[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 100 (Wednesday, July 9, 2003)]
[House]
[Pages H6420-H6433]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
LEGISLATIVE BRANCH APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2004
Mr. KINGSTON. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 311, I call
up the bill (H.R. 2657) making appropriations for the Legislative
Branch for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2004, and for other
purposes, and ask for its immediate consideration.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of H.R. 2657 is as follows:
H.R. 2657
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the
following sums are appropriated, out of any money in the
Treasury not otherwise appropriated, for the fiscal year
ending September 30, 2004, and for other purposes, namely:
TITLE I--LEGISLATIVE BRANCH APPROPRIATIONS
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Salaries and Expenses
For salaries and expenses of the House of Representatives,
$1,014,464,000, as follows:
house leadership offices
For salaries and expenses, as authorized by law,
$17,094,000, including: Office of the Speaker, $2,048,000,
including $25,000 for official expenses of the Speaker;
Office of the Majority Floor Leader, $1,965,000, including
$10,000 for official expenses of the Majority Leader; Office
of the Minority Floor Leader, $2,390,000, including $10,000
for official expenses of the Minority Leader; Office of the
Majority Whip, including the Chief Deputy Majority Whip,
$1,684,000, including $5,000 for official expenses of the
Majority Whip; Office of the Minority Whip, including the
Chief Deputy Minority Whip, $1,259,000, including $5,000 for
official expenses of the Minority Whip; Speaker's Office for
Legislative Floor Activities, $460,000; Republican Steering
Committee, $862,000; Republican Conference, $1,448,000;
Democratic Steering and Policy Committee, $1,542,000;
Democratic Caucus, $768,000; nine minority employees,
$1,380,000; training and program development--majority,
$290,000; training and program development--minority,
$290,000; Cloakroom Personnel--majority, $354,000; and
Cloakroom Personnel--minority, $354,000.
Members' Representational Allowances
Including Members' Clerk Hire, Official Expenses of Members, and
Official Mail
For Members' representational allowances, including
Members' clerk hire, official expenses, and official mail,
$514,454,000.
Committee Employees
Standing Committees, Special and Select
For salaries and expenses of standing committees, special
and select, authorized by House resolutions, $106,058,000:
Provided, That such amount shall remain available for such
salaries and expenses until December 31, 2004.
Committee on Appropriations
For salaries and expenses of the Committee on
Appropriations, $24,926,000, including studies and
examinations of executive
[[Page H6421]]
agencies and temporary personal services for such committee,
to be expended in accordance with section 202(b) of the
Legislative Reorganization Act of 1946 and to be available
for reimbursement to agencies for services performed:
Provided, That such amount shall remain available for such
salaries and expenses until December 31, 2004.
Salaries, Officers and Employees
For compensation and expenses of officers and employees, as
authorized by law, $158,324,000, including: for salaries and
expenses of the Office of the Clerk, including not more than
$13,000, of which not more than $10,000 is for the Family
Room, for official representation and reception expenses,
$18,632,000; for salaries and expenses of the Office of the
Sergeant at Arms, including the position of Superintendent of
Garages, and including not more than $3,000 for official
representation and reception expenses, $5,471,000; for
salaries and expenses of the Office of the Chief
Administrative Officer, $113,141,000, of which $9,400,000
shall remain available until expended; for salaries and
expenses of the Office of the Inspector General, $3,847,000;
for salaries and expenses of the Office of Emergency
Planning, Preparedness and Operations, $5,000,000, to remain
available until expended; for salaries and expenses of the
Office of General Counsel, $926,000; for the Office of the
Chaplain, $153,000; for salaries and expenses of the Office
of the Parliamentarian, including the Parliamentarian and
$2,000 for preparing the Digest of Rules, $1,560,000; for
salaries and expenses of the Office of the Law Revision
Counsel of the House, $2,263,000; for salaries and expenses
of the Office of the Legislative Counsel of the House,
$6,233,000; for salaries and expenses of the Corrections
Calendar Office, $948,000; and for other authorized
employees, $150,000.
Allowances and Expenses
For allowances and expenses as authorized by House
resolution or law, $193,608,000, including: supplies,
materials, administrative costs and Federal tort claims,
$3,975,000; official mail for committees, leadership offices,
and administrative offices of the House, $410,000; Government
contributions for health, retirement, Social Security, and
other applicable employee benefits, $188,533,000; and
miscellaneous items including purchase, exchange,
maintenance, repair and operation of House motor vehicles,
interparliamentary receptions, and gratuities to heirs of
deceased employees of the House, $690,000.
Child Care Center
For salaries and expenses of the House of Representatives
Child Care Center, such amounts as are deposited in the
account established by section 312(d)(1) of the Legislative
Branch Appropriations Act, 1992 (2 U.S.C. 2112), subject to
the level specified in the budget of the Center, as submitted
to the Committee on Appropriations of the House of
Representatives.
Administrative Provision
Sec. 101. (a) Requiring Amounts Remaining in Members'
Representational Allowances To Be Used for Deficit Reduction
or To Reduce the Federal Debt.--Notwithstanding any other
provision of law, any amounts appropriated under this Act for
``HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES--Salaries and Expenses--Members'
Representational Allowances'' shall be available only for
fiscal year 2004. Any amount remaining after all payments are
made under such allowances for fiscal year 2004 shall be
deposited in the Treasury and used for deficit reduction (or,
if there is no Federal budget deficit after all such payments
have been made, for reducing the Federal debt, in such manner
as the Secretary of the Treasury considers appropriate).
(b) Regulations.--The Committee on House Administration of
the House of Representatives shall have authority to
prescribe regulations to carry out this section.
(c) Definition.--As used in this section, the term ``Member
of the House of Representatives'' means a Representative in,
or a Delegate or Resident Commissioner to, the Congress.
Sec. 102. None of the funds in this Act may be used to
provide supplemental dental or vision health insurance
benefits for Members and employees of the House of
Representatives.
JOINT ITEMS
For Joint Committees, as follows:
Joint Economic Committee
For salaries and expenses of the Joint Economic Committee,
$3,805,000, to be disbursed by the Secretary of the Senate.
Joint Committee on Taxation
For salaries and expenses of the Joint Committee on
Taxation, $8,112,000, to be disbursed by the Chief
Administrative Officer of the House.
For other joint items, as follows:
Office of the Attending Physician
For medical supplies, equipment, and contingent expenses of
the emergency rooms, and for the Attending Physician and his
assistants, including: (1) an allowance of $2,175 per month
to the Attending Physician; (2) an allowance of $725 per
month each to four medical officers while on duty in the
Office of the Attending Physician; (3) an allowance of $725
per month to two assistants and $580 per month each not to
exceed 11 assistants on the basis heretofore provided for
such assistants; and (4) $1,566,000 for reimbursement to the
Department of the Navy for expenses incurred for staff and
equipment assigned to the Office of the Attending Physician,
which shall be advanced and credited to the applicable
appropriation or appropriations from which such salaries,
allowances, and other expenses are payable and shall be
available for all the purposes thereof, $2,236,000, to be
disbursed by the Chief Administrative Officer of the House of
Representatives.
Capitol Guide Service and Special Services Office
For salaries and expenses of the Capitol Guide Service and
Special Services Office, $3,511,000, to be disbursed by the
Secretary of the Senate: Provided, That no part of such
amount may be used to employ more than 58 individuals:
Provided further, That the Capitol Guide Board is authorized,
during emergencies, to employ not more than two additional
individuals for not more than 120 days each, and not more
than 10 additional individuals for not more than 6 months
each, for the Capitol Guide Service.
Statements of Appropriations
For the preparation, under the direction of the Committees
on Appropriations of the Senate and the House of
Representatives, of the statements for the first session of
the One Hundred Eighth Congress, showing appropriations made,
indefinite appropriations, and contracts authorized, together
with a chronological history of the regular appropriations
bills as required by law, $30,000, to be paid to the persons
designated by the chairmen of such committees to supervise
the work.
CAPITOL POLICE
Salaries
For salaries of employees of the Capitol Police, including
overtime, hazardous duty pay differential, and Government
contributions for health, retirement, Social Security, and
other applicable employee benefits, $189,913,000, to be
disbursed by the Chief of the Capitol Police or his designee.
General Expenses
For necessary expenses of the Capitol Police, including
motor vehicles, communications and other equipment, security
equipment and installation, uniforms, weapons, supplies,
materials, training, medical services, forensic services,
stenographic services, personal and professional services,
the employee assistance program, the awards program, postage,
communication services, travel advances, relocation of
instructor and liaison personnel for the Federal Law
Enforcement Training Center, and not more than $5,000 to be
expended on the certification of the Chief of the Capitol
Police in connection with official representation and
reception expenses, $21,917,000, of which $1,745,000 shall
remain available until expended, to be disbursed by the Chief
of the Capitol Police or his designee: Provided, That,
notwithstanding any other provision of law, the cost of basic
training for the Capitol Police at the Federal Law
Enforcement Training Center for fiscal year 2004 shall be
paid by the Secretary of Homeland Security from funds
available to the Department of Homeland Security.
