[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 66 (Tuesday, May 6, 2003)]
[House]
[Pages H3650-H3651]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    AUTHORIZING PRINTING OF BIOGRAPHICAL DIRECTORY OF UNITED STATES 
                          CONGRESS, 1774-2005

  Mr. MICA. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the 
concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 138) authorizing the printing of 
the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress, 1774-2005.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                            H. Con. Res. 138

       Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate 
     concurring),

     SECTION 1. AUTHORIZATION OF PRINTING.

       (a) In General.--There shall be printed as a House document 
     a revised edition of the Biographical Directory of the United 
     States Congress for the period ending with the 108th 
     Congress.
       (b) Specifications.--The document described in subsection 
     (a) shall be in the style, form, manner, and binding as 
     directed by the Joint Committee on Printing after 
     consultation with the Clerk of the House of Representatives 
     and the Secretary of the Senate. The Clerk of the House of 
     Representatives and the Secretary of the Senate shall each 
     provide appropriate biographical data and other material for 
     the document, including data for--
       (1) Senators and individuals who have served in both the 
     Senate and the House of Representatives, to be provided by 
     the Secretary of the Senate; and
       (2) Members of the House of Representatives (including 
     Delegates and Resident Commissioners to the Congress), to be 
     provided by the Clerk of the House of Representatives.
       (c) Number of Copies.--In addition to the usual number, 
     there shall be printed with suitable binding the lesser of--
       (1) 1,280 copies of the document, of which 250 shall be for 
     the use of the Senate, 930 copies shall be for the use of the 
     House of Representatives, and 100 copies shall be for the use 
     of the Joint Committee on Printing; or
       (2) a number of copies that does not have a total 
     production and printing cost of more than $96,500.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Florida (Mr. Mica) and the gentleman from Connecticut (Mr. Larson) each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Mica).
  Mr. MICA. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Madam Speaker, I am pleased to rise here today in support of House 
Concurrent Resolution 138. This bill authorizes the printing of the 
``Biographical Directory of the United States Congress,'' again, 
something rather mundane but something necessary and the responsibility 
of the Committee on House Administration to make this publication 
available for both the historical, for research and for access of 
information purposes.
  This is the first Federal Government printing of this publication 
since the 1989 bicentennial edition published pursuant to Senate 
Concurrent Resolution 85 passed in the 99th Congress.
  This particular edition of the ``Biographical Directory'' will 
include over 12,000 entries providing valuable information about the 
individuals who have served in the Continental Congresses, as well as 
each man and woman who served the 1st through the 108th Congress. Since 
the first bicentennial edition, there have been an additional 1,198 
Members who have become Representatives, and it will also include 
rosters of State congressional delegations and elected officers.
  Under the direction of the Joint Committee on Printing, the Clerk of 
the House and the Secretary of the Senate will be responsible for the 
composition of new entries, as well as review all existing entries for 
accuracy and completeness. The Joint Committee on Printing has been 
responsible for the compilation and issuance of the ``Biographical 
Directory'' since 1928.
  This edition of it would be the 16th in a series of such reference 
works published over the past 140 years, beginning with the 1859 
publication of the ``Dictionary of Congress,'' which was a collection 
of biographers of former and sitting Members of Congress gathered by 
Charles Lanman, former secretary to Daniel Webster.
  This particular publication will complement the online biographical 
directory, bioguide.congress.gov, which was first posted in the late 
1990s and has been maintained by the Clerk of the House and the 
Secretary of the Senate.
  Madam Speaker, I urge the passage and support of this particular 
measure.
  Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. LARSON of Connecticut. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as 
I might consume; and I, again, wish to associate myself with the 
remarks of the gentleman from Florida.
  Madam Speaker, as the Chair and many of our colleagues know, I am an 
avid student of this great institution and its history and was proud to 
sponsor legislation, along with the Chair, that led to the writing of 
the history of the House by Professor Remini; and it should, therefore, 
be no surprise that I am an enthusiastic cosponsor of this resolution 
authorizing the printing of the ``Biographical Directory of the United 
States Congress, 1774 to 2005.''
  The volume, as the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Mica) pointed out, was 
last printed in 1989 for the bicentennial of the establishment of the 
United States Government under the Constitution and before that in 
1971. The Joint Committee on Printing has supervised the biographical 
directory's printing since 1928.
  In the 1989 edition, the ``Biographical Directory'' listed more than 
11,000 men and women who have served in the Congress of the United 
States, as well as the Continental Congress. The new and revised 
directory will contain more than 12,000 entries, as well as provide 
updated information on Members who were included in the 1989 edition.
  There is no question that the new directory, like the 1989 edition, 
will promote a richer understanding of the contributions that the men 
and women of Congress have made over the 200 years of national growth, 
challenge, and change.
  Some, like Henry Clay, John C. Calhoun, and Daniel Webster, were the 
heroes of their age. Others, like Jeannette Rankin, Margaret Chase 
Smith, and Shirley Chisolm, broke significant race and gender 
boundaries while rendering notable public service. Countless others 
have worked quietly behind the scenes, like the Chair, Madam Speaker, 
and the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Clay) seated to my right, and my 
esteemed colleague from New Jersey (Mr. Pascrell).
  The new edition of the ``Biographical Directory'' of the United 
States Congress will gather in one updated volume useful historical 
information for teachers, students, and others describing the careers 
of the men and women who have served in the United States Congress.
  To be sure, much of the material in the biographical directory is 
available through the Clerk of the House Web site; but there is much 
that is not, such as listings of the congressional memberships by State 
and the multiple changes that occurred in each of those Congresses. 
There is much to be said to be able to leaf through a volume rich in 
historical detail and discover its secrets rather than simply 
researching specific items on the Web.

