[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 9 (Thursday, January 15, 2009)]
[Senate]
[Page S590]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                           COMMITTEE FUNDING

  Mr. McCONNELL Mr. President. We have included language for the 111th 
Congress which keeps Republican Committee budgets from going below the 
funding allocation for fiscal year 2008.
  Upon enactment of a full year appropriation for the legislative 
branch, the Rules Committee has agreed to authorize $100,000,000 
annually for comittee majority and minority staff salary baselines to 
be allocated at a 60 percent to 40 percent ratio, majority/minority 
respectively, during the 111th Congress.
  Additionally, upon the enactment of a full year appropriation for the 
legislative branch, the authorization will provide for salary baselines 
to be adjusted by future cost-of-living adjustment, COLA, increases as 
approved by the President Pro Tempore of the Senate. Further, the 
majority leader and the chairman of the Rules Committee have agreed 
that 89 percent of special reserves is available to each chair/ranking 
member for administrative expenses, if requested, to be allocated at a 
60 percent to 40 percent ratio, majority/minority respectively. Special 
reserves, which have been available to committees since 2001, shall not 
exceed historic levels.
  While fiscal constraints have made this process very difficult, I 
appreciate the good faith effort made by the majority leader to fulfill 
the commitment we entered into at the beginning of the 110th Congress 
to keep minority staff salary baselines from going below funding levels 
allocated to the Republicans in the 109th Congress. The agreement we 
have reached provides the ability for minority committee budgets to be 
funded no less than the allocation in the 110th Congress.
  Mr REID. I concur with the remarks of the Republican leader. The 
baseline was not reduced for Democratic staff in the 108th Congress and 
this agreement allows for a similar accommodation for the Republicans 
in the 111th Congress.
  I ask unanimous consent that a joint leadership letter be printed in 
the Record.
  There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:

       We mutually commit to the following for the 111th Congress:
       Upon enactment of a full year appropriation for the 
     legislative branch, the majority and minority staff salary 
     baselines for the committees of the Senate, including Joint 
     and Special Committees, and all other subgroups, shall be 
     apportioned at a 60 percent to 40 percent ratio, majority/
     minority respectively, based on an authorization of 
     $100,000,000 annually. Additionally, upon enactment of a full 
     year appropriation for the legislative branch, the 
     authorization will provide for salary baselines to be 
     adjusted by future cost of living adjustment, COLA, increases 
     as approved by the President Pro Tempore of the Senate. 
     Further, the majority leader and the chairman of the Rules 
     Committee have agreed that 89 percent of special reserves is 
     available to each chair/ranking member for administrative 
     expenses, if requested, to be allocated at a 60 percent to 40 
     percent ratio, majority/minority respectively.
       This will allow individual minority committee funding 
     levels to remain unchanged, if special reserves are 
     requested. Therefore, no committee budget shall be allocated 
     to reduce the minority committee budget below that of fiscal 
     year 2008.
       Funds for committee expenses shall be available to each 
     chairman consistent with the Senate rules and practices of 
     the 110th Congress.
       The chairman and ranking member of any committee, may, by 
     mutual agreement, modify the apportionment of committee 
     funding, and/or space.
       The division of committee office space shall be 
     commensurate with the 60 percent to 40 percent ratio.

                          ____________________