[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 9 (Thursday, January 24, 2013)]
[Senate]
[Page S274]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                           COMMITTEE FUNDING

  Mr. REID. Mr. President, 2 years ago my friend the Republican leader 
and I expressed our intention that the funding allocation adopted for 
the 112th Congress would serve for that and future Congresses. Over the 
prior 20 years, the apportionment of committee funding had gone from a 
straight two-thirds for majority and one-third for minority during the 
1990s, regardless of the size of the majority and minority, to biannual 
negotiations during the following decade. The new funding allocation 
for Senate committees was based on the party division of the Senate, 
with 10 percent of the total majority and minority salary baseline 
going to the majority for administrative expenses. However, regardless 
of the party division of the Senate, the minority share of the majority 
and minority salary baseline will never be less than 40 percent, and 
the majority share will never exceed 60 percent. This approach met our 
needs for the last Congress, and I would like to see it continue.
  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I, too, would like to continue this 
approach for the 113th and future Congresses. It serves the interest of 
the Senate and the public by helping to retain core committee staff 
with institutional knowledge, regardless of which party is in the 
majority. We made a transition in the last Congress to restore special 
reserves to its historic purpose, but appropriations cuts prevented 
special reserves from being funded. To the extent possible, we should 
try to fund special reserves in order to be able to assist committees 
that face urgent, unanticipated, nonrecurring needs. We know that we 
will continue to face tight budgets for the foreseeable future, and we 
have to bring funding authorizations more in line with our actual 
resources while ensuring that committees e able to fulfill their 
responsibilities. I look forward to continuing to work with my friend 
the majority leader to accomplish this.
  Mr. REID. I thank my friend the Republican leader and 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:

                        Joint Leadership Letter

       We mutually commit to the following for the 113th Congress:
       The budgets of the Committees of the Senate, including 
     Joint and Special Committees, and all other subgroups, shall 
     be apportioned to reflect the ratio of the Senate as of this 
     date, including an additional ten percent (10%) from the 
     majority and minority salary baseline to be allocated to the 
     Chairman for administrative expenses, to be determined by the 
     Rules Committee.
       Special Reserves has been restored to its historic purpose. 
     Requests for funding will only be considered when submitted 
     by a Committee Chairman and Ranking Member for unanticipated, 
     non-recurring needs. Such requests shall be granted only upon 
     the approval of the Chairman and Ranking Member of the Rules 
     Committee.
       Funds for Committee expenses shall be available to each 
     Chairman consistent with Senate rules and practices of the 
     112th Congress.
       The Chairman and Ranking Member of any Committee may, by 
     mutual consent, modifying the apportionment of Committee 
     funding and office space.
       The division of Committee office space shall be 
     commensurate with this funding agreement.

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