THE ONE HUNDRED SEVENTH 
                   CONGRESS.

       (a) In General.--With respect to the One Hundred Seventh 
     Congress, there shall be paid out of the applicable accounts 
     of the House of Representatives, in accordance with this 
     primary expense resolution, not more than the amount 
     specified in subsection (b) for the expenses (including the 
     expenses of all staff salaries) of each committee named in 
     that subsection.
       (b) Committees and Amounts.--The committees and amounts 
     referred to in subsection (a) are: Committee on Agriculture, 
     $9,607,006; Committee on Armed Services, $10,872,677; 
     Committee on the Budget, $11,107,043; Committee on Education 
     and the Workforce, $13,573,886; Committee on Energy and 
     Commerce, $17,226,770; Committee on Financial Services, 
     $11,846,231; Committee on Government Reform, $19,420,233; 
     Committee on House Administration, $7,418,045; Permanent 
     Select Committee on Intelligence, $6,955,074; Committee on 
     International Relations, $12,672,626; Committee on the 
     Judiciary, $13,166,463; Committee on Resources, $11,601,260; 
     Committee on Rules, $5,370,773; Committee on Science, 
     $10,628,041; Committee on Small Business, $4,798,783; 
     Committee on Standards of Official Conduct, $2,871,091; 
     Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, $14,479,551; 
     Committee on Veterans' Affairs, $5,142,263; and Committee on 
     Ways and Means, $14,748,888.

     SEC. 2. FIRST SESSION LIMITATIONS.

       (a) In General.--Of the amount provided for in section 1 
     for each committee named in subsection (b), not more than the 
     amount specified in such subsection shall be available for 
     expenses incurred during the period beginning at noon on 
     January 3, 2001, and ending immediately before noon on 
     January 3, 2002.
       (b) Committees and Amounts.--The committees and amounts 
     referred to in subsection (a) are: Committee on Agriculture, 
     $4,675,093; Committee on Armed Services, $5,182,597; 
     Committee on the Budget, $5,403,522; Committee on Education 
     and the Workforce, $7,059,821; Committee on Energy and 
     Commerce, $8,527,251; Committee on Financial Services, 
     $5,705,025; Committee on Government Reform, $9,810,000; 
     Committee on House Administration, $3,560,662; Permanent 
     Select Committee on Intelligence, $3,407,986; Committee on 
     International Relations, $6,202,095; Committee on the 
     Judiciary, $6,339,902; Committee on Resources, $5,595,266; 
     Committee on Rules, $2,644,509; Committee on Science, 
     $5,172,668; Committee on Small Business, $2,312,344; 
     Committee on Standards of Official Conduct, $1,358,708; 
     Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, $6,964,664; 
     Committee on Veterans' Affairs, $2,516,765; and Committee on 
     Ways and Means, $7,228,481.

     SEC. 3. SECOND SESSION LIMITATIONS.

       (a) In General.--Of the amount provided for in section 1 
     for each committee named in subsection (b), not more than the 
     amount specified in such subsection shall be available for 
     expenses incurred during the period beginning at noon on 
     January 3, 2002, and ending immediately before noon on 
     January 3, 2003.
       (b) Committees and Amounts.--The committees and amounts 
     referred to in subsection (a) are: Committee on Agriculture, 
     $4,931,913; Committee on Armed Services, $5,690,080; 
     Committee on the Budget, $5,703,521; Committee on Education 
     and the Workforce, $6,514,065; Committee on Energy and 
     Commerce, $8,699,519; Committee on Financial Services, 
     $6,141,206; Committee on Government Reform, $9,610,233; 
     Committee on House Administration, $3,857,383; Permanent 
     Select Committee on Intelligence, $3,547,088; Committee on 
     International Relations, $6,470,531; Committee on the 
     Judiciary, $6,826,561; Committee on Resources, $6,005,994; 
     Committee on Rules, $2,726,264; Committee on Science, 
     $5,455,373; Committee on Small Business, $2,486,439; 
     Committee on Standards of Official Conduct, $1,512,383; 
     Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, $7,514,887; 
     Committee on Veterans' Affairs, $2,625,498; and Committee on 
     Ways and Means, $7,520,407.