Administrative Provision
(including transfer of funds)
Sec. 1001. Transfer Authority.--Amounts appropriated for
fiscal year 2004 for the Capitol Police may be transferred
between the headings ``salaries'' and ``general expenses''
upon the approval of the Committees on Appropriations of the
Senate and the House of Representatives.
OFFICE OF COMPLIANCE
Salaries and Expenses
For salaries and expenses of the Office of Compliance, as
authorized by section 305 of the Congressional Accountability
Act of 1995 (2 U.S.C. 1385), $2,255,000, of which $304,700
shall remain available until September 30, 2005: Provided,
That the Executive Director of the Office of Compliance may
have the authority, within the limits of available
appropriations, to dispose of surplus or obsolete personal
property by interagency transfer, donation, or discarding.
CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE
Salaries and Expenses
For salaries and expenses necessary for operation of the
Congressional Budget Office, including not more than $3,000
to be expended on the certification of the Director of the
Congressional Budget Office in connection with official
representation and reception expenses, $33,820,000: Provided,
That no part of such amount may be used for the purchase or
hire of a passenger motor vehicle.
ARCHITECT OF THE CAPITOL
General Administration
For salaries for the Architect of the Capitol, and other
personal services, at rates of pay provided by law; for
surveys and studies in connection with activities under the
care of the Architect of the Capitol; for all necessary
expenses for the general and administrative support of the
operations under the Architect of the Capitol including the
Botanic Garden; electrical substations of the Capitol, Senate
and House office buildings, and other facilities under the
jurisdiction of the Architect of the Capitol; including
furnishings and office equipment; including not more than
$5,000 for official reception and representation expenses, to
be expended as the Architect of the Capitol may approve; for
purchase or exchange, maintenance, and operation of a
passenger motor vehicle, $84,513,000, of which $11,660,000
shall remain available until September 30, 2008.
[[Page H6422]]
Capitol Building
For all necessary expenses for the maintenance, care and
operation of the Capitol, $23,307,000, of which $7,863,000
shall remain available until September 30, 2008.
Capitol Grounds
For all necessary expenses for care and improvement of
grounds surrounding the Capitol, the Senate and House office
buildings, and the Capitol Power Plant, $6,886,000, of which
$585,000 shall remain available until September 30, 2008.
House Office Buildings
For all necessary expenses for the maintenance, care and
operation of the House office buildings, $54,564,000, of
which $19,498,000 shall remain available until September 30,
2008.
Capitol Power Plant
For all necessary expenses for the maintenance, care and
operation of the Capitol Power Plant; lighting, heating,
power (including the purchase of electrical energy) and water
and sewer services for the Capitol, Senate and House office
buildings, Library of Congress buildings, and the grounds
about the same, Botanic Garden, Senate garage, and air
conditioning refrigeration not supplied from plants in any of
such buildings; heating the Government Printing Office and
Washington City Post Office, and heating and chilled water
for air conditioning for the Supreme Court Building, the
Union Station complex, the Thurgood Marshall Federal
Judiciary Building and the Folger Shakespeare Library,
expenses for which shall be advanced or reimbursed upon
request of the Architect of the Capitol and amounts so
received shall be deposited into the Treasury to the credit
of this appropriation, $81,543,000, of which $36,652,000
shall remain available until September 30, 2008: Provided,
That not more than $4,400,000 of the funds credited or to be
reimbursed to this appropriation as herein provided shall be
available for obligation during fiscal year 2004.
Library Buildings and Grounds
For all necessary expenses for the mechanical and
structural maintenance, care and operation of the Library
buildings and grounds, $34,750,000, of which $16,877,000
shall remain available until September 30, 2008.
Capitol Police Buildings and Grounds
For all necessary expenses for the maintenance, care, and
operation of buildings and grounds of the United States
Capitol Police, $3,308,000, of which $2,075,000 shall remain
available until September 30, 2008.
Botanic Garden
For all necessary expenses for the maintenance, care and
operation of the Botanic Garden and the nurseries, buildings,
grounds, and collections; and purchase and exchange,
maintenance, repair, and operation of a passenger motor
vehicle; all under the direction of the Joint Committee on
the Library, $6,062,000, of which $25,000 shall remain
available until September 30, 2008: Provided, That this
appropriation shall not be available for any activities of
the National Garden.
Administrative Provision
Sec. 1101. (a) Except as provided in subsection (b), none
of the funds provided by this Act or any other Act may be
used by the Architect of the Capitol after the expiration of
the 180-day period which begins on the date of the enactment
of this Act to employ any individual as a temporary employee
within a category of temporary employment which does not
provide employees with the same eligibility for life
insurance, health insurance, retirement, and other benefits
which is provided to temporary employees who are hired for a
period exceeding 1 year in length.
(b) Subsection (a) shall not apply with respect to any of
the following individuals:
(1) An individual who is employed under the Architect of
the Capitol Summer Employment Program.
(2) An individual who is hired for a total of 120 days or
less during any 5-year period (excluding any days in which
the individual is employed under the Architect of the Capitol
Summer Employment Program).
(3) An individual employed by the Architect of the Capitol
as a temporary employee as of the date of the enactment of
this Act who exercises in writing, not later than 180 days
after such date, an option offered by the Architect to remain
under the pay system (including benefits) provided for the
individual as of such date.
(4) An individual who becomes employed by the Architect of
the Capitol after the date of the enactment of this Act who
exercises in writing, prior to the individual's employment,
an option offered by the Architect to receive pay and
benefits under an alternative system which does not provide
the benefits described in subsection (a), except that under
such an option the Architect shall be required to provide the
individual with the benefits described in subsection (a) as
soon as the individual's period of service as a temporary
employee exceeds 1 year in length.
(c) Nothing in this section may be construed to require the
Architect of the Capitol to provide duplicative benefits for
any employee.
LIBRARY OF CONGRESS
Salaries and Expenses
For necessary expenses of the Library of Congress not
otherwise provided for, including development and maintenance
of the Library's Catalogs; custody and custodial care of the
Library buildings; special clothing; cleaning, laundering and
repair of uniforms; preservation of motion pictures in the
custody of the Library; operation and maintenance of the
American Folklife Center in the Library; preparation and
distribution of catalog records and other publications of the
Library; hire or purchase of one passenger motor vehicle; and
expenses of the Library of Congress Trust Fund Board not
properly chargeable to the income of any trust fund held by
the Board, $366,520,000, of which not more than $6,500,000
shall be derived from collections credited to this
appropriation during fiscal year 2004, and shall remain
available until expended, under the Act of June 28, 1902
(chapter 1301; 32 Stat. 480; 2 U.S.C. 150) and not more than
$350,000 shall be derived from collections during fiscal year
2004 and shall remain available until expended for the
development and maintenance of an international legal
information database and activities related thereto:
Provided, That the Library of Congress may not obligate or
expend any funds derived from collections under the Act of
June 28, 1902, in excess of the amount authorized for
obligation or expenditure in appropriations Acts: Provided
further, That the total amount available for obligation shall
be reduced by the amount by which collections are less than
the $6,850,000: Provided further, That of the total amount
appropriated, $11,236,000 shall remain available until
expended for acquisition of books, periodicals, newspapers,
and all other materials including subscriptions for
bibliographic services for the Library, including $40,000 to
be available solely for the purchase, when specifically
approved by the Librarian, of special and unique materials
for additions to the collections: Provided further, That of
the total amount appropriated, not more than $12,000 may be
expended, on the certification of the Librarian of Congress,
in connection with official representation and reception
expenses for the Overseas Field Offices: Provided further,
That of the total amount appropriated, $905,000 shall remain
available until expended for the acquisition and partial
support for implementation of an Integrated Library System
(ILS): Provided further, That of the amount appropriated,
$500,000 shall remain available until expended, and shall be
transferred to the Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission
for carrying out the purposes of Public Law 106-173, of which
amount $10,000 may be used for official representation and
reception expenses of the Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial
Commission: Provided further, That of the total amount
appropriated, $1,380,000 shall remain available until
September 30, 2008 for the acquisition and partial support
for implementation of a Central Financial Management System:
Provided further, That of the total amount appropriated,
$11,060,000 shall remain available until expended for partial
support of the National Audio-Visual Conservation Center:
Provided further, That of the total amount appropriated,
$2,762,000 shall remain available until September 30, 2008,
for the development and maintenance of the Alternate Computer
Facility.
