[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 37 (Wednesday, March 5, 2008)]
[House]
[Pages H1254-H1255]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




EXPRESSING SENSE OF CONGRESS THAT MEMBERS' CONGRESSIONAL PAPERS SHOULD 
                         BE PROPERLY MAINTAINED

  Mr. BRADY of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules 
and agree to the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 307) expressing 
the sense of Congress that Members' Congressional papers should be 
properly maintained and encouraging Members to take all necessary 
measures to manage and preserve these papers.
  The Clerk read the title of the concurrent resolution.
  The text of the concurrent resolution is as follows:

                            H. Con. Res. 307

       Whereas Members' Congressional papers (including papers of 
     Delegates and Resident Commissioners to the Congress) serve 
     as indispensable sources for the study of American 
     representative democracy;
       Whereas these papers document vital national, regional, and 
     local public policy issues;
       Whereas these papers are crucial to the public's 
     understanding of the role of Congress in making the Nation's 
     laws and responding to the needs of its citizens;
       Whereas because these papers serve as essential primary 
     sources for the history of Congress, the study of these 
     papers will illuminate the careers of individual Members;
       Whereas by custom, these papers are considered the personal 
     property of the Member who receives and creates them, and it 
     is therefore the Member who is responsible to decide on their 
     ultimate disposition; and
       Whereas resources are available through the Office of the 
     Clerk of the House of Representatives and the Secretary of 
     the Senate to assist Members with the professional and cost-
     effective management and preservation of these papers: Now, 
     therefore, be it
       Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate 
     concurring), That it is the sense of Congress that--
       (1) Members' Congressional papers (including papers of 
     Delegates and Resident Commissioners to the Congress) should 
     be properly maintained;
       (2) each Member of Congress should take all necessary 
     measures to manage and preserve the Member's own 
     Congressional papers; and
       (3) each Member of Congress should be encouraged to arrange 
     for the deposit or donation of the Member's own noncurrent 
     Congressional papers with a research institution that is 
     properly equipped to care for them, and to make these papers 
     available for educational purposes at a time the Member 
     considers appropriate.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Pennsylvania (Mr. Brady) and the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Ehlers) 
each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Pennsylvania.


                             General Leave

  Mr. BRADY of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that 
all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their 
remarks in the Record on H. Con. Res. 307.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Pennsylvania?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. BRADY of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I 
may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, it is very easy for Members to get caught up in the day-
to-day responsibilities of their job. In between regular 
correspondence, speeches, and vote recommendations, Members accumulate 
a lot of paper. Most will not give consideration to the importance of 
this paper until the end or middle of their careers.
  The papers generated by Members while in office reflect the issues of 
the day and are of historical benefit to students, scholars, and 
citizens in understanding the role of the House of Representatives in 
the Federal Government.
  Mr. Speaker, H. Con. Res. 307 is a concurrent resolution that reminds 
Members of the importance of maintaining and archiving their papers so 
that future leaders and citizens of history may learn and understand 
the decisions that we have made. I urge passage of H. Con. Res. 307.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. EHLERS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H. Con. Res. 307, which expresses 
the sense of the Congress that congressional papers should be properly 
maintained and encourages Members to take all necessary measures to 
manage and preserve these papers.
  This is a very important issue, and one that I am also delinquent on, 
as I suspect most Members are. At various times I have encouraged my 
staff to be certain that we take proper care of papers, that we 
maintain them, and that they are available for archiving once we leave 
office. But yet, it is a very difficult task to do this on a day-to-day 
basis and remember to do it.
  Let me also bemoan the fact that the executive branch has been 
subjected to lawsuits on this isssue, and the courts have declared they 
must save every little piece of paper, every message, and they are open 
to scrutiny and subpoena at any time in the future. The net effect of 
this is that the White House puts hardly anything down on paper, a 
practice that was developed in the previous administration as well. 
That is unfortunate. We should have the freedom to express our thoughts 
freely and make certain that they are preserved in a fashion that 
prevents them from being used improperly in future times.
  As Members of Congress, we are routinely faced with an abundance of 
notes, letters, and other papers that cross our desk each day. For each 
of us, there is a temptation to rid ourselves of today's notes and 
papers and begin each day anew, free from the scourge of clutter. And I 
know my office certainly should be more free of clutter. It would be 
easiest to discard these items along with rest of the day's castoffs, 
but as history has shown us, it is often these mundane items that have 
painted the most accurate and detailed picture of our Nation's history.
  These papers and their contents separately may tell us very little 
about the place and time in which they were created, but they are 
threads that, when woven together, create the fabric of our democracy.
  While congressional papers are the property and responsibility of the 
Member, the Clerk of the House and the Secretary of the Senate stand 
ready to assist Members of Congress in the disposition and handling of 
these materials. I urge all of my colleagues to join me in the effort 
to retain congressional documents, and in doing so, preserve a piece of 
history for the sake of our individual and collective posterity.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. BRADY of Pennsylvania. I thank the ranking member, Mr. Ehlers, 
for your cooperation. It is a pleasure working with you from day to 
day.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Brady) that the House suspend the

[[Page H1255]]

rules and agree to the concurrent resolution, H. Con. Res. 307.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the concurrent resolution was agreed to.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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