     SEC. 4. VOUCHERS.

       Payments under this resolution shall be made on vouchers 
     authorized by the committee involved, signed by the chairman 
     of such committee, and approved in the manner directed by the 
     Committee on House Administration.

     SEC. 5. REGULATIONS.

       Amounts made available under this resolution shall be 
     expended in accordance with regulations prescribed by the 
     Committee on House Administration.

     SEC. 6. ADJUSTMENT AUTHORITY.

       The Committee on House Administration shall have authority 
     to make adjustments in amounts under section 1, if necessary 
     to comply with an order of the President issued under section 
     254 of the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act 
     of 1985 or to conform to any reduction in appropriations for 
     the purposes of such section 1.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Ney) and the 
gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Hoyer) each will control 30 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Ney).
  Mr. NEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to bring to the floor today House 
Resolution 84, the committee funding resolution for the 107th Congress. 
This resolution authorizes $203.5 million for 18 standing committees of 
the House and the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. It has 
been carefully crafted to adequately and responsibly fund committees, 
providing them with the means necessary to support their agendas, which 
is the agenda of the American people.
  In their funding requests, committees requested $223.9 million for 
the 107th Congress, an increase of $40.5 million. This amounted to a 
22.1 percent increase over the 106th authorized levels. Although it is 
important that committees have the necessary resources to support their 
workloads, it is also important to ensure we do it in a fiscally 
responsible manner. As a result, on a bipartisan basis, we have been 
able to cut more than 50 percent of the funds requested by committees 
from this resolution. The $20.1 million increase in this resolution, 
however, is fiscally responsible. This amount funds our priorities and 
is crucial to enacting the agenda of the U.S. House. It deserves the 
support of our Republican Members.
  The increase also supports five special circumstances that exist due 
to the changes in committee structures and jurisdiction, providing for 
added staff and funding for the Permanent Select Committee on 
Intelligence, the Committee on Financial Services, the Committee on 
International Relations, and the Committee on Energy and Commerce. 
Without these special circumstances, the overall increase for the 107th 
Congress would have been 8.6 percent. The 107th Congress mark is still 
lower than the overall funding levels in the 103d Congress.
  The resolution also reaches a long-sought-after goal that allocates 
one-third of resources in the committees to the minority. As a result, 
this, I feel, is the fairest allocation of resources to the minority 
since the 104th Congress began.
  In the 103d Congress, while still in the minority, Republicans 
established a goal providing the two-thirds/one-third split as we 
referred to it for the committee staff and resources. Progress was made 
in each of the last three Congresses, and I want to give credit to the 
gentleman from California (Mr. Thomas), who is now chairman of the 
Committee on Ways and Means, for working towards that goal. I believe 
that with this budget we have reached the goal.
  A lot of work went into this, getting us to this point; and first I 
would like to thank a few people, and they would be first on the agenda 
the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Hastert), the Speaker of the House of 
Representatives, and his staff, Scott Palmer and Ted Van Der Meid, who 
worked so diligently to achieve this goal.
  We also need to recognize today the committee chairmen and also the 
ranking members, and I know my distinguished colleague, the gentleman 
from Maryland (Mr. Hoyer), will be also commenting on that situation; 
but we need to, I believe, Mr. Speaker, let the American people know 
that in the House of Representatives, as we talk about comity and as we 
talk about bipartisan work to have the institution of the House 
operate, we need to realize that these chairmen and ranking members 
work diligently to communicate with each other and to establish what we 
have here today.
  Also, I would like to thank the Committee on House Administration 
staff:

[[Page H1145]]

Neil Volz, who is a staff director; Channing Nuss, Maria Robinson, Jeff 
Janice, and also Janet Giuliani and Steve Miller who are sitting here 
to my left and behind me. This is their swan song. They are going to be 
leaving the committee; and I do not know if we overworked them, Mr. 
Speaker, but they are actually going on to the Committee on Ways and 
Means with the gentleman from California (Mr. Thomas). I do not know if 
we still have time for an amendment to strike some money from the 
Committee on Ways and Means budget so we can keep these two 
individuals. We can talk about that, I would say to the gentleman from 
Maryland (Mr. Hoyer). But both of them have done a tremendous job, as 
all members have of this committee, and the staffs.