Copyright Office
salaries and expenses
For necessary expenses of the Copyright Office,
$47,290,000, of which not more than $23,321,000, to remain
available until expended, shall be derived from collections
credited to this appropriation during fiscal year 2004 under
section 708(d) of title 17, United States Code: Provided,
That the Copyright Office may not obligate or expend any
funds derived from collections under such section, in excess
of the amount authorized for obligation or expenditure in
appropriations Acts: Provided further, That not more than
$6,343,000 shall be derived from collections during fiscal
year 2004 under sections 111(d)(2), 119(b)(2), 802(h), and
1005 of such title: Provided further, That the total amount
available for obligation shall be reduced by the amount by
which collections are less than $29,664,000: Provided
further, That not more than $100,000 of the amount
appropriated is available for the maintenance of an
``International Copyright Institute'' in the Copyright Office
of the Library of Congress for the purpose of training
nationals of developing countries in intellectual property
laws and policies: Provided further, That not more than
$4,250 may be expended, on the certification of the Librarian
of Congress, in connection with official representation and
reception expenses for activities of the International
Copyright Institute and for copyright delegations, visitors,
and seminars.
Congressional Research Service
salaries and expenses
For necessary expenses to carry out the provisions of
section 203 of the Legislative Reorganization Act of 1946 (2
U.S.C. 166) and to revise and extend the Annotated
Constitution of the United States of America, $93,590,000:
Provided, That no part of such amount may be used to pay any
salary or expense in connection with any publication, or
preparation of material therefor (except the Digest of Public
General Bills), to be issued by the Library of Congress
unless such publication has obtained prior approval of either
the Committee on House Administration of the House of
Representatives or the Committee on Rules and Administration
of the Senate.
Books for the Blind and Physically Handicapped
salaries and expenses
For salaries and expenses to carry out the Act of March 3,
1931 (chapter 400; 46 Stat. 1487; 2 U.S.C. 135a),
$51,706,000, of which
[[Page H6423]]
$14,812,000 shall remain available until expended.
Administrative Provisions
Sec. 1201. Of the amounts appropriated to the Library of
Congress in this Act, not more than $5,000 may be expended,
on the certification of the Librarian of Congress, in
connection with official representation and reception
expenses for the incentive awards program.
Sec. 1202. (a) For fiscal year 2004, the obligational
authority of the Library of Congress for the activities
described in subsection (b) may not exceed $105,589,000.
(b) The activities referred to in subsection (a) are
reimbursable and revolving fund activities that are funded
from sources other than appropriations to the Library in
appropriations Acts for the legislative branch.
(c) During fiscal year 2004, the Librarian of Congress may
temporarily transfer funds appropriated in this Act under the
heading ``LIBRARY OF CONGRESS--Salaries and Expenses'' to the
revolving fund for the FEDLINK Program and the Federal
Research Program established under section 103 of the Library
of Congress Fiscal Operations Improvement Act of 2000 (Public
Law 106-481; 2 U.S.C. 182c): Provided, That the total amount
of such transfers may not exceed $1,900,000: Provided
further, That the appropriate revolving fund account shall
reimburse the Library for any amounts transferred to it
before the period of availability of the Library
appropriation expires.
GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE
Congressional Printing and Binding
(including transfer of funds)
For authorized printing and binding for the Congress and
the distribution of Congressional information in any format;
printing and binding for the Architect of the Capitol;
expenses necessary for preparing the semimonthly and session
index to the Congressional Record, as authorized by law
(section 902 of title 44, United States Code); printing and
binding of Government publications authorized by law to be
distributed to Members of Congress; and printing, binding,
and distribution of Government publications authorized by law
to be distributed without charge to the recipient,
$91,111,000: Provided, That this appropriation shall not be
available for paper copies of the permanent edition of the
Congressional Record for individual Representatives, Resident
Commissioners or Delegates authorized under section 906 of
title 44, United States Code: Provided further, That this
appropriation shall be available for the payment of
obligations incurred under the appropriations for similar
purposes for preceding fiscal years: Provided further, That
notwithstanding the 2-year limitation under section 718 of
title 44, United States Code, none of the funds appropriated
or made available under this Act or any other Act for
printing and binding and related services provided to
Congress under chapter 7 of title 44, United States Code, may
be expended to print a document, report, or publication after
the 27-month period beginning on the date that such document,
report, or publication is authorized by Congress to be
printed, unless Congress reauthorizes such printing in
accordance with section 718 of title 44, United States Code:
Provided further, That any unobligated or unexpended balances
in this account or accounts for similar purposes for
preceding fiscal years may be transferred to the Government
Printing Office revolving fund for carrying out the purposes
of this heading, subject to the approval of the Committees on
Appropriations of the House of Representatives and Senate.
Office of Superintendent of Documents
salaries and expenses
(including transfer of funds)
For expenses of the Office of Superintendent of Documents
necessary to provide for the cataloging and indexing of
Government publications and their distribution to the public,
Members of Congress, other Government agencies, and
designated depository and international exchange libraries as
authorized by law, $34,456,000: Provided, That amounts of not
more than $2,000,000 from current year appropriations are
authorized for producing and disseminating Congressional
serial sets and other related publications for 2002 and 2003
to depository and other designated libraries: Provided
further, That any unobligated or unexpended balances in this
account or accounts for similar purposes for preceding fiscal
years may be transferred to the Government Printing Office
revolving fund for carrying out the purposes of this heading,
subject to the approval of the Committees on Appropriations
of the House of Representatives and Senate.
Government Printing Office Revolving Fund
For payment to the Government Printing Office Revolving
Fund, $5,000,000 for working capital. The Government Printing
Office is hereby authorized to make such expenditures, within
the limits of funds available and in accord with the law, and
to make such contracts and commitments without regard to
fiscal year limitations as provided by section 9104 of title
31, United States Code, as may be necessary in carrying out
the programs and purposes set forth in the budget for the
current fiscal year for the Government Printing Office
revolving fund: Provided, That not more than $7,500 may be
expended on the certification of the Public Printer in
connection with official representation and reception
expenses: Provided further, That the revolving fund shall be
available for the hire or purchase of not more than 12
passenger motor vehicles: Provided further, That expenditures
in connection with travel expenses of the advisory councils
to the Public Printer shall be deemed necessary to carry out
the provisions of title 44, United States Code: Provided
further, That the revolving fund shall be available for
temporary or intermittent services under section 3109(b) of
title 5, United States Code, but at rates for individuals not
more than the daily equivalent of the annual rate of basic
pay for level V of the Executive Schedule under section 5316
of such title: Provided further, That the revolving fund and
the funds provided under the headings ``Office of
Superintendent of Documents'' and ``salaries and expenses''
together may not be available for the full-time equivalent
employment of more than 3,189 workyears (or such other number
of workyears as the Public Printer may request, subject to
the approval of the Committees on Appropriations of the House
of Representatives and Senate): Provided further, That
activities financed through the revolving fund may provide
information in any format.
GENERAL ACCOUNTING OFFICE
Salaries and Expenses
For necessary expenses of the General Accounting Office,
including not more than $12,500 to be expended on the
certification of the Comptroller General of the United States
in connection with official representation and reception
expenses; temporary or intermittent services under section
3109(b) of title 5, United States Code, but at rates for
individuals not more than the daily equivalent of the annual
rate of basic pay for level IV of the Executive Schedule
under section 5315 of such title; hire of one passenger motor
vehicle; advance payments in foreign countries in accordance
with section 3324 of title 31, United States Code; benefits
comparable to those payable under section 901(5), (6), and
(8) of the Foreign Service Act of 1980 (22 U.S.C. 4081(5),
(6), and (8)); and under regulations prescribed by the
Comptroller General of the United States, rental of living
quarters in foreign countries, $458,533,000: Provided, That
not more than $4,806,200 of payments received under section
782 of title 31, United States Code, shall be available for
use in fiscal year 2004: Provided further, That not more than
$1,200,000 of reimbursements received under section 9105 of
title 31, United States Code, shall be available for use in
fiscal year 2004: Provided further, That this appropriation
and appropriations for administrative expenses of any other
department or agency which is a member of the National
Intergovernmental Audit Forum or a Regional Intergovernmental
Audit Forum shall be available to finance an appropriate
share of either Forum's costs as determined by the respective
Forum, including necessary travel expenses of non-Federal
participants: Provided further, That payments hereunder to
the Forum may be credited as reimbursements to any
appropriation from which costs involved are initially
financed: Provided further, That this appropriation and
appropriations for administrative expenses of any other
department or agency which is a member of the American
Consortium on International Public Administration (ACIPA)
shall be available to finance an appropriate share of ACIPA
costs as determined by the ACIPA, including any expenses
attributable to membership of ACIPA in the International
Institute of Administrative Sciences.
Administrative Provision
Sec. 1301. (a) At any time during fiscal year 2004 or any
succeeding fiscal year, the Comptroller General may accept
payment from the Securities and Exchange Commission for the
performance of any audit of the financial statements of the
Commission which is conducted by the Comptroller General.
(b) Any payment accepted under the authority of subsection
(a) shall be credited to the account established for salaries
and expenses of the General Accounting Office, and shall be
available for obligation and expenditure upon receipt.
