[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 47 (Friday, March 17, 2017)]
[House]
[Pages H2154-H2155]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   PROVIDING FOR THE EXPENSES OF CERTAIN COMMITTEES OF THE HOUSE OF 
                 REPRESENTATIVES IN THE 115TH CONGRESS

  Mr. HARPER. Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Committee on House 
Administration, I call up House Resolution 173 and ask for its 
immediate consideration.
  The Clerk read the resolution, as follows:

                              H. Res. 173

       Resolved,

     SECTION 1. COMMITTEE EXPENSES FOR THE ONE HUNDRED FIFTEENTH 
                   CONGRESS.

       (a) In General.--With respect to the One Hundred Fifteenth 
     Congress, there shall be paid out of the applicable accounts 
     of the House of Representatives, in accordance with this 
     primary expense resolution, not more than the amount 
     specified in subsection (b) for the expenses (including the 
     expenses of all staff salaries) of each committee named in 
     such subsection.
       (b) Committees and Amounts.--The committees and amounts 
     referred to in subsection (a) are: Committee on Agriculture, 
     $11,437,517; Committee on Armed Services, $16,188,340; 
     Committee on the Budget, $10,380,424; Committee on Education 
     and the Workforce, $14,454,212; Committee on Energy and 
     Commerce, $20,531,442; Committee on Ethics, $6,681,326; 
     Committee on Financial Services, $16,580,450; Committee on 
     Foreign Affairs, $15,673,986; Committee on Homeland Security, 
     $15,007,846; Committee on House Administration, $10,343,130; 
     Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, $12,100,000; 
     Committee on the Judiciary, $15,350,572; Committee on Natural 
     Resources, $13,758,344; Committee on Oversight and Government 
     Reform, $18,259,682; Committee on Rules, $6,460,562; 
     Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, $10,969,956; 
     Committee on Small Business, $6,287,037; Committee on 
     Transportation and Infrastructure, $17,416,000; Committee on 
     Veterans' Affairs, $7,958,062; and Committee on Ways and 
     Means, $17,940,692.

     SEC. 2. FIRST SESSION LIMITATIONS.

       (a) In General.--Of the amount provided for in section 1 
     for each committee named in subsection (b), not more than the 
     amount specified in such subsection shall be available for 
     expenses incurred during the period beginning at noon on 
     January 3, 2017, and ending immediately before noon on 
     January 3, 2018.
       (b) Committees and Amounts.--The committees and amounts 
     referred to in subsection (a) are: Committee on Agriculture,

[[Page H2155]]

     $5,699,668; Committee on Armed Services, $8,094,170; 
     Committee on the Budget, $5,190,212; Committee on Education 
     and the Workforce, $7,146,429; Committee on Energy and 
     Commerce, $10,265,721; Committee on Ethics, $3,340,663; 
     Committee on Financial Services, $8,290,225; Committee on 
     Foreign Affairs, $7,836,993; Committee on Homeland Security, 
     $7,503,923; Committee on House Administration, $5,021,565; 
     Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, $6,050,000; 
     Committee on the Judiciary, $7,625,286; Committee on Natural 
     Resources, $6,879,172; Committee on Oversight and Government 
     Reform, $9,129,841; Committee on Rules, $3,230,281; Committee 
     on Science, Space, and Technology, $5,484,978; Committee on 
     Small Business, $3,037,400; Committee on Transportation and 
     Infrastructure, $8,655,500; Committee on Veterans' Affairs, 
     $3,979,031; and Committee on Ways and Means, $8,954,346.

     SEC. 3. SECOND SESSION LIMITATIONS.

       (a) In General.--Of the amount provided for in section 1 
     for each committee named in subsection (b), not more than the 
     amount specified in such subsection shall be available for 
     expenses incurred during the period beginning at noon on 
     January 3, 2018, and ending immediately before noon on 
     January 3, 2019.
       (b) Committees and Amounts.--The committees and amounts 
     referred to in subsection (a) are: Committee on Agriculture, 
     $5,737,849; Committee on Armed Services, $8,094,170; 
     Committee on the Budget, $5,190,212; Committee on Education 
     and the Workforce, $7,307,783; Committee on Energy and 
     Commerce, $10,265,721; Committee on Ethics, $3,340,663; 
     Committee on Financial Services, $8,290,225; Committee on 
     Foreign Affairs, $7,836,993; Committee on Homeland Security, 
     $7,503,923; Committee on House Administration, $5,321,565; 
     Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, $6,050,000; 
     Committee on the Judiciary, $7,725,286; Committee on Natural 
     Resources, $6,879,172; Committee on Oversight and Government 
     Reform, $9,129,841; Committee on Rules, $3,230,281; Committee 
     on Science, Space, and Technology, $5,484,978; Committee on 
     Small Business, $3,249,637; Committee on Transportation and 
     Infrastructure, $8,760,500; Committee on Veterans' Affairs, 
     $3,979,031; and Committee on Ways and Means, $8,986,346.
       (c) Review of Use of Funds in First Session.--
       (1) Review.--None of the amounts provided for in section 1 
     for a committee named in subsection (b) may be available for 
     expenses of the committee after March 15, 2018, unless the 
     chair or ranking minority member of the committee appears and 
     presents testimony at a hearing of the Committee on House 
     Administration held prior to such date to review the 
     committee's use of the amounts provided for in section 1 
     during the first session of the One Hundred Fifteenth 
     Congress and to determine whether the amount specified in 
     subsection (b) with respect to the committee should be 
     updated on the basis of the review.
       (2) Waiver.--The Committee on House Administration may 
     waive the application of paragraph (1) to any or all of the 
     committees named in subsection (b).