  I also want to recognize the tremendous job of the ranking minority 
staff of the Committee on House Administration, Bob Bean and all of the 
staff members who worked on a cooperative basis with our office, with 
our staff, with all of their committee ranking members, as our staff 
worked with the chairmen of the committees, to also produce this 
resolution today.
  I would also note, Mr. Speaker, that we also have a situation where 
we looked at the technology upgrades of the House, the hearing rooms 
for the committees; and the Committee on House Administration has 
determined, in consultation with the Speaker's office and with my 
distinguished colleague, the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Hoyer), that 
funds requested for hearing room upgrades should be removed from the 
normal committee funding process. We realize that most committee 
hearing rooms are in serious need of improvement, as many have not had 
improvements in decades. However, it is important there be a 
standardized approach from an institutional perspective to ensure that 
all upgrades are of a minimal technical standard, can be maintained by 
the House, and provide a base level on which we can build for the 
future. So I also believe this is very responsible in taking this 
approach as a committee.
  Let me just close by noting two things: number one, the goal, and 
since technology has burst through in this country, the goal has been 
to take the House of Representatives and make sure that citizens can 
see their House, the people's House, in action in the committees. We 
have worked towards that. When we do that and we use all of the 
technology to video stream and to have hearings on the Internet, to 
take it out over the radio waves and, as a result, it does have an 
increased workload. There is also an attitude amongst the chairmen of 
the committees and the ranking members that they would like to do 
hearings, which I think is admirable. Not everybody can get in a car or 
hop in an airplane to come to Washington, D.C. So with these resources 
we feel this will be a tremendous start for the chairmen and ranking 
members to take the people's House out on the road, as we would say, 
and be able to have citizens from across the country see hearings in 
action and be able to get their input.
  Now, the second thing I wanted to close with is also very, very 
important to me personally and I believe the institution of the House, 
and that is a comment I want to make about our ranking member, the 
gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Hoyer). Achieving a budget takes 
cooperation. Getting to the two-thirds/one-third to make the House run 
as it should, it takes cooperation. It is not a one-way street. The 
ranking members of the Committee on House Administration and the 
majority members have given of their time through this process, each 
and every one of them has worked diligently to work with us to produce 
this.
  But I have to publicly give accolades to the gentleman from Maryland 
(Mr. Hoyer) because he did a yeoman's job in stepping up to the plate 
to make sure that the ranking members of the committee have the 
resources. He worked towards this goal that we had stated 6 years ago 
that we wanted to get to this point today, where we would be able to 
present this type of budget. But I just wanted to publicly point out 
that all of the ranking members really would be impressed if they saw 
all the amount of hours that the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Hoyer) 
and also his staff put in to make sure that this is a fair budget. He 
also worked with us and our majority members.
  So, again, this is a fiscally-sound budget. It is a budget we can be 
proud of here in the U.S. House, and I want to again thank our staff, 
the ranking members, the Speaker, and also the gentleman from Maryland 
(Mr. Hoyer).
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I 
would like to thank the chairman for his comments, not only about my 
work, but on behalf of the minority staff regarding the role that they 
have played in this.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of House Resolution 84, and I urge my 
Democratic colleagues to support it, as the chairman of the committee, 
the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Ney), has urged his colleagues to support 
it. The process through which this resolution was developed, and the 
concern demonstrated by the majority leadership to meeting the 
minority's legitimate needs, was in my opinion, a very positive 
process.
  House Resolution 84 goes a long way, Mr. Speaker, toward achieving 
the minority's longtime goal of controlling one-third of each 
committee's total resources and staff slots. While it does not reach 
this goal in every single case, the ranking minority members of the 19 
committees covered by the provisions of this resolution agree that 
substantial progress has been made over the levels of the 106th 
Congress. They have expressed to me their confidence that additional 
accommodations will occur over the course of the 107th Congress to deal 
with any remaining issues. Even the handful of committees that had been 
most visibly deficient in the past, in meeting the minority's 
legitimate needs, have come a long way, and most have met their target.
  In the past, we have had representations which have appeared to hit 
the targets, but which have not. The gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Ney) and 
the Speaker have been diligent in trying to make sure that those 
devices are no longer used, and I thank them both for their leadership.
  Mr. Speaker, we have approximately a $1.8 trillion budget that the 
elected representatives of this House, and the elected representatives 
of the other body, are charged with overseeing. We are given the 
responsibility to ensure that the funds are spent as they are intended 
to be spent, and are spent effectively on behalf of the American 
people, whose funds they are. That is a weighty responsibility. The 
budget for this body to carry out that task represents approximately 
one ten-thousandth of the dollars spent for the activities which we 
have the responsibility of overseeing. So it is a relatively small 
amount.
  Mr. Speaker, I think that the amount authorized by this resolution, 
which is substantially less than the amount requested by the 
committees, is nevertheless an amount that will responsibly enable our 
committees, both the majority and the minority, to effectively carry 
out their responsibilities to the American people.