Payment to the Open World Leadership Center Trust Fund
For a payment to the Open World Leadership Center Trust
Fund for financing activities of the Open World Leadership
Center, $13,000,000.
TITLE II--GENERAL PROVISIONS
Sec. 201. No part of the funds appropriated in this Act
shall be used for the maintenance or care of private
vehicles, except for emergency assistance and cleaning as may
be provided under regulations relating to parking facilities
for the House of Representatives issued by the Committee on
House Administration and for the Senate issued by the
Committee on Rules and Administration.
Sec. 202. No part of the funds appropriated in this Act
shall remain available for obligation beyond fiscal year 2004
unless expressly so provided in this Act.
Sec. 203. Whenever in this Act any office or position not
specifically established by the Legislative Pay Act of 1929
is appropriated for or the rate of compensation or
designation of any office or position appropriated for is
different from that specifically established by such Act, the
rate of compensation and the designation in this Act shall be
the permanent law with respect thereto: Provided, That the
provisions in this Act for the
[[Page H6424]]
various items of official expenses of Members, officers, and
committees of the Senate and House of Representatives, and
clerk hire for Senators and Members of the House of
Representatives shall be the permanent law with respect
thereto.
Sec. 204. The expenditure of any appropriation under this
Act for any consulting service through procurement contract,
under section 3109 of title 5, United States Code, shall be
limited to those contracts where such expenditures are a
matter of public record and available for public inspection,
except where otherwise provided under existing law, or under
existing Executive order issued under existing law.
Sec. 205. Such sums as may be necessary are appropriated to
the account described in subsection (a) of section 415 of the
Congressional Accountability Act to pay awards and
settlements as authorized under such subsection.
Sec. 206. Amounts available for administrative expenses of
any legislative branch entity which participates in the
Legislative Branch Financial Managers Council (LBFMC)
established by charter on March 26, 1996, shall be available
to finance an appropriate share of LBFMC costs as determined
by the LBFMC, except that the total LBFMC costs to be shared
among all participating legislative branch entities (in such
allocations among the entities as the entities may determine)
may not exceed $2,000.
Sec. 207. The Architect of the Capitol, in consultation
with the District of Columbia, is authorized to maintain and
improve the landscape features, excluding streets and
sidewalks, in the irregular shaped grassy areas bounded by
Washington Avenue, SW on the northeast, Second Street SW on
the west, Square 582 on the south, and the beginning of the
I-395 tunnel on the southeast.
Sec. 208. None of the funds made available in this Act may
be transferred to any department, agency, or instrumentality
of the United States Government, except pursuant to a
transfer made by, or transfer authority provided in, this Act
or any other appropriation Act.
Sec. 209. During fiscal year 2004 and any succeeding fiscal
year, any entity in the legislative branch which is a member
of the Federal Accounting Standards Advisory Board may use
funds made available to the entity for the fiscal year to
finance an appropriate share of the costs of the Board for
the year.
This Act may be cited as the ``Legislative Branch
Appropriations Act, 2004''.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to House Resolution 311, the
gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Kingston) and the gentleman from Virginia
(Mr. Moran) each will control 30 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Kingston).
Mr. KINGSTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
I wanted to say that the legislative branch bill is somewhat the
inside baseball bill, the operating budget for the U.S. Capitol. It
includes not just the legislative branch per se but the Capitol Hill
Police, the Library of Congress and the Government Printing Office, the
General Accounting Office and many other important government agencies
which we all depend on.
The gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Moran), the ranking member, and I
have worked very closely on our bill this year, and its total spending
is $2.7 billion, which is a decrease of about $34 million below last
year, or about 1.2 percent. It is 10 percent below the actual request.
Every agency has had to take reductions, and we have had to say no to
many of our friends to get to this number, but we think that we have
been fair across the board.
For example, this bill does not require any reductions in the current
force, and it fully funds the traditional COLA of the leg branch
employees at a level of 3.7 percent.
The other thing the bill does, along with keeping a very tight line
on the fiscal side of it, is that it does not provide any new
authorizations. So we are not changing anything in this bill. It is
what we refer to as a clean appropriations bill.
One issue that has come up is the U.S. Capitol Police, and they do a
great job; and we all here in Congress depend on them, not just every
day but really every hour, to keep the U.S. Capitol safe. This is a
unique building in that it is a historical building. It is a tourist
site in itself; and then, in addition to that, Members of Congress are
conducting business in it. So we have lots of people, a mom, dad, the
three-and-a-half kids who come up from Peoria, as the gentleman from
Illinois (Mr. LaHood) would always remind us; as well as the 435
Members of Congress and 100 Members of the Senate conducting business
here and hearing from all kinds of constituency groups. Yet throughout
all of it, the Capitol Hill Police keeps it safe so that the tourists,
the business people and those in government and all the employees can
enjoy a safe working environment.
Since September 11, we have funded 512 new positions for the Capitol
Police. That is a 37 percent increase in a year and a half. The salary
account has grown from $113 million in fiscal year 2002 to a requested
level of $218 million in fiscal year 2004, so a 93 percent increase in
a 2-year period of time for the salary account.
General expenses for the police have climbed from $6.7 million in
2001 to a requested level of $72 million in fiscal year 2004, a 975
percent increase. All this has already been done. This is all in the
name of security, and we absolutely have supported it.
In addition, there has been another $167 million that has been
appropriated in supplemental funds. This committee, on a bipartisan
basis, can take pride that the Capitol Hill Police Department has moved
into the 21st century with a 20 percent increase in salaries over the
last 2 years and a lot of other changes that are beneficial to the
police officers in terms of recruitment, hiring and retention. But the
budget request for fiscal year 2004 includes an increase of 25 percent
for the salary account and an increase in general expenses of 158
percent.
Increases cannot be sustained at the allocation that we have been
given. So at this time we are not going to increase more staffing, as
we want them to absorb the growth that we have already given them.
Another issue that we spent a lot of time on in committee is the
Capitol Visitors Center. The Capitol Visitors Center is something that
started out at one level, and is now at a completely different level in
terms of spending. The scope of the job changed because we have put in
some additional office spaces and because of some security concerns.
Yet at the same time we, on this committee, are very concerned that the
spending has gotten out of hand.
We have not put in a $48 million estimation for additional expenses.
We understand the other body has done so; but at this time, the House
bill has not and we intend to have a lot of discussions about that
before we move forward on it. At present, there are still 37 items,
according to a recent GAO study, which are unknown in terms of
additional expenses. So our committee is trying to get a good grip on
the Capitol Visitors Center--but we are very, very concerned about some
of the expenses.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. MORAN of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the bill. There has been a pretty
good level of bipartisan cooperation on this bill, and it is reflected
in the vote that we are going to have. I doubt that there will be many,
if any, voting against this bill, even though I am told by the
Committee on Rules last night, this is the first time that an
appropriations bill or an appropriations subcommittee has reported a
bill that was funded at a lower level than the previous year. Is the
gentleman aware of that?
Mr. KINGSTON. Mr. Speaker, will the gentleman yield?
Mr. MORAN of Virginia. I yield to the gentleman from Georgia.
Mr. KINGSTON. Mr. Speaker, I am not aware of it, but I certainly am
proud of it.
Mr. MORAN of Virginia. We do not expect that to happen with every
bill.
We had a fairly tight allocation, discretionary caps were pretty
tight; but I think that it serves the Nation well. We are $290 million
below the President's request and $34 million below last year's funding
level; but given the limitations of the allocation, I think that the
chairman and the members of the committee on both sides of the aisle
have been prudent and fair.
Sufficient funds have been provided to cover all mandatory
expenditures, and the budget assumes the full 3.7 percent COLA increase
for salaries. I support the chairman's decision to withhold making any
new appropriation for the Capitol Visitors Center and slow down the
pace of the Architect's other construction projects because a recent
GAO review took issue with the Capitol Visitors Center projected cost
estimates.
That GAO review found that the total cost of the project could
potentially climb to as high as $395 million,
[[Page H6425]]
read $400 million, when it started out at about $300 million. I think
that it behooves the Congress to take a very close look. We are going
to have another hearing on it, and we do not intend to scrimp on the
funding of it. Since it is going to be done, we want it done right, but
we want to make sure we have a full handle on all of the cost
increases.
So we are going to withhold any new funds and reevaluate how we
should proceed. We need to gain better control over potential cost
overruns and engage in those substantive discussions, particularly with
the House and Senate leadership.
I also want to touch on another topic, as the gentleman from Georgia
(Mr. Kingston) did, and clarify to the Members of the House that this
bill supports and respects the men and women in law enforcement who
serve on the Capitol Police force. They have toiled under stressful and
difficult circumstances, particularly since September 11, 2001; but
since that date, the Capitol Police have seen their manpower grow by 37
percent. So until a strategic plan, which the subcommittee directed the
police to undertake last year, is completed and shared with the members
of the subcommittee and open to review by outside experts, this bill
postpones action on this portion of the police chief's request. That is
the responsible way to deal with the request in my view, and I agree
with the chairman again.
