[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 31 (Wednesday, February 15, 2023)]
[Senate]
[Page S432]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 AUTHORIZING EXPENDITURES BY COMMITTEES OF THE SENATE FOR THE PERIODS 
  MARCH 1, 2023, THROUGH SEPTEMBER 30, 2023, OCTOBER 1, 2023, THROUGH 
   SEPTEMBER 30, 2024, AND OCTOBER 1, 2024, THROUGH FEBRUARY 28, 2025

  Ms. CANTWELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate 
proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 15, S. Res. 59.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the resolution by title.
  The senior assistant legislative clerk read as follows:

       A resolution (S. Res. 59) authorizing expenditures by 
     committees of the Senate for the periods March 1, 2023, 
     through September 30, 2023, October 1, 2023, through 
     September 30, 2024, and October 1, 2024, through February 28, 
     2025.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the 
resolution, which had been reported from the Committee on Rules and 
Administration.
  Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, 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:

                  Joint Leadership Letter and Colloquy

       The Joint Leadership Letter and Colloquy of February 15, 
     2023, stated the following with regard to the division of 
     funding and office space for the majority and minority.


                        Joint Leadership Letter

       We mutually commit to the following for the 118th Congress: 
     The Committee on Rules and Administration is to determine the 
     budgets of the committees of the Senate. The budgets of the 
     committees, 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 chair for administrative expenses.
       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, 
     nonrecurring needs. Such requests shall be granted only upon 
     the approval of the chair and ranking member of the Committee 
     on Rules and Administration. Funds for committee expenses 
     shall be available to each chairman consistent with the 
     Senate rules and practices.
       The division of committee office space shall be 
     commensurate with this funding agreement. The chairman and 
     ranking member of any committee may, by mutual agreement, 
     modify the apportionment of committee funding and office 
     space.

  Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, in the 112th Congress, the Senate adopted 
a new funding allocation for Senate committees. This approach has 
served the Senate well for the five of the past six Congresses, 
excluding last Congress when the evenly divided Senate adopted a power-
sharing agreement by resolution. I believe this approach will continue 
to serve the interests of the Senate and the public, regardless of 
which party is in the majority, by helping to retain core committee 
staff with institutional knowledge. This funding allocation is 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 not exceed 60 
percent. It is my intent that this approach will continue to serve the 
Senate for this Congress and future Congresses.
  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, this approach has met our needs for 
five of the past six Congresses, and I, too, would like to see it 
continue. In addition, special reserves have been restored to its 
historic purpose. We should continue to fund special reserves to the 
extent possible in order to be able to assist committees that face 
urgent, unanticipated, nonrecurring needs. Recognizing the tight 
budgets we will face for the foreseeable future, it is necessary to 
continue to bring funding authorizations more in line with our actual 
resources while ensuring that committees are able to fulfill their 
responsibilities. I look forward to continuing to work with the 
majority leader to accomplish this.
  Ms. CANTWELL. I further ask that the resolution be agreed to and that 
the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table 
with no intervening action or debate.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The resolution (S. Res. 59) was agreed to.
  (The resolution is printed in the Record of February 13, 2023, under 
``Submitted Resolutions.'')

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