                              {time}  1615

  It is not easy to oversee budgets in the billions of dollars. It 
requires staff who are talented, diligent, and conscientious. To hire 
and retain such staff requires sufficient sums to compete in the 
marketplace. This budget allows the committees to do that, so I am very 
pleased to support this budget.
  I also want to say that the gentleman from Ohio (Chairman Ney) has 
done yeoman's service on behalf of this institution--not just his 
party, and not just the minority--but on behalf of the whole 
institution, in creating an atmosphere in which we can come together, 
look at a problem, discuss it rationally, reasonably, and fairly, and 
come to a conclusion that I think all of us can support.
  I think the leadership of the gentleman from Ohio (Chairman Ney) will 
redound, both now and in the future, to the benefit of this 
institution, and I thank him for his consideration and his courage in 
confronting some who perhaps did not want to move quite as far toward 
the target that had been set.
  I also want to thank the Speaker, the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. 
Hastert). He made it very clear that he was committed to the target of 
one-third of the slots and one-third of the resources for the minority. 
The gentleman from

[[Page H1146]]

Ohio (Chairman Ney) and the Speaker, the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. 
Hastert), through their fairness and leadership helped accomplish this 
objective, and have set a powerful example.
  Seven years ago, Mr. Speaker, when the majority was in the minority, 
a former Member of this body, Pat Roberts, now a member of the other 
body, promised, and I quote, ``If lightning strikes and the sun comes 
up in the West and Republicans take over Congress, we are going to do 
that for you. You will at least get one-third.''
  Mr. Speaker, with the adoption of House Resolution 84, it would seem 
that something very unusual indeed has occurred in this body: Lightning 
has struck, and the sun has come up in the West.
  It is my hope, Mr. Speaker, that this body continues to experience 
such wonders of nature.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. NEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  I just wanted to make note, Mr. Speaker, that we appreciate that if 
something would happen and lightning would strike, it would be fair. 
Let us not do that test, though.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. 
Combest).
  Mr. COMBEST. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding time to 
me.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of House Resolution 84, the 
Omnibus Committee Funding Resolution.
  First of all, I would like to commend and congratulate the chairman 
and the ranking member for the work they have done in committee to 
bring forward today what I consider to be a very fair and responsive 
funding resolution.
  In this budget they have not only provided sufficient resources to 
facilitate the work of the committees and the Congress, but they have 
done so in a fiscally responsible way.
  In this regard, I think it is worth noting, as the gentleman from 
Ohio (Chairman Ney) said, that the budget for the 107th Congress is 
still $20 million below the spending levels for the 103rd.
  I also want to commend the Speaker, the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. 
Hastert), and the chairman, the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Ney), for the 
long hours they have put in to assure a more fair and equitable 
distribution of resources to the minority. I should say that the 
Committee on Agriculture, which I chair, has long lived by the two-
thirds/one-third rule with respect to the division of committee funds. 
I think this has served our committee well. I think it serves the 
interests of the people we represent well.
  I think the fact that today's resolution finally achieves this ratio 
broadly for all committees is remarkable and historic, and will 
ultimately serve this Congress in the best interests of the people that 
we represent and that we work for.
  Again, I thank the chairman and the ranking member for their hard 
work on this resolution, a very responsible resolution. I urge my 
colleagues to support overwhelmingly the passage of House Resolution 
84.
  Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from 
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (Mr. Fattah), a member of the Committee on 
House Administration and a gentleman who has worked very hard to 
accomplish this result.
  Mr. FATTAH. Mr. Speaker, let me first rise to say that I come from a 
background in the Pennsylvania Senate and General Assembly, I spent 12 
years there, where we had something which was entitled the Bipartisan 
Management Committee. The entire management of the legislature was 
handled through the Bipartisan Management Committee, in which decisions 
