[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 116 (Tuesday, July 15, 2008)]
[House]
[Pages H6547-H6548]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                             HALL MONITORS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Texas (Mr. Poe) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. POE. Mr. Speaker, the Capitol Hill hall monitors have issued 
warning citations to Members of Congress. That's right; Republicans and 
Democrats all over the hill are getting busted. The dastardly offense 
was paying tribute to American warriors by placing a poster outside the 
office with photos of our troops killed in Iraq or Afghanistan. That's 
right. We're getting written up for honoring the memory of fallen 
soldiers from our home States and districts.
  Here is my citation. I got busted for having a sign-in table and 
easel with a poster in the hallway. And this is the poster that I got 
written up for, Mr. Speaker. This letter says I have 30 days to comply 
with the new hallway policy or I will be in violation of this new 
edict.
  You see, Mr. Speaker, many of my colleagues and I choose to honor the 
men and women who have fought so bravely and given their lives in the 
current wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. So we display a poster like this 
one.
  This poster represents the 26 men and women of the Second 
Congressional District area of Texas that have been killed in Iraq and 
Afghanistan. We post these displays outside our offices so that we, our 
staff, and visitors will be constantly reminded of the sacrifice of our 
troops.
  Our type of government exists because real Americans go to war and 
some of them don't come back. And these photos are of some, 26, of 
those Americans. Now the hall monitors want us to take them down. They 
say they are an ``obstacle.''
  I will now read from the edict from the sign police that stealthily 
roam our hallways looking for violators of this hall monitoring 
proclamation. It says:
  ``In an emergency evacuation, the many items placed in the hallways 
of House office buildings interfere with the safe exit of Members, 
staff, and visitors . . . This policy was developed in response to a 
complaint regarding the proliferation of items placed in the hallways 
and responsive recommendation by the Office of Compliance. Its adoption 
was further recommended by the Committee on House Administration and 
supported by the Office of the Architect of the Capitol; the Office of 
Emergency Planning, Preparedness, and Operations; the House Sergeant at 
Arms; the Inspector General; the Chief Administrative Officer; and the 
Office of Compliance.'' And, Mr. Speaker, I will introduce this edict 
and this warning letter into the Record.

                                 Notice

                                                     July 3, 2008.
     Room No. 1605.

       The attached letter, dated May 2, 2008, announced the 
     issuance of a Hallway Policy intended to reduce hallway 
     obstacles. The Hallway Policy can be viewed at http://
housenet.house.gov (search on ``hallway policy'') or http://
house.aoc.gov. We are now entering the final 30 days of the 
     transition period established by the Committee on House 
     Administration. In accordance with our responsibility to 
     administer and enforce this Policy we note the following 
     violations of the Policy:
       (1) sign in table;
       (2) easel.
       While we are still in the transition period we are bringing 
     this issue to your attention in order to provide you with the 
     opportunity to bring your office into compliance. The policy 
     will be in full force and effect on August 2, 2008, and after 
     that date all items that violate the Hallway Policy will be 
     removed.
       If you require assistance or have any questions, please 
     contact First Call+ at 202-225-8000 or the House 
     Superintendent's Service Center at 202-225-4141. We sincerely 
     appreciate your cooperation in this matter.
                                  ____



                                Congress of the United States,

                                      Washington, DC, May 2, 2008.
       Dear Members of Congress, Committee Chairs, House Officers, 
     Support Offices, and Staff: In an emergency evacuation, the 
     many items placed in the hallways of House Office Buildings 
     can interfere with the safe exit of Members, staff, and 
     visitors, as well as pose tripping hazards for disabled 
     persons on a daily basis. In order to improve House 
     compliance with the requirements of the Congressional 
     Accountability Act, the Life Safety Code, and the Americans 
     with Disabilities Act, the House Office Building Commission 
     has adopted the attached policy relating to hallway 
     obstacles.
       This policy was developed in response to a complaint 
     regarding the proliferation of items placed in the hallways 
     and responsive recommendations by the Office of Compliance. 
     Its adoption was further recommended

[[Page H6548]]

     by the Committee on House Administration and supported by the 
     Office of the Architect of the Capitol, the Office of 
     Emergency Planning, Preparedness and Operations, the House 
     Sergeant at Arms, the Inspector General, the Chief 
     Administrative Officer, and the Office of Compliance.
       The policy specifies only limited circumstances in which 
     items may be placed or stored in a hallway or exit access 
     area of a House Office Building. The policy also governs the 
     removal of easels and similar signage, electronic kiosks, 
     flag stands, and sign-up tables.
       As the attached document indicates, the Chief 
     Administrative Officer and the Superintendent of the House 
     Office Buildings will share responsibility for implementation 
     and enforcement of policy. The Committee on House 
     Administration has directed us to provide a transition period 
     over the next three months, which begins as of the date of 
     this letter. During that period the House Superintendent also 
     will ensure that appropriate wall-mounted flag holders are 
     installed for Committee offices.
       It is our hope the new policy will result in unobstructed 
     hallways to ensure the protection of all Members, staff, and 
     visitors in the case of emergencies.
       Should you have any questions, please contact First Call 
     Plus or the House Superintendents Service Center. We 
     sincerely appreciate your cooperation in this matter.
           Sinerely,
     Daniel Beard,
       Chief Administrative Officer, House of Representatives.
     Frank Tiscione,
       House Superintendent, Office of the Architect of the 
     Capitol.

  Mr. Speaker, it seems like a lot of bureaucrats are involved in 
patrolling the hallways of Congress, and I wonder what all this 
nonsense costs the taxpayer. As you will notice, Mr. Speaker, the 
letter refers to a single complaint, and then all of these bureaucrats 
went into action.
  The visitors to my office call this poster a fitting tribute and 
thank me for honoring our troops. Apparently, the congressional hall 
monitors have nothing better to do with their time and taxpayer money 
than to regulate hall traffic and posters. One would think that in the 
big scheme of things, American citizens, especially the families of the 
fallen, would want Members of Congress to display these tributes rather 
than not display them. But the hall police say that if I don't take it 
down by the end of the month that they will remove it and trash it 
because it's an ``obstacle'' in their steely bureaucratic eyes.
  I hope the Architect of the Capitol changes this improper edict. Is 
Congress going to have to pass a law to keep these tributes on display? 
Well, maybe. By the way, Mr. Speaker, this arbitrary rule, in my 
opinion, violates the first amendment of free speech and freedom of 
expression.
  In the meantime, I am going to have to respectfully refuse to comply. 
Our poster isn't going anywhere. To coin a phrase used in the Texas War 
of Independence, ``Come and take it'' if you dare.
  And that's just the way it is.

                          ____________________