Should the Capitol Police's full workforce increase be merited, the
funds will be there. In the meantime, full funding for overtime pay for
the police, the COLA increase, the longevity differential, the special
training, the specialty pay and all the other recruitment and retention
incentives are all preserved and fully funded in this bill.
The employees in the agencies who work for us are indispensable, if
we want this legislative body to continue to perform and to perform
well.
Mr. Speaker, the bill before us today is a sound bill. It is tight,
but it is responsive to addressing the needs and the obligations of the
entire legislative branch. That is why I support it and encourage my
colleagues on this side of the aisle to vote for it as well. I trust
that it will be unanimously approved, and with that, we only have I
think three more speakers.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. KINGSTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from
Illinois (Mr. LaHood).
(Mr. LaHOOD asked and was given permission to revise and extend his
remarks.)
Mr. LaHOOD. Mr. Speaker, I do not know if this is the most boring
bill in the House; but it is certainly one of the most boring, there is
no doubt about it. Maybe that is why it is going to get almost a
unanimous vote, but I really came to the well of the House today to say
thank you to so many people who work in this institution who we all
take for granted.
We show up here every day. We have these folks taking down all of our
words, and we can pick up the Congressional Record and read it. We have
all of these folks that are behind me who show up every day and do all
the work and we take all the credit.
{time} 1830
And there are many, many thousands of people like that in this House
who do a great job for the Members and do a great job for the public,
and that is what this bill is all about. It is taking care of the 10
major offices and funding the 10 major offices that make all of us look
good as Members of Congress: The staff in the Architect's office; and
when we need legal advice, there are people here who give us legal
advice; when we need medical attention, there are people who can give
us medical attention, and the list goes on and on.
As a former staffer, I want to say thank you to all of the staff who
work hard in this institution to make the 435 Members and the 100
Members in the other body look good. They do not get the appreciation,
they do not get the thanks that is so well deserved. And they do work
hard, and they make this place tick. They make it operate. When we are
gone, they are still here. And when we are gone, they really continue
to keep the Capitol open.
I know that it is fashionable to take our hats off to the Capitol
Hill Police, and I certainly want to do that. They work really hard,
and they provide the protection. But there are lots of other people,
hundreds of other people in this Capitol who do such great work for so
many of us and for the public who come here. We owe them a big debt of
gratitude for what they do, and that is what this bill is about, to say
to them we want to continue to fund the work that you do to give you a
little bit of an increase and to say thank you for what you do.
I also want to make mention of two other items. One is the Capitol
Visitors Center. I know that we are going to have some additional
hearings on that. I know we are going to have some additional meetings
on it. I know that there is a big hole in front of the Capitol, and a
lot of people wonder what it is all about. It is the responsibility of
this subcommittee to take charge of that and to really have
responsibility for it.
I know it has been sort of a leadership-driven project, but it is up
to the Congress to come up with the money to fund this, and we do have
the responsibility for it. I think we take that responsibility
seriously, and we want to make sure it is done correctly and done
right, and that it turns out to be a state-of-the-art visitors center,
but done in a way that comports with the fiscal concerns that I think
many of us have about what it will cost when it is complete.
The other issue I want to raise is one that is near and dear to my
heart, and I am someone who has been pushing for this. Again, as a
former staffer, I think it is important, and that is the idea that in
this bill there is language and there is money to continue to study
what it would take to put a footprint for a staff gym. Again, many of
the people who work in this building and work long hours do not have
access to the kind of facility that would allow them to get the kind of
exercise that is necessary to stay healthy.
As an interim step, we were able to develop an agreement with Gold's
Gym where any staffer can go to any Gold's Gym in the metropolitan area
and have access to those facilities at a very, very reasonable cost.
And I want to thank the staff who have made those arrangements
possible. But in the end, my goal is to make sure that right here on
the Capitol campus there is a facility for our staff so that they have
a facility available so they can stay healthy and stay in good shape,
just as the Members have available to them a very nice state-of-the-art
facility for themselves both on the House and the Senate side. I really
want to make sure that goal is achieved. We are making progress on it,
and I think we will continue to make progress as we move ahead.
I know a lot has been said about the Capitol Hill Police, and I
certainly support them. I want to say a word about the Chief of the
Capitol Hill Police because he is from Illinois. I think Terry Gainer
is doing a great job. I think we are fortunate to have such an
outstanding law enforcement person in charge of the Capitol Hill
Police. I have known Terry since he was the director of the State
police in Illinois, where he did a great job. He then came to the city
of Washington and worked with the chief of police and did a great job
there, and now he is right here in our midst, and I think doing a good
job, and I want to compliment him. And even though he was not allowed
everything he wanted in this bill, I think people want to continue to
work with Chief Gainer and continue his efforts to make sure that our
facilities are secure.
So I compliment the chairman and the staff and the ranking member,
the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Moran), for the work in our
subcommittee, and I think we have done good work, and I encourage all
Members to support the bill.
Mr. MORAN of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 1 minute, before I
yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Hoyer), because up
front I want to acknowledge the committee staff, since the gentleman
from Illinois (Mr. LaHood) has referenced them. We have some terrific
staff people on this appropriation subcommittee: Liz Dawson, who does a
wonderful job; Chuck Turner; Kelly Wade; Jack O'Neill on the personal
staff of the gentleman from Georgia
[[Page H6426]]
(Mr. Kingston); and, of course, our appropriation staff, Dave
Pomerantz, Tom Forhan, and my own staff person Tim Aiken.
I want to say right up front that they have done a great job on this
bill. Even though it might not be the most exciting bill, it has as
fine a staff as you would want to find on the Hill.
Mr. Speaker, I yield 7 minutes to the distinguished whip of the
Democratic Caucus, the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Hoyer).
(Mr. HOYER asked and was given permission to revise and extend his
remarks.)
Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, I thank my good friend, the gentleman from
Virginia (Mr. Moran), for yielding me this time, and I want to thank
the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Kingston) for his leadership on this
bill.
This is an institutional bill. This is a bill which is designed to
allow the legislative body to carry out its constitutional functions of
overseeing a mammoth executive department and to make sure that, in
fact, we have checks and balances. So although it may not be exciting,
it is critical, as all of us, I think, on this floor know, to the
exercise of our constitutional responsibility. So I clearly rise in
strong support of this legislation.
Obviously, any measure that trims spending from a previous fiscal
year does so by proposing reductions in some programs. I would like to
comment on a few provisions that are particularly important. One arm of
Congress for which H.R. 2657 proposes a 1.3 percent reduction is the
United States Capitol Police. We have all talked about that. Many of my
colleagues know that on the Committee on House Administration and on
the Subcommittee on Legislative for a number of years, I have been a
strong supporter, as most people in this body have, of the Capitol
Police. It symbolizes, it seems to me, the safety of democracy in many
ways. Of course, as all of us know, tragically, a few years ago, we
lost two members of the Capitol Police force, Officers Gibson and
Chestnut, protecting democracy and this House, these visitors that come
to their Capitol, and, yes, the Members and staff who work here.
Mr. Speaker, I have looked at this budget very carefully, and I am
confident that the proposed $212 million that have been appropriated
for the time being are sufficient. I know the committee wanted to
ensure that that was the case, and I thank them for their careful study
and review, and the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Moran) has said the
same thing.
Since 1997, and particularly since the tragedy of 9/11 and the
tragedy that occurred to us in this Capitol, Congress has substantially
increased the size and budget of the Capitol Police. I believe that was
warranted. In 1997, we appropriated $75.39 million, almost .4 million.
In 2003, we appropriated $240 million, a very substantial increase,
appropriate given the security concerns.
Make no mistake about it, these large increases were essential to
make up for deficiencies that we saw and that we were confronted with
when we discovered tragically in 1998 the Capitol Police needed more
resources to secure all access points and protect not just the lives of
the people who work here, but also, as I said, the visitors.
The events of 9/11 were another wake-up call that no American
landmark is off limits to terrorists, including the Capitol complex.
Most of us believe that that plane that those brave passengers brought
down in the fields of Pennsylvania was, in fact, being directed at this
Capitol dome, one of the great symbols of freedom in the world.
Let me speak about Chief Gainer. Chief Gainer does not come from
Maryland, but he is still a very good fellow, as the gentleman from
Illinois (Mr. LaHood) said. I want to thank he and his able staff.
These increases have been invested in a wide range of essential
programs by Chief Gainer and his people; an expanded force, better
equipment, protective infrastructure, and improved training. But as the
report accompanying H.R. 2657 points out, there is concern over the
continuation of such large growth for the Capitol Police without a
comprehensive strategic plan.