around funding and committee size and staff issues were handled in a 
bipartisan manner.
  Mr. Speaker, I think what has taken place in the Committee on House 
Administration, under the leadership of both the ranking member, the 
gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Hoyer), and the chairman, the gentleman 
from Ohio (Mr. Ney), is as close to that as is possible here in the 
Congress in the sense that there has really been a bipartisan effort to 
figure out what, as a professional legislative body, is needed for the 
various committees to implement their objectives and responsibilities, 
and to adequately provide for that in terms of the overall funding 
levels for committees; to also meet a threshold, a target, if you will, 
set by the majority party when it was in the minority of a one-third 
provision of resources for a minority party in this Congress to be able 
to articulate and fight for its positions on a variety of issues. We 
have accomplished that.
  I want to thank not just the chairman and the ranking member, I want 
to thank some of the people who had to work a little to get us there, 
including someone who I have not often said nice things about, I guess, 
on the floor of the House, the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Burton), 
chairman of the Committee on Government Reform that I served on for 6 
years. His committee and a number of the other committees, the 
Committee on the Judiciary and others, had to move a little bit so we 
could all come here today in support of this resolution.
  I want to thank not just the leadership of the Committee on House 
Administration, but I want to thank others in the majority who helped 
move this Congress to a place that I think will gain us greater respect 
from all who view us.
  Mr. Speaker, in conclusion, I want to say that I hope as this 
Congress goes forward, that we will continue to be prepared to meet the 
growing needs of the financial resources that our various committees 
will have; that we will work in terms of improving the committees and 
hearing rooms, and doing whatever else is necessary so that Members of 
what all would agree is the premier lawmaking body in the world would 
have the ability to carry out in a professional way their work; and 
that our committees are capable of taking charge of the great 
responsibilities we have as the United States Congress.
  Mr. NEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from 
California (Mr. Doolittle).
  (Mr. DOOLITTLE asked and was given permission to revise and extend 
his remarks.)
  Mr. DOOLITTLE. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to support this resolution 
because this resolution embodies some real leadership, the leadership 
to do the right thing for the House of Representatives. As has been 
noted by the other speakers, it was necessary to make some adjustments 
so that we could provide the equity and the comity that is necessary 
between the two parties. This is something that I think is very 
desirable.
  This resolution constitutes a responsible reflection of committee 
Chair requests for the 107th Congress. The committee Chairs requested a 
22-percent increase in funding over the 106th Congress. The gentleman 
from Ohio (Chairman Ney) and the Committee on House Administration were 
able to cut that request in half and still satisfy committee needs, and 
still obtain unanimous endorsement from all the committee Chairs and 
the ranking members.
  We hear lots of talk about bipartisanship, but this is not only talk, 
but reflects the actions of bipartisanship. I have always heard for 
years about the acrimony in the Committee on House Administration. As a 
new member of it, I must say I have never seen a smoother process than 
the one that occurred over this committee funding issue, with both 
sides really working closely together to provide support for this. I 
think it is something that is very commendable, and it stands out and 
should serve really as a model for how we operate.
  The funding resolution does provide or moves us greatly towards the 
two-thirds/one-third allocation of resources between the majority and 
the minority parties.
  I would especially like to recognize our Speaker, the gentleman from 
Illinois (Mr. Hastert), for the leadership, the encouragement he gave 
us to move in this direction, as well as the chairman, the gentleman 
from Ohio (Mr. Ney), and commend the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. 
Hoyer) in the minority in working with us on this.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to 
support this resolution, which by all estimates is a fair, balanced, 
responsible, and necessary funding blueprint.
  Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, as the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Ney) knows, it was our 
position on this side that every ranking