[[Page H3651]]

  The ``Biographical Directory'' is an invaluable resource to students, 
teachers, historians, and all citizens who are interested in the 
history and the personalities of this great deliberative body. Anytime 
that we walk through these hallowed hallways or in Statuary Hall, where 
generations before President Lincoln sat, John Quincy Adams sat, it 
should give everyone in this body pause to celebrate the great 
institution that the House of Representatives is.
  I urge my colleagues to support the concurrent resolution.
  Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. MICA. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  I do not have any additional speakers at this time. I am urged to 
stall a bit because we are waiting the arrival of another Member on 
another issue, but I would be glad to let the gentleman have this time 
and then have a few remarks on closing.
  Mr. LARSON of Connecticut. Madam Speaker, I have no other speakers at 
this time, but I would like to note for the record that the gentleman 
from New Jersey (Mr. Pascrell) was a student of Professor Remini's in 
college; and we do not know what his grade point average was, but 
nonetheless we are proud to note that he was a student at that time.
  Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. MICA. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  I want to take just a minute since we do have some extra time, if I 
may, I want to thank the gentleman from Connecticut (Mr. Larson) and 
the minority staff, the other half of the Committee on House 
Administration. I have served on the committee in some rough times, and 
I am glad to say that I have served on the committee in some good 
times, good, bipartisan times; and no one has done a better job in 
service to any committee as ranking member than the gentleman from 
Connecticut (Mr. Larson).
  I have seen the manner in which he has conducted the important 
business of the Committee on House Administration. It basically runs 
the House of Representatives and takes it on in a serious, bipartisan 
manner; and I want to compliment him and the staff for working 
together.
  We have got a number of important projects, not just these mundane 
passage of publications that we are doing here, the construction of the 
visitors center, the oversight and again the operations of this 
institution, which belongs to the American people; but I do respect so 
much his work and his effort.
  The gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Ney) is not with us at this time, and I 
have the privilege of handling these measures for him; and it is indeed 
an honor to work with such distinguished colleagues, both the gentleman 
from Ohio (Mr. Ney) and the gentleman from Connecticut (Mr. Larson), on 
this important legislation and responsibility of the Committee on House 
Administration.
  Also, I must say that I am so glad that we will be publishing a 
``Biographical Directory of the United States Congress,'' if for no 
other reason to get the Mica brothers straightened out. As my 
colleagues may know, and I was told by the former historian of the 
House, that the Mica brothers are the only two brothers since 1889 to 
serve in Congress from the same family but different political parties. 
We have the Kennedys all of one ilk, and we have the Hutchinsons all of 
another party; but my brother and I got separated somewhere slightly 
after birth.
  He served with distinction as a member of the Democrat Party in the 
majority from 1978 to 1988, and I came in 1992. So, unfortunately, the 
Congress has been burdened with the Micas for 2 decades; but since I am 
not in this most recent publication, at least people will understand 
that there are two of these folks from different political parties and 
hopefully actually educate some of the Members who have introduced me 
as Dan Mica on numerous occasions, both from the Democrat side and the 
Republican side of the aisle.
  Mr. LARSON of Connecticut. Madam Speaker, will the gentleman yield?
  Mr. MICA. I yield to the gentleman from Connecticut.
  Mr. LARSON of Connecticut. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman very 
much for his gracious accolades, and I want my colleague to know that 
many Democrats, along with the gentleman's mother, pray continually for 
his conversion; but nonetheless, we are proud to note how well the 
gentleman has distinguished himself on the floor of the House, our 
great House and also as a person who has championed bipartisanship and 
the great role that he has also played along with his lovely wife in 
terms of making the annual bipartisan, biannual, bipartisan retreat 
such an enormous success because of his care for this great institution 
of ours.
  Mr. MICA. Again, I am deeply indebted to the gentleman for his kind 
words, not only about me and my brother and the Democrat side of my 
family, but also for mentioning my long-enduring and suffering-of-31-
years wife. That will certainly enhance the remainder of my day.

                              {time}  1430

  Mr. LARSON of Connecticut. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of 
my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mrs. Emerson). The question is on the motion 
offered by the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Mica) that the House suspend 
the rules and agree to the concurrent resolution, H. Con. Res. 138.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor 
thereof) the rules were suspended and the concurrent resolution was 
agreed to.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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