[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 1]
[Senate]
[Pages 1073-1074]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




              MAKING MAJORITY PARTY APPOINTMENTS--Resumed

  Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate 
resume consideration of S. Res. 18.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I am pleased to inform my colleagues that 
we are finally prepared to adopt our respective committee resolutions. 
It gives me great pleasure, after negotiation in good faith by both 
sides that we are bringing this issue to a conclusion. I believe this 
understanding for this 108th Congress is fair to both sides of the 
aisle. With this agreement, I am grateful that we are able to proceed 
with assigning committee seats and that we will be able to begin what 
we are here to accomplish and what we are all about in this Nation's 
business.
  I do want to thank Members on both sides of the aisle for their 
patience as we have worked constructively together--Democrat and 
Republican--to accomplish what we are about to do. I particularly thank 
the Democratic leader, and, as I mentioned this morning and I think he 
mentioned as well late last night and throughout the course of today, 
we have had both of our staffs working together very closely. So I 
thank the Democratic leader for his efforts.
  Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the pending resolution be 
modified with the change that I now send to the desk.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I further ask unanimous consent that the 
resolution, as modified, be agreed to and the motion to reconsider be 
laid upon the table; further, that immediately upon its passage, a 
joint leadership letter be printed in the Record.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The resolution (S. Res. 18), as modified, was agreed to, as follows:

                               S. Res. 18

       Resolved, That notwithstanding the provisions of Rule XXV, 
     the following shall constitute the majority party's 
     membership on the following standing committees for the 108th 
     Congress, or until their successors are chosen:
       Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry: Mr. 
     Cochran (Chairman), Mr. Lugar, Mr. McConnell, Mr. Roberts, 
     Mr. Fitzgerald, Mr. Chambliss, Mr. Coleman, Mr. Crapo, Mr. 
     Talent, Mrs. Dole, and Mr. Grassley.
       Committee on Appropriations: Mr. Stevens (Chairman), Mr. 
     Cochran, Mr. Specter, Mr. Domenici, Mr. Bond, Mr. McConnell, 
     Mr. Burns, Mr. Shelby, Mr. Gregg, Mr. Bennett, Mr. Campbell, 
     Mr. Craig, Mrs. Hutchison, Mr. DeWine, and Mr. Brownback.
       Committee on Armed Services: Mr. Warner (Chairman), Mr. 
     McCain, Mr. Inhofe, Mr. Roberts, Mr. Allard, Mr. Sessions, 
     Ms. Collins, Mr. Ensign, Mr. Talent, Mr. Chambliss, Mr. 
     Graham of South Carolina, Mrs. Dole, and Mr. Cornyn.
       Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs: Mr. 
     Shelby (Chairman), Mr. Bennett, Mr. Allard, Mr. Enzi, Mr. 
     Hagel, Mr. Santorum, Mr. Bunning, Mr. Crapo, Mr. Sununu, Mrs. 
     Dole, and Mr. Chafee.
       Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Mr. 
     McCain (Chairman), Mr. Stevens, Mr. Burns, Mr. Lott, Mrs. 
     Hutchison, Ms. Snowe, Mr. Brownback, Mr. Smith, Mr. 
     Fitzgerald, Mr. Ensign, Mr. Allen, and Mr. Sununu.
       Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Mr. Domenici 
     (Chairman), Mr. Nickles, Mr. Craig, Mr. Campbell, Mr. Thomas, 
     Mr. Alexander, Ms. Murkowski, Mr. Talent, Mr. Burns, Mr. 
     Smith, Mr. Bunning, and Mr. Kyl.
       Committee on Environment and Public Works: Mr. Inhofe 
     (Chairman), Mr. Warner, Mr. Bond, Mr. Voinovich, Mr. Crapo, 
     Mr. Chafee, Mr. Cornyn, Ms. Murkowski, Mr. Thomas, and Mr. 
     Allard.
       Committee on Finance: Mr. Grassley (Chairman), Mr. Hatch, 
     Mr. Nickles, Mr. Lott, Ms. Snowe, Mr. Kyl, Mr. Thomas, Mr. 
     Santorum, Mr. Frist, Mr. Smith, and Mr. Bunning.
       Committee on Foreign Relations: Mr. Lugar (Chairman), Mr. 
     Hagel, Mr. Chafee, Mr. Allen, Mr. Brownback, Mr. Enzi, Mr. 
     Voinovich, Mr. Alexander, Mr. Coleman, and Mr. Sununu.
       Committee on Governmental Affairs: Ms. Collins (Chairman), 
     Mr. Stevens, Mr. Voinovich, Mr. Coleman, Mr. Specter, Mr. 
     Bennett, Mr. Fitzgerald, Mr. Sununu, and Mr. Shelby.
       Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions: Mr. 
     Gregg (Chairman), Mr. Frist, Mr. Enzi, Mr. Alexander, Mr. 
     Bond, Mr. DeWine, Mr. Roberts, Mr. Sessions, Mr. Ensign, Mr. 
     Graham of South Carolina, and Mr. Warner.
       Committee on the Judiciary: Mr. Hatch (Chairman), Mr. 
     Grassley, Mr. Specter, Mr. Kyl, Mr. DeWine, Mr. Sessions, Mr. 
     Graham of South Carolina, Mr. Craig, Mr. Chambliss, and Mr. 
     Cornyn.
       Committee on the Judiciary: Mr. Hatch (Chairman), Mr. 
     Grassley, Mr. Specter, Mr. Kyl, Mr. DeWine, Mr. Sessions, Mr. 
     Graham of South Carolina, Mr. Craig, Mr. Chambliss, and Mr. 
     Cornyn.
       Committee on Rules and Administration: Mr. Lott (Chairman), 
     Mr. Stevens, Mr. McConnell, Mr. Cochran, Mr. Santorum, Mr. 
     Nickles, Mrs. Hutchison, Mr. Frist, Mr. Smith, and Mr. 
     Chambliss.
       Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship: Ms. Snowe 
     (Chairman), Mr. Bond, Mr. Burns, Mr. Bennett, Mr. Enzi, Mr. 
     Fitzgerald, Mr. Crapo, Mr. Allen, Mr. Ensign, and Mr. 
     Coleman.
       Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Mr. Specter (Chairman), Mr. 
     Campbell, Mr. Craig, Mrs. Hutchison, Mr. Bunning, Mr. Ensign, 
     Mr. Graham of South Carolina, and Mr. Murkoswki.
       Special Committee on Aging: Mr. Craig (Chairman), Mr. 
     Shelby, Ms. Collins, Mr. Enzi, Mr. Smith, Mr. Talent, Mr. 
     Fitzgerald, Mr. Hatch, Mrs. Dole, Mr. Stevens, and Mr. 
     Santorum.
       Committee on the Budget: Mr. Nickles (Chairman), Mr. 
     Domenici, Mr. Grassley, Mr. Gregg, Mr. Allard, Mr. Burns, Mr. 
     Enzi, Mr. Sessions, Mr. Bunning, Mr. Crapo, Mr. Ensign, and 
     Mr. Cornyn.
       Select Committee on Ethics: Mr. Voinovich (Chairman), Mr. 
     Roberts, and Mr. Thomas.
       Committee on Indian Affairs: Mr. Campbell (Chairman), Mr. 
     McCain, Mr. Domenici, Mr. Thomas, Mr. Hatch, Mr. Inhofe, Mr. 
     Smith, and Ms. Murkowski.
       Select Committee on Intelligence: Mr. Roberts (Chairman), 
     Mr. Hatch, Mr. DeWine, Mr. Bond, Mr. Lott, Ms. Snowe, Mr. 
     Hagel, Mr. Chambliss, and Mr. Warner.
       Joint Economic Committee: Mr. Bennett (Chairman), Mr. 
     Brownback, Mr. Sessions, Mr. Sununu, Mr. Alexander, and Ms. 
     Collins.
  There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:


                                                  U.S. Senate,

                                                    Washington, DC

                        Joint Leadership Letter

       We mutually commit to the following for only the 108th 
     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, with up to an additional ten percent (10%) to be 
     allocated to Chairmen for administrative expenses, to be 
     determined by the Rules committee, with the total 
     administrative expenses allocation for all Committees not to 
     exceed historic levels. The additional administrative 
     expenses described above shall be available to be expended by 
     a Committee Chairman, after consultation with the Ranking 
     Member of the Committee. Funds for committee expenses shall 
     be available to Chairmen consistent with Senate rules and 
     practices of the 107th Congress. No committee budget shall be 
     allocated to reduce the Democratic staff salary baseline from 
     that of fiscal year 2002 (including COLA), as adjusted by 
     approved COLAs for fiscal year 2003 and fiscal year 2004. The 
     Chairman and Ranking Member of any committee may, by mutual 
     agreement, modify the apportionment of Committee funding 
     referenced in this letter. The division of Committee office 
     space shall be commensurate with this funding agreement.
     Bill Frist,
       Majority Leader.
     Ted Stevens.
     Trent Lott.
     Thomas A. Daschle,
       Democratic Leader.

[[Page 1074]]


     Robert C. Byrd.
     Christopher J. Dodd.

  Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I understand the Democratic leader is 
prepared to offer his resolution at this time.
  Mr. DASCHLE. Mr. President, I commend the distinguished majority 
leader, and let me just say how grateful I am for the work done by his 
primary staff person, Mitch Bainwol, and my staff person, Mark 
Childress. These two men have done a remarkable job. I don't know Mr. 
Bainwol, but I must say that Mark Childress deserves special 
commendation, as does Mitch Bainwol, for the work they have done in 
bringing us to this point, working in good faith to resolve these many 
questions. So I thank our staff.
  I thank all of those Senators with whom we consulted throughout this 
process. I agree with what the majority leader has said; this is a fair 
resolution that accommodates the needs of both of our caucuses.

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