[[Page H1147]]

member of the 19 committees had to be in a position of being treated 
fairly for us to support the resolution. Again, through the work of the 
gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Ney) and the work of the ranking members and 
the chairmen, we have accomplished that objective.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from New York (Mr. 
LaFalce), the ranking member of the Committee on Financial 
Institutions, who worked very closely with the new chairman, the 
gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Oxley), to reach agreement.
  (Mr. LaFALCE asked and was given permission to revise and extend his 
remarks.)
  Mr. LaFALCE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Maryland for 
yielding time to me.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of House Resolution 84, the Omnibus 
Committee Funding Resolution. I particularly want to offer my support 
for the recommended funding for the Committee on Financial Services. 
This committee is now the second largest committee of the Congress. It 
cannot afford to ignore or inadequately address any of its areas of 
responsibilities in an increasingly integrated financial services 
market. The increase in funding will help the committee to fulfill its 
responsibilities.
  I appreciate that the members of the Committee on House 
Administration have to struggle with some difficult choices between 
competing demands to trying to allocate the resources necessary so all 
committees can do their jobs. I want to thank them for the effort they 
made on behalf of the Committee on Financial Services.
  I want to especially thank and commend the Democratic leadership for 
its strong advocacy of and commitment to the equitable allocation of 
resources to our minority. Thanks to their persistence, most ranking 
members will enjoy one-third control over staff slots and funds, with 
real discretion over these two areas once the resolution is adopted.
  This one-third/two-thirds ratio for all committee resources is a 
minimal and absolutely essential component of an equitable distribution 
of dollars and staffing. I am pleased that most committees will finally 
have that authority.
  The full Committee on House Administration, members of both parties, 
including especially the gentleman from Ohio (Chairman Ney) and the 
ranking member, the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Hoyer), are to be 
commended for crafting such a well-balanced budget package.
  I would urge all my colleagues, particularly those on my side of the 
aisle, to support this resolution.
  Mr. Speaker, I also urge the committee to do something else. I urge 
the committee to exercise the authority it has to ensure that treatment 
of expenses for representational duties in the District of Columbia is 
no better but no worse than the treatment given to State legislators in 
almost each and every State, and most especially in States such as 
California and New York.
  Mr. NEY. Mr. Speaker, I would like to applaud the gentleman's 
statement.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. 
Hyde), the distinguished chairman of the Committee on International 
Relations.
  (Mr. HYDE asked and was given permission to revise and extend his 
remarks.)
  Mr. HYDE. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of House Resolution 84, as 
amended, which provides funding for the committees of the House of 
Representatives in the first session of the 107th Congress.
  At the outset, I, too, would like to commend and thank the gentleman 
from Ohio (Mr. Ney), chairman of the Committee on House Administration, 
the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Hoyer), the ranking Democratic member, 
and other members of this committee in guiding a thoughtful and well-
crafted resolution to the House floor today.