I think that report is correct. Fortunately, a strategic plan is
being developed. Once completed, it will help the Capitol Police deploy
their resources in the most efficient manner possible with the greatest
protection possible.
A second area that is getting a reduction is the Architect of the
Capitol. As many know, the Committee on Appropriations has been
concerned about the level and quality of the project management and
acquisition planning in the Architect of the Capitol's organization,
particularly with regards to the construction of the Capitol Visitors
Center. I am a strong supporter, as I think all of us are, of this
facility, but the committee is correct in being concerned about the
construction schedule and the construction cost. Later this month an
oversight hearing on the CVC will be held. I am confident this hearing
will help us make more informed spending and policy decisions with
regard to the visitors center.
One matter that should concern every Member of this body, in addition
to the visitors center, is the fair treatment of workers, including
temporary workers, employed by the legislative branch. I want to thank
Liz Dawson and the staff of the committee both on the majority side and
on the minority side for continuing to focus on this. Section 133 of
the Legislative Appropriations Act of 2002, which became law on
November 12, 2001, prohibits the Architect of the Capitol from
employing temporary workers for long periods without providing
eligibility for employee benefits.
Mr. Speaker, this is not happening. Much to my dismay, the Architect
has not implemented section 133 more than 2 years after it was the law
of the land, despite the clearest of congressional intentions and the
fact that the General Accounting Office has determined that section 133
provides the Architect with the authority to treat temporary workers
fairly. This is unacceptable behavior.
During markup 2 weeks ago, I offered an amendment which was adopted
by voice vote which restates section 133. My expectation with this
amendment is simple: That Mr. Hantman will finally appreciate that
Congress meant what it said 2 years ago when it instructed his office
to fairly treat temporary workers.
One provision of today's measure that does distress me, and I follow
up with what the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. LaHood) said, I agree
with him 100 percent, we need to thank our staffs, incredibly talented,
skilled, critical people to the accomplishment of our objectives and
our responsibility. But in this bill, unfortunately, the raise we have
given them is less than the raise that we give to all other executive
employees.
I am very hopeful that before we complete consideration of this bill,
in the final analysis our employees will be given the 4.1 percent
increase that I hope that all the executive department will be given
and that we have already given to the military. Our staff is
incredible. We ought to say thank you. But in addition to that, we
ought to ensure that they are treated at least as well as we expect our
executive department employees to be treated as it relates to the COLA.
Mr. KINGSTON. Mr. Speaker, will the gentleman yield?
Mr. HOYER. I yield to the gentleman from Georgia.
Mr. KINGSTON. Mr. Speaker, I say to my friend from Maryland that I
believe it is the intent of this committee to conform with whatever the
other Federal employees end up getting in terms of COLAs.
Mr. HOYER. Reclaiming my time, Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Hefley). Time of the gentleman from
Maryland (Mr. Hoyer) has expired.
Mr. KINGSTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from
Maryland (Mr. Hoyer).
Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me this
time. I appreciate that.
I say to the gentleman from Georgia that I know what he says to be
the case. I meant no criticism, but the gentleman from Illinois (Mr.
LaHood) had observed, and I wanted to make sure our employees knew,
that we are going to treat them as well as we are hopefully also going
to treat the executive employees, and so I appreciate the chairman's
comment on that.
I do also, with the time the gentleman from Georgia yielded to me,
want to again congratulate him and the committee on the mass transit
benefit program that he has included in this bill.
[[Page H6427]]
With that, Mr. Speaker, let me say that I appreciate the work of the
gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Kingston) and the gentleman from Virginia
(Mr. Moran). They have brought a good bill to the floor that all our
Members can support and that will serve this institution and the
American people.
{time} 1845
Mr. KINGSTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from
Illinois (Mr. Kirk).
Mr. KIRK. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this legislation,
and I especially want to thank the gentleman from Georgia (Mr.
Kingston), the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Moran), and the gentleman
from Illinois (Mr. LaHood) for what has been included as a key project
in this legislation.
We are beginning the work of a staff gym in the Congress. I served in
the Pentagon, and there we have the Pentagon Officers Athletic Club. It
is not a very nice facility, but it keeps the men and women during
their headquarters tour in shape before returning to the field or sea.
Such facilities are not available to congressional staff. Most large
employers with over 5,000 employees in my district have on-site gyms.
We employ over 10,000 people in the Congress and have no such facility.
As a former staff member, I think it is time we build a staff gym. We
have spent taxpayer dollars for promotion programs on fitness or to
fight obesity; we should do that here in Congress. This bill sets aside
$100,000 to design a 4,000-square foot facility with male and female
showers, lockers and a weight room. It will be ready for the staff in 8
months. We also are looking to expanding shower facilities for runners
in Longworth and Cannon. We will have a more complete and permanent
facility by July 2004.
This means that men and women who work here in the people's House
will be fitter, will handle stress better, and will serve the long
hours under low-pay conditions for longer working for our constituents.
Mr. Speaker, I want to reiterate my thanks to the gentleman from
Georgia (Mr. Kingston) and the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Moran) and
the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. LaHood), but especially to Liz Dawson
and Reed Bundy of our staffs who made this new facility a reality.
Mr. MORAN of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the
gentleman from California (Mr. Schiff) for a colloquy.
Mr. SCHIFF. Mr. Speaker, I intended to offer an amendment to the
Legislative Branch Appropriations Act that would allow Members to use
their representational allowances to promote, sponsor and conduct
congressional science competitions among high school students in their
district. The very popular Congressional Arts Competition, which allows
Members to sanction art competitions within their districts, has been
successfully conducted for over 20 years. This competition helps to
encourage young people to pursue their artistic education and ambitions
and promotes the idea that art should be an integral part of our lives;
yet no such congressional competition exists to reward the achievements
of young scientists, as I learned last year when I had hoped to conduct
such a competition in my district which is, I am proud to say, the home
of Cal Tech and JPL and some of the finest scientists on the Earth.
House rules prohibit any Member from conducting any competitions except
for the Congressional Arts Competition.
Science is integral to our society and to our American spirit of
ingenuity and innovation. Science fuels our technological
entrepreneurship and has been the basis for remarkable technological
advances in the span of only a few decades, including space
exploration, biotechnology and medical advances to seek cures to human
disease and afflictions, and tremendous gains in computing power,
telecommunications, and information management.
As Members of Congress, we must do our part to advance scientific
knowledge and scientific explanation as core values of our society. One
important way we can engender a sense of excitement about scientific
inquiries is to reward the achievements of young scientists by allowing
Members to conduct congressional scientific competitions in each of our
435 districts. I look forward to working with my colleagues on this
important issue at the earliest possible opportunity.
Mr. KINGSTON. Mr. Speaker, will the gentleman yield?
Mr. SCHIFF. I yield to the gentleman from Georgia.
Mr. KINGSTON. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding and say
I believe this is a very interesting proposal. I think it is a
promising idea and something there is probably a lot of good bipartisan
support for.
I have sponsored the Congressional Arts Awards Program in my former
district for 10 years and have always been amazed by the talent that is
out there amongst 15-, 16-, and 17-year-olds, and so I would like to
see the brilliance that is there from the 15-, 16-, and 17-year-olds as
well.
I remember when I had a science project. We wanted to study if there
were more protozoa in a stream where water was moving or a pond where
it sat still; and we could not conclude anything, but it was very
interesting. My sister studied phototropism and geotropism, and I still
remember her project as well.
I am always amazed when I go to State science fairs to see the
brilliance of these kids and what they are doing. I think this has a
lot of potential. It is really an issue that the Committee on House
Administration needs to look at, and so I would like to join the
gentleman in seeking their guidance and possible action from that
committee because we probably would not need to do an appropriations. I
am not sure, but we do need to talk to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr.
Ney) and the gentleman from Connecticut (Mr. Larson) and seek their
guidance on it.
I believe that Members could use their existing Members
representational allowances so we probably would not appropriate more
money, but we will see about that. I want to assure the gentleman that
I think we can find a way that Members can sponsor such a high school
science competition awards program in their district.
Mr. SCHIFF. Mr. Speaker, reclaiming my time, I agree with the
gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Kingston). The intention is not to seek any
additional appropriations, but rather to allow Members to use their
existing allowances to host, if they choose, science competitions in
their districts.
I think we have seen the dramatic success of the arts competition in
stimulating interest in the arts. This would be a way of heightening
the awareness of the importance of science in our lives and getting
young people engaged. We need more scientists in this country, and this
is a good way to tap into that young talent.
I can tell my colleague had a greater head start than I did. I think
my science project when I was in school consisted of how to drop an egg
from a light tower in a contraption that would not allow the egg to
break, which is a little less sophisticated than counting the number of
protozoa in a pond. Nonetheless, there are great opportunities for us
to reach into our districts, tap into that talent and cultivate the
future scientists that will lead this Nation forward. I look forward to
working with the gentleman.