     SEC. 4. VOUCHERS.

       Payments under this resolution shall be made on vouchers 
     authorized by the committee involved, signed by the chairman 
     of such committee, and approved in the manner directed by the 
     Committee on House Administration.

     SEC. 5. REGULATIONS.

       Amounts made available under this resolution shall be 
     expended in accordance with regulations prescribed by the 
     Committee on House Administration.

     SEC. 6. RESERVE FUND FOR UNANTICIPATED EXPENSES.

       (a) Establishment.--There is hereby established a reserve 
     fund for unanticipated expenses of committees for the One 
     Hundred Fifteenth Congress.
       (b) Amount.--The reserve fund under this section shall have 
     a balance of $2,500,000, of which--
       (1) $1,250,000 shall be available for unanticipated 
     expenses incurred during the period beginning at noon on 
     January 3, 2017, and ending immediately before noon on 
     January 3, 2018; and
       (2) $1,250,000 shall be available for unanticipated 
     expenses incurred during the period beginning at noon on 
     January 3, 2018, and ending immediately before noon on 
     January 3, 2019.
       (c) Allocation to Committees.--Amounts in the reserve fund 
     under this section shall be paid to a committee pursuant to 
     an allocation approved by the Committee on House 
     Administration.

     SEC. 7. ADJUSTMENT AUTHORITY.

       The Committee on House Administration shall have authority 
     to make adjustments in amounts under section 1, if necessary 
     to comply with an order of the President issued under section 
     251A or 254 of the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit 
     Control Act of 1985 or to conform to any change in 
     appropriations for the purposes of such section 1.

  Mr. HARPER (during the reading). Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent 
to dispense with the reading of the resolution.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Simpson). Is there objection to the 
request of the gentleman from Mississippi?
  There was no objection.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from Mississippi is recognized 
for 1 hour.
  Mr. HARPER. Mr. Speaker, for the purpose of debate only, I yield the 
customary 30 minutes to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Brady), 
the ranking member of the Committee on House Administration, pending 
which I yield myself such time as I may consume. During consideration 
of this resolution, all time yielded is for the purpose of debate only.


                             General Leave

  Mr. HARPER. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to 
include extraneous material on House Resolution 173.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Mississippi?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. HARPER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of House Resolution 
173, a resolution which authorizes House Committee budget levels for 
the 115th Congress.
  Each Congress, the House looks to the Committee on House 
Administration to carry out the responsibility of determining the 
amount needed to fund standing House committees for this year and next.
  Our committee began this process by holding a hearing to receive 
input from the chairmen and ranking members of the various standing 
committees.
  I thank each of them and their staffs for providing us and our 
colleagues with the information needed to help our committee determine 
the appropriate funding levels.
  I also want to extend my sincere thanks for the collaborative manner 
in which the chairmen and ranking members worked together to create a 
budget request that is really targeted to meet their legislative and 
important oversight responsibilities.
  My colleagues and I took the priorities laid out in the hearing we 
held into account; and together, our committee passed, by unanimous 
voice vote, the bipartisan funding resolution that is before us today.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. BRADY of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself as much time 
as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the resolution before us.
  The credit for this bipartisan legislation goes to my colleague and 
friend, the gentleman from Mississippi. I want to thank Chairman Harper 
for his bipartisan cooperation in developing this agreeable 
legislation. All committees should follow our lead.
  I also want to thank our staffs, the Democratic and the Republican 
sides, for putting together the bill that we have on the floor today.
  Mr. Speaker, I support this legislation we are considering now.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. HARPER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  I want to express my appreciation to the ranking member of the 
committee, Mr. Brady. The cooperation that we have had, I think, is a 
good model to follow. I thank him for that support.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time, and I move the 
previous question on the resolution.
  The previous question was ordered.
  The resolution was agreed to.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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