[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 186 (Monday, December 16, 2024)]
[House]
[Pages H7153-H7154]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
HOUSE OFFICE OF LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL MODERNIZATION ACT
Mr. STEIL. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill
(H.R. 9487) to amend the Legislative
[[Page H7154]]
Reorganization Act of 1970 to authorize the Legislative Counsel of the
House of Representatives to designate more than one of the attorneys of
the Office of the Legislative Counsel as a Deputy Legislative Counsel,
and for other purposes.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 9487
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``House Office of Legislative
Counsel Modernization Act''.
SEC. 2. DESIGNATION OF MULTIPLE DEPUTY LEGISLATIVE COUNSELS.
(a) Designation.--Section 522(b)(1) of the Legislative
Reorganization Act of 1970 (2 U.S.C. 282a(b)(1)) is amended--
(1) by amending the first sentence to read as follows:
``The Legislative Counsel shall designate one or more of the
attorneys appointed under subsection (a) as a Deputy
Legislative Counsel.''; and
(2) in the second sentence, by striking ``the Deputy
Legislative Counsel shall perform the functions of the
Legislative Counsel.'' and inserting ``the functions of the
Legislative Counsel shall be performed by a Deputy
Legislative Counsel. If there is more than one Deputy
Legislative Counsel, the Deputy Legislative Counsel who shall
perform such functions shall be determined in accordance with
the order specified in a notice filed with the Speaker and
the Minority Leader of the House by the Legislative
Counsel.''.
(b) Conforming Amendment.--Section 522(b)(2) of such Act (2
U.S.C. 282a(b)(2)) is amended by striking ``Deputy
Legislative Counsel'' and inserting ``Deputy Legislative
Counsels''.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Wisconsin (Mr. Steil) and the gentleman from New York (Mr. Morelle)
each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Wisconsin.
General Leave
Mr. STEIL. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may
have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and
include extraneous material on H.R. 9487, the House Office of
Legislative Counsel Modernization Act.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Wisconsin?
There was no objection.
Mr. STEIL. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to urge my colleagues to support H.R. 9487,
the House Office of Legislative Counsel Modernization Act.
Originally called the Legislative Drafting Service, the Office of the
Legislative Counsel has been providing legislative drafting services to
the House for over 100 years. Since its inception, the office has
helped countless Members of Congress turn their legislative ideas into
thoughtful, meaningful bills and amendment text.
This legislation addresses a need raised by the Legislative Counsel
team to help manage their team of experts. It would allow the
designation of more than one Deputy Legislative Counsel to help manage
their office. Passage would give the Legislative Counsel flexibility to
meet staffing needs and handle vacancies as they arise.
This small change would allow the Legislative Counsel to name one
deputy to fulfill leadership responsibilities for the office upon a
vacancy or any other issue. A well-equipped Legislative Counsel Office
helps us as Members deliver for our constituents.
Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to have worked with Ranking Member Morelle
on this effort to assist our Legislative Counsel. I urge my colleagues
to vote in favor of H.R. 9487, and I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. MORELLE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 9487. This bipartisan
bill amends the Legislative Reorganization Act of 1970 to clarify the
responsibilities of the Deputy Legislative Counsel and grant the
Legislative Counsel the authority to designate a deputy to carry out
their duties in the event of an absence or vacancy in the position.
We may be repeating ourselves quite a bit here, but I think that just
indicates our support and cooperation that we were able to generate to
pass this package of bills, which I am grateful for.
The Office of the Legislative Counsel, as my learned colleague has
indicated, plays an essential role in supporting the work of Congress
by providing impartial and confidential drafting services to Members
and committees. The office is critical in our ability to function as an
institution, and it enables us to work more efficiently on behalf of
the American people.
The expert attorneys within the Office of the Legislative Counsel
draft tens of thousands of bills and resolutions each Congress. That
number grows exponentially when accounting for the many drafts of
measures as they are refined, as well as the increasing number of
amendments submitted by Members to the various committees.
I would like to take a moment to briefly recognize two of those
attorneys right now. First, I thank Wade Ballou for his more than 40
years of service with the office. That service culminated with his
appointment to Legislative Counsel in 2016. Wade recently announced his
retirement. I wish him well as he moves into the next phase of his
professional and personal life.
I also recognize the Deputy Legislative Counsel, Noah Wofsy, for his
outstanding leadership. He and his team do a masterful job of
supporting the House's legislative agenda, including the Committee on
House Administration in particular. We would not have been able to
bring this measure to the floor or any others without their dedication,
patience, and commitment to task.
As the demands on the Office of the Legislative Counsel will
undoubtedly continue to grow, it is vital we provide its attorneys with
the support necessary for them to perform their jobs effectively. This
includes ensuring the office has succession plans in place to maintain
the continuity of congressional operations.
While this legislation may seem modest in scope, it is a critical
step in strengthening the resilience of our institution, so I strongly
urge my colleagues to support the measure.
Mr. Speaker, I again thank my friend and colleague, Mr. Steil,
chairman of our committee, and the staff for their work on this.
Mr. Speaker, for all the reasons previously articulated, I think this
is a fine piece of legislation that helps move the institution forward.
I encourage all of my colleagues to support the bill, and I yield back
the balance of my time.
Mr. STEIL. Mr. Speaker, I urge passage of this piece of legislation.
As my colleague said, it may be modest in scope, but sometimes you take
a small step forward when you can get it.
I am appreciative of all those who work in the Legislative Counsel's
Office. My colleague recognized a few by name, and I second that
comment. I think it is important to recognize the hard work that goes
on inside the Office of the Legislative Counsel. This opportunity to
modernize it to allow it to operate a little more efficiently is well
worth our support.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the bill, and I yield
back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Steil) that the House suspend the rules
and pass the bill, H.R. 9487.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the
rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
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