Mr. KINGSTON. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. MORAN of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I yield 8 minutes to the
gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Holt) for a colloquy.
Mr. HOLT. Mr. Speaker, I rise to enter into a colloquy with the
gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Kingston), the gentleman from Virginia (Mr.
Moran), and the gentleman from New York (Mr. Houghton).
Mr. Speaker, yesterday I submitted an amendment to the Legislative
Branch Appropriations Act bill to provide $7 million to revive the
Office of Technology Assessment as authorized by the Technology
Assessment Act of 1972. During its 23 years of existence, OTA provided
Congress with highly respected, impartial analysis of complex
scientific and technological issues and their impacts on current
legislation. When OTA's funding was eliminated in 1995, Congress lost a
valuable and unique resource.
Although my amendment was not ruled in order, I would like to use
this opportunity to discuss with the chairman the need for more
scientific advice in Congress.
Mr. Speaker, science and technology have pervaded almost every aspect
of
[[Page H6428]]
our society. Most, if not all, of the bills that come to the floor of
the House include technological components. Technology has played and
will continue to play an important role in many of the issues such as
economic development, homeland security, and environmental stewardship,
which this body has dedicated so much time and money to address.
Mr. Speaker, if the OTA were still in existence, it is likely we
would have received I think in a timely way reports that address the
importance of research in early childhood development as it relates to
Head Start or technology needed to ensure intraoperability of first
responder communication devices in high-rise buildings, scientific
evidence regarding the safety of genetically engineered food, or a
comprehensive assessment of the technology available to ensure the
safety of our airlines and shipping ports.
Would my colleagues, the ranking member on this committee and the
chairman and the gentleman from New York (Mr. Houghton), agree that
many issues such as these that we deal with on a daily basis are highly
technical and that we could use more help in evaluating the merits of
such legislation dealing with such matters?
Mr. MORAN of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, will the gentleman yield?
Mr. HOLT. I yield to the gentleman from Virginia.
Mr. MORAN of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the efforts of my
colleague from New Jersey and agree that the Congress could use more
scientific expertise. I regret that this amendment was not made in
order. I had urged the Committee on Rules to make it in order.
I do have some concerns about how the Architect would absorb a $7
million cut, but I think Congress would benefit from a restored
capability to conduct more technology assessments. Unfortunately, I do
not think that the support is there within this body to recreate the
original Congressional Office of Technology Assessment.
As my colleague knows, I have worked with the gentleman from Georgia
(Mr. Kingston) to establish a core competency within the General
Accounting Office through a pilot program to conduct technology
assessments. The pilot program's first report using biometrices for
border security was both timely and helpful as Congress used some of
the report's findings in crafting legislation to create the Department
of Homeland Security.
Technology assessments can help us craft better policies and laws.
There is report language accompanying this bill which directs the GAO
to conduct three more technology assessment studies in fiscal year
2004. I would like to work with my colleague to explore ways that we
can increase this capability for technology assessment in the Congress
and establish a more stable foundation and a more certain future.
Mr. KINGSTON. Mr. Speaker, will the gentleman yield?
Mr. HOLT. I yield to the gentleman from Georgia.
Mr. KINGSTON. Mr. Speaker, I would agree with the gentleman from New
Jersey (Mr. Holt) and the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Moran) and
understand the need for scientific advice to Members of Congress on
complex issues, and I support reports that assist Congress with its
work.
For this reason, the committee has funded since fiscal year 2002
technology assessments to be completed by the General Accounting
Office; and once again, the report accompanying this bill requires the
GAO to allocate funding for three studies related to issues facing
Congress. With a staff of over 3,200 employees, GAO is in a position to
contract for scientific assessments, and an independent expert
determined in fiscal year 2002 that the GAO approach and results were
sound.
Mr. HOLT. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman and the ranking member
for their efforts in directing the GAO to conduct three pilot
technology assessments, and I am sure they would agree with me that
three reports is not nearly sufficient to meet the needs of Congress.
I would suggest that we need a capacity to conduct upwards of 40
reports a year. Now, whether housed in the GAO or in a re-funded OTA,
we need to provide the support to ensure a sustained capacity in-house
to conduct a significant number of studies and maintain a professional
staff to accomplish this objective. Currently, we are not providing the
GAO with sufficient funds to achieve this objective.
Mr. HOUGHTON. Mr. Speaker, will the gentleman yield?
Mr. HOLT. I yield to the gentleman from New York.
Mr. HOUGHTON. Mr. Speaker, I would like to underscore the point made
by my colleagues, the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Holt) and the
gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Kingston) and the gentleman from Virginia
(Mr. Moran), that Congress as a whole currently lacks the scientific
base to assess the technologies that are crucial for our national
security, economic prosperity and personal and environmental health of
this Nation.
I would also like to underscore that scientific expertise is unique
in that it can be provided in an inherently nonpartisan way; and I can
attest to that personally, having been on the OTA board. The OTA board
was governed by a bipartisan technology assessment board. There were
six House members, six Senate members, both parties equally
represented, and the OTA had a reputation for producing reports that
were often cited by both sides of a debate; and they were very, very
helpful.
In essence, we need to start, I think, in getting serious about
rebuilding the capacity in the legislative branch to provide this
nonpartisan technical expertise to Congress in a timely manner.
Mr. MORAN of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, will the gentleman yield?
Mr. HOLT. I yield to the gentleman from Virginia.
Mr. MORAN of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from New
Jersey. I believe it would be beneficial for our subcommittee to get
advice from a bipartisan group on exactly these scientific issues. It
would be useful to receive recommendations on what would be the most
efficient, timely, and useful way to make sure that the core capability
that has now been created can be placed on a more stable foundation and
have a more certain future for a support agency such as the OTA to
provide scientific advice to Congress.
{time} 1900
Mr. HOLT. Mr. Speaker, reclaiming my time, I would like to thank the
three gentleman for agreeing to enter into this discussion on the
importance of providing balanced bipartisan technology assessment, an
approach to begin the process that will allow this Congress and our
successors to utilize more of the empirical, fact-based, scientific and
technical expertise needed to shape a sound public policy.
Mr. KINGSTON. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. MORAN of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for
time, and I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. KINGSTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
I wanted to emphasize on behalf of the gentleman from Virginia (Mr.
Moran) and me the great work that our staff has done. Liz Dawson and
Tom Forhan have done a great job on this bill. Chuck Turner, Kelly
Wade, Jack O'Neill, Tim Aiken have all worked very diligently with us,
and the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Moran) and I and all the committee
members appreciate everything they have done.
[[Page H6429]]
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[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TH09JY03.002
[[Page H6431]]
[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TH09JY03.003
[[Page H6432]]
Mr. NUSSLE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 2657, the
Legislative Branch Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2004. This is the
fourth bill we are considering pursuant to the 302(b) allocations
adopted by the Appropriations Committee on June 17th. I am happy to
report that it is consistent with the levels established in H. Con.
Res. 95, the House concurrent resolution on the budget for fiscal year
2004, which Congress adopted as its fiscal blueprint on April 10th.
Conforming with a long practice--under which each chamber of Congress
determines its own needs, appropriations for the other Body are not
included in the bill as reported to the House.
H.R. 2657 provides $2.669 billion in new budget authority, which is
within the 302(b) allocation to the House Appropriations Subcommittee
on Legislative. Outlays of $2.875 billion are also within the
subcommittee's allocation. The bill contains no emergency-designated
new budget authority, nor does it include rescissions of previously-
enacted appropriations.
Accordingly, the bill as reported, complies with section 302(f) of
the Budget Act, which prohibits consideration of bills in excess of an
appropriations subcommittee's 302(b) allocation of budget authority.
I commend Chairmen Kingston and Young for bringing another
appropriations bill to the floor that is consistent with the Budget
Resolution.
Mr. OBERSTAR. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 2657 appropriates nearly $295 million
to the Architect of the Capitol for fiscal year 2004. The Committee on
Transportation and Infrastructure, on which I serve as Ranking
Democratic Member, is the authorizing committee with jurisdiction over
the Architect's activities relating to the Capitol, the House and
Senate Office Buildings, and the Capitol Grounds.
Let me state at the outset that I have great respect for the
Architect, Mr. Alan Hantman. In the wake of the September 11 terrorist
attacks and the release of anthrax in some of the House and Senate
Office Buildings, Mr. Hantman's office did a tremendous job in ensuring
the safety and security of the Congress, those working in the Capitol
buildings, and the visiting public. He has rightly made the security of
everyone who works in and visits the Capitol his number one priority.
In addition, Mr. Hantman has initiated a program to maintain and
renovate the Capitol building and has promoted the construction of the
Capitol Visitor's Center--a place where the American people can come
and learn more about the inner workings of their government. The U.S.
Capitol, and all that it represents, is the citadel of democracy, and
the Architect has done a fine job of caring for it.
