[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 123 (Tuesday, September 14, 2010)]
[House]
[Pages H6652-H6653]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 FINDINGS IDENTIFYING CHANGES IN LAW TO HELP ACHIEVE DEFICIT REDUCTION 
SUBMITTED BY THE COMMITTEE ON HOUSE ADMINISTRATION PURSUANT TO H. RES. 
                                  1463

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Brady) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. BRADY of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, as you know, House Rule X 
entrusts the Committee on House Administration with responsibility for, 
among other matters, the Library of Congress, the Smithsonian 
Institution, United States Capitol Police, Printing and correction of 
the Congressional Record, Federal elections and other services to the 
House.
  The Committee strenuously exercises its oversight authority by 
routinely meeting with the Legislative Branch agencies, the Officers 
and Inspector General of the House, and the Smithsonian Institution. 
Through this rigorous oversight the Committee has identified and 
implemented policies to reduce waste, eliminate fraud, and mitigate 
inefficiencies.
  Among the Committee's recent work:
  Passed H.R. 4825, to make permanent the law dedicating the unspent 
balances of Members Representational Allowances to deficit and debt 
reduction (measure is now pending in the Senate);
  Passed H.R. 3690, 110th Cong. (became Pub. L. 110-178), merging the 
United States Capitol Police and the Library of Congress Police; during 
111th Congress, oversaw merger process resulting in elimination of 
needless duplication of responsibilities, achievement of administrative 
savings and enhanced security for the Capitol campus;
  Passed H.R. 1299, 111th Cong. (became Pub. L. 111-145), clarifying 
sundry laws related to the administration of the United States Capitol 
Police and streamlining USCP operations;

[[Page H6653]]

  Partnered with the Smithsonian Inspector General in the development 
and implementation of a return-to-work program that transitions injured 
employees' return to appropriate work with a requirement that claimants 
provide updated medical reports; the Smithsonian estimates potential 
savings of nearly $2.1 million in workers' compensation costs;
  Strengthened accountability for personal property at the Smithsonian 
Institution by requiring the agency to initiate regular inventories, 
leading to reduced agency spending to replace lost or stolen items;
  Disapproved Library of Congress plan to spend nearly $20 million for 
a new book-conveyor system, resulting in its cancellation;
  Instructed the Library of Congress to develop a cost-benefit analysis 
for all Information Technology investments in excess of $100,000 
including developing of internal controls to eliminate redundant 
hardware and software purchases across business units;
  Worked with the Inspector General of the House of Representatives to 
develop a cost-benefit analysis of the Chief Administrative Officer's 
joint effort with the Architect of the Capitol to deploy compact-
fluorescent light bulbs within House office buildings, revealing 
potential savings of $1.18 million over ten years;
  Instructed the Architect of the Capitol to develop and implement a 
procedure for assessing a tenant at the House Alternate Computing 
Facility for additional operating costs (e.g., electricity, facilities 
maintenance) properly chargeable to the tenant under the terms of the 
lease, revealing an additional amount of over $1 million due the 
taxpayer;
  For the fiscal years 2010 and 2011, consulted with other 
congressional committees, the Congressional Budget Office, and the 
President's Office of Management and Budget to reduce the number of 
printed copies of the multi-volume President's Budget and instead to 
substitute distribution of the CD-ROM version wherever appropriate, 
resulting in savings to both the Executive branch and Congress; and
  Worked with the Government Printing Office's Inspector General to 
block execution of a contract for delivery of human-resources and 
payroll-related services to certain elements of the agency instead of 
relying on GPO's agency-wide system, and encouraged the IG to redouble 
efforts to improve human resources' performance across GPO.
  Among the Committee's recommendations for additional improvements 
are:
  Extend beyond 2013 the current authority for levying of 
administrative fines by the Federal Election Commission pursuant to 
Pub. L. 110-433;
  Strengthen the Speaker's new travel rules by requiring House 
committee chairmen to certify the existence of a bona-fide need for 
foreign travel under the Mutual Security Act. Repeal the law (44 U.S.C. 
723) requiring compilation and publication of memorial tribute volumes 
in honor of deceased Representatives and Senators;
  Repeal authority for printing of sundry government publications now 
required by law but determined to be of little use or value, e.g., the 
``United States Treaties and Other International Agreements'' 
authorized by 1 U.S.C. 112a;
  Reform Procurement practice of the Library of Congress;
  Improve in-house technical support at the Library of Congress and 
Government Printing Office, reducing reliance on costly contractors; 
and
  Require implementation of Performance Based Budgeting at the Library 
of Congress. Merge the Government Printing Office Police with the 
United States Capitol Police.
  The Committee will also continue its oversight of the Legislative 
Branch and continually work to identify opportunities to reduce waste, 
fraud, abuse and mismanagement in the operations of our agencies.

                          ____________________