[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 201 (Friday, December 23, 2022)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1354]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




DECLARING ARCHIVED RECORDS OF THE SELECT COMMITTEE ON THE MODERNIZATION 
               OF CONGRESS TO BE AVAILABLE FOR PUBLIC USE

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. DEREK KILMER

                             of washington

                    in the house of representatives

                       Friday, December 23, 2022

  Mr. KILMER. Madam Speaker, as Chair of the Select Committee on the 
Modernization of Congress, I wish to include in the Record a letter 
Vice Chair William Timmons and I sent on December 22 to the Acting 
Archivist of the United States. The letter communicates our committee's 
designation of all records that the Archivist receives for archiving, 
as our committee draws to a close, as available for public use.
  This letter takes an important step towards the kind of openness that 
the Modernization Committee has championed as part of our over 200 
recommendations and over 40 hearings held since the beginning of the 
116th Congress to make the institution more effective, efficient, and 
transparent on behalf of the American people. Having our records 
available for public use will also aid future reform committees, 
researchers, and the public alike to advance the cause of modernization 
going forward.
  I ask my colleagues to join me in taking this important step towards 
recognizing the value of transparency and the legacy of the 
Modernization Committee.

                                Congress of the United States,

                                Washington, DC, December 22, 2022.
     Ms. Debra Steidel Wall,
     Acting Archivist of the United States, The United States 
         National Archives and Records Administration, Washington, 
         DC.
       Dear Ms. Wall: As Chair and Vice Chair of the Select 
     Committee on the Modernization of Congress (``Modernization 
     Committee''), we are writing to let you know that we consider 
     any and all Modernization Committee records that you receive 
     from the Office of the Clerk for purposes of archiving to be 
     available for public use. in accordance with Clause 3 of 
     House Rule VII.
       Established in the 116th Congress and extended through the 
     117th Congress, the Modernization Committee has been tasked 
     to investigate, study, make findings, hold public hearings, 
     and develop recommendations to make Congress more effective, 
     efficient, and transparent on behalf of the American people. 
     To this end, we have issued over 200 recommendations and held 
     over 40 hearings over the last four years to improve the day-
     to-day functioning of the House.
       A pillar of the Modernization Committee's work has been to 
     enhance the transparency of the House and of the legislative 
     process. As such, we believe it is important to make our 
     archived materials available for the public as soon as 
     possible.
       In addition, one of our final recommendations was that the 
     House ``should authorize a Modernization Select Committee at 
     least every fourth Congress.'' If the House implements this 
     recommendation, a future select committee would benefit 
     tremendously from having our records and analyses at its 
     immediate disposal, as these documents collectively 
     constitute a wealth of information about our work and the 
     issues that our members and staff discussed.
       Absent a committee order, we understand our archived 
     records would remain sealed for up to 30 years by default 
     under Rule VII. For the above reasons, though, we wish to 
     make you aware that, should you receive requests from other 
     committees or interested parties, we consider the records 
     reserved from our committee for archiving to be available for 
     public use. Thank you for your assistance in this matter.
           Sincerely,
                                                     Derek Kilmer,
                                               Member of Congress.
                                            William R. Timmons IV,
     Member of Congress.

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