                              {time}  1630

  The task before them is by no means an easy one and is often 
complicated by the many different committee demands and requirements 
for resources.
  The gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Ney) and the Committee on House 
Administration have deliberated long hours to produce a resolution 
which strikes a balance between fiscal belt-tightening and funding 
allocation priorities.
  In particular, I think I speak for most Members of the House when I 
say we appreciate the unflagging efforts of both the gentleman from 
Ohio (Mr. Ney) and the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Hoyer), as well as 
the entire Committee on House Administration in bringing to the floor 
today a product which is predicted to receive wide, bipartisan support.
  Mr. Speaker, the work of the Committee on International Relations is 
as important to the national interests as is the work of any department 
or agency our committee oversees. The decisions we make with respect to 
our policy and involvement towards other countries are as important as 
any decisions this Congress makes.
  Although, I, of course, wish the Committee on International Relations 
had received its entire request, I believe we can work within the 
amount allocated to us in this resolution and still achieve a record of 
accomplishments of which the Congress and the American people can be 
proud.
  I wish to take this opportunity to weigh in a very real problem all 
Members face in the House. I am speaking about the physical office and 
meeting space availability or, rather, unavailability. When I appeared 
before the Committee on House Administration earlier this month, I 
suggested that perhaps it is not too visionary to contemplate another 
office building. The Senate has three office buildings to serve the 
interests of 100 Senators. On the House side, we have three buildings 
that are overutilized to serve the interests of 435 Members.
  Mr. Speaker, I bring this up now so we might think about remedies for 
the very near future.
  In closing, I urge the Members of the House to support H. Res. 84 as 
reported from the Committee on House Administration so the committees 
of the House can discharge their responsibilities and get on with the 
very important business we are sent here to do.
  Mr. NEY. Mr. Speaker, we have one more speaker on this issue, this 
resolution. I want to say 21 years ago, Mr. Speaker, when I was in the 
Ohio House, I had a very young colleague from Ohio, and he was going 
off to Congress. I often wondered what would become of him. Now we 
know; he has become chairman of the Subcommittee on Financial 
Institutions and Consumer Credit with a lot of new responsibility.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. 
Oxley).
  (Mr. OXLEY asked and was given permission to revise and extend his 
remarks.)
  Mr. OXLEY. Mr. Speaker, let me first begin by thanking the gentleman 
from Ohio (Mr. Ney), my good friend and colleague, for a virtuoso 
performance on this. I think probably, at least certainly in my almost 
20 years in the House, this is the first time I can remember that we 
have had such a great working relationship between the gentleman from 
Ohio (Mr. Ney), chairman of the Committee on House Administration, and 
the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Hoyer), my good friend, to put this 
package together that satisfied just about everybody in what we wanted 
to try to accomplish in the way of committee funding.
  From the hearings, where I had an opportunity to participate, along 
with the gentleman from New York (Mr. LaFalce), the ranking member on 
the Subcommittee on Financial Institutions and Consumer Credit, to the 
efforts to make certain that not only were the chairmen but the ranking 
members satisfied with the numbers, has brought us today on the floor 
and on the verge of passing this legislation by an overwhelming margin.
  It is in no small part due to the efforts of the gentleman from Ohio 
(Mr. Ney) as well as the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Hoyer) for their 
dedication to the work.
  I suspect that not any of us got all that we had asked for, it is 
rare around this place that we get everything that we ask for, but I 
have to say that I have not talked to one Member, either chairman or 
ranking member, who felt that they did not get a fair shake from the 
Committee on House Administration, and that ultimately is what counts.
  Mr. Speaker, our committee, as you know, is a new committee. It is 
the second largest committee in the House.

