[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 20 (Thursday, February 16, 2006)]
[Senate]
[Page S1409]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 PROVIDING RELIEF FOR THE FEDERAL JUDICIARY FROM EXCESSIVE RENT CHARGES

  Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, yesterday Chairman Specter introduced a 
bill I cosponsored to provide relief for the Federal judiciary from 
excessive rent charges assessed by the General Services Administration, 
GSA, for the use of courthouses and other spaces occupied by the courts 
across the Nation. Since 1986, the Federal courts' rental payments to 
GSA have increased dramatically, with the percentage of the judiciary's 
operating budget devoted to rent payments escalating from 15.7 percent 
in 1986 to approximately 22 percent in 2004. If no changes are made, 
this percentage is expected to continue to rise sharply. This 
legislation brings these rent charges under control by capping the rent 
charges at GSA's actual costs of operating and maintaining 
accommodations provided to the judicial branch, by specifying that 
certain capital costs, taxes, and administrative fees shall not be 
included in GSA's rent charges, and by establishing a means for 
repayment over time for the future costs of repair and alteration 
projects performed by GSA.
  As the ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, I have been 
concerned about the adverse effect of these rent payments on the 
administration of justice. On May 13, 2005, a bipartisan group of 11 
members of the Judiciary Committee, including Chairman Specter and 
myself, sent a letter to GSA asking it to exercise its authority to 
exempt the judicial branch from all rental payments except those 
required to operate and maintain Federal court buildings and related 
costs. GSA's response has not been adequate. As set forth in that 
letter, the excessive rent paid by the judiciary will exacerbate severe 
personnel shortages by forcing more cuts and could also have impacts on 
courthouse security. The rent relief provided in this bill will help 
ensure that the judiciary continues to have the tools it needs to carry 
out its unique and vital function.

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