[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 105 (Wednesday, September 8, 2004)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1561]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


  PERMITTING LIBRARIAN OF CONGRESS TO HIRE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS POLICE 
                               EMPLOYEES

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                           HON. JACK KINGSTON

                               of georgia

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, July 20, 2004

  Mr. KINGSTON. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of this 
resolution that will restore the Librarian's authority to hire Library 
of Congress police employees. And I would like to thank my 
distinguished colleague for bringing this important resolution to the 
floor.
  Madam Speaker, for the past ten months, the Librarian has been 
without the authority to hire police officers. The result of which has 
been a significant deficit in the Library's ability to meet its 
security mission to protect the Library's vast collection and ensure 
the safety of Members, staff, and visitors in the Library. His 
authority was repealed in a provision inserted in the last year's 
conference report by the other body, which also mandated our own United 
States Capitol Police to detail their officers to the Library, even 
though the Capitol Police currently lack the jurisdictional authority 
to police the Library's buildings. This was done in an effort to 
circumvent the jurisdiction of the appropriate oversight committees who 
have been engaged in evaluating the merits of merging the two agencies 
and force the beginnings of a merger of the Library's police force and 
the U.S. Capitol Police.
  The Chairman's committee has been performing his appropriate 
oversight by reviewing several draft memorandums between the Capitol 
Police and the Library outlining the detail of officers to the Library. 
During this process, a multitude of questions have risen to the surface 
regarding not only how to merge the agencies, but really whether the 
security of the Capitol complex would be improved if they did merge. I 
do not believe that there will be any measurable improvement in the 
overall security. I believe that it is merely a way for the Capitol 
Police to expand their jurisdiction. I do not support Capitol Police 
officers being detailed to the Library in what can only be interpreted 
as a pilot program for a merger. And I certainly do not support the 
current effort of the other body to merge the Library of Congress 
police with the Capitol Police.
  Additionally, the time and attention being paid to fix the current 
situation that the Library and the Capitol Police have been put in is 
putting unnecessary strain on the agencies and distracting them from 
their primary missions during a crucial time.
  Madam Speaker I agree with the Chairman Ney's comments that this 
growing need for officers at the Library is the Congress' own creation 
and we need to fix it. Madam Speaker it is vitally important to the 
security of the Capitol complex that we restore the Librarian's 
authority to hire police officers. And I will work to ensure that they 
have the necessary funds to train and pay the officers that will be 
hired to fill the current manpower gap. I urge my colleagues to join me 
in supporting this resolution.

                          ____________________