[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 49 (Wednesday, March 26, 2003)]
[House]
[Pages H2344-H2345]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  INTERIM COMMITTEE EXPENSES FOR 108TH CONGRESS THROUGH APRIL 11, 2003

  Mr. NEY. Mr. Speaker, I offer a resolution (H. Res. 163) providing 
amounts from the applicable accounts of the House of Representatives 
for continuing expenses of standing and select committees of the House 
from April 1, 2003, through April 11, 2003, and ask unanimous consent 
for its immediate consideration in the House.
  The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Ohio?
  Mr. LARSON of Connecticut. Mr. Speaker, reserving the right to 
object, I yield to the gentleman from Ohio (Chairman Ney) to explain.
  Mr. NEY. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman from Connecticut 
for yielding.
  The Committee on House Administration in conjunction with the 
Speaker's office, our ranking member, and all the members of the 
Committee on House Administration continue to work towards a final 
resolution that will ultimately provide House committees with a 
permanent funding resolution for the 108th Congress. House rules 
contain an interim funding provision that provides a temporary funding 
mechanism to fund committees until a permanent committee funding 
resolution is passed. The deadline set by the House rules is March 31. 
However, negotiations on the 2004 budget resolution delayed work on the 
committee budget resolution which will make it impossible to pass this 
resolution by the March 31 deadline set forth in the House rules. As a 
result, we are seeking unanimous consent to pass a temporary funding 
resolution which would temporarily fund committees after the March 31 
deadline and until a permanent funding resolution is passed.
  I also want to thank the tremendous communication, cooperation of the 
gentleman from Connecticut (Mr. Larson), our ranking member, and the 
members of the committee who diligently worked together to achieve a 
funding document that will be able to allow the committees of the House 
to do their job, respond to the citizens of the United States, and 
carry on the very important work of the House committees.
  Mr. LARSON of Connecticut. Mr. Speaker, further reserving the right 
to

[[Page H2345]]

object, again let me applaud the chairman and the staff and the 
committee for their outstanding work in echoing the comments of our 
Chair, and if the Chair would engage me in a short dialogue, this 
extension has no impact on the well thought-out plan of the two-thirds/
one-third distribution in the committee that all the Chairs and ranking 
members had agreed to over the course; is that correct?
  Mr. NEY. Mr. Speaker, if the gentleman will yield further, to answer 
the ranking member's question, it has absolutely zero impact. Our 
ranking member has made it crystal clear, and we understand that there 
will be the two-thirds/one-third. We appreciate that. We appreciate our 
Chairs cooperating fully on that and the ranking member. So there will 
be zero impact on the two-thirds/one-third ratio.
  Mr. LARSON of Connecticut. Mr. Speaker, continuing that dialogue, it 
is our understanding as well that as we proceed down this course that 
the Special Select Committee on Homeland Security has been treated 
outside of this process as well; is that correct?
  Mr. NEY. Mr. Speaker, if the gentleman will yield further, the 
gentleman is correct. We have a very unique situation in this funding 
resolution; and I have been here 8 years, and for one of the first 
times we have a major committee, which is important, and has been 
created, and now we have to do the funding for it. So this year our 
ranking member and me and the members of the committee had even a 
bigger task to set up the funding, the process for that committee for 
the gentleman from California (Chairman Cox) and the gentleman from 
Texas (Mr. Turner), ranking member, and to make sure that important 
committee can function and that it really is considered absolutely 
outside the box.
  Mr. LARSON of Connecticut. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from 
Ohio for clarifying that. The distinguished chairman again has done an 
outstanding job in putting this together.
  Mr. Speaker, I withdraw my reservation of objection.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Ohio?
  There was no objection.
  The Clerk read the resolution, as follows:

                              H. Res. 163

       Resolved, That there shall be available from the applicable 
     accounts of the House of Representatives such amounts as may 
     be necessary for continuing expenses of standing and select 
     committees of the House for the period beginning on April 1, 
     2003, and ending on April 11, 2003, on the same terms and 
     conditions as amounts were available to such committees for 
     the period beginning at noon on January 3, 2003, and ending 
     at midnight on March 31, 2003, pursuant to clause 7 of rule X 
     of the Rules of the House of Representatives, or, in the case 
     of the Select Committee on Homeland Security, pursuant to 
     House Resolution 77 (agreed to February 13, 2003).

  The resolution was agreed to.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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