However, the knowledge of these accomplishments only serves to
heighten my great disappointment in the Architect over the manner in
which his office has proceeded with unauthorized construction
activities, specifically and most recently the demolition of the Tip
O'Neill House Office Building. The Architect of the Capitol never
sought a specific Committee authorization for the demolition of the
O'Neill Building. Moreover, in December 2002, then-Economic Development
and Public Buildings Subcommittee Ranking Member Jerry Costello and I
wrote to the Architect to express our concern that the Architect's
office was not authorized to demolish the O'Neill Building and to
request a description of the demolition project and specific cost
estimates for the project. The Architect has never answered our letter.
Whether it is regarding the demolition of the Tip O'Neill House
Office Building, cost overruns of the Capitol Visitor's Center, or the
construction and maintenance of the Capitol buildings, the Architect
has a responsibility to be responsive to all Members of this Body,
including Democratic Members of the Transportation and Infrastructure
Committee.
I understand that earlier this year, the Architect wrote to
Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Don Young and
stated that with regard to the O'Neill Building site, the Architect of
the Capitol will make no further changes to the site ``without the
authorization and approval from the appropriate governing
authorities.'' I take that to mean that he will seek the Transportation
and Infrastructure Committee's approval before undertaking any new
construction on the site, and I continue to expect a full response to
the inquiry that Ranking Member Costello and I made last December.
Moreover, I will urge the Subcommittee on Economic Development and
Public Buildings of the Transportation Committee to conduct an
oversight hearing on the Architect's construction program.
Mr. KINGSTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Hefley). All time for debate has
expired.
Pursuant to House Resolution 311, the bill is considered read for
amendment. The amendment printed in section 2 of that resolution is
adopted, and the previous question is ordered.
The question is on the engrossment and third reading of the bill.
The bill was ordered to be engrossed and read a third time, and was
read the third time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the passage of the bill.
Pursuant to clause 10 of rule XX, the yeas and nays are ordered.
The vote was taken by electronic device, and there were--yeas 394,
nays 26, not voting 14, as follows:
[Roll No. 345]
YEAS--394
Abercrombie
Ackerman
Aderholt
Akin
Alexander
Allen
Andrews
Baca
Bachus
Baird
Baker
Baldwin
Ballance
Ballenger
Barrett (SC)
Bartlett (MD)
Barton (TX)
Bass
Beauprez
Bell
Bereuter
Berkley
Berman
Biggert
Bilirakis
Bishop (GA)
Bishop (NY)
Bishop (UT)
Blackburn
Blumenauer
Blunt
Boehlert
Boehner
Bonilla
Bonner
Bono
Boozman
Boswell
Boucher
Boyd
Bradley (NH)
Brady (PA)
Brady (TX)
Brown (SC)
Brown, Corrine
Brown-Waite, Ginny
Burgess
Burns
Burr
Burton (IN)
Buyer
Calvert
Camp
Cannon
Cantor
Capito
Capps
Capuano
Cardin
Cardoza
Carson (IN)
Carson (OK)
Carter
Case
Castle
Chabot
Chocola
Clay
Clyburn
Coble
Cole
Collins
Conyers
Cooper
Costello
Cox
Crane
Crenshaw
Crowley
Cubin
Culberson
Cummings
Cunningham
Davis (AL)
Davis (CA)
Davis (FL)
Davis (IL)
Davis (TN)
Davis, Jo Ann
Davis, Tom
Deal (GA)
DeFazio
DeGette
Delahunt
DeLauro
DeLay
DeMint
Deutsch
Diaz-Balart, L.
Diaz-Balart, M.
Dicks
Dingell
Dooley (CA)
Doolittle
Doyle
Dreier
Duncan
Dunn
Ehlers
Emanuel
Emerson
Engel
English
Eshoo
Etheridge
Evans
Everett
Farr
Fattah
Feeney
Ferguson
Filner
Fletcher
Foley
Forbes
Ford
Frank (MA)
Franks (AZ)
Frelinghuysen
Frost
Gallegly
Garrett (NJ)
Gerlach
Gilchrest
Gillmor
Gingrey
Gonzalez
Goodlatte
Gordon
Granger
Greenwood
Grijalva
Gutierrez
Gutknecht
Hall
Harris
Hart
Hastings (FL)
Hastings (WA)
Hayes
Hayworth
Hefley
Hensarling
Herger
Hill
Hinchey
Hinojosa
Hobson
Hoeffel
Hoekstra
Holden
Holt
Honda
Hooley (OR)
Hostettler
Houghton
Hoyer
Hunter
Hyde
Inslee
Isakson
Israel
Issa
Istook
Jackson (IL)
Jackson-Lee (TX)
Jefferson
Jenkins
John
Johnson (CT)
Johnson (IL)
Johnson, E. B.
Johnson, Sam
Jones (OH)
Kanjorski
Kaptur
Keller
Kelly
Kennedy (RI)
Kildee
Kilpatrick
King (IA)
King (NY)
Kingston
Kirk
Kline
Knollenberg
Kolbe
Kucinich
LaHood
Lampson
Langevin
Lantos
Larsen (WA)
Larson (CT)
Latham
LaTourette
Leach
Lee
Levin
Lewis (CA)
Lewis (GA)
Lewis (KY)
Linder
Lipinski
LoBiondo
Lowey
Lucas (OK)
Lynch
Majette
Maloney
Manzullo
Markey
Marshall
Matsui
McCarthy (MO)
McCarthy (NY)
McCollum
McCotter
McCrery
McDermott
McGovern
McHugh
McInnis
McIntyre
McKeon
McNulty
Meehan
Meek (FL)
Meeks (NY)
Menendez
Mica
Michaud
Miller (FL)
Miller (MI)
Miller (NC)
Miller, Gary
Miller, George
Mollohan
Moore
Moran (KS)
Moran (VA)
Murphy
Musgrave
Myrick
Nadler
Napolitano
Neal (MA)
Nethercutt
Neugebauer
Ney
Northup
Norwood
Nunes
Nussle
Oberstar
Obey
Olver
Ortiz
Osborne
Ose
Otter
Oxley
Pallone
Pascrell
Pastor
Payne
Pearce
Pelosi
Pence
Peterson (MN)
Peterson (PA)
Pitts
Platts
Pombo
Pomeroy
Porter
Price (NC)
Pryce (OH)
Putnam
Quinn
Radanovich
Rahall
Rangel
Regula
Rehberg
Renzi
Reyes
Reynolds
Rodriguez
Rogers (AL)
Rogers (KY)
Rogers (MI)
Rohrabacher
Ros-Lehtinen
Ross
Rothman
Roybal-Allard
Ruppersberger
Rush
Ryan (OH)
Ryun (KS)
Sabo
Sanchez, Linda T.
Sanchez, Loretta
Sanders
Sandlin
Saxton
Schakowsky
Schiff
Schrock
Scott (GA)
Scott (VA)
Serrano
Sessions
Shadegg
Shaw
Shays
Sherman
Sherwood
Shuster
Simmons
Simpson
Skelton
Slaughter
Smith (MI)
Smith (NJ)
Smith (TX)
Smith (WA)
Snyder
Solis
Souder
Spratt
Stark
Stenholm
Strickland
Stupak
Sullivan
Sweeney
Tancredo
Tauscher
Tauzin
Taylor (MS)
Taylor (NC)
Terry
Thomas
Thompson (CA)
Thompson (MS)
Thornberry
Tiahrt
Tiberi
Tierney
Toomey
Towns
Turner (OH)
Turner (TX)
Udall (CO)
Udall (NM)
Upton
Van Hollen
Velazquez
Visclosky
Vitter
Walden (OR)
Walsh
Wamp
Waters
Watson
Watt
Waxman
Weiner
Weldon (FL)
Weldon (PA)
Weller
[[Page H6433]]
Wexler
Whitfield
Wilson (NM)
Wilson (SC)
Wolf
Woolsey
Wu
Wynn
Young (AK)
Young (FL)
NAYS--26
Becerra
Berry
Brown (OH)
Doggett
Flake
Goode
Graves
Green (TX)
Green (WI)
Hulshof
Jones (NC)
Kennedy (MN)
Kind
Kleczka
Lofgren
Lucas (KY)
Matheson
Paul
Petri
Ramstad
Royce
Ryan (WI)
Sensenbrenner
Shimkus
Stearns
Tanner
NOT VOTING--14
Cramer
Edwards
Fossella
Gephardt
Gibbons
Goss
Harman
Janklow
Millender-McDonald
Murtha
Owens
Pickering
Portman
Wicker
Announcement by the Speaker Pro Tempore
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Hefley) (during the vote). Members are
advised there are 2 minutes remaining in this vote.
{time} 1921
Mr. BROWN of Ohio and Mr. FLAKE changed their vote from ``yea'' to
``nay.''
Mr. JACKSON of Illinois changed his vote from ``nay'' to ``yea.''
So the bill was passed.
The result of the vote was announced as above recorded.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
____________________