[[Page H1148]]

We have assumed enormous new responsibilities particularly dealing with 
the Wall Street issues of securities and exchanges, as well as 
insurance added on to the traditional banking issues, as well as the 
IMF, World Bank, and others; but we have a wide range of issues, and we 
needed that kind of extra staff to carry out our functions.
  Mr. Speaker, to show my colleagues how fair this whole process worked 
out to be, particularly with the two-thirds, one-third, we will receive 
in our committee nine new staffing slots, five of which will go to the 
minority. Clearly, the gentleman's efforts have borne fruit in moving 
this bipartisan effort and making certain that the committees were 
funded properly and have the opportunity to do and carry out the 
agendas that we have before us.
  I have nothing but praise for the process and particularly for the 
gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Ney), the chairman, and the gentleman from 
Maryland (Mr. Hoyer), my good friend, for what they have been able to 
accomplish and bring to the floor today.
  Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, in closing, I will make the representation, as I said 
before, that all 19 ranking members are going to support this 
resolution. They will do so because we have come together, sat down at 
the table, reasoned together and come up with what we believe to be a 
fair resolution.
  Like the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Oxley) said, it is not perfect from 
anybody's standpoint, but perfect was not possible. But fair was 
possible, and it was achieved. It was achieved because I think the 
gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Hastert), Speaker of the House of 
Representatives, believed it appropriate; the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. 
Ney), our chairman, fought hard to achieve that result.
  It was not always easy. There were obviously some who felt that they 
did not like the shift that was being made, but because of the 
commitment to fairness of the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Hastert) and 
the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Ney), fairness was achieved. I appreciate 
that.
  There have been times, obviously, when on our side of the aisle, some 
thought that fairness was not achieved. We still are concerned about 
the ratios on committees. We are concerned from time to time with the 
processes that the Committee on Rules adopts, which precludes us from, 
we think, putting forward our propositions in a fair way.
  It is good for the public to know, Mr. Speaker, that there are more 
times than not when we can sit down and come to agreement, knowing full 
well that all of us serve the American people, and they expect us to 
work together in as positive and productive a fashion as we can.
  The leadership of the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Ney) and the 
leadership of the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Hastert) have provided 
the opportunity for that to occur, and our ranking members have worked 
hard with their chairmen to accomplish that objective.
  Mr. Speaker, I think we have done it, and I urge all of my colleagues 
to support this resolution.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. NEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I found in the years that I have served in office that 
the American people have a willingness to become involved in the 
energetic give-and-take of public debate, and that public debate on 
behalf of the people of the country is made in the committees. The 
committees are the heart of what this institution is about.
  This is a proposal, a resolution we can proud of. It is fiscally 
responsible. It is, I believe, a good day for not only the House, but 
for the American people, because the institution of the House works.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge support of this resolution.
  Mr. DINGELL. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the Omnibus Committee 
Funding Resolution. While the resolution does not include the full 
request of the Committee on Energy and Commerce, which the Minority 
supported, it does recognize the increased workload facing our 
Committee. Each of the six subcommittees has more than a full plate, 
with issues such as patient protections, prescription drugs for 
seniors, and national energy policies, even before consideration of 
Administration proposals that will presumably be forthcoming.
  I note that the proposed budget is a significant improvement in its 
treatment of the minority. Although my colleagues on the other side of 
the aisle have previously spoken of a goal of a two-thirds/one-third 
split between the Majority and Minority in funding and staff positions, 
the Minority on the Committee on Energy and Commerce has never received 
even that modest allocation. Under this resolution, however, the 
minority members, who constitute 49 percent of the House and 45 percent 
of the Energy and Commerce Committee, will finally be allocated one-
third of the funding and staff slots long promised by the majority 
party. More importantly, it is my understanding that an accommodation 
of the needs of the Minority has also been reached on the other 
Committees as well.
  Because of these improvements, I support this resolution and urge my 
colleagues to support it. I would note that this resolution is just a 
first step in the process; the House will need to allocate sufficient 
funds to make good on its promises. This resolution represents a good 
beginning, and I hope it carries over into more mundane matters, like 
office space, as well as into legislation on important policy 
questions.
  Mr. NEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Petri). Pursuant to the order of the 
House of today, the previous question is ordered on the resolution, as 
amended.
  The question is on the resolution, as amended.
  The question was taken; and the Speaker pro tempore announced that 
the ayes appeared to have it.
  Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX and the 
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be 
postponed.

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